PNB Chapter 153 Useless Dead Man
Chapter 153 Useless Dead Man
In the woods beside the official road on the outskirts of Beijing.
Xu Jingyun stumbled along, the blood in her chest still flowing, dripping onto the branches that stretched out along the way.
But she seemed not to feel any pain, and her vision was blurry due to excessive blood loss. She was leaning against a tree trunk to recover.
Suddenly, the atmosphere around them changed slightly. Four guards quickly approached along the official road, and when they saw the injured Xu Jingyun, they were filled with murderous intent.
Xu Jingyun sensed the other person's presence and turned around abruptly...
"Master! We are late, Your Excellency's injuries..."
"It's nothing," Xu Jingyun said weakly, supported by her bodyguards, her eyes half-closed.
When Zi found her, this was the scene he saw. He thought Xu Jingyun was being held hostage, so he joined her.
The four guards instantly drew their swords and stood ready to face Zi Yi.
Xu Jingyun looked up and saw that it was Zi Yi. She waved for the guards to put away their weapons and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Here to kill me?"
Zi Yi was taken aback upon hearing this, then slowly took out the porcelain bottle containing medicine from his waist and handed it to her, saying, "My master instructed me to protect you."
As he spoke, he glanced at the bodyguards beside Xu Jingyun, but since their bodyguards had arrived, it seemed he was no longer needed.
Upon hearing this, Xu Jingyun's dim eyes suddenly lit up with an astonishing brightness.
"Ah Shu~..." After Zi Yi left, she looked at the porcelain bottle in her hand, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up. Before she fainted, she was still silently chanting Lin Shu's name.
The palace of the Grand Princess.
"I've been staying overnight every day, how come your belly still hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy? I remember last time you got pregnant on the first try!"
The eldest princess, Feng Xin, asked casually. She and Bai Yu had just finished a fierce battle and were now snuggling together, enjoying the afterglow of their lovemaking.
A hint of guilt flashed across Bai Yu's face as he nestled in Feng Xin's arms. He then reached out and gently massaged her chest, saying, "Perhaps...perhaps it's because she hasn't fully recovered from her miscarriage."
"Then you'd better take good care of yourself...!"
Before she could finish speaking, a cautious voice came from outside: "Your Highness, Lord Ru has returned and is waiting for you in the study!"
Lady Ru is the woman in black who serves the First Princess, and the only one who returned alive from capturing Li Huanzhi tonight. Those in the First Princess's household only know her as Aru, and respectfully address her as Lady Ru.
Feng Xin was about to get angry, but she knew that the woman in black must have returned, so she got up and had Bai Yu help her get dressed before rushing to the study.
Upon entering the study, seeing the disheveled state of the woman in black, he frowned and said sternly, "Failed?"
Her tone was laced with anger. Fortunately, the man in front of her had been her bodyguard for over ten years; otherwise, she would have been dead countless times over.
The woman in black recounted the events of the day: "Your Highness, the people sent by Qi Xin were late, which led to Li Huanzhi being rescued by a woman with superb martial arts skills, and also caused us to lose four of our guards!"
"A good-for-nothing who's good at nothing but causing trouble!" Feng Xin gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.
After Feng Xin finished scolding, the woman in black asked with some concern, "Your Highness, I'm worried that if Lin Shu finds out about this, will she investigate us through Qi Xin?"
Feng Xin narrowed her eyes dangerously and chuckled lightly: "How can a dead man speak? Besides, all of this was done by Qi Xin out of jealousy that Lin Shu stole the official position. What does it have to do with me?"
The woman in black thought for a moment, then exclaimed with genuine admiration, "Your Highness is wise! I will take care of it right away!" No wonder His Highness entrusted this matter to Qi Xin; it turns out he had already devised a plan from the beginning.
……
Qi Mansion.
Qi Xin was fast asleep when she suddenly felt a chill run through her body. Half-opening her eyes in a daze, she saw a woman in black standing at the head of her bed, which jolted her awake.
Only when he saw who it was did he feel a little relieved. He then sat up, complaining with a dissatisfied expression:
"What brings you to my residence so late, Lord Ru? And why have you come to my bedroom? Does His Highness have any instructions?"
"Hmm," the woman in black responded softly, without refuting.
Upon hearing this, Qi Xin stopped complaining, yawned boredly, and continued to ask, "Then what are Your Highness's orders?"
"His Highness says you may—commit suicide out of guilt!" The woman in black's voice echoed eerily, as terrifying as a ghost in the night.
"Oh...what? What did you say?" Qi Xin's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Did this mean she was told to die?!
This time, the woman in black didn't respond. Instead, she casually pulled down the bed curtains and quickly strangled him.
"I...I am the eldest princess's mother-in-law...How dare you?" Qi Xin's eyes rolled back as she was being strangled, her veins bulging, her face turning blue, and her hands and feet thrashing about.
As she gradually lost her strength, she heard the mocking voice of the woman in black behind her:
"Mother-in-law? Just a pawn! No, that's not right. Only the useful ones are pawns; the useless ones can only die... And you, you're useless!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Qi Xin kicked her legs and died instantly.
After confirming that she was dead, the woman in black hung the bed curtain on the roof beam, then hung Qi Xin's body on it, and placed an overturned stool at her feet...
Only after everything was properly handled did he turn and leave.
……
The next day.
Before leaving, Li Huanzhi made a special trip to thank several villagers who had helped him a lot in the past few days.
The way those people looked at Lin Shu was strange, and in the end, the aunt who rented the room to Li Huanzhi even went so far as to criticize her a few times:
"Oh! You women, you don't cherish what you have. What a good man Li is, and you actually let him live alone in this country village while you're heavily pregnant!"
Lin Shu (completely confused): "..." What do you mean by "we women"?
However, since this person was acting in Li Huan's best interests, Lin Shu did not refute him. In fact, she would nod from time to time when he made his request.
And so, Li Huanzhi left the house he had only stayed in for a few days with Lin Shu...
As for what happened last night, Lin Shu didn't need to investigate. She had just returned to the capital with Li Huanzhi when she heard the news that the former Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Qi Xin, had committed suicide out of fear of punishment.
Lin Shu raised her eyebrows mockingly. It was a classic case of protesting too much; there was no need to guess who was behind it!
However, since the other party was a princess, there was nothing that could be done without direct evidence. The only thing that could be done was to send Zi Yi to keep an eye on the eldest princess's residence.
Time passed by at a leisurely pace, and soon it was the day before Ling Huanan was to leave Beijing.
The husbands in the manor were all busy preparing more things for Xue Wen to take with him, fearing that he would suffer when he went to Shuomen Pass.
Lin Shu had no choice but to let them go...
In the evening, the gatekeeper of the Lin residence reported that guests had arrived and said they had important matters to discuss. Lin Shu then ordered someone to invite them to the study.
Unexpectedly, the other party's words nearly made Lin Shu spit out the tea she had just drunk.
Lin Shu coughed lightly twice, took out a handkerchief to wipe her hands that were wet with tea, regained her composure, and asked:
"Cough...marry you?"
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【Aww~~~ Guess who he'll marry!】