After the execution, Ji Zhuo was carried on a stretcher by two eunuchs and placed in the carriage that Lin Xihe had come in.
The wheels rolled slowly, making a dull thud, and the carriage began to move forward.
Ji Zhuo, who had been lying on the stretcher, clenched his teeth and struggled to sit up.
The carriage was already cramped, and his movement made Lin Xihe's heart leap into her throat.
Seeing his weak appearance, Lin Xihe's eyes instantly reddened, and tears welled up uncontrollably. She said in a sobbing voice, "Don't sit up, be careful not to touch your wound."
Ji Zhuo gave a gentle smile and softly reassured him, "It's nothing. Those two eunuchs are in charge of carrying out the punishments. My injury is just for show; it looks serious, but it didn't damage any bones or tendons."
"Really?" Lin Xihe asked doubtfully, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Okay, don't cry. Even superficial wounds hurt. Don't make me feel sorry for you anymore."
Ji Zhuo took a slight breath, and once his breathing had stabilized, he asked, "You were summoned to the palace today for the matter of the arranged marriage?"
Lin Xihe gently shook her head, her hair swaying gently with the movement.
"The arranged marriage was just announced before you arrived, so why are you here?"
"Lang Yue saw you when he left the palace today. Next time, if he summons you again, pretend to be sick and delay, wait for me." Ji Zhuo's expression was serious, his eyes full of worry.
"I did think about looking for you, but neither you nor Qinghuai are in the manor, so how can I find you..." Lin Xihe's tone was slightly aggrieved as she pouted, thinking to herself that the emperor could have just told Gu Qinghuai directly instead of summoning her.
“I will tell you my whereabouts from now on.” After saying this, Ji Zhuo looked Lin Xihe up and down again, and then asked, “You still haven’t said why His Majesty summoned you to the palace?”
"Did you encounter any obstacles when you sent Lang Feng to Nanzhao?" Lin Xihe did not answer directly, but instead posed another question, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes.
"They did not go together, but split into different caravans. They were all led by locals from Nanzhao, and there were no obstacles along the way. However, when they reached Diancang Mountain, the security was particularly tight."
Ji Zhuo spoke truthfully, and then looked at Lin Xihe quietly with a hint of inquiry in his eyes, waiting for her to continue.
Although she chose him, she always kept things hidden from him, which made Ji Zhuo somewhat dissatisfied. This feeling of not being fully trusted made him feel like he was being pricked by needles, leaving him with a bitter taste.
"Has His Majesty sent anyone to inquire about Qinghuai's whereabouts?"
"As far as I know, there were. More than one batch. It's just that I didn't pay attention to my relationship with him at the time."
He was always busy with affairs in the Western Regions, and since he had to take several days off each month to go to Moyu City, he really didn't have the extra energy to find out the whereabouts of his love rival. Naturally, his subordinates wouldn't provoke him, so they deliberately talked about Gu Qinghuai.
"Did His Majesty send anyone on our way back to the capital?"
"I don't know. Give me a day, and I'll send someone to investigate." Ji Zhuo immediately agreed.
"Don't investigate yet."
The emperor is no pushover. He just told Lin Xihe today that Ji Zhuo would investigate tomorrow, which will definitely arouse the emperor's suspicion.
If anyone is to investigate, it should be Gu Qinghuai. She needs to tell Gu Qinghuai about what happened today first, as she knows she is not good at these political maneuvers.
"If I don't investigate, who do you plan to have investigate?"
Ji Zhuo's dark eyes narrowed, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face. His tone carried a questioning undertone: "I don't understand, why did you hide something from me after you've already decided to choose me?"
"Look at you, you know that after I chose you, your expectations of me have changed." Lin Xihe's tone carried a hint of coquetry, trying to let the matter drop.
Ji Zhuo was stunned by Lin Xihe's words. He hadn't expected her to say that: "You still have the nerve to talk back? Xi'er, I'm going to be your husband in the future. I don't want any secrets between us."
Lin Xihe quickly nodded in agreement: "Okay, okay, next time."
Gu Qinghuai's intention to overthrow Xiao Yugan was a secret she couldn't easily reveal, even though she trusted Ji Zhuo.
Ji Zhuo agreed to investigate Lin Bin's matter, but how could he casually utter such a treasonous act as rebellion?
Moreover, Lin Xihe was not sure if there was a misunderstanding involved.
Seeing that Lin Xihe was truly unwilling to bring up the matter, Ji Zhuo didn't press the issue. They had finally come this far, and he didn't want to create further discord between them.
After Lin Xihe escorted Ji Zhuo back to the Ji residence, Tao Musheng immediately came to apply medicine to Ji Zhuo.
At this moment, Chu Yunni also rushed over. Only after hearing Doctor Tao say it was just a superficial wound and not a serious injury did she feel relieved. After a while, Chu Yunni tactfully left the two of them alone.
Chu Yunni naturally felt sorry for her son, but when she thought about how the beating was for breaking off the engagement and trespassing in the Imperial Garden, she felt that the injury was not too serious.
After Chu Yunni left, Lin Xihe quietly said to Ji Zhuo, "Luckily, your mother didn't blame me." There was a hint of relief in her tone.
"Now that she has fully accepted you, she naturally has no prejudice against you."
Lin Xihe held a fan and gently fanned Ji Zhuo's back. She couldn't even bear to look directly at the several open wounds on Ji Zhuo's back; just looking at them was shocking.
Especially when she recalled the scene of her clothes sticking to her skin, Lin Xihe couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine and subconsciously grimaced.
Seeing Lin Xihe's expression, Ji Zhuo finally couldn't help but ask, "What's with that expression?"
"Thank goodness it didn't hit me, I'm terrified of pain..."
Lin Xihe blurted out, her face still showing a hint of lingering fear.
Ji Zhuo was speechless for a moment, looking at her, not knowing how to respond.
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