Chapter 176:
They thought too simply. Regardless of whether they could throw Lu Ziyan into disarray, they wouldn’t suffer much loss anyway.
The only thing damaged would be her reputation.
After all, a woman suddenly disappearing would never be seen as something positive by the public.
For their mere “give it a try,” she had to risk her reputation being utterly ruined. Why?
Moreover, she had a premonition that if something happened to her, whether true or false, that madman might really abandon everything to come find her.
The warfare on the Northern Frontier was raging fiercely. The border civilians were on the verge of getting rid of decades of foreign invasions and had seen the dawn of hope. This concerned the safety of millions of lives. Xie Wanning could not let her personal interests affect the warfare.
She refused to cooperate with them not for Lu Ziyan’s sake!
But Consort Xian and the First Prince clearly did not think so. The mother and son had icy gazes.
They were convinced she still had lingering affection for Lu Ziyan and was unwilling to drag him down.
They said nothing more. Consort Xian’s gaze was as gentle as ever, with a faint smile at her lips. “If Wanwan is unwilling, how could your aunt make things difficult for you? In that case, we will think of other ways.”
If not for knowing the cause of her own death in her past life, Xie Wanning might have been fooled by this gentle and approachable facial expression.
She might even have been deeply moved.
But now, she only felt a chill down her spine, fearing that the other party would pull out a bracelet or send some other item.
But even until they left, Consort Xian did not give any objects.
Yet Xie Wanning dared not let her guard down. As soon as she returned home, she instructed Pei Er to fetch the doctor whom Pei Yuqing had specially left behind before departing.
He was said to be a famous divine doctor from the Jiangnan lineage.
Specializing in all kinds of difficult and miscellaneous diseases, poisons, and secret arts.
The divine doctor was over sixty, with all white hair and beard, yet his hand was extremely steady when taking the pulse.
Afraid she had been secretly poisoned, Xie Wanning repeatedly confirmed she was not poisoned before pulling over Pei Yuxuan, who was sitting nearby, and having the divine doctor examine her.
Finally, confirming both were fine, she let out a complete sigh of relief.
This spectacle of calling a doctor right upon returning shocked Pei Yuxuan greatly. “Consort Xian is Sister-in-law’s own aunt. Why does it feel like you treated her Yanxiang Hall as a dragon’s pool and tiger’s den?”
Raised in the boudoir, how could she understand the twists and turns of court politics? Xie Wanning did not explain too much to her and merely smiled wryly. “It’s not because your elder brother, before leaving, told me to take good care of my health. I just ate a bit more crab meat in the palace…”
This reason was somewhat forced. Afraid Pei Yuxuan would keep asking, she hurriedly changed the subject. “In a couple of days, I plan to go with Lin’er to the Marriage Temple on the outskirts of the Capital to offer incense. Do you want to come along?”
Sure enough, Pei Yuxuan heard she did not want to dwell on it and went along, saying, “Let’s go. I’m free anyway.”
She added, “I remember the Marriage Temple is very close to our family’s Hot Spring Manor? Every autumn or winter, I go there to stay a few days and soak in baths. How about Sister-in-law accompanies me to stay there a few days?”
Autumn was the perfect time for health preservation, especially for delicately raised young ladies who needed to pay extra attention.
Hearing this, Xie Wanning also wanted to soak in a comfortable hot spring bath and nodded in agreement.
A few days later, after informing Princess Duanyang, Xie Wanning took the two Pei family young ladies who were yet to marry and boarded the carriage heading out of the city.
The deep autumn in the Capital City was already quite chilly. Outside the Marriage Temple, Xie Wanning did not go in with them but walked along a nearby path.
Pei Yuxuan came out the fastest, empty-handed, not even bringing a single love knot sold in the temple.
“Did you draw a fortune slip?” Xie Wanning asked.
“No,” Pei Yuxuan said indifferently. “I wanted to offer incense, but there were too many people inside. I was impatient to squeeze with them.”
Xie Wanning could not help but advise, “Your wedding date is just a few months away. You’re about to marry. This is a young lady’s lifelong event. Since you’re here, even if just for good omens, you should offer incense.”
Holding a hand warmer in one hand and picking at osmanthus cakes with the other, Pei Yuxuan said, “Whether marriage goes smoothly is something you live out yourself. What does it have to do with burning incense? If praying to gods and Buddhas could get you a perfect young master, this Marriage Temple would have more than just these people.”
A bunch of fallacious reasoning, said right inside the Marriage Temple.
If it were Princess Duanyang here, she might have scolded her a bit, but Xie Wanning was about the same age as this sister-in-law and really had no prestige to wield. She could only shake her head and sigh softly.
The aunt and sister-in-law sat in the pavilion waiting for Pei Lin to come out.
Pei Yuxuan brewed herself a cup of hot tea and suddenly said, as if thinking of something, “By the way, Sister-in-law, have you noticed Pei Lin acting a bit strange?”
Xie Wanning was stunned. “How so?”
“I’m not that familiar with her, but on this trip, she seems a bit…” Pei Yuxuan paused, then slowly said, “A bit absent-minded, and a bit nervous.”
Xie Wanning said, “It’s understandable for a young lady in the midst of marriage proposals to be nervous coming to the Marriage Temple.”
She was not that familiar with Pei Lin either. The other just often came to Xuan Hua Courtyard to chat with her and called her aunt, so Xie Wanning could not very well turn her away. To say they had much affection was false.
Still, how many young ladies awaiting marriage could be as indifferent and unperturbed as the little Commandery Princess?
Pei Yuxuan thought about it and felt it made sense, so she dropped the topic and waited patiently for the others to come out.
Compared to Pei Yuxuan who just timed her visit and left, Pei Lin was very sincere toward the Marriage Temple, offering incense, drawing fortune slips, and divining—all done.
But when she finally came out, her expression was not good.
Her delicate face was tinged with pallor.
Xie Wanning and Pei Yuxuan exchanged a glance, neither taking the initiative to ask.
The three boarded the carriage together and arrived at the Hot Spring Villa as the sun set.
Only then did Xie Wanning realize that what Pei Yuqing had said that day about the villa having no guest rooms was a lie.
Not to mention guest rooms, several guest courtyards had been built, each with their own hot spring pools for guests to soak in baths.
That person simply did not want to sleep in separate beds from her, so…
Xie Wanning felt a bit annoyed, but more than that, she missed her husband.
They had been apart too long. At this moment, she felt that even him lying to her was no big deal.
He just did not want to be separated from her. What could be wrong with that…
A newlywed couple still in their honeymoon phase forced apart—Xie Wanning was not truly heartless. How could she not miss him at all?
Especially at their place of confirming affections, the longing came even more fiercely and urgently.
Xie Wanning finished her medicinal bath early and lay on Pei Yuqing’s bed, hugging thoughts of him as she drifted into dreamland.
However, that very night, some time after Xie Wanning fell asleep, the door was knocked on violently.
An anxious voice came from outside. “Miss Xie, wake up quickly. There’s an enemy attack.”
Xie Wanning thought she was dreaming. Otherwise, why would she hear Ming Feng’s voice?
But the door in front of her was being knocked with cracking sounds by the person outside. It was about to give way under the force and collapse, leaving her no choice but to wake up.
Xie Wanning was greatly alarmed. While quickly putting on her clothes, she headed toward the door.
She knew that before Lu Ziyan left the Capital, he had left Ming Feng to protect her in secret. For him to appear in the middle of the night meant…
“What happened?”
Ming Feng outside was nearly breaking down the door. Seeing this ancestor finally open it, he ignored everything else and said concisely, “The villa is surrounded at night. Estimated one or two thousand people.”
Xie Wanning looked around and asked, “Where is Pei Er?”
She had brought over a hundred household guards from Duke Pei’s Mansion when leaving. Such defenses under the Son of Heaven’s feet were already airtight, but now she saw not a single household guard.
“No time. Come with me first.” Ming Feng grabbed her wrist and said, “After Pei Er discovered people surrounding the courtyard at night, he went to confront them. But the opponents are not rabble like mountain bandits or refugees. He hasn’t returned yet and might not come back.”
Might not come back…
Pei Er was dead!
Xie Wanning’s heart sank. Pei Er was not weak in martial power, and with over a hundred household guards, yet he had been dealt with silently.
The Hot Spring Villa was not large. With such commotion here, Pei Yuxuan and Pei Lin were woken and ran over from their own courtyards.
Seeing Ming Feng, both young ladies were startled.
Xie Wanning had no time to explain and urgently said, “Don’t ask anything. Let’s leave this place first.”
As she reached out to pull them, Ming Feng beside her said, “Forgive me, Miss. The people outside are all experts. We lack manpower here. This subordinate can only protect you to leave.”
“You want me to abandon my younger sister and escape alone?” Xie Wanning was furious. “I can’t do that. If you go, then go!”
Ming Feng’s expression changed as he persuaded, “Less than fifty li from here is the outskirts camp. We break out first and get reinforcements. It’s not too late!”
He was not even sure if he could safely escort one person, let alone so many.
The more people, the bigger the target.
Ming Feng was unwilling to take risks. He was willing to risk his life to protect Xie Wanning only because of his master’s death order. As for the other Pei family members, what did they matter?
But Xie Wanning still refused.
Though she could not be sure whose prince’s men were outside, they were definitely coming for her.
Pei Yuxuan and Pei Lin were ordinary boudoir ladies. Even with noble identities, they could not affect the overall situation in court.
Only her!
Thanks to Lu Ziyan, in some people’s eyes, she was the key to swaying the overall situation.
Consort Xian’s words still rang in her ears. They wanted her to disappear to affect Lu Ziyan.
If she escaped, their plan would fail, and leaving these two delicate noble ladies here to face their anger—it was easy to imagine what would happen.
Pei Lin was already scared limp on the ground, clutching Xie Wanning’s legs tightly and pleading tremulously.
Xie Wanning helped her up and calmly soothed, “Don’t be afraid. The people they want is me.”
Ming Feng’s expression shifted repeatedly. Just as he was unsure whether to use force, Pei Yuxuan said, “When the villa was built, a secret room was made. We can hide inside.”
She quickly thought and headed toward the master bedroom.
Xie Wanning was overjoyed, but Ming Feng blocked her steps. “Hiding is useless. If they can’t find people, they’ll search three feet deep.”
No matter how secret the secret room, to those who licked blood from knives, finding it was just a matter of time.
Ming Feng dared not risk it. Compared to hiding and being found, he trusted more in escorting her out.
As long as they got out, they could get reinforcements and not sit and wait for death.
Both sides were fine.
“Do it!” Pei Yuxuan pulled the limp-legged Pei Lin and said resolutely, “We’re all burdens. Taking us, we definitely can’t escape. If you don’t want us all to die together, we hide first. Sister-in-law, you break out and get reinforcements…”
“No!” Xie Wanning said. “If they find you…”
“This is the best way,” Pei Yuxuan interrupted. “Don’t hesitate, Sister-in-law. Go quickly!”
Pei Er and Ming Feng’s men were resisting outside. They did not know when they would break in. There really was no time to hesitate.
Ming Feng decisively said, “Have people change into the two young ladies’ clothes and come out to confuse their line of sight. This can buy more time.”
Prominent families never lacked loyal servants. At these words, two maidservants immediately stepped forward—personal maidservants of the two young ladies, with appearances and figures not inferior to official young ladies. Those who had not seen Pei Yuxuan and Pei Lin might not distinguish if they were the real ones.
Xie Wanning finally relaxed. Er Qing also chose to stay, following Pei Yuxuan into the secret passage. With red eyes, she knelt on the ground. “Miss, take care.”
“Why cry? No one has died yet!” Pei Yuxuan could not stand such life-and-death parting scenes and urged, “Time waits for no one. Sister-in-law, go quickly!”
Xie Wanning nodded and slowly closed the secret room mechanism. Her facial expression turned cold and stern as the stone door shut.
With the decision made, Xie Wanning quickly changed into a guard’s uniform. The night was pitch black, perfectly masking her peerlessly beautiful face. From afar, she looked like a young, slender man.
In the deep night with heavy dew, Xie Wanning followed Ming Feng from the weakest northern side. Watching the originally peaceful Hot Spring Villa erupt in flames with shouts of killing drawing nearer, her gaze was icy.
Under the Son of Heaven’s feet, openly trespassing into a residence to commit violence—what audacity!
Had they been forced into a desperate path?
Suddenly, her wrist was gripped by Ming Feng behind her. Her body lightened, and the two had landed on a towering tree. Xie Wanning held her breath, lowering her eyes to watch several black-clad men moving like ghosts below, flickering in and out of sight in the night.
Ming Feng’s voice was low. “They are Great Jin people.”
Xie Wanning widened her eyes, not daring to make a sound, her eyes full of shock.
Which prince was colluding with foreign tribes just to abduct her?
Did they not know the Great Khan was already weak in power? Having Lu Ziyan fully suppress Great Jin was already heaven’s blessing for the Great Khan. If Lu Ziyan were defeated, what consequences would there be!
Xie Wanning’s heart suddenly grew heavy as she watched the bandits below ravage the villa.
Ming Feng was right. Among those surrounding the separate courtyard were some Great Jin people.
Perhaps with no intention of leaving survivors, they spoke without restraint, and anyone could tell.
Able to appear in the Great Khan’s Capital City on a mission, they must be Great Jin elites with extraordinary martial power. Several black-clad men flashed in different directions to search, not joining the burning, killing, and looting.
Instead, the bandits speaking with the Great Khan’s accent, upon rushing in, hacked at servants they saw and dragged out maidservants to vent their anger.
