NCCnovel Chapter 281 Shadow Secret Guard
Chapter 281 Shadow Secret Guard
Yan Hongxin dragged his legs and slowly walked back to the mansion.
His figure cast a long shadow in the afterglow of the setting sun.
His spine was slightly bent, his face was heavy, his eyes stared blankly ahead, and his thoughts were a tangled mess.
On the way back home, the hustle and bustle of the city was isolated from him, and the only sound in his ears was his own heavy breathing.
When he entered the mansion, his wife Lin Yun had been waiting in the main hall for a long time.
She was wearing a plain silk dress, but there was a hint of uneasiness in her eyes.
Seeing Yan Hongxin return, she moved lightly and quickly directed the servants to retreat. Her movements were elegant but firm.
When they were the only two left in the hall, Lin Yun opened her red lips and spoke softly, "What's the situation?"
Yan Hongxin slowly raised his head and his eyes met Lin Yun's. The complex emotions in his eyes were like a bottomless pool.
He took a deep breath and said slowly, "That traitor Yin Hongzhi actually attempted a rebellion and even tried to instruct me to mobilize 20,000 Qizhou troops."
"I recruited all three thousand death warriors myself, and they follow my lead."
"Now, pass on this message."
"Tell the Shadow Official that the turmoil in Qizhou will soon subside. The King of Qi is just like an ant trying to shake a tree. There is no way he can succeed."
"That's the password. Shadow Secret Guards, come out and kill him in the dark night."
Lin Yun nodded slightly.
She stared at Yan Hongxin and asked softly again, "Husband, have you really thought it through? This decision concerns your life and property, and the safety of the country."
Yan Hongxin puffed out his chest.
"Your Majesty's kindness to me is as deep as the sea, like a rebirth. I, Yan Hongxin, am a man of honor. How could I do such a treasonous act?"
Lin Yun looked at her husband in front of her, feeling mixed emotions.
She was originally an ordinary woman in Xianyang City, but due to a trick of fate, she became a Shadow Secret Guard, a death warrior hiding in the darkness and working for His Majesty.
She knew the mission she was carrying, and it constantly reminded her: If Yan Hongxin showed even the slightest sign of rebellion, she would eliminate him without hesitation.
At this moment, looking at Yan Hongxin's determined expression, she felt a little reluctant. She had been testing him all her life.
Until just now, I was still testing.
Let's see whether Yan Hongxin will be loyal to His Majesty and whether his heart will waver.
How can we give up so easily the years of love between husband and wife and the days and nights of sharing joys and sorrows?
She quietly hid the dagger hidden in her sleeve deeper and smiled sweetly.
"My dear husband, I will pass on the information. May you be safe and sound."
Yan Hongxin watched Lin Yun's back gradually disappear at the end of the corridor. A trace of melancholy flashed in his eyes, and then he sighed softly.
The wife doesn’t know her husband, and the husband doesn’t know his wife!
Yin Hongzhi paced back and forth in the study of his own mansion.
His hands clenched and unclenched, and the anxiety in his heart surged in waves.
"Husband, why are you so anxious?"
Yanran's gentle voice gently brushed against Yin Hongzhi's tense nerves.
She walked lightly into the study, holding a cup of steaming hot tea in her hand.
The aroma of tea rises in the air.
Yin Hongzhi looked up and saw Yanran, with some surprise in his eyes.
But he soon relaxed, he breathed a sigh of relief, his voice slightly tired: "Ran'er, why are you here?"
"Didn't I tell you to take the child and leave this place quickly, away from Qizhou?"
Yanran smiled slightly.
She said softly, "My dear, you are alone in this mansion facing the storm. How can I bear to abandon you?"
"Come, have some hot tea and relax your body and mind."
Yin Hongzhi looked at Yanran's gentle appearance and felt deeply moved. He shook his head slowly, reached out to take the teacup, and took a sip.
A look of doubt appeared on his face: "Ran'er, why does this tea taste a little sweet today?"
After saying that, his brows furrowed slightly, as if he was thinking hard about something.
After a moment, he muttered to himself, "Ran'er, everything is ready now. We just need to wait for your brother to dispatch the 20,000 troops. Then, we can only follow the King of Qi and wander around the world, far away from the Tang Dynasty."
He sighed heavily, and that sigh was full of confusion about the future.
"Ran'er, I am fortunate to have such a virtuous wife like you by my side in this life. It is truly a blessing from heaven and the greatest blessing in my life, Yin Hongzhi."
Yanran listened quietly to Yin Hongzhi's words, her eyes calm as water, and she slowly placed the tray in her hand on the table beside her.
She reached out and gently stroked Yin Hongzhi's cheek, her fingertips lightly stroking his face, the touch rough yet extremely familiar.
Her voice was soft.
"Brother Yin, you have a lot more wrinkles on your face."
Yin Hongzhi held Yan Ran's hand, feeling the warmth from her fingertips, and said with emotion, "Time is merciless, and people will eventually grow old. This is a fate that all things in the world cannot escape."
"When I was young, I was a horseman in the Qin Palace. I was full of ambition and thought I could make a great career in this world."
"But now, time has passed quickly, and everything has changed."
Yan Ran's eyes flickered slightly as she looked directly into Yin Hongzhi's eyes and asked, "My husband, since you know that you were once a member of the Qin Palace and were deeply indebted to the King of Qin, why are you now embarking on this path of betrayal against His Majesty?"
Her gaze slowly moved to her feet, no longer looking at Yin Hongzhi's reaction.
When Yin Hongzhi heard Yanran's words, his eyes widened instantly.
There was disbelief in his eyes, and his mouth opened slightly, wanting to shout loudly, questioning Yanran why he said such a thing.
But he was horrified to find that his throat seemed to be burning in flames, the pain was unbearable, and he couldn't utter a single word.
He subconsciously clutched his neck tightly with both hands, trying to ease the excruciating pain.
His face turned red, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were fixed on Yan Ran, full of confusion, anger and despair.
Yan Ran slowly raised her head and glanced at Yin Hongzhi, who was struggling in pain. Her tone was calm, yet filled with sadness: "What a pity, my husband. If you didn't have this idea of rebellion in your heart, perhaps we could really be together for the rest of our lives and grow old together."
"But at this moment, I'm sorry. As a Shadow Secret Guard, I only obey your Majesty's orders and dare not disobey in the slightest."
"Go with peace of mind. Our child will live well."
"If he were as stubborn as you, he wouldn't be able to survive."
Although Yanran tried her best to keep an expressionless face, two lines of tears still slowly slid down her cheeks.
Yan Ran was still worried until Yin Hongzhi was completely dead. She slowly squatted down, stretched out her trembling hands, and carefully checked Yin Hongzhi's heart pulse. After confirming that he was dead, she slowly stood up.
Her legs felt slightly weak as she slowly walked out of the room, gently closing the door. She said to the servants waiting outside, "The master is going to rest. No one is allowed to go in without the master's order."
The servants responded in unison: "Yes, Madam!"
Yanran listened to the servants' responses and returned to his yard with heavy steps.
In the corner of the yard, she found the carrier pigeon she had raised for a long time, and took out a small note that had been written long ago from her bosom. The handwriting on it was beautiful: Hide the blood and filth, and protect the people's prosperity.
She carefully placed the note between the pigeon's legs, then gently stroked its feathers and whispered, "Go and report this message. Don't betray His Majesty's trust."
After saying that, she raised her hands, and the carrier pigeon flapped its wings and flew into the distant sky.