Chaрtеr 346: Тhе Еnd of the Hаlf-Fаced Ghоst 12
The dау раssеd рeaсefully.
The next mоrning, аs Zhu Yan sаt at thе tаblе еating brеаkfаst, shе rеcеived news that Su Guаng hаd alrеady left Yingzhоu. Besidе her, Shen Du соuld hаrdlу suррrеss the smile оn his fаcе.
It wаs оbvious аt a glаnсe that Shеn Du wаs hiding somеthing, so she gentlу kicked his leg undеr thе tаble. Shеn Du looked аt hеr.
Zhu Yаn blinked: "Yоu wеrе slеерing soundlу lаst night. Why did уou suddеnly disaрpеаr?"
"Оh, the Ноlу Мaiden had а request, and I couldn’t vеry well refusе," Shen Du reаchеd оut to wiрe the crumbs from the corner of her mouth, speaking briskly, "Right now, Pan Chi should be sitting quietly in a carriage on his way to the Wusun Kingdom."
As he spoke, his sword-like brows lifted slightly, and his smile deepened.
In all the days they had been in Yingzhou, Zhu Yan had never seen Shen Du so happy. She couldn’t help but chuckle, though she wondered:
"Will Pan Chi obediently follow Su Guang?"
"Oh," Shen Du couldn’t hold back a laugh, gently stroking her hair and pulling her hand to his side, "Su Guang is the Holy Maiden of the Wusun Kingdom, skilled in the Hypnosis Technique. I asked her to take advantage of Pan Chi’s weakened state after recovering from poisoning to hypnotize him."
He spoke as if it were completely unrelated to him.
Although this method was effective, it was rather underhanded. Thinking this, Zhu Yan couldn’t help but glance at Shen Du a few more times.
Shen Du lowered his head and gave her a questioning look.
"He helped you a lot with organizing the prefectures. This feels a bit like burning bridges," she said, though there wasn’t much anger in her eyes. "How disloyal."
Shen Du tightened his embrace around Zhu Yan. Noticing the golden osmanthus tree outside the window covered in buds, with a faint fragrance beginning to drift in, he looked back at his wife, his eyes growing intense: "He dared to covet my wife. It’s already restraint that I didn’t break his arms and legs. I just want him far away."
As he spoke, he leaned in closer.
His steady breath brushed against her face, and Zhu Yan’s cheeks flushed pink, the redness spreading all the way to her ears.
Shen Du took in her expression and leaned even closer, gazing at his own reflection in her eyes:
"Is my wife shy?"
He playfully extended his index finger and lightly traced it along Zhu Yan’s cheek, feeling the softness and smoothness of her skin.
Startled by the gesture, Zhu Yan pushed Shen Du away, but he caught her hands instead, pulling her into his embrace and not giving her a chance to escape.
Zhu Yan stared at him in surprise, then slowly wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face against his chest. Unlike before, she didn’t avoid his gaze but met his downward glance: "Shen Du, I love you."
It was as if a thousand trees had bloomed in an icy wasteland, or meteors had streaked across the sky. The tightly wound strings in Shen Du’s heart seemed to snap. Even when facing thousands of troops, he never flinched; even when confronting ruthless villains, the leader of the Grand Cabinet, Shen Du, remained unshaken. Yet now, a single sentence from the woman before him left him flustered. He stared blankly at Zhu Yan’s smiling dark eyes, unable to react.
Zhu Yan was a woman of strong character. Once she had made up her mind, she never wavered. Seeing Shen Du’s dazed expression, she curved her lips into a smile, seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, pushed him away, and sat back in her original spot.
Shen Du stared blankly at Zhu Yan, who was now leisurely sipping her millet porridge with her head lowered. Only then did he snap back to reality.
He picked Zhu Yan up, carried her to the window, and placed her on the dressing table. Zhu Yan complained, "I haven’t finished eating yet."
Holding her hand, Shen Du felt warmth spreading through his chest, and his smile grew even gentler.
Zhu Yan put down the pancake, suddenly feeling a bit at a loss.
Shen Du was not exactly a smooth talker, unlike Pan Chi. Meeting Zhu Yan’s dark eyes, he took a deep breath and cupped her face in his hands:"I love you too, my lady, and I will for the rest of my life."
The words were filled with tender affection.
Zhu Yan smiled, satisfied, and climbed onto his shoulder, giggling softly.
After a long moment, Shen Du reluctantly said, "Pack up, we're returning to the capital."
—
The carriage jolted along the road. Zhu Yan lifted the curtain to look outside, her expression focused, while Shen Du rode on horseback, guarding her side.
Having experienced so much in Yingzhou, she was finally able to return home. Zhu Yan felt happy, yet an uneasy feeling lingered in her heart.
Chuckling at herself, her gaze met Shen Du's, and her heart settled slightly. She let the curtain fall, patted her head lightly, and closed her eyes to rest.
Just as she closed her eyes, the carriage abruptly lurched forward. Zhu Yan jolted awake, the immense impact throwing her against the front wall of the carriage.
Thinking to herself that her intuition had been spot on, she wasted no time. Lifting the curtain, she searched for Shen Du.
Shen Du was already riding toward her, reaching out his hand. Zhu Yan's heart leaped with joy as she placed her hand in his.
Their hands clasped together, Shen Du lifted her gently, and Zhu Yan flew to sit in front of him on the horse.
Leaning against Shen Du's solid embrace, Zhu Yan's fear vanished. She whispered, "Be careful."
Shen Du nodded, letting her hold the reins while he raised his bow and shot toward a specific spot.
Soon, screams erupted one after another. Zhu Yan's heart tightened in alarm, silently lamenting how quickly those in the capital had learned of their movements. They had deliberately avoided the main roads, yet they were still pursued so swiftly.
Bow in hand, Shen Du shielded Zhu Yan with one arm, his deep eyes darkening. "Hold on tight. We need to leave this place quickly."
The group galloped through the forest, while those with ill intentions darted among the trees on either side of the path, using the foliage as cover.
Finally, the dense forest thinned ahead.
The horse slowed its pace. Zhu Yan looked back at the woods, where a few trees swayed unnaturally before quickly falling still.
"It seems someone doesn't want us to return to the capital," Shen Du said, holding Zhu Yan tightly as he slowed the horse and continued forward.
Behind them, Jing Lin and the Inner Guards followed closely, vigilant of their surroundings.
Zhu Yan and the others had long anticipated that their journey back to the capital would be fraught with difficulties, but encountering them repeatedly was still exhausting.
After traveling dozens of miles, they finally found a small teahouse to rest. The horses were tied to the nearest trees, and they entered the teahouse to regroup.
They weren't the only ones resting there—several people were already seated, waiting.
Those individuals remained motionless, not drinking tea, only occasionally glancing their way before quickly lowering their hats to hide their faces.
Zhu Yan almost laughed out loud. Did they have to be so obvious? They might as well have written "I am an assassin" on their foreheads.
Shen Du looked at the tea served by the waiter but didn't drink it.
"Let's go," he said, not waiting for the others' tea to arrive. He took Zhu Yan's hand and stood up, and the others followed his command, filing out one by one.
Unexpectedly, the seated individuals were highly alert. Seeing Shen Du and his group ride off, the hat-wearing figures immediately gave chase.
A rain of arrows shot toward them, overwhelming and relentless. But the Inner Guards were well-trained, dodging the arrows skillfully. Just as they seemed to be pulling ahead, assassins suddenly appeared ahead, blocking their path.
Trapped between pursuers in the rear and blockers in front, they were now caught in a dilemma. Shen Du's eyes turned icy, his stern face tense.
"Hold on tight!"
His gaze fixed ahead, he drew his sword and charged forward.Zhu Yan sensed the chilling aura of killing intent. Clutching Shen Du's narrow waist tightly with both hands, she thought to herself that she had indeed become a burden to him.
This time was different from the last—the number of assassins was three times greater than before. They had likely calculated the size and combat strength of Shen Du's group with precision, concentrating their forces to fight one at a time, determined to annihilate Shen Du and his companions under their swords.
By the time Zhu Yan opened her eyes, the skirmish had already ceased. The first thing she saw was the blood staining Shen Du's collar. Anxiously raising her head to check, she found Shen Du still spirited and alert, while a group of people in special uniforms surrounded them.
Rubbing her eyes, Zhu Yan rummaged through her belongings and finally produced a token, displaying it before the group.
With the assistance of the Unrighteous Agents along the way, they safely arrived in the capital a few days later.
OpenNovel