vrcanaries Chapter 128 Falling to the Bottom of the Cliff
Chapter 128 Falling to the Bottom of the Cliff
The sky was dim, and the atmosphere on the training ground was heavy. Everyone was silent, afraid that they might accidentally get into trouble.
Before long, the guards brought over the assassin, who was bound hand and foot, and kicked him to the ground.
Those men were suicide warriors who had attempted suicide but failed. They were wearing the armor of the mountain guards and were very well concealed. They survived only because their mouths were pried open and poison was extracted.
Even when he was being held down on the ground, he still refused to kneel.
"Speak! Who sent you?"
The young emperor, filled with ruthlessness, held the power of life and death, and regarded the people before him as mere ants.
The assassins were ashen-faced. One of them gave a cold laugh, his voice hoarse and resolute: "Kill me or torture me, it's all up to you. Don't even think about getting the mastermind out of us!"
"Good, good, good, that's really good!"
Pei Yuanling laughed in anger, said "good" three times, and before anyone could react, he suddenly drew a long sword from the waist of the guard beside him and cut off the man's arm.
"Ahhhhh!!"
The man was in so much pain that his face turned deathly pale, and he was covered in cold sweat. He collapsed to the ground, writhing and rolling around.
The many noble ladies who had participated in the hunting banquet had not yet left. They had never seen such a scene before. Upon seeing this bloody scene, they screamed in shock, their faces turning pale with panic.
"Take them away. I don't care what methods you use, but they are not allowed to die until you get any useful clues!"
Pei Yuanling's eyes turned cold as he glanced at the guard leader and said sternly, "Who is in charge of maintaining martial law at the West Mountain Hunting Grounds? Investigate them for me! I want to see how these people managed to sneak into the hunting grounds!"
"Yes!" The head guard knelt on the ground, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to receive the order.
Empress Wang stood beside him, her face growing paler and paler, her heart filled with fear and dread. Perhaps it was because she had a guilty conscience, but she felt that the emperor's stab earlier was a warning to her.
……
[General Chu Tianheng, the Protector of the Nation, has been stripped of his title and imprisoned in the Imperial Prison for treason! The Chu State Duke's mansion has been ransacked, and the men have been exiled while the women have been enslaved!]
[Yinyin, you must live well.]
[Your Highness, this is a gift from His Majesty. You may choose between a cup of poison or three feet of white silk.]
[Help me...]
[elder brother……]
"elder brother!!!"
Chu Qingyin suddenly opened her scarlet eyes, feeling a splitting headache. Memories of her past life kept flooding her mind, as if reminding her of something.
Don't forget to take revenge.
The entire family of the Duke of Chu, numbering over a hundred, along with her brother who is in prison, are waiting for her to find a way to rescue them.
"you're awake?"
A clear, masculine voice suddenly rang out beside her. Chu Qingyin was startled, and as she turned her head with force, a face she would never forget gradually came into view.
Lu Zhiheng!
The man who caused her brother's imprisonment and the exile of her entire family, Lu Zhiheng, is now right in front of her!
Kill him! Kill him!
This voice kept clamoring in her mind.
"Consort Qiao?" Lu Zhiheng stared at her suddenly reddened eyes, frowning in confusion. Why did he see hatred in those eyes?
The title "Consort Qiao" left Chu Qingyin momentarily dazed.
When her vision cleared, she remembered what had happened before she lost consciousness. Taking a deep breath and trying to calm herself, she spoke weakly, "Where is this? I...we fell off a cliff, how come we didn't die?"
Lu Zhiheng pursed his thin lips slightly and did not speak immediately.
Just thinking back on the series of emotional changes she experienced after waking up, I felt that there was something wrong with the person in front of me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.
He sighed softly, perhaps frightened by the attack on the training ground.
After all, it would be difficult for anyone to remain clear-headed after experiencing such a great calamity.
"We are now at the bottom of the cliff. We were caught by vines when we fell, which is why we were lucky enough to survive."
Lu Zhiheng spoke casually, picked up a stick from the ground, and poked at the campfire that he had just painstakingly lit.
The firewood in the bonfire was slightly damp, and when stirred, it produced a burst of sparks and crackling sounds.
The dim firelight illuminated the man's profile, making his already tall figure appear even longer.
"The bottom of the cliff?" Chu Qingyin was taken aback when she heard this. She looked up and saw only endless darkness, with a few stars faintly visible.
"This is a precipice, only a few dozen meters apart. I have already checked the left and right sides, but I have not found a way out yet."
The man's tone was devoid of any emotion; he simply stated the current situation to her in a straightforward manner.
“You have been unconscious for a day and a night. This cave is the only place I have found where you can take shelter from the wind and rain.”
Upon hearing this, Chu Qingyin frowned. A whole day and night had passed, and Pei Yuanling still hadn't been able to find the two of them.
Could it be that he didn't send anyone to look for him at all?
Thinking of this, Chu Qingyin couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Perhaps for Pei Yuanling, their disappearance was a good thing.
Trading an insignificant concubine for the life of a powerful prime minister is a fair trade by any measure.
"Can we still get out of here alive?" Chu Qingyin's voice was hoarse, as if it carried a hint of despair and confusion. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes.
Lu Zhiheng glanced at her, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "There will always be a way."
He wasn't sure if Pei Yuanling would do his best to search and rescue him. If it weren't for this burden, he would definitely be able to get out on his own.
Lu Zhiheng was already somewhat regretful at this moment. Why had he rushed to save her without thinking back then?
She was just a favored concubine; even if he saved her, Pei Yuanling would not be grateful to him.
But when the vine broke, he inexplicably lunged forward, unwilling to let her fall off the cliff.
This feeling was so complicated that he didn't dare to look directly into Chu Qingyin's bright and clear eyes.
A night breeze blew by, bringing a slight chill. Chu Qingyin couldn't help but shiver. She hugged her arms tightly and moved closer to the campfire.
She had to get out alive; she still had a great revenge to take, and her brother was still imprisoned.
If not, her gaze fell on Lu Zhiheng again, and the hatred in her heart surged up once more.
Then let's drag Lu Zhiheng down with us!
"Now that you're awake, we'll go find a way out first thing tomorrow morning."
Lu Zhiheng added firewood to the campfire, and the flames instantly engulfed him. "After all, waiting here in vain is not a solution."
Chu Qingyin gave a soft "hmm," and just as she was about to move her body, a sharp pain suddenly shot through her ankle, and her back was instantly covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.
"Hiss..." she gasped, "My foot..."
Despite the excruciating pain, she lifted her skirt and discovered that her ankle was swollen; judging from its appearance, it must have been broken.
"I've already done some basic treatment for you, there's nothing serious."
Lu Zhiheng's eyes flickered slightly, and his voice lowered a few decibels: "The matter happened suddenly, and I apologize for any abruptness. Please do not take offense, Your Highness."
No wonder her shoes and socks had been changed; she had assumed they had fallen off during the fall, but it turned out to be him.
Suddenly, a strange feeling welled up in Chu Qingyin's heart.
She was especially surprised when she glanced at the man's ear and saw a faint blush.
Who would have thought that this high-ranking, aloof, and arrogant prime minister would have such a side to him?
"Thank you very much, Lord Lu..." she said calmly, her eyes lowered.
"polite."
After uttering those two words, Lu Zhiheng didn't say anything more, only silently poking at the campfire.
The leaping flames reflected in the man's deep eyes, as if he were lost in thought.
Chu Qingyin looked at Lu Zhiheng in front of her, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
The grudges from her past life intertwined with the reality before her, leaving her momentarily dazed.
Unexpectedly, such a ruthless and heartless person would risk his life to save me.
Could he also be possessed by a ghost?