Too lazy to pay him any attention, Pei Yanzhi took the reins handed to him by the soldier and mounted his horse.
He was riding a wild horse, untamed and unruly. But he squeezed his legs together and patted the horse's neck, and the horse obediently walked forward, making the surrounding cavalrymen stare wide-eyed.
"As expected of the Crown Prince, his left hand injury hasn't fully healed yet, but he's already so skilled."
With admiration, the cavalryman gave him a cloak, which Pei Yanzhi draped over his back, and the group rode off towards the capital.
Yin Quan drove the carriage, following behind them.
"Even the renowned General Fei Hong enjoys gossiping about other people's family affairs," Pei Yanzhi said calmly as he rode his horse.
“What other person? How can you be considered another person? Back then, your brother stole my exam paper, I lost my academic record, and your mother even sent people to beat me half to death. If it weren’t for you saving me, I would have died long ago, not to mention arranging for me to join the city defense camp. Now I’m the one who calls the shots in the city defense camp, even the curfew is entirely under my control. Tell Yao Zhijie that he can break the curfew whenever he wants, and I’ll cover for him.”
“Even if you don’t say anything, he’ll keep doing it.”
Fei Hong grinned. "That's true. He's never been polite. But you, with my token, have never broken the curfew. I've given you this token for nothing. How about it? You can't enter the city at this hour. Do you want me to open a back door for you? Let our self-disciplined Lord Pei break the curfew once?"
“Take it easy. This is not how you break the rules. Five years ago, His Majesty was hunting in the outskirts of the capital and was almost scratched by a tiger. It was because of your merit in protecting him that you were able to rise to the position of commander in just a few years. Cherish this opportunity.”
"I understand. I was just saying. After all, there are many people in the capital watching you, and you came out from just before the city gates. If I let you go back now, our relationship will be exposed."
As they spoke, they arrived at the city gate, where someone was already waiting and led them to a teahouse.
After finishing two cups of hot tea, they ordered several bowls of noodles—all very simple dishes. Seeing Pei Yanzhi eating with relish and not wasting a single noodle, Fei Hong exclaimed in surprise,
"Are you really the eldest son of the Marquis's family? When I meet those young men from noble families, they are not as well-born as you. They are all pampered and have a high standard of living. Even their dogs would not eat this coarse food, but you can eat it."
"I'm in debt now, so I have to be careful with my money."
Pei Yanzhi put down his chopsticks as he spoke, counted out a few copper coins from his purse and slapped them on the table as payment for the meal. He only gave himself the money, not a penny more.
"No, I came to pick you up in the middle of the night, and you didn't even offer me a bowl of noodles? Are you even human? You say you owe money, don't you have a conscience? You eat and drink at the Marquis's mansion, you get a monthly allowance and a salary, who could you possibly owe?"
Fei Hong complained angrily.
"Where are the people? Have they been dealt with?"
Pei Yanzhi's words almost made Fei Hong spit out his noodles again, and the young man distanced himself from him in disgust.
"No, how did you know someone was following you?" Fei Hong thought he was a genius.
"I felt someone following me as soon as I left the city. Enough with the nonsense, where is he?"
"They're dead. We caught them one foot in front, and they bit their tongues and committed suicide the next. They're all suicide squads. The men are burying them over there. Do you want to take a look?"
Pei Yanzhi immediately stood up, and Fei Hong quickly drank the last mouthful of noodle soup and followed.
The two walked to the dense forest in the southwest and sure enough, they saw several soldiers digging a pit, with several corpses lying next to them, all dressed in black and masked, and lifeless.
Two soldiers searched their bodies but found no identification.
Staring at the corpse on the ground, Pei Yanzhi remained calm in the cold wind, showing neither joy nor anger.
Like a statue of a god, eerily quiet.
"So calm? These guys are all here to kill you." Fei Hong stood beside him, feeling nothing but admiration for his calm demeanor.
He had met many scions of prominent families, who were well-educated and intelligent, but none of them were as calm and composed as Pei Yanzhi.
This person would probably only change color slightly if the sky were to fall.
It was freezing cold and snowing heavily. Fei Hong sniffed. "Who do you think sent these people?"
"Boss."
"The Crown Prince? If he wasn't the one who started the investigation into the commercial tax, would he have time to kill you?"
"A two-pronged approach: the boss may lack wisdom, but he's ruthless enough."
"How can you be sure he's not the crown prince?"
“The Crown Prince is weak-willed. Now that I’m at odds with the First Prince’s faction, he’s just watching the show and won’t send anyone to kill me,” Pei Yanzhi said, turning and walking back.
Fei Hong quickly caught up with him, "Amazing! You're so insightful."
After saying that, he glanced at him sideways and said with great relief, "Luckily I am a military officer now, otherwise I would have been suppressed by you for the rest of my life as a civil official."
Jiang Shuwan stood quietly on the steps in front of the Marquis's mansion. The cold wind blew up the girl's elaborate skirt, making her look like she was about to fly away, and her face was stinging from the wind.
Feeling the cold wind, she instinctively raised her hand to shield herself.
In the darkest hour before dawn, the world was shrouded in darkness, with only a faint crescent moon in the sky.
The world was as still as a frozen hell.
Qingxing squatted behind the pillar. The little girl was full of energy at first, but now she was asleep holding the lamp, and her nose was snoring softly.
"It's snowing."
Looking up, Jiang Shuwan sighed softly, only to see the winter snow falling heavily and thickly.
The world is vast and boundless.
Suddenly, the sound of people walking on the snow came from ahead.
In the darkness, a figure carrying a palace lantern slowly walked over. The young man was dressed in a sky-blue official robe, tall and slender with thin shoulders, and a jade belt accentuated his strong waist.
His face was handsome and refined, and his long, narrow phoenix eyes appeared even more gentle under the light of the palace lanterns.
A gentleman is like jade, which can be cut and polished.
He was probably an unparalleled scion of a noble family.
Those with beautiful appearances only exist in picture books.
For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped.
The moon in the sky seemed to shine especially on him, with just a few rays of its light falling upon him.
Arriving under the moonlight, amidst clear skies and gentle breezes.
Moonlight, whether one likes it or not, easily shines into one's heart.
Standing on the steps, Jiang Shuwan was in a daze. She remembered the day she and Pei Yanzhi were reconciling accounts. Pei Yanzhi was suddenly called away by Liu Yunyan, and Yao Zhijie pounced on her, staring at her with wide eyes, asking, "Aren't you envious? Aren't you jealous?"
Jealousy is impossible.
She has always been the one envied by others.
A faint emotion stirred within her, but it quickly vanished.
"I suppose I'm the kind of person with a hard heart too," Jiang Shuwan thought absentmindedly, clutching the hand warmer.
What are you doing here?
The boy's cool voice interrupted Jiang Shuwan's thoughts; he clearly hadn't expected her to be waiting for him there.
With a slight blink, Jiang Shuwan's thoughts returned, and her gaze returned to calm.
She said calmly, "You said you were coming back last night, but the old lady waited for most of the night and didn't see you. I was afraid she would worry, so I stayed here to check on things."
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