Xiao Zhian pressed closer and closer.
At the summit of Crane Cry Mountain.
It is the most isolated and remote, yet also the closest to the blazing sun.
Wanxian Peak is on the left, and Xiandu Peak is on the right.
The central core area contains only the altar, the palace, and the imperial guard camp.
This is a safe zone where the spheres of influence of Lin Cuiyue and Xiao Zhian intersect, isolating court officials and their families.
At this very moment, Lin Cuiyue allowed Lin Huaiyin to follow in Xiao Zhian's footsteps and stay behind him.
Xiao Zhian and Lin Huaiyin walked one after the other in the sunlight.
Slowing his pace, calming himself, Xiao Zhian strolled leisurely, the wind on the mountaintop fluttering his clothes as if dancing for him, the birds in the deep forest flapping their wings as if reciting for him, he gazed into the distance, thinking of the great prosperity of the country, prostrating themselves at his feet, he listened intently, the woman he loved most in this life was right behind him, following closely behind.
Never in his life had he felt so fulfilled and content. Xiao Zhian had never imagined that someone would share this view from the top of the mountains with him.
Sooner or later, she will be able to stand beside him and stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
At this moment, having stolen half a day of leisure from a busy life, and with the boundless scenery bringing joy, it is enough to be able to walk together under the sun like this.
Xiao Zhian was captivated by the new experience of having Lin Huaiyin. Lin Huaiyin followed behind him, initially completely bewildered, her head stuck in the sand, suddenly unable to walk. However, the sun was indeed bright, and it quickly dried the fog in her mind. She then started playing a novel game.
Whenever a strong wind suddenly rises, Xiao Zhian's wide robe sleeves would wrap around Lin Huaiyin, who was petite, and the wide sleeves would wrap around her perfectly.
At first, she tried to dodge, but was easily confused by the embrace. As she was hugged more often, and because the fabric was silky enough and the wind was just right, it would come over her and then slip away, like a sneaky caress, brushing past the back of her hands and neck, cool and ticklish. She tasted the pleasure and gradually became happy in it, and began to wait for the wind to rise.
Lin Huaiyin thought she was standing tall and walking steadily, enjoying such a secret happiness, unaware that no one was watching her. Little did she know that under the clear sky, a pair of swollen, bruised eyes were spying on her.
Prince Consort Yuan Jie'e stood at the central altar, his eyes fixed intently on Xiao Zhi'an and his companion.
He discovered last night that Princess Pingyang and Shen Congyun were having an affair, and when he got home he couldn't help but complain to his father, Yuan Butian.
He was an only son, the sole heir and bloodline of the Yuan family. Although his family was not of high social standing, he was still the eldest son whom his parents doted on. He thought his father would stand up for him, but to his surprise, his father told him to shut up and made him kneel all night as punishment.
Overnight, his father changed his attitude, his wife betrayed him, and the role model he admired became his lover. Yuan Jie'e felt like the sky had fallen. Unexpectedly, this morning, he received another imperial decree. Xiao Zhi'an ordered him to supervise the construction of the mountain god shrine here and return to the capital after it was completed.
However, with the towering height of Heming Mountain, building a shrine would be extremely difficult.
It could take anywhere from five to seventy or eighty years, or perhaps Princess Pingyang and her lover Shen Congyun could send someone to cause an accident, and he would be buried in a snake pit, never to return to the capital.
Yuan Jie'e was wronged, Yuan Jie'e was afraid, Yuan Jie'e hated, Yuan Jie'e couldn't understand it.
Before nightfall last night, he was still the glorious prince consort. He picked a handful of snake-repelling grass, and in the blink of an eye, he lost everything. Everyone betrayed him and tried to destroy him.
Forced to come and guard the altar, he happened to see Xiao Zhian and immediately wanted to report Princess Pingyang's affair and ask Xiao Zhian to uphold justice for him.
But then he thought about it again. Xiao Zhian had just issued an order this morning to keep him on guard at Heming Mountain. He wasn't sure if Xiao Zhian was part of Pingyang's group, but it was really inconceivable that the Crown Prince, the regent, would be traveling with his wife in broad daylight. Moreover, his wife was none other than the wife of the adulterer Shen Congyun—Madam Shen!
Others might not have seen Lin Huaiyin's expression and posture as she followed behind Xiao Zhian, but Yuan Jie'e's eyes, which seemed to gaze at the stars at night, had already seen clearly the joy and delight in Lin Huaiyin's eyes. As the robe rolled up, Lin Huaiyin squinted her eyes to enjoy it. Yuan Jie'e blushed for her if he looked at her for even a second.
Given the series of events that have occurred, and given that everyone is targeting him, Yuan Jie'e boldly speculates that the Crown Prince and Princess Pingyang, along with the couple Shen Congyun and Madam Shen, may be engaging in a depraved and insane cycle of sexual activity.
Once this thought took hold of him, Yuan Jie'e could never go back. He looked at Xiao Zhi'an and Lin Huaiyin, his face contorted with filth, and shook his head with gritted teeth.
The Emperor is not dead yet! Yuan Jie'e did not believe that no one in the world could deal with them. He wanted to write a letter and find a way to tell the Emperor to make a decision for him.
The wolf-like stare alerted Lin Huaiyin, and she glanced at him, but Yuan Jie'e quickly averted his gaze.
Their eyes didn't meet, but Lin Huaiyin recognized him and was certain that he had seen her. Her playful mood vanished instantly, and goosebumps rose on her skin.
If the驸马爷 (the驸马爷) tells Princess Pingyang about this scene, it will arouse suspicion and cause disaster. Lin Huaiyin hurriedly whispered to Xiao Zhian, "Your Highness, why didn't the驸马爷 go back to rest?"
She asked the question with restraint, but what she really wanted to say was—go quickly, go quickly, go and coerce him with threats and inducements to prevent him from telling anyone!
However, Xiao Zhian didn't even bother to glance at Yuan Jie'e, and replied, "It is his good fortune to be here to supervise the construction of the Empress Dowager's ancestral hall."
"Building an ancestral hall? With the Prince Consort overseeing it?" Lin Huaiyin repeated, sensing Xiao Zhian's undisguised disgust, and immediately realized it was related to Princess Pingyang.
On the surface, he's staying to supervise, but in reality, it's isolation and house arrest. Why does he dislike the prince consort so much? Or does Princess Pingyang find the prince consort a nuisance and ask him to do this?
Lin Huaiyin couldn't decide; she just felt that the prince consort had to return to the capital.
Originally, she had thought of having Shen Lanyan expose the affair between Shen Congyun and Princess Pingyang, but Xiao Zhian warned her not to bully Shen Lanyan anymore. Lin Huaiyin thought it made sense and listened to the advice. However, in this case, the Prince Consort was the only candidate to expose the affair.
In any case, we cannot let him stay here in the cold wind; the prince consort must return to the capital.
Lin Huaiyin gripped her sleeve, mustering her courage to persuade Xiao Zhian: "Your Highness, although the Imperial Son-in-Law should serve the late Empress with utmost devotion as a subject, a minister, and a son-in-law, it's alright, it's alright..."
Lin Huaiyin swallowed hard, unable to speak.
The name "Princess Pingyang" stuck in Lin Huaiyin's throat like a red-hot iron. She was afraid that if she mentioned this name, Xiao Zhian's expression would change instantly.
She stammered, unable to continue.
Xiao Zhian stopped and suddenly turned around. Lin Huaiyin looked up and saw that his chin was slightly raised, his thin lips were slightly pursed, his eyes were filled with cold stars, and his eyebrows were covered with frost. He seemed to be suppressing his anger and was extremely displeased.
"Say what you just said again." Xiao Zhian's voice was icy, his gaze sharp and piercing, tearing away all tenderness and striking Lin Huaiyin's face.
Xiao Zhian had never treated Lin Huaiyin like this before. He always kept his imposing presence under control, but now he seemed to be looking at a disobedient subject. Lin Huaiyin's hair stood on end. Without any room for thought, she bowed her head and knelt in obeisance, blurting out, "Your subject, your subject, your subject's wife is saying: Your Highness, as a subject, as a son-in-law, should be here to serve the late Empress wholeheartedly and oversee the construction of the shrine. However, Your Highness is newly married. Such separation of husband and wife would surely be unbearable for Her Majesty the Empress. I hope Your Highness will consider this, consider Your Highness the Princess, and reconsider."
After speaking in one breath, Lin Huaiyin was unsteady on her feet, and her hands, which were folded at her left waist, trembled.
For the first time, she finally experienced the majesty and wrath of a monarch. She had only mentioned the prince consort, merely touching upon the outer edges of Princess Pingyang's life, yet this had provoked Xiao Zhi'an's anger. Such a situation was truly, as expected.
Under the scorching sun, romance vanished, and the stark reality was laid bare before Lin Huaiyin—Xiao Zhian, the most powerful and wise man in the empire, was Princess Pingyang's most impregnable fortress; to touch him meant certain death.
Lin Huaiyin lost her footing. She had encountered a new and invincible enemy. He was not the white-clad prisoner in the imperial prison, nor her ally, nor someone she could harbor any illusions about.
He did not fall; his power was immense and unstoppable, and those who overstepped his bounds were put to death.
Lin Huaiyin bent her knees and slowly fell down, bowing her head to fate. She thought: If she were given another chance, she would throw herself into his arms, find an opportunity to kill Xiao Zhian first, kill Princess Pingyang's biggest protector, and then tell everything to her father and brothers, only asking the Lin family to protect itself. As for the common people, the crown prince doesn't care, so naturally it's not up to her to care.
The mountain wind howled, her skirt billowed, and Lin Huaiyin slowly knelt down. The moment her knees touched the ground, a hand caught her elbow, supporting her weight as she fell, preventing her from collapsing, and held her in its palm.
Xiao Zhian's face remained cold. He lowered his gaze to Lin Huaiyin, his voice even colder, and asked with a furrowed brow, "Do you like me treating you like this?"
What does that mean? Lin Huaiyin's heart clenched; she couldn't understand.
"You like to beat around the bush and pretend you don't know me. You want to play the loyal minister and wise ruler trick? I can play along. If you don't want to be my woman and want to be my subject, then first learn what it means to be unpredictable by the wrath of Heaven, and learn how to kneel and speak to me." Xiao Zhian became more and more furious as he spoke.
However, Lin Huaiyin in his palm was trembling uncontrollably. She lowered her head and dared not look at him, which made Xiao Zhian furious.
He clearly gave her enough favor and affection. He said he loved her and promised that she would be his Crown Princess. He did so many things for her, so why couldn't she learn her lesson and always went against him?
Xiao Zhian was furious with her, but she was so delicate and pitiful that she couldn't withstand his anger. Every time he looked at her, Xiao Zhian's heart softened a little. The more he looked at her, the more he wanted to pull her into his arms and ravage her, to make her understand her situation and stop thinking about the difference between ruler and subject, or trying to sever ties with him.
Their relationship had been ambiguous for a long time. She was his woman, and he had confirmed it with her countless times, yet she still didn't realize it. When she made a small request, she acted like a stranger, carefully choosing her words.
Xiao Zhi'an was annoyed and frustrated. He lifted her up with one hand, suppressing his anger, and instructed her hand by hand: "If you change your mind, I can also teach you. Yinyin, you need to call Zhi'an, and then tell me your request in five words. What the Crown Prince will not agree to, Xiao Zhi'an will agree to."
"Did you hear me clearly?" Xiao Zhian said, his anger tinged with affection, but Lin Huaiyin still didn't look up.
Looking at her trembling eyelashes and pale cheeks, Xiao Zhian suddenly lost his temper.
"Yinyin, what do you want me to do for you to believe me?" he coaxed her.
When coaxing her didn't work, he threatened her, "Your brother is here."
"Huh?" Lin Huaiyin quickly stopped, looked around but couldn't find Lin Cuiyue, and looked up to meet Xiao Zhian's eyes.
She finally looked at him. Xiao Zhian hadn't finished scolding her and wanted to continue teaching her, but her eyes were red, and she looked pitiful, on the verge of tears yet desperately trying to hold on. He didn't dare to breathe too heavily.
"I was wrong, Yinyin." Xiao Zhian apologized, "Were you scared? Don't cry, I'll let Yuan Jie'e go, and I'll serve you well tonight, can you forgive me?"
The strange words reached Lin Huaiyin's ears, leaving her completely bewildered. She couldn't understand what he was saying at all, but she felt that Xiao Zhian was unpredictable and terrifying.
She stepped back, then turned and ran away.
Seeing that she was about to leave, Xiao Zhian couldn't chase after her in public. In his desperation, he blurted out, "I didn't send Du Yu to mobilize troops. Can your girl get here in time?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Huaiyin paused, turned around in disbelief, and looked at Xiao Zhian—such a big matter, concerning the lives of thousands of people, how could he lie to his older brother?
"Come here, we'll talk when we get back." Xiao Zhian said and turned around, confident that Lin Huaiyin would follow.
Lin Huaiyin followed.
She had to get to the bottom of the White Lotus Sect matter. The troop deployment was a ruse, so what was real? How did he anticipate the White Lotus Sect's arrival? Lin Huaiyin had to get to the bottom of all these questions.
Filled with questions, she followed in Xiao Zhian's footsteps.
The two entered the palace, and Xiao Zhian went straight to his bedchamber.
Lin Huaiyin remained silent and continued to follow.
She now has a habit of carrying Five Poisons Powder with her at all times, and she's willing to risk everything if necessary.
The two sat facing each other on either side of the table in the bedroom.
Before Lin Huaiyin could ask, Xiao Zhian began to explain: "First of all, it was during the Buddha's Birthday that you were attacked. The assassin's knife was poisoned, but it wasn't fatal. I sucked out the poison from your wound bit by bit and spat it out. You were only unconscious for a while."
Xiao Zhian showed off his thoughtfulness by stopping his words at the right moment.
Lin Huaiyin subconsciously bit her lip, finally understanding why she had ended up lying with him on the ship that night—he had sucked out the poison from her blood and collapsed beside her, and after she woke up, she had done that kind of thing to him.
A blush crept onto Lin Huaiyin's ears.
Xiao Zhi'an was satisfied and continued to explain: "Therefore, the assassin wanted to injure me, not kill me. So if I am injured, who will take over the military and political affairs? The answer is the Secretariat, Shen Congyun. He has an imperial thumb ring with the inscription 'Secretariat Secretariat,' which allows him to manage state affairs when necessary. Therefore, Shen Congyun must be the mastermind behind it all."
Upon hearing this, Lin Huaiyin silently held her breath, filled with admiration.
"And then there's you. Yinyin, you are my divine weapon. Your actions of killing Zhao Changji, exposing the Erwang Temple, and destroying the Shen family banquet make me realize that you hate Shen Congyun. Therefore, Shen Congyun's so-called rescue of you from the White Lotus Sect last year was a complete deception, and Shen Congyun must have colluded with the White Lotus Sect."
Therefore, we can conclude that Shen Congyun colluded with traitors, formed cliques, plotted to murder the crown prince, and aimed to seize power. The reason he targeted you is because the Lin family has been loyal for generations and would never allow him to plot rebellion. Shen Congyun uses you to uncover the Lin family's secrets, and even to threaten and manipulate them. Judging from Lin Cuiyue's attitude towards you, you are the Lin family's precious daughter, priceless.
At this point, Xiao Zhian's eyes shone brightly, filled with undisguised affection and admiration.
He reached out and touched Lin Huaiyin's hand, but Lin Huaiyin slapped his hand away and glared at him fiercely: "Continue."
Xiao Zhian, feeling humiliated, pouted and continued with a wronged expression: "Speaking of Crane Cry Mountain, this move was originally just to separate you from Shen Congyun, giving you time to recover from your injuries. This decision was very hasty, which has put me in a very passive position now. I originally thought that with the departure on short notice and Shen Congyun under my nose, he wouldn't have a chance to do anything underhanded. Later, when I saw you return to the capital to retrieve the bow, I just assumed you were going to kill one or two people for fun."
It wasn't until Liu Cang suddenly launched his attack that I decided to send Shen Congyun away first. In addition, some details that Xuan Ge and Du Yu saw with Shen Congyun made me realize that the so-called dispute over etiquette and law was deliberately orchestrated by Shen Congyun and Liu Cang, with the aim of forming cliques and eliminating dissidents, and that a major purge would take place on the mountain.
"If anything happens on the mountain, whether I or any of the court officials are injured or killed, Shen Congyun can not only eliminate his political opponents, but also use the opportunity to suppress Lin Cuiyue and the Imperial Guards. When I finally understood everything last night, I was already at a loss, because the nearest Longxiang Army would take at least six days to travel there and back—a distant solution that can't address the immediate problem. Now I can only pin my hopes on the letter you leave for that girl the night you return to the capital."
Xiao Zhi paused for a moment, then asked directly, "Is it a letter requesting reinforcements from Lin Zhenlie?"
Hearing this, Lin Huaiyin was deeply shocked. Based on just a few minor details, Xiao Zhian had deduced everything, as if he had come back from a previous life and knew the course of events.
His mindset is inhuman.
Everything is right, everything is correct.
Now only one question remains—did he actually guess Princess Pingyang's identity?
Yes or no?
Lin Huaiyin really wanted to ask.
But she didn't dare to take the risk.
She slowly nodded and admitted, "I wrote to my father, but I don't know if it will arrive in time."
"I definitely can." Xiao Zhian grasped Lin Huaiyin's hand, but she dodged it again. He didn't care and raised his chin to claim credit: "That's why I told Lin Cuiyue that I sent people to call for reinforcements. This way, you won't have to explain yourself later and risk being targeted by him."
As he spoke, Xiao Zhian got up, stretched, walked around to Lin Huaiyin, and before she could run away, he wrapped his arms around her, gradually tightening his embrace until he held her close. He whispered sweetly in her ear, "Yinyin, you are my lucky star. With you, it feels like you've taken care of me. I can just sit back and do nothing."
After acting cute, Xiao Zhian picked Lin Huaiyin up and carried her to the bed.
Lin Huaiyin, upon seeing this, was far from willing to give up. She immediately bared her teeth and claws, rolling around in Xiao Zhi'an's arms like a carp. In that short distance, Xiao Zhi'an experienced firsthand the ferocity of a wild cat, its hissing and baring its teeth, leaving him helpless.
However, the difference in strength between men and women is enormous. Lin Huaiyin is petite and delicate, while Xiao Zhian is strong and powerful. He can easily overpower her with his strength and in the blink of an eye, he pressed her down on the bed, grabbed her waist, and immobilized her.
"Quiet down, Yinyin. Enough with the useless talk. Now let's get down to business."
Xiao Zhian spoke of serious matters, his eyes sweeping away the teasing and playfulness, suddenly sharp and piercing, as he said, "The scar on your back."
He paused slightly, a look of inquiry in his eyes. Lin Huaiyin's pupils dilated, and she instantly looked away.
Her panicked state and red-rimmed eyes made Xiao Zhian think of a kitten sneaking out to play, returning with unknown and severe injuries, yet afraid of its owner finding out and being scolded, so it endured the pain without meowing.
Xiao Zhian, with his hands on her waist, slowly pulled Lin Huaiyin into his arms, pressed her against his chest, and held her tightly.
This time, there was no need to take off her clothes; Xiao Zhian remembered every scar on her back.
He could not forget that tragic scene. He wanted to change her dressing, but when he turned his head, he saw her back covered in wounds. He didn't even dare to touch her, for fear of hurting her.
Last night, when he was intimate with her, Xiao Zhian carefully placed his lips on hers and kissed the hideous and twisted wounds. However, the moment he touched her skin, the dry and rough texture he had imagined did not exist. Instead, he kissed a smooth and delicate texture like cheese.
At that moment, Xiao Zhian was so astonished that his heart trembled. He stopped, touched it with one finger, stroked it with two fingers, then brought four fingers together and gently wiped it. Finally, his entire palm fell down, caressing and wandering...
He carefully and gently stroked the intricate scars covering her back. The scars were visible but not touchable. Xiao Zhian could only touch Lin Huaiyin's smooth and beautiful young skin, but could not touch the scars beneath it.
This incredible discovery rendered Lin Huaiyin's previous claim that she was abused by the White Lotus Sect completely unfounded.
Xiao Zhian was absolutely certain that the marks on her body were extremely unusual and could not have been made by human hands.
For some inexplicable reason, he thought of the green light and the jade hairpin in the Holy Water Temple, which caused him heart pain whenever he touched them; they were equally inexplicable and bizarre.
Last night, Xiao Zhian kissed her, half intoxicated and half sober. He strung everything together like beads—the hairpin she offered, which pained him at the slightest touch; she had never met him before, yet she had an extraordinary attachment to him, and she could always recognize him with precision—there was some kind of connection between them, in the darkness.
He wanted to get to the bottom of this.
"Yinyin, tell me, what exactly happened to those scars?"
Xiao Zhian held Lin Huaiyin's shoulder and looked into her eyes.
He was prepared to believe whatever she said.
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