As night falls, Xunyang City is still bustling with activity.
Most of the time, the bloody chaos and strife within the city had little to do with the lives of ordinary people. At least on the surface, Xunyang City remained prosperous and stable.
Zhiyuan walked alone through the bustling streets and returned to a private house a few blocks away in a prosperous area.
He walked into the yard, passed through the pavilion, and was about to return to his room when he suddenly stopped.
Under the eaves not far away, a figure had been waiting for a long time.
"Where did you go?"
Lin Jiangnian sat lazily by the railing of the eaves, looking at her with interest.
It was a casual and somewhat leisurely demeanor, like a dandy young man flirting with decent women on the street.
However, it is not annoying.
Zhiyuan hesitated and remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "I went out to do something."
"What's up?"
Lin Jiangnian asked.
"I met someone."
"Who?"
Zhiyuan thought for a moment: "A female knight I met by chance!"
"Heroine?"
Lin Jiangnian was a little surprised and looked at her a few times.
Judging from Zhiyuan's personality, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would get close to others, let alone if it's just a chance encounter?
This heroine she is talking about is probably not ordinary?
However, Lin Jiangnian did not ask any more questions. He slowly stood up and stretched.
"Are you hungry?"
Zhiyuan's beautiful eyes fell on Lin Jiangnian. After a moment of silence, she nodded slightly.
"Let's go eat!"
Lin Jiangnian waved at her, turned around and walked outside.
Zhiyuan stared at his back and was stunned for a moment.
Is he waiting for me?
Zhiyuan looked at Lin Jiangnian, then looked at the place where he had sat before. He was silent for a long time before slowly following.
After dinner, Lin Qingqing came again to report the information in the city. Nothing big happened, but everything seemed like the calm before the storm.
Lin Jiangnian was no longer very interested in this and turned to ask about the condition of the wounded.
The previous collapse of the secret room in the back of the private residence had injured many of Lin Jiangnian's personal guards, and even Lin Kong was seriously injured and almost lost his life. This time, all of them stayed outside the city to recuperate and did not enter the city.
"Your Highness, their injuries are no longer serious."
Lin Qingqing was also paying close attention to the situation outside the city. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Your Highness, what should we do next?"
"What do you think?" Lin Jiangnian asked for her opinion.
Lin Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, we've already wasted quite a bit of time in Xunyang City. The weather is getting colder and colder, and if we delay any longer, winter will be approaching. If winter comes and we encounter heavy snow, I'm afraid it will be difficult to travel..."
Lin Qingqing naturally hoped that His Highness would come to Beijing earlier, but thinking that His Highness might have some important matters to attend to, she held back.
"You make sense. Now that everyone's injuries are almost healed, it's time to prepare to leave!"
Lin Jiangnian nodded. Now that the Wang family had been wiped out and he had seen Zhiyuan again, the purpose of his plan to come to Xunyang City had almost been achieved. It was time to leave.
After receiving His Highness's approval, Lin Qingqing immediately went downstairs to prepare for the journey.
Lin Jiangnian rested in the yard for a while, but didn't find Xiaozhu, so he turned and went to the yard where Zhiyuan lived.
As soon as I walked into the courtyard, I saw Xiaozhu walking towards me in a hurry.
"Your Highness?"
"What are you doing?" Lin Jiangnian asked, his eyes falling on Xiaozhu's hand, which was holding a basin of hot water and a towel, and was about to walk towards Zhiyuan's room.
Xiao Zhu explained softly, "Go apply medicine to Sister Zhiyuan!"
"Apply medicine?"
Lin Jiangnian then remembered something, looked around the room, then looked at Xiao Zhu: "Give it to me!"
"ah?!"
Xiao Zhu blinked and didn't react for a moment.
Lin Jiangnian had already reached out and took the hot water towel from her hand: "You go back first, I have something to discuss with Zhiyuan."
"Oh, okay..."
Xiao Zhu watched in a daze as His Highness walked into Sister Zhiyuan's room carrying a hot water towel. She then obediently left the courtyard. It was not until she left the courtyard that she gradually realized that something seemed to be wrong.
Your Highness, do you have something to talk to Sister Zhiyuan about?
But……
Didn’t Sister Zhiyuan apply the medicine yet?
Your Highness...
What is this for?
…
As soon as Lin Jiangnian stepped into the room, he saw hot mist in the room, as if he had just taken a bath, mixed with the girl's body fragrance, mixing in the air.
Very fragrant!
Lin Jiangnian closed the door and locked it, blocking out the cold wind outside and keeping the fragrance inside the room.
Turning around, he saw a figure sitting on the bed behind the screen not far away.
When he saw that the person who walked into the room was Lin Jiangnian, his tone was somewhat alert: "Why is it you?"
Lin Jiangnian walked to the bedside, put down the hot water towel, looked at Zhiyuan, who was sitting on the bed with a look of alertness and discomfort, and smiled: "Why can't it be me?"
Zhiyuan's face looked a little unnatural, and he turned away: "Where's Xiaozhu?"
"She has something to do, so she's busy!"
Zhiyuan had a blank expression on his face, and looked slightly unhappy.
Obviously, another lame excuse.
She glanced at the hot water towel beside her, seemed to realize something, a blush appeared on her face, and quickly disappeared.
"It's time to change the medicine!"
Lin Jiangnian stood beside the bed and reminded and urged.
The kite didn't speak or move.
"What? Do you need me to help you take it off?"
A trace of shame and anger emerged, and Zhiyuan raised her eyes and glared at him.
After a moment of silence, he gritted his teeth and said, "Let Xiaozhu come."
"Everyone said Xiaozhu was busy and had no time!"
Zhiyuan naturally didn't believe it and glared at him angrily.
Lin Jiangnian met her eyes and asked, "Why? Is this prince not capable? You don't trust my skills in applying medicine to you?"
Is this a question of belief or not?
She trusted Lin Jiangnian's skills in applying medicine, but she didn't trust him in other aspects...
The two of them stood there in a stalemate for a moment, staring at each other.
Lin Jiangnian had a playful look on his face, and it was obvious that he was planning to make things difficult for her tonight.
Zhiyuan glared at him angrily for a few times, then finally looked away without saying a word.
Seeing this, Lin Jiangnian stepped forward and said, "Do you need me to help you take it off?"
Zhiyuan's delicate body trembled slightly, and she felt her face flushed and burning in an instant. She gritted her teeth, turned her head away, and spoke in a dull tone, as if she was a little ashamed and angry, and also as if she was very angry.
"Need not!"
“…”
Lin Jiangnian was already familiar with the dressing change process. Zhiyuan's back injury was almost healed, and even the scar had faded considerably. This Tianxiang ointment was indeed a miracle cure for scars. Such a serious injury was reduced to a subtle mark in a short time.
I estimate that if I continue to take medicine for a period of time, I will be able to recover completely.
Perhaps she was still angry. After changing the medicine, Zhiyuan lay down with her clothes on, wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, turned her back to Lin Jiangnian, and ignored him.
Angry!
Lin Jiangnian was not annoyed, but instead felt that she was becoming more and more adorable.
I've never seen her so sulky before.
Lin Jiangnian glanced out the window, tidied up the things in the room, took off his coat, and went to bed with ease.
Just when he wanted to crawl into the quilt as he did in the past, the quilt had already been wrapped tightly by Zhiyuan, leaving no space for him to crawl in.
"Hey, do you want to freeze me to death?"
Lin Jiangnian pulled the quilt but it didn't move. He realized that she did it on purpose.
Zhiyuan said nothing, curled up in the quilt with her back to him, not moving.
"If you don't let go, I'll force my way in, okay?"
“…”
"I'm going to hurt you accidentally, don't scream!"
“…”
"This prince is coming in!"
“…”
In the darkness, after a struggle on the bed, Lin Jiangnian finally got what he wanted and crawled into the warm quilt.
Feeling the warmth and fragrance wrapped in the quilt, Lin Jiangnian turned around and hugged the stubborn and angry girl beside him from behind.
"Let me go!"
"Don't let go...if you keep struggling I'll start touching you!"
“…”
The kite stopped moving.
As if frightened, her delicate body was stiff and tense, unable to move.
Lin Jiangnian quietly held the girl in his arms, smelling the fragrance from her hair, feeling the softness and warmth of the girl in his arms, and was somewhat moved.
Hard work pays off!
His relationship with Zhiyuan has also changed from being incompatible at the beginning to sleeping in the same bed naturally now.
The progress was smooth and rapid.
Perhaps, we can get one step closer?
Thinking of this, Lin Jiangnian's eyes became a little hot.
It was the middle of the night, the cold wind was howling outside the window, and the weather was cold, suitable for exercise.
After a while, just as Lin Jiangnian was trying to feel something, he suddenly felt his hand being grabbed by Zhiyuan under the quilt.
Lin Jiangnian tried to struggle free, but he still underestimated Zhiyuan, who held his hand tightly and prevented him from moving.
Stalemate!
After a while, Lin Jiangnian sighed and leaned close to her ear and said helplessly, "Do you really have to be so wary of me?"
Zhiyuan didn't look back, but her voice trembled slightly: "No!"
"Why?"
silence.
for a long time.
"When will we leave for the capital?"
Her voice was soft and emotionless.
Lin Jiangnian was stunned and a little surprised. Why did she suddenly ask this in the middle of the night?
However, Lin Jiangnian still replied: "It will be soon. If you are willing, we can set off tomorrow..."
Silence continued.
After waiting for a while, Lin Jiangnian continued to try.
But it was quickly stopped.
At this moment, Zhiyuan, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke in a low voice.
"The princess is still waiting for you!"
Hearing this nonsensical sentence, Lin Jiangnian was confused.
The eldest princess?
"wait for me?"
The eldest princess is waiting for him?
Are you sure you're not waiting to break his legs?
"Go to sleep."
Before Lin Jiangnian could speak, Zhiyuan said something casually.
Her tone was still very soft and calm. After she finished speaking, she became silent and seemed to have fallen asleep.
But for some reason, he could clearly sense a hint of resistance from her.
It's hard to put into words.
Lin Jiangnian looked down at the quiet and cold face of the girl in his arms, as if thinking about something.
Her words...
Are you hinting at something?
still……
…
With the fall of the Wang family, the prefectural government was officially controlled by the Yanzhou governor, and Lin Jiangnian and his companions no longer had to hide. Furthermore, the Yanzhou governor even cordially invited Lin Jiangnian to stay at the prefectural government.
Rejected by Lin Jiangnian!
Yuan Zhongnan probably had no good intentions in doing this.
Now, countless eyes were watching the Prefectural Governor's Mansion's every move in Xunyang City. Any slight movement would attract attention. This was especially true when the news of the Wang family's annihilation could no longer be concealed. The Prefectural Governor's Mansion was a place of controversy.
If Lin Jiangnian moved into the prefect's mansion at this time, it would be tantamount to asking for trouble.
Yuan Zhongnan had a plan in mind. He wanted to drag Lin Jiangnian to share the consequences of the Wang family's annihilation, and to use his status as the Prince of Lin to bear some of the pressure and firepower for him.
Lin Jiangnian naturally wouldn't let him have his way, especially since the news of his 'death' had already spread. After the recent incident, most people believed that Prince Lin had been murdered.
The riots in the city a few nights ago made many people more certain of this.
Lin Jiangnian was also happy about this!
Now everyone thought he had been killed, which was actually a good thing. This way, he could hide in the dark and make plans.
On the other side, Yuan Zhongnan was not idle either.
After getting clues about the Tianshen Cult from Lin Jiangnian, he immediately sent people to search the entire city to capture the suspects.
He then sent people out of the city to take over the troops inside and outside Xunyang City, and at the same time dispatched his confidants to rush to Xunyang City.
There are signs of a dramatic change in the prefectural government, and Yuan Zhongnan doesn't have much time left. He must take control of the entire Xunyang City before that.
At the same time, Yuan Zhongnan did not let go of anyone associated with the Wang family. Although the entire Wang family was wiped out, there were still many trusted members of the Wang family who held important positions in and around Xunyang City.
For example, Wang Shi, the county magistrate outside Xunyang City, was a distant relative of the Wang family. Following this lead, they uncovered a series of individuals connected to the case. Even the brothers Xie Yongan and Xie Yongqing were apprehended by the troops dispatched from Xunyang City before they could even react.
The news about human trafficking and abducting decent women into prostitution was exposed through this clue. Wang Shi and others didn't even have a chance to argue before Yuan Zhongnan chopped off their heads with a wave of his hand.
The people of Xunyang City applauded, but it also aroused suspicion and vigilance from other families in Xunyang City.
At this time, the news of the Wang family's extermination could no longer be concealed.
As the news came to light, the whole city was in an uproar, shocked and dismayed.
From the wealthy families to the common people, everyone was shocked and stunned by the news, and could not believe it.
The Wang family was wiped out?
The prefectural government office was wiped out by a group of people?
The dignified prefect of Xunyang was first imprisoned for treason, and then assassinated in prison?
Isn’t this too exciting?
After being shocked, ordinary people immediately applauded with joy.
There was such a big commotion in the city some time ago. The son of the prefect, Wang Qin, bullied the people and bullied men and women, but was protected by the government. The people were already very angry.
Now that they heard that the Wang family had been wiped out, although it was tragic, many people still felt very happy.
God has eyes!
On the other hand, although the people from the various families had anticipated this, they were still horrified when they actually received the news. When they reacted, they quickly realized that something was wrong.
Let’s not talk about the crime that the Wang family was imprisoned for… Isn’t it too much of a coincidence that someone from the Wang family was assassinated right after being imprisoned?
It seems too much like someone was murdered to silence him!
Is it to hide some truth?
For a moment, all suspicious thoughts were directed at Yuan Zhongnan.
Naturally, the various noble families did not sit idly by. The news of the Wang family's annihilation made them realize the immense crisis, and they were ready to take action, with undercurrents surging.
The weird atmosphere in the entire Xunyang City was extremely depressing at this moment.
It was also at this time that Lin Jiangnian, who had already hidden his achievements and fame, quietly left Xunyang City and continued his journey north to Beijing!
…