Unpredictable events unfolded.
The rain outside the ancestral hall gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of water dripping from the eaves, pattering like some kind of countdown.
Pei Wenjin's thoughts were hard to guess, or rather, she had never truly seen the real Pei Wenjin since they first met.
Whether it's unruly or hypocritical... it's all just a trick he used to drown the truth in a deep pool.
Xiao Diting took off his soaked outer garment, wrung out the water, and hung it by the fire to dry.
The handkerchief that Lord Pei sent wasn't large, but it was of very good quality. Xiao Diting squeezed it and liked it very much. She felt that using a plain white handkerchief to wipe bloodstains was too wasteful. So she stared at it in silence for a moment, but decided to put it away carefully, folding it into a small piece and tucking it into her clothes.
The firelight illuminated the thin thread on her wrist, as fine as a hair yet exceptionally strong, trembling slightly with the movements of the people outside.
"Lord Pei," she suddenly spoke, her voice echoing in the empty ancestral hall, "you haven't answered my question yet."
The fishing line taut for a moment, pulling at her wrist repeatedly, before Pei Wenjin's nonchalant reply came: "Your Highness, please ask. This humble servant will answer to the best of my knowledge."
"Why did you agree to let me investigate the case together?" Xiao Diting's fingers lightly fiddled with the thin thread, mimicking his gesture, and she changed her tone, "Don't say it's because I'm soft-hearted, it was all part of your plan."
There was a moment of silence outside the ancestral hall.
Xiao Diting could imagine Pei Wenjin leaning against the altar in front of the statue, playing with the fine thread, the touch on his wrist slowly digging away her thoughts, that man always had such a nonchalant attitude.
For others, it might feel like punching cotton, but Xiao Diting was no ordinary person. She found Pei Wenjin very interesting and worth investigating little by little: "At this point, Lord Pei is still playing dumb with me. This is not the sincerity that a partner should have."
Xiao Diting suddenly gripped the fishing line tightly, eliciting a soft hiss from outside.
She quickly let go, but heard Pei Wenjin chuckle: "Your Highness need not be nervous. This thread is mermaid silk from the East Sea, known for its toughness and softness. I obtained this small piece by chance; it won't hurt anyone."
"Who's nervous?" Xiao Diting scoffed, but was speechless at the teasing in his words: "So you deliberately lured me here?"
The fishing line suddenly trembled violently, and Pei Wenjin's voice was close at hand: "Your Highness, the premise for our successful cooperation is trust... If I truly intended to harm you, I could have simply ignored the hail of arrows earlier."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Di retorted sarcastically, "Does Lord Pei mean, 'I've already saved you from dire straits, yet you still suspect me, but don't worry about how you got there'... Is that what you mean?"
Xiao Diting suddenly found it very funny. How could there be such a shameless person in the world? Not only did he use her and put her in danger, but he also wanted her to be grateful to him.
Xiao Diting simply broke off all ties with him, her tone extremely displeased, and she recklessly revealed her suspicions.
"The so-called search of the post station was just a pretext for you to bring me out. You wanted to use me to draw out more clues. Aren't you afraid that I will really die here? As for why you suddenly took pity on me and rescued me, you were probably moved by my stupid actions."
You tacitly approve of someone like me... let's just call me a useless person...
Xiao Diting coughed twice in anger, speaking faster and faster, the thin thread on his wrist hanging quietly, as if it wasn't tied to anyone at the other end.
She leaned back with a self-deprecating laugh, her back pressed against the peeling gray wall: "If you really want to investigate the case properly, there are so many people chasing me. Bringing me along will only hold you back."
She spoke frankly and openly, which left Pei Wenjin at a loss for words. He waited quietly for the princess to continue without offering any response.
Xiao Diting recalled the various events that had occurred after her soul transmigrated into the body of this unfortunate princess, and she also felt resentful. She didn't expect Pei Wenjin, whose stance was unclear, to give any answers; she simply vented her emotions.
"What position do I occupy in this vortex? Am I a shield or a puppet? Look, you personally dragged me back from the restaurant, and Father Emperor dismissed me like a child... Do you all think I have no ability to participate in this at all?"
"But there were still people who wanted to kill me."
Xiao Diting's voice echoed in the ancestral hall, tinged with self-mockery and resentment: "...At least two groups of people want me dead. One group is those assassins, and the other group—" She paused, her fingertips gently tracing the fine thread, "is probably those in the court who wish me dead."
Pei Wenjin, who had been silent for a long time outside the ancestral hall, finally moved. His fishing line trembled slightly, and his voice was deep and clear: "Your Highness, you are wrong."
Xiao Diting sneered: "Oh? Then what brilliant idea does Lord Pei have?"
Pei Wenjin's voice suddenly drew closer, as if it were right next to her ear.
It's unclear what Xiao Di heard that touched him, but Pei Wenjin abandoned his usual nonchalance and spoke very seriously: "This subordinate must tell you a few things. First, I have never regarded you as a useless person; second, the people who are hunting you down, those who want your life, are far more than just two groups."
Xiao Diting was startled and hadn't reacted yet when she heard a rustling sound. Pei Wenjin stood against the light, peering out from behind the gray wall, the thin thread in his hand gleaming coldly in the firelight.
He approached step by step, looking down at her. Xiao Diting remained in the same position as before, hugging her knees, and slightly raised her chin to meet the eyes of the person in front of her. She saw a rare seriousness in his eyes.
The firelight crackled, illuminating half of his profile. Xiao Diting suddenly realized that he might never have truly understood this situation—and Pei Wenjin was never an outsider either.
Xiao Diting felt she must be crazy. She and Pei Wenjin were not familiar with each other. It was highly unlikely that a commander of the emperor's Imperial Guard would have any unknown past with a princess in the inner palace.
Pei Wenjin treated her fairly well, but she didn't know if it was the aftereffects of her talent that made her, in addition to her physical condition, begin to waver in her mental defenses, or if the look in Rang's eyes was too serious.
Xiao Diting recalled how the two of them fought side by side during the riot at the post station not long ago, risking their lives together. The words that were on the tip of his tongue turned into a blunt question: "And you, what role did you play in all of this?"
These words were far too blunt and foolish. If Xiao Diting had been wary of him before, he certainly wouldn't have said that. But now it was different. Xiao Diting had a feeling that this was a good opportunity.
Pei Wenjin's eyes flashed with surprise. The girl stared at him quietly. He helplessly put away his occasional overflowing kindness and reverted to his previous insincere demeanor: "Is Your Highness concerned about this humble servant? This humble servant is naturally completely loyal to Your Majesty and is a blade in Your Majesty's hand."
Xiao Diting suppressed the urge to attack, angrily turning his face away to signal the other person to get as far away as possible, clearly refusing to interact.
After dealing with the princess, Pei Wenjin felt increasingly exhausted. He tactfully withdrew and closed the door of the ancestral hall.
Song Pingzhang and the others stood in a crooked row under the eaves. When they saw him come out, they all winked and looked at their commander.
Song Pingzhang was the first to lose his composure. The usually gentle and polite man mimicked Pei Wenjin's respectful tone: "Is Your Highness concerned about this humble servant?"
Ji Chuan quickly chimed in, "This humble servant is naturally completely loyal to Your Majesty."
Even the honest "Old Su" couldn't help but tease his superior: "He is the blade in His Majesty's hand."
Before he finished speaking, the Imperial Guards burst into laughter. No wonder Pei Wenjin hadn't heard any noise outside; they were all busy eavesdropping.
Pei Wenjin closed his eyes with a dark expression, now it was his turn to grit his teeth.
"Go do what you're supposed to do."
The Imperial Guards scattered in an instant, quickly dispersing into the abandoned mountain village, and began a long surveillance operation centered around the ancestral hall where Xiao Diting was located.
Xiao Diting remained alone inside the ancestral hall. Her clothes had been dried by the heat, and she felt much more comfortable. As drowsiness overcame her, she fiddled with the thin thread on her wrist and fell asleep.
The thin thread gave her heart, which was floating in mid-air, a place to go, and made her feel a long-lost sense of peace.
Xiao Diting probably hadn't slept for long. She rarely dreamed, but tonight was different. She had a jumble of chaotic dreams, one after another, without any reason. Xiao Diting suddenly woke up with a start.
The fire was still burning not far away, and its warm light gradually calmed her chaotic thoughts. Just as she was about to catch up on her sleep, the fire suddenly went out without warning.
Her heart, which had been pounding in her throat, was suddenly gripped by fear again.
Darkness completely engulfed her, and the rain outside the ancestral hall poured down even harder. The sound of the rain effectively masked some of the noise, and by the time Xiao Diting reacted, the person who had come was almost only a wall away from her!
Xiao Diting suddenly sprang up from the ground and retreated to the base of the wall. This was a very wrong decision; if someone wanted to harm her, it would be difficult for her to get out.
But she didn't have time to think about these things right now; fear overwhelmed her reason.
A section of her white skirt was visible where she had just leaned against.
The hem of that plain white skirt, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, meandered between the bricks, slowly moving closer to Xiao Diting.
Xiao Diting squinted, and after her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see the appearance of the person who had come.
Xiao Diting was astonished: "Lord Shangguan?"
As she spoke, thunder roared outside the ancestral hall. Through the broken window, Xiao Diting saw that the person was indeed Shangguan Lin, the governor of the Southern Garrison, whom he had met a few times before.
The moment Xiao Diting recognized Shangguan Lin, alarm bells rang in her heart. The fact that Lord Shangguan, who should have been staying in the capital, was here did little to cheer her up.
Years of walking on the edge of danger made her realize that danger was approaching her step by step.
"The commander sent word that I was summoned to accompany the princess... Your Highness, the firewood has gone out, why don't you light it again...?" Shangguan Lin's voice sounded strange. She kept moving closer, seemingly true to her words, that she had come to accompany Xiao Diting.
Even as she crossed the extinguished fire, her intimidating gaze remained fixed on Xiao Diting, making him even more certain that he was in trouble.
Xiao Di moved subtly to the other side of the gray wall, while simultaneously sucking on his breath to attract the other's attention and conceal his earlier actions.
"You walk so quietly, it really scared me to death. Lord Pei is so considerate... Well, it's always inconvenient for those grown men..."
Shangguan Lin approached her step by step, confirming that Xiao Diting's safe space was gradually being compressed, and the newcomer had astutely blocked Xiao Diting's retreat route.
Xiao Diting was startled and looked up at "Shangguan Lin". In the darkness, his venomous gaze clung to Xiao Diting's soul like a leech.
Xiao Diting looked closely and realized that the person in front of him was no longer "Shangguan Lin" at all, but clearly a short man!
There's an assassin!
Pei Wenjin's words kept echoing in his mind: "The people who are chasing you and want your life are far more than just two groups."
Pei Wenjin, that damned jinx!
Before Xiao Diting could even grumble inwardly, the assassin revealed his true intentions. He grinned savagely, twisting his terrifying face, and a short arrow popped out from his sleeve, aimed straight at Xiao Diting's face!
Xiao Diting's pupils suddenly contracted—
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