After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 101 I Can Forgive and Forget
After saying this, the monkey looked around and then left.

Xiang Ning stepped forward, picked up the letter, unfolded it, and read it. She then felt a headache coming on.

Although the monkey was right, without evidence, Pei Yanzhi couldn't do anything to Steward Lin.

Although he was the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he still needed evidence to convict someone.

Ke Xiangning felt that Pei Yanzhi was definitely not the kind of person who acted rashly and arrested people without any preparation.

Or perhaps, with his immense power, he could actually convict Steward Lin directly?
Xiang Ning dared not gamble with Manager Lin's safety.

After all, Manager Lin suffered this calamity because of her.

Xiao Ming said in the letter that he had a way to save Manager Lin, and that Xiang Ning just needed to hide well.

Pei Yanzhi had no idea where Xiang Ning was hiding.

Taking down Manager Lin is forcing Xiang Ning to come out on her own.

As long as Xiang Ning stays calm, Pei Yanzhi can't do anything about it.

Once the storm had passed, Xiao Ming sent Xiang Ning out of the water town.

At this moment, inside the inn, Cheng Hua bent down, lowered his voice, and said something in a very secretive manner.

Upon hearing this, Pei Yanzhi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"Li Shichang's subordinates?"

Cheng Hua nodded in response, "He is General Li's subordinate. Magistrate Wu has already had someone question him carefully. It was this man named Xiao Ming who handled the travel permit and place of origin for Miss Xiang Ning."

"The people watching us outside that day were also his men."

After Chenghua finished speaking, his brows furrowed slightly involuntarily.

"However, Lord Ming and his men thoroughly searched Xiao Ming's residence and all the places he frequented, but after a thorough search, they were unable to find any trace of Miss Xiang Ning."

Pei Yanzhi sat there quietly, without saying a word, and the entire room was instantly enveloped in a silent atmosphere.

Only occasionally, the crisp sound of chess pieces falling can be heard from the chessboard placed to the side.

“The people Xiao Ming has met, the places he has been, and this relatively secluded courtyard in the city.”

Pei Yanzhi finally broke the silence, his voice steady and calm as he gave his instructions in an orderly manner.

"Go and investigate. She's a grown woman; she needs to eat and wear clothes."

Even though Xiao Ming had made thorough arrangements beforehand, the person now trapped in this water town is Xiang Ning.

The supplies that sustain our basic needs for food, clothing, and daily necessities will eventually run out.

As long as you patiently investigate from these aspects, you won't have trouble finding her hiding place.

"If there's still no news, release Steward Lin in a couple of days and spread the word that I've left."

The longer they were trapped in this water town, the more anxious they became.

He refused to believe that Xiang Ning wouldn't run away when the only chance to leave was right in front of her.

That's human instinct and the will to survive; at such a critical moment, it would certainly drive her to take action.

"Yes, I'll do it right away."

Cheng Hua, with a serious expression, accepted the order and hurriedly left the room.

On the chessboard in front of Pei Yanzhi, the chess pieces were arranged in a neat and orderly manner, but the white pieces had already been devoured by the black pieces.

Xiang Ning spent a whole day in the courtyard, wavering between leaving and saving Manager Lin.

People are selfish, but Manager Lin has helped her so much. If she leaves and Pei Yanzhi really harms Manager Lin, she will feel guilty for the rest of her life.

And Xiao Ming and the others, they were all trying to help her.

She sighed, got up and went into the house, tidied up her things quickly, and then prepared to leave.

Last night I was all prepared to run away; I had everything ready.

Xiang Ning opened the tightly closed courtyard gate, and what greeted her was a gleaming longsword.

The cold glint of the sword, illuminated by the moonlit water, seemed to amplify its chilling killing intent. Xiang Ning was terrified, but her reaction was incredibly swift; she quickly dodged to the side, avoiding the sudden, fatal blow.

But the man in black was too fast. A sharp pain struck instantly, and Xiang Ning's arm was slashed by the sharp blade, leaving a scar.

"You're quite fast."

The masked man in black saw Xiang Ning dodge the attack and let out a mocking laugh.

The voice reached Xiang Ning's ears and gave her a strange sense of familiarity.

She froze, countless thoughts flashing through her mind.

"Qin Rui?!"

Xiang Ning blurted out in disbelief.

How did he end up here? When exactly did he sneak in?
"It's better to give you a quick death than to fall into Pei Yanzhi's hands."

Qin Rui's voice sounded somewhat muffled through the black cloth covering his face.

He gripped the sword hilt even tighter, his knuckles, already slightly white from the force, becoming even more prominent.

With a sudden burst of strength, he raised the longsword high again and thrust it at Xiang Ning without hesitation.

The sword tip sliced ​​through the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

In a moment of crisis, Xiang Ning forcefully pushed over the shelf next to her.

With a loud crash, various items on the shelves scattered all over the ground, trapping Qin Rui in the yard.

It's better for it to fall into the hands of Pei Yanzhi than into the hands of Qin Rui, a treacherous and cunning man.

Startled by this sudden turn of events, Qin Rui staggered a few steps. With a flick of his wrist, he chopped the frame that was binding him in two.

Wood chips flew through the air, shimmering like cold stars in the moonlight.

When he looked up at Xiang Ning again, his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

At this moment, Xiang Ning didn't care about anything else and ran away without hesitation.

However, Qin Rui was clearly prepared. His men quickly dispersed and surrounded Xiang Ning in the narrow alley.

With ambushes ahead and pursuers behind, she found herself in a desperate situation with no way to escape.

"Pei Yanzhi is in the water town, aren't you afraid his people will come?"

Xiang Ning forced herself to remain calm, and as she spoke, she gripped a sharp hairpin tightly in her hand, as if it were her only support at that moment.

Her face was pale from tension and blood loss, and her once neatly tied black hair had fallen loose during her escape.

A few strands of hair clung messily to her slightly haggard face, making her look even more disheveled.

Qin Rui slightly raised his hand and brushed the wood chips that had just gotten into his hair off.

"I'm scared, but you have to die too."

Qin Rui never expected that Qin Bijun's simple task of killing a woman would lead to the discovery of the person who had escaped from their clutches years ago.

Xiang Ning must die today; only in this way can we eliminate future troubles.

Xiang Ning looked around frantically, trying to find a chance to escape.

Suddenly, a figure came into view.

Under the eaves, a lone lamp swayed in the wind, its light and shadow flickering erratically.

Pei Yanzhi stood there, hands behind his back, his posture upright, his moon-white brocade robe making him appear even more noble and otherworldly.

His eyes were cold and clear, like a star in the dark night, as he quietly looked at Xiang Ning without the slightest ripple on his face.

He remained the same enigmatic and refined young master, his eyes devoid of any extra emotion, his calmness frightening.

"I can let bygones be bygones, but if you dare to run again, I will definitely break your legs."

He's here, he's here! Don't worry, my darlings, he'll be running again... no, I mean remarrying, hahaha! Keep voting for him!


(End of this chapter)