Fan Changyu remained silent for two breaths before saying, "Since it's related to my grandfather's grain transport, I'll go with you."
Xie Zheng opened his eyes in the darkness. The truth from seventeen years ago concerned not only himself but also the person before him.
By the moonlight streaming through the window, the outline of Fan Changyu's face was faintly visible, her expression solemn.
Xie Zheng's arm still rested at her waist, and through the thin fabric, he could vaguely feel the raised scar on her abdomen.
There was no telling if this journey was a trap.
The top-tier Martial Assassins under Wei Yan's command were likely no easier to deal with than the imperial Shadow Guards around Qi Min.
He said, "Wait for the young emperor's edict before returning to the capital with the army. Following me into the capital without authorization is a crime punishable by death."
Fan Changyu glared at him. "Do you think I'm afraid?"
Xie Zheng knew her temperament. The corner of his mouth twitched as his gaze softened. He buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply before saying, "I know you're not afraid, but we must always have a backup plan."
His fingers lightly traced the scar at her waist. "The Crown Prince's grandson and his mother are still at the estate. I'll feel better with you here. If I walk into a trap and disappear like the Old Man, take this token. It can mobilize the Blood-Clad Cavalry and the Xie family forces in Huizhou. If things become truly desperate, don't rush to the capital. Persuade Tang Peiyi to support the Crown Prince's grandson. With the bloodline of the Chengde Crown Prince, even if you're forced to remain in the northwest for a time, no one in the court would dare label you as rebels."
Fan Changyu felt an oval token, still warm from his body, pressed into her palm. A complicated feeling rose in her chest as she turned to look at Xie Zheng. "What about you?"
Seeing the worry in her eyes, Xie Zheng pulled her into a tight embrace. "This is just the worst-case scenario. Wei Yan isn't capable enough to make sure I never return."
Fan Changyu clutched the token he'd given her, her heart in turmoil. She buried her face in his solid chest and murmured, "You must be careful."
Xie Zheng's robe had been loosened earlier, and as she pressed her cheek against his bare chest, her warm breath fanned across his skin.
At his age, full of vigor, lying beside the one who held his heart—
He struggled to restrain himself, his throat working several times as he stared at the dark canopy above, nearly surrendering to impulse. "If you're truly worried, why not let me leave an heir for the Xie family?"
The tender moment shattered. Fan Changyu's expression flattened as she reached out and pinched his firm waist hard, eliciting a muffled laugh from Xie Zheng. "Trying to murder your husband?"
When she moved to pinch him again, Xie Zheng caught her wrist.
What started as playful wrestling ended with her pinned beneath him on the bed. Xie Zheng propped himself up to gaze at her for several breaths before suddenly leaning down to kiss her.
His loose hair occasionally brushed her neck—cool and ticklish.
Unlike their previous kisses, he wasn't in a hurry to conquer. Instead, he was patient, tender, as if luring her into something.
And lure her he did—
When Fan Changyu woke the next day, the sun was already high.
The light pouring through the doors and windows was blinding. She squinted against the glare.
Something heavy lay on her chest.
Looking down, she saw Changning sprawled atop the quilt.Aunt Zhao had already cleaned her up. Her hair had grown longer now, and the little buns on either side were neatly tied, adorned with two small bell-shaped velvet flowers.
Resting her chubby hands on her round chin, she beamed and said, "Sister is a big lazy bug today, sleeping in till the sun is high."
Fan Changyu was still drowsy and instinctively wanted to reach out to pat Changning's head. But as memories from last night flooded back, she abruptly stopped herself from lifting her hand out from under the quilt, her expression turning slightly awkward. "I am indeed being lazy today. Ning Niang, could you help fetch some water for me to wash my face?" Her voice was a bit hoarse, likely from just waking up.
Changning rarely got the chance to be tasked by Fan Changyu, so upon hearing the request, she immediately responded with an obedient "Okay!" She jumped down from the bed, slipped on her shoes, picked up the brass basin from the wooden stand, and trotted off to the kitchen to find Aunt Zhao.
Only when the room was empty did Fan Changyu throw off the covers and sit up. Her inner robe hung loosely on her, revealing a trail of messy red marks stretching from her neck down to her shoulders.
Her chest still ached slightly—probably bruised by teeth.
Fan Changyu rubbed her sleep-mussed hair with a look of utter resignation.
She had no idea how things had ended up like this last night.
She wanted to change clothes, but when her gaze fell on her right fingertips, she recalled what Xie Zheng had left on her hands the night before. Even though she had already washed them clean, she subconsciously wiped them again on the discarded garments.
Wait—last night, he had used her undergarment to clean her hands!
Worried that traces might remain and Changning would notice something, Fan Changyu scanned the room for the undergarment she had dirtied the previous night. Spotting it half-dried on the wooden rack, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Then, a strange feeling crept into her heart—had he actually washed that undergarment before leaving?
Her cheeks burned. Fan Changyu rubbed her face and, before Changning returned, rummaged through the clothing chest for a binding cloth to wrap her chest. For convenience in wearing military attire, she usually bound her chest.
But today, it hurt. As she tied the cloth, she glanced down and saw the swollen tips. Pressing her lips together, she recalled the chaos from the latter half of the night, torn between embarrassment and irritation, silently cursing Xie Zheng in her heart.
Fortunately, it was already autumn. Fan Changyu picked out a high-collared robe to cover the marks on her neck.
Yet during the meal, Aunt Zhao somehow noticed them anyway. Remembering the noises she had heard the night before, Aunt Zhao asked, "Changyu, why haven’t we seen Yan Zheng since returning from Chongzhou?"
Fan Changyu nearly choked on her rice.
Back then, to avoid worrying Aunt Zhao, she hadn’t mentioned her separation from Xie Zheng. As for their true identities, she still hadn’t found the right moment to explain to Aunt Zhao and her husband. Now, she could only poke at the grains in her bowl and mumble, "He followed the army to Kangcheng to mop up the remaining rebels. Once the troops return to the capital, he should come back."
Aunt Zhao’s expression turned odd. If that was the case, what were those marks on Fan Changyu’s neck? She probed cautiously, "You two didn’t quarrel, did you?"
Fan Changyu looked bewildered. "No?"
Seeing her reaction, Aunt Zhao grew even more concerned and hesitated before asking, "In the future… do you plan to stay with Yan Zheng, or…?"Fan Changyu misunderstood Aunt Zhao's meaning and said with a frank expression, "Of course, I'll take Ning Niang and you along. You and Uncle are like half my family—how could I leave you behind?"
Aunt Zhao slapped her thigh in frustration. "Who's asking about that? I mean, you're not going to be like those heartless men who get rich overnight, keeping a few at home and a few more outside, are you?"
Xie Wu, who was sweeping the yard, and Xie Qi, who was playing with Changning, both froze in horror at Aunt Zhao's words.
This time, Fan Changyu truly choked, her face turning nearly purple as she pounded her chest.
"Child, slow down! I just asked you a question—how did you end up choking?" Aunt Zhao patted her back, but seeing it wasn't helping, she quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it to Fan Changyu.
After downing the tea, Fan Changyu finally caught her breath.
She asked in confusion, "Auntie, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Aunt Zhao glanced at Xie Wu and Xie Qi, who were busy in the yard but clearly eavesdropping, and pointed at her own neck.
Fan Changyu hurriedly tugged at her collar, realizing she couldn't hide it anymore. But the marks made her too embarrassed, and she drooped her head sheepishly. "Yan Zheng came back last night."
Aunt Zhao's face immediately lit up with joy. "Where is he?"
Fan Changyu finished her tea and said, "He left again."
Afraid Aunt Zhao would press further, she set down the cup and headed out. "Auntie, don't worry about things that aren't even happening. There's still military business to attend to—I'm off to the barracks."
In truth, there wasn't much going on in the military lately. Fan Changyu just didn't want to risk someone noticing the marks on her neck, so she decided to visit Yu Qianqian and her child at the other residence instead.
On the third day after Xie Zheng's departure, Fan Changyu learned from Xie Wu that the Blood-Clad Cavalry had captured Li Huaian and brought him back.
The thought of He Jingyuan's death and the fallen soldiers outside Lucheng made Fan Changyu's blood boil. She couldn't wait to confront Li Huaian.
And she did.
In Xie Zheng's private prison, she saw Li Huaian dressed in tattered clothes, his hair disheveled but his expression calm as he sat on a pile of dry straw. Fan Changyu couldn't suppress the fury rising in her chest. Her voice was icy as she said, "The loyal bones of Lucheng lie dead in vain outside the city. I wonder, Lord Li, have you slept or eaten well these days?"
Li Huaian opened his eyes and looked at her outside the cell. For a moment, pain and shame flickered across his face before settling into bitterness. "If I said I haven't had a single moment of peace, would Miss Fan believe me?"
The image of He Jingyuan's lifeless body standing on Lucheng's city walls and the soldiers who had followed her out of the city only to fall one by one still haunted Fan Changyu. Her gaze was as sharp as a blade. "Save those words for the day the truth comes to light, Lord Li. Say them to the thousands of wronged soldiers who died! The people believe the Li family was as noble as Lord He, yet it was your family that treated their lives as worthless!"
Li Huaian could only smile bitterly. "I've always admired your straightforwardness, Miss Fan, your clear love and hate. But in this world, not everything is black and white. Sometimes, choices must be made. What the Li family has done may be wrong now, but in another decade or two, it might bring Great Yin an era of prosperity."
Fan Changyu clenched her teeth and slammed a fist into the prison wall.
The hard bricks cracked, scattering debris across the floor, and Li Huaian's words abruptly stopped.
He looked up, startled by the anger on Fan Changyu's face.Fan Changyu looked at him coldly: "What gives you the audacity to spout such arrogant words? Is it because you were born into wealth? Never having to worry about putting food on the table like ordinary people? Or because you've read too many books of sages, where suffering is just a flippant line on a page? The dead aren't you or your kin—what right do you have to speak for them, claiming their deaths bought Great Yin a prosperous age?"
This barrage of questions left Li Huaian utterly stunned.
In the end, Fan Changyu only gave Li Huaian a cold, mocking glance before turning to leave the prison. But just then, unusual movement came from the cell door ahead.
Several men dressed in Blood-Clad Cavalry uniforms charged in with bloodied blades, coming face-to-face with Fan Changyu.
In that instant, Fan Changyu realized these men were imposters. She drew the Boning knife she kept at her waist.
The jailbreakers exchanged glances before charging at her with their swords.
The prison corridor was narrow. When Fan Changyu's blade clashed with her opponents', sparks flew. Relying purely on brute strength, she forced the Martial Assassins back, their blades scraping against hers as they retreated.
One assassin tried to ambush her, but Fan Changyu kicked his arm, dislocating it on the spot. His sword clattered to the ground with a metallic clang.
After dealing with the assassins who had stormed the prison, Fan Changyu turned to Li Huaian: "Lord Li, trapped here, still has people risking their lives to rescue him. Yet the soldiers who died outside the city walls—they waited for help until their last breath and got none!"
Li Huaian hung his head, his disheveled hair covering most of his face. "Go save the imperial great-grandson and his mother," he said.
Fan Changyu's expression shifted slightly. "What do you mean?"
Li Huaian's voice was numb with calm. "The jailbreak is just a diversion."
In a flash of insight, Fan Changyu understood—this was a diversionary tactic!
The imposters, disguised as Blood-Clad Cavalry, had attacked the prison, catching the real cavalry off guard. The cavalry would surely dispatch reinforcements, tying up their forces at the prison. If anything happened at the villa now, there'd be no time to send help!
Fan Changyu rushed out without pause, encountering many more fake Blood-Clad Cavalry along the way. Caught off guard, she took a wound to her arm. Unable to distinguish friend from foe, she resorted to striking first at anyone she met.
When Xie Shiyi arrived with reinforcements, he nearly took a slash from Fan Changyu as soon as they crossed paths. Blocking hastily with his blade, he shouted, "Commandant, it's Shiyi!"
Clutching her bleeding arm, Fan Changyu scanned the hundred or so men he'd brought. "Hurry to the villa! That's their real target!"
Xie Shiyi's face paled. He quickly ordered his men, "You few stay to clean up here. The rest, follow me to the villa!"
"I'm coming too," Fan Changyu said.
Xie Shiyi glanced at her, likely realizing he couldn't stop her, and tossed her a bottle of травма medicine. "Then be careful, Commandant."
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