Xiao Jin watched Tang Ling dust off his clothes and made a clicking sound in his heart.
He sure knows how to put on an act.
However, Xiao Jin was also an expert at acting cool, and she wasn’t impressed by the other party.
She just said coldly, “Who does Commander Tang want to kill? If you have any difficulties, this prince is willing to lend you a hand.”
Tang Ling smiled after dusting off his sleeves. “It’s certainly great that Your Highness is willing to help, but…what I’m most eager to ask you right now is a question.”
A question? What could Tang Ling be curious about?
Although Xiao Jin was a bit puzzled, she knew not to make a move until she understood Tang Ling’s true intentions.
She replied in a calm tone, “Commander Tang, go ahead and ask.”
Tang Ling had been sitting comfortably on a bamboo chair, but he leaned forward slightly and squinted his eyes.
He asked, “I want to ask how long the Prince Yan intends to keep hiding her true identity from the world!”
…
As soon as these words were spoken, the room became even quieter.
Ye Suyu, who was standing behind Xiao Jin, was now filled with hatred.
She really hated herself for coming in to report the information.
If she hadn’t entered this room and reported this useless information, she wouldn’t have been so lucky to witness such a thrilling scene.
Xiao Jin appeared calm as she sat in her wheelchair, but inside, she was experiencing a storm of emotions.
Tang Ling asked her if she was hiding something, so Tang Ling must know something.
Does Tang Ling know that Chu Shao possesses peerless martial arts? Or does Tang Ling know that she is not the original owner, but a fake replacement…
Various thoughts were fighting in Xiao Jin’s mind.
She was already calculating the possibility of killing Tang Ling here.
However, this plan was obviously too risky.
Xiao Jin’s rationality kicked in, and she instantly regained her composure.
Firstly, the original owner had long since passed away, so even if Tang Ling had suspicions, what could she do?
Could Tang Ling find some immortal sorcerers and extract her soul from her body?
That was a joke.
This was just a fictional novel, not a fantasy novel.
Even if Tang Ling had a thousand abilities, controlling souls was clearly beyond the scope of the genre.
Secondly, Xiao Jin noticed something keenly.
After Tang Ling said those words, Tang Yu widened her eyes slightly.
At the same time, the hand placed on the table also unconsciously clenched the edge of the table.
Tang Yu looked very surprised.
So Xiao Jin boldly guessed that the words Tang Ling just spoke were actually her own idea, and her teammate Tang Yu was unaware of it.
And the most reassuring thing for Xiao Jin was that Chu Shao was sitting upright in her chair, her lips still carrying a gentle smile.
Since the female lead in this novel was calm and composed, she didn’t think there would be any major problems.
Considering all of the above, Xiao Jin sneered as she met Tang Ling’s gaze. “Commander Tang, as the commanding general with a third-rank official position, you are indeed a vital minister of our dynasty.”
“But I am also the Prince Yan personally appointed by His Majesty, and at the same time, a second-rank Grand General of the country. In terms of status and rank, is there anything that I need to hide from you?”
“Or is it that, Commander Tang, you think your status already surpasses mine and that I must report to you on every matter, big or small?”
A barrage of questions came crashing down on Tang Ling, but whether or not he was boiling with anger, Xiao Jin did not know.
Only Ye Suyu seemed stunned, while Tang Yu appeared bewildered.
Only Chu Shao calmly held a cup of tea and sipped half of it, unruffled by the commotion.
Since Tang Ling had returned to the capital, there was likely no one in all of Qi Country who would dare to speak to her in this manner. Obviously, Tang Ling was also aware of this fact.
But to everyone’s surprise, after listening to Xiao Jin’s words, Tang Ling did not become angry. Instead, the icy glare in his eyes gradually dissipated.
Xiao Jin observed everything and was somewhat puzzled about what was happening.
The next moment, under everyone’s gaze, Tang Ling stood up.
She smiled and bowed to Xiao Jin, saying, “Your Highness Prince Yan, you truly are a person of hidden depths. You have kept your secret from me and Princess Zhao Yang for so long. But, in fact, I already knew…”
“The line ‘the bright sun shining on thousands of gates and houses, always replaces old symbols with new peaches’ – was that your creation?”
“And the famous Qingzhou Tower record that spread throughout the capital, was it also written by you?”
…
Silence. At this moment, there was only silence.
Xiao Jin looked at Tang Ling, her heart speechless for a thousand and ten thousand moments.
Then she nodded and answered bluntly, “No.”
Truth be told.
Her surname is Xiao, not Yan.
However, Tang Ling showed a “I understand” expression and waved his hand, saying, “Your Highness, there’s no need to be modest. Earlier, Princess Zhao Yang had already had Tang Yu investigate.”
“It was hard on her. Even after searching all the countries of the world, she couldn’t find a county called Linchuan. She only found a talented man named Wang Anshi…”
Tang Yu sat on the side and added softly, “I caught several Wang Anshis, including a wine seller and a grass shoe weaver, but none of them were talented.”
Hearing this, Xiao Jin felt her scalp tingling.
Most likely, it was for those innocent “Wang Anshis.”
While feeling their innocence, she also felt that the name was a bit bold.
In an alternate world novel, they dared to call someone Wang Anshi.
Perhaps it was generated by an automatic name generator.
At this moment, Tang Ling abandoned his previously exaggerated expression and walked up to Xiao Jin, smiling, “Moreover, just as Governor Xu finished talking to you, a talented man climbed the tower to compose a poem. Are there really so many coincidences in the world?”
Xiao Jin looked at Tang Ling in front of her.
She really wanted to say that yes, there really were.
However, she moved her lips, but before she could say anything, Tang Yu shook her head and said, “Your Highness, now that the evidence is conclusive and the truth is about to be revealed, there’s no need to keep hiding it from us.”
“…”
Xiao Jin had a complicated expression and nodded, “Mm, you guessed correctly. I wrote it.”
She simply gave up struggling and admitted it.
That’s just how people are.
The more you say you don’t have something, the more others believe you do.
Three words.
Just admit it.
Tang Ling gave Xiao Jin a meaningful look, “Now, Your Highness is finally willing to tell the truth.”
Xiao Jin fell silent.
“It was just a case of forced confession, nothing more,” she said truthfully.
Tang Ling didn’t know what was going on in Xiao Jin’s mind and continued, “Princess Zhao Yang knows about your actions in Qingzhou and feels that you have improved a lot, so she…she’s very pleased.”
Xiao Jin became numb and responded, “My aunt’s praise is excessive.”
Tang Ling spoke in this way, unknowingly getting closer.
With a smile on his face and his slightly lighter-colored eyes, he stared at Xiao Jin intently, as if there was a flower on her face.
Just at this moment, a breeze blew, blowing a few strands of hair onto Xiao Jin’s face.
Before Xiao Jin could reach up to brush it away, Tang Ling lifted his hand gently and said, “Let me help you.”
Admittedly, Tang Ling’s movements were very fast, but someone was faster.
His fingertips had not yet touched Xiao Jin’s face when a sudden gust of wind came.
The five knuckles looked very beautiful, but the force it brought was tangible and had a cold light, like a drawn blade, shimmering.
Seeing this scene, Tang Ling frowned slightly and withdrew his hand.
Unexpectedly, that beautiful and slender hand was relentless and came back again.
Tang Ling didn’t have time to think and lifted his palm, meeting the seemingly soft gust of wind head-on.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them had exchanged blows several times.
Even though everyone present was skilled in martial arts, they were unable to stop the two of them from fighting because they were just too fast.
Standing in place watching, the afterimages left in the air were dazzling to the eyes.
Only when they were stunned did Ye Suyu and Tang Yu remember that they should stop the two of them.
Just as they realized this, Chu Shao and Tang Ling had already backed away from each other and bowed to each other.
It seemed that there was no clear winner in their contest, but Xiao Jin and Tang Yu had sharp eyes and noticed that Chu Shao had taken a step back.
Even so, Tang Ling still looked at Chu Shao with a scrutinizing look and smiled, “I didn’t expect that the Princess would have such skills.”
Although Chu Shao took a step back, she stood next to Xiao Jin with a smile on her lips that was even stronger than Tang Ling’s.
“Thank you for your generosity, Commander Tang,” she said.
Tang Ling shook his head and said mysteriously, “The princess also needs to be generous.”
The two laughed and exchanged some insincere pleasantries.
Later, Tang Ling looked at the sky outside the window, seeming to feel that it was getting late.
After paying their respects, she and Tang Yu left together.
Only after Tang Ling left did Xiao Jin remember something important.
Who exactly did Tang Ling want to kill?
Xiao Jin instantly understood.
The reason Tang Ling mentioned that poem just now… was to divert the topic, right?
Understanding this, Xiao Jin rubbed her forehead and said, “Tang Ling has been a spy for so many years, and her other abilities are still unknown. Avoiding the important and dwelling on the trivial is quite impressive.”
Chu Shao smiled, “Your Highness, there’s no need to be upset. Tang Ling, as the commander, probably won’t easily tell others the person she wants to kill, as it’s a secret order.”
Xiao Jin’s face was full of black lines, “If she doesn’t want to tell, then she doesn’t want to tell. What’s the meaning of stopping halfway through the conversation?”
So this guy is deliberately teasing them.
Chu Shao took a sip of tea and said, “The Princess believes that perhaps it’s like this. The person Tang Ling wants to kill will appear at Moonlit Villa, and Moonlit Villa is Your Highness’s territory, so she wants to give you a heads up.”
Xiao Jin thought of a possibility, and her face turned slightly cold, “Moonlit Villa is full of my own people. Does Tang Ling want to kill someone on my turf?”
Chu Shao understood Xiao Jin’s meaning and shook her head, “Tang Ling’s goal shouldn’t be Qin Xueting. If she wanted to kill the people brought by the prince, she wouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“Then who does she want to kill?”
Chu Shao smiled lightly and said, “I don’t know.”
“But I think the person Tang Ling wants to kill is someone we didn’t expect.”
“Well, let her do it as long as she doesn’t kill the person I’m protecting,” Xiao Jin said, trying to end the conversation.
Hearing this, Chu Shao smiled and suddenly asked, “Your Highness, what if the person Tang Ling wants to kill is me?”
Xiao Jin was first startled, but then turned to look into Chu Shao’s smiling eyes and replied, “She can’t kill you with just himself.”
This was a very straightforward answer.
However, Chu Shao asked with a smile, “What if there’s more than just Tang Ling who wants to kill me?”
The room fell silent for a moment.
Xiao Jin remembered the rainy night on Fuhua Street when blood dripped from Chu Shao’s sword.
And the poisoned blade.
The assassination was clearly aimed at Chu Shao.
If it weren’t for Su Tan and if Chu Shao didn’t seem to fear drugs, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
At the thought of this, Xiao Jin suddenly felt cold all over, almost unable to see the smile in Chu Shao’s eyes.
Fortunately, that was not the case.
Now, the other person’s hand was right in front of her.
Xiao Jin looked at the smile on Chu Shao’s face.
Quietly reaching out her hand, she gently hooked her fingers around Chu Shao’s knuckles.
The temperature that touched the palm of her hand was as smooth and delicate as jade.
But it was different.
Although jade was precious, it was cold.
But Chu Shao’s hand was warm.
It was softer than jade, stronger than gold, and more precious than any city in this world.
Holding a treasure in her hand, Xiao Jin’s voice unconsciously became gentle: “If more than one person wants to kill the Princess, it would indeed be difficult.”
Chu Shao smiled and asked, “Why do you think it would be difficult, Your Highness?”
Xiao Jin said frankly, “Princess, although I am not a good person, I don’t want to kill many people.”
“But if so many people want to kill you, I can only kill them before they kill you.”
Chu Shao was stunned…
Chu Shao held Xiao Jin’s hand, but the smile on her lips became gentler.
Even if it was a lie.
Even if there were no eighteen levels of hell after death.
Even if she knew.
Sometimes, living is hell, more agonizing than death.
Chu Shao still smiled and comforted in a soft voice, “My lord, even if there were really eighteen levels of hell, you need not be afraid.”
Xiao Jin thought to herself, “Of course, I need not be afraid.
Just like becoming a god is not allowed after the founding of the nation.
Materialists do not believe in hell either.
The light of science will eventually shine on all humanity.
However, Chu Shao obviously did not understand science.
She just held Xiao Jin’s hand and said gently, “It doesn’t matter. If you kill too many people, you will go to hell…”
Following the cliché of the old melodramatic world.
Xiao Jin thought that Chu Shao would say that classic line: “Then I’ll help you kill people so you don’t have to go to hell.”
Who knew that Chu Shao would smile with joy on her lips and say softly, “If you kill too many people, you will go to hell… then I will accompany you to kill people and go to hell with you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator’s note: Don’t go to hell, the story is not finished yet~.
TO BE CONTINUE…
Comment