PNB Chapter 1381 Little Family
Chapter 1381 Little Family
After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly stepped back, his forehead pressed against hers, their breaths mingling.
He looked into her eyes and said, word by word, "I would never lie to you. We should have our own little family now!"
Zi'er's tears fell again, but this time, she was smiling.
She nodded vigorously, her voice trembling with tears, yet incredibly clear: "Okay, I'll wait for you!"
Ying smiled, reached out, and gently wiped away her tears. The warmth of her fingertips soothed her cheeks.
He held her in his arms, sitting under the wisteria trellis, listening to the chirping of insects and gazing at the moonlight, as if all the noise and clamor of the world had nothing to do with them.
In the distance, the sound of a water clock echoed, signaling that it was late at night. Zi'er leaned against him, a wave of weariness washing over her. The fatigue of the past few days vanished in that moment.
She closed her eyes and said softly, "Shadow One, I'm sleepy."
"Sleep," Yingyi whispered, holding her even tighter. "I'll watch over you!"
Zi'er hummed in agreement, nestled comfortably in his arms, her breathing gradually becoming steady. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the wisteria blossoms, bathing them in a soft, silvery glow.
Ying lowered his head and looked at her peaceful sleeping face, his eyes so tender they could melt water.
He gently kissed the top of her head and silently prayed in his heart: Zi'er, even if tomorrow brings mountains of knives and seas of fire, I will protect you.
After the storm passes, we will find a paradise and never again be tainted by the bloodshed of this world.
I only wish to be with you, year after year, day and night.
As night deepened, the figures embracing under the wisteria trellis were as still as a painting.
The next day, Lin Yiwan took the old doctor Lin down the mountain.
She met up with Lin Ran first, and the father and son exchanged pleasantries.
Given the critical situation, the old physician Lin was placed in the Medicine Valley and put under the care of Lin Ran.
Lin Yiwan, carrying the roster alone, wanted to return to the palace, but was stopped by Lin Ran.
He said worriedly, "Wanwan, this is too dangerous. Your uncle absolutely cannot let you go into this alone. Besides, didn't you even open the roster to check? What if it's fake?"
Lin Yi-wan doesn't believe it's fake; otherwise, why would so many people be trying to steal it?
However, she also knew that her uncle was right; she should look through the roster to have a clear understanding of the situation.
After thinking for a moment, she finally spoke: "Uncle, shall we watch it together?"
She opened the register and saw a very familiar name written on it: "Meng Xiang?"
Lin Yiwan stared in astonishment, her eyes wide: "How could it be him? He has always been loyal to Father Emperor!"
Lin Ran also fell into deep thought. He frowned and said, "I also think it's impossible. Meng Xiang is most concerned about the people. How could he possibly have designs on disaster relief funds? This list must be fake, and they're deliberately trying to frame him!"
Lin Yiwan's fingertips trembled slightly, and she gripped the roster with a bit more force, leaving several shallow creases on the paper.
She stared down at the two characters "Dream Image," the ink so strong it seemed to penetrate the paper, making it appear not like a hastily made forgery. Yet, the more so, the more chilling it became.
“But this roster was left by Hu Tianyi,” she said, her voice dry and even trembling slightly.
She knew that although Meng Xiang was the prime minister of the court, he was an upright official who never formed cliques or engaged in corruption. He was considered a lone minister in the court, with a meager salary, a simple residence, and far fewer servants than other families.
During last year's floods in southern China, he donated most of his savings. How could someone with such integrity be associated with embezzling disaster relief funds?
Lin Ran walked to the window, gazing at the rolling green hills outside the Medicine Valley, his brows furrowing even more: "This is where their brilliance lies."
He lowered his eyes and pondered, "The more impossible something seems, the easier it is to lure people in. Think about it, if you present this list to His Majesty, will he believe it?"
Lin Yiwan was taken aback, then immediately understood.
His Majesty has always relied on Meng Xiang, and will certainly not believe that he would do such a despicable thing. At that time, he will only suspect that someone deliberately framed him.
If she rashly presents this list to the emperor, not only will she fail to bring down the real mastermind, but she will also be accused of framing an important official. At that time, if the person lurking in the shadows adds fuel to the fire, she will have no way to defend herself.
"What a vicious scheme." Lin Yiwan gritted her teeth, her fingertips icy cold. "They want to use me to ruin Mengxiang's reputation and then put me to death, killing two birds with one stone."
"That's not all." Lin Ran turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Prime Minister Meng is a high-ranking official of our dynasty. He wants the entire Marquis of Zhanyi's mansion to be buried with him!"
These words struck Lin Yiwan like a thunderbolt, leaving her completely stunned.
She had never thought so far ahead. She felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, and a cold sweat broke out on her back.
She finally understood why the other side was willing to go to any lengths to retrieve the roster, and why those assassins were so fearless. This was no simple embezzlement case; it was clearly a meticulously planned conspiracy to frame her.
The fact that Meng Xiang's name was on the roster was just a cover. The real purpose was to lure her into the game, stir up trouble, and allow the mastermind behind the scenes to take action against the Marquis of Zhanyi's mansion. Even the Emperor himself would not be able to protect them.
"What should we do now?" Lin Yiwan looked at Lin Ran, her eyes filled with urgency: "Uncle Zhan Yihou's mansion is in imminent danger, we can't just sit idly by."
Lin Ran pondered for a moment, then walked to the table, picked up the list, and flipped through a few pages. Besides the name of Meng Xiang at the beginning, there were dozens of other officials listed, all of whom held real power in the court, and without exception, all of them were loyal ministers.
“This list may be a trap, but it’s not entirely useless.” A glint of light flashed in Lin Ran’s eyes. “Those assassins are real. We can start with them, follow the clues, and find out who’s really behind it all.”
Lin Yiwan nodded: "Okay, when the assassins ambush us, I'll have Shadow One leave a few alive!"
She immediately took Yingyi and Zier and left the Medicine Valley, heading straight for the capital.
Almost as soon as she stepped out of the Medicine Valley, she felt an overwhelming killing intent immediately descend upon her.
She subconsciously furrowed her brows and looked coldly into the distance.
The dense forest on both sides of the mountain path rustled with leaves, but there was not a single bird chirping, creating an eerie stillness.
The wind swept past, carrying a chilling, menacing aura that made one's skin feel tight.
Lin Yiwan didn't stop walking, but secretly tightened her grip on the silver needle hidden in her sleeve, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips: "It seems they're afraid we'll step out of Medicine Valley!"
With a swift movement, Yingyi silently positioned himself to protect her left side. His dark robes blended seamlessly with the shadows of the forest, but his eyes shone like sharp, cold blades.
Zi'er stood guard on the right, her hand on the hilt of the long sword at her waist, her fingertips twitching slightly, ready to draw it at any moment.
The three men formed a triangle and walked slowly forward, seemingly at ease, but in reality, they were already on high alert.
"Madam, the enemy has quite a few people." Zi'er lowered her voice, her gaze sweeping over several shadowy figures that were faintly visible in the dense forest. "They seem to have come prepared."
Lin Yiwan nodded slightly, her gaze sharp as an eagle's.
She had long suspected that a trap had been set up around the Medicine Valley.