Si Xitong quickly stepped forward, grabbed her hands, and said with concern, "Lanzhi, I'll do what you don't want to do!"
Xie Lanzhi immediately activated the internal energy in her dantian and suppressed it, but she was already covered in cold sweat; she was truly ill.
Unable to vent her pent-up energy, Xie Lanzhi gently pushed away Si Xitong's hand, her voice trembling as she suppressed her emotions: "Go and have the imperial physician prepare some cooling herbal tea for me."
"Are you suffering from heatstroke?" Si Xitong reached out to touch her. Her porcelain-white skin, her soft, caring voice, and the coolness of her hands made Xie Lanzhi's burning face feel like the air conditioning emanating from a hot summer day.
Xie Lanzhi let out a comfortable sigh. With that sigh, her internal energy miraculously stabilized, ceasing its restless activity.
The little phoenix was indeed her lifesaver.
"I'm fine, I just have a sore throat."
Xie Lanzhi has some clues about the brothel case and is working on them, but it will take some time to solve it.
She hadn't forgotten Little Phoenix's ambition to create Xiwei, and now was the perfect opportunity. It was time for her to prove herself.
She took her jade-like hand off her face, then composed herself and said to Si Xitong, "Little Phoenix, let's get started."
"Okay, wait for me." Si Xitong withdrew her hand and turned her back, unaware that Xie Lanzhi's gaze remained fixed on her hand with lingering affection.
In the Ziguang Hall of Jianzhang Palace, the Shenxing Division, three previously separate factions, united in a single day, established the Western Investigation Bureau of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, or "Western Guard" for short. This was a center where the powers of privileged inspectors and arresting officials were merged.
The newly appointed commander of the Western Guard is Zhang Changle, the second son of the Zhang family. The deputy envoy is Xie Meixiang. The right protector is Xie Ergou. Xie Ergou is a junior guard at Jianzhang Palace.
Xie Meixiang provided the clan's gray market for trafficking human children, Zhang Changle was responsible for arresting people that day, and Xie Ergou cut off their escape route. Under the three-way attack, the officials of the Military Affairs Bureau, the local county government, and the brothel were all arrested. A total of thirty-seven people were arrested, including two fourth-rank officials and the remaining thirty-five were county officials holding important positions in various places.
All thirty-seven people had their teeth broken, their mouths smashed, their legs broken if they tried to run away, and their backers removed if they wanted to seek help from others. This left these human trafficking criminals in the brothel with nowhere to hide and no way to get justice.
Seeing this situation, no one in the Xie clan dared to redeem anyone. They might even be suspected of being accomplices and thrown into the prison of the Censorate the moment they spoke.
During this period, the three Xie generals stayed at home and their wives also stopped attending gatherings, all to avoid suspicion.
Zhang Changle used every means at his disposal to extract information, especially from low-level human traffickers. He personally tortured them until they were barely alive, then tortured the madams as well. Finally, he hanged the criminal who acted as an intermediary with Xie and displayed his body at the entrance of the market.
The remaining people were locked in a dark room and tortured for three days and three nights, driving the madam mad. The slave traders had their tongues and fingers cut off, and their eyes gouged out. All thirty-seven officials had their homes confiscated, the men were all beheaded, and the women were all exiled to government offices and demoted to commoners.
With the addition of testimonies from the victims' families, the Chunyuan human trafficking case was officially solved within three days.
This gave the victims justice, which was applauded by the people and also deterred the powerful and influential in Tianjing.
The name of Xiwei resounded throughout the south for three days and three nights! It also became a source of fear for everyone in the Xie family.
When the news of the case being solved reached Xie Lanzhi's ears, she was still drinking herbal tea. After finishing it, she didn't forget to ask the doctor to diagnose her.
The physician said, "Marshal, your internal heat is caused by excessive qi and blood. Please do not eat any more tonics in the future."
"Also, in the summer, people's emotions are easily volatile, so you must get a good rest at night. Don't stay up late anymore."
"Hmm," Xie Lanzhi replied casually to the physician.
The physician swallowed the words he was about to say. It wasn't just that his blood and qi were too strong; the marshal's pulse was even stronger than a man's, clearly... clearly... The physician dared not continue.
The Jianzhang Palace was filled with a joyous atmosphere.
Zhang Changle not only received a reward, but also felt triumphant in front of everyone.
Xie Ergou and the other guards benefited greatly, receiving the treatment of a centurion, allowing them to bring their families back to Tianjing. Their salaries also doubled compared to the previous month, making their lives not only comfortable but also improving.
The jailers of the Censorate were also rewarded with silver and promoted.
The mistress on the throne remained silent, her gaze sweeping over the case file again and again, scrutinizing every detail.
Once she felt relieved, she personally affixed the red seal with the Phoenix Seal. The case was officially closed.
"Your Highness, after our Western Guard solved this case, what about the Marshal's side..." Zhang Changle reminded Si Xitong that the Western Guard played a very important role. Even though His Highness was the founder, without Marshal Xie's attitude, the Western Guard might have become a temporary institution.
This statement has caused great concern among many current officials of the Western Guard.
Si Xitong reassured them: "The Marshal had long heard about my creation of the Western Guard and had never objected. This major case was also authorized by her. So there's no need to worry. We'll just follow the Western Guard's official seal these days."
"Remember, we must not fabricate false cases in order to force confessions, otherwise Xiwei will be unstable."
"Yes!" Zhang Changle and the others replied in unison.
It wasn't until evening, when the lanterns of Jianzhang Palace were lit, that Si Xitong finally finished work and went home.
Xie Lanzhi sat inside the palace, looking out through the door at the sky, which was already a dark, gray curtain. This was the time when she was most worried.
Old Mrs. Xie noticed that she had been sitting in a daze all day, clearly preoccupied. Old Mrs. Xie also seemed to have noticed something; the Marshal's current state resembled... that of a woman alone in her empty room.
"marshal."
"What is it?"
Old Mrs. Xie quietly took out a yellowed book from her sleeve. It wasn't an old book, but a brand new yellow book. She rolled it up and stuffed it into her hand.
Xie Lanzhi asked in great confusion, "What is it?"
She unfolded the yellow scroll, and as soon as she opened it, the three characters "Lady's Portrait" on the cover shone brightly. Under the candlelight, the portrait of the lady on the yellow scroll gained an even more ambiguous and enchanting atmosphere.
Her hands trembled, and though she wanted to refuse, her fingertips had already pinched the corner of the book, and she honestly turned to a page...
Granny Xie smiled slightly. She led the bewildered Xiao Xiu and the other palace maids out of Lanzhang Palace, and had the guards of Lanzhang Palace leave the inner gate so as not to disturb their masters' enjoyment.
Although Xie Lanzhi condemned her own behavior, she silently gave Xie the old woman a thumbs up. Then she looked at the first page and saw annotations about the actions, postures, and how to make them smooth and seamless. Her nose was about to bleed.
The ladies in her hands seemed to come alive and intertwine with each page she turned, until Xie Lanzhi felt a burning sensation in her nose and blew it, mistaking it for snot.
As a result, his left hand was covered in blood.
She had never suffered such an injury in battle.
Chapter 92 We Owe Each Other a Wedding
Just then, Si Xitong returned to the palace. She was wondering why no one had announced her arrival when she stepped into the palace with her right foot and saw someone on the chaise longue. Her face was covered in blood, as if she had been punched, and she was holding a book of unknown contents in her hand.
"Lanzhi! Are you alright?!"
With Little Phoenix's exclamation, Xie Lanzhi hurriedly stuffed the yellow scroll into her bosom. Just as she did, she remembered that Little Phoenix had been trying to jump into her arms lately and would definitely be discovered. In a moment of panic, she immediately threw the yellow scroll out the window with extra force, throwing it directly out the outer door.
Si Xitong glanced at the book without making a sound, but her attention was quickly drawn away by someone's nosebleed.
Xie Lanzhi lay on the bed, a damp white towel covering her forehead, with a woman leaning over the edge of the bed beside her, her gaze intriguing.
Has she been discovered?
He found himself filled with love and desire for her.
Xie Lanzhi's face turned as red as a blazing pot. She simply closed her eyes to avoid her beloved wife's probing gaze.
Si Xitong really liked her camel-like avoidance; even though it was useless, it was so adorable. How could such a smart person choose such an exposed method to escape from herself?
Si Xitong sat on the edge of the bed, her hands supporting her chin, her eyelashes curving into curves, her eyes sparkling, and she smiled silently with slightly parted lips.
"How come I never noticed before that Lanzhi is so easily embarrassed?"
Xie Lanzhi felt that being caught reading pornography and getting a nosebleed wasn't just embarrassing, it was shameful, especially in front of her beloved wife. Now she just wanted to dig a hole and go to Antarctica to calm down.
She should just keep pretending to be dead!
"Lanzhi is quite cute." A certain little phoenix had already reached out to her, her fingertips moving like a brush from Xie Lanzhi's brow bone to her nose, and finally pressing down on her lips.
Xie Lanzhi couldn't help but swallow. This subconscious action didn't escape Si Xitong's notice, and her gaze became even more intense.
"Lanzhi, don't you really want to...?" The beautiful woman deliberately paused, making Lanzhi extremely embarrassed and annoyed.
Everyone knows she feels ashamed, yet she still tries to take advantage of this situation. This woman is despicable!
If her nosebleed hadn't still been bleeding, she really wanted to turn over and face away from her right now, because even with her eyes closed, she could still feel the little phoenix's gaze sweeping over her. It was incredibly sensitive for her.
Her silence now gives the impression of someone caught red-handed and speechless.
Xie Lanzhi didn't want the atmosphere to continue, so she shamelessly pretended to be stupid and said, "This is really strange. How could there be such a book in the palace? I was extremely shocked when I accidentally came across it."
The beauty, unimpressed, exposed her: "Are you saying that I secretly hid it to read it?"
Xie Lanzhi: ""
Why bother, my dear wife?
Undeterred, she continued to make excuses: "Maybe it was Xiaoxiu who saw it."
"Xiao Xiu wouldn't dare."
"It seems to be my Xie family's old woman..."
Si Xitong criticized him mercilessly, saying, "He really is disrespectful to his elders. Should I kick him out?"
Xie Lanzhi: I really have no other choice.
A moment of silence fell between them. The atmosphere wasn't tense; instead, a subtle, ambiguous air filled the air, whether from the orchid incense burning in the hall or from the little phoenix's own delicate fragrance. In any case, the wonderful interplay of scents made their breathing gradually become hot.
"Open your eyes and look at me." Si Xitong lowered her head and hovered over Xie Lanzhi's face. Xie Lanzhi opened her eyes and met her gaze. She had no way to hide.
She could only confront her directly: "I'm watching."
Seeing her reaction, Si Xitong felt a secret joy in her eyes. She asked her calmly, "And then? What are you thinking about?"
Xie Lanzhi felt that she was asking a question she already knew the answer to, and that she still wanted to see her embarrassed expression.
How come she never noticed Little Phoenix's wicked sense of humor before?
"I was thinking..." She was about to answer, but her gaze fell on the other two beautiful lips that were hovering three inches above her own. She swallowed hard, her eyes darting around, and finally cautiously reminded them, "You're too close."
Si Xitong said, "There is a little."
But she had no intention of moving. Looking down at her like that gave her a strange...pleasure. This desire to control Xie Lanzhi made her reluctant to leave. Every part of her being screamed at her not to miss this opportunity.
Undoubtedly, she had the upper hand in this fight.
Xie Lanzhi: "Then move it away?"
The little phoenix's eyes now held a dangerous glint, containing a sense of intrusion, as if probing into her mysterious realm while simultaneously opening up a new world for her.
A sixth sense inexplicably told her that she couldn't continue to passively let her gain the upper hand, or the future consequences would be unimaginable. Little Phoenix's methods had changed drastically recently due to the main storyline; if she changed that quickly in the room as well, wouldn't she be completely at her mercy?
Ignoring her nosebleed, Xie Lanzhi immediately tilted her head back to stand up. As her head bobbed, Si Xitong had no choice but to back away. If she insisted any longer, the two might bump into each other instead of kissing.
Lan Zhi, surprisingly, is very insistent and reserved in this regard. Reserved to an almost...annoying degree.
Si Xitong straightened herself and leaned back into Xie Lanzhi's arms. Xie Lanzhi sat up and was forced to embrace her. The soft, sweet, and graceful body in her arms sent a jolt of electric shock through her. This embrace seemed more intense than before, an ambiguous atmosphere swirling around them, making what was originally a simple hug seem more suggestive.
Xie Lanzhi's senses were instantly overwhelmed!