Chapter 42

Jiang Lianzhi closed the study door and took a deep breath, leaning against it.

She had just died, and these people were already advising him to take concubines and marry, just like in his previous life.

Concubines? How could he?

Auntie would be angry, Jiang Lianzhi thought. In the previous life, she had never objected to him taking concubines until he did. Unfortunately, he hadn’t agreed with her at that time. Instead, he told her not to be unreasonable. He hadn’t expected that the study where they shared so many memories would become their final farewell.

Thinking of this, Jiang Lianzhi felt a pang in his heart.

How could she die? How could she just die like that?

In the previous life, she hadn’t gone to the border, so where had things gone wrong?

In this second chance at life, he only wanted to make up for the regrets of the previous life. He would treat her even better, never take concubines again, and only have her in this lifetime.

But how could she, how could she dare to leave him like this?

Jiang Lianzhi’s breathing became rapid as he slowly walked to the desk.

With a loud clang, he swept everything off the desk onto the floor.

The servant outside the door shrank back, and then there were several loud noises from inside the room.

The room was left in a mess.

Jiang Lianzhi stood in the wreckage, breathing heavily.

She couldn’t possibly be dead! He refused to believe she was dead like this!

“Gao Jin!” Jiang Lianzhi opened the door and shouted.

Gao Jin had just entered the courtyard when he heard Jiang Lianzhi calling him and hurried over. “Master, you called?”

Jiang Lianzhi whispered, “Go investigate…”

Gao Jin nodded as he listened and made a mental note before hurrying off to do his task.

…

As they headed further south, the snow became less and less. After a day of hurried travel, the caravan finally arrived at Yi’an in front of the city gate.

Yi’an was a large city located at the center of Lingzhou, adjacent to Dingzhou. Passing through Dingzhou would lead directly to Shengjing.

Shen Yu had been here before and had seen the prosperous scenes of the flourishing city.

They entered the city at around the third quarter of the night. The streets were still bustling with pedestrians, and boats on the river were lined up one after another, filled with laughter, music, and singing, making it lively.

Shen Yu lifted the curtain and looked around, then turned back to ask, “How does it compare to the north where you’re from?”

Xie Tingzhou glanced around casually and replied, “It’s slightly inferior.”

Shen Yu asked, “In what way is it inferior?”

Xie Tingzhou brushed his sleeves and looked at the delicate women on the boats, gently swaying in their silken clothes. He said casually, “It lacks the beauty of the north.”

What a despicable man!

Shen Yu clicked her tongue and threw the curtain.

Xie Tingzhou smiled.

The carriage stopped in front of an inn.

Seeing a large group of people, the waiter hurriedly came forward to welcome them.

Shen Yu got off the carriage first, looked up at the signboard, and then turned around to extend her hand.

Xie Tingzhou was about to get off the carriage when he saw an arm stretched out in front of him.

Did he really think he was so fragile that he couldn’t take care of himself?

Shen Yu waited for a while before seeing Xie Tingzhou slowly place his hand on her arm and get off the carriage.

Even though she had enough silver to book the best inn in the city, it was better to be cautious. No one could guarantee that the people from the escort wouldn’t have ill intentions when faced with silver.

The journey to the capital would take five to ten days, so it was better to be safe.

The escort only arranged one room for the two of them, but they had been traveling together all this time, so they didn’t feel anything was amiss.

Shen Yu had been curled up in the carriage for days and her whole body ached. She crawled into bed and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Xie Tingzhou extinguished the lamp and sat in the darkness, contrary to his usual habit of not getting into bed.

The clapper rang four times, slow and then quick thrice, followed by a few short bird calls in the wind.

Xie Tingzhou walked to the bed, where the person was sleeping soundly, having rolled from the edge to the center.

He was too familiar with this; within an hour, this person would occupy the entire bed.

The window opened and closed, and a dark figure disappeared from view in the blink of an eye.

A huge eagle flew overhead, heading towards a residential area.

In a leap, Xie Tingzhou silently landed in a courtyard.

The white eagle swooped down from the sky, its wings folded as it landed on the eaves—a precious jade claw of the God of Ten Thousand Eagles, Haidongqing.

“Your Highness,” Xi Feng bowed, “I arrived late.”

Xie Tingzhou’s eyes narrowed slightly. “How is the situation?”

Xi Feng spoke seriously, “Your Highness, your assessment was correct. The bandits that day included hundreds of death warriors. We captured a few, but they had poison hidden in their teeth and we couldn’t leave any survivors. Please punish me, Your Highness.”

Xie Tingzhou raised his hand slightly, and Haidongqing fluttered its wings, landing on his arm. “Hundreds of death warriors. They are willing to go to great lengths. It seems they have been forced into a corner and are fighting desperately.”

“Indeed,” Xi Feng said solemnly. “The large stone that fell crushed the stand-in in the prison wagon. They thought Liang Jianfang was dead, but they weren’t sure if you had obtained Liang Jianfang’s confession. So after Your Highness disappeared, several groups of people were searching for your whereabouts.”

“We finally baited them out,” Xie Tingzhou said, stroking Haidongqing gently. “It wasn’t in vain that I set up this trap, even if I had to risk myself to play along with their game.”

Originally, the script was well planned, but who knew that a variable like Shi Yu would turn it into reality.

“Now that we have baited them out, I will escort Your Highness back to the capital,” Xi Feng said.

Xie Tingzhou suddenly fell silent. He turned his head to look in a certain direction for a few moments before saying, “No hurry.”

Xi Feng dared not ask the reason. His Highness had his own arrangements. He only said, “Has Shi Yu been diligent in escorting Your Highness?”

“He,” Xie Tingzhou chuckled lightly, “has quite the courage.”

Shi Yu was assigned by Xie Tingzhou to Xi Feng. Xi Feng was in charge of His Highness’s close guards, and if subordinates failed to protect the master, Xi Feng would also be punished.

Xi Feng bowed his head and said in a bitter tone, “It was due to my inadequate supervision.”

“You can’t control him.”

Xi Feng didn’t understand the meaning behind these words. Xie Tingzhou changed the subject.

“How is the situation in the capital now?”

“Everything is fine,” Xi Feng reported one by one. “Liang Jianfang has been secretly imprisoned in the palace dungeon without anyone noticing. Chang Liu and Cang Ye have also settled in the royal palace in Shengjing.”

Xie Tingzhou nodded slightly and then gave some instructions to Xi Feng.

After everything was settled, he lightly patted Haidongqing on the head twice and whispered, “Don’t follow too closely.”

Then he raised his arm, and Haidongqing flapped its wings and flew away.

Xie Tingzhou returned the same way he came. As soon as he closed the window, he saw a figure sitting on the bed.

Shen Yu had just woken up, rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Where did you go in the middle of the night? Why didn’t you take me?”

She had just woken up, her voice slightly hoarse, and there was a hint of softness in her defenselessness.

Xie Tingzhou suddenly had a strange feeling, like a husband sneaking out in the middle of the night and being caught red-handed by his wife.

Xie Tingzhou didn’t speak. He walked straight to the table, poured a cup of tea, and drank it all in one gulp before asking, “Why would I take you?”

“I was protecting you,” Shen Yu said, becoming a bit more awake, staring at him for a while before suddenly saying, “Oh, I understand now.”

After speaking, she lay back down and continued sleeping.

Xie Tingzhou put down the teacup, turned his head, and asked, “What do you understand?”

Shen Yu shifted slightly in the bed, opened her eyes, and said, “Do you really want me to say?”

“Say!” Xie Tingzhou’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her, his demeanor imposing.