But for your sake
The group hurriedly returned to the capital in the heavy rain. They remained silent on the way, with Xiao Diting deliberately avoiding Pei Wenjin and unwilling to say much.
Pei Wenjin rode alongside her, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifting toward her hands, which were tucked into her long sleeves.
Xiao Diting found it amusing. After Pei Wenjin hesitated to speak countless times, he slowed down and awkwardly controlled his horse, moving a little closer to the commander.
Her mind wasn't quite clear yet. The wound on her palm had been properly treated and wrapped in layers of gauze that Song Pingzhang always carried with him. The pain made her grip the riding whip tightly, afraid to stretch it too much lest she aggravate the wound.
Xiao Diting glanced around at the pitch-black surroundings, and for some reason, called out, "No need to rush, everyone, let's walk slowly."
The rain stopped at a certain interval; it came quickly and went quickly. The other members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were happy to see this happen, and they rushed back and forth. Not to mention the people, even the horses couldn't stand being without a drop of water and being tossed around like this.
Pei Wenjin pretended to listen attentively and walked alongside her.
"Pei Wenjin." This was probably the last time Xiao Diting called him by his full name, except for his official title, and he didn't address him as "Sir" as politely as before.
Pei Wenjin looked at him with surprise, knowing he was in the wrong. At this moment, he was truly in a position to hand her grapes out of conscience, just like Xiao Di had asked for the moon.
Xiao Diting's voice was steady, reaching his ear little by little, carrying an air of composure that left no room for refusal: "I need to go to Huaizhou."
Pei Wenjin narrowed his eyes and remained silent.
“I need to go to Huaizhou.” Xiao Diting repeated stubbornly. As if realizing the urgency in her words, she thought for a moment and added, “In the past, I could pretend to be ambiguous about my stance, and those people turned a blind eye and let me act recklessly outside. But now, I have benefited from the misfortune and gotten involved with the Embroidered Uniform Guard. With my father’s support, I am naturally a thorn in their side.”
"Let me go to Huaizhou, Pei Wenjin. I want to see that turbulent place for myself."
After the rain, the ground was covered with fallen leaves and puddles. Even though everyone slowed down, the horses' hooves still made a "crunching" sound as they stepped on the dry branches.
Pei Wenjin stared at her intently, only to see that the girl's fine clothes had been torn to shreds and her hair was disheveled. Although she had tried her best to tidy herself up, her disheveled state was still undeniable.
Only his eyes, clear and bright like a newly sharpened blade, were eager and excited.
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "His Majesty may not allow Your Highness to blend in disguise. Your precious body cannot be harmed."
"Lord Pei is very capable. Please take good care of my father."
Xiao Diting intentionally or unintentionally revealed his bandaged right hand, and with a rare display of genuine emotion, he pleaded softly, "You still owe me a favor."
The two men didn't bother to lower their voices while gossiping, drawing frequent glances from their colleagues. Xiao Di's words only heightened the gossip-loving mood of the others, drawing intense and inquisitive stares from everyone.
With countless gazes fixed on him, Pei Wenjin couldn't withstand the pressure and surrendered rather helplessly: "I will persuade His Majesty, but I have important matters to attend to with the Embroidered Uniform Guard—"
Xiao Diting interrupted him pitifully, "I don't have any trustworthy people."
Pei Wenjin was completely at a loss: "The Southern Garrison Commander, Shangguan Lin, is from Jiangnan and will accompany Your Highness on the journey."
Xiao Diting gave a sly smile, strolled past Pei Wenjin with an air of triumph, and left behind a triumphant back view.
Pei Wenjin said no more, but gave Xiao Diting a deep look. His eyes were complex and hard to read, showing concern, helplessness, and perhaps a hint of indulgence.
He tightened the reins, picked up the pace slightly, and returned to the front of the group. Calculating the time, it was almost dawn, and the road ahead was becoming clearer.
The majestic outline of the capital city became clearer in the night. The tall city gates were tightly closed, and the lights on the city towers flickered. The soldiers guarding the city recognized Pei Wenjin from afar. Without him showing his badge, the heavy bolts were slowly lifted at the command, making a dull and long "creak".
Pei Wenjin nodded: "Thank you."
The officers and soldiers clasped their hands in a respectful bow: "Sir, you have urgent business to attend to, please—"
The procession filed in, passed through the deep doorway, and stepped into the familiar streets and alleys of the capital.
The horses' hooves clattered on the rain-soaked cobblestones, making a pleasant "tap-tap" sound. The tension that had gripped everyone throughout the journey seemed to ease slightly the moment they entered safe territory, and even the horses' breathing became lighter.
Pei Wenjin did not order the disbandment, but instead reined in his horse at a relatively quiet street corner.
His gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Xiao Diting. He said in a steady voice, "Pingzhang, take the brothers back to the Zhenfu Division to rest. They've all had a long and tiring journey."
Pei Wenjin glanced sideways at He Hong, who had been knocked unconscious and tied to a horse, and had been jostled all the way. The man was pale and unconscious. Pei Wenjin frowned and said irritably, "As for the criminal, take him to the prison and wait for his fate."
"Yes, sir!" Song Pingzhang clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, and led most of the Imperial Guards away on horseback, the sound of hooves fading into the distance on the empty streets.
Only Pei Wenjin, Xiao Diting, and Ji Chuan, who was cowering and awaiting their fate, remained in place.
The boy's eyes darted back and forth between the two, hesitating before finally asking, "Sir, I want one too—"
"What do you want?" Pei Wenjin glanced at the boy blinking beside him with a pained expression, stretched out his arm and patted the boy's thin shoulders. "Send His Highness back to the palace. Judging by the time, it should be time for the morning court session."
Ji Chuan poked her fluffy head out, curious about where Pei Wenjin planned to go alone: "My lord...where are you going?"
"At the foot of the city wall... there's too much nonsense."
Pei Wenjin shot him a glare, and Ji Chuan obediently shut his mouth, then scurried to Xiao Diting with a wronged expression: "Your Highness, let's go first. If we go back now, we can lift the curfew."
Xiao Di listened and hummed in agreement.
Pei Wenjin watched the two figures' clothes disappear around the street corner, then dismounted and led his horse slowly toward the base of the city wall.
"City Wall Foot" is the name of a specific street, given arbitrarily because it was close to the city gate. Not everyone living in the capital was wealthy or powerful.
These "walled areas" on the very edge of the city were where many ordinary people lived.
Pei Wenjin rarely came here. He was usually busy with official duties, shuttling between the Zhenfu Division and the Imperial Palace. Moreover, he often spent the whole year traveling to other places to apprehend fugitives and investigate major cases.
The last time I came here, it was during the rainy season. Other places are fine, but in low-lying residential alleys like this, there are no dry ditches or drainage systems. With rain coming and going, it's impossible to live here.
It was he who led his colleagues from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to evacuate the local people, spending more than a month submerged in water, digging irrigation ditches, and requesting funds from the Ministry of Revenue to accommodate the refugees.
For no other reason than that this is also the home of his subordinates and Hong.
With frequent floods, houses "at the foot of the city wall" are the cheapest, not for any other reason than the damp environment, which deters families with a little money from settling down there.
A young woman was already sitting on the edge of the irrigation ditch, beating clothes with a wooden mallet over and over again. With no one by his side, he felt much more relaxed.
After thinking about many things, he finally found He Hong's house in a small alley on the corner of West Street, relying on his past memories.
The tightly closed wooden door was covered with moss and strangely shaped mushrooms. Even though he had expected it, when he actually stood at the door, he still hoped that his expectations would be wrong.
He tied the horse to the side and slowly pushed open the wooden door that no one had paid any attention to. The tightly closed door creaked open on its own, revealing the entire interior to Pei Wenjin without him having to exert any force.
The small courtyard, piled with dead leaves, had been neglected for a long time. Ominous white gauze hung all over the inner room, and the door to the inner room was broken. Unbelievably, a lot of dead branches and debris had accumulated in there, blown in by the wind.
Pei Wenjin walked into the inner room, refusing to believe it. When he looked up, he saw a half-new, half-old memorial tablet on the altar in the main hall.
The memorial tablet of my beloved wife, Madam Lin.
No wonder He Hong was determined to kill Xiao Diting; his wife had died and his young daughter was missing.
It seems that Xiao Diting himself had foreseen this matter beforehand and insisted on sparing He Hong's life. On the contrary, he was just angry and confused.
He slowly moved to the memorial tablet of the Lin family, looked around but found nothing to offer incense to. There were only a few unburnt incense sticks stuck in the incense burner.
Having other matters to attend to, Pei Wenjin respectfully bowed to the memorial tablet, quickly composed himself, and walked out of the desolate courtyard without looking back.
Before leaving, as he closed the door, he looked at the memorial tablet again, and for some reason, his expression became extremely unpleasant.
There couldn't be only one traitor in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Hong. It's unclear whether "that person" looked down on Xiao Diting or was simply naturally suspicious and was monitoring him.
Either way, it's a warning to Pei Wenjin not to overstep the bounds.
Pei Wenjin closed the wooden door tightly, rubbed his palm on the withered moss, and recalled the casual remark he had made to Xiao Diting during their chat: "This humble servant is naturally completely loyal to Your Majesty and is the blade in Your Majesty's hand."
He chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Haven't I done enough transgressions already—"
He immediately mounted his horse, took a deserted path, and spurred his horse back to the Zhenfu Division.
at the same time.
Xiao Diting was also surprised to find solace. Ji Chuan escorted her all the way to the palace gate. Unless he was on official business, Ji Chuan could not freely enter or leave the palace.
As Xiao Diting handed over the waist token given to him by the emperor and was led back to his palace, he could hear screams coming from afar.
She felt a strange unease in her heart and asked the old woman who was used to seeing things like this, "Granny Sun, what's that up ahead?"
Granny Sun was also an old palace woman, her face covered with wrinkles, but her eyes were bright and piercing, and she looked extremely shrewd.
She glanced at the Third Princess behind her, quickly composed herself, but Xiao Diting still keenly caught her disdain at that moment, and her attitude was far from gentle.
She stopped at the palace gate and repeated stiffly, "I ask, what is going on inside the palace?"
Noticing her displeasure, Granny Sun quickly lowered her tone: "Your Highness, it was one of my maids who was dishonest. Since you have official duties to attend to, this old servant will handle it for you—"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Di froze on the spot, her voice trembling slightly: "What are you going to do for me?"
As if in response to her question, the screams inside gradually subsided, and under Princess Hanxing's cold gaze, Granny Sun stammered and couldn't form a coherent sentence.
Based on the previous Third Princess, she naturally wouldn't have bothered with these matters, so Granny Sun had no experience in answering these questions confidently when pressed by this one.
After all, this person was different from the others; everyone in the palace knew the origin of his name.
Xiao Diting stood silently facing off against Granny Sun like a statue until the palace gates were opened and several eunuchs carried out a corpse covered with a white sheet.
The corpse was a bloody mess, and the white cloth was covered with glaring blood. Xiao Diting staggered to the side of the stretcher, startling the old eunuch in the lead.
"Your Highness—"
Without raising his head, Xiao Diting reached out and lifted the white cloth, and the people around him realized what was happening and shouted in surprise.
"Your Highness, you mustn't!"
Xiao Diting ignored her. She looked at the unrecognizable body curled up on the stretcher, its joints twisted from being beaten. It must have suffered severe torture before its death, and one of its hands had been chopped off.
Xiao Diting stretched out the corpse's only remaining hand. As she pulled at her tattered sleeve to wipe the blood from her palm, she was struck dumb, frozen in place.
"A long and clear lifeline indicates a long and prosperous life, which is very good."
Not long ago, in order to test her talent, she casually manipulated the palm of a young palace maid, and a casual remark she made turned out to be a completely opposite verdict, costing her her life.
The princess's words truly surpass all others.
Xiao Diting gripped the white cloth beside her tightly, her body drenched in cold sweat. Even though the rain had stopped long ago, she still felt as if she were in a deep pool amidst the noisy surroundings.
The chill was like a maggot clinging to the bone, impossible to shake off.
"Find a good place for him to be buried in peace."
She closed her eyes.
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