After speaking some sweet words, Xiao Jin didn’t want to dwell on the matter anymore.
After all, the dream that Chu Shao had just mentioned made her feel suffocated.
The carriage moved slowly.
Although Xiao Jin was a bit nervous, she still gently held Chu Shao’s hand and held it for a while.
Chu Shao didn’t show any unusual behavior, but as the weather gradually became hotter, even holding a beautiful jade in her hand would make it sweaty.
Moreover, Xiao Jin was now in an ancient world.
The carriage was already stuffy and she couldn’t break the etiquette.
She had to maintain the identity of the Prince Yan and wear cumbersome and heavy clothes.
Considering the climate and temperature, Xiao Jin held Chu Shao’s hand for a while unnaturally.
After a moment, she let go of Chu Shao’s hand and stared at the box emitting a bloody smell, and asked about the matter at hand, “What’s inside this box, Princess?”
Chu Shao’s palm still had some residual warmth, belonging to Xiao Jin’s temperature.
She looked down at her own hand with some doubts.
It was just holding hands for a while, why did the warmth linger for so long?
Therefore, it was not until Xiao Jin asked for the second time that Chu Shao came back to her senses and smiled, “It’s Mu Yuan’s head.”
“…”
Suddenly, the stuffiness in the carriage disappeared.
Xiao Jin couldn’t help but feel a chill down her back when she realized that there was a bloody head next to her.
In order to confirm that she wasn’t in a coma for too long and hallucinating, she repeated in a slow voice, “Mu Yuan’s head?”
“It’s Mu Yuan’s head.”
Okay, it seems like it’s not a hallucination.
“If Your Highness is still worried about the Blood Rain Pavilion, you can personally confirm it.” Chu Shao smiled and didn’t notice anything unusual about Xiao Jin.
She even put her finger on the box and pretended to open it.
“No need.” Xiao Jin quickly shook her head and stopped Chu Shao.
Suppressing the cold feeling in her heart, she coughed lightly twice and asked casually, “Why is Mu Yuan’s head in the hands of the princess?”
In fact, what Xiao Jin wanted to ask more was that Mu Yuan was still in the capital a few days ago, wasn’t he? Even if he was separated from his head, it wouldn’t be so strange.
Chu Shao replied, “It’s probably because the Blood Rain Pavilion felt guilty.”
Xiao Jin became even more puzzled.
“What does Blood Rain Pavilion have to feel guilty about?”
Chu Shao explained in a soft voice, “After you met with Blood Rain Pavilion, Your Highness fainted for several days. Blood Rain Pavilion felt responsible and now they are offering Mu Yuan’s head as a gesture of goodwill and apology.”
Xiao Jin fell silent.
Because she was human and didn’t believe in superstitions.
Could Blood Rain Pavilion really be so kind-hearted?
Perhaps it was the kind words of the gracious princess that forced Blood Rain Pavilion to make this compromise.
Xiao Jin had a guess in her heart and chose to ignore this doubt. She nodded and said, “They are wise.”
“Now that Blood Rain Pavilion has kept their promise and cut off Mu Yuan’s head, keeping Shen Lan here in the mansion is of no use,” she continued.
Chu Shao smiled and asked, “Your Highness means to release Shen Lan?”
Xiao Jin said this to see what Chu Shao’s reaction would be. As expected, even though Shen Lan was technically Chu Shao’s uncle, Chu Shao’s expression remained unchanged.
“That is impossible,” Chu Shao said firmly.
“Blood Rain Pavilion is a violent force that always bullies the weak and fears the strong. If we show them any sign of kindness, they will take advantage of us,” Xiao Jin said.
“A violent force?”
Chu Shao seemed to find this description very novel and asked with a light laugh, “Your Highness, what do you suggest?”
“Wait,” Xiao Jin answered.
“Stay in Qingzhou and wait. We don’t have to worry about Blood Rain Pavilion finding us.”
“Are you suggesting that we wait for Blood Rain Pavilion to come to us and then negotiate with them for a second time?” Chu Shao asked thoughtfully.
Xiao Jin was pleased that Chu Shao had used the word “us”. Chu Shao finally realized that they were now allies, bound together for life or death.
But maybe, just maybe, Xiao Jin could be a little bit more greedy and try to get a little bit more.
She wouldn’t say these things directly, only nodded and added, “We do need to negotiate with them again. After all, Blood Rain Pavilion should be holding a card. Or rather, a person.”
Based on what she saw on the stage that day, Xiao Jin could guess that Blood Rain Pavilion was hiding someone.
Someone who had once been in Yao Country and knew a lot of information.
Chu Shao looked at Xiao Jin and smiled: “Then, Your Highness, who do you think they have in their hands?”
Xiao Jin touched the jade ring on her finger and remained calm: “National Teacher Nan Jin?”
“The National Teacher is already dead, so it cannot be her in the hands of Blood Rain Pavilion.”
Chu Shao shook her head.
Although Xiao Jin had just deliberately guessed wrong, she was still somewhat surprised at this moment.
Nan Jin is dead?
Xiao Jin knew the final outcome and sighed imperceptibly.
“On the day of the country’s destruction, Nan Jin took poison and committed suicide.” Chu Shao’s tone was very calm and did not cause any waves.
Xiao Jin regained her senses and nodded.
There are only three possibilities for Blood Rain Pavilion to know about Yao Country’s past.
The first possibility is that Tang Ling is also a member of Blood Rain Pavilion, then the owner of Blood Rain Pavilion must be Princess Zhao Yang (Xiao Shuang).
The second possibility is that after Yao Country was destroyed, Blood Rain Pavilion captured the empress and learned about the past through her.
The third possibility is that Nan Jin is still alive and has become the owner of Blood Rain Pavilion.
Of course, this possibility no longer exists just now.
So, there are only the first two possibilities left. As for which one is true, it can only be waited slowly and cannot be rushed.
Now, Xiao Jin just wants to go back home and sleep.
That’s all.
Before closing her eyes to rest, Xiao Jin looked at the light coming through the curtain and said to Chu Shao, “I had a dream yesterday.”
Chu Shao asked gently, “Oh, what did you dream about?”
Xiao Jin’s voice was very soft, “I dreamt of a woman. I stood beside her and watched as her family was slaughtered. I also saw her take revenge and climb to a high position step by step.”
“In the end, the woman had everything, but it seemed like she had nothing at all. Even the flower she held in her hand disappeared little by little, becoming an unattainable past.”
Chu Shao was first stunned, then smiled lightly, “It seems that you had a somewhat sad dream, Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
“But in my dream, I also saw another girl. She was wearing a white robe and had a shallow smile. Just standing there made her look very beautiful.”
Chu Shao’s expression did not change in the slightest, “I see. It seems that Your Highness had a dream that was half sad and half happy.”
Xiao Jin looked at Chu Shao, “That’s probably it.”
After a moment, Chu Shao smiled again and asked, “What else did you dream of, Your Highness?”
“Then I told the little girl that when she grew up, I would speak softly to her, hold her hand, and sing to her.”
Perhaps feeling that this dream was too absurd, Xiao Jin said softly, “No, afterwards, I only saw peach blossoms blooming.”
Chu Shao nodded slightly, a hint of laughter in her eyes, “So the end of Your Highness’s dream was a field of peach blossoms.”
Xiao Jin looked at Chu Shao’s smiling face and the white sleeves fluttering in the wind.
The last bit of melancholy in her heart finally dissipated.
The carriage swayed slowly.
Fortunately, there was still a long time left, day after day, year after year, there would always be good times.
Xiao Jin sat next to Chu Shao, feeling like she couldn’t bear her closeness.
At this point, she couldn’t suppress the smile in her eyes and laughed along with Chu Shao.
“Yes.”
“At the end of the story, there is a beautiful field of peach blossoms blooming.”
…
In Qingzhou, the spring breeze was gentle and the peach blossoms were blooming beautifully.
However, in the capital, the sky was overcast with sorrow.
The gloom was not only due to the weather, but also because of the hearts of some important figures, which were filled with despair at this moment.
Last night, an official’s death cast a shadow over the entire capital.
Mu Yuan, the Minister assistant of Household Department’s, was assassinated in a brutal manner, with not even a whole body left behind by the killer.
The whole court was shocked by this crime.
Even the lower-ranked officials were afraid of making enemies and carefully recalling their words and actions before entering the court.
Of course, the most troublesome situation was faced by the Three Law Departments.
When the emperor was angry, the pressure naturally fell on the Ministry of Justice, the Grand Court of Revision, and the Censorate.
The Ministry of Justice was already overwhelmed by a series of assassination cases, which either involved members of the imperial family or important court officials.
How were they supposed to investigate these cases without putting their own lives at risk?
At the same time, the Chief Justice of the Grand Court of Revision, Lin Zhaoxing, was also somewhat fearful because recent events were too strange.
Mu Yuan died a wrongful death.
He had just attended a banquet at the Princess Zhao Yang’s Palace, but his body was later found in a street corner.
Even Mu’s guards did not know where his head had been thrown.
Since Mu Yuan had visited the Princess’s Palace before his death, some court officials were secretly speculating about whether this matter was related to the Princess Zhao Yang.
Some officials who were closer to Xiao Shuang, the Fourth Prince, also knew that he had had several dealings with Princess Zhao Yang.
When officials had dealings with each other, it meant that there was still some value in doing so. If there was value, they would not act recklessly.
However, now that Mu Yuan was dead, the important thing was that a blood-stained account book was found on his person.
This was a significant issue that was difficult to resolve.
At this point, the Chief Justice of the Grand Court of Revision looked at the account book on the table, sighed, and said in a low voice, “It’s really hard to be an official.”
The steward standing aside, with lowered eyes and a submissive expression, thought to himself, “If even a high-ranking official like you thinks it’s difficult, then how can we ordinary people survive?”
After the Chief Minister of the Dali Temple sighed deeply, he turned to the steward standing beside him and asked, “Has the letter that was written to the Crown Prince been sent out yesterday?”
The steward smiled and hurriedly responded, “It was sent out according to your instructions a long time ago. It is likely that we will receive a reply soon.”
The Chief Minister nodded his head and sighed again. This matter was too complicated, and he did not dare to make a decision rashly.
Therefore, he could only ask for the Crown Prince’s instructions.
The reason why the Chief Minister of the Dali Temple requested the Crown Prince’s instructions was simple.
Firstly, the Mu family was a prominent clan in the capital, and they had a consort in the palace, as well as the support of the fourth prince and the Mu family’s patriarch.
Even the shadow of the Princess Zhao Yang could be vaguely seen.
A small account book was not enough to bring down such a prestigious and influential clan.
Secondly, if he were to make that account book public, it was likely that the Mu family would not fall, and he himself would face retaliation from the Mu family.
Although he was a member of the Crown Prince’s faction, the premise of laughing last was to live long enough to enjoy good fortune.
The Chief Minister of the Dali Temple was thinking this way when a black-clothed figure quietly entered the study and handed him a letter. “Mr. Lin, your letter has arrived,” the figure said.
The Chief Minister of the Dali Temple glanced at the black-clothed figure but did not ask who sent the letter.
He politely nodded his head and took the letter.
If one were closer, they would have noticed that his hand was trembling slightly.
There were only two lines written on the letter: “Mr. Lin, do not worry. Speak the truth and nothing more.”
The black-clothed figure had already left.
The Chief Minister of the Dali Temple sat in silence for a long time before throwing the page into the incense burner.
He looked at the golden sunlight outside the window, picked up a cup of warm tea, and let out a third sigh. “It seems that the world is going to change.”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: Isn’t that a good thing? Everything will change, and those villains will vanish~ Hehe~~~.
TO BE CONTINUE….
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