Chapter 62 What exactly are his feelings for His Highness...?
Chapter 59
Shen Panyan is ill.
She lay in bed, looking listless and unable to eat. Her chin had become thin and pointed. Zhuzhi and Qingdai were extremely worried when they saw her like this. They tried to persuade her but to no avail. They wanted to go to the palace to ask the imperial physician, but Shen Panyan stopped them and ordered them not to spread the news.
However, secrets cannot be kept forever, and Emperor Gan Ning eventually found out about it. He immediately sent an imperial physician to the princess's residence to treat her.
The imperial physician said that the princess had been frightened and was disturbed, which led to her falling ill from worry.
Emperor Gan Ning thought he had spoken too seriously that day, and feeling remorseful, he allocated a large amount of goods from his private treasury and sent them to the princess's residence...
Meanwhile, Duan Mo, who had won the poetry competition and gained great fame, suddenly disappeared from the capital.
After observing him for two days, Lin Xiao finally took action and took him away, handing him over to Shadow for disposal.
Unexpectedly, this person turned out to be a tough nut to crack, refusing to say anything, which was quite surprising.
*
Inside the dark and damp prison, Duan Mo felt as if his body was on fire, with waves of pain crashing over him. He hung his head, his hair plastered to his face, his body tattered and covered in blood. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, one would have thought he was already dead.
After an unknown amount of time, faint footsteps suddenly came from outside the door. Duan Mo stirred slightly and raised his head.
"You don't need to bother. Kill me or torture me as you please. I won't say a word."
The man walked slowly to him, bent down, and lowered his voice, "Does your wife know how much backbone you have?"
"You know, she's really worried about you right now. You haven't shown up for three days, and the imperial examinations are already over..."
Duan Mo turned his head away: "What madam? I don't understand what you're saying."
Lin Xiao straightened up and said calmly, "Liu Mianyun, we've been childhood sweethearts..."
Duan Mo's body trembled, his heart sinking to the bottom: "How do you know about her? What did you do to Xiaoyun? Xiaoyun doesn't know any of this. Even if you arrest her, it won't do any good..."
Lin Xiao: "I didn't arrest her, but if you don't talk and reveal the mastermind, I can't guarantee that she won't appear here and reunite with you."
His voice was indifferent and utterly threatening, yet it was more effective than any words.
Duan Mo gritted his teeth and struggled fiercely, the chains rattling loudly. "If you lay a hand on Xiaoyun, I'd rather die than let you succeed!!"
Lin Xiao sneered, "Here, if I don't let you die, you won't die."
"What do you think you are? This is the Imperial Prison, the Imperial Prison of the Imperial Court."
He took out a dagger and casually placed it on his chin, forcing him to look up. Looking down at him, he said, "Do you think that just because you've divided the property into two houses and put your wife in another one, no one will be able to find out?"
"Innocent."
The man in black's nonchalant tone instantly shattered Duan Mo's mental defenses. He had endured so much torment for days, barely holding on by sheer willpower. But now that Xiao Yun had been found, there was no point in hiding it anymore.
Duan Mo was silent for a moment, then lowered his head dejectedly. "I can tell you, but you have to promise me you won't harm Xiaoyun. She doesn't know anything; she's innocent..."
Lin Xiao sheathed his dagger. "That depends on your performance."
Duan Mo confessed everything.
He risked his life to spread rumors about the previous dynasty for money. Someone got to know him through a classmate and told him that if he was willing to do this, he would not only give him a sum of money after it was done, but also guarantee him a place in the imperial examination and a government official position.
Duan Mo was originally a poor scholar, and his career path was difficult. Even if he passed the imperial examination and entered the Hanlin Academy, he would only be an unknown Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). He had no connections, and it was highly likely that he would be sent by the court to a remote place to serve as a county magistrate in the future.
He studied diligently for decades, hoping to become an official in the imperial court, not to become a poor county magistrate with nothing to his name.
His words were full of complaints, but Lin Xiao remained unmoved. "After you came to the capital, you first befriended your classmates, and then you associated with Miss Lin, swindling money from her. Why was that?"
"You already have a wife, so why do you still associate with Miss Lin?"
"Don't you care about your wife?"
If he didn't care about his wife, why was he acting like this now...? This was something Lin Xiao had never understood.
He hit the nail on the head, "If you only want to climb the social ladder, all you need to do is divorce your wife and marry Miss Lin. With the Lin family's support..."
"What do you know?!" Duan Mo suddenly raised his head upon hearing this, staring at him fiercely. "That's my wife. We grew up together as childhood sweethearts. She's my wife. How could I possibly abandon her?"
Lin Xiao looked at him, his expression unwavering. "Since you care so much about your wife, why did you do such a thing?"
Duan Mo turned his head away and sneered, "How could you high and mighty adults know the suffering of us little people?"
"Xiaoyun was never in good health; she was often sick as a child. Later, to support my studies, she embroidered day and night, which ruined her eyesight. I can't let her down; I want to give her a better future..."
He's talking nonsense. That's not the truth. Lin Xiao's gaze remained calm until he finished speaking before he said, "You're lying."
“After you came to the capital, your plan was clearly to use the power of a prominent family to pave your way. Your contact with Miss Lin was nothing more than to use her to climb the social ladder and get her to introduce you to her father. You are knowledgeable and talented, and there are many people in the capital who appreciate you. If it's just for your future, you can have a better path.”
“But you abandoned this path, ruining your future…” Lin Xiao’s gaze fell on him. “Is it because your wife is dying?”
“She has fallen ill, and you want to save her. That person has not only provided you with money, but also with rare and precious medicines that you could never obtain. Use them to prolong your wife’s life.”
"You'd rather die than reveal the whereabouts of the person behind this, because you believe that even if you die, the person behind it will take care of your wife?"
As he spoke, Lin Xiao suddenly laughed.
"You've done so much for your wife, but unfortunately she has no idea. Tell me, what if I told her all this...?"
When people said it was the most secret place, Duan Mo could no longer remain calm.
"I'll talk, I'll talk, please, please don't tell her..."
Tears streamed down his face, and his voice trailed off as he pleaded, "Please, don't tell her. Xiaoyun's health isn't good to begin with. I don't want her to know these things. Some things I can bear alone. She really doesn't know anything. Please..."
Lin Xiao's eyes fell silent as he watched Duan Mo gradually reveal the mastermind behind the scenes.
The person who contacted him was a man named Gide.
He knew that Ji De was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) in the previous year. He had long ago joined the Jiang family, which was the Crown Prince's family, and the Jiang family was the Empress's maternal family.
But why would the Jiang family, specifically the Crown Prince, allow him to spread such rumors?
Duan Mo knew nothing about this; Ji De only told him to do his job well, and knew nothing else.
After explaining everything, Duan Mo's face turned ashen. He knew he was doomed, but Xiao Yun... she was ultimately innocent.
As the man in black who had finished interrogating him was about to turn and leave, Duan Mo couldn't help but ask, "What will you do to Xiaoyun?"
Lin Xiao stopped in his tracks. "You care about her a lot?"
Duan Mo: "She is my wife, why wouldn't I care about her?"
Lin Xiao lowered his eyes. "Answer me one question. If you answer me and don't tell anyone about your wife, I can keep the fact that you have another wife a secret."
Duan Mo looked up abruptly, a sliver of color returning to his ashen face. "Are you telling the truth?"
Lin Xiao: "If you don't believe me, you don't have to answer."
Duan Mo smiled bitterly.
Does he still have a choice?
"Please speak."
"What kind of feelings do you have for your wife?"
Lin Xiao finally voiced the doubts that had been lingering in his mind.
He was ostensibly asking his wife, but in reality, he was asking himself.
He has been lost for a long time.
What exactly are his feelings for His Highness?
He was willing to give everything for her, just like Duan Mo, but Her Highness was not his wife, and he was not qualified to be Her Highness's attendant.
However, upon learning that His Highness had broken his promise and was with the young master of the Gu family, for some reason, a strange emotion suddenly filled his chest. It wasn't anger or annoyance, but a murderous intent to kill Gu Jinyan.
How could Gu Jinyan be worthy of his prince?
He endured it for one day, two days, three days, but as his subordinates reported that His Highness was with him every day, his emotions grew stronger and stronger.
He didn't want Gu Jinyan by His Highness's side, and he didn't want His Highness to marry him... His feelings were wrong, and he shouldn't interfere in His Highness's affairs.
He had investigated Gu Jinyan. He was kind-hearted and, although a bit playful, kept his household clean. If he were to marry His Highness, His Highness would not suffer. He was a decent consort.
However, amidst the widespread rumors in the capital that His Highness favored Gu Jinyan and would become her consort, even knowing that his current status was unsuitable for seeing His Highness and that he would be punished if Emperor Gan Ning found out, he still went.
He wanted to see Her Highness and ask her for an answer.
Your Highness, why did she break her promise? Does she truly intend to marry Gu Jinyan and become his consort? Does she no longer care about me? Does she... no longer want me...?
Duan Mo thought he was going to ask something else, but he was surprised to hear this. He was taken aback for a moment.
"Such feelings are naturally love. Don't you know what romantic love between a man and a woman is?"
"I love my wife, I want her to be well, I want her to be safe..."
Lin Xiao turned around, his voice calm, "I understand."
"I will keep my promise, and you must remember not to tell anyone about your wife."
Duan Mo watched his figure gradually disappear into the distance, his pace quickening as he walked away: ".....Thank you."
Shadow looked at the confession Lin Xiao presented and raised his eyes. "He confessed?"
Lin Xiao: "Yes."
Shadow: "What method did you use?"
Dark Sixteen tried so many methods but couldn't get him to talk, but Dark Nine did it right away.
Lin Xiao remained calm: "I have been following him for a long time and have some understanding of his personality. By targeting his weaknesses, he naturally confessed."
Shadow nodded, accepted the confession, and didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he brought up another matter, "An Jiu, why did you invite Princess Mingyue to the teahouse at the poetry competition that day?"
Lin Xiao lowered her eyelashes.
No matter how he answers this question, it's a dead end.
Since 'Lu Yunqi' and Princess Mingyue have no connection, this is simply not something 'Lu Yunqi' would do.
“I saw her by chance. She was standing in front of the teahouse, hesitating. There were too many people at the poetry competition that day, and Princess Mingyue didn’t like crowds, so I invited her up.”
Shadow nodded, it was unclear whether he believed it or not.
He looked at An Jiu, who was wearing a mask and seemed no different from before, and said calmly, "An Jiu, you're overthinking things."
Lin Xiao bowed his head and knelt on one knee, saying, "Your subordinate knows his mistake."
Shadow: "After Lord Lu returns, he shall go to the secret room to receive his punishment, which will last for one month."
Lin Xiao: "Yes."
Watching Lin Xiao turn and leave, Dark Shadow's eyes flickered.
He suddenly spoke up, "An Jiu."
Lin Xiao paused slightly and turned around. "What else do you need, Chief?"
Shadow blurted out, "Dark Nine, do you know why I've always valued you so much and tolerated your repeated transgressions?"
Lin Xiao: "Please enlighten me, Chief."
Shadow: "Ninth Darkness, the Shadow I propose to His Majesty is you."
Lin Xiao suddenly looked up, "It's me?"
Shadow nodded. "Yes, it's you."
“An Jiu, in three years, I will step down from the Shadow, and you will become the Shadow. His Majesty said that you are becoming more and more scheming. We are the Shadow Guards, we only need to obey, we don’t need to have our own thoughts. You are smart, you should know what I am talking about.”
Lin Xiao lowered his eyes.
"Understood."
The shadow was warning him not to have any other thoughts, to focus on his own business, and to be a useful, thoughtless, sharp knife.
But he could no longer turn back.
He has developed his own thoughts and understands the true nature of his feelings for His Highness...
In the past, he would have been delighted, but now, he no longer cares about being a shadow.
Even though the shadows can turn from darkness to light, he can live the free life he once longed for without paying a great price.
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