Chapter 102 Pei Lang Makes His Move "Xiao Ting has been competitive since childhood, and he's good at everything..."
"Lin Zhi! You go first! Fang Shiyun and I will cover our retreat!"
When Xie Zheng caught up, he saw the two of them protecting Lin Zhi behind them. Pei Lang then forced a miserable smile: "So that's how it is. So Xie Zheng did this to hold me back."
"If it weren't for today's assassin, would I have only noticed you after you completely disappeared from my sight?!"
"You were never truly reconciled. What about all those kisses, all that affection? Were they all obtained through deception?"
"You lied to me!"
Pei Lang roared, each word dripping with blood, making Lin Zhi's eyes sting with tears.
"Maybe so, maybe there are feelings involved, but you lied and I lied."
"We were never in love; all that remained between us was torment."
"Pei Lang, let me go, even if it's just for the sake of our past relationship, even if it's just for Mianmian, you can't give me what I want."
"Power, status, high office, and generous titles—you can get whatever you want just by reaching out. I'll only hold you back."
"What use are these things to me if I don't have you!"
Pei Lang could no longer control himself and took two steps forward to grab Lin Zhi's forearm. It was like an iron claw, and no matter how much Lin Zhi struggled, she could not break free.
"Ah Zhi, I don't want it anymore, I don't want anything anymore..."
"I don't want my official position or reputation, please don't leave..."
Pei Lang's tear fell onto the back of his hand, burning Lin Zhi's heart with pain, yet she could see it clearly.
I could clearly see the obsession in Pei Lang's eyes.
She thought of how many nights Pei Lang had spent with a candle until dawn, just to read those memorials and national policies.
She pried his hands apart one by one, her eyes overflowing with pain, but under Pei Lang's burning gaze, she gently shook her head: "Our paths were never meant to be."
"I don't want to go with you."
"You've lied to me before, so which time should I believe the truth?"
Pei Lang's taut facial muscles trembled uncontrollably, making him look frighteningly grotesque.
"Lin Zhi!"
"Don't go."
Pei Lang suddenly grabbed her arm, pulled her into his embrace, and raised his sword to stab the assassin who was trying to attack her from behind, killing him instantly.
Feeling the warmth of her body in his arms, he trembled as he wrapped his arms around her back, his voice almost pleadingly low: "Don't go..."
"Hmm!"
Pei Lang was pushed away by her, and looked down in disbelief at the short knife stuck in his chest, feeling extreme pain.
Lin Zhi, her face also streaked with tears, pushed him away and quickly left without looking back.
With a "thud," Pei Lang lay down on the blood-stained snow, watching helplessly as Fang Shiyun followed Lin Zhi away and disappeared.
Xie Zheng frowned as he looked at the disheveled man on the ground. He then raised his hand and wiped out the few remaining assassins in one fell swoop. He squatted down and looked at him with some pity.
"If only you had known this would happen, you wouldn't have done it in the first place."
"When you deceived Lin Zhi, didn't you ever think that she would be hurt?"
Pei Lang stared at him with wide eyes, but blood welled up from the corner of his mouth, and he couldn't speak.
"Young Master Xie? We heard the commotion while patrolling this area. Who are these people?"
Xie Zheng had just helped Pei Lang up from the ground when he saw the Imperial Guards leading men into the Pei residence.
Xie Zheng glanced casually at a slightly shorter figure, then calmly looked away: "It's nothing, just some petty thieves, we've already taken care of them."
"If it is convenient, please ask His Majesty to send an imperial physician here."
"yes!"
The pain of Lin Zhi being taken away from her was a thousand times, ten thousand times worse than the pain of being stabbed in the heart.
The extreme pain made Pei Lang unable to lie down any longer. He suddenly opened his eyes, his body covered in cold sweat as if he had been pulled out of the water.
"Your Excellency, you're awake? I was so worried about you after you'd been unconscious for several days!"
Looking at the familiar imperial physician in front of him, Pei Lang shook his still dizzy head, but was quickly stopped by someone.
"My lord, you mustn't! The remaining poison in your body hasn't been cleared yet; you absolutely mustn't do this!"
Pei Lang leaned back on the couch, staring blankly at what was in front of him: "What day is it?"
The imperial physician sighed with emotion: "Today is the tenth day since you fell into a coma. If you had not woken up by today, I was afraid that... Fortunately, by the grace of Heaven, you have escaped unharmed."
"From now on, all I need to do is rest and recuperate."
But these words were incredibly grating to Pei Lang's ears. The assassins' poison hadn't killed him yet, but the moment he saw Lin Zhi about to leave, he really wanted to die.
Without her, it doesn't matter whether I live or die.
"My lord! We've investigated. These people aren't ordinary assassins; they came from... the palace."
Xingyun placed a shattered jade pendant in front of Pei Lang, her expression grim.
"Your Majesty has gone too far. You are so loyal, why would he doubt you? Doesn't this break my heart?"
The gauze on Pei Lang's chest was faintly stained with blood, which made Xingyun's eyes ache with pity, but Pei Lang seemed oblivious and continued his actions without noticing.
"It doesn't matter anymore. Since Xiao Ting sent the Imperial Guards here, it means he didn't intend to kill me. He just wanted me to remember his kindness."
“But he dared to lay a hand on Lin Zhi, which is more devastating than killing me.”
"Throw those people's bodies into a mass grave. Don't spread the word that you know their identities; just pretend you don't know."
Upon hearing this, Xingyun became anxious and quickly braced himself on the table in front of him: "My lord! How can this matter be left like this? That stuff contains deadly poison. If it weren't for Physician Xu who came, I'm afraid you wouldn't have been able to save your life!"
Pei Lang's voice was hoarse, not only because it was dry from not drinking water for many days, but also because of the lingering effects of the poison.
He raised his hand and coughed a few times, then waved for Xingyun to leave.
Only after Xingyun reluctantly left did Jifeng emerge from the shadows.
"My lord, I have done everything you instructed."
Pei Lang coughed lightly twice more: "Xiao Yuze's medicine cannot be stopped for fifteen days, so that Xiao Ting and his wife won't miss it. You need to keep a close eye on him at all times."
"Once these fifteen days pass, he will live with the antidote in my hands for the rest of his life."
"Yes...but..."
Jifeng hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopped, while Pei Lang sneered, "Do you think I'm too ruthless?"
"Do you think Xiao Yuze is innocent?"
Jifeng immediately knelt down and bowed his head: "Your subordinate dares not!"
“What you did was right, sir; it was just that I hadn’t thought it through enough.”
Pei Lang gripped the dagger that had been pulled from his chest; it was the only thing left after Lin Zhi left.
He stared at the dagger in his hand with an almost greedy look, but his eyes were devoid of any warmth: "It doesn't matter. What matters is that he is Xiao Ting's son."
"Everything Xiao Ting is doing now is to ensure that the Xiao family's empire falls into the hands of the Xiao family."
“Xiao Ting has been competitive since childhood and always wants the best of everything. So I will deliberately put the weakest and sickest crown prince on the throne. Then I will let this retired emperor see what it feels like to have his most desired thing destroyed in front of him.”
"Madam, have you found any leads?"
Just as Jifeng was about to leave, he was stopped in his tracks by these words: "...Young Master Fang used a caravan to mislead us and we lost track of him, but at least we know that he went to the Jiangnan region."
Pei Lang raised his hand and pinched his throbbing temples. "Go down."
Now, whenever he closes his eyes, he remembers Lin Zhi's tears that day. Lin Zhi was right; he used to be a jerk.
He refused to defend himself; what was done was done, regardless of reasons or excuses.
But he couldn't let Lin Zhi leave like that.
She hadn't heard the news of Chao Ya entering the palace as a concubine yet, and she couldn't keep holding a grudge against herself because of this.
He had wronged Lin Zhi once, and the same thing must not happen again.
"Sir, would you like a meal or a room at the inn?"
Fang Shiyun looked around the inn and casually tossed a heavy silver ingot to the waiter: "Take this silver, and you'll get two superior rooms."
The waiter's eyes lit up, and he quickly stuffed the silver into his pocket, saying, "Please, please! Please come in quickly!"
"Young master is truly generous. Rest assured, I will make sure you have a comfortable stay!"
"By the way, young master, judging from your attire, you don't seem to be from Jiangnan. Are you from the capital?"
Although Fang Shiyun was usually unreliable, his expression turned serious now that he was with Lin Zhi and the child: "Stop talking nonsense and go arrange a superior room!"
"If you keep nagging, I'm not going to stop!"
"Alright, alright! I won't say anything more!"
But as soon as he turned around, he couldn't help but scoff and say, "What's so great about him? He's just from the capital. Aren't there plenty of people from the capital these days?"
After settling into the room, Fang Shiyun went to the carriage to pick up Lin Zhi and her daughter.
“I noticed that although the road into the city is not far, it has been so long since you have returned, so I sent people ahead of time to prepare the house.”
"Let's stay at this inn for the night."
The little one in her arms had suffered a lot during the bumpy journey these days, and even the wet nurse had difficulty soothing her, so Lin Zhi had to take it upon herself to comfort her.
Fortunately, things were relatively peaceful today; Mianmian was sleeping soundly, and we didn't wake her even after getting off the carriage.
Looking at Fang Shiyun bustling around, Lin Zhi's expression was somewhat complicated: "Thank you very much, Young Master Fang. I really don't know how to thank you enough."
Fang Shiyun waved his hand, saying, "We're friends, there's no need for thanks. Honestly, if I really have to thank you..."
Fang Shiyun's voice trailed off, and Lin Zhi looked away uncomfortably. After a moment of sadness, Fang Shiyun perked up again: "If you want to thank me, then let Mianmian be my goddaughter. When she grows up, she'll have to follow her son-in-law and take care of me!"
Lin Zhi, who had been away for over ten days, rarely showed a smile. She nodded softly, "Of course, but I wonder if Pei Lang will make things difficult for Young Master Xie..."
Although it was just a casual remark, Lin Zhi's expression changed almost imperceptibly. Even though so much time had passed, her heart still ached whenever Pei Lang was mentioned.
These days, she has been constantly thinking about the knife wound in his chest. The scene was too chaotic at the time, and she only realized that Pei Lang was already injured after she took action.
Pei Lang had never shown any weakness or helplessness in front of her, but that fleeting glance he gave her as he collapsed was etched into Lin Zhi's heart, something she could never forget.
"Granny, you don't need to stay here anymore. Go and rest. I'll take care of Mianmian tonight."
After receiving permission, the wet nurse left, leaving only Lin Zhi and Mianmian, one big and one small, in the main room.
The little one is now lying on the couch and can do it all. She keeps grabbing her little hand and nibbling on it. Lin Zhi finds it amusing, but she doesn't forget to take her hand out of her mouth and wipe it clean.
But when Mianmian saw the handkerchief in her hand, it was as if she had seen something fun, and she waved her little hand and reached out to grab it.
Seeing that she was unusually lively, Lin Zhi also used a handkerchief to tease her.
Although it was still not very clear, Lin Zhi was stunned and didn't know how to react.
She belatedly unfolded the handkerchief and realized that it was the handkerchief she had grabbed in her haste to leave, seemingly from a box she had carelessly opened.
But this wasn't her usual color; it was a color she liked before she went to Pingyi.
After coaxing her daughter to sleep, Lin Zhi sat down by the candlelight to examine her closely.
Although the handkerchief was very well preserved, you could still see that the stitches were from several years ago. It seemed to be the one she had given to Pei Lang before.
Lin Zhi put down the handkerchief, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she couldn't help but reminisce.
She had assumed Pei Lang had long since thrown these things away, given how long ago they'd been stored away; she never expected him to keep them so carefully...
A bittersweet feeling welled up inside Lin Zhi, and she couldn't help but wonder what things would be like now if they hadn't deceived each other from the beginning...
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