Chapter 97 Owes Me "Because of you, I almost died again..."
As night fell, the snow piled up to a foot deep, and a chill permeated the air.
After their unpleasant encounter, Jiang Xu was turned away several times when he visited Shi Wan's home. Even the caregiver he sent was sent back by Shi Wan under various pretexts.
Despite his careful actions during his several trips back and forth, Jiang Xu's methods in purging the corrupt officials in the Jiangzhe region were swift and decisive, and the officials have now been divided into two extremely polarized factions.
Either live in fear and reform yourself, or harbor resentment and wait for the future.
Wang Weihua was the latter. He was originally a local tyrant who controlled the canal transport business in several prefectures and counties in the Jiangnan region. He was like a "local emperor". Who knew that the emperor's southern tour would catch him off guard.
Inside the courtyard, several people were gathered together.
Someone suggested, "It's already the ninth day, but the emperor still shows no sign of returning. Could it be that he has a backup plan?"
Another man said, "The emperor frequently visits Fuji Village and buys back those houses at high prices. The two things combined are really suspicious."
They were all people who had been purged and only managed to retain some assets by pulling strings. They shared the same fate, but Wang Weihua suffered the most severe losses.
They obtained this information through various channels, but ultimately, their final approval still depended on the Wang family.
Wang Weihua pondered for a moment and said, "A relative of mine once hosted His Majesty. He told me that His Majesty was quite fond of a soup and had even visited the owner of that soup shop."
"But now... during the New Year season, all three shops under that boss's name have closed their doors to customers, yet His Majesty is still staying in Fuji Village. It is clear that his fondness for the soup is not a pretense, but rather a genuine connection with that boss."
Upon hearing this, one of the others asked in confusion, "...That boss seems to also be surnamed Wang. Maybe he's a relative of some collateral branch of your family?"
“And…” the man lowered his voice as he considered a possibility, “this man is a man.”
Your Majesty has been pursuing a man so earnestly, buying him a house at a high price and spending so much time on him. Surely it couldn't all be for some secret soup recipe?
In the previous dynasty, the imperial relatives and nobles in Luoyang did this kind of thing quite often.
Wang Weihua glanced at him and snorted coldly, "A man?" His narrow eyes narrowed into thin slits, "A woman dressed as a man is different from those vulgar women, and has a certain charm."
Upon hearing this, the others were immediately filled with surprise and doubt, asking, "This...?"
"Such a thing actually happened?!"
Seeing their exaggerated reaction, Wang Weihua raised an eyebrow and a hint of smugness flashed through his mind. He said, "Not only that, this woman also has a deep connection with the current emperor."
"With her here, we can at least have a chance to survive." Thinking of this, a hint of madness flashed in his eyes. After a moment, he made a final decision: "Borrowing this person here will give us a huge bargaining chip."
"But... let's have a showdown, and cut off the tail to survive."
......
*
After a few days, the festive atmosphere faded somewhat.
Outside the window, a faint fragrance wafted, and shadowy figures lingered. Shi Wan stared for a while, feeling as if there was something outside.
Jiang Xu hadn't bothered her for several days, so she assumed he'd learned his lesson and given up, no longer mentioning him and quietly tending to his own little corner of the world.
In her excitement today, she inevitably drank too much. The fine wine had a strong aftereffect, so she got up to open the window for some fresh air.
But the next moment, he suddenly fainted.
When she woke up again, it was already dusk, the sun was setting. A thousand thoughts suddenly exploded in Shi Wan's mind. She was stunned for a moment before she realized that she was in a carriage.
Outside, all that could be heard was the sound of horses galloping, and all that could be seen was darkness.
Perhaps because of her previous experiences, or perhaps because she had made some progress in the past two years, she felt a strange sense of calm this time.
The fact that the other party offered her a carriage suggests that she must be of high status in their eyes. At least on the surface, they couldn't kidnap her so openly, so they had to use this pretext of "traveling" as a cover.
Just then, the thin curtain on the carriage window was fluttered by the wind, letting in a few slivers of golden sunlight from outside. Shi Wan looked intently and saw that the carriage had already driven out of the city, and her heart skipped a beat.
Just then, a rustling conversation came from outside.
The sound, carried by the wind, clearly entered her ears. Accompanied by the sound of the curtain being lifted, she hurriedly closed her eyes, pretending to be unconscious.
But I heard that sentence clearly because of it.
The man's voice, each word distinct, said, "With her here, I don't believe the emperor will remain indifferent."
Meanwhile, in the guesthouse where Jiang Xu was staying, the lights were still on. He had not yet gone to bed, and a large number of letters were piled up on the table in front of him. Memorials and petitions filled his eyes.
Jiang Xu was pondering over two of the letters, both urgent reports from officials in Luoyang. He read them carefully; the one on the left was mild-mannered, while the one on the right was more vehement. But in essence, they both said that the region was wealthy, with powerful families deeply entrenched, and many scholars and students hailing from there. He feared that his hasty southern tour might cause anxiety among officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
He lowered his eyes for a moment, then suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps outside. Shi Wan, who had just been sent out, turned pale and didn't even have time to bow. "Your Majesty, urgent report!"
“Our people who stayed behind in Fuji Village noticed something unusual in the courtyard where the lady lived. By the time they got there, she had already been abducted.”
Jiang Xu suddenly stood up, the two memorials on the desk scattering to the ground with the hem of his long robe. His face was expressionless as he coldly asked, "Have you found out her whereabouts?"
"Judging from the direction, they went along the outskirts of the city. Your Majesty, please don't worry, the guards have already given chase." Seeing Jiang Xufu look up, Shi Wan hurriedly continued, "It's someone from the Wang family, sending a message."
He handed over the letter, which Jiang Xu scanned quickly, his eyes growing even colder. Beside him, Shi Wan's voice followed, "The Wang family demands the immediate release of the arrested clansmen and an immediate halt to the land survey... Otherwise, they can expect to be confiscated..."
"Collect...collect the body." After saying this, Shi Wan was covered in cold sweat, which soaked his entire back.
To his surprise, the next moment, he felt a gust of wind, and His Majesty had already strode out the door and, in the blink of an eye, had already ridden away on horseback.
Seeing this, Shi Wan had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow along.
*
On the outskirts of the city, outside a dilapidated temple, several people stood facing the cold wind, while behind them, dozens of people surrounded the temple inside and out.
The temple doors were wide open. When Jiang Xu arrived, the two sides were locked in a stalemate. As if hearing the commotion, Wang Weihua, with a sinister expression, glanced across at the other side. Several of his accomplices beside him also sensed something.
"This...is the emperor here?"
Even though there was a certain distance between them, the oppressive aura emanating from the leader made it almost impossible for him to breathe. As soon as the person arrived, he had the illusion that he was being watched, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on the person beside him.
On horseback, Jiang Xu seemed to sense something, his gaze passing over the bandits and landing directly on Shi Wan.
The dilapidated Buddha statue stood behind her, casting several distorted shadows in the flickering firelight. Rough hemp ropes tightened around her wrists. On this side, Shi Wan's attention returned somewhat, and she looked up, her eyes meeting Jiang Xu's.
The man's usually calm and composed expression seemed to crack slightly, revealing shock, anger, anxiety, and a barely perceptible fear.
Jiang Xu's eyes were filled with turbulent emotions, but Shi Wan's eyes were calm, with a slight redness around her eyes, like ripples on a frozen lake.
It happened in an instant, yet it startled him so much that his heart started racing. Driven by adrenaline, the fear spread endlessly, gradually filling his chest.
Seeing this, Wang Weihua's confidence increased to 80%, and he said coldly, "Step back! If you want people to live, the emperor will come to see you alone!" With that, he led his men back into the inner hall of the temple.
The emperor's eyes were sharp, his dark pupils blending almost seamlessly with the darkness, as did his inky black cloak. Wang Weihua was overjoyed when he noticed that the emperor had not given any orders to his guards.
This little girl was indeed closely related to him. He mustered all his strength and continued, "Come to the temple alone, otherwise, there's no point in talking!" After he finished speaking, his words drifted away on the cold wind to the outside of the temple gate.
On the other side, Shi Wan followed closely behind Jiang Xu. Upon hearing this, he immediately opened his mouth to offer advice, but seeing the emperor's cold expression, he swallowed back the words that were on his lips.
Good heavens, why did I have to run into this line of fire!
Sure enough, the next moment, the emperor dismounted, and a guard around him couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, you mustn't."
"What if that thief has set up an ambush inside the temple? You're all alone, wouldn't you be in trouble...?"
Jiang Xu stood in the open space, his hair slightly disheveled. He had been rushing along, and there was a faint mist of water on his shoulders. He casually glanced at the person who had spoken up to dissuade him, his eyes cold. In just one glance, the guard was forced to take a few steps back.
"Get the archers ready." Jiang Xu's expression remained unchanged. After giving a few brief instructions, he quickened his pace. "We'll make our move as soon as I give the signal."
......
Inside the temple, as you approach, the main gate is wide open.
Jiang Xu continued forward, and in no time, the distance between him and Wang Weihua and the others was reduced to almost nothing.
Seeing that the person had actually arrived, Wang Weihua gave a cold smile and said slowly, "His Majesty the Emperor is indeed a hero!"
However, at this moment, Jiang Xu could not hear any sarcastic remarks.
As they got closer, everything about Shi Wan was revealed. She had probably caught a chill; her face was pale and frightening, even more so than when they had seen her from afar.
He swept his gaze across her coldly, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "Release her."
"If you stop now, I will pardon the rest of the Wang family... and they will be innocent."
Wang Weihua was momentarily stunned by that gaze, then his expression hardened even more, "Innocent?!"
"It seems you really have a bad memory. I just mentioned the conditions, and you've already forgotten them." With a flick of his wrist, the short sword that was originally resting lightly against Shi Wan's neck suddenly moved down, and the cold blade pressed down on the woman's thin shoulder without warning. "It's alright, let me help you remember."
Instead of swinging the knife forcefully, Wang Weihua cruelly toyed with it, grazing the woman's soft skin with the blade before slowly and forcefully slicing it open.
The sound of tearing fabric was exceptionally clear in the silence. A suffocating chill surged from my shoulder, and amidst the intense pain, a warm liquid quickly welled up, soaking the tattered clothes.
The familiar smell of blood filled the temple.
Shi Wan's body trembled violently, her face turned pale instantly, a cold wind blew, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from her forehead, but she stubbornly did not make a sound.
Jiang Xu had anticipated this when the other party pressed the short blade against Shi Wan's shoulder. He moved almost immediately, stepped forward, and used the force of the twist of his long sword to pull Shi Wan into his arms.
Suddenly, the window was half-open, and in an instant, an arrow shot straight at us.
Instantly, a whooshing sound rang out.
The person who was shouting just moments ago suddenly fell silent.
For a moment, an eerie silence fell over the surroundings. Jiang Xu seized the opportunity and suddenly sprang into action. Outside the temple, the guards who were waiting quickly entered, all in one smooth motion.
Even if these local strongmen are skilled in martial arts, when it comes to real combat, they are worlds apart from those who have fought on the battlefield.
The cold wind howled, and the arrow pierced Wang Weihua's throat with great precision, almost piercing through him completely. His eyes widened, a strange sound came from his throat, and then he collapsed heavily to the ground.
After being wiped out, these remaining forces were already like headless flies. Now, having seen the emperor up close and being subjected to such a crushing defeat, they immediately lost their morale and offered almost no decent resistance. They were quickly and completely annihilated.
A heavy stench of blood permeated the surroundings, and a cold wind whistled. Using the light of the torches lit by his guards, Jiang Xu headed straight for the deserted temple, his feet barely touching the ground, arriving in the blink of an eye.
When he pulled her into his arms, he realized that her body temperature was terribly low. Jiang Xu looked closely and felt as if his heart was being torn apart.
Besides some bruises on her cheeks, there was also a noticeable abrasion on her forehead, from which blood was seeping out. Fine beads of blood dotted her pale face, a shocking sight.
Jiang Xu cautiously touched it with his fingertips, and the moment he did, he felt a chill even colder than the winter wind. His voice tightened involuntarily, "...Shi Wan." It was as if calling her by her full name brought him a sense of security. "How are you feeling?"
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the person in his arms suddenly opened her eyes. Their eyes met, and her eyes were clear and bright.
Pain surged from all parts of his body, the stinging pain from being bound and strangled, and the suffocating feeling of being choked by those thugs a moment earlier; fragmented memories flashed through his mind.
But at that moment, Shi Wan felt an extremely strange calm.
And... a faint resentment.
Just as she had expected, these people did not dare to actually kill her, but instead slowly and deliberately wore her down.
Seeing that she didn't answer for a long time, Jiang Xu thought that those people were too bold and immediately tried to lift her robe. The man's large cloak covered her, and Shi Wan realized his intention. She tugged at the corner of her lips and subconsciously hissed in pain.
There was no trace of relief at surviving a disaster in his eyes. "Your Majesty."
Jiang Xu's expression shifted slightly, his fingertips trembling unconsciously. Recalling the look in his eyes just now, he choked up, "I'm here."
Shi Wan was exhausted from her journey and the threats she had suffered. Seeing him like this, she curled her lips into a slight smile and said sarcastically, "You don't have to do this." Her vision was becoming increasingly dizzy, and her voice was weak, but every word she spoke pierced his heart.
"As expected..." her voice was soft yet carried a weight of words, "Because of you, I..."
"But I almost died again."
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