ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 139
In the study, the candlelight was dim, and the air was very quiet, with only the soft sound of raindrops tapping against the window. Li Zhizhi sat stiffly in place, her heartbeat gradually quickening, like a bubble rising slowly in the water, swaying, rapidly moving upward…
Xiao Yan had not moved away yet, and they maintained such a close distance, such an ambiguous posture, almost breathing in each other’s air, as that misty breath slowly seeped into her lungs. Just then, there was a slight noise from outside the door, and soon after, the door to the study was pushed open, accompanied by the voice of the Grand Princess.
“Zhizhi, you—”
Li Zhizhi was startled and instinctively pushed Xiao Yan away, anxiously looking toward the door, her eyes wide open, like a frightened cat, calling out, “Mother.”
When the Grand Princess entered, she naturally saw the ambiguous distance between the two. However, seeing her daughter’s panic-stricken expression, she pretended not to notice and smiled, “I heard from the servants that you were here; I thought you were painting.”
As she spoke, she subtly shot Xiao Yan a glare and said kindly, “Xiao Wu is also here?”
Li Zhizhi then stood up, cautiously observing the Grand Princess’s expression. Seeing her face unchanged, she finally felt relieved and asked, “Is there something you need me for?”
“Didn’t I tell you before?” the Grand Princess said with a smile, “About the autumn hunt, I had someone pick out a few good horses for you at the Imperial Horse Garden. When the weather clears up in a few days, you can go try them and see if they suit you.”
Upon hearing this, Li Zhizhi immediately replied, “Okay.”
The Grand Princess chatted with Xiao Yan for a few more moments. Seeing that it was getting late, Xiao Yan suggested he take his leave and left with the Grand Princess. Once the door to the study was closed again, Li Zhizhi finally let out a gentle sigh of relief.
She opened the window. It was still raining, but not as heavily as before. The chilly wind carried the unique coolness of late autumn, mixed with dampness, strangely reminiscent of the scent on Xiao Yan, like clouds and mist, lingering and elusive, much like a seed falling into the soil, quickly growing…
On the other side, the Grand Princess and Xiao Yan walked along the corridor, and she discontentedly scolded him: “Don’t bully our Zhizhi, how shameless! Don’t you have any sense of shame? Just look at how scared you made her!”
Xiao Yan coughed lightly and replied, “Aunt, you startled her just now.”
“Nonsense,” the Grand Princess glared at him and said, “If it weren’t for your reckless and frivolous behavior, how could she have been so scared?”
Xiao Yan knew not to argue with her at this moment, so he simply said, “Aunt, you said before that as long as Zhizhi likes it, you would have no objections.”
The Grand Princess was momentarily speechless, glancing at him sideways. “Then does she like you?”
Xiao Yan replied, “If she doesn’t dislike me, then she has some degree of fondness.”
The Grand Princess was utterly shocked and looked at him in astonishment. “I’ve watched you grow up, and this is the first time I realize you have such thick skin.”
Xiao Yan nodded and said, “Not just you, Aunt; it’s the first time I’ve realized it too. This shows that there’s nothing impossible in this world, and those who can do must be able to succeed.”
Grand Princess: …
“You’ve really become more shameless now.”
…
The next morning, in the Ning w.a.n.g mansion.
“Is she really dead?!”
Xiao Wen sprang up from his chair, his expression uncertain, and said solemnly, “How did she die?”
The servant hurriedly replied, “I heard that a thief broke into the Liu residence, and Liu Man happened to run into him. She couldn’t dodge in time and was killed.”
Xiao Wen frowned tightly and said, “What thief? Where are they now?”
“The authorities have captured him, but we don’t know who it is yet.”
“Such a coincidence?” Xiao Wen sneered, “Liu Man dies, and the thief gets caught right after? Were the officials just waiting outside the Liu residence?”
The servant hesitated and said, “Do you mean…”
Xiao Wen didn’t answer him, instead murmuring to himself, “She’s dead, but the recipe is still in her hands. That little vixen has a hold over me; now it’s turned out well…”
Without the Five Stone Powder, what will he do in the future?
Thinking of this, Xiao Wen’s expression turned furious and violent. He slammed the writing desk, causing the pens on the pen holder to shake wildly. At that moment, another servant entered, holding a letter and said, “Young Master, someone sent a letter for you.”
Xiao Wen initially didn’t pay attention, but when his gaze swept over the envelope, he suddenly paused. He swiftly s.n.a.t.c.hed the letter, broke the wax seal, and took out a thin piece of paper, which only contained a few lines written in delicate script: “If the Young Master wishes to obtain the remaining Five Stone Powder and the prescription, he only needs to exchange it for Li Zhizhi’s life…”
The letter was signed by Liu Man. Xiao Wen stared at the letter for a long time, crumpling it into a ball and holding it tightly in his hand. He coldly asked the servant, “Who delivered the letter?”
“They have already left,” the servant paused for a moment and added, somewhat confused, “He also said one more thing: if the Young Master succeeds, he will personally deliver the items.”
A dark expression suddenly flickered in Xiao Wen’s eyes.
…
Days later, the case of Liu Man’s murder was already concluded, and Li Suwan had completely gone mad. She was locked up in a prison cell, spending her days either crying loudly or laughing uncontrollably, occasionally cursing nonstop. Although she was insane, she openly admitted to killing Liu Man, even describing in detail how she did it. The officials who were interrogating her frowned greatly, and she was immediately sentenced to death, to be executed in the fall.
All of this was heard by Li Zhizhi from Xiao Yan, who was now serving in the Ministry of Justice and was well aware of the case’s developments. Throughout the entire case, not once was Li Zhizhi mentioned.
Li Zhizhi secretly speculated that Xiao Yan must have played a role in this, especially since Li Suwan had already gone mad. How could a mad person possibly keep secrets? Besides, with the hatred Li Suwan harbored against her, she would surely want to drag her down as well.
However, the feeling of being protected by someone was quite nice.
After a few days, as the weather gradually cleared, Li Zhizhi followed the Grand Princess’s instructions to the Imperial Horse Garden to select a horse, only to unexpectedly run into Rong Fei and Emperor Jing Ming there.
Of course, Rong Fei also saw her and cheerfully waved for her to come over. Li Zhizhi approached and greeted the two. Emperor Jing Ming raised his hand, sizing her up, and asked, “Here to choose a horse for the autumn hunt?”
Li Zhizhi replied respectfully, “Yes.”
Emperor Jing Ming nodded slightly and instructed the Horse Supervisor, “Bring that horse, Tà Xuě, over here.”
The Horse Supervisor hurried off, and before long, he brought over a large black horse. The horse was covered in glossy black fur, with four snow-white hooves, and its stature was exceptionally tall, exuding an impressive aura. Li Zhizhi had to tilt her head back to see it clearly.
Rong Fei exclaimed, “This horse is beautiful!”
“Tà Xuě is a Kangju horse, capable of traveling a thousand miles in a day, yet its temperament is gentle, and its endurance is quite good,” Emperor Jing Ming said to Li Zhizhi. “You should try it out.”
Rong Fei looked surprised and said, “Does Your Majesty intend to gift this horse to the Princess?”
She glanced at Li Zhizhi again, unable to resist reminding the Emperor, “Given the Princess’s stamina, it might be difficult for her to handle this horse. Your Majesty would be better off giving her the horse Jue Chen.”
Li Zhizhi was also somewhat shocked; it wasn’t that she underestimated herself, but this horse was indeed too large. She feared she would need a ladder just to get on it, let alone to grab the reins and train it. It would be more likely for the horse to train her, and if she fell off, it might be quite disastrous.
Li Zhizhi didn’t want to overestimate herself and hesitated, saying, “Your Majesty, I am not skilled in riding; I might disappoint Your Majesty’s good intentions.”
Unexpectedly, Emperor Jing Ming replied, “No problem. In that case, let the horse’s owner teach you.”
After saying this, he instructed a servant, “Go and call the Crown Prince over.”
Li Zhizhi was stunned. This horse belonged to Xiao Yan?
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