Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

He didn't respond to Xue Fuguang's words; he didn't even know where to rest his gaze. He wanted to examine his wounds but dared not meet Xue Fuguang's eyes, so he averted his gaze.

Yet, Xue Fuguang's mood had inexplicably improved quite a bit.

Perhaps he found the somewhat frantic motions amusing, betraying a glimpse of a child's mischievous mindset.

Mu Jian Shu now realized that his earlier sympathy was not an illusion.

This indicated that his strategies of entrapment were beginning to bear fruit, and Mu Jian Shu was on the way to becoming a weapon in his hand.

A weapon to confront the plot itself.

Narrowing his eyes, he suddenly came to a clear understanding that in living this life over, he was probably destined to become the contemptible villain as labeled by others.

But what of it?

In his past life, he wasn't such a person, yet he was still driven to a dead end by the machinations of the plot.

With that in mind, why not become that sort of person deliberately?

Xue Fuguang was utterly oblivious to the appearance he presented at the moment.

Unwiped dried blood clung to the snow-white side of his face, the crimson color blossoming like a red plum in the snow, its vividness striking to the eye.

And he was smiling unconsciously, the corners of his narrow, phoenix-like eyes crinkling with mirth, radiating brilliance that dazzled, capturing one's attention and making it impossible to look away.

Mu Jian Shu's Adam's apple quivered slightly, forcing himself to look away.

He heard Xue Fuguang's voice, light and teasing, asking him, "Have you done something guilty? Afraid to look at me?"

Mu Jian Shu's hand, hanging by his side, clenched tightly.

A slender, snow-white finger appeared beneath his eyelids, touching the thin copper mask as if intending to lift it and reveal the face hidden behind.

Mu Jian Shu desperately wanted to press down that hand, but he could not make a move, managing only to utter in a low voice, "Master…"

The next moment, the hand withdrew.

Mu Jian Shu couldn’t quite articulate his feelings; as the hand moved away, he felt a sense of relief, yet also a tinge of regret.

Xue Fuguang scrutinized him with a piercing gaze, the more flustered he saw him, the more deliberately he teased. A snicker slipped from between his lips, “Is it that you become so nervous merely at the thought of me lifting the mask to see the extent of your disfigurement?”

Mu Jian Shu found himself speechless.

A few breaths later, he heard Xue Fuguang say, “Enough of that.” He was no longer pursuing the matter of his appearance.

Shao Jing stood to one side, silent, waiting for the strange atmosphere between the young lord and Qu Wu to dissipate before he tentatively suggested, “Young Lord, why don’t we find a place to sit first? I’ll fetch some water.”

Xue Fuguang took a seat at a stone table amidst the bamboo grove; Shao Jing wrung out a cloth and carefully wiped the bloodstains and sweat from his face.

Xue Fuguang inquired, “Tell me what you saw while following Zuo Taohan.”

Mu Jian Shu had finally regained composure, his voice slightly hoarse, “Before the Princess and Miss Zuo ascended the mountaintop, the palanquin bearers tampered with the carrier, and it was the Princess who was originally at risk of falling.”

Xue Fuguang’s eyes flashed coldly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the tabletop, “What else?”

“Master Li from the Zhan Ministry seemed to have been aware of this in advance, prepared to save the Princess. Yet, because it was another who rolled down the mountain, Master Li was quite aggrieved.”

A sneer played at the corner of Xue Fuguang’s lips, “Did you see Du Ru'an?”

Mu Jian Shu nodded, “Master Du was there as well, and now he has descended the mountain. Miss Zuo is currently meeting with Master Li.”

Xue Fuguang commended, “Very good.”

No one knew exactly what he was praising.

He said, “The places in the capital where one might find Gao Deshen have all been searched by the Gao family, haven’t they?”

Mu Jian Shu affirmed, “Yes.”

Gao Deshen was the sole heir of the Gao family, pampered in every way, his every wish granted. Otherwise, with their family background, anyone with a modicum of self-awareness would know better than to overstep their bounds with the imperial clan.

Now, with the sole heir's life and death unknown, the Gao family must be frantic. Unable to find him alive nor dead, when the Gao family can no longer bear it, they will beg the emperor, and a search will commence throughout the capital.

And the emperor would not let a madman tarnish his reputation for benevolence and virtue; he would surely acquiesce.

Xue Fuguang said, “Tomorrow night, cut off Gao Deshen’s tongue and sever his tendons, then send him into the secret chamber of the Du residence’s left wing,” his gaze lifted to Mu Jian Shu standing before him, “You know where the secret chamber is, don’t you?”

Mu Jian Shu, unable to avert his gaze in time, met Xue Fuguang’s eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, “...Yes.”

Xue Fuguang's foul mood vanished in an instant.

He took the cloth from Shao Jing, cleaned his fingers with it meticulously, and handed it back to him.

Seeing him looking dazed, he asked with a smile, "What’s the matter, did your young master frighten you?"

It was Shao Jing’s first time witnessing the young master speak so casually about such violent acts—cutting off a man’s tongue, severing his tendons.

Struck dumb, Shao Jing couldn't find his voice, to which Xue Fuguang indifferently remarked, "Shao Jing, your master is merely living up to the reputation others have crafted for him."

Shao Jing paused only momentarily before asserting firmly, "The young master is different from the image they paint of him. He only seeks retribution for wrongs—clearly, it was Du’s left wing that provoked the Princess, which compelled the young master to act, and it was Master Gao who targeted the young master, so he shows no mercy!"

Xue Fuguang’s eyes curved into a smile, “I understand, let's go then, to see your sister.”

Shao Jing hastened to follow.

*

Inside the quarters, Xue Wanxi and Du Ruqing were engaged in intimate, casual conversation.

Du Ruqing, as the prime minister's only daughter, held a status akin to Xue Wanxi’s. Though a few years apart in age, they grew up together and were quite close.

Eager on behalf of her brother, Du Ruqing probed, “Sister Wanxi, do you have someone in your heart?”

Xue Wanxi shook her head.

In Jingguo, women held considerable status and marriages at eighteen or nineteen were commonplace.

But with the winter gone, Xue Wanxi had turned twenty and still without even a betrothal—it was somewhat unseemly.

As Du Ruqing’s eyes darted about, pondering how to broach her brother’s suitability, the room's door was tapped. A young novice monk, eyes cast down, spoke softly, “Noble ladies, a Miss Zuo invites you to meet her in the eastern garden’s floral hall.”

Xue Wanxi's eyes smiled, “Thank you, young master monk.”

Lifting her skirt hem, with her maids in tow, she headed for the eastern garden.

Du Ruqing had to swallow her budding question.

As they approached the floral hall, they unexpectedly heard a man's voice and halted.

They exchanged a glance and cautiously peered around the rockery, only to be rooted to the spot in astonishment!

Zuo Tiaohan was surprisingly in the company of a young nobleman.

The hands of the brocade-clad gentleman were decidedly improper, as he whispered teasingly, while Zuo Tiaohan clung to his neck with both hands, showing no reluctance, but instead a warmth of closeness.

The young man revealed half of his face; Xue Wanxi caught a glimpse and found it strikingly familiar but dared not look further, quickly pulling Du Ruqing to duck down with her.

Du Ruqing stuck out her tongue playfully, and the two left as if fleeing for their lives, returning to their previous chamber to calm their nerves with some cool tea.

Xue Wanxi's cheeks flushed with disbelief as she murmured, "How could Tiaohan... in such a public place... do such a thing? And I've never heard her mention any engagement to a nobleman."

Du Ruqing drank two cups of tea in quick succession, fanning herself with her hand as her maid wiped the sweat from her forehead, evidence of their hasty retreat.

"Sister Wanxi, that person seemed to be the young master Li Zefeng from the Ministry of Appointments," Du Ruqing mentioned.

"Him?" Xue Wanxi nodded thoughtfully, resolving to have someone inquire about this Master Li once back home. Tiaohan had little support in the capital; she couldn't afford to be promised to someone unsuitable.

As her thoughts swirled, Xue Fuguang arrived.

Her brother stood at the doorway, backlit, his smile seeming to herald the onset of spring itself.

Xue Wanxi's heart ached at the sight of the wound on his forehead, and she rose, patting her skirt, "The business is done; let's return home."

Xue Fuguang nodded, his sister's slightly red ear tips betraying that she had seen what he had intended for her to witness.

He casually inquired of Du Ruqing, "Have you not found the person from the left wing of the courtyard?"

Puzzled, Du Ruqing replied, "No, we couldn't find a trace, and the servants have nearly run through the entire temple searching."

Xue Wanxi suggested, "Perhaps leave a note and descend the mountain with us."

Du Ruqing eagerly agreed.

The party made their way back to the city.

As Xue Fuguang anticipated, on the following day, the prominent official Gao He from the Metropolitan Command entered the palace to petition the Emperor.

Xue Fuguang read his book, overhearing hushed conversations in the study.

"It is said he knelt for an entire night before His Majesty granted his request."

"How long has this commotion been going on? There's still no resolution, causing an uproar throughout the capital, unsettling everyone."

"I am actually curious, just who did Gao Deshen manage to offend?"

……

"The Twelfth Prince was also reading a book, but occasionally his gaze would inadvertently drift towards Xue Fuguang."

"Every glance at the wound on his forehead made him feel a profound sense of heartache."

"So much so that upon returning to his sleeping quarters, he remained preoccupied with the matter, imploring Empress Hui, the Sixth Prince’s mother, for the finest healing salve from the Imperial Medical Bureau, intending to bring it to Xue Fuguang at the Imperial Academy the next day."

"Empress Hui was amused by the child’s behavior, ‘Is Prince Xue really that handsome? Look how our little Twelfth frets over him.’"

"With flushed cheeks, the Twelfth Prince said, 'Empress Hui Mother, Prince Xue is as handsome as a celestial being, if you don’t believe me, you can come with me to see him tomorrow.'"

"Empress Hui chuckled, and glancing from the corner of her eye at the Sixth Prince, who was pondering something over his teacup, she asked softly, 'Chonghe, what's on your mind?'"

"The Sixth Prince looked up and asked with a smile, 'Mother, have you heard about the disappearance of Minister Gao’s son?'"

"Empress Hui nodded in acknowledgment."

"The Twelfth Prince immediately looked over with curiosity."

"The Sixth Prince swallowed his words and then said, 'It's unclear whom Minister Gao’s son managed to offend.'"

"Who exactly did Gao Deshen offend?"

"Countless people in the capital are dying to know."

"The whole capital has been disturbed by this one man for a long time, and Gao Deshen is not known for being amiable; the list of those he's offended is endless."

"However, the very next day in the early court session, Gao He, already in possession of a special token from the Emperor, publicly accused the Xue family."

"And he did so with certainty, claiming someone sent him a letter, having witnessed Gao Deshen being bound and taken into a princely mansion."

"Prince Gong, being on leave, had not attended the court, leaving only Marquis Jian’an, Xue Hongwen, present."

"He did not engage in disputes but coldly demanded multiple times for Gao He to confirm the allegations, then petitioned the Emperor to command a search of the Xue residence."

"Gao He boldly borrowed the imperial guards and marched mightily into the Xue household."

Shaojing rushed back to Tingzhu Xuan, and upon informing Xue Fuguang of the news, Xue's brush halted abruptly, the tip, heavy with ink, pausing momentarily before a single black droplet fell upon the pristine rice paper.

Laying down his brush, a hint of excitement flickered in Xue Fuguang's eyes: "Let's go, we'll have a look together."

Entering the hall, Xue Fuguang met Xue Hongwen's gaze first, greeting him with a smile, "Big brother," and feigning surprise, he asked, "What's going on here?"

Xue Hongwen's voice was grave: "Come here, no need to interfere, this does not concern you."

Xue Fuguang obediently walked over and stood by his side.

Gao He sneered, "Lord Marquis seems overly confident. The imperial guards have just begun their search, and you're already certain it doesn’t involve the young master?"

Xue Hongwen's sharp gaze swept coldly over Gao He, then withdrew, his voice detached: "He is my younger brother; I am naturally aware of what he is capable of."

Xue Fuguang stood cleverly to the side, a slight smile playing on his lips, waiting for the outcome of the search.

Author's Note: A heartfelt thank you to the angels who cast their Dominance votes or nourished me with their nutrient solutions from 2021-09-07 17:29:54 to 2021-09-08 17:58:18~

Thank you to the angel who nourished me with nutrient solutions: Ban Yu rua 10 bottles;

I am truly grateful for everyone’s support; I will continue to work hard!