Chapter 118

Watching her gradually fall asleep, Xie Tingzhou slowly raised his head.

“Xifeng.”

“Yes.” Xifeng immediately dismounted and got into the carriage. He hesitated for a moment before lifting the curtain.

Xifeng saw Xie Tingzhou’s red eyes and was immediately terrified.

“Your Highness…” The words got stuck in his throat. He had never seen Xie Tingzhou so flustered.

Xie Tingzhou’s gaze went past him and into the void, “Arrange for a secret guard to escape from the palace.”

Xifeng immediately understood. They were currently searching for the assassin in the palace. If they couldn’t find him, they might suspect the people who had left the palace. They could then follow the trail and find Shiyu.

“Yes, I’ll arrange it right away.”

Xie Tingzhou lowered his gaze back to the person in his arms. After a while, he said softly, “You can go now.”

Xie Tingzhou had been up all night. He had been forcing himself to stay awake all day, and once his tense nerves relaxed, sleepiness washed over him.

After returning to the mansion, he leaned back on the couch, holding Shen Yu in his arms, and fell asleep in a daze.

He didn’t know how many times the water clock had sounded. The window reflected the swaying shadows of the trees.

Shen Yu opened her eyes in a daze.

There was a chair beside the couch. Xie Tingzhou was sitting on it, looking down at her face.

“Awake?”

Shen Yu opened her eyes, half-awake and half-dazed. She slowly nodded, not wanting to say anything.

She had slept very well. It seemed like she hadn’t slept so soundly in a long time. She turned over, lazily lying on the couch, not wanting to move much.

“What time is it?”

Xie Tingzhou leaned over and pulled up the blanket that had slipped down, “It’s just past the second watch.”

He had brought her back at noon and slept for two hours before waking up, but she had slept until the middle of the night.

In another hour, it would be dawn.

Shen Yu looked up. When she closed her eyes in the carriage, she didn’t fall asleep immediately. She knew about the fingers that had touched her face and the soft touch on her forehead.

She stared intently at Xie Tingzhou, feeling like it was a dream, but it was clearer and more enchanting than a dream.

Xie Tingzhou suddenly asked, “What are you looking at me for?”

Shen Yu immediately closed her eyes, “I won’t look then.”

Xie Tingzhou leaned closer and hooked her chin, “Shen Yu, look at me.”

Shen Yu heard his light breath. She felt like she was enveloped in a faint scent of pine wood, unable to tell if it came from his couch or from him.

She didn’t dare to open her eyes, “You let me look at you one moment and then tell me not to the next. What are you…”

Shen Yu froze.

Something soft suddenly pressed against her forehead.

This time, it was much clearer than before.

Shen Yu opened her eyes. She could only see his jaw, his nose less than three inches from his Adam’s apple.

His Adam’s apple was bobbing, and she could hear their heartbeats close by.

The pine wood scent was even stronger, seemingly more potent than Jiang Lianzhi’s incense smoke. It made her want to sink into it, even the fingers clutching the blanket had no strength left.

Xie Tingzhou slowly pulled back and closed his eyes tightly, “Now, can you look at me?”

Shen Yu hadn’t recovered from the kiss yet. She looked at his face, dazed.

“Are you dazed?” Xie Tingzhou grabbed her hand, opened her hand, and held it in his palm.

“Silly girl.” He whispered, “If someone were to be so forward with you, you should slap him in the face or cut his throat with a knife. You can’t let people bully you like this.”

Her palm felt a slight tickle. Shen Yu let his thumb stroke the crescent marks left by her fingernails, “I, I won’t be bullied.”

“Then why don’t you hit me? Hmm?” Xie Tingzhou asked again.

He knew she was tenacious yet stubborn. He was guiding her, wanting her to give herself an answer.

Shen Yu’s heart was in turmoil. She bit her lower lip and remained silent.

On the way to the capital, she could easily tease Xie Tingzhou until he was speechless. But now, at this crucial moment, she couldn’t say a word.

Xie Tingzhou sighed, afraid that pushing her too hard would make her back down.

He got up, walked to the table, and drank the half-cup of cold tea. He tapped his fingers on the table, seemingly thinking about something. Then he took another cup and poured her a cup of hot tea.

Shen Yu huddled under the covers, sat up from the bed, took the tea, and took a sip. She asked, “Didn’t you sleep last night either?”

“I did.”

“How did you sleep?”

Xie Tingzhou smiled faintly, making Shen Yu’s heart flutter.

“I slept on the couch.”

Shen Yu’s heart skipped a beat. Then she thought, they had slept together countless times on the way to the capital. What was wrong with sleeping together? So she calmed down.

“Last night, I found out some things.”

Xie Tingzhou looked at her, “What did you find out?”

The incense smoke had made her sleep for most of the day. She carefully sorted through her thoughts and said, “When I was at Dali Temple, the Jinyiwei came to take someone. Emperor Tongxu took Ge Liangji to the palace in the middle of the night. There must be something wrong. So I followed the prisoner carriage into the palace.”

“That was too risky.” Xie Tingzhou said in a deep voice.

“I’ll be more careful next time.” Shen Yu said sheepishly.

Xie Tingzhou raised his eyes, “You can investigate the clues slowly, but you can’t risk yourself.”

Shen Yu started to speak, but then closed her mouth again. Her face seemed both ashamed and angry.

After a while, she punched the bed frame, “Can you please speak properly!”

Xie Tingzhou was taken aback, “How am I not speaking properly?”

“You’re just…” Shen Yu paused, “When we’re talking about business, just talk about business. Why are you saying all these unnecessary things?”

Xie Tingzhou was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, “Okay, I’ll speak properly.”

Shen Yu felt something was wrong again. If he was going to speak properly, why was he using such a doting tone? What was he trying to do?

“Something wrong again?” Seeing her strange expression, Xie Tingzhou asked.

Shen Yu looked away, “No, let’s talk properly now.”

Xie Tingzhou nodded, his smile undiminished. He thought she was incredibly cute.

“Have some tea first.”

Shen Yu finished the tea in her cup. As she was about to place it on the small table beside her, Xie Tingzhou took it.

Xie Tingzhou said, “Go on.”

Shen Yu thought for a moment and told him what she had learned from Ge Liangji in the Dali Temple prison, as well as the conversation between Emperor Tongxu and Ge Liangji.

Xie Tingzhou pondered for a while, “The talisman Ge Liangji left for his children must be something they fear. It might be evidence that could be used to kill them.”

Shen Yu nodded, “I thought so too. Later, in the palace, Ge Liangji said that he was one of the corrupt officials, which means he was indeed involved, but there are other masterminds. Emperor Tongxu obviously knows who they are, but he doesn’t want to or dare to move them.”

Xie Tingzhou tapped his index finger on the empty cup. Shen Yu saw that he was thinking and didn’t want to interrupt his thoughts. She waited quietly.

After a long time, the tapping fingers stopped. Xie Tingzhou placed the cup on the low table beside him.

“What does Emperor Tongxu care about most?”

Shen Yu was taken aback and said uncertainly, “It should be… the Da Zhou empire, right?”

“That’s right.” Xie Tingzhou said, “The battle at Yanliang Pass has damaged the foundation of Da Zhou. But in Emperor Tongxu’s eyes, what is more terrifying than eliminating these corrupt officials?”