Water Reflects Peach Blossoms

After the bladeless assassin Zheng Nanyiyi was captured, Lao Zhiren and Gong Huanyu died. On the same night, Ming Wuji helped Gong Huanyu fake his death and escape. If she was used by Gong Huanyu, it only means that Gong Huanyu and Ming Wuji had the same goal.

Only with the same purpose can a bladeless assassin who thought her identity was not discovered fall into the control of the young master who had already discovered her identity.

What is Ming Wuji's mission?

She has lived a stable life in the palace for more than 20 years, most of her life has passed. What leverage can Wu Feng use to force her to take action?

Gong Huanyu actually knew her mission target. According to the confidentiality of Wufeng's assassination mission, and Ming Wuji's intelligence and caution, and her cautious character of never being caught in the palace for more than 20 years, it is hard to say whether Wufeng really coerced her.

"The sword that killed Elder Yue was brought by Wu Ji..." Gong Yunzheng ran his fingers through her hair, musing softly, "The wound is as thin as a cicada's wing, not forged by Gongmen... It's the same as the hidden wound I saw on the blueprint, the one that stopped Brother Zi Yu's carriage."

She paused suddenly.

The same wound, the sword flowed in from outside the palace gate, it was the weapon used by Wufeng.

That sword was the murder weapon used to kill the assassin. Ming Wuji's status was not high enough, so she couldn't get it easily. And why did she have to use that sword to kill people?

Unless someone brings the sword to her.

That sword is the key to solving the mystery of why Wu Ji is being controlled!

To find that sword.

Or find the doctor who saw the murder weapon in the clinic and ask him to draw it.

Gong Yunzheng put the letter paper in his hand into the charcoal fire and burned it clean. The wisps of smoke were quickly covered by the smell of medicine.

Retracting her hand, she instructed Qing Lan at the end of the corridor, "Send someone you absolutely trust to the clinic to secretly find the doctor who was in charge of examining the body of the assassin who stopped Zi Yu's brother's carriage. Ask him if he has seen the murder weapon."

Qinglan nodded.

The entire Zheng Palace fell silent. Gong Yunzheng looked towards his brother's room opposite, as if thinking about something.

It was almost dawn when Gong Yuanzheng returned to Zheng Palace.

Seeing his sister sitting under the eaves outside the room, leaning on the railing and looking at the big tree in the yard, Gong Yuanzheng's heart tightened and he ran over: "Sister, you..."

He squatted in front of his sister and looked at her pale face: "Didn't you sleep all night?"

Without waiting for her answer, he got up and went to the room to get her a thick cloak. As he put it on her, he worried: "Why don't you wear something thicker? What if you catch a cold?"

Gong Yunzheng looked at the nearly extinguished charcoal brazier beside him and said, "Qinglan, move the charcoal brazier out. I'm not cold."

"Sister, why don't you go back to your room to rest?" Gong Yuanzheng looked at her worriedly, "Is there something bothering you?"

"I'm thinking of something." Gong Yunzheng brushed his fingers through his brother's hair and asked him gently, "When we went to the Elders' Council, I saw you go back to your room. When you came out, you had a hidden weapon bag hanging around your waist. Why?"

Seeing his sister ask him this, Gong Yuanzheng's heart tightened. He pursed his lips and looked away: "No... I'm just worried that the murderer who killed Elder Yue is still at the scene. Carrying a hidden weapon bag can prevent any accidents..."

Hearing her brother say this, Gong Yunzheng slowly withdrew her hand. Halfway through, Gong Yuanzheng panicked and held her hand, his eyes reddened: "Sister... I..."

"Don't be angry, I'm just worried that you might be in danger!"

Gong Yunzheng understood: "Do you think Elder Yue's death has something to do with me?"

"No." Gong Yuanzheng lowered his head, clearly lacking confidence. "Qinglan was suspected of being involved at the time, and she was my sister's personal maid. The Yellow Jade Guard came to the palace to take her away. I was afraid you would be implicated, and I was also afraid..."

Seeing his brother hesitate, Gong Yunzheng spoke up for him: "They're afraid that I'm really the one behind Elder Yue's murder and will be convicted on the spot by the elders."

Looking at the warmth held by his loved ones, Gong Yuanzheng lowered his head and said nothing.

The truth is that he recently realized that his sister seemed to be hiding a secret from him. Others might not be able to sense it, but as his sister's closest relative, he had this intuition to detect subtle changes!

He was afraid that his sister would be angry with him and angry that he didn't believe her.

Gong Yunzheng asked, "If it really has something to do with me, what do you want to do with the hidden weapon bag?"

Gong Yuanzheng frowned, like a child who had done something wrong and didn't dare to raise his head, holding his sister's hand even tighter.

After a long while, he said firmly, "I will protect my sister."

"...If my sister is convicted, what will follow is torture in the dungeon, poisoned wine, and tortured interrogations. It will be a life worse than death. I absolutely cannot tolerate them treating you like this. I just thought, if it really comes to that, I will protect my sister and escape from the palace!"

"How can you fight against the palace gates alone?" Gong Yunzheng advised softly, "Don't be so impulsive when thinking about things next time."

"But I can't just watch you being locked up in the dungeon and tortured!" Gong Yuanzheng raised his head suddenly, his eyes red, like a wolf protecting its territory, full of stubbornness, and he would never retreat.

"I had already made my decision when I returned to my room to get my hidden weapon bag," he said. "I brought a newly developed poison that hasn't yet been reported to the Council of Elders. This poison can cause the user to die painlessly. I plan to give it to my sister when things reach a dead end."

"I can't fight the Elders' Council and the Palace Gate alone, but I will fight to the death to protect my sister, using every possible means. If I die before I send my sister away... With that medicine, sister, you have the right to choose."

Ever since his parents died, he began to learn to protect his sister, until today... his protection will only stop when he dies.

"What about Brother Shangjiao? What should he do if you think this way?" Gong Yunzheng asked him.

When Gong Yuanzheng mentioned his brother, tears welled up in his eyes and fell. "Thinking this way means I haven't considered my brother. I've failed him in his care, guidance... and expectations of me. I don't want to disappoint him! But... I'm sorry for him..."

He felt so sad that he couldn't stop crying.

Only he himself knew how much pressure and pain he was under at that time, how sorry he was for his brother, how determined he was to protect his sister, and how determined he was to put his own life and death aside.

He is not a child anymore. He knows the consequences of doing this and will bear them all.

"Stop crying." Gong Yunzheng raised her hand to wipe away her brother's tears. She was so overwhelmed by the emotions in her heart that she couldn't speak. She almost used up all her strength before she said, "It doesn't look good."

Don’t cry, I feel bad for you.

She didn't dare say this.

I didn’t dare before, and I’m even more afraid now.

Her heart was overwhelmed by huge emotions, and the knife called family affection pierced through her completely.

Gong Yunzheng looked carefully at Gong Yuanzheng, her closest blood relative. They had the same blood flowing in their bodies, and they had a deep brotherly love and shared blood.

He was the only person she couldn't bear to leave in this world.

She had been restraining herself for a long time, not daring to care about him too much, for fear that her brother would collapse when that day really came.

After his parents died, Yuan Zheng became close to his brother Shang Jiao and treated him as his own brother, and his brother Shang Jiao also treated him as his own brother.

She is very happy.

Because she is not the only relative on the expedition, he will never be alone.

But... tonight, she realized that her brother would do this for her and would even give up his own life for her.

This is what she least wants to see.

"I won't cry." Gong Yuanzheng wiped away his tears.

His brother told him that bleeding can let people know that your body is injured, and tears can tell important people that your heart is hurt.

But sister doesn’t like him crying, doesn’t like seeing his tears, right… doesn’t want to see his hurt heart either?

The boy smiled, a tearful smile that looked broken.

He said happily: "Fortunately, these things have nothing to do with my sister. They are all my own random thoughts."

Gong Yunzheng looked at her brother and wanted to smile at him to comfort him, but she couldn't control the corners of her mouth. It was not until her brother took a handkerchief and hurriedly wiped her tears that she realized she was crying too.

The heat in my eyes kept pouring out, and I couldn't stop it no matter how hard I tried.

My throat felt like it was blocked by wet cotton and I couldn't utter a single sound.

I just told Yuanzheng not to cry...

In the end, she felt helpless as if she couldn't control her body.

Gong Yuanzheng was extremely panicked.

"Sister, I won't let my imagination run wild anymore! I shouldn't have doubted you either. If you're angry, just punish me. You can do whatever you want!"

"Sister, don't be sad. It's not good for your health."

"...Seeing my sister cry, I feel heartbroken..."

The last sentence greatly shocked Gong Yunzheng's heart. She felt like a bronze bell that made a loud noise after being hit hard. She didn't know how to describe her feelings at this moment.

I just feel that——

The desire to survive has never been so strong as it is now.