Chapter 86 Chapter 86 I wish you a safe journey, Uncle...
Seeing that Duan Wenpei didn't speak for a long time, Xiao Jing felt a little unsure.
"You have already refused to bring Nanxu to Shu. If you refuse again now, Huaizhou, I am afraid that His Majesty will have a hard time explaining it to you."
She tried to persuade him patiently, but was afraid that Duan Wenpei was really unwilling, so she used Emperor Xuanwu to pressure him.
Duan Wenpei stroked the pattern on the wine cup and still ignored her.
Xiao Jing was a little anxious, her hands becoming restless. She weakly grasped Duan Wenpei's arm, her smile a bit forced. "Huaizhou, since you're using the excuse of visiting relatives, how can you not bring your female relatives? Besides, I'm just pretending to be your concubine, not really. This is all for Your Majesty. And I, a good deputy commander of the secret guards, actually became your concubine."
As she spoke, her eyes turned red with grievance.
Xiao Jing wanted to show her weak side and get the pity of the person opposite her, but she forgot that she was not an ordinary girl, but a secret guard who had been living on the edge of a knife for years. Such an attitude was weird and artificial.
Duan Wenpei found it a little funny.
He hated this look of women the most, and Xiao Jing actually threatened him!
He glanced coldly at the calloused hands on his arm, and a sense of disgust rose in his heart for no reason.
"Deputy Commander Xiao, His Majesty only asked you to assist me, not to make decisions for me. Don't be too..."
"Deputy Commander? This is the first time I've seen a woman serving as Commander, and Master didn't even introduce her to someone else."
Before Duan Wenpei could finish his words, someone suddenly came in from outside the door and interrupted him.
Neither of the people in the room expected someone to come in suddenly. After seeing who it was, Xiao Jing slowly withdrew her hand.
Duan Wenpei, who was standing aside, sat upright and subconsciously reached out to dust the place where Xiao Jing had just touched. He felt guilty and didn't dare to look at Nan Xu.
"This is Xiao Jing, the commander of the secret guards around His Majesty."
"This is my wife, Nan Xu."
After a brief introduction, the two strangers nodded in tacit understanding.
"I know you, Madam. You are a famous beauty in Kyoto." Xiao Jing chose to give some face to this nominal 'rival in love' for the sake of Duan Wenpei.
Nan Xu hadn't expected Xiao Jing to have this attitude. She was slightly startled, but didn't show it on her face. "Although I don't know Miss Xiao, to be able to lead His Majesty's secret guards, she must be a leader among women."
Xiao Jing didn't expect that Nan Xu would praise her.
After all, in the eyes of the world, apart from the privileges granted to her by the imperial power, no one actually respects a woman like her.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have remained just a deputy commander for so many years.
Xiao Jing smiled sincerely, "Huaizhou said that Madam is a good person. I didn't believe it at first, but now it seems that I do believe it."
She could sense when there was someone outside, but she didn't expect it to be Nan Xu.
Nan Xu probably heard everything she said. She had already imagined how Nan Xu would attack her, but she didn't expect that Nan Xu would not say a word and spoke to her in such a friendly manner.
It seems that what Duan Wenpei said was true, and Nan Xu had no feelings for him.
Thinking of this, she felt extremely happy. She immediately stood up and clasped her fists towards Nan Xu. "Madam, you must have something to say to Huaizhou. We are about to enter Shu, so I still need to make some preparations. I won't stay for long."
As he spoke, under Nan Xu's gentle gaze, he pulled out the chair next to him and invited Nan Xu to sit down like a host.
Then, without waiting for Nan Xu to react, he disappeared from the spot with a "whoosh" sound as he came.
As time went by, Nan Xu looked at the chair that Xiao Jing pulled out, which was farther away from Duan Wenpei, walked over and sat down without hesitation.
The smile on her face disappeared. "Commander Xiao seems to like you, uncle. Does you know?"
Feeling the lingering auras around him, Duan Wenpei suppressed the urge to embrace her and replied, "I'm going to Sichuan and will be leaving in two days. While I'm away in Kyoto, you should stay at the Marquis' Mansion."
This is not what she wants to hear. Shouldn't Duan Wenpei say something to her?
Nan Xu lowered her head and looked at the torn handkerchief in her hand, feeling that her heart at this moment was just like this handkerchief.
She crumpled her handkerchief into a ball and stuffed it into her sleeve, closed her eyes, and silently encouraged herself in her heart.
Just this once, let her put aside her pride and be willful again.
"If you want to bring your family, why not me?"
Duan Wenpei squeezed her palms, she really heard everything that was said just now.
The more you talk, the more mistakes you make. His composure was limited in front of Nan Xu, so he had to turn aside. "No reason. You and I are not a real couple. There is no need for you to accompany me on this journey."
The hands on her legs unconsciously clenched her skirt, and Nan Xu's voice was a little hoarse, "You don't allow it, or you don't want to."
This sounds familiar.
He asked Nan Xu the same question the night he applied medicine to him.
'Is it unwilling or not wanting?'
At that time, he wanted to hear the words he wanted to hear from her, just as Nan Xu also wanted to hear the words she wanted to hear from him now.
But he couldn't say it. In order to let her stay in Kyoto peacefully, he couldn't say anything.
No matter whether Nan Xu blames him or really believes that he is ruthless to her, he wants to let those people outside and the one in the palace know that he and Nan Xu really don't have any deep connection... Only in this way will Nan Xu be safe enough.
He suddenly grabbed the wine cup on the table and took a swig. Then he looked up at the person opposite him with a determined look, "Nan Xu, you are very smart. Why do you need me to say anything?"
'Boom'
The stone fell on the calm lake surface, creating ripples. Nan Xu could clearly hear her own heartbeat, which was getting louder and louder.
She didn't say anything, but just raised her head and looked at the person opposite her quietly.
The two of them sat in silence for a long time, so long that Nan Xu's clenched palms became numb. He then slowly loosened his hands as if coming to his senses. When he stood up, Nan Xu couldn't see anything clearly for a moment.
She seemed to smile.
The smile was forced, but he smiled to maintain his dignity.
"Then I wish you a safe journey and all your wishes come true."
She turned and walked out. The sunlight outside was so bright that she couldn't open her eyes. She stopped where she was, with her back to Duan Wenpei, and said softly, "Miss Xiao is not bad. When Uncle comes back, sign the divorce certificate."
The winter wind blew up the yellow branches, making them creak. The door of the study swayed back and forth in the wind. Duan Wenpei's eyes were red as he drank one glass of cold wine after another. He put down his hands to hide the pain in his eyes.
*
When Liu Hui and Yu Rong came in, they saw wine jars scattered all over the place.
Duan Wenpei fell drunkenly to the ground, still holding someone tightly in his arms.
Liu Hui and Yu Rong looked at each other, and saw surprise on each other's faces.
Duan Wenpei could drink quite a bit, but this was the first time he'd seen someone this drunk. He was so drunk he didn't even react when the two of them came in.
Liu Hui and Yu Rong stepped forward to help him up, but Duan Wenpei dodged them by retracting his arm.
Is he drunk or not?
"Go away, go away, I'm not drunk, I can still drink."
Liu Hui: ...
Yu Rong: Only drunk people would say they are not drunk.
As if to prove his words, Duan Wenpei picked up the wine jar with one hand, stood up unsteadily, took two steps forward with unsteady steps, and sat down on the chair where Nan Xu had sat.
"Have those secret guards outside left?"
This sounded normal. Liu Hui and the other man glanced at his face and said they were leaving.
Duan Wenpei dragged up the wine jar and took two gulps, then leaned back, slumping in his chair. "He wants me to work for him, but he doesn't trust me. Not only did he send Eunuch Guo to test me, he also sent people to watch over me and monitor me. Haha, what's the saying 'Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger? Ah Xu, you see, this is what I have no choice."
He pulled Liu Hui over, staring at him intently, and called out to Ah Xu again, "Shu is so far away, and the Zhao family is so fierce. Ah Xu, I don't want you to follow me into this adventure. Just stay in Kyoto and wait for me to come back, Ah Xu, wait for me to come back..."
Duan Wenpei's eyes were wet with emotion, and the hot tears rolled down his cheeks and quickly disappeared into his collar.
Liu Hui swallowed his saliva in horror under the affectionate gaze of his master.
He tried to pull his hand out, but Duan Wenpei held it tighter.
Liu Hui quickly turned around and winked at Yu Rong. Yu Rong was stunned, but couldn't help laughing at Liu Hui's funny look. He stepped forward to help while laughing.
The two of them worked together, but did not dare to hurt Duan Wenpei, and in the end they continued to be tortured by Duan Wenpei's affection.
"Ah Xu, you don't know, Xie Jin's words woke me up." He patted his chest, his deep affection mingled with pain. "You are innocent. I can't, and won't allow, to hurt you because of my feelings. You ask if I feel guilty? Ah Xu, I'm telling you right now, I do." He stood up and pointed outside. "Zhou Gui and Zhou Quan lost their lives so I could escape. Father said Tu Liao's life wasn't worth living, but I don't think so. They were my friends, my most loyal companions. I would rather die that night than see them tragically slain by their own butchers."
"But I can't help it. I have no choice! Ah Xu, I bear the blood debt of so many people. I can't let their sacrifice become worthless. I can't betray their trust. Just like you won't watch that girl named Yu Ming die in vain... I don't want to see her die so quietly..."
The wine in the jar was almost gone, and Duan Wenpei's voice gradually faded away.
This explanation had already made Liu Hui and Yu Rong, who were still trying to break free, stand there in a daze.
"This, this is not just what I want to tell my wife, right?" Yu Rong wiped his face and asked Liu Hui stupidly.
Liu Hui stumbled back, "Is that so?"
The two looked at each other and saw the answer on each other's faces.
Perhaps, this is what I have always wanted to tell them and myself.
However, there has never been anyone before who could make me say it so willingly, but now, there is such a person.
"Should we tell you about what we found out?"
Liu Hui shook off Duan Wenpei's hand, which showed no sign of letting go, and said dejectedly, "Let's talk about it another time. It's pointless to say anything now."
"Madam? You won't tell me either?"
Liu Hui thought for a moment and shook his head. "This matter still requires my decision. Madam cares so much about Yu Ming. If she knew about this, she would probably go to the Princess's residence immediately. That person has been wanting to deal with our Madam for a long time. For the sake of Madam's safety, let's wait and see."
Yu Rong nodded, and seeing that Duan Wenpei's hand showed signs of loosening, he quickly used some skill to pull Liu Hui's hand out, and then he and Liu Hui helped Duan Wenpei into the inner room to rest.
*
Five days after the imperial concubine and his entourage set off for Shu, Duan Wenpei and his entourage packed up and prepared to enter Shu secretly.
Since this matter cannot be resolved, we must set out before daybreak.
Before leaving, Duan Wenpei was unable to control the desires and longings in his heart. He avoided the spies in the mansion and sneaked into Jingyuan.
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