During the night, Wei Dongling felt as if there was someone outside the window. She quietly got out of Qi Jinxuan's bed, clutching a short dagger, and tiptoed out.
To her surprise, it was Uncle Li who had returned!
When he saw Wei Dongling, he rushed over immediately and scrutinized her from head to toe. "I've only been away for a few days. How come your little cottage burned down?"
Wei Dongling sighed with a bitter smile. The two of them went to the martial - arts training hall and talked for quite a while.
Uncle Li mused, "Xingshan Tea Plantation? I'll go and check it out in a few days."
With a piteous look on her face, Wei Dongling pleaded with Uncle Li to move into the General's Mansion.
Uncle Li replied, "Not yet. I still have something to do. I've got news about Prime Minister Su."
"Prime Minister Su?" Wei Dongling's eyes widened in shock. She asked excitedly, "Wasn't his whole family executed and the nine - generation kinship exterminated back then?"
"Indeed, his whole family was executed and the nine - generation kinship was exterminated. But Prime Minister Su had a protective token bestowed by the former emperor."
Wei Dongling was extremely excited. A famous sword? That was wonderful!
Uncle Li lowered his head. "Prime Minister Su is still imprisoned in the imperial prison. I have to go there."
Hearing this, Wei Dongling shivered in fear and quickly asked, "You're going alone?"
"I'll just take a look and come back. Before Prime Minister Su was imprisoned, I was framed by a villain and exiled to the bitter cold land in the north. It's been so many years. I can hardly remember what old Master Su looks like."
The north! Uncle!
Wei Dongling's mind was in a whirl. She nodded excitedly, "I'll go with you!"
I may not be good at other things, but I can run really fast.
Uncle Li said, "Ah, I'm just a worthless old man. If they catch me, so be it. But you, girl, can't go!"
Wei Dongling looked at him with teary eyes. "Uncle Li, what if something happens to you? What will I do then?" The Zhao family's assassins had come one after another. In this situation, she didn't even know if she could live safely until the fifteenth of next month.
Wei Dongling sighed silently in her heart. Then she saw Uncle Li wave his hand. "I'll be back soon." And in a flash, he was gone.
Wei Dongling went back silently and went to sleep.
At noon the next day, Wei Dongling rushed straight to Yunzhu Courtyard to visit Yu Zixi.
When the waiter saw her coming, he directly led her to the second floor and knocked on the door marked with the character "Tian".
"Come in." It was Shangguan Yun's cold voice. He had actually stayed here for the whole night.
Wei Dongling walked into the room. She bowed to Shangguan Yun who was sitting by the bed, then turned to look at Yu Zixi on the side.
Yu Zixi actually looked much better! He was sitting against the headboard of the bed with a smile on his face, his eyes fixed on her. His gaze was so warm that it made people inexplicably at ease.
"I have something else to do. You two talk first." Shangguan Yun left tactfully.
Wei Dongling stepped forward, lifted the quilt, and lowered her head to check Yu Zixi's injuries.
Yu Zixi reached out and grabbed her small hand. He showed a bright smile. "I'm fine. I'll be okay after lying in bed for a few days."
Wei Dongling felt extremely sad. She had seen many sides of Yu Zixi: the smug and grinning side, the side when he was in full control of the situation, and the side when he was whining in pain after being beaten... But she had never seen him like this today, so weak but still trying to act as if nothing was wrong.
Seeing that Wei Dongling was about to cry, Yu Zixi quickly comforted her, "I'm really okay! If you're really worried, then, kiss me?"
What?
Wei Dongling was stunned. She sniffed hard and forced back the tears in her eyes. "What do you mean?"
Then she saw Yu Zixi look at her seriously and ask, "Wei Dongling, are you a fairy who came down to the mortal world?"
"What?" Wei Dongling was even more confused.
"Otherwise, why did Tian Qi come back to life after you kissed him?"
Wei Dongling:...
Tian Qi, who was hiding in the dark, was greatly shocked. He suddenly jumped out and asked with a trembling voice, "Y, Young Master, what did you just say?"
Yu Zixi immediately got angry. He shouted at Tian Qi with a furious look on his face, "Get out! Get out far away! Stay eight zhang away from me from now on!"
Wei Dongling:...
With tears in his eyes, Tian Qi turned around and ran away.
Wei Dongling stared blankly at the direction where Tian Qi had disappeared in a flash. She sighed, "I haven't even touched his hawk yet!" As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw Yu Zixi glaring at her with a murderous look in his eyes. She shivered in fear. "Bah, I misspoke. I meant the hawk!"
Yu Zixi was so angry that steam was coming out of his ears. He roared, "No hawk! You're not allowed to touch any hawk!"
Wei Dongling was speechless.
The waiter brought in the boiled Chinese medicine. Wei Dongling quickly took it carefully, blew on it to cool it down, and fed Yu Zixi little by little.
Yu Zixi calmed down. His face was pale, and he was as obedient as a child. He swallowed the bitter - smelling Chinese medicine without even blinking. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Wei Dongling and said, "Come with me somewhere tomorrow night, okay?"
Wei Dongling was dissatisfied. "Can't we go after you've recovered?"
Yu Zixi's eyes dimmed. "I have to go."
Wei Dongling sighed. "Okay, then I'll go with you."
"Good." Yu Zixi smiled extremely gently.
At night, Wei Dongling knocked on the door of the Dongmen Bank.
The gaunt old shopkeeper opened the door a crack. When he saw it was a girl, he opened the door wide.
Wei Dongling leaned over and whispered a few words to him, then turned around and left.
At the third watch, the sound of a cuckoo came from outside the window.
Wei Dongling gently got out of bed and quietly left the room. Sure enough, not far from the back door, she saw Jingzhe.
The two of them darted forward one after another and stopped on an ancient tree.
Jingzhe bowed in greeting. Wei Dongling took out the ledger with a beaming smile and stuffed it into his hand.
"The Zhao family's tea house in Liaocheng sends a box of silver to Chongguan Ferry by small boat every night at the third quarter of the Yin hour. I've been tracking them all the way. This is the ledger of their tea house for March, which details the amount of silver sent every day."
Jingzhe was surprised. "Why are you also investigating the Zhao family's affairs?"
Wei Dongling remained silent.
Jingzhe continued, "Remember what I told you last time! The Zhao family is not someone you can afford to provoke. Don't fight against them like an egg against a rock."
Wei Dongling bowed and said, "Thank you for your advice. But how can I easily let go of the hatred for my father's murder?"
Jingzhe remained silent.
Wei Dongling said, "I want to investigate the case of Prime Minister Su's unjust extermination of his family back then to prove my father's innocence. Unfortunately, I have no clue at all. I can only find such insignificant physical evidence."
Jingzhe stuffed the ledger into his robe and sighed, "I'll take over the investigation from now on. Prime Minister Su was a loyal official, but in the end, his whole family was executed. Even his only daughter, Concubine Chen, was burned to death in the Jingyang Palace. It's really a pity."
Wei Dongling's heart was pounding. She asked in surprise, "Prime Minister Su had a daughter? And she was a concubine in the harem?"
Jingzhe nodded. "These old stories have long been kept secret. The dead are gone. What can we do?"
Wei Dongling was silent.
Jingzhe suddenly asked her, "I saw you with Young Master Yu at the horse - training ground that day. There were some things I didn't dare to say. What's your relationship with him?"
Wei Dongling didn't hide it from him. "I'm engaged to Young Master Yu."
Jingzhe was anxious. "Why are you engaged to him?"
Wei Dongling said speechlessly, "It was just a coincidence."
Jingzhe asked again, "Can you break off the engagement?"
Wei Dongling couldn't help laughing. "Why?"
Jingzhe was silent for a long time. After some deliberation, he said, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has a bad relationship with Young Master Yu. In fact, he wants to get rid of him. I'm just worried that you'll be implicated in the future."
Wei Dongling smiled at him gently. "The Crown Prince is a sinister and cruel person. He even won't spare his own brothers. Jingzhe, you should also make plans for your own future as soon as possible."