Chapter 165: I

I'll Wait for You!

Although Nie Jinxuan had a plan in mind before coming to the Yun Wangfu, she didn't expect to be calculated by the other party.

In the Yun Wangfu, Nie Jinxuan appeared graceful, but the moment she walked out of the Yun Wangfu, got into the carriage, and let down the curtain, bitterness instantly filled Nie Jinxuan's heart, and a look of indescribable pain appeared on her face!

She didn't care about gossip, but she couldn't help but care about the Nie family's reputation. Now, with Nie Jinhui's matter still not completely resolved, the Jin family's case still shrouded in mist, and now this happened...

Vicious! Han Luoxue's move was indeed vicious! But who could she blame? After all, the real third party now was her, Nie Jinxuan, so how could Han Luoxue tolerate her! Even she herself had demanded Yin Fengzhan before that she only wanted a love of one life and one pair! So what was wrong with Han Luoxue doing this!

Yes, the fault was her own. The fault was that she shouldn't have let her feelings go, and even forgotten everything... Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan, who had been lowering her eyes, pursed her lips and said to Xiao Xiu sitting beside her without looking up:

"Go straight back to the Nie residence."

That night, everything was silent. The

Yet at this moment, in a certain side chamber in the back courtyard, candles were flickering, and Princess Consort Yun, Chen Yan'er, was sitting beside the table, silent and wordless.

Chen Yan'er's expression was very deep, as if she were thinking about something. Then, not long after, a knock sounded at the door, and soon after, the maidservant Xin'er was seen pushing the door open and walking in. Behind her, there was actually an old man over sixty years of age.

"Princess Consort, the person has arrived."

Xin'er spoke in a low voice. Upon hearing this, Chen Yan'er, who had been immersed in her own thoughts, was slightly startled, and only then did she return to her senses.

"En, alright, I know. Xin'er, you go outside and keep watch first."

"Yes."

Not knowing what Chen Yan'er intended, Xin'er still obediently and respectfully responded, then quietly walked out. Once Xin'er had left, Chen Yan'er shifted her gaze to the old man.

"Imperial Physician Bai, for so many years, you have served Consort Li, so naturally, I trust you the most. Today, I have asked you to come because there is actually a matter I must ask for your help with."

Chen Yan'er had always been direct. Upon hearing this, Imperial Physician Bai nodded and replied,

"I wonder what matter the Princess Consort of Yun needs this old man's help with?"

Imperial Physician Bai was also a direct person. After hearing him say this, Chen Yan'er pursed her lips, then reached out and pushed a bracelet on the table toward him.

"This, Imperial Physician Bai, take a look."

"Yes."

Responding respectfully once more, Imperial Physician Bai stepped forward, picked up the bracelet, and began to examine it carefully under the candlelight.

It was a string of top-grade blood bodhi beads, each one translucent; one could tell at a glance that it was of immense value. Under the reflection of the candlelight, it emitted a charming luster...

At this time, Imperial Physician Bai examined it earnestly, but after looking for a long while, he still could not see any problems. He couldn't help but place the string of blood bodhi beads back on the table.

Seeing this, Chen Yan'er's brows twitched. Without waiting for him to speak, she asked directly,

"Imperial Physician Bai, did you not see any problems? Are you sure?"

Although she did not like Nie Jinxuan, Chen Yan'er understood in her heart that Nie Jinxuan would never say those things to her on purpose. Hearing this, and meeting Chen Yan'er's slightly deep eyes, Imperial Physician Bai was startled. His hand, which had just been about to let go, sank, and he picked up the bracelet again.

Yet this time, Imperial Physician Bai still did not see anything, so he made a move to put the bracelet down... But just then, his expression suddenly froze. He abruptly brought the bracelet to his eyes, shook it under the candlelight, and then reached out to push aside the blood bodhi beads on the bracelet, leaned in to sniff it slightly, and then couldn't help but narrow his eyes...

At this moment, seeing the strange behavior of Imperial Physician Bai, Chen Yan'er, who had been pursing her lips in silence, instantly grew stern and couldn't help but press him,

"How is it? Is there a problem?"

Chen Yan'er's tone was filled with urgency, and her furrowed brows revealed a hint of gravity. Upon hearing this, Imperial Physician Bai did not speak immediately; he looked at the bracelet once more, then set it down and raised his eyes to say to Chen Yan'er,

"May I ask where the Princess Consort obtained this bracelet?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Just tell me, is there a problem with this bracelet?"

"Replying to the Princess Consort, there is indeed a problem with this bracelet!"

Lowering his head respectfully, Imperial Physician Bai then pushed aside the blood bodhi beads on the bracelet in front of Chen Yan'er and said in a low voice,

"Princess Consort, please look. This blood bodhi bracelet is indeed worth a fortune and is extremely precious. The blood bodhi itself has no problems; the real problem lies in the cord used to string these beads!"

"The cord?!"

Chen Yan'er was puzzled. At this time, she heard Imperial Physician Bai explain,

"Yes, Princess Consort. Please look, the blood bodhi is red in color, so the cord used for this bracelet is also the same shade of red. At first glance, everything seems normal, but in reality, this cord has been fumigated with something! And if this old man guesses correctly, it should be musk!"

"Musk? What is that?"

"A type of medicinal herb. Its function is to open the orifices and revive consciousness, promote blood circulation to dissipate stasis, and induce labor and miscarriage..."

"What?!"

Even if Chen Yan'er did not understand medical principles, she understood immediately upon hearing "induce labor and miscarriage." Seeing Chen Yan'er so agitated, Imperial Physician Bai sighed and continued to explain,

"Yes, Princess Consort. Although musk is a medicinal herb, it is not a good thing for women. The cord in that bracelet was soaked or fumigated with this musk. However, during the soaking or fumigation process, someone added some spices to treat it, which is why this old man overlooked this problem at first..."

Speaking to this point, Imperial Physician Bai felt ashamed on one hand, but on the other, he felt the sinister intentions of the person who made the bracelet. After all, everyone in the capital knew that the Prince and Princess Consort of Yun were deeply affectionate, yet they had no children after several years of marriage. Now that this item had appeared, the other party's goal was self-evident.

For a time, the room fell into an eerie silence once again. After Chen Yan'er lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment, she suddenly raised her eyes to look at Imperial Physician Bai.

"Imperial Physician Bai, you know of today's matter, and I know of it. I do not wish for any third person to know, not even Prince Yun... You understand what I mean, right?"

Having served in the palace for most of his life, Imperial Physician Bai naturally knew what should be said and what should not! So even if Chen Yan'er hadn't said it, he wouldn't have uttered a single extra word. Therefore, once Chen Yan'er finished speaking, Imperial Physician Bai responded in a low voice,

"Princess Consort, rest assured, this old man understands."

"That is good! Then I have troubled you today, Imperial Physician Bai. Xin'er, send Imperial Physician Bai back."

"Yes."

Hearing Chen Yan'er's instructions, Xin'er, who was guarding outside the door, hurried in to respond, and then sent Imperial Physician Bai away!

Imperial Physician Bai was gone. For a time, only Chen Yan'er was left in the room. At this moment, as she quietly looked at the gift she had once loved the most, a sense of indescribable hatred welled up in her heart!

Cruel, you are truly so cruel!

Chen Yan'er was so angry she gritted her teeth. She reached out and grabbed the blood bodhi bracelet, making a move to throw it onto the floor... But in the blink of an eye, just as she was about to throw it, she stopped abruptly. A breath remained trapped in her chest, unable to be calmed!

Chen Yan'er was furious, yet also somewhat hesitant. In the end, she placed the bracelet back on the table, but her eyes remained fixed on it, not blinking for an instant.

The room was eerily quiet. One could only hear the occasional faint sound of the candle flame. But just then, as Chen Yan'er stared at the blood bodhi bracelet on the table, a black shadow flashed in as fast as a ghost.

Instantly, Chen Yan'er was shocked. She looked up immediately, but was stunned.

"... You?!"

It turned out that the person standing before Chen Yan'er was none other than Shui Yun, who had grabbed her wrist during the day!

At this moment, Shui Yun still had a calm face, her waveless eyes devoid of any emotion, which made Chen Yan'er's heart tremble.

"You... why did you come? Did Nie Jinxuan send you?"

Chen Yan'er felt uneasy. Upon hearing this, Shui Yun merely glanced at her, then cast her gaze onto the blood bodhi bracelet on the table.

Shui Yun's expression remained calm. Seeing this, Chen Yan'er frowned, but before she could speak, she saw Shui Yun suddenly reach out to her waist, place a wooden box in front of Chen Yan'er, and then snatch away the original blood bodhi bracelet.

Shui Yun's movements were agile, but watching her, Chen Yan'er was bewildered. Blinking her eyes, Chen Yan'er looked up at Shui Yun again, then reached out to open the wooden box... The moment she saw what was inside, she was stunned.

It turned out that there was also a string of blood bodhi beads in the wooden box!

The same size, the same quality, and even the patterns on the blood bodhi beads felt somewhat similar...

For a moment, Chen Yan'er was too shocked to speak, but then she suddenly realized everything! She couldn't help but look up at Shui Yun again.

"Why is she helping me?"

Chen Yan'er's face was filled with confusion. Meeting her eyes, Shui Yun, who had been silent, pursed her lips.

"The Third Young Lady said that the Princess Consort of Yun has no past grievances or recent grudges with her. Although Prince Yun's conduct is improper, he is sincere toward the Princess Consort, and such feelings are truly hard to come by. It is easy to obtain priceless treasures, but difficult to find a loving partner. Therefore, the Third Young Lady also hopes that the Princess Consort of Yun can be happy."

"Hmph! Can she, Nie Jinxuan, be so kind-hearted?"

"Believe it or not, that is up to you!"

Others feared Chen Yan'er's status, but Shui Yun did not hold her in any regard at all. Meeting Shui Yun's calm eyes, Chen Yan'er's gaze darkened. Just as Shui Yun turned to leave, she said in a low voice,

"Tell Nie Jinxuan that I, Chen Yan'er, will remember this favor. One day, I will repay it!"

Chen Yan'er spoke with absolute certainty. Upon hearing this, Shui Yun merely glanced at her, then flashed away, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Shui Yun was gone, and the room became quiet again. At this time, Chen Yan'er shifted her gaze to the blood bodhi bracelet in front of her, and then, without hesitation, put it on her wrist...

Undercurrents were surging in the Wangfu of Yun. Meanwhile, in a side chamber in the back courtyard of the Nie residence, Nie Jinxuan sat alone in the room, not knowing what she was thinking.

Nie Jinxuan did not particularly dislike Chen Yan'er. Because she could see that although Chen Yan'er was always at odds with her, her character was not bad. And this was the fundamental reason why she would reach out to help Chen Yan'er.

She did not ask for any reward from Chen Yan'er; she just did not want to watch her be used by others. But she had helped Chen Yan'er, yet who would help her, Nie Jinxuan?

Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but sigh. Just then, a black shadow flashed by, and a low, familiar voice rang in her ear.

"Why didn't you return to the Wangfu?"

The opening was a question. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan was startled, then looked up, meeting those deep, cold eyes that made all women infatuated.

It was Yin Fengzhan!

At this moment, looking at the man before her with a gloomy expression and obvious anger on his face, Nie Jinxuan smiled slightly.

"This is my home. If I don't return here, where else can I go?"

Nie Jinxuan spoke indifferently, but upon hearing this, Yin Fengzhan's face instantly darkened.

"You know what I mean. Why come back? Is it because of what happened at the Wangfu of Yun during the day?"

So he knew...

Thinking this, Nie Jinxuan found it amusing, and she actually laughed out loud.

"What happened during the day? What about it? You know I wouldn't care... However, public opinion is fearsome. Even if I don't care myself, I cannot disregard my father and the entire Nie residence. Now that the matter of the Second Sister has not been resolved, Father has already been hit hard. Now that this has happened, I naturally cannot go back."

"Besides, Father has found many people to come to the residence for my sake. Although it cannot compare to your Chen Wangfu, ordinary thieves cannot get in. And didn't you send Shui Yun over? That girl's skills are so good, so don't worry, I'm fine."

Looking at Yin Fengzhan, Nie Jinxuan's tone was as natural as could be. But the more she was like this, the more Yin Fengzhan felt the fire rising in his heart. He suddenly reached out with his large hand and pulled her into his arms.

"Don't brush me off! I know that's not the truth! I said it, I will marry you."

Yin Fengzhan was never a man of many words, and at this moment, his eyes revealed an indescribable earnestness and persistence. Meeting those eyes, Nie Jinxuan's heart stirred, and without saying anything, she leaned her body into his embrace.

Nie Jinxuan greedily absorbed the warmth from his body and the faint, refreshing scent unique to him. After an unknown amount of time, Nie Jinxuan finally said in a low, slow voice,

"I believe you. But Fengzhan, you should know my thoughts. Moreover, I cannot let you drive them all out of the Wangfu for my sake; I cannot do such a thing... So, I have thought about it. During this period, let us both calm down first. Let's wait until the case of Official Jin is all over before we talk about it."

This was an unsolvable knot. Since it couldn't be solved right now, she would put it aside for now... This was the conclusion Nie Jinxuan had reached after thinking about it all day. Upon hearing this, Yin Fengzhan instantly frowned, reached out to lift Nie Jinxuan's chin, and forced her to look into his eyes.

"Is this your decision?"

"En."

"Fine!"

Without any other nonsense, after a brief silence, Yin Fengzhan nodded directly. But then he changed the subject.

"However, during this period, you must live in the Wangfu. It is not safe here!"

Yin Fengzhan spoke in a low voice, his words carrying a firmness that no one dared to defy. After he finished speaking, he picked up Nie Jinxuan and vanished without a trace in a single leap...

Nie Jinxuan was brought back to the Chen Wangfu by Yin Fengzhan. But just as he had promised her, he left some time for the two of them, so he did not stay in the room for long before leaving.

Watching his back, Nie Jinxuan felt moved, but also felt even more heartache.

The night passed without a word, and in the blink of an eye, it was the next day.

Early in the morning, before Nie Jinxuan had even gotten up, she saw Xiao Xiu running over with eyes full of tears. It turned out that Xiao Xiu had no idea Nie Jinxuan had been taken away by Yin Fengzhan last night. When she saw that she was gone in the morning, she was scared out of her wits. Finally, learning that she had come to the Chen Wangfu, Xiao Xiu ran all the way over.

Xiao Xiu had been badly frightened. Seeing her pitiful appearance, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. After being stirred up by Xiao Xiu, Nie Jinxuan got up, washed, and dressed, intending to reorganize the case files.

But then, just after Nie Jinxuan had finished breakfast, she received news—the Minister of Revenue, Wang Tianhai, and the Vice Minister of War, Huang Baiqi, who had been missing for many days, had been found!

Hearing the news, Nie Jinxuan was stunned for a moment, then hurried out. Upon arriving at the back hall, she saw Zuo Wei, Mo Yujue, and Prince Rui, Yin Fengxiang, had already arrived. Yin Fengzhan was sitting in his seat, his face gloomy, lips pursed in silence.

Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan was startled. After sitting down, she listened as Mo Yujue explained the ins and outs of the matter...

It turned out that ever since the night Yin Fengzhan rescued Nie Jinxuan, he had ordered people to search everywhere. But Nie Jinhui was truly a clever woman; she had made the most of the saying "a wily rabbit has three burrows." Therefore, they had searched for two consecutive days without finding a single clue.

Finally, until last night, when Mo Yujue led people to search again, they finally discovered something unusual in an abandoned temple outside the city, and subsequently found the entrance to a secret passage. After sending people down to look, they finally found the long-missing Wang Tianhai and Huang Baiqi.

But when the two were brought out, the two men who had once been infinitely powerful in the imperial court had long been tortured to the brink of death. Ever since Nie Jinhui died, the two had not had a drop of water for two days, so one could imagine what they looked like when they were carried out!

But regardless, the people had been found, which was a good thing after all. However, a problem also arose: how to deal with the two of them afterward!

Wang Tianhai and Huang Baiqi were both important persons related to the Jin Qi case. If they were sent home now, it would be hard to guarantee that they wouldn't take any action! But they couldn't be locked up directly either; after all, they were still high-ranking officials of the current dynasty. Private detention was not only against reason, but if it were discovered and exposed, the consequences would be huge. Thus, for a time, everyone did not know what to do.

Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan couldn't help but frown, then asked in a low voice,

"Where are the two of them now?"

"Sent to the Ministry of Punishments. A doctor has already been found. They are seriously injured, but there is no danger to their lives."

Furrowing his brows, Zuo Wei said with a worried face. After speaking, he raised his eyes to look at Nie Jinxuan and said,

"Third Young Lady, what should we do now? We cannot keep Wang Tianhai and Huang Baiqi, but if we send them back, I fear they will definitely take action later! So this matter..."

Zuo Wei already felt deep guilt regarding the Jin Qi matter, so he was naturally anxious. Hearing this, Nie Jinxuan pursed her lips, turned to look at Yin Fengzhan, and after pondering for a moment, her eyes flashed, and she said in a low voice,

"Official Zuo, who knows that Wang Tianhai and Huang Baiqi have been found?"

"No one! Just those Yamen Runners who followed Attendant Mo last night."

"Then can Official Zuo make those Yamen Runners keep it a secret?"

"Those Yamen Runners are all Attendant Mo's subordinates, so this depends on Attendant Mo... Uh, could it be that the Third Young Lady wants to..."

Zuo Wei spoke, but then he was suddenly startled. Meeting Zuo Wei's fearful eyes, Nie Jinxuan nodded directly.

"That's right, Official Zuo. I want to detain Wang Tianhai and Huang Baiqi! At least until we can get some clues out of them, then we can let them go. Besides, listening to Brother Mo's account just now, the two should still be in a coma. Since that's the case, we will just lock them up again... Of course, if Official Zuo feels it is dangerous, you can pretend you don't know. If the matter is exposed, I, Jinxuan, will absolutely not mention you!"

Nie Jinxuan stated her thoughts. As she spoke, she shifted her gaze to look at Yin Fengzhan, Yin Fengxiang, and Mo Yujue beside her.

"Of course, besides Official Zuo, everyone here is the same. After all, once the Emperor knows about this, it will definitely provoke his fury! So Jinxuan does not force anyone, and I ask everyone to consider it carefully!"

Nie Jinxuan laid the matter out clearly. Upon hearing this, Yin Fengxiang was the first to speak,

"There is nothing to consider. If the Third Young Lady decides so, I agree!"

"... Fine! For Brother Jin, let's take a gamble!"

Following Yin Fengxiang, Zuo Wei, who had always been cautious, also gritted his teeth and agreed. At this time, once Zuo Wei finished speaking, Mo Yujue said without even thinking,

"I will handle those Yamen Runners."

He did not explicitly say whether he agreed or disagreed, but Mo Yujue expressed his opinion with his actions. Once Mo Yujue finished speaking, Nie Jinxuan turned to look at Yin Fengzhan. Meeting his eyes, Nie Jinxuan instantly understood, curled her lips into a smile, and then shifted her gaze to everyone.

"Good, since everyone agrees, then..."

Nie Jinxuan was speaking earnestly, but just then, before she could finish her words, she saw Gu Hong walk in quickly.

"Your Highness, everyone, someone just came from the palace, saying that the Third Young Lady is to enter the palace to see the Emperor immediately!"

The two updates are combined today, see you tomorrow~!