Yan Zhen said expressionlessly, "You took her child and raised it in the palace, but sent me back to my father's side and made me call a strange woman 'mother.' Do you deserve the title of 'mother'?"
"I'm doing this for your own good! The palace is dangerous, I don't want you to..."
"Keep those reasons to yourself." Yan Zhen said impatiently, "What were you doing when the Yan family was wiped out? I don't acknowledge you as my mother, Empress Dowager, please go back."
"Yan Zhen!" The Empress Dowager's face showed despair and collapse.
Minghe whispered, "Empress Dowager, please..."
xxx xxx
"My lord, the clues from back then have long been exhausted, but one thing is certain: Miss An was indeed present at the fire scene," Shen Zhuo reported in a low voice. "Furthermore, the person who assassinated you was none other than the long-lost Feng Yi..."
Yan Zhen frowned suddenly and subconsciously said, "Don't tell Xin'er about this." Then, as if remembering something, she said with a self-deprecating laugh, "Well, even if I wanted to tell her, I couldn't."
"Jinglan took Anxin to the Xiangxi area, but they lost track of her and have now lost all clues."
"Okay, I understand." Yan Zhen was a little tired, her chest ached slightly, and then even her head started to hurt. "He will appear soon."
An Xin remained silent the entire way, and Jing Lan also kept quiet. Finally, An Xin spoke up, "Where are my parents?"
Jinglan slowly sipped her tea and said, "Naturally, it's in the safest place."
“I want to see them.” An Xin frowned.
Jing Lan raised her long eyelashes and smiled, "If they find out our whereabouts, I will find a way to let you meet in the future."
An Xin's eyes flickered. She was a little unsure of Jing Lan's thoughts. This man, the smartest in the world, was truly beyond the comprehension of ordinary people once he started to play mind games.
"Where are you taking me?" Although An Xin was uneasy, she seemed not to have heard about Yan Zhen's accident, so she felt a little relieved. Yan Zhen must be alright. At this time, she should try to rescue her parents.
Jing Lan raised her eyelashes and glanced at her, asking, "Where do you want to go?"
An Xin paused, not expecting him to ask that. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "I have nowhere to go..."
Jing Lan smiled faintly and said, "I heard before that you wanted to go to the Western Regions and the Southern Frontier. Do you want to go now?"
An Xin knew that the two experts from the Southern Frontier and Western Regions had a grudge against Yan Zhen. Did Jing Lan raise this question because he wanted to call for reinforcements? She knew she couldn't go no matter what, so she said, "I used to fool them. I don't want to go to that kind of place."
Jing Lan gave her a meaningful look and said calmly, "Let's find a place to stay first." He was always dressed in fine clothes, but even in coarse cloth, his elegance was still undeniable. Luckily, he knew how to disguise himself.
He booked a guest room. An Xin was about to refuse, but he silently silenced her by pressing her pressure point. He pulled her into the guest room, picked her up, and placed her on the couch, whispering, "I'll go order some food."
An Xin struggled to get up, but he held her down.
An Xin finally lost her temper, her eyes turning unfriendly. He was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "You only ever showed this kind of expression in front of Yan Zhen."
An Xin's expression froze.
He suddenly leaned down and smiled, "I've thought some things through. Tonight, I'll take you to Hundred Flowers Valley. After you pay respects to my parents, we'll get married, and then you can disappear from the martial world. Is that alright?"
An Xin remained there...
"Since you've made up your mind, it's time to go. Delay might cause problems." He chuckled as he watched her hesitate, then raised his hand and finally touched her cheek.
As he was about to leave, An Xin suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest, her face turned deathly pale, and she was drenched in sweat.
"What's wrong?" Jing Lan stopped and leaned down to ask gently.
"My heart hurts..." An Xin bit her lower lip, leaving deep teeth marks, indicating that she was in a lot of pain.
He grasped her pulse and felt the veins throbbing beneath his fingertips. His expression suddenly changed. "She's really been poisoned by Gu?" He didn't believe Zhou Xiruo at all when she said it. He rarely trusted anyone in this world, not even his own subordinates. He knew all too well how potent Gu poison was.
Jing Lan's body trembled slightly. What would have happened if he had killed Zhou Xiruo back then?
I can't even imagine!
He hugged An Xin and whispered, "I will find a way to detoxify, Xin'er, it's my fault."
An Xin trembled, lowering her eyelashes. "I'm afraid Zhou Xiruo is in danger. I was in just as much pain when you tried to kill her last time... If she dies, I won't live either. Saving her is the most important thing..."
Jing Lan pursed her lips, then said softly, "Although Zhou Xiruo deserved to die, since Xin'er has said so, then so be it..."
An Xin's eyes flashed, and she raised her hand to her heart. If Jing Lan went back to save Zhou Xiruo, would he be able to come back?
---Aside---
No, I haven't abandoned the story. Girls, thank you for waiting. I'll write the ending. Group chat, please?
Chapter 108 The Grand Finale
An Xin found her parents on the third day after Jing Lan left.
Since leaving the Left Prime Minister's residence, Jing Lan's route has been complicated, but it is still traceable. The reason why the people of the court did not discover the route he took is because he had people at each of these points.
Anxin went to great lengths to find out where her parents were. The hardships she endured are not discussed here, but she believed that her parents were right here—at Shili Pavilion!
An Xin slowly pushed open the door, feeling a little apprehensive about returning home. However, when her gaze fell upon the person inside, her face suddenly stiffened, and she subconsciously took a step back.
"The thing I hate most in my life is being lied to. Xin'er, how many times have you lied to me?" He smiled faintly, but it sent a chill down An Xin's spine.
She managed to escape the inn by deceiving Jing Lan, but she never expected that he wouldn't go to save Zhou Xiruo at all, but instead came here!
How did he know he would come here? No, he guessed.
An Xin's eyes slowly turned cold. "Jing Lan, I will not go to Hundred Flowers Valley with you, much less marry you."
Jing Lan smiled faintly and said, "So, you don't plan to meet your parents either?"