Exclusively for the Marchioness – CH 036

Chapter 36

“Come here.”

The forest was silent, the fallen leaves devoid of sound.

Du Lingjing was stunned for a moment.

But before she could react, a murderous intent suddenly filled the silent forest.

Shao Wuxing whistled, and the Shao family men who had been surrounding the Flicking Faction members suddenly changed their expressions. Even before their blades had drawn blood, it seemed as if blood was already gushing from the forest. Their feet moved swiftly.

Just then, Du Lingjing felt herself being pulled backward rapidly. In a flash, Chong-An, leading the Marquis’s guards, leaped through the crowd and pulled her out of the encirclement.

When Du Lingjing reacted, she was already protected outside by the Marquis’s guards. Inside, some of the Shao family men still held their swords pointed at the Flicking Faction members, while the majority pointed their long swords at the Marquis of Yongding’s guards outside.

These men’s eyes were ruthless and cold; a mere glance at them sent a chill down one’s spine.

Shao Boju glanced at her, and seeing that she had already been escorted away, he murmured, “What a pity.”

She understood why the Marquis had summoned her. She looked at him, and his gaze briefly lingered on her.

But in this sudden turn of events, he only spoke to Shao Boju.

“Assassins… I never imagined that a mere scholar like Shao Tanhua would secretly raise assassins like princes and nobles.”

These assassins were not ordinary guards or servants, nor even ordinary soldiers; they were a group of people who had long since abandoned life and death, living and dying only for the Shao brothers.

Du Lingjing looked over. Although she had been instantly pulled out by Chong-An, the Flicking Faction members were surrounded by assassins. It seemed the Shao family was attacked from both sides, but under the assassins’ blades, the Flicking Faction members were virtually powerless to resist.

The Lu family’s guards could certainly fight the Shao family’s elite soldiers, but the casualties would be incalculable.

At this moment, Du Lingjing saw Hu Tinglan, then turned to look at Shao Boju. After a long while, she slowly shook her head and sighed.

Shao Boju paused slightly but only responded to the suddenly appearing Marquis Lu.

“Marquis Lu has gone to such lengths to come here; is it to secure these members of the Flicking Faction and exchange them with my uncle?” He laughed as he spoke, “If I did not have elite soldiers, I would not even have a chance to fight you, Lu Shenru. I could only watch you reap the benefits, eliminate me, take these people, and exchange them for the safety of the Earl of Rongchang’s Mansion.” He said, “With people like you, how could I gain a foothold in the court without resorting to extraordinary means?”

In the forest, swords clashed, the tense atmosphere like a fully drawn bow, but no one spoke.

Du Lingjing watched; only the Marquis chuckled.

“But Young Master Shao, the third-ranking scholar, is so eager to establish himself; in the end, I am afraid he will not even be able to stand.”

His attitude made Shao Boju’s eyes turn colder, and he slowly shook his head.

“How can I compare to you, Marquis Lu? You were born the legitimate son and grandson of the Marquis of Yongding; the entire mansion is yours, and the entire Yongding Army will be in your hands sooner or later. But what do I have?”

He continued. “We are clearly both members of the Shao family, the maternal relatives of Prince Yong. My uncle, Shao Zun, who is in charge of the family, hates us, the third and fourth branches of the family, like thorns in his side. He sees that I have become the third-ranking scholar, that I am trusted by my cousin, Prince Yong, and that I am favored by Grand Secretary Dou. His disgust is almost undisguised. If I do not do everything I can to make a living, establish myself, and build my own people, how long can he tolerate me? The Emperor only favors new officials.”

He knew his scholarship was inferior to Hu Tinglan’s, but because his aunt was the mother of Prince Yong and a concubine of the Emperor, he could be ranked third in the imperial examinations.

However, in a few months, the next imperial examination would be held, and again, someone would be ranked first, second, or third; perhaps another young man would be as favored by the Emperor as he was. If he were to fall slightly out of favor, then his uncle, Shao Zun, would do everything in his power to bring him down.

But the Shao family’s connections were all in Shao Zun’s hands; he had very little power to exert. Fortunately, he could rely on Prince Yong and Grand Secretary Dou to secure some influence for himself.

If he were an ordinary third-ranked scholar, his qualifications would be too shallow, and he would only be able to work day and night in the Hanlin Academy. He would compile books, and with these, he could manage to thrive in court.

But this was far from enough. Once outsiders discovered he was far inferior to Shao Zun and incapable of accomplishing anything, why would they stand by his side as loyal followers?

He was desperate. He needed to establish himself, so he could only leverage the influence of his cousin, Prince Yong, while secretly expanding his own power base. This led him to the impersonation of officials, using shared interests to build his network and connections.

He had been very cautious, immediately withdrawing at the slightest hint of trouble, but he was still discovered…

They refused to speak to him politely; they only wanted him dead.

He looked at these Flicking Faction members, his gaze finally sweeping over Hu Tinglan.

“How laughable. Tinglan, you do not believe me, but you are willing to believe Lu Shenru. And now? What difference is there between him handing you over to Shao Zun and sending you to your deaths?”

As he said this, seeing Hu Tinglan remain silent with a somber expression, Shao Boju suddenly thought of someone else. He stepped past the crowd and asked Du Lingjing.

“Jing-niang, I told you long ago not to trust your new husband so easily. Why did you not listen to my advice? Do you think this powerful Marquis Lu is the same Jiang Jieyuan who grew up with you? You are underestimating him too much.”

Shao Boju laughed, his laughter growing increasingly chilling.

The mountain sunlight was obscured by layers of dense clouds, with only the howling mountain wind carrying the lingering chill of winter.

Du Lingjing felt someone’s gaze fixed on her face. Looking up from the corner of her eye, she saw it was the Marquis. She remained silent, just like Hu Tinglan. The man saw her silently clench her fists, but she said nothing and did not look at him again.

Du Lingjing’s gaze flickered in the mountain wind. The man looked at her silently for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.

“Our marital affairs are none of your concern, Scholar Shao. You should consider your own situation.” He said that the Shao family had brought assassins; these people, risking their lives, might actually accomplish something.

“But Scholar Shao, if you want to break out of this predicament and escape unscathed, firstly, you must silence these people, and secondly, you must be able to escape yourself,” he chuckled softly. “Unfortunately, even the worst servants in the Marquis’s Mansion can withstand a few blows from your elite guards, so you can only do one of these two things. Which one do you want to do?”

His manpower was limited. If he were to kill the Flicking Faction members, the Marquis’s guards outside would surely storm in. For murder, Marquis Lu would have them all executed as well, and the court would not blame him. If he did not kill the Flicking Faction members, and his elite guards protected him in a desperate fight to escape, he could only escape temporarily, not permanently. His plan to establish a foothold would ultimately lead to utter defeat.

Shao Boju also knew his chances of winning against Lu Shenru were slim, especially since he had taken the initiative to have his wife dragged out, making the Marquis’s guards even less restrained.

But he said, “Marquis Lu, rest assured, if I cannot escape unscathed today, do not even think about using these Flicking Faction members to exchange for the safety of the Earl of Rongchang’s Mansion.”

He was blackmailing him, wanting both sides, but in a fight to the death, Lu Shenru would not come out unscathed either.

He said he’d go, and Lu Shenru nodded in agreement.

The mountain wind billowed the hem of the man’s dark brocade robe. He said, “I, Lu, do not want to see blood. How about I make a deal with the third-ranked scholar?”

He said, “Your uncle, Shao Zun, wants to exchange the entire Flicking Faction with him. Give me all the Flicking Faction members. But is that Miss Huang not the most crucial witness? Your uncle might not know her. You can keep her; whether you kill her or take her away is up to you.”

Upon hearing this, some members of the Flicking Faction gasped, and Miss Huang’s face paled. She knew of their secret affair, and Shao Wuxing hated her intensely. Even if he did not kill her outright, he would surely torture her to death. And the rest of the Flicking Faction would not survive in Shao Zun’s hands either.

Someone remarked, “A fine scheme.”

The dim sunlight could not penetrate the man’s dark brocade robe; instead, it was absorbed entirely.

Du Lingjing saw a smile still playing on his lips, as if he had not made any decisions regarding their lives.

This time, he did not even glance at her. Shao Boju paused, then suddenly spoke.

“You take the Flicking Faction members to exchange with Shao Zun. This will ensure the safety of the Earl of Rongchang’s Mansion. I will also take Miss Huang, preventing Shao Zun from completely suppressing her… It’s a fine scheme, but she alone is not enough.”

He pointed to the Hu siblings. “I still want both of them.” The Hu siblings were among the earliest involved and knew the most. “Having them in my hands makes things safer.”

But the man just chuckled and shook his head. “Hu Tinglan was specifically chosen by your uncle. I cannot give him to you.” He called to Shao Boju, “Shao Tanhua, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. You would not be reluctant to part with them, your old friendship, and want to protect them by your side, would you?”

Before he finished speaking, Shao Wuxing, standing beside him, frowned deeply. His hooked nose made his face even more sinister than a hawk’s. He glared hatefully at the Hu siblings, especially Hu Tinglan.

Just then, Shao Boju suddenly agreed to Lu Shenru’s request.

“Fine, you can have them all. But you must keep your word and let us leave.”

Lu Shenru nodded, of course.

He spoke to Chong-Ping, while Shao Boju whispered a few words to Shao Wuxing beside him.

The transaction began shortly.

The members of the Flicking Faction were pulled up and thrown into the hands of the Marquis’s guards by Shao’s henchmen.

Within a few breaths, most of them had been thrown out.

Du Lingjing saw Master Liao stagger, his already injured leg giving way, and he fell to the ground with a thud, his face contorted in pain.

She instinctively reached out to help him, but was stopped by the Marquis’s guards.

She looked at the Marquis, whose expression was unusually cold. He coldly ordered, “Tie these people up and take them aside.” He paused, his gaze sweeping over her face before pressing down on her. “No one is allowed to touch them, especially the Madam.”

With that, he turned away.

He forbade it. Du Lingjing, guarded closely by the guards, could not move. She pursed her lips in silence, only glancing at the Flicking Faction members who were being released one by one, then stealthily looking at the man standing alone on the hillside with his hands behind his back, a thoughtful look in her eyes.

She did not speak again. Soon, Shao Boju had released most of the people, leaving only Miss Huang and the Hu siblings.

However, at that moment, the atmosphere in the forest suddenly became tense.

Shao Wuxing, along with his attendants, suddenly placed knives against the necks of Hu Tinglan and Miss Huang.

Whether the witness, Miss Huang, lived or died was not so important to Lu Shenru, as he had just said. But Shao Zun had specifically asked for the Hu siblings, knowing that they knew the most, were the most important to Shao Boju, and had the simplest capability to control and suppress him.

Shao Wuxing’s knife was pressed against Hu Tinglan’s neck. He spoke first, his voice sharp and fierce, “Let us out, or you will lose everything. Use Hu Tinglan to exchange for us!”

Shao Boju also spoke; his voice, though tense before, now softened with a hint of confidence.

“Right now, I only have three of the most important people left. If I kill them now, it will be too late for Marquis Lu to save them. My assassins are not to be trifled with. But I just want to leave. If Marquis Lu releases us directly, avoiding a fight will not be a bad thing for your Marquis of Yongding’s mansion.”

They had agreed on an exchange, expecting Lu Shenru to keep his word, but he had gone back on his word.

Du Lingjing frowned, and Lu Shenru also snorted.

But he was not resentful of Shao’s reneging; he only asked softly. “Are the Hu siblings that important to you? If you had not considered past ties, I think your fifth brother and these assassins would have already dealt with them, would they not?”

They would not have waited until things escalated to this point.

He said this to Shao Boju, but Du Lingjing saw Shao Wuxing’s expression change.

The grip of Shao Wuxing’s hand with a knife tightened slightly, and thin beads of blood seeped from Hu Tinglan’s neck.

Shao Wuxing thought back to how he had initially tried to capture them twice, all because his brother could not bear to part with the Hu siblings, forbidding him from killing them or even harming them. He could not hold back any longer and shot an arrow at Hu Tinglan, thinking that if Hu Tinglan died, his brother could not bring him back to life. Unfortunately, Hu Tinglan did not die, and things had escalated to this point.

Thinking of this, he suddenly made a decision, abruptly taking a step back while still holding Hu Tinglan hostage. Shao Boju immediately looked over, “Xiao Wu, what are you doing?!”

The atmosphere in the forest shifted.

Shao Wuxing, holding a knife, held onto Hu Tinglan without loosening his grip.

His hooked nose cast a large shadow on his face.

“Brother, hesitation will only lead to trouble. Taking these siblings is a burden; killing them is cleaner and more efficient!”

He would kill the person who knew the most and also eliminate Shao Boju’s weakness.

Shao Wuxing was already impatient to kill; he would kill Hu Tinglan first.

Hu Tinglan closed his eyes; he had no intention of letting Shao Boju spare his life.

But Shao Boju’s expression showed a clear hint of panic. “We will talk about that later. Let’s get out of here first…”

“Brother, you are wrong! Only after we deal with these two can we get out safely!” Shao Wuxing could no longer contain himself. Seeing his brother still hesitating, he said bitterly, “Do you want to leave Shao Zun with leverage so he can use it against us brothers? Have you forgotten how he tormented us? I just wanted to be recognized as a member of the clan, and he made my father and me kneel in the snow for a day and a night, enduring the scorn of the clan. And you yourself, does that kick to the chest not still hurt?”

Shao Wuxing was the son of his fourth uncle and his kept woman. After his uncle lost two sons, he wanted Shao Wuxing to be recognized as a member of the clan.

Five years passed without resolution, forcing Shao Wuxing to grow up outside the family, constantly called a bastard. When he was in his teens, his fourth uncle, unable to wait any longer, took his fifth brother to plead with their eldest uncle, Shao Zun. Shao Zun agreed, but on the condition that the father and son kneel in the ancestral hall for a full day and night.

That day and night, the father and son endured endless scorn. The fourth uncle subsequently fell seriously ill and died after six months. He knew his fifth brother hated their eldest uncle, Shao Zun, and he employed him because he shared that hatred.

It was a mistake made by their grandparents’ generation; their stepmother, in her struggle for favor, had caused the death of their grandfather’s principal wife, Shao Zun’s mother.

But his father and uncle had already spent their lives bowing and scraping. He believed that if he, too, was cautious and timid, his high and mighty eldest uncle would forgive him and allow them a future to fend for themselves.

He studied at the clan school, where the clan’s children were adept at judging students by their status. They would not let him sit inside the classroom, so he could only listen in from the outside—but that did not matter. He was often beaten by these same clan children, his body covered in bruises every day, unable even to afford medicine—but that did not matter either.

He thought that as long as he was obedient and sensible and kept a low profile, his uncle would at least look at him a little better. After all, his uncle was a scholar. In his youth, he had seen his uncle reciting poetry and composing prose from afar; every gesture revealed the depth of his extensive reading. He had been captivated and felt a surge of admiration.

One day, he deliberately waited by the roadside after school, wanting to be bold enough to greet his uncle. He did not expect his uncle to speak to him kindly; even a glance without a word would have been enough for him. The little boy, his heart as pure as a clear lake, mustered his courage and waited by the roadside. He waited for almost half an hour. The sun was blazing that day, and he was drenched in sweat, but unwilling to leave, he hid in the bushes.

After half an hour, as darkness fell and his legs grew numb, he heard footsteps approaching. It was his uncle.

He immediately held his breath, waiting for his uncle to arrive. When the man reached him, he quickly ran out of the bushes. He wanted to step forward, respectfully bow to his uncle, and call out, “Uncle.”

But before he could even utter the word “Uncle,” Shao Zun suddenly raised his foot and kicked the child squarely in the chest. The kick sent him flying backward, crashing to the ground with a thud. The pain spread throughout his body, unbearable.

Shao Boju could not utter a sound. This kick to the chest was far too much for his young age to bear. Blood surged in his chest, then flowed into his mouth. He curled up, convulsing uncontrollably. In the dim light, his uncle finally realized it was a person—it was him.

But his uncle only uttered one sentence: “I thought it was a stray dog.”

With those words spoken, he did not look at him again and left with his page.

That night, he vomited blood for the first time on the ground, unable to make a sound, and no one noticed. It was not until dawn that his father anxiously searched for him but dared not disturb the clan, much less question Shao Zun. He could only carry him to the clinic…

The pain of the kick to the chest, now heightened by Shao Wuxing’s touch, seemed to throb again in his heart. He began to struggle to breathe, but Shao Wuxing’s patience was wearing thin. “Why are we brothers so eager to intervene? Brother, you should not forget! Now, if we kill the Hu siblings, no one can touch us!”

Shao Boju’s gaze fell on Hu Tinglan, the wind rustling the leaves.

Recalling those years at the academy, Shao Zun had increasingly consolidated his power within the Shao clan. The other clansmen bullied the third and fourth branches of the family, and even scraping together the travel expenses to attend the academy was extremely difficult for him. Unexpectedly, even after studying the classics at the academy and learning the ways of a gentleman, he was surrounded by petty people. They fawned on the powerful and bullied the weak; they used their numbers to oppress the few. He was used to it all, yet someone was willing to stand up for him.

That was just a frail scholar. Yet he dared to stand up for him and advise those people, and when they would not listen and threatened to harm him as well, he showed no sign of backing down.

Once, the two of them were finally lured to the back mountain and severely beaten. That night, back in his quarters, he saw Hu Tinglan with his arms wrapped in white bandages, sighing softly to himself.

He guessed Hu Tinglan must be regretting it; he’d stood with him for no reason and been beaten without warning. He could not help but say, “Do not stay with me anymore. Apologize to those people; maybe they will forgive you.”

But Hu Tinglan replied, “A wise man befriends the virtuous and keeps away from the wicked. I, Hu Tinglan, will not associate with the wicked.”

Shao Boju paused for a moment, then asked, “So, in your eyes, I am still considered virtuous?”

During his years of diligent study at the clan school, no one had ever spoken a good word about him. He looked closely at Hu Tinglan, seeing him nod without hesitation, his face serious. Though only a teenager, he looked like an old scholar.

He said, “I see you are indeed a virtuous friend. I am willing to study with you, no longer associating with those others. But if one day you change, losing your virtue under the influence of power, I will abandon you and never speak to you again.”

At that moment, Shao Boju simply smiled, “Do not worry, even if I become an official and gain power in the future, I will not do evil so that you will despise me!”

He was the only person who considered him a virtuous friend; how could he disappoint him?

…

Years had passed; the old days were gone.

A slight dampness welled in Shao Boju’s eyes as he looked at Hu Tinglan, who also opened his eyes at that moment.

“I deserve to die. Before you brothers committed your evil deeds, did I not notice anything amiss?”

No.

He should have sensed something amiss from the moment Shao Boju was ranked third in the imperial examinations, yet instead of diligently studying in the Hanlin Academy, he was cultivating influence and manipulating power.

But Shao Boju always said that his uncle, Shao Zun, could not bear to see him rise to prominence; he needed to establish himself independently and have his own people in court to secure a foothold.

Therefore, not long after his first wife’s death, Shao Boju wanted to marry Du Lingjing. He knew that the power dynamics in court had already been largely divided, but by marrying Jing-niang, he could take over the Flicking Faction that had previously followed Du Lingjing’s father.

The Flicking Faction was ostracized, but in terms of knowledge and ability, they were far superior to many of the incompetent officials in court.

Hu Tinglan remained steadfast on this point, and his sister Tingjun resolutely refused.

Unexpectedly, Shao Boju gradually became more and more unscrupulous. Among those they had previously harmed were former members of the Flicking Faction.

Hu Tinglan said he deserved to die, letting out a sorrowful laugh. “I should have seen through you long ago; you are now a treacherous villain, no longer the virtuous friend you once were.”

“Tinglan…”

But before he could finish speaking, Shao Wuxing had lost all patience.

“This man wants to die, then let him have his way!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the blood-stained knife slashed straight at Hu Tinglan’s neck.

Du Lingjing gasped in shock outside the crowd; even Hu Tingjun, inside, could not escape to save her brother. She screamed.

Just then, Shao Boju suddenly grabbed Shao Wuxing’s knife.

“No!”

In a flash, the blade sliced ​​open Shao Boju’s tiger’s mouth.

“Shao Boju…”

“Brother?!”

Shao Boju bled profusely, Shao Wuxing panicked, and the Shao family’s assassins momentarily showed signs of wavering and disorientation.

In the blink of an eye, Lu Shenru glanced at Chong-Ping.

Chong-Ping suddenly drew his sword, and in an instant, all of Marquis Lu’s guards slashed forward, their blades already at the necks of the Shao family’s assassins before they could react.

The situation reversed instantly.

Shao Wuxing’s face, beneath his hooked nose, twisted completely at the sight. He shouted hatefully, “They all deserve to die!”

He raised his blade first, slashing straight at Hu Tinglan.

The forest seemed to freeze.

But in that stillness, an arrow pierced the air, heading straight for the frenzied Shao Wuxing. Lu Shenru had snatched the bow and arrow from the servant, and in a split second, drawing the bow, he squinted and aimed at Shao Wuxing.

The arrow shot out with a whooshing sound. Before anyone could react, the arrow passed through the gap between Hu Tinglan’s shoulder and ear, then suddenly struck Shao Wuxing in the center of his neck.

The arrow’s force was immense. Shao Wuxing staggered backward; the arrow pierced his throat, pinning him to a tree behind him with a whirring sound.

Shao Wuxing coughed up blood, his eyes wide open—dead.

“Xiao Wu!”

Shao Boju tried to step forward, but Chong-Ping had already broken through the encirclement of assassins, pinning him to the ground.

In a matter of moments, one of the Shao brothers was dead, and the other was captured alive. Even assassins would fight recklessly, but for whom was no longer known.

Chong-Ping took Shao Boju hostage, forcing all of Shao’s elite warriors to surrender.

Lu Shenru further stated, “I said I did not want to see blood today. Although I did, you can live. There’s nothing wrong with living.”

Did these elite warriors have no will to live at all?

The clouds in the sky had dispersed at some point, and swords and blades fell from the forest. Chong-Ping cleared the crowd away and then led his men to quickly treat Hu Tinglan’s wounds.

Fortunately, his life was not in danger.

For a moment, no one spoke, except for Shao Boju, whose army was utterly defeated, who burst into laughter.

His mournful laughter echoed through the forest.

Hu Tinglan looked over, his eyes filled with even deeper sorrow, but he remained silent.

But Shao Boju said, “No one can live! If you fall into Lu Shenru’s hands, even if you are in Shao Zun’s hands, you will not survive. No one will survive!”

These words caused everyone to pause in shock.

Indeed, even if Lu Shenru were to exchange them, Shao Zun would not let them all live.

Everyone looked towards Marquis Lu. Du Lingjing’s gaze had already fallen on the hem of his robe; now, she looked up into his eyes.

His expression darkened, and he spoke. “Who said they cannot live?”

These words drowned out the murmurs in the forest. His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on a person whose clothes were stained. He looked at her silently.

“I promised someone I would save people for her, and I meant it,” he said. “Even if she does not believe me.”

Du Lingjing’s ears went blank, with only his last sentence echoing repeatedly. When their eyes met, the man’s eyes were deep and somber.

At that moment, footsteps became chaotic from the bottom of the hill, and a large group of people arrived. This group was none other than the people who had been waiting outside: officials from both prefectures, Imperial Guards, academy students, relatives and friends, and others searching for them for various reasons.

Hundreds of people arrived. No matter how many men the Lu family had, they could not abduct the Flicking Faction members under everyone’s watchful eyes.

In fact, the prefects of Zhengding and Baoding arrived personally and bowed to him.

Everyone overheard this and realized that Lu Shenru had notified them to come and meet him before arriving with his men. He had no intention of hiding or exchanging people; as he said, it was no exaggeration.

The newly arrived people had witnessed the capture and execution of the Shao brothers.

But what was more important now was that the Flicking Faction group, carrying witnesses and evidence, who had been hiding for months, had finally been found! Some rushed forward to help, some wept and rushed to them, and others surrounded them, asking what had happened.

The two prefects, along with the Imperial Guards, exchanged a few words with Lu Shenru, but seeing his lack of interest in conversation, they withdrew without saying more.

The man looked down at his wife, whose clothes were now stained. She was still standing there, staring blankly at him, but did not come over. Having been told to come over twice without success, and still standing there, he simply walked over.

But as he stepped forward, he stepped past her, avoiding her.

Seeing that he did not pause, Du Lingjing glanced at him, silently walking to the members of the Flicking Faction.

He personally untied the ropes binding Master Hong. “Are you alright?”

Master Hong said he was fine, but asked him one question: “Regarding the matter of the Earl of Rongchang’s residence, since Marquis Lu released us, what will the Marquis’s Mansion do?”

This was the key question.

Everyone wanted to know, and Du Lingjing also watched him from behind.

The man, however, said there was no easy solution. “A life for a life. If the Earl of Rongchang’s mansion wants to remain intact, the simplest way is for the Earl’s wife to personally send those two wicked children to surrender.”

He had already explained his meaning before coming. The Earl’s wife fainted that night, but he had no intention of protecting them. Using the lives of the Flicking Faction members to exchange for those two wicked children was unforgivable.

As for the Earl of Rongchang, who was leading troops in the field, he personally wrote a letter and sent it over, and also dispatched someone else to replace him.

After he finished speaking, Master Hong could not help but glance at him a few more times.

“Your Lordship is very righteous.”

Lu Shenru repeatedly said he did not deserve such praise. He said that he, too, had his youthful arrogance. “At that time, I hurt Master Liao’s feelings; I hope you will forgive me.”

Because of the struggle for the throne, he had ordered Master Liao arrested and beaten, and now he stepped forward and bowed solemnly.

Master Liao quickly helped him up.

“I survived then, but without Your Lordship, I doubt I could have escaped with my life again.”

Master Liao was not one to hold grudges, but Lu Shenru still bowed to him.

Hu Tinglan’s wounds had been temporarily treated. His expression was somber, but he also stepped forward to thank Lu Shenru.

The man shook his head.

“I dare not say it was all for the public good; I was merely acting on impulse.”

Not entirely for the public good; the implication was that there were personal motives involved.

Hu Tinglan and his sister, Hu Tingjun, glanced at the person standing there, stunned.

The man had not spoken to her at all.

After hiding for months, those who had arrived helped them, escorting them down the mountain.

Hu Tinglan’s injuries were quite severe; he could not stay any longer.

On the other hand, Jiang Fengchuan’s condition was relatively better.

The people in the mountain had almost all left, leaving only Marquis Lu and his new wife standing in the woods.

Jiang Fengchuan, reflecting on the events of the day, looked at Du Lingjing, noticing her dazed expression and her frequent glances at the man beside her.

He frowned slightly, his eyes thoughtful, and took a step to go over, but his arm was pulled back.

“Uncle Hui?”

“Sixth Young Master, do not go. It was Marquis Lu who saved everyone this time.”

“That’s irrelevant.”

“Sixth Young Master, the young lady—no, now she’s the Marquis’s wife. As long as she’s happy, Third Young Master will have no worries, and even from heaven, he will smile. Why insist?”

“But Uncle Hui…”

Uncle Hui shook his head at him. “Sixth Young Master, do not say anymore; let’s go.”

Uncle Hui forcibly pulled him down the mountain on the other side.

Du Lingjing did not see them, only that the person beside her had turned away. He truly did not speak to her; even now that everyone else had left, he seemed unwilling to speak to her.

“Lord Marquis…” Du Lingjing tried calling him softly.

The man only glanced at her, did not answer, and instead went to the other side, ordering someone to take Shao Wuxing’s body down the mountain.

“Lord Marquis,” she could only call him again.

He seemed not to hear her, still not responding.

She felt helpless, her gaze wandering as she saw Tingjun repeatedly winking at her from the hillside. “Then come over!”

Come over.

He had told her twice before.

He had no intention of exchanging anything; he genuinely wanted to help her save them. She truly could not believe it…

Just then, the man walked to the side. Du Lingjing took a breath and quickly stepped forward.

She called out to him again. This time, he stopped and looked at her.

When his gaze suddenly fell upon her eyes, she paused.

“My Lord, thank you.”

She was sincere.

But after she finished speaking, the man suddenly smiled. His smile was extremely faint, but his eyes were low and heavy, as if about to fall into rain.

“Thank you?”

Before he finished speaking, he stepped aside from her and turned to walk straight down the mountain.

Du Lingjing was completely stunned, watching his figure grow smaller and smaller in the distance, the mountain wind seeming to rise from beneath his feet, his robes fluttering.

She was at a loss.

It was Chong-Ping who came over and sighed softly.

“Madam, it’s getting late. Let’s go down the mountain.”