Chapter 71: Surrender your love, and the wind and clouds will disperse
The prison in the military camp was not as impenetrable as the prison of the Ministry of Justice. It was equipped with basic torture instruments. Lu Tingwan was sent to the detention center, which was a temporary interrogation room surrounded by military tents.
Xie Zhao's limbs were bound with iron chains and his body was covered with wounds. It was not until the curtains were drawn aside that the flickering candlelight in the room and the sounds of iron chains rattling appeared. Xie Zhao opened his eyes and his blurry figure gradually became clear in the halo of light.
"Jiang Yanli..." He rolled his eyes to make sure he could see more clearly. It was not until Lu Tingwan spoke that the person in front of him came alive.
"Xie Zhao."
"Jiang Yanli, you are still alive." A heavy voice came out of the hoarse throat, the deep facial features looked even more vicissitudes of life, the lips were cracked, the beard was growing everywhere, and the eyes were dull. Is this still the majestic boss?
"Did they give you any trouble?" Xie Zhao remembered that she was hit by Bai Tu's arrow. Her complexion was not good-looking, pale and colorless, and she couldn't even straighten her back.
That was because Lu Tingwan had a chest injury.
"Are you okay with your injuries?"
She shook her head. The moment she saw the person, she couldn't stop crying. She choked and said, "Bai Tu is dead..."
"Xie Zhao, I'm sorry..."
Only after Xie Zhao was escorted back to the military camp did he realize that even without Lu Tingwan, none of them could escape tonight. The brothers who had left from the cliff at the back of the mountain had been intercepted by the soldiers who were defending Qingyao Mountain, and they had nowhere to retreat.
"It's not your fault." Xie Zhao's cracked lips showed a hint of smile, with a sense of helplessness and comfort in his expression.
"No," Lu Tingwan broke down, unable to contain herself any longer. "It was me. It was the mark I left that Cheng Xianzhi saw through, allowing the army to successfully encircle and suppress the enemy. Bai Tu was right, it's all my fault..."
"If you hadn't taken the ignition device, no one would have survived the explosion." The sound of iron locks covered Lu Tingwan's sobs. "It was you who saved everyone, Jiang Yanli."
Lu Tingwan was immersed in self-blame, and he struggled to raise his arms that were trapped by the iron chains, just enough to touch her.
Xie Zhao just lightly brushed the loose hair on her cheek, which was soaked with tears. He felt the warmth but did not dare to stay a step longer, even if he wanted to wipe her tears at this moment, he did not.
"I heard Cheng Xianzhi call you Lu Tingwan?" Xie Zhao's face was bitter. He vaguely realized that she didn't just know Cheng Xianzhi through business in Kyoto.
Lu Tingwan gathered his emotions, paused for a moment, and said, "My father is Lu Mingqian, the left servant of the current dynasty."
"Xie Zhao," Lu Tingwan said, looking up at him. "Cheng Xianzhi intends to surrender. Although he acts ruthlessly, he will not look down on anyone who is useful to the court just because of their background."
"You've come to Kyoto, built great achievements, and realized your ambitions. You've got all the skills you need, but you've been troubled by the lack of a clear path. Now the path is right before your eyes. Why not give it a try?"
"Do you want me to surrender?" Xie Zhao asked, "Will the bandit army have a good place to go after entering Kyoto, Jiang Yanli?"
"If it were someone else, I don't know, but if it was Cheng Xianzhi, I would definitely do it." Lu Tingwan was firm again, because she knew that Cheng Xianzhi wanted to subdue the bandit army in order to have his own army, and this army must submit to him wholeheartedly and be at his disposal. Xie Zhao was the leader of the bandit army, and it would be enough to subdue Xie Zhao alone.
Therefore, when such a group of troops entered the capital, Cheng Xianzhi had to have a place to properly accommodate them, otherwise everything would be in vain. Cheng Xianzhi was smart and calculating, and thought more than anyone else.
"The empire has just been settled. The current monarch has lost power, and foreign relatives are interfering in politics. There are multiple factions within the court, and the world is unstable. As a result, the people are still undecided and have ambitions but cannot realize them." Lu Tingwan's starry eyes gathered light again. "Xie Zhao, why don't you try a different path?"
Before his death, Bai Tu also advised him to change his way of life, but he himself didn't know what he was insisting on.
After a long while, Xie Zhao chuckled: "But, I don't have any relatives or friends in Kyoto."
"Neither have I..."
"You are not from the Lu family..."
Lu Tingwan interrupted and said, "But if the brothers from Baita Village go with you, you won't be alone anymore."
Xie Zhao naturally wouldn't understand what Lu Tingwan said at this moment.
"Will you return to Kyoto too?"
Lu Tingwan lowered his eyes and agreed.
She had no choice. Cheng Xianzhi refused to give her the divorce papers and wanted to negotiate terms with her again. He wanted to keep her. Even if Lu Tingwan didn't agree, Cheng Xianzhi would have other means to make her go back.
That cage that was like purgatory to her was one she would never set foot in again, but after only half a year, she had to go back.
"Cheng Xianzhi asked you to come." Xie Zhao's gaze enveloped her entire body, as if he saw through her. "I agree to surrender. Please tell me that if Cheng Xianzhi cannot promise a good place for my brothers, I, Xie Zhao, will never yield."
As night fell, Lu Tingwan dragged himself back exhausted to report. Han Zhou had been waiting outside the military tent for a long time.
"Thank you for the trip, Madam. When we return to Kyoto, His Excellency will certainly remember your contribution."
Lu Tingwan covered his chest, enduring the tearing pain. The wound seemed to be torn open, and his breathing was unstable.
"I want to see him."
"Your Excellency has been waiting for good news from the Second Madam for a long time." Han Zhou led his men back to the main tent. It was Cheng Xianzhi's tent where Lu Tingwan slept after he was injured and fell unconscious.
The moonlight set quietly, and Qingyao Mountain returned to calm. The early spring wind was filled with dew. She had already used up a lot of energy to walk back from the detention tent.
Cheng Xianzhi was reading documents under the oil lamp. He did not look up after Lu Tingwan entered. Only Han Zhou spoke and then left. The room was silent for a long time.
Lu Tingwan coughed lightly a few times to attract people's attention.
"Xie Zhao agreed." Cheng Xianzhi slowly put away the documents and walked closer to her. His tone was not one of inquiry, but of affirmation.
Lu Tingwan held her breath. The man's aura was oppressive. "I agree. If you want me to go back to Kyoto with you to fulfill your goal, I have conditions."
"You say." Cheng Xianzhi looked down at her. From this angle, he could see her entire outline, as well as her fair and slender neck. Further down, there was a glaring bloodstain on her chest.
Her wound opened up!
Cheng Xianzhi couldn't bear it: "I'll ask the military doctor to come and change your dressing."
Lu Tingwan was adamant that the deal must be settled now: "After returning to Kyoto, I want Minister Cheng to commend Lu Tingwan for his achievements in front of the Hanzhang Palace."
Cheng Xianzhi's gaze was dark and sinister, and he smiled faintly, "What kind of skill do you want?"
"You connected with the army, revealed the route to Baita Village, helped the army go up the mountain smoothly, and persuaded the bandits to surrender." Lu Tingwan's eyes were firm, and he was sure that he would not refuse.
"Anything else?"
"When I leave, I want the divorce papers. Don't refuse!"
"That's all?"
"That's all!"
"Can."
She breathed a sigh of relief, her remaining strength no longer able to support her body, and she fell heavily. Cheng Xianzhi glanced at her, brought her into his arms, and placed her on the military bed.
The military doctor came to see the patient and gave some important instructions. Not long after, Lu Tingwan woke up.
Cheng Xianzhi was still the only one in the room.
"The military doctor said that you are emotionally unstable, which is not good for your injury. The matter is a foregone conclusion. It's useless to think too much. You should take good care of your injuries now." Lu Tingwan looked from the front of the bed and could only see Su Zheng's back.
The wind blew through the military tent, and in the distance, the night air was filled with insects. Her thoughts were in turmoil. The firelight slowly fell on her cheek, restoring some of her complexion. She slowly closed her eyes and pretended to sleep again.
Han Zhou reported from outside the tent: "Sir, Luo Yunchu wants to see you."
Lu Tingwan's eyes suddenly opened when he heard this.
"No!" Cheng Xianzhi answered quickly.
"Luo Yunchu wants to see the Second Madam."
A moment later, the same answer.
"not see."
"I see." Lu Tingwan lifted the quilt and supported himself. The movement of the military couch made the person sitting there no longer calm.
"Didn't you hear what I said just now?" He blocked the way, covering Lu Tingwan's entire body.
"I have something to ask him now."
After saying that, she walked around Cheng Xianzhi without waiting for his orders. She was not a prisoner, so she was naturally not subject to his restrictions.
Han Zhou saw someone coming out, and he felt something was wrong. He glanced inside as he spoke: "Then, I'll take the second wife with me."
Cheng Xianzhi frowned and had no expression on his face.
Luo Yunchu was waiting in a pavilion outside the military camp, which was not far away through the military tent. It was still some distance away from the tent. Han Zhou protected him all the way. Lu Tingwan walked with difficulty, but did not stop.
Every step she took seemed particularly heavy.
There is a stream under the octagonal pavilion in the distance. Occasionally, you can hear the sound of frogs in early spring along the stream. In the distance are cultivated rice fields. The green branches that have just grown are not very long and have already taken root. When the night wind blows, the wheat waves roll in.
Lu Tingwan was wearing thin clothes and couldn't help shivering slightly in the wind. In the dim night, they could see each other's faces clearly.
Luo Yunchu's eyes were filled with tenderness and pity. Seeing that she looked unhappy, his tone became gentle.
"Yan Li." He strode forward, and Lu Tingwan stepped back.
"How did you get to Tanzhou?" Lu Tingwan asked coldly, with an indescribable sense of alienation in his voice.
Luo Yunchu didn't know where her vigilance towards him came from.
"Ever since you left Kyoto without saying goodbye, I've been looking for news about you," Luo Yunchu said from a distance, not daring to get too close. "Feng Xin said you were gone, and Zhichunli has closed its doors."
Lu Tingwan fell into deep thought, and facing him at this moment, she had the illusion that she was in another world.
It seems like something that happened a long, long time ago.
"You showed up in Tanzhou. Was it Cheng Xianzhi who asked you to come?"
"No, your cleansing cream is very popular in Tanzhou. The Tanzhou Chamber of Commerce wanted to use it to discuss cooperation with Jingdu. I followed this clue to find your whereabouts. When I arrived at Qingyao Mountain, I saw the scene at the peak."
"Yanli, what on earth happened? Why did you leave Kyoto without saying goodbye? And with the injuries on your body..."
Lu Tingwan said with disdain: "Shouldn't you be asking me why I appeared in Cheng Xianzhi's military tent?"
"Luo Yunchu, you already knew my identity, didn't you?"
Luo Yunchu was speechless, his throat seemed to be stuck by a sandbag and he couldn't make a sound.
"You know I'm Lu Mingqian's daughter, and you also know I'm Cheng Xianzhi's concubine," she said, approaching step by step, her eyes gradually turning red in the moonlight. "Let me ask you, when I told you earlier that I was married, did you already know my identity?"
"Yes." Luo Yunchu gritted his teeth and blurted out a word.
"When did you find out?"
Facing Lu Tingwan's questioning one after another, Luo Yunchu felt as empty as a piece of floating wood.
"Yan Li, I know your identity, but I have never..."
"Never what?"
"You've never lied to me? Or you've never taken advantage of my identity? Get close to him, unite with Cheng Xianzhi, make him promise you, and get everything you want." The pain in Lu Tingwan's heart had overshadowed the pain of the arrow wound. Compared to Cheng Xianzhi's straightforward exploitation and the cruel truth, Luo Yunchu's concealment and exploitation made her more heartbroken.
"Only towards you have I never had any second thoughts. I know you wouldn't give up your achievements in Kyoto for me, and I've never thought of asking you to give up anything for me. At least when everyone else abandoned me, I thought you were the only one who could support me, but no, I was wrong..."
"I misjudged him. He was right. No one can be trusted. I was too naive..."
That was the first seed she planted in Kyoto. Together they witnessed the growth and prosperity of Zhichunli. They spent several nights in Fenglin Lane, discussing the Rejuvenating Cream, Jade Dew Cream, and Chamber of Commerce agency with candlelight.
Luo Yunchu was the only person whose ideas were consistent with hers. Every time she made a decision, he would analyze the pros and cons before letting her make her own decision.
He is both a teacher and a friend, and it was also the first time my heart was moved.
"Yan Li, I didn't mean to hide this from you..."
"I heard everything you said to Tianshu in the guild hall." Lu Tingwan asked the question that had been pent up in his heart for a long time, and got the answer, like a broken body struggling out of the quagmire.
A strong wind blew across the grass, as if it wanted to sweep away that wonderful encounter into the darkness, leaving it with no place to return.
In an instant, Luo Yunchu's body shook slightly, as if a blood vessel had been stimulated, and he remained motionless.
He opened his mouth to explain, but Lu Tingwan didn't give him a chance.
"The love between you and me has been gone since the night I left Kyoto. Our separation is like falling rain."
"Jiang Yanli!" Luo Yunchu felt a surge of anxiety in his heart, his delicate features becoming increasingly ferocious. "I know you're Cheng Xianzhi's type, but the words I said to you before were sincere..."
At first, he might have just wanted to use Lu Tingwan's relationship to achieve his own goals.
But later he gradually fell into this conspiracy. Lu Tingwan had an innate energy and the same arrogant and wanton smile as before. No matter how he looked at her, she didn't look like a girl locked up behind high walls.
She had said that she would divorce her husband, so she did not regard Cheng Xianzhi as an enemy in her heart. He also knew that Lu Tingwan was just a relationship of interest to Cheng Xianzhi.
"Whatever true feelings we had in the past, I don't want to pursue them anymore. From now on, you and I are strangers."
Lu Tingwan turned around and resolutely returned to the military camp, leaving Luo Yunchu alone standing solemnly in the cold wind, looking as dilapidated as if washed away by heavy rain.
"Jiang Yanli..." He shouted behind her, wanting to keep her, but Lu Tingwan didn't even look at her.
Deep in the military camp, the shadow that had been watching the two of them for a long time gradually disappeared into the moonlight.
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