Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Chapter 85 Interrogation (Seeking first subscriptions and monthly votes)

Shen Yixi paused, watching Feng Ji's body tense up instantly, and continued, "I'm not here to threaten you today, but to make a deal with you."

"After all this talk, isn't this a threat? You want to make a deal with me?"

Feng Ji snorted coldly, his voice turning even colder: "Since Miss Shen dislikes her parents' wishes, why don't I kill him for you? That way, your elders won't have any designs on him!"

"Since you've figured out my background, why don't you join the Taiping Chamber of Commerce and become a loving couple with me?"

Shen Yixi shook her head: "A woman is not obligated to marry, and besides, I don't have anyone I admire at the moment. In addition, I believe that Taiping merchants are colluding with rebel armies in various places to smuggle medicinal herbs and pass on messages. If this is discovered, it will be a serious crime that will result in the execution of the entire family. I don't want to implicate my family."

Feng Ji frowned and remained silent.

Seeing that he remained silent, Shen Yixi changed the subject and revealed her purpose: "I've come to see you today for two reasons. First, to persuade you not to harm my family's retainers again; otherwise, I can't guarantee I won't report the Taiping Chamber of Commerce's collusion with the rebels to the authorities. Second, I hope you will sell me the 'White Jade Snow Lotus'."

"Um?

""

A burning jealousy rose in Feng Ji's heart. He had long heard that the Shen family had given them a marriage certificate, and now Shen Yixi was considering Ye Ci's needs in every way.

"Didn't you say you didn't want to get married?"

"This has nothing to do with marriage. Let's talk business. You just need to name your price."

Shen Yixi raised her eyes: "I said before that I would not obey my parents' orders, but the Shen family has no intention of going against any force."

Obtaining the medicinal herbs is a personal matter; it's to be frank with Ye Ci and hope he will annul the marriage contract.

"I can promise you that after I obtain the White Jade Snow Lotus," I will exchange the marriage certificate with him. But you must also promise me that you will let Ye Ci go, and that you will never again harbor any intention to harm him because of me.

The wind rose again, and the medicine banners fluttered in the wind.

Feng Ji looked at Shen Yixi's cool and aloof expression.

Those eyes had long, thick eyelashes that seemed to cast dappled shadows when the eyes were lowered, and shone like cold stars when the eyes were raised; they were truly beautiful and captivating.

Even with an indifferent expression, her stunning beauty was still breathtaking.

Feng Ji was struggling internally.

He genuinely loved Shen Yixi, but he was also aware of her personality.

Firstly, he is a man of his word; secondly, he is strong-willed. Forcing him would only make her dislike him more.

After a long silence, he slowly let out a sigh of relief, tinged with resentment and helplessness: "I promise you. I will give you the White Jade Snow Lotus, but please give me a chance, Miss—"

"I will not get married."

Shen Yixi interrupted him, her tone resolute: "If I take the snow lotus, I will never break my promise to you, nor will I reveal any secrets of the Taiping Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, my second uncle runs a medicinal herb business in Jiangling, and the Shen family has businesses beyond Songjiang County. We may very well cooperate with the Taiping Chamber of Commerce in the future."

Seeing that she was only talking about business and was very distant, Feng Ji remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, please wait a moment, I will give this white jade snow lotus to the young lady."

"No need, I know the market price. My family bought one before, and we'll have someone send you the money later."

"Miss----"

That's all I wanted to say.

Shen Yixi remained silent, standing on the steps, watching his departing figure.

Her plain dress fluttered gently in the wind, and her black hair moved slightly with the breeze, making her exquisite face appear even more serene and aloof.

She thought to herself, "Surely I can get the marriage certificate back."

******

Inside the alley.

"Guangzhilin, Feng Ji".

Ye Ci recited it once, and then led Huang Guoshu away from the alley. They were met by Li Hu from the county garrison camp with three soldiers.

All four were riding horses. Li Hu reined in his horse, cupped his hands, and said, "Brother Ye!"

Since his match with Ye Ci on the stage that day, he had a deep impression of Ye Ci, so they were quite warm to each other when they met.

Ye Ci returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Someone attacked me, it's related to Guangzhilin, and the Commandant is still interrogating him inside. Your arrival is timely; he'll definitely inform you to take more men to search Guangzhilin, to prevent the thieves from escaping. I'll go check Guangzhilin first—"

Li Hu laughed heartily: "Who in Songjiang County is so blind as to dare lay a hand on you? Have you taught them a lesson they won't forget?"

"Brother, why don't you ride a horse?"

Li Hu immediately ordered a soldier to dismount and give the horse to Ye Ci.

"Thank you, Lord Li."

"Don't call me 'sir,' call me 'brother.'"

Seeing that there was a horse, Ye Ci naturally did not refuse. After thanking him, he mounted the horse, while Huang Guoshu scurried up behind him.

The two men turned their horses and rode off, guided by Huangguoshu.

Feng Ji!

Ye Ci didn't know this person at all.

In just a few words, it was learned that Feng Ji had been seeing Shen Yixi frequently, and therefore had developed feelings for the young lady.

Hearing that Miss Shen didn't want to get married, he decided to play the good guy.

Do men like this really exist?!

Kill me, what then—how could he possibly marry Shen Yixi?!

Ye Ci found it somewhat incomprehensible.

After running for fifteen minutes, I arrived at Lishui Street.

This street is not a bustling one; it is mostly lined with general stores, gambling dens, and tea stalls.

The streets were lined with ordinary people dressed in coarse cloth, while Ye Ci and Huang Guoshu were dressed in fine clothes, looking quite wealthy.

When they saw Ye Ci riding a tall horse, they quickly moved away, not daring to disturb such a distinguished person.

Huang Guoshu brandished a knife: "Brother, I want to see what kind of villain dares to oppose you. This Martial Saint will surely take his head!"

Ye Ci couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Are you saying that Feng Ji wants to kill me just because he's in love with me?"

"It might be a conspiracy!"

Huang Guoshu shouted, "Didn't your little maid say that that Shen family wench often goes to the pharmacy? Maybe she's the mastermind. After you capture Feng Ji, I'll interrogate him for you and see if he's related to that Shen family wench. If he is, you won't have to lift a finger; I'll kill her for you. If old man Shen wants to blame someone, he can only blame me."

Accompanied by the clatter of horses' hooves.

Ye Ci saw the lintel of "Guangzhilin" but immediately pulled on the reins and remained still.

He saw a young man dressed in a scholar's robe, holding a wooden box in his hands, and standing opposite him was a young woman with a beautiful figure.

she?!

The young man eagerly handed over the box, and then took the opportunity to pull Shen Yixi's hand.

Hearing the sound of horses' hooves, Shen Yixi turned her head and met Ye Ci's gaze.

Both of them were clearly stunned.

"Thank you, Scholar Feng."

Shen Yixi's eyes flickered for a moment, then she calmly turned her head away, as if she hadn't seen Ye Ci, and took the wooden box with both hands.

Feng Ji's eyes twitched slightly, but he quickly pretended to be nonchalant.

"Miss Shen, don't forget our agreement."

He meant returning the marriage certificate, because feelings can be cultivated over time, but once the wedding date is set, it's not easy to back out.

Ye Ci squinted at the two of them.

"Take off!"

Upon hearing the two talking, Huang Guoshu could no longer contain himself. He leaped off his horse and shot towards Feng Ji like an arrow.

"Hey! Your grandfather, Huang Sheng, is here! Surrender now!"

The next instant, Huang Guoshu's knife was already at Feng Ji's neck, and his other hand slapped Feng Ji's cheek, making a loud slapping sound: "So it was you who tried to assassinate my older brother?"

"I don't understand what you're saying."

Feng Ji forced himself to remain calm and straightened his clothes: "Are you warriors always so rude?"

"Bang!"

Seeing that he was still pretending, Huang Guoshu kicked him in the stomach, and the latter cried out "Ah!" and fell to the ground like a shrimp.

Huang Guoshu pulled a finger-thick wooden stick from his waist and ordered, "Lie down."

He was very pleased with himself.

He had prepared the instruments of torture in advance when he watched the Commandant Cheng conduct interrogations.

"what?"

Feng Ji was bewildered.

Huangguoshu looked up at the sky, waving his wooden stick: "Obedience is your only way out. Turn around and lie down!"

He emphasized the last two words.

Shen Yixi glanced at Huang Guoshu, tightened her grip on the box, and turned to leave, but then heard Huang Guoshu's voice suddenly turn cold.

"You little wench, you better not leave, or I'll chop you up with a knife."

"you----"

Shen Yixi recognized Huang Guoshu and had seen him enter and leave the Shen family home, but she never expected this teenager to say such things.

She did not want to stay here.

Firstly, she couldn't reveal her conversation with Feng Ji. Simply put, she didn't want to offend any powerful factions, and she didn't want the Shen family to get entangled in any troublesome matters.

Secondly, when she saw Ye Ci's gaze, she felt inexplicably afraid, or rather, she felt embarrassed to stare at Ye Ci's face.

Logically speaking, she should never have felt this way.

But at this moment, she had no choice but to look up at Ye Ci and call out in a clear voice, "Lord Ye."

Ye Ci looked at her calmly without saying a word.

To be honest, he was quite surprised. Today, Feng Ji was going to make a move against him, but this woman was actually hanging out with Feng Ji at this time. No matter the reason, it was unbelievable.

Facts speak louder than any explanation.

I had long heard that Shen Yixi disliked martial artists, and I had also met her at Wenyuan Hall before. Wenyuan Hall was full of scholars and literati, and since she liked reading, she must also like scholars.

"So, you don't like warriors, so you want to kill me?"

Ye Ci dismounted, his tone calm and casual.

To test the waters.

Since we've already run into them, we might as well just put the hat on them and see how they react.

And there is no better scenario than this.

Ultimately, the marriage certificate from the Shen family has already been submitted, and according to traditional female virtues, it is not appropriate for you, Shen Yixi, to be alone with other men outside.

Do you really think I'm made of clay?

Today, I didn't even bring a single attendant.

Dare to say you have no problems?!

Upon hearing these words, Shen Yixi looked up at Ye Ci's questioning gaze, her voice still clear and crisp.

"Master Ye has misunderstood."

"I still have your marriage certificate with me."

"I----"

Upon uttering these words, Miss Shen, who was usually dignified, composed, and knew how to conduct herself with propriety, appeared somewhat flustered.

"Master Ye, do you really think that even if I dislike you, I would harm you?"

She looked up, and even though Ye Ci's gaze was like a knife, she stubbornly met his eyes: "I hate the rudeness and recklessness of warriors, but I wouldn't go so far as to harm you. As for the marriage certificate, could we talk about it later—"

Shen Yixi was always proud and never explained herself easily, but now, faced with Ye Ci's misunderstanding, she couldn't help but want to argue and tell him that she had never had the slightest intention to harm him.

Feng Ji slumped to the ground, watching Shen Yixi's attempt to explain herself. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He smirked coldly and deliberately spoke, "Yixi, what's the point of your explanations now? Are we supposed to reveal our entire agreement in front of Elder Ye?"

Seeing Ye Ci come knocking on his door like this, he knew his plan had been exposed, so he decided to drag others down with him.

If you can't have it yourself, you have to disgust Ye Ci.

These words were like adding fuel to the fire. Shen Yixi stiffened, turned to glare at Feng Ji, and said in a trembling voice, "Feng Ji, how could you slander me like this?"

After saying that, she turned to look at Ye Ci, but did not explain, her eyes still stubborn.

Unfortunately, the two had no connection.

However, this appearance has lost its usual dignified and aloof demeanor, and instead shows a hint of girlish grievance, which makes one's heart clench.

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came again.

Soon, they saw Li Hu leading a group of men, carrying knives, charging over.

Huang Guoshu hurriedly waved: "Here I am! Feng Ji is here!"

Upon seeing Feng Ji, Li Hu put a knife to his neck without saying a word.

"take away!"

"The rest of you, immediately go and search the premises!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of soldiers rushed in, followed by shouts and sounds of smashing and breaking, and then the clash of weapons.

At this moment, Commandant Chen Chuan also arrived late. Looking at Feng Ji, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth: "Unexpectedly—there are actually rebels trying to attack the county town?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Ji's face turned deathly pale.

At this moment, he suddenly realized something: Hu Yu's attack on Ye Ci not only failed but he was also captured alive and confessed to the Commandant.

Treason is a dead end!

"Li Hu, take him back to the Commandant's mansion and prepare him slowly."

"Yes, sir!"

Li Hu immediately ordered Feng Ji to be taken away.

Shen Yixi and Ye Ci faced each other, their eyes locked in a standoff.

Seeing this, Huang Guoshu frowned and said to Li Hu, "This little vixen is also Feng Ji's accomplice. Feng Ji just said that he had some kind of agreement with her."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu raised his hand and ordered his soldiers, "Take her away too."

Commandant Chen Chuan recognized Shen Yixi. He narrowed his eyes slightly. He had obtained a lot of information from Hu Yu, all of which were astonishing, but he had not questioned Shen Yixi in detail.

Is there any connection at all?!

We still need to do some discernment.

Seeing that Li Hu had ordered her to be taken away, she did not object.

At this moment, Ye Ci looked at Chen Chuan and said, "My lord, do not torture her."

The latter chuckled dryly and said to Li Hu, "Li Hu, treat Miss Shen with more respect. She is engaged to Ye Ci. Please take her to the quiet room so she can reflect on her actions."

"what?"

Li Hu was about to make a sarcastic remark, "The rebel has grown up to be quite beautiful," but upon hearing that it was Brother Ye's woman, he quickly turned around and bowed to Ye Ci, saying, "Brother Ye, don't worry. We won't make things difficult for our own relatives. Even if there are some minor mistakes, we can be lenient."

Ye Ci cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Brother Li."

"Those who are pure will themselves be cleansed."

After Shen Yixi finished speaking, she pursed her lips and deliberately avoided looking at Ye Ci.

She hugged the wooden box, said nothing, and walked ahead of the soldiers, voluntarily being taken away.

As a result, halfway there, she turned back and gave Ye Ci a deep look.

Looking at that graceful figure from behind, Ye Ci shrugged.

Dun is not Dun; Feng Ji and Hu Yu have both been arrested, and Chen Chuan and his team will know this in the first interrogation.

If it's truly unrelated, I can simply go pick it up myself.

"Let's go back."

Ye Ci called out to Huang Guoshu, who was fiddling with a small wooden stick nearby. The latter was still sighing, "You're here so fast! I haven't even interrogated you yet!"

"Let's go!"

Ye Ci patted his head.

The two left Lishui Street.

At this moment, even with Ye Ci's keen observation skills, she didn't notice that there was a gaze watching the two of them from behind.

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