Chapter 5 Encounter with Robbery
Chapter Summary: Eight years of pretense, all exposed in a single day.
The next morning, Liu Shiyu was forced to get up very early.
Whether it was because she ate too much roasted meat last night or because she was nervous about going to Guangling to see her elder sister, she tossed and turned all night and didn't sleep well.
After everything was settled, Liu Shiyu stumbled out of the princess's residence in a daze and turned to see several gatekeepers gathered around the gateposts, discussing something.
"Good heavens, such a huge fist mark. Who is it? Who has such a deep grudge against our princess's residence?"
...
"Exactly, exactly. This area is dented. Don't you think the boxer feels pain? Look closely, isn't there blood on it?"
...
"Oh, you know what? It's true. They're all dried."
...
"Who is it? Who pushed me?"
As they were discussing, a complaint suddenly came from the crowd. Liu Shiyu, out of curiosity, pushed her way forward, saying, "Excuse me, let me through. It's me, it's me. Let me see, let me see."
At this moment, no one had yet realized who was speaking...
It wasn't until Liu Shiyu managed to squeeze to the front and stand before everyone that someone noticed it was her, and exclaimed, "Your...Your Highness!"
As one figure after another bowed down behind him, Liu Shiyu's gaze, fixed on the fist imprint, shifted in an instant. He said in a deep voice, "Disperse."
Upon hearing this, the crowd dared not linger any longer and dispersed. Lian Yue, standing outside the crowd, stepped forward, sword in hand. "Should I send someone to investigate?"
Liu Shiyu smiled wryly, gently placing her pale fingertips on the fist print. "No need. What's the point of investigating such childish behavior? There are too many people in Jinling City who want my life. Let those who have the guts come and take it themselves."
After remaining silent for months, Liu Shiyu turned and descended the steps.
But as soon as she boarded the carriage, she lifted the bamboo curtain and instructed, "Notify Lian Xing to set off, and proceed according to plan. Don't hurt anyone."
"Your Highness, rest assured, I have made all the necessary arrangements. He knows what he's doing."
As Lian Yue spoke, she blew the bone flute she had taken out of her sleeve.
Suddenly, a slender, solitary young man flew across the rooftops in the distance, gracefully heading towards the outskirts of Jinling City.
Only Lian Yue and her brother accompanied her on this trip. Lian Xing had gone ahead to take care of some business, so now only Lian Yue was left. Liu Shiyu looked up at the sky at dawn with her sleepy eyes and said softly, "Let's go."
After receiving the order, he slowly drove away in his carriage.
Inside the carriage, Liu Shiyu thought that the journey of a hundred miles would take until late at night. So, she lazily leaned back on the cushions and fell asleep. Lian Yue glanced back at Liu Shiyu's state, thinking that she would sleep soundly until the end of the day.
...
Xu Luchuan set off earlier than Liu Shiyu, and by now he had already ridden ten miles outside the city.
Accompanying him were two people who had been gloating in the Tingwei prison yesterday.
They met this morning and the three of them were awkwardly waiting for a long time. In the end, none of them exchanged a single word with each other before they rode off towards Guangling.
Along the way, Xu Luchuan only cared about making his way, his heart filled with anger, completely disregarding everything else.
Xu Luchuan felt that Liu Shiyu had deliberately arranged for him to work with them. Once they arrived in Guangling and met Liu Shiyu, he would definitely vent his anger.
...
The road was long and winding. Xu Luchuan continued walking until the last rays of the setting sun caught up with him in his white robes. Only then did he gradually sense that Guangling was in sight.
Seeing that there was little time left to travel, the three of them let their horses roam freely along the narrow paths in the dense forest.
But before long, the birds in the tranquil woods suddenly trembled and scattered into the air. A chilling atmosphere suddenly descended upon the midsummer sky. Xu Luchuan and his colleagues sensed something was wrong and drew their long swords to protect themselves.
"What's going on? Could the news have been leaked?" Duan Lei asked cowardly, hiding behind Yu Hong and Xu Luchuan. "I don't want to die here. You guys need to think of something."
"If you don't want to die here, figure it out yourself." Seeing no one appear, Xu Luchuan, knife in one hand and reins in the other, glanced at Duan Lei and slowly walked forward.
Duan Lei was about to retort when Yu Hong stopped him.
Yu Hong quickly intervened to mediate, saying, "Well, we're all here on business together. It's only right that we support and look after each other. Brother Lu Chuan, let's talk this out. Let's talk this out."
Xu Luchuan was too lazy to argue; all he wanted was to get away from this troublesome place as quickly as possible. But before he had gone a hundred paces, three sharp arrows were lodged straight in front of his horse. Fortunately, Xu Luchuan reacted quickly, reining in his horse and tilting his head back, preventing him from falling off.
The neighing of horses echoed through the woods.
Behind them, Duan Lei and Yu Hong stopped offering empty words of mutual support and care. They frantically tightened the reins, and the animals scattered like startled birds.
Before Xu Luchuan could even feel angry, Lian Xing fell from the tree. Xu Luchuan looked up and saw that although the person in front of him was masked, his dark eyes shone as brightly as stars.
Lian Xing moved silently, a hint of menace emanating from him. He took a few steps forward, then deftly raised his hand and waved it, causing Xu Luchuan to fall off his horse, drawn by a pleasant fragrance.
Lian Xing caught the man and laid him across the horse's back. Then, he spurred the horse and rode forward with the unconscious Xu Luchuan on his back.
...
The journey was bumpy, and Lian Xing had tied him up with ropes without anyone noticing. When Xu Luchuan awoke from his horse and found himself bound, he immediately demanded angrily, "Who are you? And who sent you?"
Lian Xing remained silent, continuing to gallop wildly on his horse.
Seeing that Lian Xing did not answer, Xu Luchuan struggled desperately, but found it was futile. So, for the next half hour, Xu Luchuan began to threaten, intimidate, and entice Lian Xing with words, but Lian Xing still did not answer at all.
In the end, Xu Luchuan himself gave up, and he could only wait for the horses to stop so that there would be an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
…
Soon after, Lian Xing arrived at a secluded carriage in a remote area on the outskirts of Guangling City and reined in his horse.
Hearing the commotion, Lian Yue came over. When she looked up and saw Xu Luchuan bound hand and foot by Lian Xing, she couldn't help but scold him: "Who told you to tie him up like this? This death knot is for binding the most vicious criminals, how could you use it on him!"
Lian Xing dismounted, hoisted Xu Luchuan onto his back, and grinned shamelessly at Lian Yue. Lian Yue sighed helplessly, realizing he'd been living a peaceful life for too long and was using Xu Luchuan as practice. But since he was already tied up, what could she say? She could only turn around and hand over her work.
"Your Highness, the person has arrived."
At this moment, Xu Luchuan was still dazed from the jolting and hadn't reacted to anything. Inside the carriage, Liu Shiyu replied in a low voice, "Let him in."
"Yes." Lian Yue nodded with her eyes. Lian Xing hurriedly stepped forward and threw Xu Luchuan inside.
A colossal object suddenly landed before him, catching him completely off guard. Liu Shiyu, who had been sitting upright, leaned back and exclaimed in surprise, "My God, what is that?"
After regaining her senses, Liu Shiyu got up and leaned closer to see that it was Xu Luchuan. She immediately shouted at the people outside the curtain, "Who gave you permission to tie him up like this?"
"Xu Luchuan. Wake up, wake up. Are you alright?" Ignoring the immediate urge to argue, Liu Shiyu reached out and nudged the half-conscious person at her feet. Xu Luchuan looked up at the sound, his blurry eyes slowly making out the person before him. "It's you..."
Upon seeing this, Liu Shiyu quickly helped the person up.
Xu Luchuan was physically strong, and he regained full consciousness shortly after sitting up. He even had the energy to become angry.
"Liu Shiyu, I never expected that you would be the one to do such a despicable thing! A scholar can be killed but not humiliated. Although I agreed to pretend to be your lover, I did not sell myself to you. With your absurd behavior, even if you are some kind of princess who protects the country, I will not be afraid of you in the slightest."
Seeing that he was alright, Liu Shiyu finally felt relieved, but being addressed by his full name really surprised her.
In a daze, Liu Shiyu seemed to see again that young man from back then, who was sometimes domineering and sometimes mischievous, but also spirited and indomitable.
Silence fell. Liu Shiyu sighed, reflecting on the people from that time, wondering how many were still alive today.
After venting his anger, Xu Luchuan finally calmed down. He gradually realized that he had impulsively spoken carelessly and completely forgot to pretend.
So, he stiffened his neck and awkwardly turned around to look, only to find Liu Shiyu smiling brightly behind him, saying, "Little Green, you really are still the same as before, you haven't changed at all~"
Xu Luchuan stared at the smiling woman before him, who possessed not a trace of sternness, his face instantly filled with doubt. To others, Liu Shiyu was a stern, unapproachable oddball.
So... who are you?
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