Blood sedge

Chapter 1192 Suspicion from Others (Part 1)

"Xunzhen, what do you think Liu Xunyi is really thinking? Shen Dongshan has been completely open and honest with him, even willingly offering up Danfeng Garden, but he just neither accepts nor refuses, not even a polite word. He just left everyone in the council hall, leaving without a word. What an arrogant attitude! What do you think he is..."

"Xiao Yang, Su Hu, Xun Pudao, you may step down."

On the way back to their lodging from the council hall, Abaolu kept complaining to Xunzhen about Liu Xunyi's arrogant attitude. Xunzhen remained silent, focusing only on walking until she reached her room. Only then did she casually dismiss the bewildered Xiao Yang, Su Hu, and Xun Budao.

“Now, countless eyes throughout Danfeng Garden are fixed on Liu Xunyi, eagerly awaiting his response…” Abaolu ignored Xiao Yang and the other two who were bowing and taking their leave, and continued to anxiously express his dissatisfaction to Xunzhen.

"close the door."

"This……"

Seeing that Xunzhen was ignoring his concerns, Abaolu was taken aback at first, then absentmindedly closed the door hastily, while still muttering to himself, "As long as Liu Xunyi doesn't make a statement, Danfeng Garden will never have peace. Right now, Tang Afu is like a vicious wolf, relentlessly pursuing Shen Dongshan. If Xiao Zhirou hadn't temporarily calmed him down, things might have gotten out of hand in the council hall. Even so, he stubbornly stands guard outside Shen Dongshan's villa with his sword, afraid that the cooked duck will fly away..."

"So what if it flew away?" Xunzhen interrupted Abaolu impatiently. "Why are you so concerned about other people's affairs?"

"We're now in the same boat as Liu Xunyi. If we offend Shen Dongshan, who can help us resolve the troubles with Sui Zuo and Guo Xian? If we want to maximize our gains and minimize our losses, we must find a way to persuade Liu Xunyi to accept Shen Dongshan. I'm worried that this man has always been prone to acting impulsively. What if he's blinded by greed and doesn't know the consequences, and becomes single-mindedly focused on avenging Tang Afu? I'm afraid none of us will be able to save face..."

"Snapped!"

Before Abaolu could finish speaking, Xunzhen suddenly raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face without warning. The blow left Abaolu stunned, his voice cut off, and he stared in astonishment at Xunzhen's expressionless face, unsure of how to react.

"Xun... Xunzhen, what are you doing..."

"Who exactly is eyeing Liu Xunyi so intently? And who is worried about losing face?" Xunzhen's gaze was like a sword, shooting straight at the flustered Abaolu, and she said coldly, "You know perfectly well who you're on the same side as!"

“Young Miss, what… what does this mean?” Abaolu licked his dry lips and stammered in his defense, “I was just worried that Liu Xunyi would ruin our plans.”

"Our plan? Hmph! It's your plan, isn't it!" Xunzhen's eyes flashed coldly, her brows revealing utter contempt for Abaolu. "You knew all along that your brother and Shen Dongshan were conspiring, didn't you? You've been putting on this whole show behind my back, and now that things are beyond repair, you want me to persuade Liu Xunyi? What? Is it fun to play me like a puppet? Or... did you already foresee that the feud between Shen Dongshan and Tang Afu was irreconcilable, so you planned to use me as a pawn from the very beginning?"

"This..." Upon hearing this, Abaolu dared not look Xunzhen in the eye any longer. His gaze began to dart away uncontrollably, and his words became incoherent and rambling. "You... what do you mean? I don't understand what you're saying. How could I deliberately hide it from you..."

“I not only know that you are deliberately keeping this from me, but I also know that you are acting on behalf of your brother, deliberately trying to subtly probe me about this matter. First, to find out my opinion on the matter. Second, to urge me to persuade Liu Xunyi on your behalf.”

"No...no, you're overthinking it..." Abaolu forced a few dry laughs, trying to cover up his embarrassment, little did he know that his laughter was more like a grimace.

"You weren't even in the council chamber just now, yet you seemed to know everything that happened there. If someone hadn't been giving you pointers, how could you have grasped the whole picture in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn?"

"I..." Faced with Xunzhen's resounding question, Abaolu, who was not good with words to begin with, could no longer utter a single word of defense.

Staring at the speechless Abaolu, the shrewd Xunzhen had already obtained the answer she wanted.

"Sigh!" After a long silence, Xunzhen suddenly let out a long sigh, then gave a self-deprecating laugh, and waved her hand lightly with despair, "So be it! Since you have neither loyalty nor honesty towards me, why should I insist on my own way and force you to do something against your will?"

"Miss, I..."

"It's no use saying more now that things have come to this." Exhausted, Xunzhen turned around shakily and said without looking back, "Go!"

Xunzhen's words struck Abaolu like a bolt from the blue, instantly jolting the bewildered man. His trembling eyes were filled with astonishment and regret, and the muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably.

"I do not go!"

Looking at Xunzhen's thin, lonely figure, Abaolu, filled with fear, knelt down with a thud, his knees shattering the blue bricks on the ground.

"Young Miss, you hit me! You cursed me! If you're still not satisfied, just kill me with one stroke!" As he spoke, Abaolu drew his sword without hesitation and raised the gleaming steel blade high with both hands. "I deceived Young Miss, and I deserve to die! But I would rather atone with my death than leave Young Miss's side."

At this moment, Abaolu was truly panicked. His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and he desperately expressed his guilt and loyalty to Xunzhen.

In the past, even if Xunzhen had any dissatisfaction with him, he would at most reprimand him a few times as a minor punishment, but he never mentioned making him leave.

Today, Xunzhen's lukewarm attitude in issuing him the order to leave only made him feel extremely frustrated and as if he had fallen into an abyss. The last bit of hope that had been lingering in his heart during this period also vanished without a trace at this moment.

"Then tell me, why did my brother do this? Why did he prefer to tell you the plan rather than reveal it to me beforehand?"

Xunzhen slowly turned around, a hint of tears glistening in her eyes as she looked at Abaolu, her voice trembling slightly. In truth, what truly saddened her was not Abaolu's concealment, but Wu Shuang's betrayal. Her brother, whom she had relied on and trusted since childhood, now feigned affection for her while secretly harboring suspicions, nearly leaving her isolated and abandoned by everyone.

She couldn't understand it, and found it even harder to accept.

“Young Miss…” Abaolu knelt on the ground, his head pressed against the earth, looking extremely conflicted as if he had something difficult to say. “This matter is entirely my fault, it has nothing to do with the young master, he has absolutely no suspicion of you…”

“It has nothing to do with my brother, you mean…” Abaolu’s evasive words allowed the exceptionally intelligent Xunzhen to instantly see through his meaning. Suddenly, she felt a heaviness in her head, an overwhelming bitterness welling up in her heart, and she involuntarily staggered, almost falling to the ground. She murmured incredulously, “You mean… yes…”

"I dare not deceive you any longer, Miss. This matter... was indeed ordered by the Young Prince of Qin."

The moment Abaolu revealed the truth, Xunzhen could no longer contain her shock and grievance. She instinctively bit her lower lip tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from gripping her sleeve so hard.

Compared to Wu Shuang's aloofness, the young Prince Qin's suspicion chilled her to the bone.

You must understand that for so many years she has revered the Young King of Qin as a god, regarding him as the supreme being she admired throughout her life. Especially regarding matters in the Central Plains, she always kept in mind the Young King of Qin's instructions, obeyed his orders, and followed his commands. No matter how hard, tiring, or unwilling she was, she never questioned him in the slightest, nor did she ever overstep her bounds in the slightest.

No matter when or where, she always puts the young King of Qin's grand ambitions first, even suppressing her own feelings. She would never do anything that would go against the young King of Qin's orders.

But now, the young Prince of Qin actually suspects her?

She stood there, stunned, as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on her chest. Her lips trembled, opening and closing several times, but she couldn't utter a sound. The complex and chaotic emotions in her heart left her speechless.

From beginning to end, she always thought she was the one playing the game. Little did she know, she was also a pawn.

“Young Miss, you…you mustn’t misunderstand the Young Prince Qin. Your importance and status in his heart are unparalleled. How could he not believe you? He would never harm you!” Although saying too much would lead to mistakes, Abaolu couldn’t care less at this moment. He could only say whatever came to mind, trying his best to redeem Xunzhen from her prejudice and resentment towards the Young Prince Qin. “The reason he didn’t let us tell you is not because he doubts your loyalty and ability, but because he’s afraid…afraid…”

"What are you afraid of?" Xunzhen's eyes were red-rimmed, and she glared stubbornly and sharply at the stammering Abaolu. Her commanding tone left no room for doubt. "Since you've already said it, just say it clearly!"

“I’m afraid you’ll act on your emotions and won’t want to put Liu Xunyi in a difficult position…” Although Abaolu had mustered his courage, his voice grew softer and softer. “After all, you have always felt compassion for Liu Xunyi, so it’s only natural for the young prince to have such concerns…”

"So you're the one who started this!" Xunzhen's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze towards Abaolu containing seven parts indifference and three parts murderous intent. "The young Prince of Qin is far away in the Western Regions. How would he know about my and Liu Xunyi's situation? It seems you've been secretly sending letters home quite a bit."

Abaolu's face was deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead like water. He stammered, "I... I was just following orders. After all, the young Prince Qin is very concerned about you..."

"If you were ordered to report back, why didn't you report the truth? And why did you speculate and embellish?" Xunzhen said angrily. "When have I ever felt pity for Liu Xunyi? When have I ever been unable to bear making things difficult for him?"

"I...I just..."

"You are spouting nonsense and misleading the Holy One! Aparu, you deserve to die!"

After saying that, Xunzhen snatched the steel knife from Abaolu's hand and pressed the sharp blade tightly against his thick neck.

"I have no regrets even if I die by your hand!" Abaolu, panting heavily, stood tall and said loudly, "Even if you kill me, I will still say it! You and Liu Xunyi will not have a good ending! I just want to inform the young Prince of Qin in time before you are too deeply involved, and ask the young Prince of Qin to find a way to sever your ties of love, so that you will not be deeply rooted in love and suffer unbearable pain in the future."

"Even on the verge of death, you still dare to spout nonsense..."

“I’m not talking nonsense!” Abaolu stared straight at Xunzhen, whose face was slightly flushed with shame and indignation, and retorted righteously, “Ask yourself! If Liu Xunyi hadn’t almost misunderstood that you and Shen Dongshan were in cahoots, why would you be so angry? In the end, you’re not angry about my and the young master’s concealment, but about Liu Xunyi’s misunderstanding. That’s the truth, the evidence is irrefutable! A small matter almost made you lose your mind, causing you to resent my and the young master without asking any questions, and even question the young Prince of Qin! You still dare to say that you don’t care about him? You still dare to say that he’s not in your heart?”

"you……"

“I reported the facts truthfully, without any conjecture or exaggeration! The facts are the facts, it’s just that you’re unwilling to admit them!”

"Apauru, how dare you!" Xunzhen, already agitated, was thoroughly enraged by Apauru's assertive words. Her eyes turned cold, and she tightened her grip on the hilt of her knife, demanding in a deep voice, "What is the punishment for insubordination?"

"Death sentence!" Abaolu said calmly, appearing resigned to his fate.

"You think I really wouldn't dare to kill you?"

"Young Miss, there's no need to hesitate. Just do it. I'm willing to die to prove my innocence, as a warning to you!"

……