Shen Qiyin naturally recognized that it was Xiao Yan, but Ren Dong had no idea.
She simply refused to give up on this only remaining hope.
She struggled to her feet, then knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Please, young master, have mercy and save my young lady!"
Honeysuckle's thoughts seemed to have become unclear, and she was no longer sure whether Shen Qiyin was alive or dead. Her whole being was in a state of confusion, and her weak body swayed precariously in the heavy rain.
On the fourth day, seeing that Xiao Yan had not walked away indifferently, he dismounted and went to check on him.
After checking Shen Qiyin's pulse, he shook his head at Xiao Yan.
The person is already dead.
Ren Dong held Shen Qiyin's body in her arms, but her gaze was fixed on Chu Si, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes, revealing a last glimmer of hope.
Their eyes met, and Chu Si surprisingly felt a pang of pity.
“Little girl, your young lady…” He pursed his lips, paused for a moment, and continued, “She has stopped breathing.”
He ultimately couldn't bring himself to say the word "death."
Then, just as he expected, the last glimmer of light in the girl's eyes disappeared completely.
Honeysuckle held the person in her arms tighter and tighter, like a wounded little animal whimpering, her face covered with water stains that were hard to tell whether it was rain or tears.
Xiao Yan sat high on his horse, looking at the woman in his arms. His voice, coming through the rain, was even colder: "Bury her."
This was said to the fourth graders.
Having met by chance, sending her to her final rest was the greatest act of kindness he could offer.
Upon hearing this, Ren Dong kowtowed to him again, saying, "Thank you, young master."
"I have another request. I would like to make a deal with you, young master. Would you be willing to grant me your request?"
"speak."
"I will sell myself to you, young master. I will be your slave, your servant, or even your beast of burden. I will do anything, even murder and arson. I only ask that you avenge my young lady!"
With her own strength, she probably couldn't even break into the Shen family, let alone the likes of Qin Li and Shen Nianyin who were always accompanied by guards. She probably wouldn't even be able to get close to them.
Therefore, the only way to avenge the young lady is to rely on the help of others.
For no apparent reason, the fact that they would offer to bury the young lady was already a great act of kindness.
She might only be able to seize a sliver of opportunity if she could maximize her own value.
The rain gradually subsided and stopped at some point.
The dark clouds dispersed, and the moonlight shone through.
Xiao Yan lowered his gaze to the woman who had already perished, and couldn't help but recall the records in the Qiying Pavilion's archives:
The eldest daughter of the Shen family, beautiful and gentle, with superb musical skills and an elegant talent for painting...
Perhaps it was this word "gentle and compliant" that trapped her for life.
Just like his mother.
After a moment, he parted his thin lips slightly: "Okay."
Upon receiving Xiao Yan's affirmative answer, Ren Dong felt a slight easing of her tension. However, as her spirits relaxed, she could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.
When she woke up again, she was already at the Duke of Ningguo's mansion.
In order to take revenge on the Shen family and Qin Li, she was originally prepared to make a great show of her skills and complete any task Xiao Yan had assigned her, but she was told that the entire Shen family was dead!
Qin Li also died, burned to ashes by the corpse-dissolving water, leaving not a single hair behind!
"Who did this?!"
"That doctor named Dazhuang from Guangrentang in the past," Chu Si said.
"Senior Brother Dazhuang?!" Ren Dong exclaimed with delight, "Where is he?"
On the fourth day, he looked away and stopped talking.
Honeysuckle then understood.
She fought back tears and asked, "How did he die?"
"...shot by an arrow."
"An order issued by Qin?"
“No.” Chu Si shook his head: “When he passed away, Qin Li was already on the verge of death.”
Remembering something, he added, "Qin Li died of poisoning, and the person who poisoned him was another doctor in Guangrentang."
According to the servants of the Qin family, after he was discovered to have poisoned someone, he seemed to have said that he wanted to avenge his senior sister.
His senior sister should refer to that Miss Shen.
The series of news left Ren Dong stunned for a while before she asked, "I wonder if their bodies are still alive?"
He nodded on the fourth day of the lunar new year.
Because no one was there to collect the remains, the body should have been buried by the government along with the rest of the Shen family. However, the young master of his family obtained the body from the Prefect of the Capital and buried it next to Miss Shen.
On the fourth day: "The young master said that now that Miss Shen's enemies are all dead, your deal can be voided, and you can leave at any time."
With a dull, lifeless look in her eyes, Ren Dong said, "Thank you, Your Highness."
The young lady is dead; it seems there's no point in her living.
Seeing her appearance on the fourth day, he knew that she had lost the will to live, so he told her everything Xiao Yan had said: "However, my young master also said that although those bastards are dead, no one knows the evil they committed against Miss Chen. You can clear your young lady's name through your own efforts."
"Of course, you don't have to do that."
Upon hearing this, Honeysuckle immediately raised her head.
Knowing that she had been persuaded, Chu Si continued, "I'll say it again: you can leave at any time, or choose to stay and the deal will continue."
Honeysuckle's eyes flashed, and she said firmly, "I want to stay!"
She would never give up easily if there was something she could do for her mistress!
then--
Learn martial arts, kill, climb the social ladder.
Step by step, she rose from an unknown maid to the fearsome commander of the Thousand Eagle Guard. It took her five years to walk this path!
Another year, the autumn grass turns yellow.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ren Dong brought a jar of fine wine and went with Xiao Yan to the cemetery of Shen Qiyin and the others.
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