Chapter 97 - Next Time

C97 C97: Next Time

At first, no one in the room was able to realize what was going on.

But when she heard the heartbreaking, blushing gasps from the next door, Xie Zhen’s entire body froze. Although she had done nothing with Gao Xun, for some reason, she had the illusion that she was being caught in a scoundrel’s bed.

She twitched the corner of her mouth, just as she was hesitating on whether or not she should explain the whole thing, Yan Yu had already walked in front of her with large strides, grabbing onto her hands without even turning back.

She called out, “Big Brother Xiao Yu, aren’t you going to talk to Gao Xun?”

From her angle, she could only see Yan Yu’s handsome profile and tall nose. She could feel his unhappiness, and she also knew where this unhappiness came from. However, she did not wish for him and Gao Xun to continue on like this. She was afraid that he would regret it in the future.

Yan Yu lowered his voice and said calmly, “There’s nothing much to say. He should not have appeared here. If he knew his own limits, he should have left as soon as possible. ”

Xie Zhen choked, thinking that this person still felt uncomfortable for many years.

If he didn’t care about Gao Xun at all, then why did he come here with him without hesitation when he found out that Gao Xun was going to die?

Words are not true!

Just as he was about to continue walking, Gao Xun called out to him, “Ah Yu.”

He stopped and stood by the door, waiting for him to speak.

Gao Xun’s lips carried a bitter smile, and she said somewhat helplessly, “The one who set this up was the daughter of the one who made the arrangements for the House of Zhan, Lin Huapin.” His finish talking froze, looking at this perfect couple in front of him. It was unknown if he was purposefully provoking them, or if he was speaking with another deeper meaning, “After Ah Zhen marries you, he has suffered setbacks often. Honestly speaking, I am not at ease.”

His eyes darkened as he said emotionlessly, “You don’t need to worry about it. How can you not be worried?”

Gao Xun pretended not to hear his words, and continued to ask: “Last time, when Lingyin Temple was assassinated, this time, Lin Huapin set a trap, and you really protected Ah Zhen perfectly?”

The way he spoke was overbearing to begin with. Even if he was the sibling of Xie Zhen’s father and mother, he shouldn’t have doubted the abilities of a prince with such a doubtful tone. Unexpectedly, he would say such words, and anxiously advised: “Why isn’t Big Brother Gao Xun in the army camp right now? “You’ve been out for too long, shouldn’t you go back?”

Gao Xun chuckled, “I’ve been out since last night, so I’m not in a hurry.”

Each one was more stubborn than the last!

Then, he looked at Yan Yu with an expressionless face. He slowly opened his mouth and asked word by word: “I cannot protect her, who can? “You?”

Gao Xun laughed but did not say a word. If it was not for the fact that they were both of them, he might have even said the word “yes”.

It was this attitude that angered Yan Yu. He called for the guard at the door and instructed him coldly: “Chiliarch Gao has left his duty without a care for the military rules. Immediately return him to the army camp and hand him over to General of Agile Cavalry for punishment.”

The guard entered from the door, grabbed Gao Xun’s arms from the left and right, and dragged him out.

One of the guards did not know that he was injured and did not have any sword wounds on his chest, but he heard him groan with a frown that was extremely light. If not for Xie Zhen constantly paying attention to their expressions, he probably would not have noticed.

Xie Zhen told the two guards to stop and asked uncertainly, “You … Are you hurt? ”

She recalled that it was impossible for Lin Huapin to spread false information for no reason at all. She quickly begged Yan Yu for mercy, shaking his arm, and raising her beautiful almond eyes: “Gao Xun left him here to help me, if not for him, I’m afraid I would have … …” I’m afraid that one of the protagonists in the next room is her. She steadied her heart and continued, “Big Brother Xiao Yu just need to let him go back, don’t punish him … “Okay?”

Yan Yu lifted his hand to caress her eyes, wanting to say something bad, he lightly pursed his lips and did not say a word.

He was obviously unhappy.

Xie Zhen and him looked at each other, neither of them willing to take a step back. Seeing that his aura was becoming more and more unstable, as if it was about to explode, Gao Xun, who was being escorted by the guards, spoke out: “Ah Zhen doesn’t need to plead for me. I’ve violated the military rules, I’ll be punished if I go back.”

Xie Zhen really wanted him to shut up.

Why not sit down and talk calmly?

After a while, Yan Yu ordered the guards to go down. The coldness between his brows became slightly weaker, but his tone was still as cold as ever: “Why are you injured?”

Gao Xun was stunned, obviously not expecting him to ask this, as his aura became chaotic for a moment.

Yan Yu asked again, his tone this time was even more confident than last time, “Is the assassination of the King related to you?”

These words were like a clap of thunder, exploding Xie Zhen’s ears. She had guessed at the possibility of many people making their move against the King, but never at Gao Xun’s level.

Was it really him? Why did he do this?

Xie Zhen’s gaze that was filled with suspicion landed on Gao Xun’s face. Gao Xun recovered from his shock, and suddenly laughed. He was clearly exposed but he did not panic at all. Instead, he spoke in an open and upright manner, “Ah Yu, why didn’t you directly ask if that person was me?”

Yan Yu did not say a word.

He was rather honest, “That’s right, it was me who assassinated the King. The injuries on my body was also caused by him.”

Yan Yu asked in confusion: “You also gave me that letter?”

“It’s me.”

It really was him … He knew what he was doing this for, even without asking. He and Yan Yun had no enmity with each other, the only thing that was implicated was that last time Xie Zhen was killed in Lingyin Temple, he had saved her.

Did he want to kill the Ping Wang to take revenge for Xie Zhen?

Yan Yu looked at him with shining eyes and ridiculed: “Have you ever thought about the consequences of acting so recklessly? If you didn’t escape that night and were caught by the Ping Wang, with his abilities, how would he be unable to find out the relationship between you and the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion? At that time, the entire Duke Dingguo’s Mansion will suffer a calamity alongside you! ”

These words were not serious at all, Yan Yun could completely make use of this opportunity to show that the Gao and Xie Families were very close with each other in the Qing Zhou, and it was not impossible for Gao Xun to be ordered by the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion to kill Gao Xun. At that time, it would not be as simple as Duke Dingguo’s Mansion or even the Crown Prince’s Palace would not be able to escape death.

He was too impulsive.

Gao Xun lower his eyes laughed at himself for a long while: “When I went there, did you not think about the consequences? If I am truly captured, before Yan Yun can question me, I will end my own life. ”

Xie Zhen’s almond eyes opened wide as she exclaimed, “Gao Xun!”

He raised his eyes, looked at Yan Yu, and said with an almost gentle tone of voice. “Ah Yu, I’m smarter than you think.”

Yan Yu choked, held onto Xie Zhen’s hand, then left, “You better behave!”

He suddenly thought of something and stopped by the door: “You must never meet An Wang Fei in private again. If I find out again, I won’t let you off.”

With that, he left decisively, leaving behind only a view of his back and a clear warning.

The room was full of people earlier, but now he was the only one left. He supported the round table with his hands and sat on the embroidered pier, holding onto his chest as he hissed. Although the wound on his chest had more or less healed, there was still some poison that was unclear. Just now, the fire had attacked his heart, and after smelling the incense in the room next door, he was momentarily stifled, almost unable to breathe.

He rested for a while, then waited until his mind was clear before he left the room.

When he passed by Lin Huapin’s room, he casually picked the lock on the door. The room had already calmed down, so even if Lin Huapin woke up tomorrow, he was not worried that she would come to the tavern to make a ruckus. How important was the reputation of a girl? When ordinary people encountered this kind of thing, they would think of ways to conceal it and not openly proclaim it.

He went downstairs, took out a silver ingot from his sleeve, and placed it in the shopkeeper’s hand without leaving a trace. He nodded his head in thanks, and then calmly walked into the endless streets and alleyways.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have a trace of sympathy for the other girls, but if he wanted to choose between Lin Huapin and Xie Zhen, he would undoubtedly stand by Xie Zhen’s side.

He could only blame it on… Lin Huapin was seen through.

After finishing the medicine he took last time, he went to the infirmary to pack another medicine, and was on his way back to the barracks. The streets were crowded. After walking for a while, he suddenly stopped and took out the hairpin that Lin Huapin had given him.

The jade hairpin with gold inlay shone under the setting sun. It was exquisite and dazzling.

Lin Huapin said that this was Xie Zhen’s hairpin. He did not know how this hairpin came to be in Lin Huapin’s possession, so he guessed that Xie Zhen had accidentally lost something because she had picked it up. He forgot to return it to her when he was at the inn, but now that An Wang’s Mansion’s carriage was far away, he couldn’t even catch up to her.

After thinking about it, he slowly walked forward and once again pushed the hairpin back into his clothes.

I should find a chance to return it to her next time … Next time, next time.

*

That night, Lin Huapin did not return. The Lin Family searched for her for an entire day and night, but to no avail.

Madam Lin’s eyes were swollen from crying. She thought that her precious daughter was in danger if she ran into such an evil person.

But the next morning, Lin Huapin came back by himself.

That’s right, she was not accompanied by servant maids, nor was she escorted by carriage, she was the only one who walked in unsteadily from the outside.

The two servant maids s that had been serving her the previous day had noticed that something was amiss. One of them had already fled, while the other did not dare return to the Lin Clan Residence. When Madam Lin heard servant’s message to welcome her, she immediately pulled her into her embrace and said with tears flowing down her face: “How could my son end up like this!”

She did not say anything as she continued to cry in Madam Lin’s embrace. The nightmarish memories of the previous night flooded her mind, and she did not even know who that man was … When she woke up this morning, her whole body was aching. She didn’t even dare to look at the man before she hurriedly ran back from the inn. She didn’t dare think about it. She cried and cried until she fainted in Madam Lin’s arms.

Since then, Lin Huapin rarely went out.

The Lin Family declared that Lin Huapin had contracted a serious illness and needed to recuperate in the Palace for a period of time, so it was inconvenient for them to entertain guests.

However, those who were familiar with the inside information all knew that Lin Huapin was sick, and yet it was a kind of crazy disease. She stayed indoors all day, often shouting at the empty places, crying, shaking and wrapping herself up in the quilt. Madam Lin had sought out many doctors for her, but none of them were able to do anything as they all shook their heads.

Mrs. Lin had asked her what had happened and she had refused to tell her, but when she changed her clothes that day, it was inevitable that she would see the marks on her body.

The servant maids was shocked and quickly reported it to his wife.

When Lady Lin heard this, her eyes darkened and she fainted.

Lin Huapin did not say the truth, but she could only guess that her daughter had been tainted by the criminal. As for who that was … It would be easy to find out with a little investigation.

It was impossible for the Lin Clan to allow their daughter to marry a person who had no future. They secretly ordered people to beat that person up until he was half dead, and they said that he was buried alive on the mountain. As for that inn … The manager had fled a long time ago, and had now closed the door and left the room.

The entire Lin Clan kept this matter a secret. Lin Rui had personally given the order to keep quiet, and if anyone dared to speak of it, they would end up like the shop assistant.

Unfortunately, even so, Lin Huapin still did not return to normal, causing the two old men from the Lin Family to turn pale from worry.

In the main house, Madam Lin sat on the bed and cried, “The painting screen is only fourteen … It’s the age of marriage, what should we do in the future … ”

Lin Rui paced back and forth in the room, irritated by her crying, and shook his sleeves fiercely, “Just pretend nothing happened! The screen was still young, so he would tell her about the marriage after two years had passed from this matter. As for the wedding night … “I should just think of a way to deceive him!”

Madam Lin’s tears flowed freely. These past few days, her eyes had almost been filled with tears. “My poor daughter …”

Now that Lin Rui had been stripped of his position, how could he be willing to leave the job as a ninth rank official? He had originally placed great hopes on his two daughters. Whether it was their talents or looks, they were both in the upper echelons. Even if they could not be concubines for the princes, they could still marry into the imperial court. Jin Ping was already sixteen. He couldn’t drag it out any longer. He should get married in these two years … The age of the painting was just right. Even if he had to wait for another two years, it would be fine. However, he did not expect something like this to happen.

*

When the matter of Yan Yu going out out on his own was found out by the Emperor Yuan Hui, naturally, he had cruelly restricted for another two months.

Rather than saying that it was forbidden … It would be better to prevent him from participating in certain things.

The conflict between the crown prince and the king became more and more intense. The crown prince had secretly emptied a portion of the officials of the king, leaving them with no right to participate in any discussions. He was calm on the surface, not in a hurry or in a hurry, but he had secretly asked Wei Tieduo, who was in command of the Capital, to privately recruit troops and strengthen his army. He also trained a group of elite soldiers, who were supposed to follow Yan Yu’s example, for a total of three thousand people, each of whom had their own merits. He was currently in close contact with the Western Yi, waiting for the right time to give the crown prince a heavy blow.

The weirdness in the palace seemed to have nothing to do with the An Wang’s Mansion, as Yan Yu and Xie Zhen’s days were peaceful and happy. Since the Emperor Yuan Hui didn’t want him to interfere in this matter, he would do as he said and be a good son.

Ever since he returned from the previous inn, Yan Yu had silently returned to his residence, obviously still holding back.

Xie Zhen said a lot of good words to pacify him. He was very stingy and explicitly forbade Xie Zhen from communicating with him in the future. If Xie Zhen did not agree at the beginning, then how could their relationship be broken so easily? Moreover, there was nothing between them, so why did he like to eat dry vinegar?

However, the reason that Xie Zhen didn’t agree to it was because he had been tormenting her on the bed for a long time that night. He bit her sensitive left ear and said, “Little Lamb … “Don’t talk to him…”

He did not let her go until the east was white.

Xie Zhen lay on the bed for an entire day and night. If it wasn’t for his weak body, he really wanted to kick him to the ground.

She was too delicate. How could she defend against his tormenting? The red marks on her body didn’t disappear for three days.

He felt guilty afterwards and carefully smeared the ointment on her body. As he smeared the ointment, he cautiously asked, “Does it hurt?”

Xie Zhen turned his head, purposely making him feel guilty. “It’s so painful … It’s painful here and there too, it’s all because of big brother Xiao Yu. ”

As expected, his heart ached. He kissed and licked her cheeks, tasting her taste with extreme gentleness on his lips. “I won’t in the future …”

Xie Zhen glanced at him with her black eyes, “What if big brother Gao Xun appears again?”

He nibbled at her lower lip, not wanting to hear the name from her mouth.

It seemed like this person would forever be a sore spot in his heart. Every time he thought of it, he would feel unhappy.

Xie Zhen sighed in his heart, he really was adding fuel to the fire. His heart is so small, why does he keep insisting on this matter?

Two days before the Dragon Boat Festival, Xie Liqing just happened to be returning from Wu Jiang, and the entire residence welcomed him with a welcoming reception. He was someone that the Emperor Yuan Hui had set his eyes on, and it was a different time from the past. Everyone in the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion had high opinions of him, and he was no longer as ridiculing and ridiculing as he was in the past.

Xie Zhen could not refuse to go to such a big event, he had specifically written a letter to the Emperor Yuan Hui, and after the Emperor Yuan Hui read it, he was specifically allowed to lift his ban early so that he could visit his father-in-law in the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion.

To agree so quickly made people suspect that Emperor Yuan Hui had actually wanted to release him a long time ago. It was just for fun to keep him locked up.

Xie Zhen did not care about these details, and returned to Duke Dingguo’s Mansion the next day with servant maids and the rest.

In just a year, Xie Liqing had become skinnier and skinnier at the border, but he had become even more spirited and energetic. Even though her face was weathered, it could not conceal the heroic spirit hidden within her bones. Instead, it added to her aged charm.

Xie Zhen walked past the Wall of Shadows and called out to his father happily from afar.

Only after waiting for people to come over did Xie Liqing scold them: “You are already married, how can you still have such no rules? Aren’t you afraid of the An Wang making fun of you?”

Even though he said that, the benevolent smile on his face could not be hidden.

In front of his parents, Xie Zhen always acted like a tender little girl, “I haven’t seen Ah Pa for a year, what’s wrong with being happy? If you’re not unhappy, that’s a problem! ”

Xie Liqing was unable to win against him, she looked towards Yan Yu at the side, cupped her fist and bowed: “I am the one teaching the girl Wu Fang, the An Wang is laughing at me … …”

Yan Yu supported him, “Father-in-law is serious.” finish talking glanced at the smiling Xie Zhen, and a rare smile appeared on his lips, “She just misses you too much.”

His tone was helpless, but it was also tinged with a little bit of indulgence.

Xie Liqing could immediately tell that the two of them were on good terms, and it did not seem like the marriage ceremony had reached a standstill. He laughed from the bottom of his heart: “How could I not know my daughter’s character? An Wang, please do not avenge her. ”

Xie Zhen puffed out her cheeks and pouted, “Father …”

Xie Liqing was the kind of person who liked to criticize his own child in front of others. She and Ah Xun had been scolded before, so they thought that it would be better after marriage. Amongst the three siblings, only Xie Rong had not been brought out by Xie Liqing to be criticized. It was not because he was biased, but because Xie Rong truly did not have any shortcomings, even if he wanted to pick out the wrong one, he would not be able to. If you want to talk about the only flaw … It was probably because his character was too dull and too quiet.

The group of people were conversing with Yue Yang in the central room. Even the normally stern the Old Lady revealed a smile and praised Xie Liqing a few words.

Xie Liqing didn’t appear to be flattered, but smiled and said that his mother had flattered him too much, humble and gentle.

When they were eating, Xie Zhen looked around, but did not see Xie Xun. He whispered to Madam Leng: “Mother, why are you not seeing Ah Zhen?”

Madam Leng put down her teacup and said: “She was summoned by Miss Zhong Si to the general’s mansion early in the morning. According to the calculations, she should be back soon.” After he finished speaking, he let servant maids go to the door to see if Xie Xun had returned.

servant maids left as he stood at the entrance of the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion for a while.

Before long, he saw the mansion’s carriage rush over and stop steadily at the entrance. Just as he was about to step forward to receive it, he saw Xie Xun wearing a moon-white brocade gown and six dresses walking out of the carriage while crying and crying. Xie Xun was even carrying a half dead rabbit in her arms.

The servant maids was called Yu Qing, and was one of the Madam Leng’s personal servant maids. Yu Qing stepped forward and asked with concern, “Why is Seventh Miss crying?”

Xie Xun showed the rabbit in her arms to her. She cried all the way, her eyes red. Big Sister Yu Qing, can you help me call a doctor to have him take a look? ”

Ahhh… Was it the rabbit’s name?

But how come I’ve never heard her say it before? Picked it up on the way?

She was puzzled when she caught sight of someone chasing after her on a horse. It was only then that she saw that it was the only son of the General’s House, Young Master Zhong. Zhong Shang wore a blue lotus robe. At this moment, he was arrogantly handsome, but he could not care about his image. He jumped down from the horse and walked in front of Xie Xun: “Little Sister Ah Xun, I haven’t finished speaking, why did you suddenly run away?”

Xie Xun persisted with a rare rare look: “Ah Shou is going to die, I want to save him!”

Zhong Shang was about to take the rabbit from her arms, but she hid behind him instead, as if she was extremely cautious. He was troubled and had a headache, “I will definitely find someone to cure it … Give it to me, and I’ll take it to the infirmary. ”

Xie Xun shook her head, the almond eyes that had just cried were as bright as if they had been washed by water. She sniffed: “Big Brother Zhong Shang almost raised it to death this time, I don’t believe you.”

No matter what Zhong Shang said, she just kept shaking her head.

This was the first time Zhong Shang was so helpless facing a girl, and he didn’t know how to coax her … However, when he saw her flatten her cherry lips, and the pitiful look on her face, he felt his heart clench. He liked her soft smile when she spoke to him, rather than being so full of caution as she was now.

Today, when Xie Xun went to the General’s Manor, she went to see Ah Shou together with Zhong Rou in his courtyard. It just so happened that she saw Ah Shou lying lifelessly in in the porch, not eating anything he fed him. When she asked the servant, she found out that Ah Shou hadn’t eaten in three days. She became anxious and was about to walk out with the rabbit in her arms.

Zhong Shang came out of the house and called for her. She didn’t say anything, just sat in her carriage and left.

Zhong Shang had never raised a rabbit before, how could he know how to raise it? During these few days, Ah Shou didn’t eat anything. He was very busy in the army camp and couldn’t care about it, so he let the servant take care of it.

It was too late for him to say anything now … Xie Xun no longer believed in him and was unwilling to give Ah Shou to him.

Seeing the two of them talking at the door, Yu Qing hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether she should invite Zhong Shang in or not.

Right after he said that, Zhong Shang snatched the rabbit away and deliberately said to Xie Xun in a frightening tone: “Since you gave it to me, it is mine, I can do whatever I want with it.”

Xie Xun thought that he was going to throw Ah Shou away, and tears once again flowed out of his eyes. Big Brother Zhong Shang give it back to me… ”

She cried as she tugged at his sleeve. Unfortunately, there was a difference in their height. She had just reached his chest and couldn’t reach it even after jumping for half a day.

She sobbed miserably.

Zhong Shang felt a little guilty for bullying a little girl, but he still asked with a resolute heart, “Then will you still be able to run in the future?”

At this moment, she was very smart. She knew that he was the one who wanted her back, so she shook her head and choked on her sobs.

Zhong Shang returned the rabbit to her.

She hugged the rabbit and retreated half a step. As she wiped her tears, she said seriously, “I hate Big Brother Zhong Shang …”

Zhong Shang felt guilty in his heart, “What did you say?”

She raised her eyes and looked at him with her sparkling eyes, “Big Brother Zhong Shang has bullied me, I won’t forgive you! I hate you! ”

She mustered up all her courage and turned to run into the manor, leaving him with a smaller and smaller shadow.

Yu Qing opened her mouth but in the end, she did not say anything and followed Xie Xun back to the Manor.

Only then did Gao Xun realize that he had messed up. He stood at the entrance of the Duke Dingguo’s Mansion for a long time, then jumped onto his horse and galloped away. There was a turbid feeling in his heart that couldn’t be vented out. He didn’t know what it felt like, so he strolled around the streets before stopping in front of a restaurant.