24 Chapter 24
Give me a chain, and I'll lock him in bed.
No one expected that Princess Ning'an would suddenly leave early the next morning.
"Your Highness was perfectly fine just a few days ago, wasn't he?"
Wei Xianxi was somewhat surprised upon hearing the news. She glanced at Su Lu standing beside her, and her words "I'm fine" carried a deeper meaning. "Could it be that I have neglected something, failed to entertain Your Highness properly, and dampened your spirits?"
Xie Yutang spoke politely, but her eyes betrayed a hidden impatience. Wei Xianxi noticed that she wanted to go to the stables to get a horse and subtly stopped her: "Your Highness is of noble birth and must not be careless. Please rest for a moment. I will prepare a carriage and sedan chair and personally escort Your Highness to the ferry. After all, protecting Your Highness's safety is also my duty."
Wei Xianxi's words made perfect sense, and Xie Yutang couldn't insist on it, so he let him lead him to the front hall first.
Wei Xianxi led the way, glancing at Xie Yutang's shoes out of the corner of his eye. Her dress was too long, covering most of her insteps, but as she walked, only a pair of plain white embroidered shoes were visible, without a trace of fluorescent powder.
This morning, Cui Hu reported that there were signs of a breach in the secret room where the weapons were hidden. If even a whisper of this private storage of weapons were to spread, every single soldier stationed here would lose their head. Wei Xianxi immediately ordered a thorough search of the entire camp, checking each and every one of them.
Xie Yutang's departure at this time was suspicious, but given her identity, he dared not make any moves without certainty and could only stall for time.
Wei Xianxi had just calmed Xie Yutang down and came out of the front hall when a guard rushed over: "Commander Cui has an urgent matter and requests your immediate attention."
When Wei Xianxi arrived at the backyard, he saw a maid kneeling in front of Cui Hu. This maid had been specially borrowed from the local county government and had been serving Xie Yutang for the past few days.
Cui Hu pointed his sword at the maid: "I'll ask you one last time, where are your shoes?"
The maid, who had initially been defiant, suddenly lost her nerve when a sword was held to her neck: "This servant gave... gave the shoes to Princess Ning'an!"
Wei Xianxi and Cui Hu exchanged a glance. Cui Hu handed over his sword a little more and shouted, "What exactly happened? Speak!"
“This morning, when I was serving the princess, she said her shoes were dirty. She had come in a hurry and hadn’t brought any clean shoes or socks, so she gave me money to buy some and told me to find a secluded place to burn the dirty shoes… But these are the princess’s shoes! I thought that since the princess didn’t want them anymore, I might as well keep them for now and sell them on the black market in a few days to pay off the debt.”
Cui Hu interrupted sharply, "Where are the princess's shoes?"
The maidservant was so frightened that she kowtowed on the ground, panicked, and pointed to a tree in the corner of the courtyard wall: "My lord, spare me! I buried it... buried it under this tree, thinking I'd take it to the market to exchange it for money once things calmed down..."
"This servant was just greedy for money for a moment, I really didn't do anything, please spare my life, sir!"
Cui Hu shook the soil under the tree with his palm, revealing a pair of white shoes with gold thread embroidery wrapped in oil paper. The exposed corner of the shoe tip glowed faintly in the sunlight.
Wei Xianxi's pupils contracted sharply, and he drew his sword and rushed towards the front hall. He saw the guards lying haphazardly in front of the hall, and the people inside had long since disappeared.
The woods behind the mountain.
Xie Yutang sat on a rock, watching Su Lu organize the traces on the road.
Long, slender fingers picked up a withered twig, held one end, and gently shook the surrounding leaves to cover the traces of their arrival. However, the cover was not well done, appearing hasty and careless, and could not fool an experienced investigator.
But this lack of sophistication is precisely what makes it so brilliant.
Their "escape" was not for success, but for failure. Therefore, the traces had to be made to look like they had been covered up, but not so completely. They had to be vague and ambiguous, so as to lure Wei Xianxi and his men to come looking for them without arousing suspicion.
Su Lu seemed to be very experienced, so Xie Yutang handed the task over to him and found a rock to sit on. As he sat there, he inevitably got bored, so his eyes naturally fell on the boy.
He was born too well.
Her hair was loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, and strands of hair fell down when she bent over. Even when doing something as simple as picking up twigs and sweeping fallen leaves, she was as noble and elegant as a young master in a painting.
Perhaps her gaze was too direct, for as she looked, she noticed a few red marks behind the boy's ears, but he said nothing. Xie Yutang found his reaction amusing, so she stared even more boldly.
Su Lu lowered his eyes and pried open a branch that was sticking out in front of him. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but after hesitating for a moment, he walked back to the stone where Xie Yutang was sitting, knelt down on one knee, and looked up at her slightly: "Master, you can go now."
Xie Yutang was greatly pleased.
She reached out her hand in a good mood: "Pull me up."
...
The boy was silent for a moment, then took out a handkerchief and wiped his fingers clean little by little before helping her to her feet.
The sky had been overcast since noon, and it looked like it was going to rain.
As Su Lu walked, he casually pried open the branches blocking her path. Xie Yutang looked up and said, "I hope Commander Wei can do his best to catch us before it rains. I don't want to get soaked."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a gust of wind blew past his ear, and Xuanjian was already drawn. Su Lu flashed in front of Xie Yutang, raised his hand and swung it, cutting the incoming arrow in two.
The broken arrow still carried great force, veering slightly off course, grazing his hair and embedding itself deeply into the tree trunk.
The surrounding mountains and forests were suddenly filled with soldiers holding crossbows and arrows, a dense, dark mass that surrounded them.
Wei Xianxi and Cui Hu stood on the hillside, swords in hand.
Xie Yutang raised an eyebrow: "Commander Wei, Lord Cui, what is the meaning of this?"
Wei Xianxi waved the embroidered shoe in his hand: "Did Your Highness forget something?"
Xie Yutang was not surprised to see that the shoe had not been burned. After observing the maid for several days, she found her to be a greedy person who had even discussed with the servants in the courtyard how to resell the property of the mansion.
Xie Yutang gave her the shoes stained with fluorescent powder, assuming she wouldn't burn them.
In addition, given the traces left in the secret room that day, Wei Xianxi and Cui Hu will definitely check them one by one, and it won't be difficult for them to find this "physical evidence".
Xie Yutang laughed and said, "I thought it was something important, just a pair of shoes. Why would Lord Wei go to such lengths? I don't need them."
Wei Xianxi sneered, too lazy to play riddles with her anymore. He raised his hand, and the archers around him immediately aimed their arrows at Xie Yutang.
Su Lu stood protectively in front of her.
His posture was already excellent, but the moment he drew his sword, his calm and gentle demeanor was tempered with a touch of coldness, like snow breaking through ice and sinking into an abyss, yet without any hint of ferocity, like a god sitting on a mountain of white bones.
Wei Xianxi suppressed the amazement in his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers around him with bows and arrows, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness can cut down one arrow, but can you cut down a volley of ten thousand?"
It cannot be cut off.
No matter how skilled a fighter is, no one can protect themselves from such a dense barrage of arrows, let alone protect Xie Yutang as well.
This is a blatant threat.
Xie Yutang raised her eyes: "If I were to truly die here, does Commander Wei think he could escape responsibility?"
"So what if we can't escape responsibility?" Wei Xianxi sneered, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "If we can't keep His Highness here today, I and all the brothers in Yingkou will lose our heads."
"Since I'm going to die anyway, with Princess Ning'an accompanying me, I won't lose out."
That's right.
Stealing weapons is a capital offense, and the firefly powder in the secret room is inextricably linked to the Northern Rong. Now that the Northern Rong envoy is about to enter the capital, such a sensitive time could easily be used by political enemies. Once accused of "treason and collusion with the enemy," the execution of nine generations of one's family is not out of the question.
If Xie Yutang were to confront them head-on, there was a real possibility that they would all perish together.
The atmosphere became extremely tense.
Cui Hu gripped the knife hilt tightly, his veins bulging.
At that moment, Xie Yutang suddenly smiled.
She was born with a bright and dignified appearance. When she smiled, it was like a crabapple blossom falling from a branch, splashing open the silent water with a loud thud, making even the sunlight pale in comparison.
Everyone was stunned.
A finger adorned with red nail polish emerged from the wide sleeve, brushed against the waist of the young man before gently landing on the back of his sword-wielding hand.
Xie Yutang was originally being protected by Su Lu behind him, but when she reached out, it was as if she was pulling him into her arms from behind.
The boy in her arms gradually tensed up.
The thinnest patch of skin behind her ear gradually turned red from Xie Yutang's breath. She seemed unwilling, yet she restrained herself from running away.
Is it because you don't want to offend her?
Xie Yutang's wicked temper was stirred up again. The finger that had been lightly resting on the back of the boy's finger moved half an inch up and pressed completely against the slightly stiff hand.
He is so good, so pure, even his restraint is captivating.
Everyone watched as Xie Yutang, like a bewitching enchantress clinging to a god, pulled the young man into her arms and touched the back of his hand with her nail-painted fingertips: "Never mind."
Princess Ning'an's eccentric behavior, disregard for the law, and willful actions are well-known in Da Yan. However, her possessive behavior of publicly harassing people as if they were her possessions, turning a potentially explosive crisis into a romantic affair, is still quite shocking.
Cui Hu tapped his fingers on the hilt of his sword, then glanced at Wei Xianxi, unsurprisingly seeing an almost blank expression on the other's face.
The young master of the prestigious Prince Muqing's mansion was being treated so intimately in public. Everyone thought that even if the young man wasn't furious, he would at least be disgusted and repulsed, or at the very least, he would bear the humiliation. Who knew that the young master would look at the two people's clasped hands, lower his eyes and remain silent for a moment, then sheath his sword.
...
Xie Yutang laughed loudly, "It's rare for Commander Wei to be so hospitable. I'll stay a few more days."
"bluff."
Wei Xianxi snorted, but also breathed a sigh of relief. He waved his hand, and soldiers immediately went up to confiscate the weapons of the two men.
Xie Yutang tossed a dagger from her sleeve, with a "I'm all in the game" expression: "This is all I have with me for self-defense. You're not going to search me, are you?"
The soldier turned to look at Wei Xianxi.
Given Xie Yutang's status, her cooperation was already far beyond expectations. Wei Xianxi, seeing the opportunity, bowed to Xie Yutang in return, saying, "Your Highness is too kind. I only wish to invite Your Highness and the Crown Prince to stay in Yingkou for a few more days. Swords have no eyes, and Your Highness and the Crown Prince's willingness to entrust their weapons to me for safekeeping shows their trust in me. Naturally, I will do my utmost to protect your safety."
They were really good at using official jargon.
They confiscated weapons, but they made it sound like the weapons were handed over voluntarily.
Xie Yutang didn't expose it.
Just as the soldier was about to step forward to retrieve Su Lu's sword, Xie Yutang spoke up: "Wait."
Wei Xianxi was awe-inspiring.
The surrounding dark arrows were aimed at the two of them from beginning to end.
Cui Hu also gripped the sword hilt tightly again.
Xie Yutang deliberately rekindled the atmosphere, then made a slight movement.
The thousands of arrows also moved slightly with her movements.
The princess gently raised her hand, her fair and jade-like palm facing upwards, and lightly gestured to the sword-wielding youth.
Su Lu remained silent for a moment, then placed the suspended sword into her palms with both hands.
Xie Yutang handed the sword to the soldier considerately, saying, "If you can't get the sword from Prince Su, I'll have to do it."
There was a hint of smugness in his tone.
Wei Xianxi: "..."
The soldier numbly accepted the sword.
Cui Hu loosened his grip on the sword hilt and wiped his hands on his trousers. He had seen Princess Ning'an for himself; she was more exciting than going to war.
Upon returning to Yingkou, Xie Yutang was taken to the main hall alone. Her series of manipulations in the woods behind the mountain were so shocking that Wei Xianxi reflexively twitched his forehead upon seeing her.
Wei Xianxi cleared his throat and casually poured her tea: "Your Highness, please."
Xie Yutang calmly took his seat.
She had just run under the sun and stretched for a long time, and was very thirsty, so she tilted her head back and drank the tea.
Wei Xianxi raised an eyebrow: "Your Highness, aren't you afraid the tea is poisoned?"
Xie Yutang put down her teacup: "If you wanted to kill me, why wait until now? I believe Lord Wei wouldn't do something as stupid as poisoning me."
...
Wei Xianxi's forehead twitched again.
What a sharp tongue! He's using veiled insults to criticize others.
However, when she said, "Why wait until now to kill me?" she actually knew that he wanted to negotiate. After all, one was Princess Ning'an and the other was the Crown Prince of Muqing. They couldn't be released, nor could they be killed. The best option was to detain them first and then use a combination of threats, inducements, and soft and hard tactics to get them on the wrong side of the law.
Wei Xianxi admired Xie Yutang's intelligence and was too lazy to beat around the bush any longer. Just as he was about to start negotiating, Xie Yutang said, "But I advise you not to waste your breath."
...
"Although I am not very capable, I have never forgotten my father's teachings."
She placed the teacup on the table and said quietly, "If I were to collude with you, I fear the very deaths of the soldiers guarding the border would keep me awake at night, and my conscience would be tormented day and night."
This section reveals that Wei Xianxi conspired with Cui Hu to steal military equipment.
Wei Xianxi's expression changed slightly, suppressing a hint of murderous intent in his eyes: "Your Highness is afraid of being tormented by your conscience, but are you not afraid that your life is not long?"
Xie Yutang: "Anyway, I'm going to die. With Commander Wei by my side, I might be at a disadvantage, but I can barely accept it."
Wei Xianxi's forehead twitched from her sarcastic remark.
If Xie Yutang had left earlier in the woods behind the mountain, the theft of military equipment would have been exposed, and Wei Xianxi would have died. Either way, they would have died, so they dared to kill Xie Yutang. Xie Yutang understood this, which is why he gave up resisting and obediently went back to the camp with them.
But Xie Yutang could also use this to threaten Wei Xianxi—if she really died here, the emperor would make everyone die with her.
Wei Xianxi was prepared. There were some things he couldn't say in front of everyone. "Who said I killed the princess? The princess just went to the ship to watch the fireworks because she was in a good mood. But who knew that the fireworks would explode unexpectedly, destroying the entire ship and killing everyone on board. Although I failed to protect her, my crime does not warrant death."
Xie Yutang's expression changed slightly.
The Northern Rong delegation will soon arrive in the capital. Merchant ships carrying fireworks are frequently coming and going. The environment on board is humid, so in order to ensure the quality of the fireworks, they will randomly select boxes for test firing near the port. This always attracts a crowd of onlookers, including many princes and noble ladies.
It wouldn't be too difficult for Wei Xianxi to tie her to the boat, ignite the explosives, and then stage it as an accidental fireworks explosion.
That's quite a clever scheme.
Wei Xianxi knew that Xie Yutang had figured out the crux of the matter, so he didn't press further. He stirred the tea leaves with the lid of his cup before slowly speaking, "Your Highness refused too soon, but I don't mind giving Your Highness another chance. Your Highness just said that you didn't want your conscience to be tormented every day. I happen to have a clue here that may be able to comfort the souls of the 30,000 soldiers who died at Daoma Pass."
Daomaguan.
Thirty thousand soldiers.
Xie Yutang's pupils contracted sharply. After a moment, she raised her eyes, her gaze sharp as she stared at Wei Xianxi: "What did you say?"
*
"In the eleventh year of the Kaiyuan era, General Xie's Divine Wind Cavalry had the upper hand in the tug-of-war with the Northern Rong, but for some unknown reason, they suffered a major defeat at the front. General Xie led 30,000 elite troops to retreat and defend Daoma Pass. General Xie held out for three months and finally died from exhaustion."
"The Northern Rong, who were originally at a disadvantage, swept away their defeat and won a series of victories, capturing several cities in one fell swoop. From then on, the offensive and defensive positions of the two sides in Da Yan were reversed."
It finally started raining outside, and it poured down in a torrential downpour. Large raindrops pounded against the window, and the sky darkened.
Wei Xianxi, observing Xie Yutang's expression, knew that these words alone would not be enough to move Xie Yutang. So he put down his teacup, clapped his hands, and said, "I have an old friend who was a soldier in the grain transport team back then. I will now invite this old friend over to catch up with Your Highness and show my sincerity."
As soon as he finished speaking, a burly man lifted the curtain and entered from the inner room; it was Cui Hu.
Cui Hu bowed to Xie Yutang and said without further ado, "Back then, I was an ordinary soldier in a grain transport team, responsible for transporting grain from the capital to the border."
Xie Yutang immediately understood what he meant.
During the height of the war, to prevent anyone from embezzling supplies, a special grain transport team was formed by drawing soldiers from the patrol battalion. The grain was delivered directly from the capital's granary and escorted to the front lines of the army camp, without relying on anyone else in between.
But Cui Hu's next words were earth-shattering: "It was the first day of the tenth month of the eleventh year of Kaiyuan. I received orders to escort military rations. According to military regulations, the boxes containing the rations were all sealed. If the seal was broken before reaching the destination, it was a capital offense. Near the front lines, we were ambushed by the enemy. Their artillery fire was too intense. We fought desperately to protect the rations. At that time, one of the ration boxes was damaged in the fighting, and the seal was broken. However, the commander ordered his personal guards to drag the box to his tent, and no one was allowed to approach it. Everyone thought that the rations were valuable and could not be lost, so they didn't think much of it. Who knew... I went to the river to relieve myself in the middle of the night, and..."
“I saw the officer and his guards dragging those two boxes and dumping all the military rations inside into the river, a dozen or so bags! The seals were broken, and the officer was afraid of being investigated by his superiors, so he simply dumped all the grain from the boxes, leaving only the ones with intact seals to send to the front line. But... those were more than a dozen bags of grain, and I couldn't bear to throw them away like that, so I waited until everyone returned to their tents. Then I secretly took a cloth bag to pack some up and take it with me.”
Cui Hu paused, took a breath, and said amidst the increasingly heavy rain, "When I got to the place where the grain was disposed of, it was...it was all sand and gravel! Not a single grain of food! I thought it was because it was dark and I couldn't see clearly, so I memorized the location. The next day at dawn, I secretly slipped away to the riverbank and searched the entire river channel where the army camp was located, but there wasn't a single grain of food..."
Xie Yutang's fingers were already clenched into fists under her sleeves, her fingertips digging deep into her flesh. The pain brought her clarity, allowing her to maintain a calm expression.
The fact that the military rations had been tampered with was something she had vaguely discovered in her previous life.
After the fall of Daoma Pass, the Northern Rong barbarian army broke into the city and, in order to vent their anger and establish their authority, slaughtered all 107 members of the Xie family. Xie Yutang was only able to escape the massacre because his mother hid him in a secret compartment.
She still remembers running out of the burning Xie mansion covered in blood, seeing her father's corpse hanging on the city wall by the enemy, his abdomen ripped open, filled with sand and withered grass.
After that day, the Battle of Daomaguan became a closely guarded secret in Da Yan. All those involved died, were sealed off, or burned. To this day, no one knows about the food shortage at Daomaguan.
In her previous life, although she was an empress, she was trapped in the deep palace and faced many constraints. She never found out the truth about the food shortage before she died.
Xie Yutang closed his eyes, calming the overwhelming salty taste in his throat: "Who was in charge of the granary back then?"
Cui Hu hesitated before looking at Wei Xianxi.
Xie Yutang: "Who is it?!"
A thunderous roar erupted.
"Cao Yong".
Xie Yutang suddenly turned around and stared at Wei Xianxi, whose expression was obscure amidst the thunder and rain.
"You mean Cao Yong, the Minister of Revenue?"
*
In the pouring rain, the door that had been tightly closed creaked open.
Wei Xianxi stepped out of the door, took the umbrella handed to him by a servant, and bowed to Xie Yutang, "Your Highness, it's raining heavily outside. I'll escort you back."
It was called "sending," but it was actually "escorting."
Xie Yutang glanced at the fully armed soldiers led by Cui Hu, but said nothing. Wei Xianxi held an umbrella over him and escorted him all the way to his residence.
Just as they turned the corner, they saw several guards surrounding the door, seemingly arguing about something. The person standing under the eaves and in front of the corridor was dressed in a white robe with gold trim and dark patterns, his hair tied up with a jade hairpin. He was tall and elegant, holding a black bamboo-ribbed silk umbrella in his hand.
Upon hearing the sound, the boy blinked his long, thick eyelashes and looked up through the rain at the edge of the umbrella.
Xie Yutang clearly heard Wei Xianxi beside him pause in his breathing.
Su Lu had already walked over.
The vibrant colors were so striking that Wei Xianxi's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. Su Lu had already placed the bamboo-ribbed silk umbrella over Xie Yutang's head.
The umbrella completely enveloped her, preventing the rain from getting on her at all.
Xie Yutang's gaze fell on the boy's shoulders and neck, which were wet with rain. He stepped forward without making a sound and stood under the same umbrella as the boy. He glanced at the people in the courtyard and asked, "What's going on?"
"Master, they want to lock the doors and windows."
The boy's voice was calm and deep, echoing softly in the damp rainy night.
When Xie Yutang heard the word "master," she raised an eyebrow slightly. She had never asked him to call her master in public, but when she caught a glimpse of Wei Xianxi out of the corner of her eye, she instantly understood.
She had personally "given" Su Lu to Wei Xianxi before, and although she had taken him back, she had not yet formally confirmed anything verbally.
His use of "master" was undoubtedly telling Wei Xianxi: I have a master now.
Thinking of this, Xie Yutang then realized that Wei Xianxi was supposedly Su Lu's "former boss," but from the moment she entered the room until he held an umbrella for her, his attention was entirely on her.
Xie Yutang admitted that he was somewhat amused. His gaze lingered on the lock in the soldier's hand, and he said in a deep voice to Wei Xianxi and Cui Hu, "Are you two treating me like a prisoner?"
These words were undeniably harsh.
Wei Xianxi immediately bowed and said, “Your Highness is too kind. I am only thinking of Your Highness’s best interests. Since Your Highness has agreed to cooperate with me, it is best to keep this matter to a minimum. Once Your Highness’s seal arrives and you have signed the document, I will respectfully remove the lock.”
He paused, then said meaningfully, "I believe that as long as Your Highness is sincere in cooperating, whether there is a lock or not will not be a big deal."
The tone was respectful, but the attitude was firm.
Xie Yutang naturally understood what he was worried about.
"In other words, as long as I can give you enough reasons to believe that I will not step out of the house, there is no need to lock it, right?"
Cui Hu and Wei Xianxi exchanged a glance, neither understanding what Xie Yutang meant.
Wei Xianxi asked cautiously, "What does Your Highness mean?"
Xie Yutang pointed at Su Lu: "Give me a chain, and I'll lock him on the bed."
The room was completely silent; the world was utterly still.
Only the sound of rain tapping against the window remained.
People looked at the boy silently holding an umbrella for Xie Yutang in the rainy night, and instantly understood what she meant—
With such stunning beauty, who would want to get out of bed?
Ignoring the varied expressions on everyone's faces, Xie Yutang raised an eyebrow at Wei and Cui, "Is this reason sufficient?"
enough.
enough.
That's more than enough.
Cui Hu coughed and glanced at Wei Xianxi out of the corner of his eye, feeling as if he had been blessed with a divine insight and could see through other people's thoughts—the person that Commander Wei wished he could be locked up in the room was himself.
Xie Yutang's actions were nothing short of blatant provocation!
Wei Xianxi's face flushed red and then turned pale. He wanted to leave immediately, but he managed to restrain himself.
Forced to watch this spectacle, Cui Hu was filled with resentment and immediately ordered his men to bring chains. His subordinates were clearly also shocked by the turn of events, and it was only after Cui Hu shouted again that they snapped out of their daze and ran off to carry out their tasks.
The chain was quickly brought over; it was as thick as a baby's wrist and was carried by two guards.
One end of the chain was handcuffed to the headboard. Xie Yutang held it in his hand, weighed it in his hand, and said with a smile, "You really think highly of our Prince Su."
Neither Wei Xianxi nor Cui Hu responded.
Xie Yutang seemed to suddenly remember something, "My lords, the length of these shackles is enough for walking around in the room, but it's still a bit far from the bath. We... we should still take a bath, shouldn't we?"
This room was the best in Yingkou, with a bed, a couch, and a washroom. There was also a pool nearby for bathing. As long as someone brought food, it was possible to stay in the room for several days without going out.
Wei Xianxi was so angry that he decided he wouldn't say a word even if Xie Yutang went to heaven.
Cui Hu replied numbly, "Your Highness can send someone to fetch the key from me when you wish to take a bath."
Xie Yutang nodded in satisfaction and glanced at the silent boy standing to the side.
Su Lu hesitated for a moment, then offered his wrist.
With the movement, the wide sleeves slipped down, revealing a narrow section of slender wrist, porcelain white as jade, with delicate wrist bones and slightly protruding tendons on the inside.
From skin to bone, it is perfect.
Wei Xianxi glanced at it once and then looked away.
A source of trouble.
Xie Yutang was about to handcuff him.
"etc."
Cui Hu said, "Cuff your right hand."
Xie Yutang didn't argue, and readily switched hands, taking the wrist with hers. With a "click," the shackles fastened to her wrist.
She even shook it a little, saying earnestly, "Well, Lord Cui, would you like to examine it yourself?"
Cui Hu: "..."
He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xie Yutang and then pulled Wei Xianxi away.
Xie Yutang stroked her chin: "Do you think they're secretly calling me a 'pervert'?"
Wei and Cui left, but the guards they brought remained, tightly surrounding the courtyard where Xie Yutang was located.
Xie Yutang closed the door. Let her watch; as long as the doors and windows weren't locked, it wouldn't really affect her plans.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
Xie Yutang belatedly realized that her skin had thinned a little, and she felt that she had indeed gone too far. For a moment, she couldn't figure out how to face the person she had handcuffed to the bed.
A meow was heard from under the windowsill, and a calico cat had somehow slipped in, its big, round eyes fixed on her.
Xie Yutang didn't see the little guy when he left this morning. Now that he has found him again, he is overjoyed and picks up the cat to dry its fur, which is wet from the rain.
But you can't keep rubbing that fur forever.
"...How about we have a cup of tea first?"
She chose a safe starting point and decided to pour herself a cup of tea to show her sincerity. She reached for the teapot on the table but bumped into Su Lu's fingers.
Xie Yutang paused.
Yu Guangzhong, with his slender and long fingers, lifted the teapot handle, slowly poured the tea into the cup, and then pushed the teacup in front of her.
Xie Yutang took a sip, pretending to be calm.
...That hand, its wrist was still fastened with the iron shackles she had just locked.
Su Lu spoke first: "What conditions did Master negotiate with them?"
When it came to serious matters, Xie Yutang became serious, putting aside those random thoughts, and told him about her conversation with Wei and Cui.
"So you agreed to let them stamp the customs documents?"
Xie Yutang was taken aback, not expecting that Su Lu's first concern was this.
Wei and Cui knew very well that even if they imprisoned Xie Yutang for a while, they could not guarantee that she would not report to His Majesty in the future. The best course of action was to bring her into the game and truly tie her to the same boat.
"I temporarily delayed by citing the lack of an official seal."
Xie Yutang stroked the rim of the teacup, "But I also personally wrote a letter in front of them, requesting to retrieve the princess's seal from my residence. They immediately sent someone to deliver it, at the fastest possible speed, and it should be back in three days at most. Then—"
But then there were no more excuses.
Su Lu pondered for a moment: "Three days should be enough. If those people can't get here in time..." He looked up, his eyes calm and gentle, but his words carried immense weight: "I will protect you and fight my way out."
Xie Yutang looked at the young man in front of him and, in a daze, overlapped him with the young Prince Muqing, who sat high in the Mingtang Hall and held the power of life and death with a smile. His gaze followed the smooth jaw, straight shoulders, and strong, lean arms down to the cold shackles.
With a sudden thought, she stood up and approached him: "I have always believed that I would rather suffer for others than suffer for myself. Prince Su, you have only lost your freedom for a time, but you have preserved my dignity. You should... not blame me, right?"
"..."
He's a complete scumbag.
Su Lu was forced from the table to the edge of the bed. When he had nowhere to retreat, he turned his head and blinked his eyelashes: "No."
"Whether you can't or you won't blame me, Young Master Su, please explain clearly—"
Xie Yutang got even more excited and wanted to tease him some more, but suddenly someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her hard, making the sound of chains. She subconsciously braced herself on the bed with her elbows to maintain her balance, and when she came to her senses, she had already pinned Su Lu down.
...
The boy still held her wrist with one hand, looking innocent.
It was clearly intentional.
He was clearly the one who took the initiative, yet he deliberately acted like a subordinate.
Xie Yutang laughed in exasperation: "Young Master Su has really mastered the rules."
She couldn't even utter a single word about "insubordination."
Su Lu's dark, jade-like eyes quietly reflected her. He listened to the mocking words without refuting them, and gently hooked her wrist with his fingertips.
"My master locked me in bed, is he planning to sleep with me tonight?"
Tonight.
Sleeping in the same bed.
With Su Lu.
Xie Yutang blinked.
She never even considered it.
She wanted the chains primarily to prevent the door from being locked, then to provoke Wei Xianxi, and thirdly, because she found teasing Su Xiaoshizi quite amusing. As for what locking someone to the bed meant, and what the consequences would be, she really hadn't thought about it.
This discovery secretly alarmed Xie Yutang.
Since her rebirth, she has planned everything with extreme caution, thinking things through before acting. It's utterly inappropriate for her to dig her own grave without even realizing it. Could it be that she trusts Su Lu so much that she subconsciously places him in her safe zone?
The rain poured down outside the window, and during her silence, the room seemed to become damp, gradually turning into an ambiguous and sticky atmosphere.
The boy lay quietly beneath her.
The two were very close, his breath mingling with hers in her ear, the crisp scent of snow from a mountain peak.
Even in this state, even though it was he who asked the question, the boy in front of him remained aloof and untouched by any lust.
Xie Yutang couldn't help but glance at him again. The jade hairpin had fallen off at some point, and the flowing blue silk fabric spread out like a waterfall, making his porcelain-white skin appear even more like jade. Because of his Hu (non-Han) ancestry, his features were more defined than those of ordinary people, with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and excessively long eyelashes, all of which gave him a touch of allure amidst his cool demeanor.
They were born to be brutally abused and broken.
Xie Yutang's heart skipped a beat. She looked away, subtly removing herself from Su Lu's body, and walked towards the side hall: "I can sleep now..."
Looking at the chair in front of him, which was at best spacious, he couldn't utter a single word.
While this residence was undoubtedly the best and most luxurious, she had been using the pretext of providing Su Lu with an "antidote" from the very beginning, and in the past few days, she had been constantly creating the illusion that "this empress is playing very aggressively and fiercely."
Therefore, the servants who were preparing the room did not think that there was a need for a second place to sleep in this room, and replaced the bed that was usually placed in the side hall with a smaller low couch.
It was less for sleeping and more for drinking, pouring tea, and chatting about romance.
Do those people still think they're being very considerate?
She couldn't even stretch her legs out on that low couch, let alone Su Lu, who was a head taller than her.
Xie Yutang's expression was complicated. He had been sleeping here for the past few days, so he must have not been getting enough rest. Why had he never said anything?
...But what good would it do to tell her? Would Xie Yutang really let him go to bed and sleep with her?
That's definitely not the case.
Thinking of this, Xie Yutang silently shut his mouth again.
Su Lu seemed to have known what she was thinking all along. He curled his lips slightly, propped himself up on the edge of the bed, and said in a calm and gentle tone, "Master, why don't you sleep on the bed? It's chilly at night, and it's raining. You'll be cold sleeping on the couch."
The shackles on his wrists made a crisp clanging sound with his movements, and on such a rainy night, paired with that face, they were incredibly aphrodisiac.
Xie Yutang was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Young Master Su, you can't resist, yet you dare to ask me to sleep in your bed. Aren't you afraid I'll do something to you tonight?"
Upon hearing this, Su Lu looked up at her and asked, "Does Master know how?"
Xie Yutang: "..."
The last time she slept in the same bed with a man was probably not long after she was crowned empress. She was still deeply in love with Lin Tan and had contributed to the success of the emperor's rise to power. Lin Tan was not yet tired of her and was just going through the motions. The two of them had a period of harmonious marriage.
Looking back, Lin Tan clearly had many flaws, but she was blinded by her own feelings and refused to listen, see, or think about them.
“It seems Master won’t.” Su Lu looked at Xie Yutang’s gradually cooling expression and knew what she was thinking. He lowered his eyes and curled his lips. “Then what do I have to worry about?”
His tone was certain, as if he was absolutely certain she wouldn't touch him.
Xie Yutang looked up upon hearing this and saw the young man straighten the winding iron chain, placing it against the wall on his inside so as not to disturb the person sleeping on the outside.
...
Xie Yutang hesitated for a moment, but eventually walked over.
These past few days have been filled with planning for every single thing, so she needs to get plenty of rest in order to be fully alert and ready to respond at any time.
The space left for her was spacious enough that there was only about two fists' width of space between them when they lay down side by side, so there was no need to worry about bumping into each other.
Xie Yutang was a little awkward at first, but listening to the sound of rain outside the window and the soft, quiet breathing of the person next to her, she gradually relaxed and became sleepy.
Only when her breathing became even and long did the boy beside her quietly open his eyes and exhale a very slow and long breath.
It was raining outside the window, and she was sleeping peacefully beside me.
This was a dream he had never dared to dream of in his previous life.
Su Lu's gaze gently fell on Xie Yutang's sleeping profile. She seemed to have worries even in her dreams, her brows slightly furrowed.
He raised his hand to smooth out the fine line, but stopped just before his fingertips touched it, and slowly withdrew his hand.
He simply pressed the corner of the blanket down a little tighter for her.
When Xie Yutang opened his eyes again, it was already broad daylight.
She wasn't someone who slept well every night. In the days immediately following her rebirth, she had nightmares every night. In her dreams, Lin Tan would stab her through the chest with a knife, and thick blood would cover everything. She felt like a cocoon, wanting to break free but unable to. Later, she gradually got better, but she never had a night as good a sleep as she did the night before.
"Master is awake?"
Xie Yutang turned her head and met a pair of calm eyes that were suppressing a smile. She was slightly taken aback, only to hear the young man say, "You rest a little longer, I'll go and ask someone to prepare hot water."
She stared blankly as he got out of bed, pushed the door open a crack, and whispered something to someone.
The carved candlestick by the bedside was half-burnt. After he closed the door again, she stared at the half-burnt candle. "Was there any medicine added to it?"
Su Lu followed her gaze, paused for a moment, and said, "No."
He quickly understood what she meant, "Did you sleep well last night, Master?"
"Um."
Xie Yutang raised his hand and rubbed his temples. "I'm worried they've drugged me."
The boy did not respond. Xie Yutang looked up and saw Su Lu standing in front of the door, his eyes lowered, seemingly lost in thought. Sunlight streamed down from the sandalwood door frame, casting a faint golden glow on his eyebrows, eyes, nose, and lips.
It wasn't until her questioning gaze fell on him that the young man came to his senses, walked over, knelt down in front of her bed, and said earnestly, "I checked everything in this room when I came back, and found nothing unusual."
He paused for a moment, then gently raised the corners of his mouth, "Perhaps the master will sleep well from now on."
Xie Yutang was relieved to know that nothing had been delivered, saying that she was just too tired last night and had no intention of saying anything to refute his good intentions.
Unbeknownst to her, the boy's fingers clenched into a fist beneath his sleeve in an instant, his knuckles turning white—how much pain must she have been in to be reborn and still imprison herself in this abyss, unable to sleep at night?
Su Lu was almost certain that Xie Yutang, like him, had been reborn.
He once told her frankly that Lin Tan was not a good man. In the past, Xie Yutang would have defended him even if she didn't punish him. But that day, she just let him get up without comment and then turned the topic to things she cared about more, such as revenge and power.
Her transformation amazed him, but it also broke his heart.
In this life, he will not let her lose again.
A basin of water and a towel were quickly brought in from outside. Su Lu took them, wet the towel in warm water, and helped her wash her face and wipe her hands. His expression was calm and gentle, and his lowered eyelashes seemed to be handling a precious treasure. Finally, he handed the basin of water and towel to the door, took a sandalwood comb from the dressing table, and said to Xie Yutang, "I will style your hair."
He acted with such ease and naturalness, as if he had always been the male prostitute who made her bed, fanned her, styled her hair, and helped her with her washing.
Xie Yutang initially wanted to say no, since she wasn't going out anyway, but after a moment of silence, she finally sat down in front of the dressing table and let him take care of her.
Because of the movement, the sleeve slid down halfway down the boy's forearm, revealing the delicate wrist bone and the slightly protruding tendons on the inside.
The dressing table wasn't far from the bed, and the chain was long enough to meander from the headboard to his wrist, making a rustling sound.
Xie Yutang's gaze lingered on his wrist for a moment, and just as the boy was about to reach for the hairpin, she suddenly grabbed his forearm.
The boy stopped moving.
His skin was as delicate as the thin snow on a jade body, but after being rubbed by shackles all night, his wrists were slightly red.
Those who know will recognize this as the hand that holds a sword while riding a horse; those who don't might mistake it for the hand of a young nobleman raised in seclusion.
Xie Yutang pulled the person in front of her, and with a slight downward pressure of her wrist, Su Lu knelt down in front of her.
Xie Yutang lifted his chin with one hand, not missing a single expression on his face: "Prince Su, do you feel any resentment towards me for treating you like this?"
Su Lu's drooping eyelashes trembled, and just as she was about to speak, Xie Yutang tightened his grip, "Tell the truth."
Su Lu paused for a moment, then said, "...Yes."
really.
Xie Yutang chuckled and was about to stop when he heard the young man say in a low voice, "Master has already hindered us quite a bit."
She looked up in a daze.
"I roughly know what my master wants to do. Since I have already said I will be your knife, then this knife will be at your service. Whether you use it to kill enemies or to chop wood and vegetables, it is fine. The knife only hopes that its master can enjoy using it."
"—So please use me with confidence and boldness. This world has given you too many ties, but at least, please wield your sword without hesitation. Because—"
He paused slightly, speaking softly yet solemnly.
What you desire is what I seek.
Xie Yutang remained silent for a long time.
The cat appeared out of nowhere, seemingly quite interested in the suddenly appearing chain. It lay back on the hem of Su Lu's robe in front of his knees, tentatively reaching for the chain with its paws, making a series of crisp, soft sounds.
Xie Yutang picked up the cat and moved it aside, then looked back at the boy's reddened wrist.
"I understand," she said. "These days won't last long."
She seeks power to avenge her blood feud and to establish herself in the world, independent of others' opinions. In return, she will grant him a famous sword and a fine horse to achieve unparalleled feats, to leave his mark on history, and to enjoy a lifetime of glory.
Su Lu understood Xie Yutang's meaning.
She is making a promise.
She believed he followed her for fame and fortune.
The young man lowered his long, thick eyelashes, gave a soft "hmm," and smiled, "Then I thank you in advance, Master."
Seeing his reaction, Xie Yutang felt relieved. She wasn't unaware that this person might have some other feelings for her, but she didn't care what those feelings were or how strong they were, and she was too lazy to investigate.
In her past life, she had already taught herself a lesson: rather than relying on feelings that arose out of nowhere to maintain a relationship, she believed more in the benefits that were tied together by real money.
They were on a chariot, and nothing could have given her more peace of mind.
She placed the hairpin in Su Lu's hand, gesturing for him to put it on her, and tapped her fingers on her knee: "Judging by the time, Prefect Song should have arrived at the General's Mansion by now."
*
Meanwhile, Prefect Song Zhen rode at breakneck speed for two days and one night, finally arriving at the General's Mansion at dawn.
Under his straw raincoat, the drizzle fell like pillars, soaking his clothes. He hastily wiped his face, dismounted, and strode to knock on the tightly closed door.
Song Zhen and Zheng Mingjun, the Vice Minister of Works, were from the same school and were of similar age and shared similar interests, so they were quite close in the court. Some time ago, Zheng Mingjun was imprisoned because of the theft of military equipment, and Song Zhen also tried his best to help him. However, the theft of military equipment was a serious matter, and His Majesty was determined to investigate it strictly. Anyone who pleaded for him was reprimanded and punished with caning, and for a time everyone in the court was in danger.
The gatekeeper, who had been instructed to do so earlier, saw Song Zhen through the crack in the door and tried to close it as if he had seen a ghost. Song Zhen grabbed the door frame and forcefully handed something through the crack, saying, "Give this to your master."
The gatekeeper took it with some skepticism, wiped away the rainwater, and saw that it was a jade pendant. The jade was smooth and flawless, clearly a top-quality item, not something that ordinary officials and nobles could obtain.
The gatekeeper was filled with doubt and said "Please wait a moment" before going to inform his master.
After waiting for a moment, the tightly closed door was suddenly pulled open from the inside. General Zhuang Hongfei rushed out without even having time to put on his raincoat and hat, wearing only his undergarments.
The jade pendant had the character "棠" engraved in small seal script in the center. The gatekeeper didn't recognize it, but he would never mistake it for something else.
Zhuang Hongfei held up the jade pendant, his hands trembling: "This, this is, it is—"
Song Zhen said in a deep voice, "It is Princess Ning'an Xie Yutang's personal jade pendant."
Zhuang Hongfei received a definite answer, and his astonishment only grew: "How could the princess's jade pendant be here..."
"The princess is trapped in Yingkou and the General's Office needs to send troops to rescue her immediately."
Before he could finish his sentence, Song Zhen slammed the letter in his hand onto Zhuang Hongfei's chest, his eyes sharp as knives as he stared directly at Zhuang Hongfei through the edge of his straw raincoat. "This immense wealth is yours, do you want it?"
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