Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Sixteen:
Ambushed

A good qin was broken.

In the previous life, he was the brave and resolute Zhou Yinzhi of Marquis Yongyi’s mansion.

Later, Shen Jie ascended the throne and cleared the name of Marquis Yongyi’s household.

Zhou Yinzhi was then shot dead by Xie Wei’s arrows, and his head was nailed to the palace gate.

From this, it can be seen that he never did anything commendable.

He was always focused on power and high positions, always using any means to achieve his goals. But he was meticulous and cautious in his actions, making it difficult for him to be caught in the wrong places.

This was the reason Jiang Xuening efficiently used him in her previous life.

She didn’t even want to enter the palace in this lifetime, and having too much connection with this person was like seeking skin from a tiger. But at present, the other party was the only channel for her to understand the situation of the Marquis Yongyi’s mansion being involved in the old case of Prince Pingnan. There was also Xie Wei, who she didn’t know when he could take her head off. Even if she didn’t want to make contact with him, she still had to.

She hoped she could escape this world’s worldly troubles and attain the kind of ‘freedom’ that You Fangyin once said.

She sighed in her heart and jumped back into the carriage. “Let’s go to the Heavenly Tower.”

。。。

The sky was gradually beginning to get dark.

In late autumn, there were geese in the sky.

There were not many people left drinking at Heavenly Tower.

Chen Ying, who was promoted to Minister of Justice half a year ago, was leisurely playing with a jar filled with fine wine. He said, “The Imperial Embroidered Guards have always only obeyed the orders of the Emperor, and it’s probably the Emperor’s intention to investigate Marquis Yongyi’s mansion. The Ministry of Justice has detained those remnants of Prince Pingnan’s supporters in prison for several days, but they have not been able to find anything. Today, they especially called me out to go there to see if I could pry something out of their mouths. Young Master, you are often by his side. Can you please give me your humble opinion? What does the Emperor want to know from them?”

Chen Ying had become a notoriously ruthless official in recent years, using cruel and inhumane methods to torture prisoners. As a result, he solved several significant cases and achieved good results in local politics.

This even included the major event of taking out the Tianjiao followers in Jiangsu in one fell swoop.

He also loved to analyze the thought process of the people above him.

Under the Emperor’s watchful eye, sometimes the truth was not what was important. What mattered was what the Emperor wanted to hear.

The person sitting across from him neither attended the feast nor entered the palace today. He wore a simple white robe with wide sleeves, devoid of any embellishments. Even the black sandalwood hairpin on his head lacked any distinctive shape.

He didn’t look up at Chen Ying.

A newly made qin, which had gone through the eleven processes of making it, lay on the table. The paint was as shiny as a mirror, and the goose feet were full. He lowered his eyes, pulled the strings, and carefully threaded them one by one.
[Here’s a diagram of the parts of a qin.]

Chen Ying’s gaze flickered. “Our Emperor seems generous, but, in this humble official’s opinion, he seems to have a suspicious frame of mind.”

Xie Wei threaded the first string and wrapped it around the goose foot on the right side of the back of the qin.

Cheng Ying couldn’t help but look at his expression. “Young Tutor, you are also a hero who assisted the Holy Emperor in ascending the throne back then, right? But you have only been appointed as a Young Tutor with no actual job, not a Grand Tutor. But that monk Yuan Ji, who has done nothing, is not only the Imperial Tutor but is in charge of the Ministry of Rites as a minister. If I had a tenth of your ability, I wouldn’t be able to endure such things. Does Young Tutor really not feel even an inch of injustice?

Xie Wei’s fingers were born to play the qin.

His fingernail caps were clean and transparent, exuding a sense of warmth.

He didn’t stop stringing the qin. “Official Chen, be cautious,” he said. “The Holy Emperor is a descendant of the heavens. How can we speculate on the Emperor’s thoughts? Besides, I am just a scholar who only knows how to talk about military matters on paper. When Imperial Tutor Yuan Ji was hiding in the residence of His Majesty, we would sit and discuss Taoism. His Buddhist attainments were not in vain. It made sense for the Holy Emperor to appoint him as an imperial tutor. Thunder, rain, and dew are all thanks to the emperor. How can it be considered unjust?”

The smile on Chen Ying’s face was as if he disagreed. “Whether or not it’s fair is clear to both the court and the public. You can give me some guidance. How should this person be tried?”

“Try him however you want,” Xie Wei said.

“And if I can’t?” Chen Ying frowned.

“If Master Chen can’t learn anything, someone can replace him.”

Chen Ying’s heart suddenly trembled, and he began to worry. He immediately put down his wine cup and bowed with his long body. “Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Xie.”

Xie Wei continued to bury his head in the strings, occasionally plucking them lightly to tune them.

The sound on the top floor of the building was intermittent.

The setting sun in the west draped a soft glow over him, but it couldn’t change his color at all. It could only elongate his figure behind him.

Cheng Ying knew that he had dedicated three years to crafting this qin and held it in high regard. At this moment, when it was time to string the qin, even a brief conversation was considered a significant acknowledgement of respect. Understanding the propriety of the situation, Cheng Ying refrained from further conversation. After a respectful bow, he bid farewell and left down the stairs.

After Chen Ying left, Jian Shu, who had been holding his sword and standing beside him, furrowed his brows. Despite his youthful expression, he didn’t act impulsively. After careful consideration, he hesitated and then said, “Sir, are they allowed to investigate like this?”

“It isn’t Chen Ying,” Xie Wei said. “There will also be others.”

Jian Shu was silent.

After a while, a waiter came up from downstairs, holding a tray full of wine and vegetables. “Sir, your order is here.”

“Did sir order anything?” Jian Shu asked.

The waiter looked surprised. “Didn’t the gentleman who just left order it?”

The waiter seemed ordinary, but his looks were peculiar, and he spoke with a slightly subtle Wu Yue accent.

When did Heavenly Tower have such a server?

Jian Shu realized something was wrong. He raised his eyebrows sharply, drew his sword, and loudly shouted, “Sir, watch out!”

Crash!

When Jian Shu spoke out, the ‘server’ realized he had already been exposed. His previously faux innocent and pleasing expression immediately turned into a ferocious one. He pushed the lacquered plate of wine and vegetables directly toward Jian Shu, dug out a short sword from the bottom of the chessboard, and attacked Xie Wei!

“Die!”

Xie Wei stood up, holding the qin. The man’s short sword had already arrived, and he heard a ‘clang.’ The four strings that had just been strung were already scratched by the tip of his knife!

There was also a knife mark on the qin’s body!

His calm and warm expression suddenly went cold.

。。。

Xiejie Alley was just a short distance from Heavenly Tower. Jiang Xuening felt that Yan Lin should have arrived by now, so she only called for the carriage to be parked on the side of the road diagonally opposite the building. She instructed the coachman to go inside to invite him out.

She never expected a black shadow to come from outside a moment after the coachman left!

There was a flash of light, and then a knife was pressing against her neck. Before Tang’er, who was also in the carriage, could scream, this person slapped her on the back of her neck. She fell, unconscious, at Jiang Xuening’s feet.

Feeling the coldness emanating from her neck, only one thought came to Jiang Xuening’s mind.

Damn it!

That Xie person was indeed going to silence her!

However, she soon realized that the situation was not right. There seemed to be shouts from the opposite building, someone shouting to search inside and out, followed by the chaotic sound of footsteps.

Someone reported that he was missing.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t see what the person who was holding her hostage looked like. She could only feel a slight tremble in the hand holding the knife, as if he had just experienced a fierce fight and seemed as nervous as she was.

Footsteps quickly approached the carriage.

Someone stepped in front of it.

A voice called out, “Is Second Miss Ning in the carriage?”

The only person who called her Second Miss Ning was Xie Wei. Even without recognizing the voice, she could tell who was speaking!

Her thoughts began to race.

The knife pressed against her neck was most likely held by an assassin.

Xie Wei was intent on capturing this person.

The other party hadn’t made a move, likely deducing from the carriage that the individual inside was no ordinary woman and intending to use her as a hostage.

On the surface, her life was threatened by the wielder of the knife, but…

There was an even more terrifying demon outside of the carriage!

This situation was much more terrifying than simply encountering Xie Wei and him wanting to kill and silence her!

Xie Wei could have her killed in the name of killing the assassin and then push the blame onto them afterward. Or, he could let the other party take her as a hostage and refuse to satisfy any of the assassin’s conditions. He could intentionally wait for the assassin to kill her!

It would save him from having to cover it up and explain.

There wasn’t a more worry-free and reliable way of dying in this world that could completely separate Xie Wei from her death. At most, no one could criticize Xie Wei for saying the situation was beyond his grasp.

With this thought, Jiang Xuening’s scalp tingled, and she didn’t dare to look back at the assassin holding the knife. After he pushed her, she immediately spoke in a trembling voice, “It’s me.”

“Is it just you?” Xie Wei asked.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t grasp the assassin’s thoughts behind her and didn’t dare answer.

The assassin gave a gloomy smile and said, “Of course, she isn’t the only one.”

The servant next to Xie Wei reacted too quickly, causing his assassination attempt to fail. People immediately surrounded him, aiming to capture him. It appeared this Xie person had many protectors in the shadows when he ventured out.

He had no choice but to flee. This carriage was the only hiding place he could find.

Since Xie Wei could assist that ungrateful Emperor in ascending the throne, he did have some insight. It was not unusual to guess that he was in the carriage, so there was no need to cover it up. On the contrary, it seemed that Xie Wei knew the girl in the carriage.

So, they had a chance to talk.

He pressed the knife against Jiang Xuening’s neck. “Do you know someone with the last name of Xie?”

Compared to the one outside, this assassin was not the most dangerous.

Jiang Xuening had already exposed a loophole of Xie Wei that day in the Jiang mansion. She was afraid that he would catch some clues again this time. Taking the opportunity to save herself, coupled with her fear, she shakily said, “I know him. I saved Teacher Xie’s life four years ago. Although I don’t know who you are, sir, I’m sure we can talk this though. Please, don’t act impulsively…”

This was said not only to the assassin but also to Xie Wei.

In her previous life’s final moments, she had used a past favor to protect Zhang Zhe and ensure his safety. Now, just a few days into her rebirth, knowing more and acting smarter than before…

She didn’t expect to seek this favor so early to save her life!

Xie Wei stood outside the carriage, separated only by a hanging carriage curtain from the passenger’s side.

He was not surprised to hear the assassin’s voice.

His eyebrows slightly raised as he listened to Jiang Xuening’s words. He felt a little amused.

No pedestrians were around, and the street was filled with silence.

Jian Shu looked at the carriage with a cold face.

Xie Wei glanced at another young man next to him who was wearing a tight-fitting sleeve and carrying arrows on his back. He waved his hand slightly, gesturing for him to go. He directly spoke to the inside of the carriage. “Correct. I had the grace of Second Miss Ning saving my life, and I have a good relationship with her father. You are dissatisfied with the court, which is also a matter of public concern to the world. Now, holding a girl who is not familiar with these affairs is likely to harm the innocent. When choosing between rebellious parties and saving benefactors, it is advisable to choose the latter. You do not want to lose your life here. If you are willing to release Second Miss Ning, I can order someone to send a letter to open the city gate and safely escort you out of the Capital.”

What a bunch of nonsense!

Jiang Xuening didn’t believe a single word.

She couldn’t speak rashly. Besides, she didn’t dare to say that in front of Xie Wei.

The assassin didn’t expect his luck to be so good. He casually broke into a carriage and caught Xie Wei’s former life-saving benefactor. He burst out laughing. “It seems that the gods have blessed me with a way out. I only heard Young Tutor Xie focuses on Taoism and avoids getting close to women. Unexpectedly, there will also be a time when he is tender towards the fairer sex. Since you say this is your life-saving benefactor, it’s easy for her to be safe. Why don’t you exchange her for yourself? I’ll take you out of the city, wouldn’t it be better? Otherwise…”

He paused, and then his voice suddenly became extremely sinister.

“I’ll kill this woman right now!”

Jiang Xuening broke out in a cold sweat, cursing this idiot assassin in her heart! In her previous life, whether it was Prince Pingnan’s rebellion or the Tianjiao uprising, it all fell into the hands of Xie Wei. This pig’s brain was really far from perfect!

Can you believe what Xie Wei said?

He still hoped to use her as leverage to force Xie Wei to take her place!

If Xie Wei agreed, she might as well be able to take off her own head and carry it in her hands as she walked!

There was silence outside.

The assassin said impatiently, “I’ll count to ten, and if you haven’t made up your mind by then –”

“No need to count.”

Xie Wei’s calm voice interrupted him.

Jiang Xuening’s heart suddenly rose to her throat.

“Please escort Second Miss Ning out. I can replace her,” she heard him say.

Jiang Xuening was speechless.

No matter what she thought, the assassin was elated, thinking that even the legendary Imperial Tutor Xie Wei had his moments of folly. He believed that everyone wanted to cling to life and was thus willing to negotiate with him.

Little did he know that since he had taken action, there was never any intention of allowing him to leave alive today.

Letting Xie Wei replace this woman was just a cover. Taking advantage to kill while exchanging her was his true purpose!

“You. Open the curtain.”

He sternly ordered Jiang Xuening, but the knife at her neck did not move away.

Jiang Xuening slowly moved, leaning forward. She reached out her hand and slowly lifted the carriage curtain.

The faintly reddened light of the sky suddenly flooded in.

She saw Xie Wei standing about thirty feet before the carriage, his long eyebrows indifferent, eyes deep and still, and his wide robe and sleeves spotlessly clean. His facial features were extremely beautiful, but the first thing everyone noticed was his restrained demeanor, profound and resolute, calm and composed with a hint of heaviness. It reminded people of the mountains, the sea, the saints who sang in ancient times, or the hermits who picked roses in the mountains.

His gaze crossed the void and landed on her, peaceful and profound.

Jiang Xuening shuddered.

She suddenly remembered that besides Xie Wei’s expertise in swordsmanship and literature, there was also a silent swordsman skilled with a bow and arrow.

She could see the outside of the Heavenly Tower…

She was afraid that when this assassin left the carriage and appeared in people’s sight, it would be the time of his death!

She just didn’t know if Xie Wei planned to have an ‘incident’ to deal with her as well…

The assassin behind her also glanced at Xie Wei. “Tell your people to retreat thirty feet away!”

All those wielding weapons looked at Xie Wei.

Xie Wei waved his hand to them and then looked directly at the assassin. “Please rest assured that I dare not put the lives of my benefactor and friend’s beloved daughter in danger,” he said. “As a gentleman, I promise that if you are willing to let her go, I will not harm your life.”

Everyone retreated, leaving only Xie Wei in place.

“Come forward,” the assassin said.

Xie Wei stepped forward.

When he was only about six feet away from the carriage, the assassin asked him to stop and then forcefully pushed Jiang Xuening, who was restrained by him. Jiang Xuening didn’t want to go down. Only the gods knew if an arrow would pass through her head after going down.

The knife was right around her neck. If she doesn’t go down, the knife will.

She had no choice but to walk forward.

The assassin held her hostage all the way and slowly approached Xie Wei.

Jiang Xuening was trembling all over.

She could already feel the Prince of Hell standing outside and knocking on the door.

Unexpectedly, as she finally approached Xie Wei, the assassin pushed her with no warning and directly raised his sword to stab Xie Wei!

Xie Wei’s face remained unchanged.

Jiang Xuening saw this as her opportunity and immediately rushed towards Xie Wei without hesitation. She couldn’t believe that if Xie Wei ended up in the same situation as her, the person upstairs would dare to aim their bow at her!

A sweet, cold fragrance rushed towards his face. Xie Wei could count on the assassin’s actions but didn’t expect Jiang Xuening to ‘fall’ over. The corners of his eyes twitched slightly. Thankfully, he reacted quickly. Before she pounced on him, he reached out his hand and helped hold her, separating her from the assassin!

Simultaneously, there was a sharp howl in midair, piercing through the quiet and dangerous air, echoing like the reverberation of a bowstring!

Above the tall building, an arrow shot fiercely like lightning!

At that moment, Jiang Xuening’s pupils shrank dramatically. She was going to die.

However, the next instant, a snow-white cloth appeared in front of her.

It was Xie Wei, furrowing his brow, calmly raising his hand and lifting his wide-sleeved robe to shield her.

Jiang Xuening was startled and couldn’t see in front of her.

In her ears, there was the sound of an arrow piercing through a person’s skull, like passing through a crispy watermelon. A few splatters of blood splashed out and landed on his clean-sleeved robe.

What a ghastly sight!

The assassin’s knife was only two or three inches away from Xie Wei and had a ferocious face that had not yet dissipated. A feather arrow pierced through his forehead, going all the way through his skull and exiting at the back of his head.

The archer used a terrifying force!

This arrow had carried him back and fell down. As he took his last breath, there was still a hint of disbelief in his eyes.

Xie Wei, however, had a cold and indifferent expression on his face. He only glanced at Jiang Xuening and then relaxed his hand that supported her arm. He also lowered his hand that lifted his sleeve.

Jiang Xuening stood firmly on her own, without any sleeves or robes to cover her. Only then did she see the arrow had indeed killed the assassin. Looking up at the nearby building, a blue-clad boy with a quiver on his back had already folded his bow by the railing and retreated into the shadows.

Red and white splattered on the ground, with blood and brains.

It would have surely covered her entire body if it weren’t for Xie Wei lifting his sleeve just now.

Jiang Xuening stood on the side, feeling nauseous just by smelling the bloody smell. Her face turned pale, and she dared not look at it again.

All the guards who had just retreated quickly ran back at this moment.

Someone went to check on the condition of the assassin.

Jian Shu walked over to Xie Wei’s side.

Xie Wei’s sleeve was stained with blood, and his slender hand resembled clear bamboo.

He took a clean handkerchief from his sleeve and presented it with both hands, saying, “Sir.”

Xie Wei took it, but his eyes fell on Jiang Xuening’s ear.

He only looked at her for a moment and handed her the handkerchief.

Jiang Xuening suddenly froze.

She raised her hand and felt something a little sticky with her fingertips. When she put down her hand, she noticed a little bit of blood had splattered on her earlobe.

Her hair stood on end.

She was terrified of Xie Wei. But just now, she didn’t succeed in pouncing on him, nor did any arrows fall on her. At this moment, seeing him handing out a brocade handkerchief, she was shocked and even more frightened.

After hesitating, her thick and long eyelashes trembled before she carefully reached out and accepted the brocade handkerchief from Xie Wei’s hand. “Thank you, Master,” she whispered.

That action had been forced by the situation just now.

But now…

She was very cautious because of the embarrassment she experienced in the past when he told her to ‘have some self-respect.’

She held the handkerchief but didn’t dare to touch his palm with her fingers.

The brocade handkerchief was snow-white and soft, made of high-quality silk. When she took it away, a corner fell, but the palm of Xie Wei’s hand seemed to glide by without a trace.

Xie Wei’s long fingers spasmed. He saw the shallow scar on her wrist that had been exposed when she reached out, faintly sensing the bloody smell of a year’s desperate situation in his mouth.

He withdrew his hand, carried it behind him, and clenched it weakly.

He turned and looked at her. “Second Miss Ning has been frightened,” he said.

Jiang Xuening wiped away the bloodstain on her ear.

The brocade handkerchief was stained with blood.

She lowered her gaze. “Thankfully, I met you. I knew you must have had a plan to save me, so I’m okay.”

“Is that right?” Xie Wei watched as she used the handkerchief to wipe away the bloodstains. “Just now, when I heard you mention your old kindness to save your life, it seemed like you were more afraid of danger. It seems that I have been too worried.”

Jiang Xuening was completely terrified when she heard those words. She forced herself to remain calm. “I didn’t dare not to answer the assassin’s question. I had no idea what to do for a moment. I was afraid that he’d kill me if I weren’t important. Did… did I say something wrong?”

She saw him reach out after she finished speaking, and she quickly handed the handkerchief back.

Xie Wei took the brocade handkerchief from her hand and slowly and methodically wiped his left hand, which was splashed with blood, with the white silk already stained with blood. He lowered his eyes and didn’t speak.

The silence made Jiang Xuening’s heart beat faster.

Upon seeing the situation, Jian Shu glanced at Xie Wei and silently pulled away the other brocade handkerchief that he originally intended to hand out.

After a while, a guard came over to report, “Young Tutor, Young Marquis Yan is outside the street and wants to come in.”

Xie Wei paused as he cleaned his hand, looking up at Jiang Xuening. “Jian Shu, please send Second Miss Ning off.”

Jian Shu said, “Yes, sir.”

Jiang Xuening held her breath and bowed to Xie Wei. She was too scared to ask about the situation with Tang’er still in the carriage. She only followed Jian Shu through the long street to Yan Lin.

After the two of them left, Daoqin came from upstairs.

He held a qin in his arms.

Xie Wei took it and raised his hand to caress the broken strings and the deep knife mark on the body of the qin. His face was expressionless, and it took him a long time to say, “Send the body to the Ministry of Justice and ask Chen Ying to come see me.”

…

A moment of silence for the poor qin. The goodest of good qins.

Next Chapter: Fierce and Pure