Chapter 55
◎Did you have feelings for me in a past life?
The wrinkles in Xie Yutang's heart that he himself was unaware of were smoothed out.
He said that in both his past and present lives, there was only her.
……etc.
Xie Yutang squeezed his fingers, somewhat incredulously: "You had feelings for me in your past life?"
The shock in her eyes was so obvious that Su Lu found it both amusing and awkward, and looked away. This was the first time he had ever confessed his feelings to someone he liked like this.
Some details from my memory are gradually becoming clearer.
Everyone knows that Xiao Muqing Wang is aloof and rarely shows any expression, but when she smiles and calls him Su Aiqing, you can always see his ears turn slightly red.
Everyone knows that Prince Muqing is not fond of socializing, but Xie Yutang always manages to spot the young general at banquets.
Everyone knows that Xiao Muqing is exceptionally handsome, but he hates being stared at. However, every time she looks at him, the young man seems not to notice and lets her stare at him for a long time.
...
Xie Yutang had lived two lives and was not some naive young girl, but this was the first time she had ever felt this sour and swollen feeling in her heart, like a fruit wet by rain at night.
She reached out, her fingers tracing the boy's cheek to the tip of his chin, and lifted her hand: "I never would have guessed that our little Prince Muqing actually has the Empress in his heart."
"You are no longer the Empress."
Rarely did he talk back, Xie Yutang found it amusing: "What is that?"
The boy, feeling pressured to the point of exhaustion, turned his head to the side and said, "...Master."
It was impossible to tell whether it was a warning or a plea for mercy.
Xie Yutang looked at his empty fingertips, about to say something, but upon hearing the word "master," he raised an eyebrow: "Still calling me master?"
"Tangtang" is fine, it's a name Lin Tan has always used on her own initiative, and she doesn't want to spoil the mood at a time like this.
Xie Yutang thought for a moment, then leaned closer to Su Lu, a hint of a smile in her eyes: "You can call me—A-Mian."
"A-Mian?"
"I fear the flowers will fall asleep as night deepens, so I burn a tall candle to illuminate their red beauty"—this is the nickname my mother gave me. Apart from my parents and the guards who have followed me since childhood, no one else knows it.
Xie Yutang said, "From now on, you will be the only person in this world who can call me that."
They were also the relatives she chose herself.
She would have to get up early tomorrow morning to celebrate the New Year, reward the soldiers, and distribute prizes. She would be involved in all of these activities, which were very tiring. Su Lu didn't want her to be too tired, so he made her bed and urged her to rest early.
Xie Yutang let him wash her face and wipe her hands. In the end, she held his hand and refused to let go: "Youzhi, how can you be so virtuous?"
She was like a lazy big cat, retracting her claws and sharp teeth, lazily rolling over on her belly.
"...This is only the beginning."
Su Lu let her hold him, hooking his fingertips in her palm: "A-Mian, you should save your compliments, so you don't run out of fresh ideas later."
It means that she praised some of the things.
They seem quite confident.
Xie Yutang released his hand and watched as the boy folded the handkerchief and draped it over the edge of the copper basin, preparing to take it with him. She knew he wouldn't just pour the water and go back to his room to sleep; he was probably going to keep an eye on Zhou Baizhi again.
"Zhou Baizhi can just send his guards to check. Snow Wolf Pass is now under my control, and those few small fry can't cause any trouble. As for you, you should get some sleep."
Su Lu wanted to say something more, but Xie Yutang said, "I need you to accompany me 'shopping' tomorrow. If you don't get enough rest and spoil my mood, be careful you'll be punished."
In the end, it was only after the master gave the order that the person nodded in agreement.
The sound of firecrackers in the city gradually subsided. Xie Yutang changed his clothes and went to bed, burying his head in the pillow, where the cool, snowy touch of the boy's fingers still seemed to remain.
She got together with Su Lu.
In his previous life, he was the unapproachable, awe-inspiring Prince Muqing.
The general, a god of war, whose sword left piles of white bones and countless dead souls.
Xie Yutang recalled his kiss, which was so clean and pure, without any aggression or invasiveness.
He could have gone further, but he didn't.
The mere touch sent shivers down her spine.
You can feel the value of cherishing things everywhere.
It made her feel like a precious jewel being held in the palm of her hand.
The crisp, clear snow was somehow imbued with a cool fragrance, like a red plum blossom suddenly peeking out from the snow-covered mountaintop.
*
The next day, Xie Yutang was indeed busy from the moment he opened his eyes at dawn until sunset.
News of the great victory at Xuelang Pass reached the capital, which greatly excited the court and the people. Emperor Chongde even wrote a letter of congratulations, and the letter and commendation were still on their way.
Chen Bingliang was kept under Xie Shiyi's watchful eye and had not made any unusual moves for the time being. However, the two battalion commanders, Chen Biao and Wu Shiwei, had changed their attitude towards Xie Yutang and became visibly more respectful.
The military is simple; everything is decided by merit.
Everyone in the stormtroopers received a hefty reward, with real money flowing in and out, and everyone was beaming with joy.
Yue Hongcai, Wu Laogou, Tieshan, and several others were personally commended by Xie Yutang for their outstanding military achievements. The moment they put on their golden armor, the entire army was in an uproar.
Tens of thousands of people chanted Xie Yutang's name.
This team already belongs to Xie Yutang.
Xie Qi watched with tears in his eyes. "Master, if you could see this from heaven, you would be gratified."
Xie's army did not disband, nor did the Divine Wind Cavalry perish.
With the first battle a great victory and the New Year's Eve celebrations, everyone was in high spirits. Xie Yutang had just finished a big bowl of wine with a group of veterans when Yue Hongcai pulled him into a drinking game.
Yue Hongcai looked impressive, but he didn't win a single round of rock-paper-scissors. His soldiers mocked him mercilessly, and Yue Hongcai, with a dark expression, shoved a big chicken leg into their hands.
Xie Yutang had already said that the entire army would have two days off, and there was no need to worry about being punished for being late tomorrow. Everyone was in high spirits, drinking from large bowls, eating large chunks of meat, and leaning together with their arms around each other, making it impossible to tell who was who.
No one knew when Xie Yutang left the table. She went back to her room to change her clothes, and when she opened the door, her eyes were clear and there was no trace of alcohol in them.
Snow Wolf Passed Away Snow.
Su Lu and several guards were waiting outside the door. When she came out, he unfolded the cloak in his arms and carefully tied it for her: "Master, everything is ready."
Xie Qi held an umbrella to the side, and Su Lu took it after tying the cloak belt.
Xie Qi stayed at the city lord's mansion to await orders. Knowing what was going to happen tonight, he was still a little worried: "Miss, please be careful."
Xie Yutang laughed and said, "It's just shopping, don't worry."
The boy beside her held an umbrella for her, and the two walked into the heavy snow together.
Jubao Money Exchange's branches in each city are all located in the most bustling, prosperous, and expensive locations in the city. In addition to the high foot traffic, this is also to demonstrate their financial strength. The branch in Xuelang Pass is no exception.
Just a hundred meters west along Gulou Street, you can see the dragon-head statues on the eaves in the distance. But unlike the lively scene of lanterns and decorations everywhere, the gate of Jubao Money Shop is tightly closed. There is no laughter or fireworks. The two guards at the gate are quite competent. On New Year's Eve, even with heavy snow falling, they are not relaxed in the slightest.
The warm light of the lantern cut across the umbrella, making the frosty chin appear like thin porcelain, and the red lips like a crabapple blooming in the snowy night.
As the woman approached, the two guards, seeing her face under the umbrella, were taken aback. They exchanged a glance, and the one on the left bowed to Xie Yutang, saying, "May I ask what brings General Xie here today?"
Xie Yutang exclaimed, "Ah! I was in a very good mood today, so I thought I'd take a stroll around the city. As I walked, I came here. I remembered that Manager Zhou had caught a cold, and I wondered if he was feeling better, so I came to visit him."
The excuse was so ridiculous that they couldn't even be bothered to come up with a reason. The guard could only respond with a respectful laugh, but his attitude remained unyielding: "Thank you for your concern, General. However, Manager Zhou is in poor health and felt tired after dinner, so he went to bed early. Please return, General."
Xie Yutang said "Oh," and glanced sideways at the back of the courtyard gate: "Does your manager sleep with the lights on?"
Behind the courtyard, bright lights shone from the windows of the small building, standing out starkly in the snowy night.
The two guards looked embarrassed. Before they could figure out how to deal with it, Xie Yutang had already bypassed them and was about to force her way into the house. The two were startled and were about to stop her when the young man behind her blocked her way. Xie Yutang pushed open the door with a creak and went inside.
In the eyes of the Northern Rong people, Xie Yutang was nothing more than a lucky escape by pretending to be a ghost. How much real skill could a little girl have? And looking at how she dared to force her way in today with a frail-looking pretty boy, she was probably used to bullying others and thought that breaking into an ordinary person's house was nothing.
The two guards exchanged a glance, nodded, and closed the gate.
Xie Yutang adopted a domineering and arrogant demeanor, and as soon as he entered the inner courtyard, a middle-aged man dressed as a steward came up to him with a smile and said, "Your Highness, please wait. The manager is too ill to get up. If Your Highness insists on seeing him, and he catches a cold, I cannot bear the consequences."
"Stop talking nonsense."
Xie Yutang kicked open the main building door, "Take me to see your manager."
A guard behind a tree gestured to the butler and shook his head slightly.
This was a pre-arranged code, indicating that they had thoroughly checked and Xie Yutang had not brought any other guards.
A stern glint flashed in the steward's eyes, but when he raised his hand again, he was all smiles: "Since Your Highness insists, please follow this old servant to the second floor."
The second-floor cubicle was surrounded by trees, and there were many closed rooms along the way, making it very well hidden. Anyone with a little caution should have been alert by now, but Xie Yutang seemed completely unaware, following the steward straight in without any precautions.
He really is a cowardly fool who's all bark and no bite.
Zhou Baizhi was in the innermost room.
This room was quite unusual, with layers of thin gauze curtains hanging down, only allowing a vague glimpse of a figure sitting inside.
The steward explained, "The manager was worried about catching a cold and infecting others, so he ordered these curtains to be hung up."
The man coughed repeatedly, his breath weak and feeble, looking sickly: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness, but I am unwell and unable to get out of bed... Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Xie Yutang laughed and said, "It's really strange. Manager Zhou is so ill, yet there's not a single person serving him in this room, and I can't smell any medicine. Moreover, those who catch a cold are afraid of the cold, but there isn't even a brazier of charcoal in this room. As for all these gauze curtains in the room—I also caught a cold when I was a child, and I only remember the imperial physician telling me to open the windows for ventilation and isolate myself from others. I've never heard of hanging a few gauze curtains to prevent infection. Could it be that Manager Zhou is more skilled than the imperial physicians of my Dayan?"
With each word Xie Yutang spoke, the butler-like man beside her grew colder. Xie Yutang seemed oblivious, turning her head to look at him: "Are you really the butler of this bank?"
The steward quickly retreated several steps and shouted, "Release the arrows!"
The door behind him slammed shut, the candlelight inside flickered, and then went out silently.
The human eye will be plunged into a brief darkness the moment the candle goes out, and at that moment, countless cold arrows will attack from all directions from within the curtain.
Xie Yutang's vital organs were all under attack from the cold arrows, and the tip of the most recent arrow was only a hair's breadth away from her throat.
Xie Yutang stood still, not even twitching his eyebrows.
But by that tiny margin, the arrow tip could not advance even a fraction further, as if it had hit an invisible wall.
The sword was drawn from its sheath, swirling in the air for a moment before Su Lu caught it in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the cold arrows clattered to the ground. At that moment, several figures wielding weapons burst through the window, along with the steward, and launched a group attack on the two.
The arrows were fierce and deadly.
These people were exceptionally skilled even among the Northern Rong. If they were ordinary court nobles, they probably would have succeeded in assassinating them. Unfortunately for them, they were up against Su Lu.
With him around, Xie Yutang would dare to venture into even the most dangerous places.
The seven layers of curtains trembled without wind, and moonlight poured in through the broken window, illuminating three assassins behind the tent wielding hooks and sickles—like moths caught in a spider's web, their hooks and sickles sweeping silently like silver snakes.
The sword in Su Lu's hand suddenly became softer than spider silk, sliding up the serrated edge of the hook, its tip lightly touching the crane's beak—
What should have been a crisp metallic clang instead produced a muffled sound like a watermelon splitting open.
The man holding the hook's temples throbbed until blood trickled down the hook's hilt to his palm, only then realizing that the sword's edge had already been propelled into his brow by the force of the blow.
The three landed straight down, and then a golden-inlaid knife slashed down from behind. Su Lu spun in mid-air, and with a half-slit of blood-stained curtain, he covered the assassin's face.
With a soft "plop".
A sharp blade pierced through his chest.
In a short time, most of the assassins in the room had been killed. Only then did the group recognize Su Lu's identity. Suppressing their fear, they exchanged glances and leaped onto the roof beam. There, they saw several dark figures moving like swallows, with eight hooked sickles moving along the corners of the tent, twisting the curtains into an impenetrable net.
The heavy gauze curtains suddenly tightened like a cocoon, and Xie Yutang could even hear the trembling sound of the silk being stretched taut.
"Close the net!"
The steward's roar came from the eaves, and the thirty-six silver hooks exerted force simultaneously, causing the layers of gauze curtains to tighten abruptly.
Xie Yutang had already been escorted to a safe spot by Su Lu. She still remembered what the young man had told her last night: "With me here, you don't need to do anything."
She believed in the boy's strength and was content to appreciate his swordsmanship.
But at this moment, Xie Yutang's expression also hardened. This curtain seemed harmless, but in fact it was a deadly formation that the other party had carefully set up. She channeled her energy into her sword and was about to join the battle when she saw Su Lu's sword move.
With a tremor, the sword energy directly slashed through the ever-closing curtain.
The sound of tearing silk was clearer and more melodious than the clang of a sword.
The assassins were horrified to discover that the tightly bound cocoon was expanding, and the silk gauze that had been torn by the sword energy did not fall, but instead clung to the hooked blades and serrated edges, swirling around.
They intended to use this as a net to bind the boy, but unexpectedly, he used it instead, turning it into his own deadly cocoon.
Su Lu's figure blurred suddenly amidst the swirling waves of gauze, and when it solidified again, the tip of his sword had already pierced the main tent rope three zhang away.
“Your nets,” the boy said, flicking his wrist, the knots snapping inch by inch under the scissor blade, “are returned to you in full.”
The entire gauze curtain collapsed with a crash, and barbed silk robes rained down from above.
Two assassins' hooks were stuck between the beams, while another was entangled in the ankle by the chain he had thrown out.
The butler coughed up a mouthful of blood.
With all his men dead, he was left to hold on alone. If he knew that even Qiu Dunyue, the number one expert in the Northern Rong, had not been able to defeat this young man, he would be more at ease with his defeat.
The butler glanced sideways at Xie Yutang, who was standing with his hands behind his back.
There was such a master protecting him.
No wonder she dared to enter the house alone.
He swallowed a mouthful of blood with a smile, then leaped down from the beam. Instead of attacking Xie and Su, he turned and slapped Zhou Baizhi, who was curled up at the foot of the bed, in the chest.
It's obvious that Bai Zhi doesn't know martial arts; if he takes this blow, he'll surely die.
Xie Yutang's brows furrowed: "Be careful!"
Su Lu raised his hand, tossing two copper coins into the air. He crossed his index and middle fingers, flicked his wrist, and pierced the steward's right shoulder. The force of the palm strike dissipated, and the steward, as soon as he fell to the ground, was immediately subdued by Xie's secret guards who had rushed in through the broken window.
The leader knelt down and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xie Yutang: "I am late, please forgive me, Miss."
"Get up."
The candles inside were relit, and Xie Yutang looked at the people being brought in outside the door. "Have they all been arrested?"
The guard nodded: "Reporting to Miss, the ten servants in the inner and outer courtyards, the ten guards, and the three vendors outside the bank who are disguised as vendors selling pancakes and steamed buns are all here."
While the fierce battle was raging inside the house, Jubao Money House was also experiencing a clandestine struggle that went unnoticed.
Su Lu had already scouted out the security situation at the bank yesterday and deployed hidden guards, which enabled him to take it down unexpectedly just now.
Xie Yutang swept his gaze across the crowd: "It's not easy to pretend for so long. Take them all away and interrogate them properly."
The heavy curtains inside the room had been shattered in the fierce battle, revealing the interior furnishings.
The interior was decorated in a simple Northern Rong style, with a folding chair and a tea table. In contrast, the thick wardrobe in the corner seemed somewhat out of place.
Zhou Baizhi was curled up at the foot of the bed, still in the same position, his face pale: "I wonder what brings Your Highness here to visit?"
Xie Yutang glanced at the bloodstains scattered in front of the bed: "How can you say I'm Zhou's savior? Are you still going to play dumb with me now?"
Zhou Baizhi trembled, and Xie Yutang bluntly pointed out: "You lured me here just to rescue you from your predicament?"
The two stared at each other for a long time across an object. Zhou Baizhi suddenly smiled, stopped coughing, and his sickly expression disappeared. He got out of bed, put on his shoes and boots, and pointed to the tea table in the room: "Your Highness, please sit down."
The two sat down at the table, and Xie Yutang took out the brocade box containing ears of wheat: "Manager Zhou's gift is truly a wonderful choice."
Zhou Baizhi paused in his tea-pouring, then smiled and said, "Could it be that Your Highness saved me just because of this ear of wheat?" He showed just the right amount of curiosity as he looked at Xie Yutang. "I wonder what is so special about this ear of wheat to Your Highness that I have inadvertently benefited from it."
Xie Yutang's expression remained unchanged, but her tone was already cold: "Before I could even speak, Manager Zhou had already asked me about it."
"I wouldn't dare." Zhou Baizhi lowered his eyes and handed over the full teacup. "This is a famous tea that I specially transported from Dayan. Your Highness has been in the north for so long, you must miss the taste of home. Why don't you try this tea first and soothe your throat?"
Xie Yutang stared at him for a long time before finally taking the teacup and bringing it to his lips, but did not drink it.
Zhou Baizhi's wrist trembled almost imperceptibly.
"This tea is too hot to handle." Xie Yutang pushed the cup back untouched. "Why don't you try it first, Manager Zhou?"
Zhou Baizhi's face stiffened.
Xie Yutang's silver hairpin was already dipped into the tea soup. The eighteen silver foil petals on the hairpin head trembled, and spiderweb-like black patterns seeped from the flower's center.
"The blood-red substance, when heated, produces a fragrance. Although it can be masked by the aroma of tea, it requires half a chopstick of incense to become colorless and odorless." She placed the silver hairpin before the lamp. "Manager Zhou, you've used this poison too hastily."
Before the words were finished, the lamp had already been overturned.
The candle wax sizzled on the tea table, and nine cold glints shot out from the lotus pattern on the lamp base.
The swift blade sliced off five poisoned needles in an instant, the candlelight shattering into streaks of light on the sword. Su Lu turned around, and the remaining four hidden weapons struck the spine of the sword, changing direction amidst a humming sound like the morning bell of an ancient temple, before disappearing into the window frame.
Zhou Baizhi tried to jump out of the window to escape, but before he could get up, Xuan Jian pressed him down by pointing at his throat.
He glanced down at the sword tip, which was only an inch from his throat, then looked at Xie Yutang and shouted, "Your Highness, aren't you afraid of making an enemy of Jubao Money House?"
Xie Yutang chuckled, rose from the table, walked to him, and leaned down: "Do you think that just because I haven't seen Zhou Baizhi's appearance, anyone can impersonate him?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
