Chapter 27: She slapped him

"How could you do this!" A Heng gritted her teeth, thinking of the unconscious young lady in the room, and she shoved the person aside and ran out.

Qing Feng blinked in surprise, then reached back to grab A Heng's neck, but she dodged swiftly, and his expression changed again.

Such speed is far beyond that of an ordinary maid; she clearly has training.

"Stop!"

If he can't even watch over a woman, he has no business serving beside the heir.

A Heng exchanged a few moves with him, but her half‑trained monastic skills could not match a battlefield general; Qing Feng pressed the sheath of his sword against her throat and said coldly:

"Young master doesn't strike women—get lost."

A Heng lifted her chin and said, "Please inform the heir and find a doctor to treat the young lady."

Qing Feng wore a lazy expression and said, "My lord is busy—there's no spare time to bother with you."

A Heng shouted, "My lady is the Fourth Miss of the Duke of Rong's residence, the duke's sole legitimate daughter—if she dies here, none of you will get away with it!"

It's that Fourth Miss again.

Qing Feng's eye twitched, he clicked his tongue inwardly, and thought, "These pampered aristocratic young ladies are nothing but trouble!"

"You go back; I'll report to my lord."

In the tightly shut room, blood trickled down the chair legs, winding and pooling at the man's feet.

Bound to the chair, Wu You let his head droop; aside from his face, not a scrap of intact flesh remained on his body. Suddenly a basin of cold water was poured over his head, his fingers twitched, and he slowly lifted his face.

The lamplight draped the man before him in a soft glow, but it could not alter the hue of his face, only stretching the shadow behind him long.

Fear already filled Wu You's eyes.

"I—I'll confess everything, please......"

Wu You swallowed, then recited a long list of names, while Qing Yun stood by to record them.

Finally, Qing Yun seized Wu You's bloody hand and pressed it onto the confession document.

Xiao Jingyuan sat in the chair, lowered his eyes to scan the list, then rose and looked at the scar‑covered Wu You, saying, "Do you think I can only get the Holy Heaven Sect's roster from you? Liu Wang, who fled with you years ago, already talked. That night, wasn't it you who tortured your maternal uncle like this?"

"Is Yuan Zhenfeng your maternal uncle?" Wu You exclaimed in shock, his lips trembling uncontrollably.

It is said that everyone in the Guard Office is an orphan with no parents, for only then can they wholeheartedly serve the emperor; the news he received was that Yuan Zhenfeng was merely the emperor's attack dog—how could he be connected to Prince Yan's manor?!

If he truly came from a noble background, how could he willingly do the emperor's dirty work?

Wu You didn't believe it, nor could he bring himself to.

Yuan Zhenfeng is indeed of the Yuan clan, though his origins are not glorious—he was born to a concubine, and only after his mother's death was he taken back into the Yuan mansion.

Because of the stain on his reputation, the Yuan clan hardly acknowledged him, so he swore to make his mark in the capital, then entered the Guard Office, and by merit rose to the post of Commandant, becoming Emperor Xuwen's right and left hand.

The outside world only knows his surname is Yuan, unaware that he belongs to the Yuan clan.

Prince Yan left the capital for the northern frontier when Xiao Jingyuan was young, and Yuan Zhenfeng made up for the paternal love Xiao Jingyuan lacked.

He still remembered that his young maternal uncle had promised to return after his busy day to keep him company on his birthday, but all he awaited was his uncle's coffin.

Xiao Jingyuan couldn't be bothered to waste words on Wu You, and ordered Qing Yun, "Take him out, shoot him full of arrows, and cut off his head."

Dragged outside, Wu You panicked and said, "Wait! I know there's another person protecting the Holy Heaven Sect! Yuan Zhenfeng's death was also his order! Even the leader dare not speak his name—spare my life and I'll tell you!".

Xiao Jingyuan raised his hand, signaling everyone not to act rashly.

Wu You knelt in the mire, his hands bound behind him, he crawled forward on his knees two steps and opened his mouth.

Before he could utter a word, an arrow pierced his brow, and he died with eyes unclosed.

Xiao Jingyuan's expression shifted; he turned and saw that Black Armored Guard quickly draw a dagger and cleanly slit his own throat.

It all happened too fast.

Qing Yun rushed to the mole's side, checked his breath, then lifted his head with a grim face and said, "He's dead."

Xiao Jingyuan's face turned cold: "Even dead, I want him investigated!"

The Guard Office has been reactivated, known to few; among these Black Armored Guards, some are the original personnel, while others are Xiao Jingyuan's trusted confidants he keeps close.

He did not think the mole came from his own people; it could only be a problem within the Black Armored Guard.

Bear in mind the Black Armored Guard have been the emperor's death‑sworn warriors from the start—just how capable a person must be to reach even Emperor Xuwen's side?

When Qing Feng arrived and saw the scene before him, he froze.

Seeing him, Xiao Jingyuan asked, "What is it?"

Qing Feng regained his composure and reported, "A young lady from the Duke of Rong's manor has fallen ill—she seems seriously ill and requests a physician."

……

Shen Shuangning again saw Xiao Jingyuan in her dream, as in her previous life.

At that time Prince Rui returned to the capital, Xiao Jingyuan was ordered to welcome him with a feast, and they held the banquet at the Cloud Pavilion.

This Prince Rui was born of Empress Wang, a younger half‑brother of the Crown Prince; upon reaching adulthood, Emperor Xuwen assigned him to garrison the eastern sea, and Prince Rui is the most outstanding of all the princes.

Indeed, he even surpasses the Crown Prince in excellence.

At Prince Rui's welcoming banquet, Shen Shuangning, as the Crown Princess, naturally attended as well.

She sat quietly beside Xiao Jingyuan, somehow drawing Prince Rui's attention.

"Are you the Fourth Miss of the Duke of Rong's manor, Crown Princess?" Prince Rui asked.

Shen Shuangning answered in the affirmative.

Prince Rui observed her reaction, then burst into laughter, swirling his wine cup and saying, "You don't recognize me?"

Shen Shuangning startled.

"When you were little you were a crybaby; your older brother made you a bamboo dragonfly, I merely snatched it to play with, and you cried so hard you wanted to lift the roof—I gave you candy to calm you. Afterward, whenever you saw me you'd cling to me for sweets—who would have thought that the once‑tomboyish girl would now blossom into a beauty that outshines all the concubines in my own palace?" Prince Rui said, looking at her.

Comparing a Hu woman to the Crown Princess of Prince Yan's manor is nothing short of humiliation.

Shen Shuangning felt a bit embarrassed, lowered her eyes, and said, "...... I don't remember."

Everyone turned to look—at Prince Rui, at Xiao Jingyuan—but Xiao Jingyuan remained unmoved, as if the woman Prince Rui was teasing had nothing to do with him.

Everyone was watching the show.

Prince Rui chuckled, lifted his wine cup, rose, and with unsteady steps approached Xiao Jingyuan, bending to sling an arm over his shoulder, half-joking, half-provoking, he said:

「Speaking of which, I and the crown princess are practically childhood friends...... no, we should be old acquaintances. If I had returned to the capital earlier, there would be nothing between you and me. My residence still lacks a princess consort; if you yield her to me, I will agree........ 」

After that, Prince Rui spoke softly; Shen Shuangning did not know what terms Prince Rui had offered Xiao Jingyuan, she only saw Xiao Jingyuan's indifferent expression flicker for a moment.

Shen Shuangning's head buzzed, her face turned deathly pale; she clenched her fingers in fear, lowered her eyelashes, and dared not listen to the outcome.

The result was that Prince Rui was flung out.

The room fell silent, and then Xiao Jingyuan rose as if nothing had happened, flicked his wide sleeves, and spoke calmly and composedly:

"Your Highness Prince Rui is drunk; why are you juggling? Hurry and take him away, lest you injure his noble body."

Everyone, including Shen Shuangning, widened their eyes, watching him spout nonsense.

Xiao Jingyuan then seized Shen Shuangning's hand and, without a word, led her away from the Yunxiao Pavilion.

The scene shifted.

In the slightly swaying carriage, before the lamps could be lit, Xiao Jingyuan domineeringly pressed half his body against her, one hand gripping her chin tightly, the other slipping into her clothing.

She winced in pain, wanting to speak, but was kissed until she could barely breathe.

Until he ceased his torment, he coldly whispered in her ear: "My crown princess, do you really enjoy flaunting your charm before others?"

Thus Shen Shuangning raised her hand and delivered a firm slap to Xiao Jingyuan's face.

Shen Shuangning did not realize that, in reality, Xiao Jingyuan also received a solid slap.

Only it was not his face, but his chest.

Xiao Jingyuan still held his bent-over posture, incredulously gazing at the woman on the bed.

He had first heard Shen Shuangning murmuring in her delirium, faintly making out something related to himself, and so leaned in to listen.

He was normally extremely vigilant, but he had not expected Shen Shuangning's next move, and thus received a solid blow.

But to him, that slap was like a kitten's scratch—soft and feeble.

Meanwhile, the few people behind him were already stunned.

Having all resorted to violence, they likely had nothing good to say; Xiao Jingyuan curled his lip and let out a cold snort.

So the Fourth Miss is this ungrateful, repaying kindness with enmity.

Thus, under the fearful gazes of Su Ran and the others, he rose calmly, flicked nonexistent dust from his collar, glanced at their expressions, and strode away.

After an unknown interval, Su Ran finally caught her breath, patting her chest.

Mu Yu raised an eyebrow, truly interesting.

When Shen Shuangning gradually came to, it was already the second day.

The fever had subsided, leaving only a slight weakness.

From Su Ran's mouth, she learned what had happened the previous night.

Upon hearing that she had actually struck Xiao Jingyuan, Shen Shuangning was also startled.

"Fortunately, the crown prince is magnanimous and didn't hold it against you." Su Ran took the medicine bowl Mu Yu offered and prepared to feed it to her.

Shen Shuangning replied: "I'll take it myself."

Her mind raced; Xiao Jingyuan is petty, she had offended him like this—would he bear a grudge? He already held opinions of her......

Never mind, the deed is done; he probably has no time now to seek trouble with her.

Shen Shuangning gulped down the medicine, handed the empty bowl to A Heng, and said: "By the way, are the Secretariat people still here? Can we return today?"

Su Ran replied: "Those people left long ago; if we hadn't been waiting for you to wake, we would have already set off."

That being said, Xiao Jingyuan was also gone.

Shen Shuangning breathed a sigh of relief; thinking of last night's dream, it was...... the first time since her rebirth that she had dreamed of her previous life.

Shen Shuangning rubbed her temples, thinking to herself, "What ill fortune."

Afterwards, the group safely returned to the Rong Duke's residence at noon.

Su Ran also returned to her own home.

Fearing Lady Shen's worry, they said only that the rain had been too heavy and Shen Shuangning had fallen ill again, which was why they returned late.

Lady Shen showed no suspicion, merely rebuking Shen Xiushi and Shen Er for not taking good care of their sister, and ordering that Shen Shuangning not go out until her illness fully healed.

The three of them dutifully returned to their respective courtyards.

After returning, Shen Shuangning lay for a while, then thought of the sachet and felt it was a disaster.

She thought she ought to get a chance to take it back from the Crown Prince.

Thus she fell into a deep sleep.

She slept soundly at home.

Meanwhile, Shen Xiushi first sent a letter to Zhengding's father, then after his uncle finished his shift, he went to his uncle's study and told Shen Wei about the Secretariat affair.

Shen Wei served as a Vice Minister in the Ministry of Personnel, holding a rank of fourth grade senior; all official promotions had to pass through him.

Upon hearing this, Shen Wei was first surprised, then after some consideration, he advised: "His Majesty has revived the Secretariat, likely planning a major move; you now serve in the Hanlin Academy, thus a close attendant of the emperor—anyone who seeks your help or tries to curry favor with you, you must guard against."

He also said: "Recently, any banquet in the capital inviting you should be outright declined; avoid muddy waters, practice wise self-preservation!"

These words were meant both for Shen Xiushi to hear and for himself to hear.

Shen Xiushi lowered his eyes: "Yes, uncle."

In the Duke's manor, honor and disgrace are shared; he knew his uncle was the most vain, loving to put on airs before others and listen to flattery.

Therefore, his purpose in coming this time was also to have Shen Wei restrain himself, lest he be trapped without realizing it.

Shen Wei had no idea of Shen Xiushi's intention; he merely thought this junior had been frightened by the Secretariat and came to him for advice.

Thinking this, Shen Wei felt a bit smug. No matter how clever, he was still an unwet-nosed brat.

After leaving his uncle's study, Shen Xiushi stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves, gazing at the overcast sky outside, and mused: "The heavens of Jingcheng seem about to change. Ningning's marriage ought to wait a bit longer......"

Four days passed in the blink of an eye, and the potatoes Shen Shuangning had buried in the courtyard sprouted, the tender shoots growing two inches from the eyes.

Shen Shuangning looked for a moment, then said: "By late March we can find a plot to plant; by then my birthday feast will be over, and Mother has promised to take me to Jiangting Manor—the timing is perfect. Later we can find a farmer to give us some pointers."

"No, I can prepare right now!" Shen Shuangning patted her own foolish head, rose, and went to call Aheng.

"Miss, what's wrong?"

Shen Shuangning put the potatoes down, shook the dirt from her hands, and said: "We'll go out in a moment."

The master and servant then went to the Treasure Pavilion.

But upon arriving, they did not see Yaoniang.

She had previously agreed with Xiao Jingyuan that if anything came up, they would meet at the Treasure Pavilion, with Yaoniang as the intermediary; since Yaoniang was not there, Shen Shuangning dared not mention the potato matter to anyone else.

Fortunately, Yaoniang had foresight and left a trusted little steward who recognized Shen Shuangning.

"Fourth Miss, please wait a moment; I'll go call Yaoniang right away."

Shen Shuangning thought, since she had come all this way, she sat by the window, sipping tea while waiting for the person.

After about half an incense stick's time, she finally waited for the hurriedly arriving Yaoniang.

"Sorry for keeping Fourth Miss waiting; it's Yaoniang's fault."

Yaoniang wore a white robe, beautiful as a fairy, though her brows and eyes bore a touch of worry, and she seemed a bit absent-minded.

After Shen Shuangning finished discussing the matter, seeing Yaoniang's unsettled state, she pondered and then asked: "Is something wrong?"

Yaoniang said: "The Young Master has been injured."

Shen Shuangning's face slightly changed, and she couldn't help but recall the time at Cold Mountain Temple.

Yaoniang said anxiously: "I know Fourth Miss is eager to attend to business, but the Young Master is currently unconscious, and it wouldn't do to let outsiders know, so we can only wait until he wakes to speak."

Unconscious? It's really that serious?

She still had a pile of potatoes at Xiao Jingyuan's place; if he died, where would she go to retrieve them?

With just the single potato in her hand, she could only plant it for fun.

Shen Shuangning pondered for a moment, then said: "If you trust me, bring me to find him."