NCCnovel Chapter 111 Sister Xiao disturbs the hearts of three people
Chapter 111 Sister Xiao disturbs the hearts of three people
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window lattice into the room, adding a touch of warmth to the previously cold place. Cen Jiexiao slowly opened her eyes, only to feel a splitting headache and a dull ache from the wounds on her body. She struggled to get up, but found herself too weak to do anything but lie helplessly in bed.
"Big Brother..." Sister Cen Xiao called softly, her voice hoarse and a little weak.
Hearing Sister Cen's voice, Chen Zigui, who had been waiting by the bed, immediately stood up, walked quickly to the bedside, and asked with concern: "Sister Cen, are you awake? How do you feel? Are you feeling unwell?"
Cen Jiexiao shook her head and forced a smile: "I'm fine, just a little dizzy."
"You've lost too much blood and are still very weak. You need to rest well." Chen Zigui said as he helped Cen Jiexiao up, let her lean against the head of the bed, and then considerately poured her a glass of warm water.
Cen Jiexiao took the cup of water, took a sip to moisten her dry throat, then looked up at Chen Zigui and asked, "Senior Brother, have you found out who did it?" There was a trace of fatigue that was hard to conceal on her pale face, but her eyes were unusually bright, as if she could see through everything.
Chen Zigui frowned, his tone heavy with gravity. "The Xixiang Clan's 'Moon Flute' is used exclusively by the royal family, and each one has a unique marking. I've secretly visited all the major factions in Linkang Prefecture and consulted the weapon catalog, but haven't found any clues."
"How could this happen..." Cen Jiexiao muttered to herself, the scene before she lost consciousness replaying in her mind. That figure, that arrow, all seemed unreal, like a dream. "I don't know this person from the Xixiang royal family. What is their intention in saving me? It's really puzzling. Could it be that they want to use me?"
"I can't rule out this possibility, but there's no conclusive evidence yet." Chen Zigui pondered for a moment and continued, "But don't worry, I will definitely find out the truth, Sister Cen."
"Big Brother, do you think... could it be him?" Cen Jiexiao suddenly thought of someone, the Xixiang man with whom she had a delicate relationship—Xia Chenghao. After all, in Cen Jiexiao's memory, Xia Chenghao was the only one who worked for the Xixiang royal family.
"You mean... Xia Chenghao?" Chen Zigui frowned slightly, and after a moment's contemplation, he said, "It's possible that he was involved, but we can't rule out other possibilities. I'll send someone to check his whereabouts to see if he was in Linkang Prefecture at the time of the incident."
"Yeah." Cen Jiexiao responded softly, but she felt even more uneasy in her heart.
At that moment, the atmosphere in the palace's study was a stark contrast to the gentle atmosphere in Cen Jiexiao's room. It was oppressive, like the calm before a storm. Chai Zhen, his face scowled, slammed the memorial in his hand down onto the table. A resounding "bang" echoed through the empty study, adding to the suffocating feeling of oppression.
"Waste! A bunch of waste!" Chai Zhen roared angrily and paced back and forth in the study. Every step seemed to step on Li Dehai's heart, making him sweat profusely.
"The great Zhou Dynasty actually allowed a group of assassins to commit murder under the feet of the emperor and kidnapped my daughter...my female ministers. Where can I put my face? Do you want to make a fool of myself in front of the people of Xixiang?" Chai Zhen's voice was like thunder, frightening the guards and palace maids present. They all knelt on the ground, trembling, and dared not make a sound.
Li Dehai knelt on the ground, trembling with fear. Beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, soaking his clothes. He knew this matter was serious. If he couldn't handle it properly, he might lose his head.
"Your Majesty, please calm down. We will definitely capture the assassin as soon as possible and give an explanation to Your Majesty and Dean Cen!" Li Dehai kowtowed, his voice trembling slightly.
"An explanation? What can you give me?" Chai Zhen turned around and glared at Li Dehai, his eyes blazing with fire. "Mr. Cen has devoted his life to the country and the people, but now he has been murdered. How can I explain this to the world?"
"I...I deserve to die! Please punish me, Your Majesty!" Li Dehai was so frightened that he kowtowed again to apologize.
"Punishment? Is punishment useful? What I want is the result!" Chai Zhen roared, scaring Li Dehai so much that he crawled out.
"Come, convey my order to strengthen the defense of the imperial palace and Zhaoyin Academy. No one is allowed to approach without my permission!" Chai Zhen took a deep breath and tried hard to suppress the anger in his heart, but there was still a cold murderous intent in his tone.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" The guards took their orders and left. The imperial study suddenly fell silent, leaving only Chai Zhen standing by the window, gazing gloomily into the distance. Meanwhile, Cen Jiexiao had no idea she had been swept into an even greater storm...
The sacrificial ceremony was postponed due to the assassination attempt, and the atmosphere throughout Linkang Prefecture became tense. Zhaoyin Academy even tightened its security, almost impenetrable. Cen Jiexiao lay in bed, her wounds aching slightly. Even more disturbing was the masked man that night.
Who was he? Why did he save her? Why was he connected to Xi Xiang? A series of questions lingered in her mind, making her even more irritable.
"squeak--"
The door of Cen Jiexiao's room was opened, and she asked cautiously, "Who is it?"
"It's me." A deep male voice came with a hint of an exotic accent.
Cen Jiexiao was stunned for a moment. This sound... could it be? She suddenly threw back the quilt, ignoring the pain in her body, and stood up to check.
"Xia Chenghao?!"
He was dressed in black, his tall and straight figure almost filling the door frame, and his handsome face had a pair of eyes that were enough to bewitch people, but in those eyes there was some emotion that Cen Jiexiao could not understand.
"Why are you here? Aren't you afraid of being discovered? I didn't catch you last time, but this time you really dare to fall into the trap." Cen Jiexiao lowered her voice and looked around vigilantly.
Xia Chenghao didn't answer, but walked straight into the room and closed the door.
Cen Jiexiao was startled by his sudden action and could not help but take a step back and asked warily: "What do you want to do?"
Xia Chenghao's eyes fell on her injured chest, his brows slightly furrowed, and his tone was filled with a subtle worry and reproach: "You open the door like this? What if it's an assassin?"
Cen Jiexiao was choked by his words, then subconsciously covered her wound with her hand and said angrily, "You know this place is heavily guarded. How could an assassin get in? Also, don't look around, or I'll really arrest you. I'm the Imperial Scholar appointed by the court!"
"I know that it was conferred personally by the emperor of your Great Zhou. Also, if I really wanted to do something bad, I would have done it long ago. In addition, I have said before that you need to strengthen the protection of your study. This time I got in without any effort!" Xia Chenghao said lightly, walked straight to the table, poured a cup of tea, and drank it all.
Seeing his familiar demeanor, Cen Jiexiao felt even more puzzled and couldn't help asking, "What on earth are you doing here? Aren't you just here to lecture me and test the security of my academy?"
Xia Chenghao turned and looked at her, his eyes fixed on hers, and he spoke word for word, "I came to see how the person I saved that day is recovering."