kvmb Chapter 202 Letters exchanged with Xin You
Chapter 202 Letters exchanged with Xin You
Above the three halls, the air was so still it seemed you could wring water out of it. Xiang Yang stood in the center of the hall, his figure slender, his hands trembling slightly, but his eyes resolute.
Xiangyang's clothes were still covered in dust, indicating that he had rushed there. Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over each of the adults present.
"I am eighteen years old this year. I entered the army when I was fifteen..." Xiangyang's voice was soft, but it was particularly clear in the quiet hall.
His fingers unconsciously rubbed the hem of his clothes, as if drawing courage from this simple action. Every now and then, he would glance at Murong Xuewei, seemingly finding a sense of security there.
Xiao Wan Ning sat gracefully at the table, her light purple brocade robe making her appear even more elegant and noble.
Her slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, the rhythm slow and regular, as if she were calculating something.
Clang, clang, clang—the soft knocking sound was like a silent threat. Her eyes would occasionally glance at Xiangyang, a faint smile playing on her lips, yet it sent chills down one's spine.
“That winter was particularly cold; it snowed for half a month straight. When I first joined the army, I wasn’t even used to wearing armor,” Xiangyang continued, his voice gradually steadying, a look of reminiscence appearing in his eyes. “Every day I had to get up before dawn to train, the calluses on my hands would wear down and scab over repeatedly. It was Lord Xin You who took a liking to me, saying that my horsemanship was quite good, and so he transferred me to his side as a personal guard.”
As he spoke, his eyes momentarily glazed over, as if he were lost in the scene from years ago.
Murong Xuewei noticed that when Xin You was mentioned, Xiao Wanning's fingers suddenly paused, interrupting her elegant rhythm, before she continued tapping as if nothing had happened. This subtle change did not escape Murong Xuewei's notice.
"Later, Lord Xin trusted me more and more, not only allowing me to deliver military affairs, but also letting me frequently enter and leave his study. Sometimes, he would even ask me to run some private errands for him..."
"Enough!" Jiang Lingyun suddenly stood up, interrupting Xiang Yang. The hem of his official robe swung violently as he stood up, making a "snap" sound. He sneered and flicked his sleeve, "Does a deserter have the right to chatter on in this hall? Xin You is dead; whatever you say cannot be verified! In my opinion, you should be punished for desertion first!"
Jiang Lingyun's face was arrogant, and her eyes held a hint of contempt.
Jiang Lingyun placed his hand on the jade pendant at his waist, producing a crisp clinking sound, clearly a deliberate display of his official status.
The jade pendant swayed gently with his movements, reflecting a cold light in the sunlight.
Murong Xuewei suddenly felt a sharp abdominal pain. Her hand unconsciously pressed against her lower abdomen, and her knuckles turned white from the pressure.
But Murong Xuewei suppressed her discomfort and said coldly, "What does Lord Jiang mean by this? Since you believe Xiangyang's words are untrue, why were you in such a hurry to interrupt him? Could it be...?" She deliberately drew out her words, a meaningful smile playing on her lips, "that you're afraid he'll say something he shouldn't?"
These words immediately heightened the somber atmosphere in the hall. Some observant officials noticed this.
Jiang Lingyun's temples throbbed, and although he still wore an arrogant expression, fine beads of sweat had already seeped from his forehead.
Jiang Lingyun adjusted his official hat, forcing a calm smile, and said, "I simply don't want to waste everyone's time. What's the point of listening to such baseless accusations?"
"Oh?" Murong Xuewei's lips curled slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes, her voice carrying a faint sarcasm. "Lord Jiang's words are strange. Does investigating a case require a certain time? It's not like we're rushing to our deaths, so why the haste?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Xiao Wanning. Xiao Wanning still wore an elegant smile, but her fingers resting on the table trembled almost imperceptibly.
Murong Xuewei paused, then suddenly changed the subject, raising her voice slightly: "Moreover, our Emperor has always advocated for thorough investigation, even of the smallest cases must be thoroughly investigated. Does Lord Jiang perhaps feel that the Emperor's decree... is not important enough?"
Upon hearing this, fine beads of sweat immediately appeared on Jiang Lingyun's forehead.
The officials present held their breath, fearing they might be drawn into this undercurrent of power struggle.
Just then, Xiang Yang suddenly spoke up: "My lord, although I am but a lowly soldier, I know that some things require evidence." His voice was soft, but every word was firm and resolute. "I have carefully kept all the letters I exchanged with Lord Xin You."
Upon hearing this, the handkerchief in Xiao Wan Ning's hand fell to the ground with a "thud." She quickly bent down to pick it up, but people could see that her hand was trembling slightly.
"Among those letters, there were some... other letters." Xiang Yang glanced meaningfully at Xiao Wan Ning.
Xiao Wanning immediately stood up, her voice gentle yet laced with a threat: "Xiangyang, you'd better think this through. Your parents are still at home, if..."
“You’re overthinking it,” Murong Xuewei suddenly interjected, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. “Xiangyang’s parents are safe and sound.”
Xiao Wan Ning's face turned deathly pale instantly. She stared intently at Murong Xue Wei, her nails digging deeply into her palms.
Xiang Yang continued, "The letter is hidden under the bed in my room. Please ask Young Master Murong and Miss Liuli to retrieve it. There's a hidden compartment there, containing not only Lord Xin You's letter, but also..." He gave Xiao Wan Ning a meaningful look.
Murong Yuxuan and Liuli exchanged a glance and immediately got up to head out.
Just then, Xiao Wanning suddenly spoke up: "Lord Jiang, shouldn't we send officials to retrieve such crucial evidence?"
Jiang Lingyun understood and immediately said, "That's indeed the case. I will send someone right away..."
“No need,” Gu Ye suddenly spoke, his voice low and firm. “Since it’s Xiang Yang’s own property, what’s wrong with letting someone he designates retrieve it? Or does Lord Jiang think there’s something shady going on?”
Jiang Lingyun was speechless and could only sit down dejectedly. But Murong Xuewei noticed that his fingers were making gestures behind his back, clearly making arrangements in secret.
Murong Yuxuan and Liuli quickly left the hall. Xiao Wan stared at their retreating figures, a cold glint in her eyes. She turned slightly and made a very subtle hand gesture to Jiang Lingyun.
Jiang Lingyun understood and quietly left the hall.
The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense. Xiang Yang continued recounting his experiences, but everyone's attention had already shifted to the upcoming letter.
Murong Xuewei sensed something was wrong. She looked at Gu Ye and noticed that he had also frowned.
Clearly, they all realized that those letters probably wouldn't reach the lobby so easily.
Meanwhile, Murong Yuxuan and Liuli were walking briskly down the alley leading to Xiangyang's residence.
Liuli suddenly stopped and said in a low voice, "Young Master, it seems we're being followed."
Murong Yuxuan nodded slightly: "I know. Three people have been following us ever since we left the main hall. It seems the contents of those letters are even more explosive than we imagined."
“Then we…” Liuli said with some worry.
"Proceed according to the original plan." Murong Yuxuan smiled faintly, "However, we need to hurry."
They quickened their pace and turned into a secluded alley. The footsteps behind them also became more hurried, clearly indicating that the person following them could no longer contain themselves.
Just then, a cold glint suddenly flashed from the corner of the wall!
In the dark alley, in the instant a cold light flashed, Liuli nimbly pulled Murong Yuxuan aside.
An arrow whistled and embedded itself in the wall, its fletching still trembling slightly.
"Just as I expected." Murong Yuxuan said solemnly to Liuli, "It seems the secrets in those letters are indeed enough to drive some people to their deaths."
Scattered footsteps approached from afar, growing ever closer. Liuli's hand was already on the short sword at her waist, while Murong Yuxuan gave a mysterious smile: "However, they're likely to be disappointed..."