Chapter 24: The Imperial Guards, under Imperial Order, Apprehend the Traitor
The torrential rain obscured most of the people's vision, and the rising mist made it even more blurry.
The Imperial Guard soldiers were very skilled. Following Huai Leju's instructions, they divided into groups of three and began searching the entire forest.
Wylie was the last to enter the dense forest.
"Boom—" With the sound of thunder, a bolt of lightning pierced the sky, illuminating half of Huai Leju's indifferent profile.
Raindrops slid down his face and into his collar.
He reached up and lifted the brim of his hat a little higher, then followed the footprints that stretched out from the main road and started walking in that direction.
He had also heard of Zhou She's reputation.
It wasn't that he had done many heinous things, but rather that ever since Huai Leju started his studies, people had always heard stories about this man.
From any perspective, this idle, good-for-nothing playboy could not possibly escape the Imperial Guards' search.
Huai Leju wasn't angry that Zhou She had hit him; in his view, it was such a trivial matter that there was no need to react.
He simply... looked down on Zhou She.
These thoughts flashed by in an instant. Huai Leju quickly stepped forward and followed the footprints for a short distance, but the footprints suddenly disappeared.
"Hmm?" Huai Leju paused, bent down slightly, parted the grass in front of him, and examined the area carefully.
The last remaining footprint was only half a footprint, seemingly carefully concealed. A line of faint footprints, almost invisible, stretched out from under the tree.
Huai Leju stood there, looking around hesitantly.
The forest was lush with foliage, and the only sound was the patter of rain. The branches swayed, and although the sunlight from the sky was still there, it was blocked by the tall canopy of trees.
He looked around but couldn't see a single person.
Huai Leju felt this was more like a trap, but finding no clues, he raised his hand and cut the bushes in front of him with a knife, and continued along that path.
The rain continued to fall, splashing mud that stained the hems of everyone's clothes and trousers.
After a long while, the bushes in the distance suddenly swayed slightly.
Zhou She crouched in the bushes, cautiously peeking out half his head, watching the other person walk away, and reached out to wipe the water droplets from his forehead.
Cold sweat mingled with the icy rain, and he pressed his hand to his chest, almost able to hear his own heart pounding.
Even his fingers were trembling almost imperceptibly; Zhou She couldn't tell if it was fear or cold.
He rubbed his hands together gently, feeling a slight warmth, and heard the sound of sweeping leaves approaching.
If this continues, there will come a day when he will be driven to the brink of despair.
A cold, short knife slid down from his sleeve. He gripped it tightly, as if that would give him a sense of security.
The air was thick with moisture, my clothes were soaked through and clung to my body, rainwater slid down my trouser legs, the soil was soft, and every step was difficult.
Once Huai Leju's figure disappeared from sight, Zhou She carefully lifted his leg, casually burying some soil around the footprints he had made, and tried to escape as cautiously as possible.
Just as I turned around, a hand suddenly appeared in front of me.
Zhou She was startled and quickly hid behind a tree. He wasn't far away, and the other person's voice gradually drifted into his ears.
Closer, closer...
Surrounded by people searching everywhere, Zhou She dismissed all distractions and stood quietly in place.
He didn't dare to think about what awaited him once he was caught.
Since that's the case, we have no choice but to fight to the death.
The sound of sweeping leaves grew closer. He gripped his short knife tightly, grabbed some twigs and pebbles with his other hand, and, seizing the opportunity, hurled them at the nearby bushes!
"Bang—" The stone landed on the ground, splashing water everywhere, making a muffled sound.
"Over there!" A voice suddenly rang out in the dense forest, where only the sound of rain could be heard.
At a shout, following the sound of a stone falling to the ground, the soldiers in light armor turned around abruptly and rushed towards the sound.
Now!
Zhou She took a deep breath, ignoring the tangled branches blocking his way, and kept his body low to the ground. He used his short knife to clear a path and ran forward, the sharp branches tearing at his clothes and leaving fine scratches on his body.
Amidst the chaotic footsteps, he dared not stop and could only run forward desperately.
Behind him, the soldiers surged to their destination, and several teams joined together, but none of them noticed the suspicious figure.
Cheng Rong was so embarrassed by the blunder that his face turned black. He was about to curse when Huai Leju, who was following closely behind, stopped him: "That's enough. Let's chase after them over there first."
The direction he pointed was the other end from which the pebbles were flying.
Upon receiving the order, everyone turned around without hesitation.
The water in the woods was deep, making it difficult to run fast. However, the two groups of people, one in front and one behind, dared not stop and ran wildly through the dense forest!
Having lived a life of luxury for over a decade, Zhou She's physical strength was no match for that of the Imperial Guards. To make matters worse, he chose an uphill route, which left him breathless.
The footsteps behind him grew clearer and clearer, and it seemed he was about to be overtaken. Xiaopo's direction finally began to descend.
Zhou She gritted his teeth, suddenly lowered his body, and rolled down the sloping earthen slope without regard for anything else!
"Chase after them!" Cheng Rong shouted angrily as the figure disappeared ahead, and charged forward. However, Zhou She rolled down at an extremely fast speed, and in the blink of an eye, a great distance was created between them.
"Release the arrows." A voice echoed softly from behind.
Cheng Rong took a deep breath and, without hesitation, drew the long arrow from his back. The arrows pierced the air and embedded themselves deeply in the ground, with only a few occasionally landing near Zhou She.
"My lord!" Cheng Rong gasped for breath, both angry and anxious, and habitually turned around to look.
He saw that Huai Leju had already drawn his bow, his face particularly cold. He immediately felt relieved, put away his bow and arrows, and followed closely behind down the slope.
The torrential rain not only obscured their vision but also hindered their movements. Cheng Rong was extremely frustrated, chasing after them while shouting, "Zhou She! You think His Majesty will let the Zhou family off the hook?!"
Zhou She remained silent, focusing only on rolling down the slope. These empty words were useless against him; his parents had already brought him out, why would he go back to his death?
Don't be too funny.
The bottom of the slope soon appeared in front of him. Zhou She supported himself on his wrists and stood up. Before he could even brush the mud off his body, he lifted his leg to continue running forward.
However, he still didn't have time. An arrow came flying through the air with a deafening whistling sound. Before anyone could react, the long arrow had firmly pierced his thigh.
A sharp pain shot through his thigh. Zhou She tried to ignore it, but his body protested. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees in the mud, splashing up a large amount of rainwater.
"Grab him!" Cheng Rong shouted and was the first to chase after him.
"Whoosh—"
Zhou She thrashed about a few times, exhausted, and could only barely prop himself up on one leg. He reflexively stepped back, but his shoulder and arm were grabbed by two hands at the same time, the blade reflecting a chilling light, coldly pressed against his neck.
Cheng Rong and another young man held him down on either side. Huai Leju arrived shortly after, his face even paler than before, rain streaming down his cheeks: "Long time no see."
Zhou She stared at him for a moment, and since things had come to this, he chuckled instead: "Didn't we just meet?"
The dark circles under his eyes haven't faded yet.
Huai Leju looked at him quietly, without getting angry: "The Imperial Guards are ordered to arrest the traitors, so surrender."
The cold blade was still pressed against Zhou She's neck. He stopped talking, obediently stood up, and two soldiers tied him up and gently pushed him.
The group trudged through the woods, mud and water seeping into their boots. Suddenly, Huai Leju asked, "Zhou She, was my arrow accurate enough?"
Zhou She glanced back at him. The blade had left thin lines of blood on his neck, but he seemed oblivious, even laughing so hard his whole body trembled: "Accurate, absolutely accurate!"
Cheng Rong pressed Zhou She down with one hand, pulled the blade back slightly, and gave his superior a subtle glance: Two lunatics, I'm really impressed.
Gu Xunhui was still standing on the main road.
As Zhou She walked out of the woods, he saw her standing silently with an umbrella, soaked to the bone by the torrential rain.
Huai Leju remained unmoved and waved to Gu Xunhui: "Let's go, it's time to head back."
Gu Xunhui slowly walked up to him.
Huai Leju stared at Gu Xunhui, and when she reacted, he suddenly added, "Second Miss Gu, you surrendered yourself first, and you will make amends later. I will report this matter to His Majesty on your behalf."
Gu Xunhui's face turned pale. She hesitated for a moment, then looked at Zhou She. Seeing his calm expression, she turned away abruptly and silently mounted her horse.
When Zhou She was brought into the palace, the emperor was talking with someone.
The woman wore no makeup, dressed simply, and all her hair ornaments had been removed, leaving only an outdated silver hairpin that tightly bound her long hair. She was a middle-aged woman.
The chase in the rainforest had no effect on the sound of the sky:
In short, Emperor Zhongzong issued a proclamation with a simple purpose: to disgust the Fifth Prince, smear the Fourth Prince, and incidentally demonstrate the inevitability of his ascension to the throne.
During the long period of Renzong's selection of his successor, the only thing he did right was to give Zhongzong a legitimate claim to the throne, thus preventing the Ning Dynasty from falling into greater turmoil.
After all, compared to the previous situation, when the Fifth Prince ascended the throne, the whole country suffered; but when Emperor Zhongzong ascended the throne, only the civil and military officials suffered.
Thank you, Hong An.
After hearing this, Emperor Hong'an suddenly asked, "What do you think?"
As his voice faded, thunder roared and lightning illuminated the sky, turning the face of the person opposite him pale.
However, Emperor Hong'an seemed oblivious to her expression and pressed on, "You've always been opinionated since you were little. If you have anything to say, feel free to say it all at once."
"Your subject is guilty, beyond reproach." The woman knelt on the ground, but her back was straight. She answered neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your subject has failed in raising his children, causing them to be lawless and allowing them to commit serious crimes. This is all your subject's fault."
She kept her head down, but Hong An could see her calm expression, without the slightest hesitation.
His eldest son and daughter were far more intelligent and capable than their younger siblings, but alas...
Unfortunately, she was not a man.
Although that's what he thought in his heart, he didn't say it in a gentle tone: "You're here to plead for Zhou She, aren't you?"
Zhong Zhun remained silent for a long time.
Until the sound from the sky rang out again:
We return to the moment when King Jungjong finished his audience with the emperor. Having achieved his goal of meeting the emperor, King Jungjong finally left the palace. The night passed, and the anxious fifth prince and his scheming brother, who had been plotting behind the scenes, reached an agreement.
The Fifth Prince hadn't forgotten his conviction from the previous night: if Emperor Zhongzong couldn't be used by him, then he would destroy him. He was the emperor; there were many ways to kill a subject, but he, relying on his absolute power, insisted on making the victim weep and beg for mercy—only then could he satisfy his perverse desires.
Emperor Hong'an chuckled softly, but Zhong Zhun felt there was a lot of sarcasm in it.
But Tianmu's words were always advantageous, so she spoke up at the right time: "Looking at the big picture, Zhou She is only trying to survive. Your son dares to ask for a favor, to grant him life imprisonment, so that he will never cause trouble again."
"Your fifth brother also said those words to me." Emperor Hong'an leaned wearily against the rattan chair. In the dim light of the sky, the radiance from the heavens was somewhat dazzling. He closed his eyes slightly and said in a low voice, "You and Jun'er have been understanding since childhood, and you understand my heart best..."
Before he knew it, Zhong Zhun's eyes reddened.
Her father, who was tall and strong in her childhood memories, was now very old. She softened her voice, her tone trembling at the end: "From beginning to end, I have always missed Father the most."
Whether Emperor Hong'an believed it or not, he chuckled softly: "I will talk to Zhou She when he enters the palace. You may leave now."
There's no need to say more now.
The emperor stopped looking at his daughter, but Zhong Zhun did not rise to take her leave. She looked up, and although she was nearly forty, she still looked young.
She crawled two steps on her knees and whispered, "It's raining heavily tonight. Father is not well and cannot afford to catch a cold. It would be best to seek shelter from the rain as soon as possible."
She effortlessly switched to the title she had used years ago when she was still a prince, and the silver hairpin in her hair reflected a lustrous light in the bright sky.
Emperor Hong'an looked at her silently, his gaze filled with a multitude of complex emotions.
Zhong Zhun was silent for a moment, then said, "Father is only fifty. I believe this illness will eventually be cured."
The sound of rain seemed to have subsided a bit.
Hong'an stood up, leaving his daughter behind. Zhao Wen, who had been waiting nearby, quickly took an umbrella and carefully escorted the emperor into the bedchamber.
Zhong Zhun knelt alone beneath the vermilion pavilion, silently watching the emperor's aged and frail figure. After a long while, she raised her hand and gently touched the corner of her eye.
It's a little damp; she seems genuinely moved.
Zhou She, oh Zhou She… Zhong Zhun sighed softly in his heart. You can say whatever more sophistry you want. Whether you can escape with your life depends entirely on your fate.
Her strength has been exhausted.
The Zhou family's carriage was parked outside the palace. Although Emperor Hong'an had abandoned her, he still prepared a palanquin for her.
Zhong Zhun did not refuse. She sat on the palanquin. Although it was drizzling and the view was dark and damp, she could still see a group of people walking towards her from a distance of more than ten meters.
At the very front was a young man she didn't recognize. The group slowed their pace and bowed to her. Zhong Zhun caught a glimpse of half of Zhou She's face in the crowd.
As if sensing something, Zhou She also raised his head. He was soaking wet, his long hair clung to his cheeks, and his lips were a little pale, but he gave Zhong Zhun a faint smile.
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