25 The Eccentric Sima Hong
◎Dawn is breaking, this dream is about to end.◎
Led by A-Feng, Sima Hong arrived at the room where Chen Zhan was being held.
Chen Zhan was bound by heavy chains on his hands and feet. He sat cross-legged on the ground. When Sima Hong entered, he didn't even raise his head or open his eyes.
Sima Hong looked at Chen Zhan, a man who had been dead for a very long time, and wondered why he suddenly seemed like a dream.
Seeing that his master remained silent, Chen Zhan also decided not to say anything. A Xiang said, "My lord, everyone else has been executed, but only a master who was with Chen Zhan escaped and is now missing."
Sima Hong remembered that the guard beside Chen Zhan was named Song Shi. After Chen Zhan was secretly escorted back to the capital, Song Shi tried to break him out of prison. However, Chen Zhan's power had already been eradicated by him. Song Shi was outnumbered and failed to succeed. After Chen Zhan was secretly poisoned, Song Shi committed suicide to follow his master.
Hearing them talking about Song, Chen Zhan slowly opened his eyes and asked, "Qi Gu, how is she?"
How could he know Qi Gu? Sima Hong looked coldly at Chen Zhan, "Chen Zhan, stop trying to play any more tricks. You should know that this is your last chance."
Chen Zhan suddenly burst into laughter, "Hahaha." His overly effeminate eyes swept over Sima Hong, "Sima Hong, you are indeed clever, but although Qi Le is stupid, he is right about one thing: your Sima family is obsequious and nothing but petty people chasing fame and fortune. What a century-old clan, a virtuous and upright person, that's the true face of the Sima family!"
"How dare you, a son of a fallen kingdom, a prisoner, insult our lord!" A-Xiang said, and was about to go up and tear the mouth of the person who uttered the foul words to shreds!
Although Sima Hong was puzzled by what was happening, he still waved to stop A Xiang from stepping forward. "Chen Zhan, I have seen Qi Le. I told him that what he did to Zhao Ji back then was not so perfect."
At this point, Chen Zhan knew that his death was not far off. He sneered, "So what? Qi Le deserves to die."
"However, I think there's still one thing you don't understand: was Zhao Ji's death really just Qi Le's jealousy and petty-mindedness? The real culprit behind Zhao Ji's death, so many years have passed, haven't you ever thought about it?"
Chen Zhan, who had been calm and composed, suddenly became agitated. "You're talking nonsense! You're just making excuses for the Sima family to fawn over Chu Pei, who was born a commoner and luckily gained the throne!"
Chen Zhan stood up, the iron chains on his hands and feet clanging against each other. He gritted his teeth, his face contorted in a ferocious grimace.
He rushed forward desperately, but was chained up and could only watch Sima so close, unable to tear his eloquent mouth apart!
Sima Hong's expression remained unreadable. Facing the agitated Chen Zhan, his voice was flat: "Prince Yan, no matter how noble your bloodline, you will ultimately be defeated by the Chu family. Your agitation must be because you already have the answer in your heart."
After saying these hurtful words, Sima Hong stopped looking at him, turned around and instructed A-Feng and A-Xiang to keep a close watch on Chen Zhan, and then left the house.
Ah Feng and Ah Xiang closed the door to the room where Chen Zhan was being held.
Chen Zhan stood frozen in place, as if encased in ice and frost, standing there stiffly.
Ah Feng returned to the darkness to wait, while Ah Xiang followed behind Sima Hong. He thought his lord was going back to his room, but instead he saw his lord look up at the sky and say, "It must be the third watch of the night now."
Sima Hong's tone was somewhat wistful. In less than two hours, it would be dawn, and this dream would come to an end.
Ah Xiang said, "Young master must be tired after a whole night of work. There are still matters to be dealt with in Peng County tomorrow. You should get some rest."
"I'll go check on Aunt Qi again."
Ah Xiang: ? ? ? ! ! !
"My lord, this is probably not a good idea. It's late, and Miss Qi must be resting by now. Besides..." It's not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together.
Ah Xiang gave his husband a strange look. How could they be so inseparable after just one night? What happened between the two of them down the mountain?
No one can stop Sima Hong from doing what he wants, not even in his dreams.
He didn't know why the dream was so illogical, connecting Qi Gu and Chen Zhan together, but since he had dreamed of Qi Gu a few times over the years, he didn't think much of it.
When he arrived at Aunt Qi's house, the light in her room was already off. Standing outside the door, he could hear Aunt Qi's soft snoring through the door.
Sima Hong's tense mind and body were able to relax for a moment.
Today, Qi Gu no longer cried and accused her, no longer wanted to divorce him. Although her eyes looked at him unfamiliar, they no longer showed the same hatred she had for him in her dreams.
This is good; he hasn't spoken to Qi Gu so peacefully in many years.
Ah Xiang watched as his husband stood in Qi Gu's courtyard, staring intently at Qi Gu's room with eyes that seemed to pierce through the door, as if he were looking not at the door, but at the woman's bedside.
The young master has always been aloof and restrained, and I have never seen him care so much about any woman before. Moreover, judging from his appearance, he is not just caring, he is too caring.
It was as if the Lady Qi would vanish the moment he stopped watching, even though they had only been separated for less than an hour!
The young lady said that her husband seemed to have fallen and hit his head. Could it be that he really did fall and hit his head? Oh dear, this is terrible. We should call a doctor to take a look at him tomorrow.
"My lord, it's almost dawn. You should go and rest." If you don't go back soon, the young lady might be scared to death by daybreak.
Sima Hong glanced at the sky and thought, "Well, it's already a rare moment of peace. I can't be too greedy." His tall figure slowly disappeared.
The next day, Qi Gu was sleeping soundly when she heard her father knocking on the door. "Qi Gu, wake up! The sun is shining on your bottom!"
Qi Gu finally woke up from her deep sleep. All her fatigue had disappeared because of the sleep. She put on her clothes, opened the door, and was still a little sleepy. "Father, good morning."
"What do you mean 'early'? It's almost noon." Li Shi pointed behind him again. Qi Gu looked to the side, frowning in confusion. Why was he here?
Li Shi whispered to his daughter, "Sima Langjun arrived very early; he probably hasn't slept much." Li Shi asked curiously, "What exactly happened between you two? Why does Sima Langjun seem different towards you than before?"
Aunt Qi was also puzzled, "Nothing happened. He was unconscious all night, and when he woke up he was acting strangely."
She walked up to Sima Hong, who had changed his clothes. Of course, she had to return them; how could someone as fastidious as Sima Hong tolerate his disheveled appearance yesterday?
However, the way he looked at her was filled with eager anticipation, much like the way he looked at her when he woke up at the bottom of the mountain. His stunningly handsome face softened, no longer as cold and hard as before, nor like the way he looked in her memory of her past life.
"Lord Sima, have you found a doctor?" Qi Gu thought he might have really fallen quite hard.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Sima Hong asked, his brows furrowed with concern.
“No, no.” Qi Gu pointed at him: “I think you need to see a doctor.”
Sima Hong's anxious gaze relaxed; it was good that he wasn't injured. "By the way, how do you know Chen Zhan?"
Qi Gu thought that the person who came to see her probably wanted to ask about this matter.
She then told Sima Hong how she met Chen Zhan and how he had kidnapped her the previous night, omitting, of course, the fact that Chen Zhan had said he wanted to marry her.
Chen Zhan has a special status, and it would be best if she could avoid any involvement with him.
So that's how it is. No wonder Chen Zhan and Qi Gu met in Peng County this time. Sima Hong remembered that in his previous life, after resolving Chen Zhan's matter, he was entrusted by the Empress to find Qi Gu. Without Li Qiao's matter, he met Qi Gu on her way back to the city.
It seems that some things in this world have changed, but some things remain the same.
When he woke up this morning and found himself still in a "dream" instead of back in his familiar study, he began to have doubts.
After tentatively asking A Xiang a few questions, he confirmed something.
He pretended nothing had happened, quickly dealt with Prefect Tang and his gang who were colluding with Qi Le, and then went to Qi Gu's courtyard. Seeing that she was still there, he felt relieved, but also became more certain of his suspicions.
However, Qi Gu doesn't need to know any of this. If this world is real, then let him make up for what he owes her.
"Get ready, we should set off." The voice was very gentle, even with a hint of intimacy.
Qi Gu wasn't quite used to Sima Hong like this, and she said, "Oh, I see."
When the large carriage stopped at the door, even Li Shi was a little surprised. "This carriage is almost as big as a house in the countryside."
Qi Gu noticed that behind the overly large carriage was a very small and inconspicuous carriage, and she asked, "What's that behind?"
"It's Chen Zhan."
Qi Gu stopped asking questions. After what happened yesterday, she and Chen Zhan should no longer have any relationship.
She then pointed to the rather extravagant carriage in front of her and asked Atai, "What does your master mean by this?"
Because Atai fell for Chen Zhan's feint yesterday, which led to Qi Gu being kidnapped, he failed in the task assigned by his master. Although his master did not punish him, Atai felt ashamed.
Therefore, he was no longer as arrogant as he had been when facing Qi Gu the day before. "Reporting to Miss Qi Gu, this is what my husband instructed. He said that we should keep a low profile on this journey."
Qi Gu thought Sima Hong had really broken his head. "He calls this 'keeping a low profile'?"
Behind her, Sima Hong's clear and gentle voice came, "Qi Gu, why aren't you getting on the carriage yet?"
Qi Gu said, "Lord Sima, this carriage is too ostentatious, and it is not in line with the status of my father and me. Let's switch back to the carriage that my father and I used to ride in."
Sima Hong patiently explained, "Qi Gu, do you really think your tricks can fool the Emperor and Empress?"
Qi Gu immediately became alert, "I don't understand what you mean."
"I think the reason Mr. Li agreed to come to the capital is because of your status, wouldn't you say, sir?"
After understanding the situation, Sima Hong realized that Qi Gu's identity could not be concealed so easily.
He thought he needed to tell her in advance, and not let her continue to act recklessly.
Li Shi saw that Sima Langjun was all smiles when he was with his daughter, but when it came to him, he was completely cold and indifferent. His two faces were quite obvious.
However, he didn't argue with him, as long as he could protect Qi Gu!
"Father, you...you know everything?" Qi Gu could speak confidently to Sima Hong, but she felt guilty in front of her father. She knew she had hidden it from him; she hadn't lost her memory and knew that she was a princess.
Li Shi looked at his daughter, who had lowered her head, and patted her hand: "Qi Gu, do you still remember what your father told you before?"
"If I become rich and powerful, let us not forget each other!"
Never mind, never mind, she knew it. Her father wouldn't say more than three serious sentences. Qi Gu didn't want to talk, so she turned around and got into the carriage.
[Author's Note]
Finally, they entered a state where both of them were reborn, but neither of them knows that the other has been reborn yet.
Qi Gu: When I find out my enemy has arrived, I'm going to torture him terribly.
Sima Hong smiled indulgently: What was she babbling about? She's so beautiful alive.
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