Chaotic times
"Don't rush, tell me slowly."
Qu Linghan was busy with things at the shop when Jing'er suddenly rushed over in a hurry.
She gently patted Jing'er's back, who was panting heavily.
"What big thing happened? Look how tired our Jing'er is."
"The Marquis has been imprisoned."
Like a bolt from the blue, Qu Linghan was stunned for a long while.
"Miss, what should we do?"
Jing'er seemed about to burst into tears, after all, Bai Hui had always treated her well.
Qu Linghan first calmed down Jing'er and the others in the mansion, and then sent a visiting card to Lu Shuyu. Coincidentally, Lu Shuyu and Liu Ziju learned that Bai Hui had been imprisoned and were on their way to Lanxu Pavilion.
Three people around the stove,
"Someone falsely accused Brother Bai Hui of reselling exam papers."
Liu Ziju felt very resentful. After all, he and Bai Hui had grown up together since childhood, and he knew very well how upright and honest Bai Hui was. Yet, someone had to use his uprightness to tarnish his reputation, causing his pearl to be tarnished. He was indignant and resentful.
"So, what do you think we should do?"
Lu Shuyu continued the conversation.
"In my opinion, we are in the light, while the enemy is in the dark. The one in the palace has been growing increasingly weak lately, and it seems that a new emperor will soon take over."
Lu Shuyu lowered her voice as she spoke.
Liu Ziju's expression remained unchanged; he had never been close to this father.
From childhood to adulthood, his position as crown prince was merely because he was the empress's eldest son.
His "father" had long wanted to find a pretext to cripple him, and Liu Ziju lived in constant fear. Now that the old man had ruined his own health, Liu Ziju felt no remorse.
Lu Shuyu placed her hand on Liu Ziju's palm.
"The palace is divided into two factions: one is the orthodox faction, which supports Liu Ziju; the other supports the Third Prince. Mr. Bai has always had a deep relationship with His Highness the Crown Prince, so it must be the Third Prince's people causing trouble..."
Lu Shuyu nodded. Then she looked at the two of them.
"It's just that His Majesty assigned the task of this imperial examination to Bai Hui, so the suppression of Bai Hui was merely a formality. The real purpose was for His Majesty to use the Third Prince to suppress the Crown Prince's faction."
As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Ziju's eyes were filled with desolation.
His last remaining illusions about his father have now been extinguished by his father himself.
Lu Shuyu held Liu Ziju in her arms.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
"Um."
Seeing that Liu Ziju was no longer so upset, the three began to discuss how to rescue Bai Hui.
"But Ling Han, this matter must have already been approved by the Emperor. No matter how much the three of us try to prolong our lives, it is unlikely that we will succeed."
“Then I will look for problems with the Third Prince. Everyone makes mistakes in their work.”
Qu Linghan didn't believe that the Third Prince could act flawlessly. After all, she had interacted with him before, and Qu Linghan felt that the Third Prince was just like a powerful and vicious madman.
"Does the Third Prince have any trusted confidants?"
After thinking for a while, Liu Ziju could only think of that one person.
"Young Master Pei, Pei Run."
Qu Linghan chuckled softly; it was him.
It seems that the veil of confusion that once lingered in my heart must eventually be cut short with a sharp pair of scissors.
There was no lingering attachment, no reluctance to part.
But her heart fluttered. It was probably because of the original owner of the body. The original owner had once longed for Pei Run's status. Everything had changed.
The original owner would probably hate Pei Run if he saw him now.
"Then I will start with Pei Run."
Qu Linghan took a sip of the tea in front of him.
"It's getting late, you two should go back and rest."
Liu Ziju answered yes, but Lu Shuyu was still worried.
"Ling Han..."
"Don't worry, Sister Shuyu, I won't do anything foolish."
"I'm really worried about you, so I'll stay here and keep you company today."
"It's okay, you have your own things to do too. I'll handle this, so you can go home and get some sleep without worry."
Lu Shuyu didn't speak, but let out a long sigh.
She could tell that Qu Linghan was determined and had her own plans. She was afraid that Qu Linghan would get hurt, but she shouldn't disrupt her plans.
"Then I'll head back now."
Lu Shuyu and Liu Ziju strolled one after the other through the empty and desolate Guishu City, but fortunately they could keep each other warm.
A chill ran through Qu Linghan, leaving him with only bitterness in his heart.
The night was as dark as ink. She lit a lamp, wrote a visiting card, and asked Jing'er to deliver it to Pei Wuyang's residence.
As soon as it was light, Qu Linghan got up. She had no appetite for breakfast and washed her face before heading to the entrance of the Marquis's residence.
Along the way, the wind blew and the flowers withered, and there was no sign of life.
It wasn't like this before...
Alas, the servant in the manor opened the door, and just as Qu Linghan had imagined, Pei Wuyang was already waiting there.
"Let's go."
Pei Wuyang stepped forward to help Qu Linghan up, and after she got into the carriage, he also got in.
The carriage headed to the outskirts of the city, and the two remained silent as they walked.
The colors in the suburbs are still beautiful; simple, yet enough.
Sunlight mingled with the breeze, creating ripples of warmth and coolness. Qu Linghan hadn't felt this peace in a long time.
Pei Wuyang spoke softly, "Ling'er, do you remember? The first time we came here, you knew nothing about riding horses, but you insisted on learning. I taught you for a month, and you finally got better. I promised to buy you a pony, but then..."
As Pei Wuyang spoke, he led over a small horse. Qu Linghan gently stroked its fur and was momentarily lost in thought.
"But later, you didn't want to marry me anymore."
"No, Ling Han, I really couldn't welcome you into the family under the circumstances at the time. If Father had found out, the title would have been given to my second brother, and then we would have really lost everything."
"I don't want to hear your explanations. You know perfectly well that if I hadn't married you back then, you might have lost your life. Thank goodness, thank goodness, Bai Hui is a good man. But what if I had met a bad person? Did you ever think about me? You've only ever loved yourself!!!"
Qu Linghan dreamed about many things related to Pei Wuyang and the original owner of the body yesterday. She said she hated him and wanted her to say goodbye for her and fulfill her regret.
Qu Linghan did as instructed, but in doing so, she was also fighting for herself and for Bai Hui.
She was also gambling, gambling on Pei Wuyang's heart, gambling on Bai Hui's heart.
After a moment of silence, Pei Wuyang finally spoke.
So, you don't love me anymore?
"yes."
"Okay, I understand."
Pei Wuyang stood there, sent someone to take Qu Linghan back, and watched Qu Linghan leave, feeling as if he had swallowed a bitter pill.
He was heartbroken; he had fought for so long, only to have his most beloved person discarded by his own hands.
He fought for so long, only to have it all come to nothing in the end.
All he wanted was a lifelong, monogamous relationship.
Gone, gone, all gone.
That evening, Qu Linghan developed a high fever.
The feeling lingered, and in her panic, a slightly cool hand grasped her tightly.
Qu Linghan struggled to open his eyes, and familiar eyes appeared before him, warming his heart.
"You're back."
"I'm back."
......
Several days later, Qu Linghan finally recovered and learned the truth from Bai Hui.
Pei Wuyang took the initiative to expose his and the Third Prince's crimes, which enraged the Emperor, who exiled him. As a result, Pei Wuyang fell ill and became bedridden, unable to move around easily. Liu Ziju took over as regent, and Qu Linghan received an imperial decree and became Bai Hui's principal wife. Everything was going in a positive direction.
Until this day, barbarians attacked the country.
Liu Ziju knew that this was probably his last battle before taking power. He couldn't lose, and he couldn't give the opportunity to someone else. The four of them gathered together at Lanxu Pavilion. Qu Linghan and Lu Shuyu both understood that Liu Ziju and Bai Zhaoming were not only brothers, but also ruler and subject. Bai Zhaoming was Liu Ziju's confidant and also his loyal follower.
Liu Ziju poured himself a glass of wine and faced Bai Hui.
"Brother, I toast you."
Bai Zhaoming remained silent until Liu Ziju put down his wine cup and knelt in his direction.
"In my life, I will never betray Ling Han, nor will I forget the kindness of Your Highness and Her Majesty the Empress."
Bai Hui knew how much the Emperor had wanted to kill this hidden threat when he was a child. It was thanks to the Empress that he was taken away from His Majesty's side. She had raised him as her own child, and she would never forget such a great kindness.
"We will win this battle."
The four men raised their glasses in unison, declaring, "Victory is certain!"
......
Soon after, Qu Linghan saw Bai Hui off on his expedition.
He bent down on his horse and gave Qu Linghan a deep kiss.
"Wait for my return."
Then he galloped away into the distance, leaving Qu Linghan alone on the spot, silently reciting...
"You must come back safely."
"I just want you to be safe... safe, that's all that matters..."
Winter has come again, and the snow in the border region is exceptionally heavy this year.
Dark gray clouds hung in the deep sky, and 300,000 elite soldiers of the Liuchao stood like statues.
Even though the sharp, piercing wind had penetrated deep into my bones.
Even though the horse was already trembling.
Everyone knows that this battle must be won!
The battle flags of the Liu Dynasty fluttered in the fierce wind.
The sword in Bai Hui's hand reflected a silver light, enveloping his mask.
The halo is soft, yet it reveals a sharp edge invisibly.
He raised his longsword, his voice carrying far away on the gust of wind.
"kill!"
Messengers flew back and forth between the border regions and the capital.
We finally settled down in the Golden Palace.
Snow had blanketed the entire Liu Kingdom. The golden throne of the Xuan Shu City imperial palace appeared somewhat extravagant in the interplay of white light.
The open stables outside Lanxu Pavilion are filled with horses' hooves sinking deep into the ground.
The interior was warm and cozy, yet it gave off a sense of oppression.
Qu Linghan leaned against the counter, a smile playing on her lips.
His brows furrowed slightly.
A mocking voice drifted through the room along with the scent of sandalwood.
She raised her hand, held up a stack of silver notes, and threw them at the woman kneeling opposite her, who was wearing a gold hairpin and sobbing softly.
"die?"
Dying was too easy.
She saw with her own eyes as she placed some letters in Bai Hui's study. When she opened them, they were indeed fabricated letters implying collusion with the enemy.
Qu Linghan pulled the gold hairpin off the woman's head and threw it on the ground.
"What benefits did the Third Prince give you?"
"Didn't he give you the marquis's mansion he promised you? The marquis has treated you well, hasn't he? Why are you treating us like this?!"
The glistening between Qu Linghan's eyelashes were glistening tears.
"Since you insist on being a stubborn mule who doesn't speak, then I have nothing more to say. I gave you a chance but you couldn't seize it, and you insisted on running to jail, so I have nothing more to say."
Qu Linghan clapped his hands, and Liu Ziju emerged from his hiding place. The maid in front of him immediately turned pale.
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