novelraw Chapter 1932 Gambling with Life
Chapter 1932 Gambling with Life
Chapter 1932 Gambling with Life
"Zhen Mi'er of Qianjinfang." Zhen Mi'er composed herself. "Daughter of Zhen Mingxuan, the former master of Cangjian Villa."
"Is the rumor true?" Honghe's eyes clearly showed disbelief. Zhen Mi'er parted her lips slightly, "Miss Honghe, where do you think this rumor came from?"
“It’s Qianjinfang…” Honghe suddenly realized, “The massacre of Cangjian Manor, could it not have been done by Zixiu?”
"Ji Ningtian will not let anyone who knows Zi Xiu's true identity live." Zhen Mi'er stared intently at Hong He. "Do you really want to know?"
"As long as I can die knowing why, it's not a big deal." Honghe slowly put down the dagger, pushed Mingxiang in front of Zhen Mier, and then shouted to the door, "Stop!"
The second-in-command and his men stopped, and Wan Jun also stopped his attacks. He flashed into the hall and walked to Zhen Mi'er's side with concern, "Mi'er, how are you?"
"I'm fine." Zhen Mi'er shook her head and patted Wan Jun's arm reassuringly, indicating that he didn't need to worry.
Honghe looked at the two deeply in love, her gaze falling on Wan Jun's snow-white robes. After a fierce battle, apart from a few specks of dust on the hem of his clothes, she could not see any flaws in him; he was indeed a master.
However, even the most skilled martial artist can only be one person.
Her brother Hongtai once told her that when facing a master, one must proceed slowly and methodically. This applies to everything; it all comes down to who can endure until the very end.
Being strong for a short time is not difficult. Being strong for a lifetime is the real skill.
However, the former General Zhenbei and Prince Pingnan, who was powerful throughout his life, ultimately met a tragic end, perishing in the deep sea of Yue.
The second-in-command followed Wan Jun closely and arrived in a hurry. "Well, did you get anything out of him?" He tried to suppress his voice, but he couldn't hide his urgency and anxiety.
Honghe shook her head, turned around and walked to the door, ordered her subordinates to retreat, and then closed the door tightly.
“Miss Honghe, do you really have to know?” Zhen Mi’er looked at that straight and slender back, her expression showing a hint of reluctance. “Once you know, there will be no turning back.”
Honghe turned around, her back against the door, and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Miss Zhen, do you think I can turn back now?"
She paused, a look of sorrow flashing in her eyes, "Now, it seems my husband Yin Quanzhang has already passed away, and my brother's fate is also unknown. The entire Feiling Mountain depends on me, so I should make the right decision."
Zhen Mi'er's expression was inscrutable. "Miss Honghe, sometimes the truth doesn't mean it's right."
“But we can’t turn a blind eye.” Honghe said resolutely, word by word, “I don’t want to be kept in the dark forever and be used by others until I die.”
“If your mind is made up…” Zhen Mi’er took a deep breath, “Zi Xiu is the real Princess Wu Qing, the daughter of General Zhenbei, Prince Pingnan and Lady Qin Ji.”
It was as if a giant boulder had crashed down, leaving Honghe and the second-in-command unable to move for a long time. After a while, they seemed to wake up from a dream and stammered, "What you said, is it true?"
Their almost unanimous words, however, were hesitant and uncertain, revealing the complex emotions of their owners.
The next moment, Honghe and the second leader spoke at the same time, but they said completely different things—"If Zixiu is the real Princess Wuqing, then who is the Princess Wuqing in the capital?"
"This is impossible! It's utter nonsense, completely absurd!"
Clearly, it was Honghe who raised the question, and the second-in-command who refused to believe it. After they finished speaking, they looked at each other and saw fear in each other's eyes.
If Zhen Mi'er's words are true, then all their actions over the years have been a colossal joke. They thought they were supporting Princess Wu Qing, but in reality, they were merely indulging in self-pity after being deceived by Ji Ningtian.
All that talk of enduring humiliation and making concessions was just a fig leaf for the struggle for power and profit. Now, all of that has been torn off, and it's been laid bare for all to see.
Thus, they became insignificant pawns, and Ji Ningtian revealed his true colors. However, this power struggle continues, and will never end.
Fang Lihui stared blankly at Fang Zilan, her smile gradually becoming forced. "I know that from the life-or-death gamble to the poisoning of my tea, my cousin wanted to protect me. It would be best if he could send me far away. But I'm already in the game, and I can't extricate myself from it anymore."
She paused, then sighed deeply. "The court won't let the late Duke of Yue go, and the martial arts world won't let Zixiu go. Cousin, do you think I can escape?"
“You never ran away.” Fang Lihui turned his head away and said in a low voice, “You never even thought about running away.”
"Isn't my cousin the same?" Fang Zilan looked at the hot tea in her cup. The rising steam blurred her eyes, but it couldn't obscure her voice. Every word entered Fang Lihui's ears clearly—
"If I really fall into a trap and fall into a deep sleep, what does my cousin intend to do? Send me and Awan's group back to Zuiyue Tower, and then go to Feiling Mountain alone to negotiate with that bandit leader? If my cousin can't hand over the person, he will definitely be in the wrong and will be suppressed everywhere. Who knows what kind of suffering he will suffer, or even lose his life."
"It's alright, I'm used to it." Fang Lihui's fingers rubbed the handle of the folding fan, his voice tinged with a hint of bitterness. "I've dealt with bandits and outlaws for years, and I know their temperament. Suffering is inevitable, but losing my life is not a given."
“I will go with my cousin.” Fang Zilan said without hesitation, “I promised my cousin Liren that I would take good care of you, and I cannot go back on my word.”
“Lanmei, even if you want to play the hero, don’t choose a time like this.” Fang Lihui chuckled. “Mountain bandits and outlaws are different from people in the martial arts world. They are ruthless, heartless, vicious, and cruel. You can talk to them about profit, but you absolutely cannot talk to them about right and wrong.”
Fang Zilan said sharply, "From the plague and pirates to the invasion of Miluo, the southern regions have had a hard time maintaining peace and stability. We have finally achieved national prosperity and peace, how can we allow mountain bandits and outlaws to run rampant again?"
"Do you know who's behind the bandits and outlaws? They're high-ranking officials from various prefectures, military commanders, and even..." Fang Lihui deliberately lowered his voice and said, "Families of nobles and nobles, and relatives of the emperor."
His last sentence was extremely harsh, and even Fang Zilan was greatly alarmed.
“It’s not that I’m trying to intimidate you,” Fang Lihui said quietly. “It’s just that the previous dynasty had deep-seated problems. Beneath the so-called prosperous age, there was already a lot of devastation. The prosperity of the capital cannot hide the poverty of the people, and His Majesty’s iron fist cannot stop the flames of war on all sides.”
“The deep-seated problems of the previous dynasty are not an excuse.” Fang Zilan said solemnly, “I know that a prosperous era cannot be achieved overnight; it requires years of painstaking efforts. Even if there are countless difficulties and dangers, we must not give up.”
"Eliminate the accumulated abuses of the previous dynasty, punish all factions..." Fang Lihui looked down at the folding fan in his hand and hesitated, "Can our Emperor really do that?"