Zhuang Yusheng looked down at Li San, who was kneeling on the ground. A smile played on his lips as he slowly walked up to him and looked down condescendingly. "Do you know why he's dead and you're still here?"
Li San craned his neck, his eyes filled with fear and reverence. He shook his head.
Zhuang Yusheng stared at his pale face and said word by word, "Because you're smarter than him!"
After saying this, Zhuang Yusheng straightened up, turned around and ordered, "Give Wang Li a decent burial and give his family a hundred taels of silver. As for Li San, take him down and assign him a new position!"
After Zhuang Yusheng waved his hand, everyone in the hall retreated. Mu Wulin looked at him disapprovingly. "Second brother, why didn't you punish Li San? His comrade is dead, but he's alive and well. I think he's very suspicious. Maybe it was him who leaked the secret signal and then framed Wang Li!"
"Anyway, the man is dead. He can say whatever he wants. There's no way to verify it!"
Zhuang Yusheng looked at Mu Wulin mysteriously. "We can't touch him yet. We can't let the brothers below get suspicious. Besides, I still have a use for him!"
...
Shen Li, Han Yue and Xuan Yuanjue were waiting for Xuan Shu in a forest outside Panhu Stronghold. About a quarter of an hour after the signal was sent, Xuan Shu returned.
"Your Highness! Everything is done." Xuan Shu bowed to Xuan Yuanjue.
"Good! Today's business is almost over. Let's go!" Xuan Yuanjue looked at Shen Li and said.
Shen Li nodded. They had been busy all night. It was really getting late. If they stayed any longer, it would be dawn.
On the way back, although the four of them were tired, they didn't dare to delay. If they returned to the capital at dawn, it would be easy to arouse suspicion.
Fortunately, all four of them were good at lightness kung fu. They finally entered the capital before dawn.
Next, the four of them were going to separate and go home.
Shen Li still had many questions about what happened tonight. She wanted to ask Xuan Yuanjue. If she missed this opportunity, it would be difficult to find another one. But now the sky was getting brighter. It wasn't a suitable place to talk on the street.
Xuan Yuanjue saw the hesitation on Shen Li's face. He stared at her face and asked with a smile in his eyes, "What's wrong, little thing? Are you reluctant to see me go?"
Shen Li looked up at Xuan Yuanjue and then turned around. She really didn't want to face his ordinary and strange face now. She wanted to satirize him, but then she remembered that he had just saved them. So she changed her words and said, "Thank you, Prince Li's heir, for today's help."
But Xuan Yuanjue didn't want to be fobbed off like this. He still asked firmly, "Well! I heard your thanks. But you haven't answered my question yet!"
"Now that we're safe, we'll take our leave first!" Shen Li turned around and was about to leave, but unexpectedly, Xuan Yuanjue grabbed her hand. She spun around and was trapped in his arms.
Shen Li looked up at Xuan Yuanjue in surprise. She was attracted by his eyes. Shen Li thought that even if he changed his face, his eyes were still there. They were standard phoenix eyes, with the corners slightly upturned.
His eyes were now a deep black. Looking into them was like looking into a whirlpool that could suck people into the vast and bottomless world inside.
Shen Li seemed to be bewitched by those eyes. She raised her free hand and gently stroked his eyes. "I wonder what's inside?"
At this moment, Shen Li suddenly had an urge to understand Xuan Yuanjue. She didn't just want to know his identity, status and martial arts. She wanted to know what was on his mind.
What kind of person could have such deep eyes?
Han Yue and Xuan Shu watched the two people still hugging each other for a while. They immediately lowered their heads to count the ants or looked up at the stars.
The hand that Shen Li had in Xuan Yuanjue's grasp felt a tingling sensation. Shen Li finally came to her senses. She saw her own reflection clearly in Xuan Yuanjue's eyes. Her face flushed and she pushed him away.
Compared with Shen Li's embarrassment, Xuan Yuanjue seemed much calmer. He put down his arms with a hint of regret. He coughed lightly to relieve the awkwardness and said, "You have something to ask me?"
"Yes!" Shen Li nodded slightly without looking at him.
"I'll come to see you tonight!" Xuan Yuanjue looked at Shen Li, who was rarely shy and showing a bit of a girlish charm, with amusement.
Shen Li nodded again. Then she calmed down and said goodbye to Xuan Yuanjue.
It wasn't until Shen Li's figure disappeared around the corner that Xuan Yuanjue withdrew his gaze. Xuan Shu, who was standing beside him, couldn't stand his lovesick look. He couldn't help but tease him, "Your Highness, Miss Shen is long gone. You'd better take your eyes back!"
Xuan Yuanjue turned around and flicked Xuan Shu on the head. "Mind your own business!"
Xuan Shu covered his head and grimaced in pain. But he still said provocatively, "I'm not minding your business. I saw it clearly just now. Your Highness, your eyes were almost glued to Miss Shen of the Shen family!"
"We're just following the principle of 'a gentle and graceful lady is a gentleman's good match'. What do you know?"
Xuan Shu disdainfully curled his lips. "I don't know as much as you, Your Highness! But since you like Miss Shen, why don't you ask the Prince to go to her house to propose marriage? If you get married earlier, the Prince will be more at ease!"
Hearing this, the smile on Xuan Yuanjue's face gradually faded. "My father will be at ease, but someone will be worried and unable to sleep at night! It's not the right time yet!"
Xuan Shu looked at Xuan Yuanjue's expression and still couldn't help asking, "Your Highness, when will it be the right time?"
Xuan Yuanjue looked back at him and said mysteriously, "Of course it will be when it's supposed to be!"
Xuan Shu looked at his own highness, who was being so mysterious. He could only helplessly swallow his questions.
"What? Xuan Shu, why are you so concerned about your highness's marriage now?"
"Hehe! Your Highness, I'm just thinking that if you get married earlier, I can report to the Prince and let him rest easy!"
Xuan Shu flattered Xuan Yuanjue with a smile.
"Humph! I think you're not really reporting to my father. You have your own selfish motives!" Xuan Yuanjue walked slowly on the street and directly exposed Xuan Shu's words.
"Alas! Your Highness, you've really misunderstood me!" Xuan Shu immediately stepped forward and said aggrievedly, "I'm really doing this for your own good! How can I have any selfish motives? It's okay if you don't understand me, but why do you still suspect me?"
"Oh? Really?"
Xuan Shu immediately nodded. "Really, Your Highness!"
"Good! I originally thought that you've been with me for so many years. You're not young anymore. I wanted to arrange a marriage for you. Since you've said so, then we'll put off your marriage for a while!"
"Ah? Your Highness! Don't do this! My marriage and my loyalty to you are two different things! How can we put it off?" Xuan Shu looked anxious.
"How can they be two different things? Your highness is still unmarried. How can you get married first when you're so loyal to me? You'll have to wait until my marriage is settled before it's your turn!"
Xuan Shu stood there stunned, watching Xuan Yuanjue's back getting farther and farther away. He punched his chest hard. "Why did you have to be so talkative! Your marriage has flown away!"