Since the last incident, Song Zixing seemed even busier, rarely seen. He often didn't return to the General's Mansion for three to five days at a time. When he did return, it was only to see his sister, Song Ziyin, and Hua Wuduo also saw him there. He simply looked at her and instructed her that since she had accepted his money, she should take good care of his sister. He said that if his sister lost even a single hair, he would deduct her pay. Hua Wuduo immediately retorted, "Losing hair is normal. You're bullying a bodyguard! The bodyguard profession is sacred and inviolable; it's a right to resist. If you go too far, I'll go on strike and quit!"
Song Zixing considered it seriously for a moment and said, "If you do a good job, I'll have the accountant give you an extra twenty taels of silver as a reward at the end of the month. Let's not talk about losing hair for now."
Hua Wuduo glared at him.
This winter is exceptionally cold.
The emperor died a year ago.
Before his death, the emperor ordered an edict to announce to the world that Wu Yi, the second son of the Marquis of Xijing, was his son, making him the true eldest son of the emperor, and bestowed upon him the title of Prince Cheng. This news shocked the entire country. However, after the emperor's death, he left no will specify which son should be named as emperor.
When Hua Wuduo learned of this, she was so shocked that she couldn't speak. She had recently heard some things about Gongzi Yi. Not long after she and Song Zixing left the capital, Wu Yi also left the capital for Jingzhao County, the fiefdom of the Marquis of Xijing.
She asked Song Zixing, "Why did the emperor only acknowledge this son on his deathbed?"
Song Zixing said, "The Liu family wields immense power in the court, and the emperor has been sidelined. If we acknowledge Wu Yi early on, we won't be able to give him anything substantial; it will only bring him a host of dangers."
According to Hua Wuduo, Wu Yi was already full of murderous intent, so his identity was probably no longer a secret.
Song Zixing said to her, "The current emperor has no real power. Even though Wu Yi is the eldest son, he is just a puppet. Rather than that, it would be better to let him gain experience by the side of the Marquis of Xijing. Although he is a prince, the Marquis of Xijing has his own fiefdom and strength. His influence in the Jingzhao area is deeply entrenched, and he has hundreds of thousands of troops under his command. With the support of the Prince of Liang in Taiyuan County, even the Liu family can't do anything about him. Naturally, he can ensure Wu Yi's safety. As for the emperor recognizing him before his death, it's just giving him a legitimate title. He can't give him anything else."
It wasn't until today that Hua Wuduo realized how little she knew about Gongzi Yi. Song Zixing seemed to know even more than she did. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say, so she heard Song Zixing say, "It seems that not many people know Wu Yi's true identity. Before, many people mentioned that the second son of the Marquis of Xijing was a good-for-nothing playboy, and many people ignored him. But later... I found out that he is not like the rumors say."
Hua Wuduo already knew that when he was working as a bodyguard for Prince Yi in Daming Prefecture, Prince Yi and Prince Qi had only been in the capital for a short time. Daming Prefecture was the residence of the Marquis of Xijing in the capital. Accompanying him was his sister, Wu Duoduo. Wu Duoduo returned to Jingzhao County after only a few days, while Wu Yi went to study at Nanshu Academy. Hua Wuduo did not know why Wu Yi went to the capital or why he entered Nanshu Academy.
According to ancestral rules, the eldest son of the emperor should succeed to the throne. However, after the emperor's death, the six-year-old crown prince ascended the throne, with Empress Dowager Liu Ya acting as regent.
The Marquis of Xijing and the King of Liang argued that with an eldest son alive, how could a son born of a concubine succeed to the throne? They accused Liu Cheng, the Grand Tutor, of being a treacherous and powerful minister who intended to use the young emperor to control the other feudal lords. Therefore, they did not respect him as emperor.
Other feudal lords were either hesitant, planned their moves carefully, or simply declared themselves kings.
The world is in chaos.
*****************
Faced with the unpredictable changes in the situation in the capital, Song Zixing remained steadfast in his post in Jiangnan.
The weather is getting colder and colder, and the end of the year is just around the corner.
Song Ziyin had always treated her gently and seemed to enjoy being close to her, often confiding in her about her innermost thoughts, even subtly mentioning her longing for Wu Qi. She never explicitly stated that the person in question was Wu Qi, but Hua Wuduo had a feeling it was someone else entirely. Mentioning Wu Qi unconsciously reminded Hua Wuduo of Wu Yi and… Liu Xiu.
Hua Wuduo didn't actually dislike Song Ziyin, even though she was Turtle Star's younger sister.
Over the course of their many days together, Hua Wuduo sensed that this gentle woman possessed an unknown strength and resilience. She clearly loved Wu Qi, yet never showed it. Despite her noble birth, she was not spoiled and was quite easygoing. She maintained a respectable distance from the attempts of other aristocratic ladies to get closer, displaying a gentle yet dignified demeanor.
Over time, Hua Wuduo realized that she didn't dislike Song Ziyin at all. In fact, the most important thing was that Song Ziyin never bothered her and let her slack off, turning a blind eye to it. Hua Wuduo liked this very much.
Before the New Year, she accompanied Song Ziyin to worship Buddha in the eastern part of Suzhou. She heard that the temple in the eastern suburbs was very efficacious. Unfortunately, after going there several times, Hua Wuduo still couldn't remember the name of the temple.
This winter, for some reason, was unusually cold. After several days of light rain, a sudden heavy snowfall began. The snow fell all night and continued into the morning, swirling and piling up on the roads and trees. Snowfall in Jiangnan in winter is not uncommon, but it's rare, especially such a prolonged and heavy snowfall. Everyone was excited watching the snowflakes fall, including Hua Wuduo.
That morning, Song Ziyin did not let the sudden heavy snow delay her journey. She still insisted on going to the Buddhist temple to pray for blessings. However, when she returned from the temple, she could not resist the beautiful scenery of the falling snow and abandoned the sedan chair to walk.
Perhaps because of the cold weather and the snow, very few people came to offer incense today. They only encountered one group of people along the way.
As we approached a bend in the mountain road, a group of people came towards us, all riding tall horses. They were still moving at a brisk pace, and their attire suggested they were quite distinguished.
The mountain path was narrow, so Hua Wuduo and the others stopped and moved to the side of the road to make way for them.
As the group passed by, the whips they brandished whipped against them, creating a fierce gust of wind that swept past them, displaying an extremely arrogant and domineering attitude. Not wanting to cause trouble, Song Ziyin remained silent, and the others naturally moved aside.
But the cavalry stopped after galloping for several meters. One of them spurred his horse back, and the horse's head came to rest right in front of Song Ziyin. The others also looked in this direction.
The man was a young man, and his gaze toward Song Ziyin was extremely presumptuous. Song Ziyin subconsciously took a step back, and a servant of the Song family immediately stepped forward to block Song Ziyin's view, trying to shield her from the man's blatant staring.
Unexpectedly, upon seeing this, the man's gaze darkened, and without saying a word, he lashed out at the servant with his whip. The servant was also quite skilled, and he dodged it with a leap. However, the man reached out and grabbed Song Ziyin, who was behind him.
Hua Wuduo was standing next to Song Ziyin when she saw the man reach out to her. She suddenly grabbed his wrist, and with a snap, the man's wrist was broken, and he fell from his horse to the ground. The caravan seemed unfazed by this scene; although their eyes were all momentarily focused on Hua Wuduo, no one stepped forward, and the formation remained perfectly intact.
At this moment, the cavalry parted from both sides, and a black horse strode out from the middle.
Although the man on horseback was handsome, his eyes were sinister and deep. Upon his appearance, several of the Song family servants involuntarily took a step back, and even Song Ziyin showed a hint of shock. It wasn't that the man looked fierce, but rather that his aura was terrifying, instilling a sense of dread in everyone.
Hua Wuduo secretly sized up the man. His clothes were luxurious, unlike the others, and the long sword on his back was quite heavy. It was clear he was either very strong or possessed profound internal energy, making him a formidable opponent. Hua Wuduo's gaze met his, and she suddenly felt he looked familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before, but couldn't immediately recall who he was. A sudden jolt of fear shot through her. If she were alone, she wouldn't be so afraid, but Song Ziyin and several servants of the Song family were also present. She immediately resolved that even if she couldn't protect the servants, she had to protect Song Ziyin no matter what.
The man glanced at his subordinate, who was struggling to his feet with his broken wrist, and snorted. The subordinate seemed to be afraid of the man as well. Although he was in excruciating pain, he lowered his head, led his horse, and retreated to the back of the caravan.
The servants also sensed the danger and surrounded Song Ziyin, remaining on high alert.
Hua Wuduo whispered to Song Ziyin, "Find a chance to escape and go back to your brother. I'll hold him off."
Song Ziyin glanced at her with a hint of panic, nodded, and whispered, "Be careful."
The man's gaze shifted to Hua Wuduo, who met his gaze without flinching. Just then, a servant beside Song Ziyin shouted, "Who are you? How dare you cause trouble in the Jiangnan region without even asking who our young lady is!"
Indeed, everyone in Jiangnan knows the Song family, and no one would dare to harass Miss Song Ziyin.
Upon hearing this, the man's face darkened, and his gaze shifted to Song Ziyin. As if he had thought of something, he coldly curled the corner of his mouth, revealing a disdainful smile. Suddenly, he raised his hand and lashed out with a whip at the servant who had just spoken. The whip carried immense force, and the servant would surely die upon contact. In an instant, Hua Wuduo drew the short knife from his waist and met the attack.
During his time in Jiangnan, Hua Wuduo intentionally concealed his identity and stopped using the Ten-Finger Golden Rings, a special weapon, instead carrying a pair of short swords.
The two immediately began fighting. A short sword clashed with a long whip, and Hua Wuduo was secretly alarmed. This man was not only incredibly strong but also possessed profound skill. As the saying goes, there are mountains beyond mountains, heavens beyond heavens, and people beyond people. Hua Wuduo lamented that he had recently encountered some kind of bad luck, always facing those extraordinary beings from beyond the mountains, heavens, and people. And each one was stronger than the last! First, there was the assassin who tried to kill Tang Ye, then the assassin who tried to kill Gongzi Yi, and now this guy trying to kidnap Song Ziyin. Being a bodyguard is really tough…
The moment she engaged this man, Hua Wuduo knew she was no match for him. Moreover, she suffered a hidden disadvantage in terms of weaponry. When the whip clashed with the twin swords, her tiger's mouth went numb from the impact, and she almost lost her grip on the swords. He also left behind whip marks of varying depths on the mountain path.
If Hua Wuduo were using the Ten-Finger Golden Rings, he might have been able to use his skill and the advantage of his weapon to overcome strength with softness. However, using twin swords now would undoubtedly lead to defeat. This person seemed to have already decided to kill, and his attacks were extremely ruthless, each lash deadly. Hua Wuduo was forced to dodge in a very sorry state.
Song Ziyin had already boarded the carriage, and the servants were about to drive it away. But then the man waved his hand, and a group of people immediately chased after Song Ziyin's carriage.
The Song family servants tried to stop them, but none of them were a match for the enemy. All eight of them were killed in a short time. Song Ziyin's carriage was also stopped, the coachman was killed, and Song Ziyin was abducted from the carriage.
Hua Wuduo was both shocked and furious! Who were these people? How dare they kill members of the Song family right under their noses in Jiangnan?!
Fighting with a man was already difficult enough, but Hua Wuduo was even more anxious at this moment. Her clothes were torn to shreds by the force of the whip. If she hadn't relied on her excellent lightness skill, she probably would have been a dead man under this man's whip long ago.
Seeing Song Ziyin being kidnapped, she disregarded everything else, feinted a move, and leaped away from the man, landing on a treetop several feet away. The man raised an eyebrow, not pressing further, but merely squinting at Hua Wuduo, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes.
Hua Wuduo stood on a treetop, her clothes fluttering in the breeze due to the surge of her inner energy. Snowflakes drifted down, but none touched her. She reached into her waistband and put on a pair of golden rings. She glanced at Song Ziyin's location, then looked down at the man below and said coldly, "May I ask who you are? We are family members of the Song family, the Governor-General of Jiangnan. We have come to the outskirts of the city to worship Buddha today. Are you not afraid of incurring the wrath of the Song family?"
The man gave a chilling smile but didn't answer. Hua Wuduo understood that he intended to kill her to silence her. She took a deep breath, using the opportunity to catch her breath, and also felt the urge to kill.
Get into bad romantic relationships
That was the first time Song Ziyin had seen Hua Wuduo use the Ten-Finger Golden Rings to fight to the death. She didn't know martial arts and only felt dizzy. The sinister man was also frequently forced back by Hua Wuduo, and his shoulders, arms and legs were injured.
Song Ziyin knew how important this woman was to her brother. He would often steal glances at her, and once he did, he would forget everyone and everything around him. She once teased her brother for going to such lengths for this woman, even bringing her all the way from Hangzhou, but he just smiled and remained silent.
Song Ziyin once asked her brother, "Why don't you dare to confess your feelings directly after going to such lengths?" Her brother was never one to be coy, so why was he so worried yet hesitant at this moment?
Her brother said she didn't understand, but she actually did. She also had someone she liked, although...
She had been secretly observing this woman and found her very special, but this specialness could also be described as eccentric. Her behavior was unlike that of a woman, much less that of a lady from a prominent family. She had beautiful handwriting, and when she signed the contract with her brother, the three characters "Hua Wuduo" were quite elegant, and one would never guess that they came from the hand of a woman.
She never quite understood what it was about her that attracted her brother. She wasn't particularly beautiful, her background was unknown, she seemed to come from a martial arts world, she liked to scale walls and rooftops, and she was quite unrefined.
Despite this, she possessed something that no one else had: a carefree and unrestrained spirit, free from any constraints or constraints from anyone or anything. Her easygoing attitude often surprised and impressed others.
Only now has she discovered that the woman has an even more dazzling side.
She wasn't beautiful, but when she was angry, she shone with an radiant light, especially now that she hadn't abandoned her to leave first. She felt a surge of gratitude and grew increasingly fond of this woman. It didn't seem like a bad thing if Hua Wuduo could become her sister-in-law, even though her background was somewhat humble.
In this situation, she was actually afraid, but her upbringing made her grit her teeth and maintain her composure. She didn't struggle, knowing that struggling would be futile in the face of such a group. She waited quietly, but she had already made up her mind: if... if she was forced to lose her virginity, she would bite her tongue and commit suicide to preserve her purity. She would never bring shame to her father, her elder brother, or the Song family. Having made up her mind, she became even quieter!
Facing someone stronger than her, Hua Wuduo was not afraid; on the contrary, she grew stronger with each battle. Hua Wuduo used a soft weapon, as did the man's long whip, though it lacked Hua Wuduo's domineering power. Hua Wuduo usually only used two of her ten golden rings, originally intending to handle multiple opponents, but now she used them all on this man. Moreover, because Hua Wuduo had taken the Snow Region Heavenly Pill given to her by Tang Ye several months ago, her strength had increased significantly after recovering from her injuries, making her vastly different from before.
The man also realized that his opponent was a difficult woman.
Both sides knew that a prolonged battle would be disadvantageous to them. Hua Wuduo's advantage lay in his cleverness and weaponry, and he would not be able to defeat his opponent in a prolonged fight. However, this was, after all, the Jiangnan region, and given what had happened, Song Zixing would arrive sooner or later. A prolonged battle would also be disadvantageous to the man.
The man also realized this, so he abandoned his whip and took the long sword that was lying across his horse. This seemed to be his usual weapon. After switching to the long sword, the man was even more powerful.
Hua Wuduo suddenly felt strained.
Although the silver needles could be used to maneuver against the enemy, Hua Wuduo had no intention of continuing the fight. In the midst of the fierce battle, he suddenly pulled something from his robes and threw it on the ground, where it exploded with a bang. The man, caught up in the fight, suddenly felt a bright light before his eyes, thick smoke billowed up, and the light was so blinding that he couldn't open his eyes. His eyes stung, and he quickly protected himself and retreated rapidly. Listening to his surroundings, he dodged Hua Wuduo's fatal blow.
This was the very same blinding bullet that Hua Wuduo had obtained from Tang Ye that day. She had asked for four in total; one was used to save Gongzi Yi in Luoyang, one to save Tang Ye in the desolate mountains outside Luzhou, and now she had used one more, leaving her with only one. Hua Wuduo had already estimated the distance and planned this move while she was in the tree.
Hua Wuduo did not linger in battle. Seeing that his first attack had failed, he discerned Song Ziyin's location in the smoke and dust, and instantly leaped over. He used silver needles to stab several people around Song Ziyin. A series of panicked cries of pain were heard from the thick smoke. Hua Wuduo seized a horse from the enemy, helped Song Ziyin onto the horse, and galloped wildly towards Suzhou City.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye. As the smoke cleared and the man's eyesight returned, he heard his subordinate ask, "Young master, should we give chase?"
The man brandished his long sword, the fierce aura between his brows still lingering. Gazing in the direction Hua Wuduo and Song Ziyin had left, he said, "This place is no place to linger. Dispose of the bodies, and let's go!"
Afterwards, the man led his group in the opposite direction, galloping non-stop until they left Jiangnan.
Before Hua Wuduo and Song Ziyin even reached the city gate, they saw a group of people rushing towards them, with Song Zixing leading the way.
Seeing that they were alright, Song Zixing briefly inquired about the situation and then sent Xu Qing to chase after them, while he escorted Hua Wuduo and Song Ziyin back to the General's Mansion.
When Xu Qing gave chase, he only saw the corpses of several servants of the Song family, but no one else. He followed the trail for hundreds of miles before realizing he had gone the wrong way. Clearly, those people knew he was following them and had intentionally led him astray. By the time Xu Qing realized this, he had already lost track of them. These people were so swift and efficient, and they even knew how to create a diversion; they were definitely not ordinary people.
Upon returning to the Song residence that day, Hua Wuduo immediately sketched the man's appearance on paper. With just a few strokes, the man's features and expression came to life, and even the appearances of his subordinates were drawn. Song Ziyin was secretly astonished. These things seemed easy, but were actually extremely difficult. Her memory, her speed and brushwork were beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. Song Ziyin suddenly became suspicious of her origins. Her elder brother had never mentioned her background; the claim that she came from the martial arts world was originally just Song Ziyin's own speculation. Song Ziyin quietly observed her elder brother and herself, noticing that her brother's gaze lingered around her, a gentle and tender look she had never seen before.
Song Zixing glanced at the person in the painting, his brows furrowing slightly, and said, "It's him?!"
After much questioning, Hua Wu finally learned who the person was. No wonder he looked familiar; it was none other than Jian'an Chen Dongyao.
The person sitting next to Tang Ye at the banquet hosted by Li She in Luoyang was Chen Dongyao. Because he always had his back to Hua Wuduo and didn't say much, Hua Wuduo hadn't paid much attention to him at the time, which explains why he didn't remember him.
Hua Wusuo knew very little about Chen Dongyao, only that he was the Zhenyuan General, and nothing else. So he asked, "Why would Chen Dongyao abduct women on the road? Isn't he a general? Why would he need women?"
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing chuckled and said, "You've hit the nail on the head. Chen Dongyao is extremely fond of beautiful women."
"Extremely fond of beautiful women," Song Zixing said of Chen Dongyao. Hua Wuduo stared at Song Zixing with wide eyes. The fact that he used the word "extremely" showed just how much Chen Dongyao loved beautiful women.
Song Zixing seemed to sense what she was thinking, smiled leisurely, and said, "Chen Dongyao is the most controversial figure in this dynasty. If we were to talk about his affairs, it would probably take several hours. Why don't we sit down and talk about it slowly?"
Hua Wuduo remained in Song Zixing's study from the afternoon until dusk.
Chen Dongyao was born in Dongguan County. His father was a general who conquered the west, making him a nobleman born into wealth. From a young age, Chen Dongyao possessed extraordinary strength; it is said he was born with superhuman strength, able to kick over a water vat about half a person's height at the age of three. His father had two sons, and he was the younger. Because of his innate strength, his father had high hopes for him, hiring many tutors to teach him, and personally instructing him in various skills during battles. At the age of twelve, he famously killed five enemy generals, earning the nickname "Overlord." Chen Dongyao was not only skilled in military strategy but also in naval warfare, making him a rare and exceptional warrior. The Chen family was once extremely prestigious with such a son. However, whether this was a blessing or a curse for the Chen family is unknown. After reaching adulthood at the age of fourteen, Chen Dongyao underwent a drastic personality change, transforming from a simple and combative boy into a gloomy and ruthless individual. In the two years that followed, the Chen family suffered an unknown tragedy: the eldest son died, and his parents also passed away from illness. Some speculated that Chen Dongyao had secretly persecuted his father and brother to death, but this was merely speculation without any concrete evidence. The southeastern frontier was located at sea and could not be without a general to guard it. Chen Dongyao had followed his father in battle since childhood, achieving numerous military exploits and being familiar with the warfare in the southeast. After his father's death, he took command of the three armies and temporarily assumed his father's position. Eight years ago, when Chen Dongyao was seventeen years old, the emperor appointed him as the General Zhenyuan, stationed in the southeastern region.
The reason Chen Dongyao is described as having an extreme fondness for beautiful women is not because he is fond of them, but for other reasons. There are two reasons. First, given Chen Dongyao's status, simply liking beautiful women wouldn't be difficult; they would likely offer themselves up, enough to satisfy his cravings. The word "extreme" indicates his extremely high standards. The women he desires must not only be beautiful but also of noble birth. Second, as the saying goes, truly exceptional beauties are hard to find, and he has a particular fondness for them. Chen Dongyao will stop at nothing to obtain these beauties, even resorting to violence, military force, and coercion. One of his concubines is a princess from another coastal country, whom he forcibly seized. He is capable of using force and bloodshed on the battlefield for a peerless beauty; therefore, Song Zixing says he has an extreme fondness for beautiful women.
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo suddenly remembered something and said, "I remember Chen Dongyao met Chu Tianxiu at the Li family in Luoyang. Chu Tianxiu is the most beautiful woman in Luoyang and comes from a prominent family. Why didn't he make a move?"
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing smiled and said, "You've been living peacefully in Jiangnan lately, not paying much attention to outside affairs. How do you know he hasn't made a move?"
Hua Wuduo, who had been reclining on the soft couch in Song Zixing's study, suddenly sat up upon hearing this, his eyes widening as he asked, "He made a move?"
*****************
Song Zixing nodded and said, "Not only did they make a move, but they also succeeded."
"Huh? Then Chu Tianxiu... Chu... how is she?" Hua Wuduo suddenly stammered.