Chapter 292

Side Story: Joy Record 4

It was dusk, the sun was setting, and the dim light cast a glow, also spilling into the Wang family's courtyard and onto Pei Yaoguang's raised right hand.

Clean and spotless!

Shui Yun and Pei Yaoguang knew it in their hearts. At this time, Pei Yaoguang looked at his clean fingers and curled his lips. Shui Yun lowered her clear eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then said in a low, calm voice:

"It is true that there is something suspicious, but there are too few clues now, so I suppose there is no way."

Half-Month Demise is rare, but it is not a specialty of any one place. That someone came to the Wang house to clean up beforehand only proves that the other party's secret power cannot be underestimated, but there are no other clues. As for the gold hairpin taken out earlier, one can only tell it came from the south, but the south is neither big nor small. How can one find any clues based on this tiny hairpin?!

Shui Yun was a death soldier. Before following Nie Jinxuan, she was a capable assistant to Yin Fengzhan, so she was no stranger to such things. But precisely because of this, Shui Yun was certain that with the current clues, it wasn't completely hopeless. However, that would require considerable power, and in Shui Yun's view, in this world, besides her current master, the Emperor, there was no second person who could do it.

It's just that, would the Emperor use his secret forces to investigate a case like this? Clearly, that was impossible! So, as it stands now, there is no way.

Shui Yun was very clear about the current situation. But hearing this, Pei Yaoguang glanced at her, and as soon as she met his eyes, Shui Yun was so angry she wanted to raise her hand and beat him!

Because that little look he just gave clearly wrote three words: Are you stupid!

Shui Yun's temperament was cool, but she couldn't stand being angered like this. Seeing Shui Yun's hair almost standing on end, Pei Yaoguang shifted his gaze.

"When people pass, they leave a name; when geese pass, they leave a cry. In my eyes, there is no such thing as 'no way'!"

Pei Yaoguang's words were quite arrogant. As he finished, he put his hands behind his back, held his head high, and walked out with a swagger like a proud peacock...

Since returning to the palace last time, Shui Yun had returned to her usual life.

She hadn't spoken of the previous events, not even when Huo Rong asked inadvertently. Because in Shui Yun's view, whether Pei Yaoguang had a way or not had nothing to do with her, and she was too lazy to get involved with that bastard.

However, what Shui Yun never expected was that this afternoon, she suddenly heard a surprising piece of news—

Pei Yaoguang was sick!

Although Pei Yaoguang was a civil official, he had always been in good health. Since the day Shui Yun met him, she had never heard of him having any ailments, so hearing that the arrogant, insufferable bastard was actually sick really surprised Shui Yun.

The news was heard from a little palace maid in the Yongle Palace. Although Shui Yun was surprised, she didn't think much of it and didn't ask further. But two days later, the news not only didn't subside but seemed to be intensifying...

"... Have you heard? Lord Pei hasn't attended court for three days."

"Oh, do you need to tell me that? I heard it early this morning. The Divine Doctor Long has been running out these past few days; what do you think that's about?"

"Ah? Even Divine Doctor Long has been alarmed?"

"Of course. Lord Pei is a capable official; naturally, the Emperor wouldn't take his illness lightly... Sigh, I really don't know how Lord Pei is doing now..."

"Yeah, I really hope Lord Pei gets better soon..."

Speaking of which, Pei Yaoguang was actually quite popular in the inner palace. There was no helping it; since the founding of Dongling, the imperial examination had been implemented to select talent. From studying hard in a cold window since childhood to passing the imperial examination and then entering the government as an official, one was already quite old by the time they could enter the capital to attend court. So, looking at the court, among the civil and military officials, there were truly few young ones. An official like Pei Yaoguang, who was in his early twenties and not yet thirty, and had already reached the third rank, was truly rare.

Moreover, Pei Yaoguang was good-looking and not as weak as most civil officials. More importantly, the man had more money than he could spend in several lifetimes! So, although this guy always liked to walk with his head held high, these small flaws couldn't hide his blinding "diamond bachelor" aura. Naturally, he was deeply missed by the young palace maids in the inner palace who were idle and in the prime of their youth.

At this moment, watching the two little palace maids whisper as they walked further away, Shui Yun, standing at the corner, couldn't help but frown, then walked toward Yongle Palace... Just as she returned to Yongle Palace, she saw Long Jingyun walking out of the room.

Nie Jinxuan was still in a coma, so Long Jingyun came over to check on her every day. Usually, although Shui Yun and Long Jingyun were familiar, they didn't speak, but today Shui Yun unexpectedly called out to him.

"Divine Doctor Long, please stay."

"What for?"

Stopping his steps, but still fiddling with the small bottles in his bag, Long Jingyun responded absent-mindedly. Hearing this, Shui Yun paused slightly before asking:

"How is the Empress?"

"How is she? She's just the same as always!"

"……"

"Anything else? If not, I'm leaving!"

Long Jingyun was never polite when he spoke. Seeing that Long Jingyun was about to leave, Shui Yun hesitated, but then she pursed her lips and lowered her voice deliberately to ask:

"I heard Lord Pei is sick..."

"Why are you asking about that rich miser?"

"... Just heard it, asking casually."

"He won't die."

Long Jingyun had been busy and hadn't paid much attention to Shui Yun. After saying this casually, Long Jingyun left directly. This time, Shui Yun didn't call him again, looked up calmly, and then left as well.

……

Emperor Xingning, Yin Fengzhan, had been discussing matters with ministers in the Imperial Study all day and didn't return to Yongle Palace until late at night.

This was Yin Fengzhan's habit; no matter how late it was, he would come to Yongle Palace to keep watch.

The night was as cool as water. Seeing Yin Fengzhan arrive, Shui Yun ordered the palace servants to prepare the washing things and then led them out... But just as Shui Yun was about to turn around, Yin Fengzhan, who had been silent, called out to her.

"Shui Yun."

"Here."

"At the third watch tonight, leave the palace and go to the Ten-Mile Slope outside the city."

"Yes."

Yin Fengzhan was never one for many words, and Shui Yun naturally responded without hesitation. However, after responding, Shui Yun had doubts in her heart, so she looked up at Yin Fengzhan, and then heard Yin Fengzhan add:

"When you arrive, someone will naturally tell you what to do!"

"Yes!"

Since Yin Fengzhan had already said so, Shui Yun naturally obeyed. After exiting the bedchamber, she began to prepare. After the second watch, she changed into a night-traveling outfit and vanished into the night with a leap.

……

Although Yin Fengzhan didn't say it explicitly, Shui Yun knew that he was telling her that this operation needed to be covert. So, along the way, Shui Yun was extra careful, leaped out of the city, and finally arrived at Ten-Mile Slope.

It was currently the third watch of the night. Darkness shrouded the surroundings, and it was completely silent. Once she arrived, Shui Yun flashed behind a large tree and carefully examined the surroundings, then indeed saw a carriage parked on the small road not far away.

The carriage was extremely ordinary but a bit larger than a standard one. The driver in front was dozing off... Seeing this, Shui Yun's gaze darkened, she looked around vigilantly again, then leaped forward and jumped into the carriage.

There was indeed someone in the carriage, lying diagonally. It was pitch black all around, and Shui Yun couldn't see the person's face, but she could be sure that the person was a man.

So in an instant, Shui Yun couldn't help but lean back and fix her gaze on the person again.

Shui Yun didn't make a sound, waiting quietly for the other party's instructions. At this time, the other party clearly knew Shui Yun had arrived but didn't speak either, just suddenly reached out and knocked twice on the wooden board in front. The dozing driver outside immediately jolted, wiped his face, and then cracked the whip, driving the carriage away along the small road.

Only when the carriage moved did the man who had been lying down sit up and look at Shui Yun. In the darkness, meeting those familiar and arrogant eyes, Shui Yun widened her eyes.

"It's you?!"

It turned out that the person was actually Pei Yaoguang!

Shui Yun was extremely surprised because she really hadn't expected that the person her master sent her to assist would be him! Although it was pitch black in the carriage, Pei Yaoguang knew Shui Yun's expression just from her voice, so he raised an eyebrow.

"What are you shouting for? Is it strange that it's me?"

"... Aren't you sick?"

"Hmph! I really didn't expect you to be so concerned about me! You even know about this!"

"……"

At this moment, Shui Yun really wanted to kick this bastard in front of her to death. Knowing he was sick meant she cared about him? The whole palace knew; she wasn't deaf, how could she not know?!

Shui Yun was fuming inside but was too lazy to argue with him. She calmed her mind and then said with a dark expression:

"Did you ask the Emperor to send me here?"