Chapter 53 Chapter 53 It's just for looking, it's not like it's anything serious...
The first page of the walkthrough contained only one sentence.
-'I like handsome men.'
For the first time, Fu Huaiqing realized that his appearance was indeed useful.
His deep and distinct features were as if Nuwa had carefully carved them with a small knife, without a single flaw. Having wandered the world for many years, he had seen all kinds of men, but he had never seen anyone with a more handsome appearance. His pine-like figure also added an indescribable composure and imposing presence to his appearance.
Her gaze drifted downwards, landing on the man's thin lips.
His lips looked very kissable.
A scene flashed through her mind: a man's thin lips pressed tightly together, holding the tip of his slightly protruding tongue. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the tingling sensation from that night in the thatched hut suddenly washed over her. Her body trembled involuntarily. The face that came into view gradually overlapped with the silent Prince Su opposite her, and she suddenly came back to her senses.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she blinked nervously.
Fu Huaiqing reached out and grabbed Biezhi, who was about to turn and run away, a half-smile on his face. "Not going to watch anymore?"
Hearing him say that, Biezhi realized that her gaze had been far too obvious. She quickly withdrew her hand, looking slightly guilty: "I wasn't looking at you."
Fu Huaiqing couldn't help but chuckle: "It seems I didn't say you were looking at me?"
Biezhi: "..."
The man's teasing smile caught her eye, and the slight unease she felt was suppressed by another emotion.
So what if she saw it? What are you going to do about it?
She just liked his good looks; she was only looking and didn't mean to be disrespectful to him!
She's so stingy, no wonder she's still unmarried!
Old man!
The murmur that had been rising in her mind suddenly subsided, and Bie Zhi's eyes flickered slightly. She had heard from her senior brothers and sisters in Xianyun Tower that, apart from the change of the head of the Mountain Residence Pavilion, the other heads of the pavilions had never changed, and the master of Xianyun Tower had only been one person from beginning to end.
Xianyunlou was established in the seventeenth year.
Seventeen years.
Let's assume he founded Xianyun Tower when he was fifteen. He should be thirty-two now, almost thirteen years younger than me...
If she were two years older, she could have given birth to herself.
Could it be true, as the rumors in the martial arts world say, that he is impotent?
Biezhi secretly glanced at him.
He didn't look like he was in his early thirties.
It's been well maintained.
However, older men are still unacceptable, no matter how handsome they are!
Fu Huaiqing noticed that her gaze was becoming increasingly indescribable, occasionally carrying a hint of regret. She looked him up and down, seemingly muttering something to herself. A vein throbbed on his forehead, and it didn't look like she was saying anything nice.
Suddenly, I realized that the identity of Ji Ran was also useful. I didn't even need to guess what she was thinking; she would just pour out her heart to me.
"What are you muttering about me about now?" Fu Huaiqing couldn't help but ask.
Biezhi's eyes widened in shock, her round almond-shaped eyes filled with horror.
How did he know that I was talking about him?
"I didn't," Biezhi retorted confidently, her argument lacking conviction.
Fu Huaiqing observed her shifty gaze and said calmly, "What are you feeling guilty about?"
Biezhi: "..."
Not only are they sharp-eyed, but they also have a sharp tongue.
She really missed Ji Ran. Even if it was him playing the role of Ji Ran, she would still miss him. At least he would pretend to be mute and wouldn't hurt her.
Biezhi was certain that he would settle accounts with her sooner or later.
She blinked slowly, "Your Highness—"
"Fu Huaiqing." Fu Huaiqing interrupted her.
Biezhi asked in confusion, "Hmm?"
Fu Huaiqing took out a brush and ink, and wrote three large characters: "My name."
The Xuan paper was laid out before him, and the elegant and unrestrained handwriting was just like the man himself. Biezhi tilted her head and glanced at it a few times, her doubts growing. She looked up at him, puzzled.
He called himself Fu Huaiqing, and then what?
Seeing that she didn't seem to understand at all, Fu Huaiqing chuckled and said, "Just call me by my name from now on."
ha! ?
The girl's gaze, which had been fixed on the Xuan paper, suddenly lifted. Her eyes widened, and astonishment flashed in her round almond-shaped eyes as she looked at him in disbelief.
Under heaven, who dares to call him by his full name?
As long as she still has any sense, she won't do something so suicidal.
Bie Zhi's lips twitched slightly, but she remained silent.
I politely declined.
Fu Huaiqing wasn't in a hurry; there was plenty of time to gradually change how she addressed him.
Even as she left, Biezhi did not open the memorials on the table. She did not know what was written inside, but she knew that the memorials that were put on paper and presented to him were not information that others could easily glean.
The next day when Ling Feng arrived, Bie Zhi was practicing her sword in the courtyard.
Ling Feng, who rushed over after receiving the news, saw that she still had the mind to practice her sword and that she didn't seem to have any other injuries. "You finally have some free time, why don't you rest properly?"
"Master!" Upon hearing the familiar voice, Biezhi quickly withdrew the sword she had thrust out and ran over with her sword in hand.
"The wound on your hand hasn't fully healed yet." Ling Feng's gaze swept over her unmoving arm, which seemed to still be bandaged. "Aren't you afraid it'll really be ruined?"
"It's almost healed, so you don't need to come here to do it." Biezhi had suffered even more serious injuries during previous missions and had managed to pull through. Moreover, she was not the type to sit still. Even sitting still for half a cup of tea felt like she was being bitten by mosquitoes all over her body.
She picked up the teapot from the table, poured tea, and handed it to Ling Feng, asking, "How did you get here, Master?"
Ling Feng's expression darkened slightly as he ran his fingertips along the patterns on the teacup. "Qing Shan came last night and told me about it."
Upon hearing this, Biezhi knew that her master knew the whole story. She paused for a moment, then asked, "Have you found your senior brother?"
"No." Ling Feng truly hadn't expected that the disciple he had raised by his side was actually a spy from the Xilan State Security Bureau who had infiltrated the Li Dynasty and had been lurking by his side for many years. "His hiding skills are superb; he can't be found overnight."
"Can't we conduct door-to-door checks?" Biezhi asked.
Ling Feng shook his head: "No, we can't let trouble break out in the capital. If we conduct a large-scale investigation, it will only cause panic among the people. Fortunately, we can use the mysterious death of the second daughter of the Qin family as a pretext to start the investigation." He paused and sighed heavily, "Now, I don't know how to face my master."
If he hadn't been soft-hearted and brought Jing Qing back, none of this would have happened.
“Senior Brother’s matter is not Master’s problem,” Biezhi retorted. “Countless homeless children have been brought back to Xianyun Tower. Besides Senior Brother, nearly ten of the twenty-odd people in Qingyin Pavilion were brought back by Master. We are all fine, so how can Senior Brother’s matter be attributed to Master?”
"Yes, he didn't lay a hand on me and deliberately let me leave, but did those assassins just follow him for no reason?" She didn't deny that Jing Qing had helped her, but no matter what, she never expected to be betrayed by her own family. "How could he be so sure that those people couldn't hurt me at all?"
No matter how skilled she was, she couldn't withstand the assassination attempt by nearly twenty people.
If it weren't for the help of the Prince's secret guards that night, he would have had no chance of survival.
"He only left me with half of what he wanted to say before he left."
Ling Feng remained silent. "Last night, Qing Shan sent an order to Xianyun Tower that if they encountered him, they should bring him back at all costs. It's not too late to ask him questions after we find him."
Biezhi nodded, "There's no other way."
I always need to understand what he said, otherwise I'll have to live in hiding for the rest of my life.
Ling Feng looked up at Bie Zhi, whose expression was slightly tense, clearly caught in a dilemma. He pondered for a moment and changed the subject: "Ji Ran has suddenly become a prince, is he alright?"
Upon hearing this, Biezhi, who was sipping her tea, raised her eyes and met her master's gaze for a moment. Her dull eyes suddenly brightened, and she put down her teacup. "Master, how long have you known the master?"
Ling Feng didn't understand why she suddenly asked this. "It's been about twenty years."
"What kind of person is he?" Biezhi moved closer to him, her eyes piercing. "Will he settle old scores?"
“The prince settles all scores on the spot, there are no old scores.” Ling Feng pondered for a moment, then said thoughtfully, “If there are old scores, they are the relatives of the empress who interfered in politics in the early years. You know what happened to them, their corpses were everywhere.”
Biezhi: "..."
Her situation, it seems, didn't reach the point of leaving corpses strewn everywhere.
After a brief silence, Biezhi asked guiltily, "Has anyone ever spoken ill of him to his face?"
"Of course there are." Ling Feng happened to have encountered a courtier struggling desperately in front of Fu Huaiqing.
Bie Zhi pressed further, "What happened in the end?"
"The grass on the grave is already two zhang tall." Ling Feng glanced at her tearful expression and frowned slightly: "What happened?"
"Master, only you can save me!" Biezhi wished she could kneel down and hug his leg, looking at him expectantly. "When Master was pretending to be Jiran, I don't know how many bad things I said about Master in front of him," she paused, "and about the Prince too."
Ling Feng: "...?"
Qingshan didn't tell him about this yesterday, only that the master knew early on that there was a mole in Xianyun Tower, so he would sometimes appear disguised as Jiran, and that's how Biezhi got to know the master.
"What did you say?"
“There are many.” Biezhi herself couldn’t count them all. She muttered to herself, “I also said that he has no humanity. No wonder he’s still all alone. If I were the woman he liked, I would definitely run far away. Not only that, but I would also take someone else with me.”
Ling Feng's lips twitched.
“Oh.” Biezhi’s voice grew lower and lower, and her head drooped lower and lower. “I even told him that I wanted to poison Prince Su to make him mute.”
In retrospect, it's already quite merciful that he didn't poison himself to the point of muteness on the spot!
"Master." She tugged at Ling Feng's sleeve with her fingertips and shook it. "Only Master can save me."
Ling Feng chuckled, seeing how genuinely worried she was, and reassured her, "Master's temperament isn't such that she would—"
Seeing that he stopped halfway through his sentence, Biezhi blinked and pressed him, "Can't do what?"
Ling Feng wanted to say that Fu Huaiqing's temperament was not like that of a young man. After taking over the government, his temperament had become more and more stable, and he would definitely not worry about this matter. However, recalling the conversation between the two a few days ago, Ling Feng was not so sure.
Looking back now, Fu Huaiqing that day was just like himself in his youth.
In his youth, Fu Huaiqing was not as composed as he is now. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, he was not as inscrutable as he is now. He was carefree and spirited as he strolled with Su Ci and others in the outskirts of the capital.
At the age of seventeen, he obeyed orders, took up his sword, and rode to the battlefield to train under Zhu Xu. He was unrestrained and arrogant. If the late emperor had not suddenly passed away and the maternal relatives had not taken advantage of his absence on the frontier to promote the five-year-old prince to the throne, his temperament would not have suddenly become stable.
In half a year, he acted decisively and ruthlessly, purging all the relatives of the empress and the court officials who had sided with them, suppressing the old officials who maintained the airs of veteran ministers, and supporting capable people. Former cabinet ministers had their homes confiscated, some were exiled, and cabinet ministers who had never attached themselves to the empress's relatives also retired to their hometowns. Now, the cabinet is full of his trusted confidants who were promoted by him.
In just six months, it has changed completely, living up to its youthful spirit.
Ling Feng hadn't seen him like this in a long time, with a stubbornness unique to young men. Thinking of this, he smiled and shook his head, "Anyway, he won't kill you."
Biezhi felt that her master's words were like a gentle breeze. Of course, she knew that Prince Su would not kill her, otherwise he would have done so long ago and would not have waited until now.
She sighed deeply, "Fine, as long as I can stay alive."
For the rest, we'll deal with whatever comes our way.
Ling Feng couldn't help but chuckle, asking curiously, "What are you thinking? Why not tell your master if you have any complaints? What's the point of telling Ji Ran?"
“It’s different.” Biezhi pouted. When she was pouring out her grievances, Jiran was the best choice. “He can’t hear or speak. What I told him will never be known to anyone.”
How could she have guessed that Ji Ran was the master?
She wasn't scared half to death because she has a strong tolerance for stress; if it were someone else, they would have been terrified to death the night before.
"Old man, quite cunning."
Ling Feng, who was sipping his tea, didn't know whether to laugh or cry upon hearing this.
"If I had known, I should have taken action back then. If I had really made him mute, how could he have scared him then—" Biezhi was only halfway through her sentence when her master covered her mouth with his hand. She struggled a few times in confusion.
Ling Feng caught sight of Fu Huaiqing suddenly appearing in the courtyard. Veins bulged on his forehead. He didn't know how much Fu Huaiqing had heard. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the branch and whispered, "Still talking? People are here to deal with you."
Upon hearing this, Biezhi's heart skipped a beat.
She stopped struggling and cautiously looked back. The tall figure of the man came into view. His eyes were cold and unreadable. Jiang Yue and Cheng Jin, who were following behind him, also had stern faces, as if someone owed them a fortune.
Their eyes met across the distance, and Biezhi swallowed hard before silently turning back.
This time, it really is a death sentence.
The King of Hell has appeared in the mortal world, followed by the Black and White Impermanence.
Ling Feng released his hand from her lower face and shrugged: "Master already warned you."
Biezhi: "..."
Her eyes flickered. "A teacher for a day is a father for life. As a father, Master should protect his child from the wind and rain and face the thunderstorms for me."
Ling Feng's lips twitched slightly.
Despite her words, Biezhi didn't actually move an inch. She didn't know how much Fu Huaiqing had heard, but judging from his expression, even if he hadn't heard the earlier part, he must have heard perfectly clearly the part where she regretted not poisoning his mouth earlier.
Ling Feng stood up, patted her shoulder, and gave her a look.
Biezhi also stood up, moved slightly to the side, and hid behind her master.
Fu Huaiqing's gaze passed over Ling Feng and looked at Bie Zhi, who was secretly hiding and praying that she couldn't see him. Now that there was no one to listen to her muttering, she would change to someone else, but she avoided him like the plague.
His Adam's apple bobbed. "What are you talking about, so pleasantly?"
"They're reminiscing about the past." Ling Feng felt he wasn't wrong; the story of Biezhi and Jiran was indeed a thing of the past. "She's always been lively, so it's normal for her to be in a good mood."
It's abnormal if someone has a long face; it means they're either being pushed to the limit or genuinely angry.
Fu Huaiqing raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze seemingly sweeping over her, "I think I just heard someone regretting not giving me the mute drug back then."
"It wasn't me." Biezhi, who was hiding behind Ling Feng, reacted quickly.
Ling Feng: "..."
He stepped aside, looking at her with exasperation, "You've confessed without being asked. Where did your usual caution during missions go?"
As soon as Ling Feng stepped aside, Bie Zhi was exposed to Fu Huaiqing's eyes, her eyelashes trembling.
She glanced at her master, whose face was full of helplessness, and didn't know why she had subconsciously replied. After thinking about it, she felt that she might have been frightened by Prince Su, but she dared not say it now.
"Your Highness misheard." Bie Zhi secretly glanced at Fu Huaiqing for a moment, her expression sincere. "I was just scolding my past self for being blind to your greatness, actually thinking of giving Your Highness a drug to make you mute, not understanding how much Your Highness sacrificed to conceal your identity, and how your once beautiful voice has become like that of an old water buffalo—"
She laughed twice and then shut her mouth.
A screaming little voice popped out from the depths of her mind and ran wildly around, wishing she could punch herself a couple of times. She felt that if she said a few more words, her life would surely be in danger.
Fu Huaiqing's thin lips twitched slightly, "You can't administer the mute medicine."
Biezhi blinked, and there had never been a moment when she wanted to dig a hole and disappear more than now.
She should have given him a drug to make him mute!
Ling Feng, who was watching from the side, frowned and glanced at Fu Huaiqing. He couldn't figure out if Fu Huaiqing was in love with someone else. If he really was in love with her, why was he arguing with her?
He had never pursued a woman, and the people around him didn't know to remind him.
Ling Feng glanced sideways at Jiang Yuecheng and Jin, who were standing behind him. Seeing that they both looked at him with amusement and didn't seem to notice anything wrong with their conversation, he fell silent.
Sure enough, he was right before.
The Prince Su's Mansion was actually a Buddhist temple.
Both the monks above and below were monks who had severed all emotional ties and love.
Expecting monks to understand matters of the heart is to overestimate their abilities.
Meeting the pleading look in Biezhi's eyes, Ling Feng sighed helplessly and came to her rescue: "I came here today because I have something I would like to discuss with Your Highness. I wonder if Your Highness has the time?"
Fu Huaiqing caught the girl's gaze and frowned slightly.
Jiang Yue and Cheng Jin, who had been standing behind for a long time, exchanged glances. They both wanted to go forward and pull Ling Feng away. The fact that the prince was here now was because he had given a clear order for the court officials to come back in half an hour. They didn't know how long his business would take.
If they can't finish talking in half an hour, who knows when they'll see each other again.
"Shall we talk in private?" Ling Feng asked again.
Fu Huaiqing glanced at Ling Feng, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.
Seeing this, Biezhi breathed a sigh of relief and waved her hand slightly. Even before they had left, her mood had brightened considerably. The thought of Yama disappearing from her sight made her happy.
Unexpectedly, the King of Hell suddenly turned his head to look at her and said, "You come along too."
Bie Zhi's smile froze, and she said, "Isn't this inappropriate?"
Fu Huaiqing asserted, "It's suitable."
Before he could even explain what was going on, the two of them were already arguing back and forth. Ling Feng was quite annoyed and thought he should find an opportunity to have a proper talk with Fu Huaiqing. Since she was in love with someone else, he should show her the attitude of pursuing her and do everything in accordance with her wishes.
Unable to argue with him, Biezhi asked her master, "May I listen?"
Fu Huaiqing followed her gaze and turned to look at Ling Feng.
Ling Feng, sandwiched between the two, remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "It's related to you."
Things related to myself.
Biezhi hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.
Since she was going to be there, Ling Feng didn't press the matter further and asked directly, "Besides Jing Qing, is there anyone else behind Bie Zhi being hunted down?" He couldn't understand what reason Jing Qing would have to kill Bie Zhi, especially since it was Jing Qing who let Bie Zhi leave that night.
Ling Feng's gaze fell on the tall figure of the man who walked to the table. "I suspect there is a mastermind behind this, and that person is the one in charge. Jing Qing is mostly following his orders."
Fu Huaiqing sat down and gestured for them to sit down and talk. "Uncle Ling, who do you think it is?"
Upon hearing this address, Biezhi paused for a moment.
Ling Feng walked over and sat down opposite him, saying in a deep voice, "Xu Wenche."
Bie Zhi paused slightly in her forward steps, glancing subtly at the noncommittal Fu Huaiqing, unable to discern what he was thinking.
Fu Huaiqing tapped the table lightly with his knuckles. "Reason."
“I suspected Xu Wenche the day she was injured. It’s not surprising that the assassins appeared on the back mountain of the Xu family. The archers standing on the eaves are the most suspicious.” Ling Feng glanced at the girl’s fair face. “The fact that they could appear on the eaves of the Xu family and that no one from the Xu family chased after them means that they knew he would be here.”
Biezhi vaguely felt that something was wrong with her master's words, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Ling Feng continued, "The Xu family and the Xilan Kingdom have had long-standing dealings. If Jing Qing is indeed a spy from the Xilan Kingdom, the Xu family will definitely not escape. I just don't know what kind of leverage the Xu family has given the Xilan Kingdom over, which is why they obey their orders."
Fu Huaiqing paused for a moment, tapping his knuckles on the table. He looked at Ling Feng with a calm expression. He guessed most of it, but there was one thing that was not right. "The person who ordered the pursuit was not Xu Wenche."
It wasn't Xu Wenche, it was someone else. Bie Zhi frowned slightly, a look of confusion flashing in her clear almond-shaped eyes. "Did I offend them while on a mission?"
She thought about it carefully and realized that she had no connection whatsoever with the Xilan Kingdom, so why would she attract their pursuit?
"Have you seen Xu Wenche since you woke up?" Fu Huaiqing asked, seeing that she was confused.
Biezhi shook her head: "No."
Fu Huaiqing hummed in agreement and said calmly, "In his view, you have already died in that assassination attempt."
The clear, crisp voice had barely faded when Bie Zhi suddenly stood up, looking at Fu Huaiqing in disbelief, "It's him!?"
Fu Huaiqing lifted his eyelids to look at her, a thought forming in his mind. "Have we met before?"
“Hmm.” Biezhi slowly sat down, her fingertips trembling as she pressed against the table. Recalling the scene from that day, “Before I went to find Jiran, I thought that he couldn’t hear and I couldn’t use sign language, so I went to the library. When I was about to leave, I saw him.”
only……
“I was wearing a veil, so he shouldn’t have seen me.”
Fu Huaiqing: "He saw it."
The Shadow Guard mentioned this matter when he reported it the night before.
He walked into the restaurant next door and watched you leave before he finally left as well.
Ling Feng, who was talking about this, was completely confused. He glanced at the two people who were looking at each other and frowned: "Who are you talking about?"
“Zhang Yan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works,” Bie Zhi said slowly.
After she finished speaking, she felt that the matter was not as simple as she had imagined. Combining what Fu Huaiqing and Ling Feng had just said, her gaze froze for a moment.
"Jing Qing obeyed Zhang Yan's orders?" Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at Fu Huaiqing in disbelief. "Is he also a spy from the Western Lan Kingdom?"
Fu Huaiqing's gaze fell on the outer courtyard of Qinghe Courtyard. The figure of the shadow guard appeared outside, and he withdrew his gaze without making a sound.
I first discovered that there were spies in the capital three years ago.
At that time, the war had not yet ended. Zhu Xu captured the deputy general of Xilan Kingdom's general Helan Daisong alive and ordered his deputy to personally escort him back to the capital. Helan Daisong's deputy general was also a very principled soldier who would rather die than surrender. On the frontier battlefield, Xilan Kingdom's soldiers were also terrified because their deputy general had been captured alive, and they suffered a series of defeats in battles large and small within half a month.
Half a month later, the Xilan Kingdom suddenly launched another war. This time, their morale was high. Zhu Xu, along with his deputy general, personally led the troops and repelled the Xilan soldiers who had launched a surprise attack. Fearing that the Xilan Kingdom might attack again, Zhu Xu seized the opportunity and ordered a messenger to rush back to the capital to report Fu Huaiqing's plan to attack the city. At the same time, he led his troops in a fierce attack, forcing the Xilan soldiers to retreat repeatedly.
Upon receiving the secret message, Fu Huaiqing immediately ordered Cheng Jin to secretly rush to the battlefield with his password. Only seven days after Cheng Jin arrived at the battlefield, Zhu Xu led his troops into the capital of Xilan and captured the then-crown prince of Xilan alive.
It was also from the Crown Prince that they learned why the Western Lan Kingdom had launched a sudden attack. It turned out that the soldiers, upon hearing that the captured deputy general was unyielding to the death, were filled with righteous indignation and wanted to capture the Li Dynasty's deputy general alive in exchange for the Western Lan Kingdom's deputy general.
It was at this time that Fu Huaiqing began to have doubts.
The deputy general was imprisoned, surrounded by his men, not even a mosquito could get in. How could any news about the deputy general possibly reach Xilan Kingdom?
After thoroughly investigating the cabinet officials and the entire royal household, he still found nothing amiss. His gaze then fell upon several wealthy merchants who had long-standing dealings with the Western Lan Kingdom, but he found nothing unusual there either. Their dealings were mostly about trade and did not involve politics.
Then, Ling Feng, along with the other four pavilion masters, searched through the hundred or so people in Xianyun Tower, led by Qingyin Pavilion, but found nothing unusual, and a stalemate ensued.
Fu Huaiqing's attention did not shift from Xianyun Tower to other places. It was not that he did not trust Ling Feng and the others, but he was certain that if it was possible to transmit messages without anyone noticing, Xianyun Tower could do it perfectly, leaving no trace.
It was at this time that he met Biezhi at Wuweipu.
Fu Huaiqing used a different branch as a circle to examine everyone within her radius, and finally locked onto Jing Qing.
He slightly raised his gaze and looked at Biezhi, whose little face was wrinkled.
Undeniably, his initial arrangement for Biezhi to protect Xu Wenche was to lure out Jing Qing. If Jing Qing was indeed a spy from Xilan Kingdom, he might have some dealings with the Xu family, making it easy to draw him out of the cave.
Fu Huaiqing: "There is still no conclusive evidence regarding the Zhang Yan matter."
Realizing that Zhang Yan had some issues was something he had decided to do more than a year ago, following Jing Qing's lead. He arranged for Zhang Yan to take up the position of Vice Minister of Works, also to observe his disloyal intentions. However, this man was extremely cautious, not only during his tenure as Vice Minister of Works, but also after the surrender of Xilan Kingdom, he never revealed the slightest clue.
He had considered finding other pretexts to detain Zhang Yan and then investigate further, only to realize that Zhang Yan was well-prepared and acted with integrity. Everything entrusted to him left a trace, and no mistakes could be found. Even framing him was impossible.
Ling Feng hadn't expected so many twists and turns. The unresolved doubts in his mind only added to his suspicions: "Why would he target another branch?"
Fu Huaiqing glanced sideways, remaining silent.
As it stands, it seems that there is absolutely no connection between Biezhi and them.
Jing Qing was the only one who told her not to show her true face to the world anymore. Fu Huaiqing wiped the water stains on the rim of the teacup with his fingertips, and looked at her face thoughtfully.
The girl's almond-shaped eyes were like a painting, and the clear sunlight slanted down onto her face, revealing the fine downy hairs. Her fair skin had a faint pink hue, and her shallow dimples would sometimes appear and sometimes disappear. A pale yellow hairpin was placed between her two buns, and the ends of her hair that fell to the sides fluttered in the wind, giving her a touch of coquettishness.
Biezhi met his gaze as he scrutinized her face, and she remembered Jing Qing's words. In the past two days, she had also pondered the meaning behind Jing Qing's words. It wasn't necessarily that there was something wrong with her appearance. "He told me not to show my true face to the world. It's also possible that he didn't want Zhang Yan's people to see me and bring me to my death again."
The secret guards Fu Huaiqing sent to Lijia Village have not yet returned, and he did not have high hopes for them. If the old people in the village told Biezhi the truth, then her background would end there by the stream in Lijia Village.
"During the years you were in Lijia Village, did anyone come looking for you?" Ling Feng suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, Fu Huaiqing met his gaze.
The two of them were thinking the same thing.
After a moment's thought, Biezhi pursed her lips and said, "No."
She still has some memories of the time before she was taken to the capital by the matchmaker: "After my mother-in-law passed away, I was always alone. No one came to look for me, and I never heard the uncles and aunts in the village mention me."
It appeared out of nowhere by the stream in Lijia Village, and no one cared about it.
The girl spoke naturally, her clear voice without a trace of self-pity. It was as if all the injustices she had suffered—being abandoned by a ravine, being cared for by her grandmother for only two years before her death, leaving her all alone, being tied up by a matchmaker and struggling to escape in the capital, and wandering in the capital for a long time—were not worth mentioning.
Fu Huaiqing looked at her, feeling as if something was blocking his throat. A strange breath rose up and lingered in his heart, unable to be relieved for a long time.
Perhaps because she had suffered too much before, she never uttered a sound no matter how badly she was injured after entering Xianyun Tower. The children who entered Xianyun Tower at the same time as her would sometimes burst into tears when they couldn't learn something and were given a time limit. But she was the only one who didn't say a word. If she couldn't learn it in a while, she would study it every day. If she couldn't learn it in a day, she would practice it every night.
Among the group of secret agents and assassins trained by Xianyun Tower at the same time, she learned the most and mastered everything. When her classmates went on outings together, she did not go with them, but instead locked herself in the courtyard, working day and night without stopping.
Before Biezhi chose Qingyin Pavilion, Fu Huaiqing had heard Ling Feng mention her story and told herself that entering Xianyun Tower would be like gaining a new sense of belonging, and she would no longer be alone.
An indescribable pain and numbness surged up, like a summer tide. Fu Huaiqing took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on her pure and innocent almond eyes, and said to her, "I have already sent people to Li Family Village. There may be some oversights along the way. It's not too late to talk about it when they return."
Hearing his words, an indescribable emotion swept through her heart, like a gentle breeze over a lake in spring. She pursed her lips slightly and nodded.
Ling Feng had other matters to attend to and could not leave for too long. He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and said, "Your Highness, if there is any news in the future, please send someone to inform me as soon as possible."
"Uncle Ling, you're too kind." Fu Huaiqing raised his hand to stop him from bowing. "Her affairs are also my affairs, and I will send someone to inform Uncle Ling as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, Ling Feng glanced sideways at his disciple, who was lost in thought and looking dazed. He sighed inwardly, not wanting to interfere too much in the affairs of the younger generation.
He had watched both of them grow up. When his junior sister was bedridden, what she said to him most was that she hoped to see him get married and start a family. He promised his junior sister that he would wait until that day before leaving.
Unexpectedly, day after day, year after year, they waited for Fu Huaiqing to establish his career, but never for him to get married.
It's not easy for him to meet a girl he likes, and she's the little girl he's watched grow up. From his perspective, he naturally hopes that he can get what he wants, but Ling Feng doesn't want to see anyone else unhappy.
The young girl had experienced many hardships in the first half of her life, and she had finally become independent. He hoped that she could live a happy and carefree life. Therefore, when she wanted to marry Ji Ran, he did not listen to the advice of other friends and only thought about giving her what she wanted.
Unexpectedly, things took an unexpected turn, and the Ji Ran that Bie Zhi knew turned out to be His Highness Prince Su.
Instead of a peaceful and happy ending, a misunderstanding arose.
Ling Feng was also caught in a dilemma. He thought it better not to make a decision, not to help either of them, and to see where the two of them would end up. In the end, whoever got what they wanted, he would be happy for them.
Watching her master leave, Biezhi noticed that Fu Huaiqing showed no sign of leaving. He hesitated for a long time, looking at her with a half-smile, clearly seeing that her thoughts were not as she wished and that he had to wait for her to ask.
Biezhi's lips moved up and down a few times, but she was still not as calm as him. She was mainly worried that he would suddenly remember what had just happened and settle old scores with new ones. She was especially eager to get rid of him as soon as possible.
She pondered for a moment, then asked tactfully, "Why haven't any court officials come to discuss state affairs with the Prince today?"
The girl spoke tactfully, but her disdain was barely concealed. Fu Huaiqing chuckled and teased her, saying, "I specifically told them not to bother me today."
Biezhi: "..."
We should still bother them, please.
She now desperately hoped that some reckless courtier would come along, claiming that he had urgent business to attend to and that she had to disturb their Prince Su. If such a brave man truly existed, she would be eternally grateful to him.
When it became impossible for the court officials to come and discuss state affairs, Biezhi thought of something else. Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she looked at him and asked, "Isn't Your Highness going back to your study to review the memorials?"
"The memorials still need to be approved." Fu Huaiqing spoke slowly, noticing the sudden smile in her eyes, and gently called out to Jiang Yue, "Bring the memorials over."
Jiang Yue, who stood silently, bowed and accepted the order.
Biezhi hurriedly called him back, realizing that the man in front of her was clearly making fun of her. Her almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, and she was about to retaliate when she suddenly realized that she could let him tease her.
After a while of teasing, the old scores can be settled, right?
A sly smile flashed in the girl's eyes, but Fu Huaiqing, whose gaze remained fixed on her face, caught her thoughts. He raised his thin lips slightly and said unhurriedly, "Two years."
Upon hearing this, Biezhi suddenly took a deep breath.
Surely he wouldn't be planning to make fun of himself for two years too, would he?
Fu Huaiqing tapped the table to pull her back to her thoughts and said, "Two years for two years, that's fair."
Where is the fairness?
Biezhi pouted, daring not to speak her anger, but couldn't help muttering to herself.
She certainly hadn't been complaining about him to his face every day for the first two years, and she hadn't been talking incessantly to a stranger from the very beginning. It was only after they had known each other for half a year that she finally couldn't hold back and started complaining about him for the first time.
I have no idea where he got his fair conclusion from.
He was truly patient; he didn't order me to be beaten to death on the spot, but instead endured it and allowed me to act recklessly.
Thinking of this, Biezhi suddenly remembered the first time she complained. The noisy Wuwei Shop suddenly fell silent. She asked hesitantly, "What about the shopkeeper and waiters in Wuwei Shop?"
“That’s where the Prince’s secret guards are stationed,” Fu Huaiqing said.
The branches were quiet.
He trespassed into someone's home without realizing it, and then proceeded to spout nonsense in their house...
A subtle embarrassment crept into her heart like threads, and remembering the looks in the eyes of the shopkeeper and the waiters, Biezhi decided never to go to Wuweipu again and to stay far away from Zhuquemen.
Seeing that her head was about to droop to the ground, Fu Huaiqing couldn't help but laugh.
He glanced at the water clock in the courtyard, and it was almost time to meet Su Ci. He said, "Fang Tingzhi will be coming with Su Ci later. If you find it boring, you can send someone to find her."
Upon hearing what he said, a smile instantly spread across Biezhi's face, and the joy in the depths of her eyes was about to overflow. She nodded emphatically.
Her smile was sweet, as sweet as honey.
Fu Huaiqing's thin lips curved into a smile as his deep pupils reflected the girl's sudden smile.
After seeing him off, Biezhi relaxed completely. Just as she turned around to talk to Huachao about Fang Tingzhi, she caught a glimpse of the man who had only walked a few steps away suddenly turning back. She froze, staring blankly at the figure walking quickly towards her.
Fu Huaiqing walked up to her and lowered his eyes.
The man approached without saying a word, just staring at her intently, his gaze almost piercing through her, which gave her the creeps.
Unable to withstand the man's intense gaze, she tentatively asked, "Is there anything else, Your Highness?"
"Hmm." Fu Huaiqing gazed at her with complicated feelings, remained silent for a long time, and then exhaled calmly. "There's only a six-year age difference between us, so I'm not an old man."
Beyoji: "...?"
Six years apart?
Biezhi caught a glimpse of the words in his speech, blinked incredulously, and exclaimed, "You're only twenty-five?"
The surprised tone echoed in Fu Huaiqing's ears. He was silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth inwardly: "Doesn't seem like it?"
“No, not exactly.” Biezhi counted the days on her fingers, her eyes growing increasingly surprised.
When Xianyun Tower first rose to prominence, wasn't he only eight years old...?
Fu Huaiqing's eyes gradually regained their calm as he said, "In short, he's not some old man."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com