At the words, the whole world fell silent. Both Qin Yunuan who was on the beam and Leng Changxi whose facial expression was fixed said nothing, too.
Qin Yunuan’s nails dug deep into her palms. She leaned towards Leng Changxi subconsciously, who was so surprised that he was stiff. It seemed that he hadn’t expected such a situation. Feeling her approaching, Leng Changxi seemed to relax a little. What he was afraid of most was that she might have other thoughts. He wouldn’t allow his “little hedgehog” to have any doubt and worry caused by others, especially by such a malicious and crazy woman like Imperial Concubine Jing.
The conversation in the house was still continuing.
“What did you mean?”
“You knew what I meant. You drank the decoction that disfigured you several months ago. Then you got the mask made of human skin from the empress in order to strive for the emperor’s favor for her. You knew better than I did about whom you learned the sexual skills for. A bastard in the Prince Ning’s Mansion as he is, do you really think he worth your sacrifice?”
The silence was long. The voice of Imperial Concubine Jing suddenly became low and hoarse, “Do you know his real identity? Do you know why the emperor trusts him so much? If you don’t, you should be careful with your words.”
“Sure enough,” Dou Xianghuai’s voice was insidious, “It seems that our family got the right intelligence.”
“Are you sounding me out?”
“No,” the tone of Dou Xianghuai now was just like the one of Dou Qing’e, with mystery and some scheme that could not be predicted, “I am persuading you to stay with me. After all, we had a relationship before. Besides, you own me a big favor this time. The servant girl you put beside the daughter of a concubine of the Qin Family was found out. I killed her before she could confess under torture that it was you behind the scheme. You’re welcome.”
“Dou Xianghuai,” Imperial Concubine Jing said angrily, “have you never changed your arrogance? Why do I need you to help me? And I don’t want to deal with the corpse. Don’t leave it in my yard. Take it away before someone else find it.”
“Before someone else find it?” Dou Xianghuai hummed in a cold way suddenly, “I’m afraid that it’s already too late.”
At that time, Leng Changxi on the beam felt some genuine energy coming towards him. Dou Xianghuai had discovered him. He dodged the silver pin that came towards his Mingmen by turning over and jumping quickly. Then he took the opportunity to drag Qin Yunuan and hug her tightly. The moment both of them fell to the ground deftly, the gate of Imperial Concubine Jing’s place opened. The people standing at the gate were Dou Xianghuai, the trueborn young master of the Dou Family, and Imperial Concubine Jing, the newly favored concubine by the emperor.
“Leng Changxi, long time no see.” Dou Xianghuai was born to be delicate, like a magical jade in the celestial mountain. However, the expression in his eyes showed some evilness. His white clothes fluttered in the summer wind, with crape myrtle’s fragrance. Opening his folding fan, he glanced at the corpse of Tong in front of the gate, strode directly across the woman who couldn’t speak anymore, and cupped one hand in the other before his chest to salute Leng Changxi, “We haven’t seen each other for years. I wonder if General Leng still remembers me.”
“No,” replied Leng Changxi coldly, adding one sentence, “I have no impression of anyone I don’t care much.”
There was no one but Leng Changxi in Qi who dared to play cool openly when he was found overhearing.
Dou Xianghuai didn’t change his countenance. Instead, he nodded with a smile, said modestly, “You really like joking.”
Leng Changxi raised his head slightly, “Do I look like joking? By the way, you are supposed to report for duty at the Ministry of Revenue at 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. It is only six hours left.”
Nobody could guess what Dou Xianghuai thought in his mind. He was unbridled and arrogant. It seemed that he cared nothing and was not limited by the law. “It’s none of your business,” finishing his words, he glanced at Qin Yunuan who was beside Leng Changxi, “On the contrary, now that you are having a beauty in your arms, you should think how the emperor will blame you if you miss the early duty tomorrow.”
The expression in his eyes was not insidious, but there was disdain and malice in it. Indeed, Qin Yunuan, a little daughter of a concubine, made Dou Qing’e fall from the matron of the Qin Family to a woman trapped in Psycho Tower. Dou Xianghuai might have already held the grudge.
Leng Changxi turned back to look at Qin Yunuan with love and affection. The moment he looked at Dou Xianghuai again, he became cold again, “It’s none of your business too. My horse in black and white color can run for 500 kilometers a day. However, I’m sorry that I killed your black horse by mistake on my way here.”
Leng Changxi said slowly in a graceful and contained way. He extended his tone when saying the word “killed.” Seeing that the facial expression of Dou Xianghuai only changed slightly, he continued, “Well, I killed the 28 guards you brought here too.”
A man flew from the beam when he finished his words. Qin Yunuan recognized him as one of the shadow guards beside Leng Changxi through his black clothes. The shadow guard saluted Leng Changxi, “General, we’ve killed them all.”
With a sidelong glance from Leng Changxi, the shadow guard left silently. Leng Changxi said nothing but kept staring at Dou Xianghuai with a smile for a long time with a winning manner. His long fingers crossed behind his back rhythmically. Dou Xianghuai became pale. He was just like a fish caught in the fishing net, accepting his fate helplessly after a powerless struggle. Seeing his reaction, Leng Changxi looked satisfied, adding one sentence, “I’m really sorry that I killed your 28 guards and 4 personal warriors by… mistake.”
Dou Xianghuai’s lips twisted. It seemed that Leng Changxi planned to do it in the Xiangguo Temple. Although he tried to calm himself down, his voice was not as unbridled and calm as it had been before, “You are really decisive and bold in action. However, as you said before, I need to report for duty at the Ministry of Revenue at 7 o’clock tomorrow morning. What will you explain if I am late?”
“Explain?” Leng Changxi found it amusing, “Why should I explain? What do I need to explain? The fact that you met the imperial concubine secretly in Xiangguo Temple, the sacred Royal Temple? Or the fact that you and Imperial Concubine Jing planned together to kill the Second Master and Third Miss in the mansion of Grand Commandant?”
Imperial Concubine Jing finally came to her sense when the conversation kept her involved. She looked at Leng Changxi with murmuring. Her eyes showed comedown and sadness which could only be found in someone in despair.
Gapemouthed, she glanced at Qin Yunuan, who was protected behind Leng Changxi by his arms. Every time he turned back to look at her, the expression in his eyes was so gentle, filled with love and affection that Imperial Concubine Jing had never seen before. He was so focused as if he would sacrifice both his body and mind to give Qin Yunuan love.
“At last, I still cannot compete with her,” said Imperial Concubine Jing in sorrow. She didn’t know the exact time when she began to love Leng Changxi. Nine years ago, she was “cheated” by Dou Xianghuai to enter the palace.
“I will welcome you back after the Dou Family succeeds.”
Nine years had passed. She gained nothing but endless yearning and loneliness. One year ago, she could not stand the fog covering her heart anymore and prepared to commit suicide in Weiyang Palace. However, she was saved by Leng Changxi who appeared suddenly. Weiyang Palace is the place the Elder Princess had lived in. It was forbidden to enter because the Queen Mother and the emperor missed the Elder Princess. Therefore, she thought decisively that the appearance of Leng Changxi was not due to coincidence or simply dropping by.
“Don’t ruin the place. If you want to die, find somewhere else.” Although Leng Changxi’s word at that time was cold, she insisted that he was comforting her.
He was the first person who walked into her life in the nine years. So when she learned that Empress Chen decided to oppose Leng Changxi for her failure to rope him in, Imperial Concubine Jing decided to play the role of a chess piece. She wanted to be Leng Changxi’s best spy in Empress Chen’s side. Although he knew nothing about it, she wanted to finish the task regardless of the cost, including ruining her own appearance to gain Empress Chen’s trust.
However, Qin Yunuan broke all Imperial Concubine Jing’s insistence and hope. Why was this woman? What virtue and ability did she have? She did nothing, but Leng Changxi protected her in such a careful way that he even risked his life.
“I did so much for you,” Imperial Concubine Jing cried at Leng Changxi. Her eyes were red and swollen in an unusual way, like the result of having some forbidden drugs. Even her complexion became weird, white like a piece of paper with no other color. It was in stark contrast with her red lips.
“Why wouldn’t you look at me?” Imperial Concubine Jing wrenched away Dou Xianghuai’s arm and ran towards Leng Changxi. Pointing at Qin Yunuan, she laughed madly, “Just because of her? A plain woman? What advantage does she have? My love for you is deeper than hers! Indeed, Changxi! I’ve done so much for you!”
“I never ask you to kill anybody, poison anybody, or gain Empress Chen’s trust by ruining your own face,” the expression in Leng Changxi’s was as cold as the water in the icy lake in the Mount Tianshan, “You brought this on yourself.”
Brought this on herself? She had done so much for him in secret, but now it was her own fault?
Imperial Concubine Jing’s heart dropped suddenly as well as her whole body. However, cruelty appeared in her eyes. She rushed at Qin Yunuan abruptly, shouting, “It’s you! It’s all because of you! If you never showed up, then Changxi would have been mine now. Do you know who he is? Do you know his real identity? With the low blood running in your body, how can you be the partner of him?”
All of a sudden, Leng Changxi waved backhand, causing a huge wind that made Imperial Concubine Jing fall to the ground like a poor butterfly. She lay on her back on the ground, with her black hair spreading like a beautiful but miserable peony.
“Don’t touch her,” Leng Changxi stood in front of Qin Yunuan, said in a disdainful tone, “Crazy woman.”
