snoop
But now... the sound was getting closer and closer, so she started to run, and there was another loud noise. She looked back while running, and a tiger that was four times her size jumped over her and stood in front of her, roaring.
Her body was icy cold, her heart nearly pounding, but her feet wouldn't budge, as if frozen in place. The tiger's paw was as big as her head, and its teeth could pierce her sternum with a single bite, as easy as cracking a melon seed. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. While she was dazed, she saw the tiger suddenly crouch down, sniff her, and then rub its head against her arm.
???
What's going on?
She stared at it blankly, as if dissatisfied with her lack of response. It rubbed against her again, made a circle, gently bit her sleeve and pulled her forward.
Gillian followed behind it hesitantly, afraid of angering it, so she had to follow it for the time being.
It led her to a cave, which was pitch black and she couldn't see anything. She held onto the cold stone wall, wondering how to get out. As she walked further in, she vaguely saw a light. There were several holes above her head, and the light shone inside, just illuminating a few bones and bloodstains.
Yes... it's the leftovers of the people who came in before... So you brought her here just to eat fresh meat?
Just as she was thinking, the tiger suddenly ran over, picked up something and ran towards her. Because she was too excited, she was knocked to the ground, but it just licked her face.
She struggled to sit up and saw in her hand a hydrangea covered with saliva that it had brought over.
She was stunned for a long time. Why did this hydrangea seem familiar? Then she remembered that it was her hydrangea!
"Ah Jiao, don't go over there! That's a tiger, it will eat people!"
Little Liu Che stood there, watching A Jiao walk towards the cage, feeling fear and worry. They had been playing with the hydrangea here, but ended up dropping it into the tiger cage over there.
Gillian looked at the black and white animal and felt very curious. She was brave by nature and was not afraid at all.
"Coward, it's in a cage, what are you afraid of? Besides, isn't this a gift you gave me?"
"I can make you another hydrangea. Don't pick it up. Let's go."
Gillian scoffed, "I don't want it. I want this. If you're scared, don't follow me."
It was a three-month-old tiger cub, no different from the family dog to Ah Jiao. Liu Che was afraid because he had been bitten by a dog as a child, and once bitten by a snake, he was afraid of ropes for ten years. He had never had a good impression of these seemingly cute cubs. But when he saw the little girl, her skirt lifted, stepping closer to the cage, he struggled for a moment, gritted his teeth and followed.
"Don't move, I'll pick it up for you."
Liu Che trotted in front of A Jiao, and she just stared at him, as if she was watching a good show. He swallowed, turned his head, and tremblingly reached his little hand into the cage to grab the hydrangea.
Suddenly, he felt a chill beside his hand. It was the tiger that was sniffing him with its nose. Tears began to gather in his eyes and he was about to cry. However, unexpectedly, a wet and warm tongue licked the back of his hand. He stared at the furry creature in a daze.
The little girl squatted beside him, wiped the tears from his face with her sleeve, and took back the hydrangea.
"I said it's okay, it likes you very much, let's let it out to play for a while."
He was too late to stop her. Ah Jiao called a palace servant to open the lock. The servant then discovered the two little brats and said in panic, "We can't do that! These are tigers raised by His Majesty. They haven't been tamed yet. What if they hurt the Princess and His Highness..."
"We've already touched it, and it doesn't bite. Bring the key here quickly, or I'll tell Uncle Emperor that you were slacking off here and let the tiger bite Archer."
The palace maid looked embarrassed and glanced at Liu Ju, "This... Your Highness is not injured..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ah Jiao pulled Liu Che's arm and bit it. He immediately burst into tears and was glared back by Ah Jiao.
The palace maid had no choice but to follow them with the key. She first put a leather collar on the tiger, then opened the lock and handed the rope to Gillian.
The grass in the imperial garden was long and dense, soft to the touch and fragrant with its fresh scent. A Jiao and Liu Che stood at each end, throwing their hydrangeas from one end to the other. Bai Tuan would excitedly chase them from one end to the other, her tongue hanging out. When she got tired and didn't want to play anymore, she would throw herself into Liu Che's arms, making A Jiao laugh heartily.
"Hahahahaha! Archer, it's quite smart. It knows how to hide in the arms of people who are afraid of it."
Liu Che wiped the saliva from his face and sat up with some disgust. "Yeah, just like some people, picking on the weak."
"Are you a pushover?" Gillian walked over and pinched the boy's face with one hand, with a smile on her lips but a sharp look in her eyes.
"Liu Rong rode on you, spanked your butt with a wooden sword, and treated you like a horse. Not only didn't you get angry, you praised him for his bravery and became his little henchman."
"I disguised myself as a palace maid and sneaked into the Imperial College to see the newly arrived chief academic officer. I got in Liu Rong's way, and he threw a bug at my head, causing me to panic and fall into the lotus pond, making a fool of myself. We were both severely scolded by our uncle, the Emperor. Concubine Li said I was lawless and didn't follow the rules. I was fed up with Liu Rong."
"You said that, didn't you?"
Gillian looked at Liu Che, and the boy, with tearful eyes, was stunned for a moment, as if he didn't understand what she was saying.
"Concubine Wang has always been very strict with you. She locked up toys like the wooden sword and the Kongming lock glass mirror in a box in her room. They are your contraband. I saw my sachet there."
The boy's expression finally changed. It was no longer as innocent as before, but rather contained some inexplicable nervousness.
"The fragrance is very unique. You should have smelled it at the Empress's house. The tribute of Shedali from the Western Regions was three hu. One hu is with Your Majesty, one is with the Empress's house, and the rest is only in the Princess's residence. This kind of rarity wouldn't be found in a palace maiden, so young, yet able to enter the palace, with such bold words and actions, staring straight at people. Only that idiot Liu Rong doesn't know who I am."
She knew that it was he who instigated Liu Rong to bully her, the new palace maid, and to sow discord. He had been humble for so long, pretending to be a good-tempered fool, to play with her, just to win the favor of the eldest princess. From then on, the mother and son would rise to prominence and sit on the supreme throne.
But now, her childish words hit him like a whip, leaving him with nowhere to hide, nowhere to escape. He was clearly before her, and he was completely panicked. After all, he was only a ten-year-old child. His eyes began to evade, and he began to explain, "It's not like that. That sachet..."
"Hahahahahahaha——" Seeing his panic-stricken look that she had never seen before, she suddenly burst into laughter again, as if she was teasing some interesting toy.
"You know you're scared too. Don't worry, I would have said it earlier. Why not now..."
She kept it a secret, watching Liu Che listen attentively to what she was about to say, holding his breath, feeling very nervous. She smiled slyly, "Because I like you."
The soft and gentle voice drifted to Liu Che's ears and into his heart. This time, he once again revealed that dazed look.
"Me? Why?"
Ah Jiao said, "You are prettier than Liu Rong, and more obedient than him. Besides, he was the one who bullied you first, so revenge is nothing. Only a fool would not fight back after suffering a loss. My mother said that I, Chen Ah Jiao, am a child of destiny. I have to have the best food, clothing, and daily necessities since I was a child. My husband must be the smartest, most handsome, and most obedient one. You are better than Liu Rong..."
She glanced at his still childish and handsome face and loosened her grip on his cheek. "Is it a little better?"
"You don't have to pretend to be so obedient in front of me in the future." After thinking about it, she felt that something was wrong and added, "But you have to listen to me, or I will expose your affairs. I know a lot, don't think I'm stupid, you have always thought so in your heart, right?"
"No...no." Liu Che denied it, feeling a little guilty.
She snorted, clapped her hands, picked up the little tiger that was sitting nearby watching them intently, and pounded its head, causing it to howl in protest. She simply put it on the ground and ran after it.
Without her scrutiny, Liu Che relaxed, his gaze complex as he looked at the girl in the distance. Her vibrant skirt fluttered in the wind, and like a butterfly, she sniffed here and there, the vast expanse of green rustling softly, like the swaying of his heart. She was somewhat different from what he had imagined, just as he had unknowingly gained a firm grip on her.
"White group?"
Gillian tentatively called out the tiger's name, and it excitedly pounced on her again, licking her cheek. Its size was now much larger than before, and Gillian couldn't bear it anymore, so she pushed it away and touched its head.
"It's you! I was so scared. Why are you here?"
"Awoo, awoo!" (I don't know either. I was locked in a cage and no one brought me food. Then I broke free and ran out. As soon as I got out of the woods, someone shot me with an arrow!)
Ah Jiao recalled that the emperor had bought the tiger after his uncle fell seriously ill, intending to tame it himself. Later, due to his illness, he put it aside. Then, his sudden death left everyone immersed in grief, and with Liu Che ascending to the throne and preparing for his wedding, they hadn't thought of Bai Tuan at all. Perhaps the tiger had been left in the woods by the palace servants, unattended.
She thought for a moment and said, "Then do you know the way out? Let's go out and I'll take you down the mountain to play."
"Ahhhh" (I know, I know!)
It picked up the ball and stood up, heading out of the cave. Gillian followed it to the end, where she found a tall bamboo fence. Looking down through the gap, despite the dense forest blocking the view, it was easy to see that the houses that lay down the hillside were probably where the people lived.
She searched her body for a while but couldn't find anything that worked. She pushed the fence, but it wouldn't budge. Bai Tuan squatted nearby, wagging his tail, looking a little impatient. (Play with me!)
She was helpless, "I can't go out, where can I go to play?"
At that moment, she suddenly saw the fence on the other side sway. She thought it was an illusion, but then she heard the sound of a knife chopping bamboo. Someone was chopping the fence!
She ran quickly and found a patch of grass that could barely provide shelter, where she squatted down. Suddenly, a hole opened in the fence, and three or five people in guard uniforms walked in.
"Finally we're in, what should we do next?"
"This is the Hunting Garden West Forest. There must be patrolling guards, but not many. We'll knock them down later, and then we can sneak in."
Gillian's heart began to lift. What were these people going to do by pretending to be guards?
"What if we're discovered?"
"No one will find out. His Highness gave me the map of the defenses here a long time ago. He is very familiar with the shift change schedule at Ganquan Palace. As long as everyone is resting and it is Xilin's turn to guard, we can get close and find out what happened at Ganquan Palace. We will leave as soon as we get the news, just to give His Highness peace of mind."
His Highness... is the Crown Prince's man. Liu Che had been ill for the past few days, declining visits from court officials and confined to the inner hall to review memorials. It's only been three or four days, and the news has already reached Chang'an. I'm afraid the Crown Prince must have thought something serious had happened. It seems he's truly grown old, even unaware of the leaker around him.
It's good that it wasn't an assassination. Besides, there were only a few of them. Liu Ju would become emperor sooner or later, so it shouldn't be that serious. She breathed a sigh of relief and planned to leave through the same opening after they left. But Bai Tuan ran out as soon as he saw a stranger.
Awoo——
The tiger roared, frightening the four people so much that they trembled all over.
"It's a tiger! Hurry!"
They took out their bows and arrows and shot at Bai Tuan's eyes. Bai Tuan didn't dodge and was hit in one eye. Blood trickled down his fur. He roared loudly and became frantic. He bared his fangs and lunged at the people in front of him. Gillian hid behind him and watched, anxious and terrified. He didn't know whether to leave or not.
The four men were all swordsmen who had traveled far and wide. They joined Liu Ju's school and were very brave. They were not panicked when dealing with the tiger. They shot arrows accurately and fiercely. Gradually, Bai Tuan fell into a disadvantage. When it fell to the ground and cried out in pain, one of them pounced on it with a sword.
Gillian couldn't help but run out impulsively, "Don't kill it!"
A woman ran out in a panic and blocked the tiger's way.
Everyone was a little surprised, but more alarmed. They drew their swords and surrounded her and Bai Tuan.
"Who are you? How long have you been listening here?"
"General, don't misunderstand me. I'm Xiao Cui, the palace maid responsible for feeding the white tiger. I come here every day at this time. General, don't you recognize me? How long have you been listening? What are you listening to?"
She looked very confused, as if she had just come here and happened to bump into them, mistaking them for Xilin's guards.
Someone said, "I remember, Xiao Cui, right? Eunuch Jiang said that His Majesty is ill and needs tiger blood for medicine, so he ordered us here. It's perfect. You lead the way and we can go out together."
Gillian nodded, "This is the tiger that the late emperor kept here. If you kill it, you will be beheaded. I have to help it treat its wounds. You guys go first, I will go later."
"Hey, this tiger is only blind in one eye, but the rest of it is fine. You'd better come with us. It's injured and it might go crazy and hurt people, which would be bad."
She wasn't sure if anyone believed her, but the man insisted, clearly scheming something, so she said nothing more and walked ahead, leading the way. After a while, she found the horse she had just abandoned. Without a word, she led them to the right, secretly quickening her pace. When they had a short distance, she suddenly ran towards the horse, leaping onto it and roaring.
"drive!"
"Damn it! You still want to play tricks on me! Wang Ming, draw your bow!"
The man named Wang Ming, the one who had just shot Bai Tuan in the eye, drew his bow and aimed at the woman on horseback. With two whooshes, one arrow struck the horse's leg, and the other struck Ah Jiao in the back. The horse neighed and threw her off, sending stars through her eyes and excruciating pain all over her body. A powerful force pulled her up and pressed a knife to her neck.
"Run, I tell you to run!"
"Tell me, what has happened to Your Majesty these past few days? Why is he not meeting with the court officials and attending to state affairs?"
"Nothing."
"No?" He pulled the arrow out of her back, blood splattering all over him. "Why don't you tell the truth?"
"Nothing really, just... just a bit of a cold."
The man obviously didn't believe it. Why would he stay indoors just because he had a cold?
"Ma Yue, why waste your time talking to her? What does she, a little palace maid, know? It's a waste of time. Just chop it up and throw it into the woods. It will be eaten by the tiger cleanly."
"That's true." Upon hearing this, the man raised the knife high and brought it down towards Gillian.
The expected pain didn't fall on her neck. She heard a muffled groan, followed by a thud. The person behind her fell to the ground, a black feather iron arrow stuck in his chest, an arrow used exclusively by emperors...
At some point, a large group of soldiers followed Liu Che into the woods and surrounded them. Seeing this, another person tried to run, but was stopped by the imperial guards, who cut off the knife in their hand. In desperation, the other person once again raised the bloody arrow to her neck, "Don't come over! Otherwise..."
"Well……"
Another black feather arrow grazed her scattered hair and pierced the man's throat. The metal on his neck stung slightly before disappearing completely as he fell. Her heart still pounding, she stood there in a daze, her gaze meeting Liu Che's dark eyes.
He hadn't had time to comb his hair, its long black hair tangled across his casually thrown white uniform, looking rather disheveled. His hand on the bowstring was stained with blood, where the force had just been applied. Sick, he had forced his last bit of strength to chase her here. Now, from his horse, he gazed down at her, a deep gloom etched across his face. She avoided his gaze, a little evasively.
He dismounted and walked towards her. His boots clattered on the dry leaves, and she thought she could hear the sound of her bones breaking. The look in his eyes just now, the way he looked at her, was as if he wanted to eat her alive, breaking and crushing her bones. She couldn't help but feel a wave of fear.
His hands supported her back, and the wound stung. She pushed him away violently, but he didn't move at all.
"Do you still feel the pain?"
His mocking voice rang out, and she lowered her head. He rubbed her face hard, leaving a mark of blood on her face.
Liu Che sneered and turned his gaze to the people beside her, "Bring them back to me and interrogate them thoroughly. How did they get in? What are they going to do? Who are they connected with? What is their purpose..."
He glanced at her as he said this, and she didn't shy away from looking back. Why was he looking at her? These people had nothing to do with her. Didn't they see that they had just taken her hostage?
"No matter what method you use, even if it means emptying their stomachs, you must tell me everything."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
