HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 639: A Feeling That Things Shouldn't Be This Way

Chapter 639: A Feeling That Things Shouldn’t Be This Way

Profound affection and weighty loyalty…

This person was good at seizing every opportunity to make himself look good!

“Guests, all dishes are served. Please enjoy!” The clever ones knew that matters concerning those in power weren’t for common folk like them to discuss carelessly. The proprietor of the restaurant quickly took his leave.

Shen Xihe shot a warning glare at the smiling Xiao Huayong. Just because they were in disguise didn’t mean no one would recognize them.

In the current situation, with streets empty and most routes into the city blocked—though the city gates weren’t sealed—it was extremely difficult for outsiders to enter. The two of them walking about so openly had likely already drawn the attention of officials. Yet he dared to casually discuss the Crown Prince’s temperament in public.

Wasn’t this telling others they were suspicious?

Such simple logic—Shen Xihe didn’t believe Xiao Huayong didn’t understand it. Yet he remained carefree and unconcerned. She wondered what scheme he was plotting this time.

Instinct told Shen Xihe it must be related to setting a trap for Xiao Changqin and Xiao Yangbian. Therefore, she said nothing more, allowing Xiao Huayong to attentively serve her dishes. The meal was quite flavorful. Afterward, instead of finding lodging, they chose to continue their journey.

The restaurant owner repeatedly tried to detain them, warning them that the road ahead was treacherous and advising them to stay and gather news.

Xiao Huayong bought some dried provisions, declined the good intentions, and led Shen Xihe onward. However, they no longer rode together—they had acquired another horse while changing clothes at the Taoist temple.

In the light rain, just as they left the town, they sensed someone following them.

Xiao Huayong produced a flute from somewhere, tossed the reins to Shen Xihe, and brought the instrument to his lips. The ethereal flute music drifted through the cold wind with the fine rain.

Knowing he had everything under control, Shen Xihe played the rare role of a leisure-seeking listener. She settled her mind to hear the music. With the elegant melody in her ears and cool breeze at her side, accompanied by the scattered rain, it was as if she were in a crystal-clear world of ice and snow, her mind becoming remarkably clear.

She even momentarily forgot she was riding in the rain, not controlling her horse’s direction. Instead, the horse followed some essence in the air, unhurriedly moving in a particular direction.

Usually, Shen Xihe was as alert as a fierce beast about to enter battle, startling at the slightest movement. She didn’t even realize how unconsciously she had come to trust Xiao Huayong like this.

It was because he was by her side that she could relax so completely.

After their sounds disappeared into the white mist woven by the persistent rain, the group following at a distance finally pursued. Passing through the misty barrier, when they caught up, they found the flute-playing man suddenly turning his head, catching them in the act.

Originally planning to retreat as if nothing had happened, they didn’t expect this couple to suddenly attack, leaping up with curved blades and flying toward them.

The group immediately became fully alert. However, before they could draw their weapons, they sensed a sharp cold glint flash across their pupils. They were completely focused on defending against the charging man, only realizing at the moment of their fall that it was the woman on horseback who had taken their lives.

After everyone was down, Xiao Huayong led the horses with Shen Xihe from behind a large rock. The couple dressed similarly to them, who had impersonated them and killed them, silently bowed from afar before quickly departing.

Shen Xihe’s gaze returned from the direction where the impersonating couple had disappeared, sweeping over the several people lying in pools of blood, their heads separated from their bodies: “You’re framing the Prince of Xin again.”

No wonder Xiao Huayong had appeared so ostentatiously in a town where they shouldn’t have been. He deliberately attracted attention, and when these people delayed reporting back, someone would naturally come to investigate. They only needed the manner of these people’s deaths… no, they only needed news of how these people died to reach Xiao Yangbian’s ears, and it would be enough to make him suspect Xiao Changqin.

Xiao Huayong’s lips curved upward as he pulled a silver thread from his sleeve, about half the thickness of a chopstick: “This is the unique weapon of Fifth Brother’s subordinates.”

Xiao Huayong had studied many corpses of those killed by Xiao Changqin’s subordinates over those years to figure out their secret weapons. Not only was Xiao Huayong studying them, but Xiao Yangbian was also investigating, though he hadn’t figured them out yet.

Xiao Changqin had once been Emperor Youning’s most trusted person. Xiao Huayong studied his subordinates’ secret weapons purely to pass the time and satisfy curiosity, while Xiao Yangbian, harboring imperial ambitions, always viewed Xiao Changqin as a formidable rival—know yourself and your enemy, and you’ll win every battle.

Xiao Yangbian had spent years studying Xiao Changqin’s subordinates’ secret weapons without success. When he saw these corpses, he wouldn’t likely believe it was a frame-up because clever people have their fatal flaws—that is, excessive pride. Since he hadn’t figured it out, he naturally wouldn’t believe others could have figured it out to frame Xiao Changqin.

Xiao Huayong had a mole at the corner of his eye, about the size of a black sesame seed. This mole was quite remarkable. When he pretended to be weak, his eye corners slightly drooping, this mole added a fragile, delicate air to him.

When he shed that facade of weakness and became cunning and crafty, this mole, along with the glint in his eye corners, added a touch of wickedness.

Just like now, with his villainous appearance hoping for chaos, even that tiny mole at his eye corner seemed to come alive with mischief.

Shen Xihe looked away, holding her reins: “Let’s go.”

Xiao Huayong’s intention to provoke enmity between Xiao Changqin and Xiao Yangbian was already inevitable. Xiao Yangbian was already an enemy, and Xiao Changqin was no friend. Born into the imperial family, this was how things were—mutual wariness and testing. Unless one withdrew like Sixth Prince Xiao Changyu, getting caught in these schemes was only a matter of time.

Shen Xihe didn’t think Xiao Huayong was wrong. As long as it didn’t harm Dengzhou’s common people, she wouldn’t stop whatever he wanted to do.

“As you command.” Xiao Huayong played the fool, acting amusing, swaying as he followed Shen Xihe like an attentive servant.

The couple’s journey went smoothly—as long as Xiao Huayong didn’t cause trouble, no trouble would find them.

But Xiao Yangbian’s expression was extremely poor. Even eight-sided enemy attacks on the battlefield hadn’t disturbed his judgment, but now the gradually gathered news was making him lose his ability to judge.

All signs indicated that the person he was seeking was his Fifth Brother, the Prince of Xin—Xiao Changqin.

From spreading rumors predicted by the Imperial Astronomer in Dengzhou, then inciting civil unrest, to creating the incident with the strange stone that drew in the Crown Prince, making things increasingly complex, and now personally escorting the Crown Prince and his wife here…

“Your Highness, the Prince of Xin’s people have killed several waves of our scouts,” Xiao Yangbian’s advisor said angrily.

“I just feel things shouldn’t be this way…” Yet Xiao Yangbian couldn’t explain why they shouldn’t be this way.

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