Chapter 1: I am the ruler of the law. The ant is carrying a family of thirteen...
In the coldest month of winter, a heavy snow just stopped.
A flock of crows were startled from the woods in the distant suburbs of the imperial city, and snow fell from the branches.
Thick, hot blood dripped down the blade, gouging a deep hole in the snow. The blade reflected the cold moonlight, and black boots stepped over the dirty, red blood, their eyes devoid of any emotion.
The sight of corpses everywhere was shocking.
The man crawling in the snow raised his head with difficulty, his eyes bloodshot. "Lou Wanqiao! You disregard the law before the emperor, and you're even a Junior Official in the Dali Temple! Aren't you afraid of retribution if your boat capsizes?!"
Hearing this, the young man in official robes sneered disdainfully. He stepped on his back, propped up his knee with one hand, and raised his voice slightly: "This official is the king's law. The strong prey on the weak. This is what you taught me back then, Prince Duan..."
The man closed his eyes: "I have been smart all my life, but I never thought that I would fall into your hands in the end..."
"It's not over yet, Your Highness." The young man tilted his head and tapped his cheek with the blade of his sword. Then he looked up expressionlessly, waved to the several black-clad followers behind him, and said coldly, "Take him away."
After Prince Duan was dragged away by the secret guards, Lou Wanqiao turned back to look at the man lying on the ground. He was silent for a few seconds, then stepped on his heart.
"Lou Wanqiao!" The man struggled, his eyes filled with humiliation, and raised his head with all his might. "I won't let you use me! Don't even think about it!"
"Ha, what a coincidence!" Lou Wanqiao raised his eyebrows and stepped hard, "I just didn't want to spare your life."
The knife flashed and blood splattered.
"ah!!"
The man covered his broken arm with his hand, looking unwilling: "A mere Junior Official of the Dali Temple... How dare you... Ah!"
Another sharp knife flash.
Cold sweat broke out on his face. The arrogance he had a few seconds ago was gone, leaving only fear: "Let me go... Let me go! Lou Wanqiao, no, Lord Lou..."
"Master Yu, do you still remember the murder at the Liu Mansion thirteen years ago?" Lou Wanqiao said softly, leaning over and whispering, "Your hands are so fast! One sword can take a life..."
"You..." He widened his eyes in horror and tried to struggle but was helplessly pinned down, "What do you mean?!"
"Master Yu has a terrible memory." Lou Wanqiao lowered his eyes, his hair falling down to obscure them. He stared at the person at his feet and spoke slowly, "How does it feel to die at the hands of someone you always thought was an ant? It must feel good, right?"
"Master Yu, don't you know? The beautiful Liu Liu is just like Chu Qiao. I am the youngest daughter of the Liu family who escaped and whom you so desperately want to kill, Liu Wanqiao..."
Thunder suddenly rose as lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating half of her smiling face that looked like a devil.
"Sir, the ants are carrying the lives of thirteen members of their family on their shoulders to take your life."
…
The morning light was faint and the sun shone through the windowsill. The snow on the branches began to melt and water droplets fell down.
The embroidered spring sword placed on the bedside had been wiped clean, the official robe was hung on the rack, and the person lying on the bed had a frown on his face and a slight groan in his throat.
Blood splattered in the dream.
Thick smoke rolled in from the vast expanse.
"Jiaojiao, run! Keep running from here and don't look back!"
My mother's voice came from behind me, and there was a huge push behind me, as if she had used up all her strength.
"Mother..."
The young girl's voice was timid and crying, and the scene in front of her was shaking. She was running forward with all her might.
Of the thirteen people in the Liu family compound, none survived.
Only the youngest daughter, Liu Jiaojiao, was protected by everyone at the risk of her life, and her escape route was hidden.
The man standing in the center of the courtyard had a ferocious look on his face. He stepped on the corpses of the Liu family and laughed wildly, "How can an ant like you be worthy of fighting against me!"
She had no choice but to keep running forward to grasp a glimmer of hope.
To bear the lives of the thirteen members of the Liu family.
Until he fell in front of the building.
The smoke cleared, revealing the kind face of Madam Lou. With a look of pity, she sighed and reached out to cup her head. "Poor Jiaojiao... My son has a miserable life, unworthy of witnessing all the creatures in the world. Now that you've come before me, from now on... you will see the world for him. Don't worry, the Lou family will keep you safe."
"Thank you... Mother."
For ten years, everyone knew that the young master of the Lou Mansion was both a promising but also a fierce and vicious person. At a young age, he rose to the position of Junior Secretary of the Dali Temple in the shortest possible time, making him a feared figure in the officialdom.
Unruly and ruthless, he often held a sword at hand, and had killed countless people. Despite his bad temper, he also had a very good-looking appearance.
Someone once called it "Jade-faced Shura".
No one knew that years ago, she was just Liu Jiaojiao, the beloved daughter of the Liu family compound. She once had the best family, but in the end, she was left to walk the world alone, until her hands and blade were stained with blood.
It doesn't matter. As long as I can avenge them.
Everything else is just support.
Lou Wanqiao slowly opened her eyes, a drowsy look still between her brows. She sat up from the bed, slowly focused her vision, and pressed her throbbing temples.
I didn't sleep well that night and dreamed of many things from the past.
Maybe it was because she had resolved a matter of concern...
Alas, I thought my parents would come to me in my dreams, but it turned out to be just a past event.
After washing and dressing, she put on her clean official robes and walked out of the room. The sun was shining brightly, the snow on the branches had melted, and it was a brand new day.
The secret guard appeared and handed over a few pages of paper. Lou Wanqiao read them carefully and threw them into the charcoal fire, which was quickly devoured.
Last night, we interrogated Prince Duan and obtained a lot of useful information. Today's pages were obtained by the secret guards after she left. It seems that Prince Duan is indeed very valuable and it is still useful to keep him.
"Sir, a letter has arrived from Youzhou, mentioning a recent spate of unsolved cases." The maidservant standing nearby spoke softly, "Also, Prince Yun has invited you to a meeting at Zuichunlou."
"Hmph, you're probably afraid the fire will burn you." Lou Wanqiao twitched his lips slightly as he reached out to take the letter and read it. "Hmm... Ruyuan, do you know Pingyuan Hou?"
Ruyuan thought for a moment and said, "I've heard of it before, but it's just rumors. They say he's a master of military strategy and once broke through three passes in a row."
"Now is the critical moment, everyone is in danger and taking sides to protect themselves. I don't believe he will stay out of it and not show up." Lou Wanqiao looked at the letter thoughtfully, "Let's go to Zuichunlou to meet Prince Yun first, and you ask someone to investigate Pingyuan Marquis. Don't miss anything, no matter if it's rumors in the market or anything else." Ruyuan looked at her back and nodded.
Noon was a busy time, with people coming and going on the streets, and in Zuichunlou, there were clinking glasses and the air was filled with fragrance.
"Oh, Lord Lou, you've kept me waiting." Prince Yun Li Jin was half-leaning on a chair in the private room, supporting his head with one hand and slowly waving a fan with the other. Seeing her coming, he folded the fan in his hand with a "whoosh" and slowly waved at her, "Come, sit down."
Lou Wanqiao sat down on the chair next to him, raised the teacup in front of her and took a sip. Mm, this is the best widow's peak.
His fingertips tapped the rim of the cup, and his thoughts gradually came together. Li Jin was the typical laid-back prince, spending his days admiring flowers and birds in flower houses. Even the tea he drank was the finest, seemingly approaching everything with a nonchalant attitude. He had few enemies at court, and could easily engage in a casual conversation with anyone. He was generous and cheerful, without any airs of a prince.
...Is it really so?
"Your Highness, please don't blame me for being late." Lou Wanqiao straightened his clothes, placed the teacup back on the table, leaned back in his chair and looked over. "I wonder what your Highness wants to see me about?"
"I heard there was a big commotion outside the imperial city last night." Li Jin shook the wine glass in his hand, the tail end of the voice rising, his beautiful fox eyes narrowed in a smile, and he leaned forward slightly to close the distance. "Did you hear about it, Zizhao?"
Zizhao is her courtesy name, and few people usually call her that. Prince Yun was so casual that it seemed as if he was just talking about family matters.
Lou Wanqiao paused, looked up at him, and slowly smiled, "Your Highness is well-informed. My subordinates haven't discovered it yet."
"Is that so? I thought you were the most well-informed." Li Jin sat up straight, his expression ambiguous as he looked at her. "But this is just some gossip I stumbled upon, so I won't elaborate on it with Zizhao. Since I have nothing else to do today, I'd like to invite you to sit down and drink with me. I'm sure Zizhao won't be reluctant to refuse, right?"
Humph, looking at him like that, it's definitely up to no good. This King Yun is like a smiling fox, always smiling on the surface, but who knows what evil he's up to behind the scenes.
Lou Wanqiao secretly complained in his heart, but nodded calmly, his tone very formal: "Of course. Your Highness invited me, how dare I refuse? I will drink with Your Highness to my heart's content..."
Before he could finish his polite remarks, he heard some laughter from downstairs.
Lou Wanqiao looked down through the window, his expression slightly startled, and his fingers gripping the teacup unconsciously tightened.
A woman in a light-colored dress was being dragged toward the door by several people. Her arms were still clutching a pipa, and her frail figure looked delicate and helpless. She had just finished performing on stage, and no one knew what had happened. But judging by her expression and the attitudes of those around her, it was clear that it wasn't a good thing.
But what really caught Lou Wanqiao's attention was that face.
Even though they were one floor apart, Lou Wanqiao could still clearly see her facial features and the small mole on her cheek.
It seems like time has gone back to more than ten years ago.
When she was the youngest daughter of the Liu family, she had the best sisters in the world. Her eldest sister was an expert in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, while her second sister was proficient in horseback riding and archery. She was well protected and could learn whatever she was interested in, and her eldest and second sisters would patiently teach her.
Now, the woman downstairs actually looks a bit like her elder sister!
However, half of her face was covered by the veil, and the cracked skin underneath was vaguely visible, making it difficult to see her full appearance.
But these few similarities were enough to distract her.
How could...how could this be?!
Prince Yun was swallowing a mouthful of tea, his eyes fixed on her face, not missing a single expression.
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