Xie Ming

The wind and rain were fierce and chaotic.

Thinking of Xiao Jingchuan riding back, carrying the body of Consort An back with him.

Upon seeing this, Yuzhen was overcome with grief.

For a moment, unable to believe this terrible news, he muttered incoherently, his emotions running high.

"No, Xiao Jingchuan."

"Please, I'm begging you, save her, please save her" is just pointless venting.

Seeing the beauty in such a state, Xiao Yi felt a pang of heartache.

However, it was ultimately beyond human control and could not be reversed.

With no other options, he could only painfully recount the reality, hoping to pull Yuzhen out of her delusions.

"Yuzhen, Consort An is dead."

"The dead cannot be brought back to life."

The rain kept pelting the two of them, soaking their faces and heads, with water constantly streaming down their brows.

Xiao and Zhen were in a terrible state.

Upon hearing Xiao Lang's words, Yu Zhen felt a surge of anger and anxiety, coupled with fear and exhaustion. Unable to withstand it, she suddenly lost her breath and fainted.

Seeing this, Xiao was also frightened and dared not stand in the rain any longer. He simply unloaded the blood-covered Consort An onto the carriage frame, took the lead in the carriage himself, and the group hurriedly set off, searching for shelter from the rain along the way.

And this walk took about fifteen minutes.

On the uphill winding road, nestled against the mountainside, amidst the tall grass and the drizzling rain, a narrow cave entrance came into view.

Needless to say, Xiao Lang stopped the car, picked up Yu Zhen, and carried Consort An inside.

This place, from the outside, is covered by thick grass, and the entrance to the cave is not conspicuous, appearing cramped and narrow.

But, unexpectedly, once you crouch down and go inside, you'll find a bright and spacious place, a hidden paradise.

In the natural stone cave, there is a flat area that has been leveled by human hands, with square stone tables and benches.

Although the materials and workmanship were made from local resources and were quite rough, one could still discern that it was perhaps a place where local mountain people temporarily sought shelter from the rain and rested.

After all the turmoil Xiao and Zhen had gone through, they had now reached their limit.

It is already quite difficult to find such a place to take refuge temporarily.

While Yuzhen was unconscious, her breathing gradually became steady, and she slept soundly for a while.

By the time she woke up, Xiao Jingchuan had already lit a fire at the cave entrance.

Fortunately, there was a kettle left in the carriage, which Xiao took and boiled water.

The weather is not cold yet, even at this time of year.

So I hung my clothes up, and there was no need to go through all that trouble to dry them.

After Yuzhen woke up, drank some hot water, and managed to eat something, her emotions finally calmed down and stabilized.

Beside her, Consort An's body lay flat on the stone ground.

When Yuzhen saw her sisters, she suppressed her tears and grief. Her only thought was to clean up Consort An's body and bury her in peace.

Xiao tried to persuade her in every way, but to no avail, so he had no choice but to let her go through with the trouble.

Time passed slowly, and after a brief pause, he stood gazing out at the cave entrance, watching the torrential rain pour down relentlessly.

According to Taoist theories, there was once a saying that one day in this cave is equivalent to a thousand years in the world.

What a blessed land!

In this situation, lost in thought, Xiao sighed to himself, "Wouldn't I also like this at this moment?"
I wish I could cast aside all worldly fame and fortune, all worldly troubles.

I don't want any of that anymore. Let the world fight and fight over it. I'll just keep Yuzhen by my side, and that's enough for me.

"kindness"

"you"

"I haven't had a chance to ask you yet, how come you're the only one who suddenly appeared here?"

"Could it be that, just because I have a thought, you can travel across mountains and rivers to arrive on your white horse?"

"Everything feels so unreal."

"If I hadn't woken up and found you still standing in front of me, I would have truly thought it was all a dream."

Ding-dong-

Ding Dong
Despite the fierce winds and torrential rains outside, the cave was unusually quiet at this moment, with only the occasional sound of water dripping from a crack in the rock.

Yu Zhen's thoughts returned, and she withdrew from Consort An's body. After a long while, seeing that Xiao Jingchuan was quietly waiting, she murmured a sentence to herself.

Turning around at the sound, Xiao was dumbfounded, as always oblivious to romance, and honestly told the truth.

"Ah, me, I just arrived in Huzhou today."

"I suddenly bumped into Xiaochunzi outside Xiguan, and that's when I realized you were in danger."

"It was a long and difficult journey, thankfully we made it in time."

"Knowing your whereabouts, I didn't care about anything else and rode over alone to the manor down the mountain."

"Uh, no, let's not talk about it."

"How do you feel now?"

"After all, I am pregnant." With this thought in mind, Yu Zhen stared at him with her beautiful eyes. Clearly, Xiao's face stiffened and dimmed considerably.

"I'm so afraid you'll have a miscarriage. What will happen in this desolate wilderness?"

To make amends, Xiao Yi quickly followed up with these words, masking his dejection.

However, it was ultimately futile.

Yuzhen's eyes were already filled with longing.
"Why me of all people?" she murmured, filled with sorrow and resentment.

"Huh? W-what?"

Hearing this, the voice grew even weaker and unclear for a moment, so Xiao Han asked, trying to clear his head.

"Why did you choose me of all people?" Yu-zhen continued.

"I don't know how Xiao'e told you."

"She entered the palace, became a concubine, and now she's pregnant with this... this damn thing."

"This is my fate."

"If you want him, just dig him up and take him away as soon as possible, and I'll be free."

Yu-zhen deliberately brought up this point.

Sure enough, Xiao became somewhat anxious after hearing the news.

"What kind of talk is that?"

"I am Xiao Jingchuan, I... I..."

A thousand thoughts linger in my heart, yet even I find it hard to find a way out.

The more emotional they become, the less eloquent and the less shrewd they become.

With a long sigh, after a short while, Yuzhen spoke softly again, stubbornly sticking to her little temper.

Why bother?

"If it were truly a match made in heaven, it wouldn't have abandoned me and Xiao'e and left on its own."

"It's nothing more than being tripped up by fame and fortune."

"Now you are a great general with great achievements, Duke."

"To prop up a collapsing building and turn the tide in the face of imminent disaster."

"What a majestic General Xiao!"

"Xiao'e is lucky, much better than me."

"Why did you come to save me? If you still have any genuine feelings for me, just protect Emei for me, and that will be enough."

"There's really no need to risk coming here and cause this kind of gossip."

Yuzhen's words were sharp and sarcastic, a mix of resentment and reproach. She was deliberately evasive and got ahead of Xiao Lang in the bud, leaving him to be manipulated at will.

Such words from the person in question are like a blind man seeing things; Xiao, being simple-minded, couldn't grasp the mystery for a moment and felt he had completely misjudged him.

His anger intensified, so he simply turned his head and put his hands behind his back. Unable to contain his anger, he gritted his teeth and shut his mouth, refusing to speak.

"you"

"I get angry when I see them, but I feel resentful when I don't."

"Hey, you, come here."

"I had a shoulder injury, and then I got soaked in the rain until now."

"What if it's broken or rotten?"

“I’m ignoring you. If you really get sick, Xiao’e will be heartbroken and will blame me in the end.”

Seeing that Xiao was so angry that he turned his head away, Yuzhen tried to pull him back with words.

However, Xiao was a stubborn fellow and refused to cooperate.

Having no other options, I could only try to comfort them.

"Okay, okay, okay."

"I... I'm the one who feels sorry for you, okay?"

Come on.

Her gentleness was like a soft, coquettish whisper.

Such ambiguity, even if you are made of steel, will surely melt into tenderness.

Sure enough, Xiao Lang turned around, but driven by his stubbornness, he unexpectedly burst forth with his true feelings again.

We must completely expose this hidden truth.

"Yuzhen, that snowy night on Baozhu Peak behind Tanzhe Temple back then."

"I have made myself clear enough."

"Why do you always have to bring Xiao'e into this to make me jealous?"

"I know perfectly well that you are all I see and think about."

"Yuzhen, I...I..."

(End of this chapter)