Chapter 35: Red Line (Revised) He didn’t get much to begin with, and he almost…
Fang Yilan sat at the banquet table in the palace, her head propped up by her left hand, her right hand carelessly turning over her wine cup. On the stage, a dancer sent by Xiling Kingdom spun gracefully, her sleeves fluttering, drawing frequent applause from Emperor Jingwen, who sat high on the throne.
She really couldn't understand Emperor Jingwen's arrangement. Now that Ruining had the upper hand, she couldn't understand what else was there to discuss.
Treating the enemy's envoy with such solemnity makes it seem as if the enemy has something on us.
This boring palace banquet lasted until midnight. When Fang Yilan returned to the mansion, she subconsciously looked towards Zhao Huaixu's room. The room was pitch black and the lights were off.
Since the person had already gone to bed, Fang Yilan naturally did not disturb him and went back to his room alone.
In the imperial palace, several dark shadows quietly appeared near the palace where the Xiling envoy lived. They looked at each other and flashed into the envoy's room.
The Xiling envoys had just returned from a palace banquet, reeking of alcohol and shuffling unsteadily. Just as they were about to recline on their couches for a good rest, they vaguely saw several dark figures looming in the candlelight. Before they could even cry out in surprise, a sharp blade had already sliced their necks.
Blood gushed out from the necks of several people, accidentally splashing onto the gatehouse.
"withdraw."
The black-clad assassins once again flew quickly over the roof of the East Palace. When they reached a certain place, they suddenly heard the sound of a whisper coming from the prince's study. The leading black-clad man suddenly stopped, and the assassins following behind him also stopped.
"My lord, they will find out soon. We can't delay any longer." A man in black reminded in a low voice.
Zhao Huaixu nodded. He thought the bloodstain would soon be discovered by the patrolling eunuchs. Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard another voice from inside the room: "Your Highness, Fang Yilan is an orphan girl who is now very popular and holds military power. If Your Highness can take her into your harem, it will definitely be a great help."
"My lord!" The man in black was worried that he would stay any longer, so he reminded him.
"You retreat first." Zhao Huaixu ordered in a deep voice.
The man in black could not disobey the order. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded and disappeared into the thick night without a trace.
Inside the study, the Crown Prince frowned slightly, a hint of hesitation on his face. He paced back and forth, "But... I'm afraid the Censor will report me and accuse me of forming a clique for personal gain."
"Why not let the Imperial Concubine come forward and find a marriage for you?"
A glimmer of light flashed in the prince's eyes. "Okay, as you say!" His voice was filled with urgency. "I'll go and ask my mother to persuade my father. My father has always doted on her and will definitely betroth Fang Yilan to me."
He was about to say something else when he suddenly heard the eunuch outside rushing in to report: "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! The Xiling envoys have all been murdered."
The prince cursed inwardly and hurried out: "Seal off the palace and quickly find out what's going on!"
Countless torches were lit in the palace, and groups of imperial guards poured into the East Palace, then divided into small teams to search the alleys in the palace.
Zhao Huaixu was hiding in a secluded corner. A team of guards happened to pass by. One of the patrolling guards seemed to notice some unusual movement in the corner. As soon as he got closer, a pair of hands suddenly stretched out from the darkness and instantly twisted his neck. Zhao Huaixu flashed out from the corner and ran towards the palace wall at a high speed.
The imperial guards soon discovered the guard who had fainted on the ground, and then saw a figure climbing over.
"Over there! Don't let him get away!"
The leader shouted loudly, and countless footsteps rushed towards the direction of the black shadow.
Zhao Huaixu used hidden paths and passages, and the cover of shadows, to quickly shuttle between palace buildings. The imperial guards, holding long swords, followed closely behind him.
He finally reached the edge of the palace. Several dark figures appeared on the high walls. They were the secret guards waiting there. Obviously, they had already noticed the unusual movements in the palace and came to assist.
Their eyes met, and then they scattered and fled in all directions towards Shangjing City.
Fang Yilan always felt uneasy, tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep. A very slight noise came from the window frame, waking her from her light sleep.
Fang Yilan opened his eyes instantly and pricked up his ears alertly.
A dark shadow came in from the window. Fang Yilan reached under the bed and stood up to draw his sword. The man suddenly pulled off the black cloth on his face, revealing a familiar face. It was Zhao Huaixu.
Suddenly, there was a loud sound of footsteps and shouts outside the house: "By order of the Crown Prince, we are here to thoroughly investigate the assassin!"
A large number of imperial guards poured into the mansion, their torches illuminating the courtyard. The leading general scanned the surroundings with a hawk-like gaze. With a wave of his hand, the soldiers kicked open doors one by one and began a thorough search.
The door of the side room was kicked open roughly. The bedding on the bed was neatly folded, and an unclosed book was spread out on the table. There were obvious signs that someone had lived there, but there was no one in the house at this time.
"Where are the people?" The leading general frowned and asked.
Shuxue stood aside, nervously tugging at the corners of her clothes with both hands, stammering and unable to speak.
The leading general seemed to have sensed something and rushed towards the main house with the imperial guards in a hurry.
"What are you doing! The general is resting!"
Shuxue trotted after them, but was unable to stop the group of people.
Fang Yilan sensed that the crowd was approaching, so she quickly stripped off Zhao Huaixu's black clothes and stuffed them deep into the quilt.
Then she pushed him down on the bed and tore open his underwear with her fingers. A large area of Zhao Huaixu's chest was exposed to the air, covered with a thin layer of sweat.
Then she unbuttoned her clothes, and her clothes slowly opened halfway, revealing half of her shoulder. Her body covered Zhao Huaixu, and her long black hair slid down along with her movements, brushing against the side of Zhao Huaixu's face.
The curtain slowly fell, enveloping the two people on the bed like mountain clouds. Their breaths intertwined. Zhao Huaixu widened his eyes and forgot what to say for a moment. Fang Yilan signaled him with her eyes not to make a sound.
"Bang!" With a loud bang, the door was kicked open, and the biting cold wind mixed with the noise outside rushed into the house.
The leader of the Imperial Guards stood at the front, scanning every corner of the room. When his gaze fell on the bed covered by curtains, his eyes suddenly froze.
The curtain blocks the outside world from prying eyes, but some light and shadow can be seen faintly, outlining two vague and overlapping outlines. It is not clear, but it makes people imagine.
"Get out!" Fang Yilan turned his head and shouted at the intruder.
The leading general finally woke up from his dream, his face turning pale and red, realizing that he seemed to have witnessed a scene he shouldn't have seen.
He quickly bowed and retreated, saying, "General, I'm sorry! We were ordered to track down the assassin who had assassinated the palace. We tracked him all the way here, but he disappeared after reaching this area. I apologize for any offense, General."
After a while, the door creaked open again, and Fang Yilan, fully dressed, strode out with a sinister look on her face. She asked coldly, "What happened?"
The general guarding outside the door looked nervous when he saw her come out, and told her everything about the assassination attempt in the palace at a rapid speed.
After hearing this, Fang Yilan let out a mocking sneer, her tone full of disdain: "What a joke! This assassin is a daredevil, actually daring to sneak into my Dingyuan Marquis Mansion. Doesn't he know that my mansion is not a place where he can run wild?"
The leader forced a smile and stammered, "General, you're right. Even if the assassin had the guts to do that, he wouldn't dare to act so recklessly in General Fang's mansion. We were too abrupt and shouldn't have disturbed the general's rest. We'll withdraw now."
Having said that, he took his men to symbolically search the courtyard a few times and then hurried away.
...
Fang Yilan returned to the house and locked the door, his face as cold as ice: "Tell me, why did you kill the Xiling envoy?"
"You don't want to say it? Or you don't dare to say it?"
Zhao Huaixu's face showed a bit of dejection: "I..."
Fang Yilan's expression was icy as he approached Zhao Huaixu step by step. "Do I think you have some powerful identity that's worth hiding from me for so long? The Seventh Prince, or perhaps His Royal Highness the Hostage?"
"Let me think about it. Killing the Xiling envoy will, firstly, prevent the Xiling people from having a chance to catch their breath and recuperate before making a comeback. Secondly, it will also give us the opportunity to dampen the Crown Prince's arrogance and pave the way for your return to Ruining. Am I right?"
Seeing that he remained silent, Fang Yilan sneered and added, "So you approached me so that you could return to Beijing safely." She tapped her lips with her finger and thought, "After all, there are probably many people who want to kill you. It's safer to be with me."
"Why do you have to lie to me? As long as you tell me the truth, I will take you back to Shangjing as a friend." Fang Yilan looked at him without understanding, with disappointment in her eyes like the frost in late autumn.
Perhaps the word "friend" stung Zhao Huaixu. After a long silence, he finally spoke with difficulty: "I didn't lie to you."
"Which one of you didn't lie to me?" Fang Yilan pressed on, her voice unconsciously rising a few degrees.
"You are not using me for revenge, or you have never coveted the Fang family's military power?"
"Oh, what a miserable death. But what if you swear on my life? Zhao Huaixu, do you still dare to say that you saved me without any other purpose?" Suddenly, thunder flashed, illuminating half of Fang Yilan's face, and there was no trace of tenderness in his eyes.
Zhao Huaixu pursed his lips tightly, his face pale, like a piece of porcelain that would break at the slightest touch.
Fang Yilan self-deprecatingly explained, "I'm just a lone minister with no one to rely on, so I'm naturally the easiest to manipulate. You saved my life, and I'm so grateful. I have no way to repay you, so I can only follow you wholeheartedly. What a bargain! You don't even have to bother trying to seize military power. I'll naturally fight for you, right?"
The air seemed to freeze.
Fang Yilan exhaled a breath of foul air, not wanting to embarrass him, nor to embarrass herself any further. Then she smiled with relief: "I don't blame you. Think about it carefully, who would approach me without any purpose?"
After saying that, he stepped out of the house, but just as he was about to step over the threshold, he suddenly stopped.
She didn't look back.
"I'll only give you three days. Consider this as repayment for saving your life. After three days, take your belongings and get out. If you feel this isn't enough, feel free to ask."
Her sleeve was grabbed again.
Fang Yilan's eyes were full of resentment. She swung her hand suddenly, and her nails accidentally scratched Zhao Huaixu's wrist, leaving a thin red line.
There was no warmth in her voice: "I won't be soft-hearted towards you anymore."
The rain poured down, the window frames were banging against the rain, the deep and shallow marks on the bluestone slabs were erased bit by bit, and a damp and cold feeling filled the air.
Zhao Huaixu sat in the house in a daze, his mind empty. His eyes inadvertently swept across his wrist. The shallow mark was faintly visible and was gradually disappearing between the skin texture.
He seemed to be struck by something suddenly, and began to rummage around aimlessly. Finally, he found a small knife in the drawer. He scratched the skin with the blade and carved it again along the line that was about to disappear.
The red line on the wrist brought out beads of blood, and the mark became clearer under the bright red stain.
Zhao Huaixu didn't feel any pain, he just stared at the mark and smiled.
He didn't gain much to begin with, and he almost lost more.
...
Three days later, everyone in the main courtyard of Ding'an Marquis' Mansion began to get busy.
The servants looked a little embarrassed and deliberately looked away when they passed by Zhao Huaixu. They could only bite the bullet, step into the slightly messy room, and start packing their things.
They took out all the jewelry and clothes in Zhao Huaixu's room, carefully stacked them, and put them into the boxes. The many books in Fang Yilan's study were also taken out and neatly stacked. Soon, several wooden boxes were filled to the brim.
Zhao Huaixu was asked to leave the mansion along with his luggage. Fang Yilan came to see him off in person. She had a cold expression and there was no fluctuation in her eyes when she looked at Zhao Huaixu, as if she was seeing off a stranger she had never met before.
"Mr. Zhao, I'm sorry I can't see you off."
The vermilion lacquered gate of Ding'an Marquis Mansion slowly closed in front of him, making a dull sound.
It is not yet the Waking of Insects, and the chilly spring air is biting the skin.
Zhao Huaixu did not leave. He stood stubbornly in front of the mansion. The cold wind lifted the corners of his clothes, making him look even thinner. His ears were frozen purple, like a dead tree whose life was drained by the winter.
The guard at the door looked at him in such a state, and he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. He stepped forward and gently advised, "Mr. Zhao, it's freezing cold. Please find a warm place to rest. The general probably won't come out again."
Zhao Huaixu looked at the giant tree planted next to the mansion. There were still traces of moisture in the soil from last night's rain.
Suddenly he smiled.
It's impossible to wipe off the damp mud on your clothes, right?
He didn't start to leave until the afterglow gradually faded.
…
"My lord, what should we do now?"
"I can only follow the trend and enter the palace."
The secret guard looked at Zhao Huaixu with worry.
"Don't worry. I'm just going to lower myself temporarily and call that bastard 'Father' a few times. Using his life in exchange is a good deal."
Inside the imperial palace, the vermilion palace walls twisted and turned. Eunuch Li took small and quick steps as he hurried towards Emperor Jingwen's bedroom.
Emperor Jingwen was lazily reclining on the couch. He raised his eyelids and asked, "Really?"
"Your Majesty, I saw it with my own eyes. That jade pendant and its appearance cannot be fake."
Emperor Jingwen narrowed his eyes and let out a sneer: "Seventh Brother? Humph, he actually managed to come back alive?"
Eunuch Li hunched over, his face showing an awkward expression. After much hesitation, he finally spoke up: "Your Majesty... I have something else to ask..."
He swallowed, his voice unconsciously lowered to a whisper, "The Xiling envoy and his group of five were all killed last night."
Emperor Jingwen then straightened up from the couch and said, "Oh, I've grown older after all. My bones have become a bit tougher."
"Okay, send someone to see it."
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The author has something to say: There is a prize for guessing Yu You’s identity hahaha, wait until the secret is revealed before claiming the prize [狗头]
The lucky draw has been opened [Spread the flowers] Red envelopes will be automatically sent out if the subscription reaches the standard! I am here again to shamelessly beg for the collection of pre-collected books [melted][melted][melted] The next book will still be about strong female characters, but if the pre-collection of the love brain is particularly high, I will consider opening that book first. That one is a sweet and emotional book.
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