Chapter 348 The Man in the Shadows
"Thanks a lot."
As Gu Shuyan spoke, she handed over the ginger soup. The guard saw the steaming ginger soup and quickly took a step back.
You're kidding! If you asked him to take the ginger soup that the young lady handed him, the master would skin him alive.
Seeing the guards bowing their heads cautiously, Gu Shuyan turned to look at Yun Yichen. Seeing the latter drinking the ginger soup in his hand as if nothing had happened, Gu Shuyan couldn't help but find it amusing.
"Mingyu, bring the ginger soup to the young master of the secret guard, and take him to get some food while you're at it."
Upon receiving the order, Mingyu immediately took the ginger soup and politely led the guards to the small kitchen.
Once only the two of them were left, Gu Shuyan glanced at Yun Yichen and said, "People braved the cold wind to wait for you during the New Year, can't you even give them a nice look?"
"That's why I didn't object to you letting him drink ginger soup."
Yun Yichen looked at Gu Shuyan with an air of "I'm very generous and I take good care of my subordinates," leaving Gu Shuyan speechless for a moment.
This man is really something!
Let's eat first!
It was almost midnight, and a year was about to pass, but Yun Yichen hadn't even eaten a single bite of food.
Gu Shuyan pulled Yun Yichen to sit by the stove, picked up a dagger, and with a swift stroke, cut off a spare rib and handed it to Yun Yichen.
Yun Yichen was astonished by her entire set of movements. She seemed to be really good at cutting meat. Thinking back to the first time he met her at the Marquis of Jinning's residence, her skillful knife work was impressive. This girl was indeed different from others!
As I took a bite of the mutton, a taste I had never experienced before spread throughout my mouth.
"How is it? Is it delicious?"
Gu Shuyan blinked and leaned closer to look at Yun Yichen.
Looking at her adorable appearance, Yun Yichen was a little stunned. "She's a bit skinny."
Gu Shuyan thought Yun Yichen would say it was delicious, but to her surprise, he said it was too dry. Looking at the color of the meat, it did indeed seem a bit dry because it had been roasted for too long.
"Then we'll take the test again next time. Just make do with what you have this time."
Gu Shuyan took Yun Yichen's words seriously. In fact, roasted meat can be tender or dry, and as long as the meat is flavorful, it will definitely be delicious.
However, Yun Yichen was naturally happy to eat again. He pulled a piece of meat off the bone and said slowly, "Leave some for Young Master Ji as well. I reckon he'll go hungry once he returns to the General's Mansion."
It was getting late, and the people in the general's mansion didn't know he was coming back, so they naturally wouldn't leave him any food at this hour.
Once the servants have finished their work for their masters, they will surely close the doors of their own homes and enjoy a family reunion dinner. No one will bother with them then.
"Don't worry, it's warm in the small kitchen, and Pearl has been watching over it the whole time."
This afternoon, Gu Shuyan sent all the maids in the North Courtyard back home for the New Year, except for Pearl and Mingyu, whom she kept behind. To be honest, Gu Shuyan felt she had really let them down.
It seems that after today, she will have to let the two of them go home and rest for a couple of days.
Yun Yichen nodded upon hearing this, and ate the mutton and other dishes on the table. He hadn't eaten anything all day, and he ate quite a bit before stopping.
"But what trouble did you run into? You shouldn't be back so late."
According to the previous plan, Ji Wenxuan should have returned in the morning, and Yun Yichen wouldn't have needed to make this trip. However, Yun Yichen not only made the trip, but also returned with a bloody smell, presumably because he had been in a fight.
When Gu Shuyan asked, Yun Yichen cleared his throat.
"The day before yesterday, I received a secret letter saying that there were other people eyeing these goods. At that time, I knew that Wenxuan was probably in danger on his own, so I immediately started to investigate the matter and sent a letter to Wenxuan, asking him to keep an eye on the people around him. Unfortunately, the other party was too cunning, so cunning that even if I used my network of connections, I could not get a single clue. Fortunately, Wenxuan's people gave themselves away, and to ensure that everything was in order, in a moment of urgency, I took some people to meet them in person."
"And those people certainly did not disappoint me. A group of truly well-trained people arrived. These people seemed to have been specially trained. Each of them exuded a murderous aura. Although their skills were not top-notch, they were ruthless."
Thinking of those people's moves, each one aimed at vital points, and even Yun Yichen couldn't help but admire their skill in dropping the drill.
"So, you two fought?"
Gu Shuyan knew there was no need to ask this question, but she still couldn't help but ask it.
Nodding, Yun Yichen said, "We suffered heavy casualties on our side, especially the men sent by General Ji, none of them survived. Fortunately, the enemy didn't gain any advantage either; their entire group died. We originally left one survivor, but we didn't expect them to have poison hidden in their mouths."
The thought of fighting the other party but not even knowing who they were made Yun Yichen feel uneasy.
Seeing Yun Yichen's grave expression, Gu Shuyan ripped open the front of his shirt. Seeing that there was no blood on his white undergarment, Gu Shuyan was relieved.
"Don't worry, he's no match for me."
Realizing Gu Shuyan's intention, Yun Yichen quickly smiled and took her hand.
"You must not take such care of your health again. You encountered such a big problem and didn't even tell me. I was worried for so long."
Gu Shuyan was genuinely angry. If he sensed something was wrong, he should have told her. Instead, he went into danger despite his old injuries, without considering what would happen if something happened to him.
"Alright, I was wrong this time. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would worry, but instead I made you even more worried and you even went to the Prince Xian."
When Lu Hexuan's people appeared, Yun Yichen would naturally think of Gu Shuyan. Otherwise, who else would help him?
"I was in such a hurry at the time that I didn't know who to ask for help."
Asking for help from someone without knowing whether they were friend or foe was indeed a bit reckless for Gu Shuyan.
"It's alright, Lu Hexuan is nothing to fear. But we need to be careful about the person behind him. If I'm not mistaken, this person is probably the same one who poisoned you and Madam Ji before."
Yun Yichen looked serious. He had previously made guesses about who had poisoned him and had investigated some people, but unfortunately, he had never been able to find out the person's identity.
"Have you discovered something?"
Yun Yichen wouldn't say something like that without a reason; he must have sensed something.
"The poison used by those assassins does not belong to the Great Zhou."
Upon hearing this, Gu Shuyan immediately understood. The poison she and her mother had been poisoned with was a rare poison, and coupled with the poison hidden by that assassin, it was not surprising that Yun Yichen would have such a guess.
It seems that the person lurking in the shadows is indeed quite dangerous.
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