"From any perspective, I have no reason to go with you."
The situation is not good. I should have turned around and left the moment I saw him clearly, but the letter in the treasure bag is indeed in my elder brother's handwriting.
“Of course there are.” He smiled, pursing his lips. “Although you think you don’t trust anyone anymore, deep down you still tend to side with your family. Even if you have doubts, at least you won’t ignore them with your usual attitude.”
Don't start talking like you know me so well; we're not even that close.
"So, what are you trying to prove? You went to such lengths to lure me out, am I really that worth your time?"
"Before I met you, I thought you were very useful, but now I wouldn't think so. You are a double-edged sword; if used well, you are naturally good, but if you are not careful, one wrong step could lead to utter ruin. I have been playing this game cautiously for years, cutting off all escape routes to tell myself that I can only win and not lose, but unexpectedly, Nangong Ling appeared halfway and bit off the imperial city into which I had invested most of my efforts. How can I not settle this score? Taking only Juyizhuang is already too lenient for him." He stood with his hands behind his back, raising his head to look at the distant moon. "However, it is ultimately heaven's help. Fortunately, I took notice of your Rong family early on, otherwise I would have been forced back to my original state and had to wait for an opportunity. But the current situation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I will never have another chance like this in my lifetime."
“My older brother is not the kind of person who would willingly be used by others.”
"He regarded me as his sovereign, and he did things for me willingly. How could there be any talk of using me? Even Nangong Ling was someone he arranged to be used by me. But I underestimated him. And then you happened to be involved. After that, many unexpected twists and turns occurred... Rong Cheng probably never dreamed that you would turn against your own brother for his sake. This matter kept him so depressed that he didn't leave his room for half a month."
That doesn't make sense. People in the martial arts world have always been wary of associating with the imperial court, let alone the Rong family, who were at the forefront of the political storm at the time.
"It must have been your sweet talk that tricked my brother into going there."
Unexpectedly, he laughed even more heartily after hearing this, "Thank you for the compliment. You should know better than me how good my eloquence is to fool your older brother."
This guy's skin is thicker than a city wall. I was just thinking about how to make a run for it when I looked up and saw a pair of dark brown eyes only a fist's distance away from me.
"Be good and come with me, I don't want to hurt you."
He had barely finished speaking when I felt a blur before my eyes and something hit the back of my neck. Before the pain could even register, I lost consciousness.
Not only is he shameless, but he's also a person who doesn't keep his word!
When I opened my eyes again, before I could figure out where I was, I felt a sharp pain in the back of my neck. This person really went too far!
"She can really sleep. That crazy old woman outside is making such a racket and she still isn't awake?"
"It's always like this; he won't wake up until noon."
Upon hearing the sound behind me, I jumped out of bed, ignoring the soreness in the back of my neck.
"Ah! You're awake."
My older brother still had an upright expression, but when he saw me move the corner of his mouth as if he was smiling, I suddenly felt uncomfortable all over.
When I saw Xiao Lianjue again, I wanted to curse, but before I could even open my mouth, someone beat me to it. I heard a series of curses coming from downstairs, as smooth as someone pouring out beans.
"Isn't this annoying?" Unexpectedly, Xiao Lianjue frowned. "Rong Cheng sent her away. He told me so many times not to bother me when I'm doing things. If I see her causing trouble again, I'll throw her out of the palace."
The eldest brother nodded, turned and left... Is this for real? Back then, even his parents couldn't order him around, so how come he'd be willing to die for a single word from Xiao Lianjue now?
Seeing my surprise, Xiao Lianjue laughed again, "See? This is called doing it willingly."
"Ouch, that hurts." I rubbed the back of my neck and shrank back into the corner of the bed. "Is there anything to eat? I'm starving."
He just stood there, stunned. "Can't you give me a normal reaction?"
"I'm perfectly normal, okay!" She rolled her eyes at him.
"Would a normal person even think about eating in this situation? Hey, don't let me knock your brains out and make you forget you're a hostage!"
"You're the idiot..."
"Lian'er, don't talk nonsense."
They came back quickly, and seeing that serious face, I almost instinctively shut up.
"Looks like Big Brother is still useful." Xiao Lianjue's sly smile always reminds me of a fox.
"Your Highness, you still have to see the Grand Councilors later, don't be late."
"Hmm... I'll get something for your little sister to eat; she said she's hungry."
A look of surprise flashed across my elder brother's eyes. He gave me a meaningful look, nodded, and then followed Xiao Lianjue away.
Isn't it perfectly normal to be hungry? Strange, shouldn't I eat and drink my fill, nourish myself, and then try to escape?
I got into this mess because of my own bad luck, and they even accused me of turning on my brother. I don't know who plotted against me first. Once is fine, but what about this time with the precious sandbag?
The problem with Yunzhi hasn't been resolved yet, and now I've suddenly gone missing. If Xiao Lianjue goes out and says something, I'll be finished! I bet that person won't even let me in the door, let alone see me or talk to me.
Thinking about this made me regret it. I should escape quickly, otherwise the longer I drag it out, the more complicated things will become.
Chapter 113
People say that rivals in love are especially hostile when they meet, and I've met my match today, but unfortunately, my feelings for her are unrequited.
The Eastern Palace is indeed huge. From the window of my room, I can't see the bottom at all. I had to find a way to go to a higher floor to take a look. But as soon as I went out, someone followed me. They didn't restrict my movements. I wonder what that guy surnamed Xiao is up to.
I was about to carefully navigate the area after leaving the courtyard when the spray from the small waterfall next to the artificial hill by the lake blinded me. The thick mist made it difficult to see the path ahead. I thought to myself, "Isn't this lake a bit too big?"
Just then, a dark shadow seemed to sweep through the thick fog, and just to be safe, I took a big step back. Before I could even stand still, several darts came flying through the fog and landed right where I had just been standing.
I patted my chest, thank goodness, otherwise I would have several more holes in my body now.
"This godforsaken place is really dangerous."
"You vixen, come here!"
Standing in the pavilion across from Tinghu Lake was a woman with a "I'm going to argue with you" look on her face. She was tall and slender with delicate features. She might not stand out in a crowd, but she was quite pretty when viewed alone.
Is she crazy? Why does she want me to come over to cause trouble? I walked slowly along the lake, glanced at her once, and then ignored her.
"Don't think that just because you're someone I brought back I won't dare to touch you."
I know you've already done it; the dart I just picked up can serve as evidence.
"What is your connection with the Hundred Days Cult?"
"It's alright."
If I'm not mistaken and my memory serves me right, the bronze flower on the sleeve dart should be the symbol of the Hundred Days Cult. Besides, her answering too quickly only aroused suspicion.
She seemed to have no guile whatsoever. How could someone like that stay by Xiao Lianjue's side? As for the two people behind me, they didn't even try to block the flying darts, nor did they make any move to capture anyone afterward. It was obvious at a glance which was more important: that woman's status in the Eastern Palace or my value.
It's not that I look down on her, it's just that Xiao Lianjue doesn't seem like the type of person who would choose this kind of person.
"You...know about the Hundred Days Cult?"
Actually, I didn't know the details very well; I heard about it from an old gambler. At the time, I was lending money out of debt at a gambling den, specifically to those who were broke but still obsessed with gambling. The advantage of lending money from me was that I didn't charge interest, but the condition was that they had to tell me something I had never heard of before. I wouldn't lend to those who couldn't. At the time, I thought it was fun and novel, but I never expected it would bring me so much profit later.
Back then, everyone called the Hundred Days Cult an evil cult, and Bai Wuyan was the big devil. It can be seen that although the reputation was bad, at least everyone knew about it when it was mentioned.
As for Bai Wuyan's deeds, I don't remember them very clearly. I only remember that the Hundred Days Cult disappeared overnight. It was quite strange. There was absolutely no warning. It seemed that they had robbed a lot of gold and silver treasures during the day, but unexpectedly, it was gone in just one night. Not only did more than a hundred members disappear without a trace, but the Hundred Days Cult's stronghold was also wiped out. It can be said that no trace was left behind. It was as if it appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared with the wind.
As the story spread, it became increasingly outlandish. Besides, there are countless things to talk about in the martial arts world every day, and some people felt that this matter was too strange and ominous. Gradually, no one mentioned it anymore. In recent years, when the Hundred Days Cult was occasionally mentioned again, no one believed that it had ever really existed.
"It seems I have really upset you."
I chuckled. The dart in my hand felt rough to the touch; it was obvious it hadn't been properly maintained or hadn't been used for years. I probably wouldn't have thrown it if I hadn't been so angry.
"You know that, so why aren't you getting out of here?"
"I really want to get out, but do you think I want to stay here?"
I knew the secret guards were useless the day he knocked me unconscious, or that he had cut off all my hidden connections the moment I left the inner city. At first, I thought it was impossible and never thought that the secret guards would be taken down, so I dared to meet this big shot. But I underestimated Xiao Lianjue's abilities.
Looking around, I couldn't see a single tall building. What a terrible place!
"Hey, how do I get to Tinghu Lake?" The waterside pavilion is quite a distance away from me, and it's tiring to talk while standing.
"Where does the young lady wish to go? This servant will call a boat for her."
"Get me a chair, and find a boat to ferry her over."
The person following me was stunned by what I said. After a while, he lazily instructed someone to move chairs, and then he took another person onto the boat to personally pick up the person on the other side.
After a while, seeing the small boat slowly rocking over but still no sign of my chair, I couldn't help but laugh. The people around Xiao Lianjue are indeed all snobs.
"I can take you away, come with me."
If I hadn't overheard what Xiao Lianjue said before, I might have believed you could do it just by looking at the servants' attitude.
"Okay." Let's see where you can take me, it'll be good to get a feel for the terrain.
But before the woman could even turn around, she saw Xiao Lianjue carrying a brocade box and swaggering towards her.
Some people just have a face that's a real eyesore; they're incredibly annoying.
"Your older brother said you like playing with crickets?" He trotted over and spoke to me as if no one else existed. "Look how robust these two top-ranking crickets are!"
"What, you want to fight me?"
"You think you can beat me?" He raised one eyebrow, asking provocatively.
"Alright, place your bets."
"Are you sure?" he asked, a strange smile on his face.
"If I win, you give me a map of the Eastern Palace."
"Why don't you just let me release you?"
"I won't ask for an exorbitant amount."
He's the kind of person who's very confident. He'll play along with you if you make even the smallest request. Although everyone knows what's going on, if you say it too bluntly, then it's really over. What's the point of playing then? He won't even bother with you.
So he pursed his lips and saw the fox again, the same kind of elegant and cunning rare fox.
"If I win, then don't even think about it anymore. There will always be a place in this world where you can't escape."
Anyway, I've never been a person who keeps their word. You, Xiao Lianjue, are not qualified to get any promises from me.
"I'm happy to gamble anytime, but I think we should do it another day." The woman's eyes were practically spitting fire. "I'm very tired today."
"What are you tired of? You don't do anything."
"Sir, you said you didn't have time today."
The voice was so mournful that it made me tremble, but Xiao Lianjue remained completely calm and composed.