Chapter 20: Concubine
There are many different ways to kill people. Wen Yao had seen people use poison, throw knives, and even play the zither or flute. But Zhao Xuanxu, on both occasions she'd seen him kill, never used a sword or any other weapon. Zhao Xuanxu clearly preferred to kill with his hands, twisting off a person's head or ripping out their heart and crushing it. It was easier, but it also made the killing more unpleasant.
Zhao Xuanxu took a step toward Wen Yao, blocking her view. Two bright, round drops of blood clung to his face, about to fall. His brows relaxed, the deep redness in his face burning to the corners of his eyes.
"Ayao." Zhao Xuanxu smiled, and two drops of blood rolled down, leaving two narrow red marks, like rouge scratches, and as thin and long as spider silk.
At this point, even though Wen Yao was not a doctor, he could feel the chaotic fluctuations of Zhao Xuanxu's internal strength from his somewhat rapid breathing.
The aftereffects of the heart attack in the afternoon had not healed yet and seemed to be even worse.
Wen Yao looked him over and said, "Go wash your hands."
Zhao Xuanxu: "Okay."
He raised his hands obediently, and kept doing so as he walked, until he reached the white jade pool, squatted down and began to wash his hands.
Wen Yao didn't hear any movement for a while, so he turned around and looked up at the eaves. The secret guards were still standing in a row on the tiles, watching this side, motionless.
She had no choice but to turn around and go back into the house, picking up the corpses one by one in each hand and throwing them into the outer yard one by one.
"Go find a few people to clean up the place, otherwise it will be covered in blood and we won't be able to sleep." Wen Yao shouted at Zhao Xuanxu.
Zhao Xuanxu hummed, shook off the water droplets and stood up.
Qianying and the others got approval, and then they immediately stood up and flew away.
Zhao Xuanxu walked to Wen Yao and put his washed hands in front of her with a smile.
“Bang!”
Wen Yao didn't hesitate and slapped his palm. Her hand was so strong that Zhao Xuanxu's palm turned red.
Zhao Xuanxu's eyelashes trembled, and he covered his hands in surprise. Seeing that Wen Yao was really angry, he immediately lowered his head and let go, letting Wen Yao hit him.
Wen Yao was a little angry: "Do you know your own physical condition? You won't let anyone in, and you will kill them without mercy... If you are sick and won't let anyone in, if you die in the house accidentally, it will take until the next day to be discovered!"
"No, A'yao." Zhao Xuanxu thought for a moment and explained quietly, "When I'm sick, I'm usually in a bad mood and sometimes I'm not fully aware. If you approach me rashly, I'll kill you."
Wen Yao was silent.
So that's it. So this is the method Qianying used when he said "kill without mercy".
"I didn't tell Ayao because I can't beat her, so there's no need to worry about it." Zhao Xuanxu said, and then laughed again: "Ayao is worried about me, I'm very happy."
After a few words, the secret guards left and returned. A group of servants hurried in from outside the courtyard, dragging the assassin's body away quickly and quietly with skillful movements.
Wen Yao looked at him and said, "We were negligent. We didn't even leave a single person alive for trial."
Hearing this, Zhao Xuanxu looked at Wen Yao and asked, "Ayao, you want to know who they belong to?"
"Since I arrived in Bianliang, this is your second official encounter with an assassin." Wen Yao pondered. "Don't you want to know who's trying to kill you? Could it be the King of Qin?" Su Yi will appear before the Emperor tomorrow to present her grievances. Once the memorials from the Eagle Palace and the Supervisory Office are submitted, the King of Qin's loss of his position as the Inspector General of the Salt Transport in Pingjiang Prefecture will be almost certain. Even if the Ministry of Revenue survives, it will still be a heavy slap in the face of the King of Qin. Holding a grudge, it's only natural that he'd send someone to assassinate Zhao Xuanxu.
"It's possible."
"That eunuch today looked strange. I'm afraid he's curious about my identity. If he sent these people to test me, it's not impossible."
"Yeah, that's right."
Wen Yao stopped guessing and stared at Zhao Xuanxu: "Tell me who it is?"
"Ayao, I don't know." Zhao Xuanxu's eyelids were red, but he was still smiling. He said sincerely, "Kill them if they come, peel off their skin and throw them away. Those who want to kill me are the only ones I will hold responsible for. I always hold them all responsible, without distinction."
These words are indeed a bit arrogant.
Wen Yao listened, but felt that Zhao Xuanxu's current state was very different from his usual state, and felt a little worried.
She couldn't help but reach out and touch Zhao Xuanxu's forehead again. The temperature under her hand was scorching hot. Her fingertips touched the solar plexus and she could clearly feel the meridians underneath throbbing.
"My heart aches?" Wen Yao felt that the word "pain" had too broad a meaning. A stabbing pain was also pain, as was a stab wound. Looking at Zhao Xuanxu's current state, the pain from the burning heart must have been significant.
"Yeah, it hurts." Zhao Xuanxu didn't deny it.
He relaxed his shoulders and lowered his head, resting his forehead on Wen Yao's palm, quite dependent. But his body temperature was too high, and the hot breath from the tip of his nose swept across Wen Yao's wrist, instantly burning all the way to her heart, almost making her arm tremble and withdraw her hand.
"The body is the capital of the revolution. No matter how important other things are, they are not as important as life. Without life, there is nothing left." Wen Yao finally withdrew and took Zhao Xuanxu to sit in the clean room. He rubbed his palms together and patted a wet handkerchief on Zhao Xuanxu's forehead. "Bai Rang has no way, but does Wang Fu have no way either?"
The smell of blood around had not yet dissipated. The servants lit some spices, and the light fragrance that rose up gradually spread throughout the room.
"Yes." Zhao Xuanxu answered seriously: "Abolish my skills, disperse my internal energy and stop practicing Burning Heart. That will be fine."
It is not a pity to waste the skills and dissipate the internal strength. It is a pity that more than ten years of practice have been burned. Zhao Xuanxu relied on his military power to return to Bianliang alive and gain a foothold. Without internal strength, he would have a hard time in the Three Departments and Twelve Guards.
Wen Yao became worried after hearing this, and he sighed and stopped talking.
"Don't worry about me." Zhao Xuanxu sat beside him, watching Wen Yao's expression. After a while, he loosely wrapped his fingers around the corner of Wen Yao's clothes, hooking them between his fingers and gently shaking them. "In the past, the burning heart was bearable. Now that I have Ah Yao by my side, controlling me and holding me in check, I feel more secure and less uncomfortable."
These words were so thoughtful and gentle. Qianying and the others didn't get too close, but they weren't far away either. As martial artists, they all had good ears, so they listened to every word Zhao Xuanxu said. Although they knew their master behaved differently in front of Commander Wen, they were still shocked beyond words.
"Ayao seems to wear black clothes all the time." Zhao Xuanxu pinched the slightly rough fabric in his hand and suddenly changed the subject, saying, "We're buying winter clothes tomorrow. Ayao, come pick out some fabric."
Wen Yao didn't hear what Zhao Xuanxu said at all. He nodded absentmindedly, his mind full of burning worries.
No, she has to find out what this weird secret method of Dali Kingdom is.
It wasn't until the next day when Zhao Xuanxu returned from court with even more explosive news that Wen Yao's attention was drawn away.
"What did you say?" Wen Yao was shocked: "The emperor appointed Su Yi as a concubine and kept her in the harem?"
"Yeah." Zhao Xuanxu stood in front of the long table, bending down and carefully selecting from the expensive fabrics spread out.
"It's too sudden." Wen Yao murmured, "What does Su Yi mean?"
In fact, the imperial decree had already been issued, and Su Yi's wishes were really unimportant. However, since Wen Yao asked this, Zhao Xuanxu still thought carefully and said, "She should be willing. Staying in the harem can at least keep her alive. She has no relatives or friends, so this is a good way out."
Su Yi was quite clever. Having spent the past few days at Jiutai recounting her parents' injustice, she must have a clear understanding of her current situation. A delicate woman, she had recently knelt and wept bitterly in the Qiongyu Tower. Today, she followed Zhao Xuanxu into the main hall, facing the civil and military officials and the current emperor, a situation she had once dreaded. Su Yi, dressed in a plain white dress, was beautiful, her dark hair tied up with a wooden hairpin. She knelt on the ground, recounting the case, before she finally shed tears, her eyes tearing up like pear blossoms in the rain, a truly pitiful sight.
The emperor was no longer young, and in recent years he had begun taking miraculous elixirs, so there were few newcomers to the palace. Su Yi's miserable, lonely, and beautiful appearance had aroused the emperor's desire to keep her. Of course, there was also the intention of trying to pressure the imperial concubine.
"As long as she accepts it," Wen Yao said awkwardly, barely able to say it. She had no choice. The harem dramas of her previous life had left her with the impression that it was a prison within red walls, a place of intrigue and scheming, a place of suffering.
The maid beside her quietly removed the Shu embroidery draped over Wen Yao's shoulders and replaced it with another type of silk. Wen Yao was still thinking about Su Yi. Her clear and clean brows were furrowed, but her movements were perfectly coordinated. She raised her hands and turned, allowing them to be manipulated. She was beautiful, with fair skin and beautiful eyes. Her expression was vivid and infectious at every moment.
Zhao Xuanxu looked at Wen Yao's face intently. Suddenly, he raised his hand and pointed at a piece of red cloth on the table and said, "Ayao, try this."
"this?"
The maid held the cloth in front of Wen Yao. She glanced at it, hesitant. "Isn't it a little too shiny?" Black was the color she wore most often while traveling. It was easy to wash and care for, and even blood wouldn't show up easily. It was also convenient for those last-minute nighttime errands; she didn't need to change into night clothes; she could just cover her face and go. It was a great item to have on hand for home and travel.
This red... seems like a color Lou Chengyi would like, it's a bit bright.
Zhao Xuanxu said softly, "Ayao looks good in this outfit."
Wen Yao took another look at the fabrics, unsure. But since Zhao Xuanxu had said so, and she wasn't the one paying for the materials, Wen Yao naturally had no objection. She looked at the fabrics she had chosen and quickly stopped, "That's all, that's enough."
As soon as she finished speaking, a maid behind a beaded curtain turned and quietly walked out the door. The vast courtyard outside had already been piled high with boxes. Standing in front of them were the managers of Bianliang City's major cloth shops. With a flick of the maid's finger, a large quantity of brightly colored, expensive fabrics silently appeared, bringing joy to the managers' faces. For a moment, they even forgot their fear of Prince Yan.
The atmosphere inside and outside the house was harmonious for a while.
After training the secret guards, Hao Chunhe emerged from the underground palace, munching on a piece of fruit while watching. At first, he looked relaxed, but as time went on, his expression became increasingly disturbed. By the end, his mouth had stopped moving, and his eyes were filled with suspicion as he looked at Wen Yao and Zhao Xuanxu.
He wasn't young anymore; he was experienced, married, and had children. If it weren't for the accident back then, his and Wanniang's child would have been the same age as Wen Yao by now. Furthermore, the Prince of Yan had no intention of hiding anything; the look in his eyes when he looked at Wen Yao was almost as sweet as honey.
It's really hard not to notice.
The more Hao Chunhe looked, the more frightened he became, and his eyes rolled around almost in circles.
Oh no, if he understood correctly, then he was the only one in the audience who didn't notice and was still standing opposite Prince Yan with the clothes in his arms, laughing.
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