War breaks out
Wei Ran's gaze lingered on He Nanxing for a moment before shifting to the wild boars. He moved his longbow with one hand and drew arrows from his quiver with the other, shooting down the remaining wild boars that were causing trouble.
Within a few breaths, all the wild boars were dead.
Wei Ran dismounted and handed the bow and arrows to Zhou Wen, who was standing to the side.
Watching Wei Ran walk slowly towards her, Jin Xiaoxiao felt conflicted. She had just come to the estate to clear her head and encountered a wild boar, and Wei Ran had immediately appeared to save her—it seemed too coincidental. Was he following her?
Realizing her own thoughts, Jin Xiaoxiao felt a chill run down her spine and quickly stopped her wandering thoughts. She kept reminding herself not to think of conspiracies and schemes in every situation, and that the world was still a beautiful place.
He Nanxing calmed himself down, carefully stepped around the bloodstains, and walked gracefully to Wei Ran. He knelt down and bowed, saying, "Thank you for saving my life, my benefactor."
Wei Ran helped her up, "Please get up, young lady. The wild boar only entered your manor because we disturbed it; I am the one who should apologize."
He Nanxing's eyes fell on Wei Ran's hand holding hers. Wei Ran noticed her gaze, moved his fingers slightly, and then withdrew his hand.
With her arms free, He Nanxing quickly let them hang down at her sides. But the lingering burning sensation made her extremely uncomfortable. He Nanxing curled her fingers; was it because he was a martial artist that his palms were warmer than others?
Wei Ran's gaze lingered on He Nanxing's fair earlobe. His mind, however, involuntarily replayed the fierce and fearless look in He Nanxing's eyes as she confronted the wild boar. That look had captivated him, slowing his reaction and nearly costing him the life of the beautiful woman.
Although the two were lost in their own thoughts, the atmosphere was very harmonious.
Jin Xiaoxiao's gaze darted back and forth between the two. Was this another love story of a hero rescuing a damsel in distress? But Nanxing had been married before; could Wei Ran accept that? Jin Xiaoxiao felt a little worried.
She slowly walked up to the two men, looked up at Wei Ran and asked, "General Wei, did you bring these wild boars here?"
Jin Xiaoxiao's voice brought the two of them back to their senses.
He Nanxing realized they were too close and quickly took a step back.
Seeing He Nanxing's flustered steps, a smile flashed in Wei Ran's eyes.
"I guess so."
Seeing Wei Ran's eyes glued to He Nanxing, Jin Xiaoxiao thought it was better to end it quickly than to suffer for a long time, so she asked Wei Ran bluntly, "General Wei, are you married?"
Wei Ran lowered his gaze, looked into Jin Xiaoxiao's eyes, and replied seriously, "I am neither married nor engaged."
Jin Xiaoxiao glanced at He Nanxing and continued to press, "What are your thoughts on women divorcing and remarrying?"
As soon as Jin Xiaoxiao finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent, and everyone's gazes seemed to fall on Wei Ran.
Wei Ran caught a glimpse of He Nanxing's dejected expression as she lowered her head, and instantly understood Jin Xiaoxiao's unspoken meaning: she had been married. But so what? Neither of them were married, and chastity meant nothing to him.
Wei Ran stepped forward and stood in front of He Nanxing, solemnly replying, "The woman I choose may have been married three or four times before. I will marry her in a grand and dignified manner, carried by eight sedan chairs."
Jin Xiaoxiao opened her mouth wide in surprise, "You really think so?"
“A promise is a promise. If Miss Jin doesn’t believe me, I can swear to heaven.” Before Jin Xiaoxiao could speak, he pointed to the sky and swore, “If Wei Ran is fortunate enough to marry a wife, he will respect her, protect her, and love her, and will only be with her for the rest of his life. If I break my oath, may I be torn apart by five horses and die a horrible death.”
He Nanxing suddenly looked up and met Wei Ran's gentle gaze, her heart skipping a beat.
The ancients valued oaths highly, and since Wei Ran had made his stance clear, Jin Xiaoxiao didn't want to spoil the mood. She looked around and saw Zhou Wen holding a bow, then walked towards him.
Zhou Wen smiled when he saw her coming over.
"Miss Jin."
Jin Xiaoxiao looked him up and down, and seeing that his complexion was rosy, she asked in surprise, "Are you alright?"
Zhou Wen chuckled and said, "I'm tough. Two hundred lashes are nothing. I'm used to it."
How much trouble do you have to cause to get used to being beaten? Jin Xiaoxiao was speechless for a moment.
Zhou Wen, seemingly oblivious to her odd behavior, quietly asked, "Is that girl your older sister?"
Jin Xiaoxiao shook her head, "Sister He's surname isn't Jin."
Zhou Wen seemed to be thinking, "His surname is He."
Jin Xiaoxiao suddenly asked, "Where did you want to take me yesterday?"
"Go to the Emperor—" Realizing he had been tricked into revealing information, Zhou Wen immediately stopped talking.
"Go to the palace?" Jin Xiaoxiao asked thoughtfully.
He Nanxing and Wei Ran finished their conversation and walked over side by side.
Wei Ran clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute to Jin Xiaoxiao, "Miss Jin, I am but a rough and uncouth man. I have offended you in many ways before, and I apologize to you. Please forgive me for Miss He's sake."
“You and He—” Jin Xiaoxiao glanced at He Nanxing’s slightly flushed cheeks, and the rest of her words got stuck in her throat. She stiffly changed her words and said, “General Wei, you’re too kind. I didn’t take it to heart.”
Wei Ran took He Nanxing hostage, and Jin Xiaoxiao had no interest in staying at the manor, so she took her people into the city and went home.
As soon as she entered the city, Jin Xiaoxiao heard the rapid sound of horses' hooves. Curious, she lifted the curtain and saw a figure galloping towards the palace.
"Isn't riding horses at high speed prohibited in Kyoto?"
Hearing Jin Xiaoxiao's words, Lu Qing leaned closer to the carriage door and said, "The people who were riding at high speed just now were couriers. When they are delivering urgent military information, they can disregard the capital's prohibitions."
Urgent military intelligence? Upon hearing these words, Yue Xiao's face suddenly flashed into her mind. Because of her intervention, Yue Xiao's power was not as great as in the book. That day he left the city, could the military intelligence brought by the courier be related to him?
Jin Xiaoxiao pondered deeply all the way back to the Jin family home, her face still shrouded in worry.
"Xiaoxiao, Xiaoxiao?" Jin Minzhi called out twice, and seeing that Jin Xiaoxiao did not move, he reached out and lifted the blanket.
Xin Yi noticed him lifting the blanket and called out to stop him, "Hey, don't move!" She quickly went to his bedside and covered him with the blanket. "Don't move. I'll get you whatever you want."
These days, Xin Yi keeps a close eye on him, not letting him do anything except lie in bed, making Jin Minzhi feel like he is a useless person.
Jin Minzhi discussed with her, "Dr. Xin, the knife wounds on my body don't hurt anymore. I don't want to lie in bed all day; I'd like to get up and walk around a bit, is that alright?"
Xin Yi opened her mouth to refuse, but suddenly realized that everyone's eyes were on her. Xin Yi blushed, and pretending to be calm, she let go of her hand, "Whatever."
Jin Xiaoxiao turned her head, her gaze sweeping over Xin Yi before finally settling on Jin Minzhi.
No one stopped her. Jin Minzhi slowly got up and sat down next to Jin Xiaoxiao. She asked her with concern, "You've been frowning ever since you came in. What happened?"
Jin Xiaoxiao did not hide anything from Jin Minzhi and frankly expressed her concerns.
Apart from the sleeping Ji Jun, everyone else remained silent after hearing her words. Since the border regions were occasionally invaded by barbarians, the Qi Kingdom had been peaceful for two hundred years, so none of them believed Jin Xiaoxiao's guess.
The room fell silent, and the light in Jin Xiaoxiao's eyes dimmed.
Seeing this, Jin Minzhi couldn't bear it and broke the silence: "If it's really as you think, do you have a way to deal with it?"
Leaving Kyoto beforehand would increase her chances of survival. But none of them believed her guess, so Jin Xiaoxiao didn't voice her thoughts, only shaking her head at Jin Minzhi.
Jin Minzhi patted her head and comforted her, "Don't worry, there are three large armies stationed inside and outside the capital. Even if someone rebels, they won't be able to make a ripple."
Jin Xiaoxiao pretended to be convinced, smiled, and obediently said, "I understand."
After Jin Xiaoxiao finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room returned to calm.
After sitting for a while, Jin Xiaoxiao found an excuse to return to her own courtyard.
As soon as she returned, Jin Xiaoxiao called Baiguo over and whispered something in her ear. Finally, Jin Xiaoxiao stared intently into Baiguo's eyes with a serious expression, "Sister Baiguo, do as I say."
Jin Xiaoxiao had always treated Bai Guo like a sister, and moreover, Jin Xiaoxiao had avenged her father's death, so Bai Guo was already extremely loyal to Jin Xiaoxiao. After hearing Jin Xiaoxiao's words, Bai Guo hesitated, but she didn't ask any more questions. She nodded solemnly and replied, "Don't worry, Xiaoxiao, I'll go and make the arrangements right away."
Watching Bai Guo leave, Jin Xiaoxiao's expression gradually fell. She glanced at the azure sky, then turned and walked into the study without hesitation. As long as Yue Xiao was alive, it was never wrong to prepare for the worst.
Just as Jin Xiaoxiao was racking her brains for a solution, a massacre was taking place in Hecheng, hundreds of miles away.
Yue Xiao sat on his horse, staring indifferently at the city gate not far away.
Jin Yuanyuan, who was half a horse length away from Yue Xiao, smelled the increasingly strong smell of blood in the air and clenched her fingers tightly together in her sleeve.
The sounds of fighting that had lasted for several hours gradually subsided, and a series of deep footsteps approached from afar.
A few breaths later, a troop of soldiers marched in orderly formation toward the city gate. Leading them was a burly man in armor, with a fierce expression and carrying a spear.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Yue Xiao's eyes lit up, and he asked in a deep voice, "How is it?"
The burly man clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the master, the lord of the city and the guards of Crane City resisted stubbornly, but they have all been killed by my subordinates."
A glint of malice flashed in Yue Xiao's eyes. He felt a pang of regret; the Lord of Crane City was exceptionally talented, and he had intended to recruit him. Since the Lord of Crane City was so ungrateful, it might be better to kill him. The thought flashed through his mind, but a smile appeared on Yue Xiao's lips as he announced loudly, "Enter the city."
This entry into the city not only announced that this peaceful and tranquil city, which had been at peace for hundreds of years, had changed its masters, but also ushered in a chaotic era.
Jin Xiaoxiao was naturally unaware of what had happened in Hecheng. She stayed in the study for a long time, but she couldn't calm down and think about it.
Looking at the messy handwriting on the paper, Jin Xiaoxiao sighed and resignedly put down her brush. What had happened? Why was her heart so uneasy?
The image of that figure rushing into the city kept flashing through her mind. Her brows furrowed, and a bad premonition swept over her. Could it be that Yue Xiao had already rebelled?
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Jin Xiaoxiao jumped up from her chair.
She was horrified to realize that her thinking had fallen into a fatal misconception! No matter what, Yue Xiao was the protagonist of this world. Although she had used her prophecy to hinder his development of power in the capital, she could not stop him from developing power outside the capital!
Having been here for less than a year, I tried my best to change the fate of the Jin family, but my grandmother still died, my aunt was still kidnapped, and everything ended the same way as in the book!
A deep sense of fear gripped her as she thought about this. Jin Xiaoxiao, pale-faced and with lifeless eyes, knelt on the ground. What should she do? What should she do?
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