Blood sedge

Chapter 1193 Suspicion from Others (Part Two)

"you……"

“My sister is always intelligent, how could she not know that this matter is not Aparu’s fault? Why do you take your anger out on him?”

Before the enraged Xunzhen could strike Abaolu with brutal force, a gentle and calm voice suddenly rang out from outside the door. Before the words had even finished, Wu Shuang had already pushed the door open and entered.

“Even without Abaolu, someone else would have informed the Young Prince of Qin.” Wu Shuang was not surprised by the scene in the room; it seemed to be entirely within his expectations. He gently pushed away the steel knife that Xun Zhen had placed against Abaolu’s neck and advised with a smile, “You know very well the Young Prince of Qin’s character and methods. He will exhaust every means to find out what he wants to know. The king’s orders are hard to disobey. Not to mention that a mere Abaolu had no choice, even you and I had no choice but to obey.”

"So you've finally shown yourself?" Xunzhen had never intended to take Abaolu's life. Now that the "mastermind" had appeared, she naturally lost interest in the "accomplice." With a clatter, she threw the steel knife to the ground, looked at Wu Shuang with resentment, and questioned him with resentment, "Am I guilty of any of the things that happened in the Central Plains?"

"There is no fault."

"If you have done nothing wrong, why do you suspect me?"

"This..." Wu Shuang scratched his head awkwardly and replied reluctantly, "It must be the young Prince Qin's affection for you!"

“Cherish? Ha! Why does the Young Prince Qin only ‘cherish’ me but not you? Yun Jianping is not only Liu Xunyi’s younger sister, but also has a close relationship with Xiao Zhirou and Yun Zhuiyue. You and she exchange glances all day long. Doesn’t the Young Prince Qin worry that you will act on your emotions?”

Seeing Xunzhen turn his attention to him, Wu Shuang chuckled and said self-deprecatingly, "I'm different from you. I'm not that important to the young Prince of Qin, and I have little impact on the situation in the Central Plains."

"This is simple! Since the young Prince of Qin has reservations about me, why not let you take his place?" Xun Zhen sneered. "This way, I can avoid making mistakes and you can be entrusted with important responsibilities. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

"Do you think the Young Prince of Qin hasn't considered recalling you to the Western Regions?" Wu Shuang knew Xun Zhen was just being sarcastic, so he didn't care about her sarcasm. He waved for Abaolu to leave, then leisurely sat down at the table, poured himself a cup of tea, and said unhurriedly, "But if you are transferred away from the Central Plains, who can fill your position now? And who can do it better than you?"

“Isn’t my elder brother the perfect candidate?” Xun Zhen praised insincerely. “In terms of background, seniority, martial arts skills, and talent… he surpasses me in every way. Most importantly, the young Prince of Qin will not suspect you of acting on emotion.”

Xunzhen's last angry remark clearly showed that his anger had not subsided and he was still indignant about being suspected.

"I can't do it! There's one thing I'll never be able to do better than you."

"Which one?"

"His place in Liu Xunyi's heart".

Wu Shuang's insightful remarks startled Xun Zhen, who was already on the verge of a confrontation, causing her to swallow back the rebuttal that had been on the tip of her tongue.

“Liu Xunyi is the most important piece in the Young King Qin’s game in the Central Plains. Losing control of Liu Xunyi would be tantamount to losing the initiative to win,” Wu Shuang explained. “As the saying goes, ‘One wrong move can ruin the whole game.’ And you… are that one piece that determines right or wrong. No one else could gain Liu Xunyi’s trust and leniency, let alone obediently cooperate with the Young King Qin’s next plan. It is because of your years of favors and help that you have become so close to him, to the point that even though he knows you…” He has ulterior motives, yet he can't bear to distance himself from you. This tangled web of emotions, both close and distant, yet inseparable, surpasses even the memory of saving his life. No one understands Liu Xunyi's temperament as well as you, and no one can fathom his heart as clearly as you. Therefore, whether for Liu Xunyi, for the Young King of Qin, or for the rise of the Western Martial Sect in the Central Plains, your position is irreplaceable. The Young King of Qin is fully aware of this, for he had already prepared a contingency plan to play the emotional card the moment he sent you to approach Liu Xunyi.

"Hmph!" Xun Zhen laughed angrily, her tone full of contempt and mockery. "Don't you think what you're saying is contradictory? Since you've prepared a backup plan to play the emotional card, why question my emotional decision?"

“Girl, do you really not understand Young Prince Qin’s intentions?” Wu Shuang raised an eyebrow and probed, “He only hopes that Liu Xunyi will act on his feelings for you, but he doesn’t want you to invest any real feelings in him. You should use Liu Xunyi’s feelings to make yourself move freely and skillfully, rather than being burdened by Liu Xunyi’s feelings, so as not to be confused and lose your sense of priorities.”

"These are just your guesses!" Xunzhen said unhappily. "Without any real evidence, you've arranged such a clumsy farce to try and put me in my place. Have you even considered my feelings?"

“If the charges are proven true, given the temperament of the young Prince of Qin, do you think he would still give you such a subtle warning?” Wu Shuang asked instead of answering. “You should take this matter as the young Prince of Qin giving you a reminder; it is ultimately a well-intentioned gesture.”

"So, instead of being angry, I should thank you?"

"No need for that..." Seeing Xunzhen's unfriendly look, Wu Shuang quickly waved her hand to refuse, "After all, we are family, and we would never do anything to harm you."

"If one day suspicions are ever raised against you, I hope my brother will remember what I said today."

Faced with Xunzhen's sarcasm, Wu Shuang dared not refute anymore. Instead, she seized the opportunity to change the subject, putting on a humble and eager-to-learn appearance: "Sister, now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, what do you think about Shen Dongshan's matter... how should we persuade Liu Xunyi?"

"You're forcing me into this! Young Prince Qin was worried that I wouldn't want to make things difficult for Liu Xunyi, so he deliberately sabotaged Shen Dongshan's friendship with her. That's why he only told me the truth after everything was already done," Xunzhen said indignantly. "Little do you know, I can still disrupt your plans now, and even keep Shen Dongshan in Danfeng Garden forever!" "Sister, there's no need to speak out of anger. Since it's Young Prince Qin's order, you certainly won't stand idly by, much less interfere."

"Tell me the truth, what exactly is going on with Shen Dongshan?" Xunzhen's thoughts were exposed by Wu Shuang, and the resentment between her brows intensified. Although she was indignant, she was helpless. Despite her grievances and anger, she still knew the priorities in the face of royal orders and the overall situation. Therefore, she asked reluctantly, "Have he and the Young Prince of Qin... reached an agreement?"

“Yes.” Wu Shuang said frankly, “So it’s not that I want to protect him, but that the young Prince Qin cannot allow him to suffer any loss.”

"This Shen Dongshan is really shrewd, adept at navigating social situations and charming everyone. I'm starting to admire him a bit now," Xunzhen teased. "Just now in the council hall, Shen Dongshan mentioned his past collaboration with Luo Tianjin. Could it be... related to this?"

“I told you, no one can compare to you when it comes to intelligence.” Wu Shuang grinned and gave Xun Zhen a thumbs up. “To tell you the truth, the young king of Qin has agreed to open the Silk Road to Shen Dongshan and help him open up the trade routes in the Western Regions. In exchange, Shen Dongshan will offer 70% of the profits that Dongshan Trading Company earns on the Silk Road over a period of ten years to help the young king of Qin restore his kingdom.”

"Hiss!" Xunzhen exclaimed in surprise, "When?"

"While we were talking, the caravan of the Dongshan Trading Company was already outside Yumen Pass."

“This…” Xunzhen frowned, worriedly saying, “Shen Dongshan is a two-faced person, especially adept at betraying his own people. In the past, with Luo Tianjin vouching for him, I was still somewhat wary of him. But now he has gone directly to the Young Prince of Qin. I am really worried…”

“Don’t worry, the young Prince of Qin is only cooperating with him for profit,” Wu Shuang reassured him. “Right now, as long as Shen Dongshan pays his tribute on time, the young Prince of Qin ignores everything else. Shen Dongshan is wary of the young Prince of Qin’s reputation, so he has been behaving himself and has not made any excessive demands.”

"Then he'll help Liu Xunyi..."

"Actually, after the anti-traitor rally, the person I went to see on the orders of the Young Prince of Qin was Shen Dongshan. I told you at the time that Liu Xunyi should be the one to see him, but the situation was complicated, and Liu Xunyi was seriously injured. I was worried about causing complications, so I decided to see him first," Wu Shuang said calmly. "The Young Prince of Qin's intention was for you and me to mediate and act as a bridge between Shen Dongshan and Liu Xunyi, which could be considered a favor to Shen Dongshan. As Shen Dongshan himself said, since Luo Tianjin's death..." He had always wanted to find a new patron north of the Qinhuai River to protect the Dongshan Trading Company's business. However, the turmoil in the martial arts world over the past two years, the apparent discord between Qingfeng, Ling Xiaoxiao, Xie Xuan, and others, and the entanglement between Qin Ku of the Hexi Qin Clan and Liu Xunyi, made the shrewd Shen Dongshan worry about choosing the wrong side. Therefore, he had been observing from the shadows, hesitating to make a decision. It wasn't until after the anti-traitor conference, when Liu Xunyi's true identity was revealed and he rose to power, that the situation in the Central Plains martial arts world became clear, and he couldn't wait to jump out and offer his assistance.

"Shen Dongshan has a variety of methods, and it is not difficult for him to curry favor with others. But he asked the Prince of Qin to help him make connections, probably because he was worried about Tang Afu, who was by Liu Xunyi's side."

“That’s right!” Wu Shuang nodded. “Shen Dongshan knew that befriending Liu Xunyi would inevitably involve Tang Afu, so he threw this hot potato to us, intending to test the abilities of the Young Prince of Qin, or rather, to test the Young Prince of Qin’s control and influence over the Central Plains martial arts world.”

"Can't the young King of Qin see this?"

"The young Prince of Qin certainly understood Shen Dongshan's thoughts, but he also had his own plans in mind when he readily agreed."

"What's the plan?"

"You!" Wu Shuang pointed at Xun Zhen, who seemed to understand but not quite, and said with a wry smile, "To help Shen Dongshan befriend Liu Xunyi, it's necessary to sow discord between Liu Xunyi and Tang Afu. Given Liu Xunyi's personality, no matter the outcome, anyone who gets involved will disagree with him, even cause a rift, and will be seen as a thorn in Tang Afu's side. And this... is precisely the method that Young Prince Qin reminded you not to act on emotion."

"What kind of method is it to make Liu Xunyi suspicious of me and Tang Afu resent me?" Although Xunzhen appeared nonchalant on the surface, a trace of sorrow welled up inside her.

"Suspicion and resentment can at least keep you vigilant and prevent you from being deceived by Liu Xunyi's sweet words."

"You've overestimated Liu Xunyi. He never uses sweet talk," Xunzhen said dismissively. "And you've underestimated me even more."

"Hey!" Seeing that Xunzhen was about to bring up old grievances, Wu Shuang hurriedly interrupted, "In any case, since the young Prince of Qin agreed to Shen Dongshan's request, I had no choice but to bite the bullet and help him make the introduction. In the past month, there has been constant trouble in Danfeng Garden, and I haven't been able to find a suitable opportunity. Shen Dongshan seems to have noticed my predicament, so he hasn't urged me."

Xunzhen, with her keen eye, had already figured out the whole story: "So, Jin Fuyu's framing gave you an opportunity to take advantage of the situation?"

“Exactly! Exactly!” Wu Shuang said, “Just when I was at my wit’s end, Jin Fuyu sent Sui Zuo’s body to Luoyang City, creating a huge dilemma for Liu Xunyi. I knew that Shen Dongshan had extensive connections in Mongolia, so I discussed with him how to handle the matter properly, and it would be best to make Liu Xunyi owe him a favor. Shen Dongshan knew the pros and cons, so he no longer stood by and watched, and took the initiative to offer to solve the problem, and then I would take the opportunity to introduce him to someone… and try to break through Tang Afu’s obstacle.”

"Oh? So how does brother plan to overcome Tang Afu's obstacle?"

"I don't know!" Wu Shuang spread his hands, giving Xun Zhen a shameless smile. "However, although I'm at a loss, you, sister, are exceptionally intelligent. You're adept at understanding people's hearts and deeply understand the art of strategy. You'll surely come up with a way to achieve the best of both worlds. Besides, this is also an excellent opportunity for you to prove yourself to the young Prince Qin and dispel his suspicions!"

……