Chapter 32 The subordinate is back
Forty-Three paused, then asked cautiously, "Princess, which aspect of Lord An Jiu are you referring to?"
He dared not say too much, lest he be punished if the leader found out.
Shen Panyan knew that there were many things the secret guards couldn't say, so she thought for a moment and said, "Exactly, just tell me about his hobbies. You're colleagues, so you should know him well, right?"
"By the way, he was lashed thirty times. Are his injuries serious?"
Seeing that the princess's question was not inappropriate, Forty-Three replied, "Your Highness, although we are colleagues, I am Forty-Three and he is Ninth in rank, so he is my superior. I don't have much contact with him."
"However, it's well-known that Lord Anjiu has a bad temper and speaks rudely, and the leader has a lot of headaches about him."
"I've often heard that Lord Anjiu was punished before. For him, thirty lashes are nothing. He'll recover after a while."
As he spoke, Forty-Three lowered his voice, "Princess, don't worry. Lord Anjiu is the strongest and most talented guard besides the leader. Although the leader is often angry with him, he won't really hurt him."
After all, if they're crippled or injured, how can they serve His Majesty in the future?
Shadow has long been used to turning a blind eye to some minor, harmless things, and will only punish someone if they go too far.
Take this time, for example.
Shen Panyan lowered her eyelashes, her fingers unconsciously clenching.
Even though they didn't use any extreme force, it was still a whip, so how could it be harmless?
Shen Panyan's throat tightened, and she forced a smile. "I see. So, what does he like?"
Forty-three shook his head, "This subordinate does not know."
Shen Panyan lowered her eyes in disappointment, "Alright."
Knowing about Lin Xiao's situation, Shen Panyan felt somewhat relieved, but not entirely at ease.
Seeing that Forty-Three liked pastries and had a simple personality, Shen Panyan often coaxed him with pastries, smilingly asking him to tell her more about Lin Xiao.
Forty-Three was so charmed by the princess that he completely lost his bearings, and aside from a few confidential matters, he revealed everything else.
For example, when the leader is not around, Lord Anjiu sometimes takes charge of training new guards. He is fierce and has a sharp tongue, often making some children cry, which makes the leader have to coax the children for a long time.
Some children who are too psychologically fragile or unqualified are eliminated directly.
In the Dark Guard camp, you must never try to take anything that Lord Dark Ninth has his eye on from him, or he will beat you so badly you won't be able to get out of bed the next day.
If he has a grudge against you, he will settle it on the spot and never let it linger overnight.
Furthermore, Dark Nine's disguise is also the best; apart from the leader, no one knows his true appearance, etc.
"Anything else?"
Shen Panyan handed him another piece of pastry, looking at him with a smile.
"Thank you, Princess." Forty-Three took the pastry. Seeing that he was choking a little, Shen Panyan poured him a cup of tea, which Forty-Three took.
Just as he took the teacup, Forty-Three suddenly felt a chill down his spine for some reason.
It's like being targeted by some ferocious beast...
Forty-three hurriedly turned his head to look, only to find that the surroundings were completely calm, and even the gauze curtains of the waterside pavilion did not sway.
Could he have misjudged?
impossible.
His gaze was sharp and forceful; although he was a bit of a glutton, he was unlikely to make a mistake in such matters.
Forty-Three immediately stood up. "Princess, I just realized something is amiss. It seems someone is coming. I'll be right back."
Having said that, before Shen Panyan could speak, he leaped away and disappeared from the waterside pavilion.
Shen Panyan blinked in confusion. "Running so fast?"
On the other side, Forty-Three chased after them and saw someone he hadn't expected.
The newcomer had an iron mask on, arms crossed, and stood atop a bamboo branch, coldly staring at him. He stared wide-eyed, instinctively taking a step back, his hair standing on end.
"Lord An... Lord An Jiu..."
God knows the terror of suddenly having someone who was talking badly about you appear in front of you.
Lin Xiao landed on the bamboo branch, her voice calm: "Were the pastries delicious? Was the tea good?"
43: "Not...not bad?!"
"Not bad?" Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow at him, his eyes darkening.
Forty-Three immediately knelt down, on the verge of tears, "Delicious, delicious! Lord Dark Nine, please don't beat me..."
Lin Xiao's voice grew even colder, "You came here to protect the princess just to sit in front of her, drink tea, and eat pastries?"
"Have you forgotten the rules of the Dark Guard Camp?"
Forty-three was on the verge of tears, saying, "It was the princess who ordered me to eat it."
"The princess is offering you food, so you eat it? You can't refuse?"
Forty-three said aggrievedly, "But aren't we bodyguards supposed to obey orders?"
Lin Xiao: "......"
"Idiot." Lin Xiao glanced at him coldly. "Go back. We don't need you here."
Forty-Three didn't want to leave yet; this was the most enjoyable mission he had ever undertaken.
The princess is not only a kind person, but she also brings him pastries.
He struggled, "Lord Dark Nine, the leader said..."
Lin Xiao glanced at him. "You want to steal my mission? Fine, beat me and you can stay. Let's get started."
He held out his hand, signaling for him to make a move.
Forty-three: ...
Apart from their leader, how could these bodyguards possibly defeat him? They were just getting beaten up one-sidedly, okay?
Isn't stating these conditions just a waste of time?
“Then…then it’s not necessary…” Forty-three took two steps back, feeling wronged but helpless. “This subordinate takes his leave.”
Just as he was about to turn and leave, Lin Xiao's voice rang out again, "Wait!"
Forty-three shuddered, turned around, and wanted to cry but had no tears.
He had already given the mission to Lord Anjiu, so why did he still beat him up?
"If you... if you're going to hit me, go easy on me..."
Lin Xiao sneered: "Look at you, so pathetic!"
He took off the purse from his waist and tossed it to him, saying, "Take this and buy some pastries."
Forty-three was startled and hurriedly caught the purse.
"Really?"
He doesn't have many hobbies, except for eating. He eats all of his monthly allowance.
Lin Xiao was too lazy to talk to him anymore and simply flew away.
Seeing him leave, Forty-Three dared to open his purse, where a heavy silver ingot lay obediently.
"Ten taels of silver?!"
Forty-Three was startled and quickly stuffed the ten taels of silver into his pocket.
It's rare to see Lord Anjiu so generous.
Lord Anjiu was different from the other guards. No one had ever seen him touch his monthly allowance. He almost never bought anything for himself, and no one else could get a single tael of silver from him. He was the stingiest of the stingiest.
He actually received ten taels of silver from Lord Anjiu.
I can brag about this to my colleagues for a long time when I get back.
Forty-three happily pocketed the silver and left.
A gentle breeze wafts through the covered walkways and waterside pavilions, stirring up ripples on the gauze curtains. Fine, continuous raindrops fall into the lake, tender and lingering.
Mu Ying stepped forward to remind her, "Princess, the wind is picking up; we should go back."
Shen Panyan shook her head, "Forty-Three hasn't come back yet."
Mu Ying, who was standing beside Shen Panyan, already knew the true identity of Forty-Three. She advised, "Forty-Three will know to go back when he returns. Princess, you are not feeling well. Let's go back first to avoid catching a cold."
Shen Panyan hesitated; she still wanted to learn more about Lin Xiao from him.
The tea has gone cold.
Shen Panyan thought for a moment.
"Mu Ying, go and bring up another cup of hot tea. If he hasn't returned by the time you come back, then we'll go back."
Helpless, Mu Ying had no choice but to agree, "Yes."
Mu Ying left with the teapot. Shen Panyan sat in the middle of the waterside pavilion, watching the continuous drizzle outside the gauze curtain, her mind already wandering elsewhere.
I wonder how Lin Xiao is doing now.
Forty-Three said he received thirty lashes. Were his injuries serious? Did no imperial physician examine him? Has his condition improved?
The gauze curtains fluttered like wisps of smoke, and amidst the pattering rain, someone walked in.
Suddenly, a person appeared in the quiet waterside pavilion. He was dressed in a martial arts robe, lean and wiry, and stood still in place.
The gauze curtains were hazy, and her figure was indistinct, as if she were in the clouds, not in the mortal world.
The air seemed to freeze.
After a moment, the curtain was lifted, and the newcomer knelt on one knee, breaking the silence.
"Princess, I'm back."
Shen Panyan's mind had already wandered elsewhere, but when she suddenly heard a familiar voice, she thought she had misheard and quickly turned her head.
Although it was the same mask and the same black clothes, she still recognized him at a glance.
"Lin Xiao?!" Shen Panyan was both surprised and delighted, and quickly got up to help him.
She looked up at him, her almond-shaped eyes filled with tears, "Lin Xiao, it really is you! I thought... I thought it was Forty-Three!!"
Lin Xiao removed his mask. "Your Highness, it is I, your subordinate."
The princess looked much thinner than before, with a pointed face, pale lips, and a faint melancholy between her brows. Even the thick cloak could not hide her slender figure.
"Princess, it's raining. You should go back inside."
Seeing that the ties of her cloak were loose, Lin Xiao reached out and tied them back for her.
His fingertips were cool, and she could feel it even without touching them.
It took Shen Panyan a while to react. She looked at him with concern in her eyes, "Lin Xiao, are your injuries any better?"
“I heard from Forty-Three that you were punished with thirty lashes by the chief.”
Lin Xiao: "Princess, please don't worry, I'm fine."
Shen Panyan shook her head, "That's thirty lashes, how could she be alright?"
Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed his arm and headed towards the West Garden.
On the way, she called a palace maid and told her to quickly go and summon Physician Lin.
"Lin Xiao, after you left, I didn't let anyone touch your room. It's still the same as before. I arranged another room for Forty-Three."
When it came to forty-three, Shen Panyan belatedly realized, "By the way, Lin Xiao, what about forty-three?"
She looked behind him, her face full of doubt, "Did Forty-Three leave?"
Seeing her movement, Lin Xiao clenched his knuckles and whispered, "Mm."
"Forty-three is gone."
"Alright," Shen Panyan said with some regret.
She left without saying goodbye, and she wanted to know more about Lin Xiao from him.
Lin Xiao pursed his lips and suddenly asked, "Does the princess really like number forty-three?"
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