Xie Zhifei on the ground didn’t move.
“He’s dead.”
Xu Sheng bent down to look.
Xie Zhifei suddenly opened his eyes and stared at him fixedly, a rumbling growl emerging from his throat, like a cornered wild beast.
Xu Sheng was so frightened his body trembled and he nearly fell.
“Beat him again.”
“Yes!”
Fists and feet attacked once more.
Suddenly, the neighing of horses came from the distance.
Xu Sheng looked in that direction.
First he saw a high cloud of rising dust, then he saw dozens of horses. The riders wore armor and held long blades…
It was the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
How could the Embroidered Uniform Guard be here?
At this moment, if Xu Sheng could lower his head to look at Xie Zhifei, he would definitely see a smile slowly curving at the corners of his bleeding mouth.
The Xu family—finished!
…
“Your Highness.”
A guard entered the pavilion and pulled out a bamboo scroll from his chest.
Zhao Yishi took the scroll, extracted a slip of paper, unrolled it, and said nothing for a long while.
Pei Xiao couldn’t contain his impatient nature. “What’s the situation?”
“See for yourself.”
Pei Xiao took the secret message and nearly laughed out loud.
His wife was safe too;
The matter was accomplished;
Xie Wushi, well done!
“Huairen, tell Shen Chong there’s no need to bring my wife here—send her directly to the Xie residence. I’ll go wait at the Xie residence right now. Zhu Qing, let’s go.”
Zhu Qing bowed to Zhao Yishi and quickly followed. “Young Master Pei, we don’t know how badly injured our master is. As for Imperial Physician Pei…”
Pei Xiao replied, “Your Xie residence still needs to send someone to request him—can’t let anyone see through the act.”
Zhu Qing: “Yes.”
Pei Xiao continued, “And you can’t just request my father alone. If the injuries are serious, request several more physicians so the other imperial physicians know how badly Third Master suffered…”
The voice gradually faded into the distance.
Zhao Yishi stood in the pavilion a while longer before returning to the study.
Entering the study, he froze.
Someone was still lying on the bamboo couch with a wet bundle tied around them.
Yan Xi quickly said, “This subordinate will wake them…”
“No need.”
Zhao Yishi looked at the wet clothes on Li Buyan’s body.
“Help her untie the bundle, then go prepare a set of clean women’s clothing.”
“Yes!”
Yan Xi stepped forward, carefully untied the bundle from Li Buyan’s body, placed it on a nearby small table, then bowed and withdrew.
Zhao Yishi sat down at his desk and thought through everything from beginning to end. He had to admit, Xie Chengyu’s move was brilliant.
Xu Lai’s official position was ninety percent finished.
With one Criminal Justice Ministry Vice Minister position vacant, should he try to extend a hand in?
“Ai ya…”
His thoughts interrupted, Zhao Yishi turned to look.
The young woman sat up, holding her neck, first looking at her clothes, then checking her limbs, seemingly unable to figure out her current situation.
Her head turned and her gaze suddenly met Zhao Yishi’s. The young woman froze hard.
Zhao Yishi was about to explain when he suddenly saw her body fall back onto the couch.
“Have I died and gone to heaven? Otherwise, how could there be a man more beautiful than an immortal staring at me with tender affection?”
Zhao Yishi: “Miss Li!”
“Don’t make noise!”
Li Buyan pinched herself hard.
“Sss—”
“Hurts—”
“Thank heaven and earth, I’m still alive!”
Li Buyan worked to focus her mind. Sanhe was missing and she’d been frantic, then…
“Miss Li!”
“Shut up!”
Li Buyan jumped up. “Don’t think just because you look like an immortal, you can stop me from rescuing Sanhe.”
Just as she finished speaking, the curtain lifted.
Yan Xi entered carrying clothes and shoes. “Miss has awakened. Quickly change into these clothes.”
“Who are you?”
“I…”
Yan Xi glanced at his master’s face. “I’m called Yan Xi. The Grand Heir…”
“Grand Heir?”
Li Buyan slowly turned her face. “You’re Zhao Yishi.”
“Impudent!”
Yan Xi shouted angrily, “Is His Highness’s name for a young lady to call out casually?”
Zhao Yishi gave Yan Xi a cold glance, then said warmly, “Thank heaven and earth, you still remember me!”
“Someone this good-looking, how could I forget? It’s just that my head…”
Li Buyan tapped her head a couple times and caught her breath.
“Your Highness, how did I get here?”
Zhao Yishi’s gaze rested quietly on her. “Miss, first go behind the screen and change out of those wet clothes…”
“No need!”
Li Buyan pushed herself up from the bamboo couch. “I need to go find my young lady.”
“She’s already fine and will soon return to the Xie residence. Miss, you should change your clothes first!”
Li Buyan looked somewhat dazedly at the immortal-like man before her, then cupped her hands.
“No need to change clothes—I’m tough. Your Highness, the green mountains don’t change, the green waters flow long. Farewell.”
With that, she turned. As one foot stepped out of the study, her head swiveled back.
“Your Highness, next time you look at me, don’t look with such tender affection. I’m fine in every way except one flaw.”
“What flaw?”
“I can’t resist the temptation of beauty!”
The curtain moved and she’d already vanished without a trace.
Ptui!
Yan Xi cursed in his heart. He’d never seen such a shameless person.
“Your High…”
Yan Xi looked up and all his words stuck in his throat.
The man’s eyes held shallow, scattered light, the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward in a smiling arc.
…
When the bloody and mangled Xie Zhifei was carried into the residence, the entire Xie household exploded into chaos.
Steward Xie, however, remained quite composed.
“Someone, take the master’s card and request imperial physicians. Request several.”
“Yes!”
“Immediately send people to notify the master and eldest master.”
“Yes!”
“As for the Old Madam and Madam, I’ll trouble the eldest madam to personally inform them.”
“Yes!”
After arranging everything, Steward Xie turned around. “Young Master Pei, is there anything I’ve overlooked?”
Pei Xiao thought for a moment. “Nothing. I’ll go to Jingsi Residence to check.”
Steward Xie froze. “But Miss Yan hasn’t returned to the residence yet!”
“Steward Xie, you must be blind—she returned long ago.” Pei Xiao couldn’t be bothered to waste words with him and turned to leave.
Steward Xie scratched his head.
She returned long ago? How did I not get any news?
…
In Jingsi Residence, Shen Chong held Yan Sanhe horizontally as he lightly descended from the wall.
By this time, Li Buyan had already changed into clean clothes and was waiting in the courtyard. Seeing them, her heart jumped. “What happened to her?”
Shen Chong: “…”
Li Buyan: “Speak quickly!”
What should he say?
That I knocked her unconscious?
Shen Chong handed the person in his arms to Li Buyan, left the words “Her foot is injured,” and leaped back onto the wall.
Li Buyan looked down and saw—the fire in her eyes nearly shot out. “Tangyuan, Tangyuan?”
“Miss Li.”
“Where is Imperial Physician Pei right now? Go find out quickly.”
Though Tangyuan was startled by how her young lady had returned to the residence, she didn’t hesitate and ran off frantically.
In no time, she ran back frantically, but didn’t bring Imperial Physician Pei—instead, she brought Young Master Pei.
Pei Xiao looked at Yan Sanhe’s foot and the blood in his heart immediately boiled.
Damn it all!
My wife is injured!
“Finding my father is useless—he’s not skilled at treating this.”
Li Buyan asked, “Then who is skilled at treating it?”
Pei Xiao walked outside. “Huangqi, take my card to the Imperial Medical Bureau to find Imperial Physician Shen Wei. Tell him to hurry over—say someone’s dying here.”
Huangqi: “Yes!”
Pei Xiao lowered his head to examine Yan Sanhe’s foot carefully. “Li Buyan, absolutely don’t move her. She’s most likely injured the tendons and bones.”
Li Buyan had originally wanted to remove the shoe from Yan Sanhe’s foot first, but hearing this, she was so frightened she quickly withdrew her hand. “How do you know?”
“Stupid!”
Pei Xiao’s nose nearly twisted with anger. “I haven’t eaten pork, but haven’t I seen pigs run?”