PMM - 37

On the surface, it seemed like there was no clue about who kidnapped Lian Sheng, but upon careful thought, one could roughly figure out the situation.

There were only two people who had the ability and reason to take her.

The first was Xiang Han. He had previously shown interest in Yi Huan, so it wasn’t impossible that he would make a move again. But after Yi Qiancheng thoroughly inquired about the situation, he ruled out Xiang Han as a possibility.

The people who kidnapped Lian Sheng had gone to Yi Huan’s courtyard, but they clearly didn’t intend to take Yi Huan; they were just trying to confuse and divide the forces of the City Lord’s Mansion. Their real target was Lian Sheng.

The second person... could only be Lian Sheng’s older brother, Lian Qi.

Liang Zhen had betrayed the City Lord and delivered the letter to him. Lian Qi must have guessed that he knew of Fang Mu’s death and that Yingdong had something to do with it. Fearing for Lian Sheng’s safety, he took her away.

If it was Lian Qi... did Lian Sheng willingly go with him? Yi Qiancheng pursed his lips, his eyes cold like stars. Whether or not she did, he would find out by asking her himself.

After figuring it out, Yi Qiancheng took his men and headed for Yingdong.

Lian Sheng had been in Yingdong for several days. Lian Qi had arranged a house for her in the city. Lian Sheng didn’t want to return to the City Lord’s Mansion, so she stayed in the house. She was eager to investigate the cause of Fang Mu’s death and personally went to the outskirts of the city, where he had died.

The brown soil showed signs of the tragic events that had once occurred. The body had already been dealt with, and Lian Sheng asked Lian Qi about the whereabouts of the body. Lian Qi remained silent for a long time before answering, “It’s been so many days since the incident, it’s hard to find Fang Mu’s body now. A Sheng, let’s set up a monument for him here.”

Lian Sheng shook her head, clenching her clothes tightly: “This is Yingdong. Fang Mu wouldn’t want his remains to stay here; he must want to return to Shaji.”

Hearing the word “Shaji,” Lian Qi’s gaze darkened for a moment, but quickly returned to normal. He comforted her, “You’ve had a long day. Let’s go back now. I’ll take care of things here.”

Lian Sheng was indeed tired, so she returned to the house and waited for news from Lian Qi.

She hadn’t returned to the City Lord’s Mansion and didn’t know the reason behind the events, but Lian Qi understood clearly. This matter was undoubtedly a result of their father and Liang Zhen’s collaboration. Her father was eager to please Liang Zhen, even sending Lian Si Tian to the imperial city.

Lian Qi was furious at his father’s foolishness. While he didn’t care about Lian Sheng’s life or death, he could see some truth in Liang Zhen’s intentions. If the imperial city rejected Yingdong, it would be abandoned by both sides. He had worked hard to protect Yingdong from the Western Qiang invasion, almost sacrificing himself in the process. Now, with things turning complicated, it was as if everything had been in vain.

Despite his anger, Lian Qi knew that there was no way to salvage the situation. He had grown up under the care of this city, and he couldn’t bear to watch Yi Qiancheng destroy it. The last remaining path, ironically, was to ally with Liang Zhen to oppose Yi Qiancheng.

He brought Lian Sheng back, but he wouldn’t let her know the truth about Fang Mu’s death. The servants in the house remained silent, only trying to make her happy.

Lian Sheng had inquired about the current situation in Yingdong. A few of her maids shook their heads, saying they didn’t know. She had an odd feeling in her heart. Her brother seemed to dislike her going out lately, but when she asked, he simply explained, “Since the death of Lord Fang, the city has been unstable. A Sheng, stay in the house, and I’ll inform you when there’s news.”

Lian Qi had written a letter and instructed someone to deliver it to His Majesty Liang Zhen. When he finished, his serious expression relaxed, and he ordered someone to bring back the hairpin he had specially commissioned.

Lian Sheng was holding a small brazier, and the sky outside was gray, making her feel a little melancholic. Her maid, seeing that her mistress wasn’t in a good mood, was terrified, worried that her brother might get angry.

Before the maid could think of how to cheer her up, she saw a man in a sky-blue robe coming toward them. The maid immediately fell silent and quietly withdrew.

Lian Sheng heard the movement behind her and turned around to see her brother, Lian Qi. He was wearing a blue robe and jade crown, his expression slightly cold. Upon seeing her turn, his indifferent demeanor disappeared, replaced by a soft smile.

Lian Sheng smiled faintly and couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, do you have any news?”

Lian Qi paused and casually shook his head, “Not yet.” Lian Sheng hid the disappointment in her eyes. Lian Qi walked over to her side and glanced at the gray sky.

“It’s cold outside. Let’s go inside. I’ve brought something for you.”

Lian Sheng followed his instructions and went inside. Lian Qi handed her a delicate box engraved with pear blossoms. Lian Sheng opened it to find a phoenix hairpin set with rubies, obviously a valuable item.

It was beautiful, but why was her brother giving it to her? In the past, he would bring rare trinkets or delicious treats, but this was the first time he had given her jewelry.

She looked at him with wide eyes, and Lian Qi explained, “You came back to Yingdong in a hurry and didn’t bring any clothes or jewelry. I happened to see this and thought it would suit you, so I bought it.” He didn’t mention that he had ordered it to be specially made.

As her brother, Lian Sheng softly thanked him and was about to keep it. When she placed it carefully away, she noticed Lian Qi was looking at her with pursed lips and said nothing.

“Brother?”

“Don’t you like it?”

Lian Sheng found her brother’s gaze a little strange. The hairpin was beautiful and valuable, so of course, she liked it. Seeing her hesitation, Lian Qi’s expression softened, and he asked again, “Then why don’t you wear it?”

Lian Qi seemed a bit too insistent on this matter. Lian Sheng was helpless and didn’t want to disappoint him. She opened the box and placed the hairpin in her hair, slightly tilting it. Lian Qi studied her for a moment before walking over and adjusting her hairpin.

“It’s crooked.” He reached out and took the hairpin from her, fixing it for her. Lian Sheng could only see his smooth chin and couldn’t make out his expression.

Lian Sheng had thought about it for several days and finally decided to return to the City Lord’s residence. “Brother, I want to return to the residence once and ask Father what happened. I still believe someone incited Father to kill Lord Fang,” she said. Upon hearing this, the warmth in Lian Qi’s eyes froze for a moment.

“Does Ah Sheng not trust me?”

Lian Sheng shook her head. Of course, she trusted Lian Qi, but after so many days without any clues, and not knowing what had happened in Shaji after she was taken away, she wanted to go see for herself to feel at ease.

Once a lie is told, the following lies come naturally. Lian Qi said, “I couldn’t get any information out of Father. He refuses to talk, and going there will be useless. Besides, you shouldn’t go back to the City Lord’s residence now. Father has already offended Yi Qiancheng. Since he didn’t care about your safety the first time, there will be a second time. You are still Yi Qiancheng’s wife. If you return to the City Lord’s residence, you might never leave again.”

He carefully observed Lian Sheng’s expression, but she didn’t show any sadness at her father’s heartlessness. Lian Sheng truly wasn’t sad anymore. The pain from the heart would eventually become numb with time. When she was young, she used to hope that her father would be as loving as other children’s fathers, but in return, she was increasingly distant from him. Her father had repeatedly abandoned her. After feeling sad for a while, she stopped being sad.

However, in the past, Lian Qi would always be afraid of making her sad and would never directly mention such matters. This time, he pointed it out straightforwardly, as though he no longer cared whether there was still any father-daughter bond between them. After carefully thinking about Lian Qi’s words, she realized he was right. If her father could be so ruthless as to kill Fang Mu, he would not hesitate to harm her again.

Lian Sheng agreed with Lian Qi and decided not to return to the City Lord’s residence.

The current situation still felt awkward and strange. Lian Qi had arranged a house for her and instructed the maidservants to keep her company. He didn’t want her to go out and would bring various gifts whenever he visited. Lian Sheng didn’t like this. When she was in Shaji, she couldn’t leave, and now in Yingdong, the situation didn’t seem much better.

A few more days passed, and Lian Sheng asked to go out for a walk. The maidservant’s expression changed, and she hurriedly said, “Miss, the wind outside is strong and unstable. How about you walk around the yard instead?”

Lian Sheng frowned. “Who is the master here, you or me?” She sensed something was wrong. It seemed that everyone in the residence didn’t want her to go out.

The maidservant’s face turned pale, and she didn’t dare to reply. Just then, a warm voice came from behind, “Ah Sheng, who made you angry?”

“Brother, I’m not angry. I just want to go out for a walk.” Although she couldn’t go to the City Lord’s residence, there were still people who had served her for many years inside the residence. It would be fine to ask a few questions.

“Today I have nothing to do. I’ll accompany you,” Lian Qi said with a calm expression, giving instructions to prepare a sedan chair. As soon as everything was ready, the doorman hurriedly came in and whispered to Lian Qi, “Young master, something happened at the City Lord’s residence.”

He spoke in a very low voice, and Lian Sheng only vaguely heard the words “something happened.” After hearing this, Lian Qi’s expression didn’t change, and he turned to Lian Sheng, saying, “Something happened, Ah Sheng. How about I accompany you another day?”

Lian Sheng quickly said, “I can go out by myself.”

Lian Qi’s eyes darkened. “Take good care of the young lady,” he instructed in a low voice. Someone responded softly from behind. Lian Qi then left the room. The maidservant helped Lian Sheng with her cloak and asked, “Miss, shall we leave now?”

Lian Sheng nodded and went out with her attendants. Behind them, the guards exchanged a look and quietly followed Lian Sheng.

Lian Qi’s heart was not as calm as it seemed on the surface. The incident at the City Lord’s residence had been caused by Lian Cheng, who had sent a message. The doorman’s description was vague, but it was clear that people from Shaji had appeared at the City Lord’s residence in Yingdong. Upon returning and seeing the two corpses on the floor, Lian Qi looked at his father with questioning eyes.

Lian Cheng had a troubled expression as he stared at the two black-clad bodies on the floor. “They came into the residence last night. They were poisoned guards. After they were discovered, they committed suicide,” he said. It seemed they had failed to extract any information.

“It must have been people from Shaji. Last time, the emperor didn’t handle Lord Fang’s men properly. Yi Qiancheng must know that my father is involved in Lord Fang’s death, and that’s why he sent people to kill him.”

Lian Qi remained silent, staring at the bodies on the floor. There was nothing to indicate who had been behind it, but he guessed it was probably people from Shaji. However, the purpose of their visit might not have been to assassinate his father in revenge for Lord Fang. It was likely that they had come for Lian Sheng.

He didn’t share his suspicions with Lian Cheng. Only his personal guards knew where Lian Sheng was. Lian Qi explained to his father that the Shaji people’s defenses were strict, and their men couldn’t get in. Fearing for Yingdong’s safety, he had returned. Lian Cheng half-believed him, but since his eldest son was the pillar of the family, he didn’t press the matter further.

Lian Qi instructed his father to strengthen the defenses at the residence and then went to the study. One of his subordinates whispered, “Young master, the young lady left the alley and went to a restaurant. She bribed a few beggars and had them keep watch near the City Lord’s residence. She also described the maidservants and old women who used to serve her in the courtyard. When they were buying things, she asked the beggars to send a message to meet her.”

Lian Qi’s gaze turned cold. So, Ah Sheng still wanted to investigate the matter on her own.

“Let her go. Bribe one of the old women from her courtyard and have her tell her about the situation at the City Lord’s residence. Don’t let her get suspicious.” But as for what exactly happened at the City Lord’s residence, Lian Qi would be the one to decide.

Liang Zhen had replied, agreeing to cooperate with him. Lian Qi read the letter and then burned it. He had no fondness for Liang Zhen, but in terms of military strength, he couldn’t compare to Yi Qiancheng. Lian Qi figured that even with Liang Zhen’s forces and Yingdong’s, they couldn’t match Yi Qiancheng. But if Huan Shui joined in, the situation might change.

No matter how strong Yi Qiancheng was, he wouldn’t be able to overcome the combined forces of the three cities. Lian Qi was the eldest son of the Lian family and had grown up defending Yingdong. He couldn’t abandon the city, but he also couldn’t allow Lian Sheng to remain by Yi Qiancheng’s side. Thinking of what Yi Qiancheng had done to her as his wife, her body now belonged to another man, and her heart was slowly leaning toward him as well, a fire ignited in Lian Qi’s chest. The ice had melted, but now it burned like wildfire.

He wanted his sister, and he wanted to protect Yingdong.

He would try not to interact with her as a brother for now. When the time was right, he would tell her about Aunt Yu’e. If she knew she wasn’t the daughter of the Lian family, would she accept him?

No rush; even if someone from Yingdong arrives, as long as it’s not Yi Qiancheng, he can slowly figure out how to respond. Yi Qiancheng is still at Fengmu, and by the time he arrives, everything will already be arranged.

...

The matter that Lian Sheng was handling finally showed some progress, and now she just had to wait for the little beggars to deliver the message. Her mood improved a bit, and for the next few days, she didn’t bring up the idea of going out.

The maids let out a sigh of relief, worried that the young lady might cause more trouble. The weather was getting colder, but Lian Sheng’s habit of napping remained unchanged. She burrowed into the warm blankets, enjoying it immensely. Just as she was drifting into a light sleep, her chin started itching. She reached up to scratch it, but her hand was immediately grabbed. Lian Sheng was startled and opened her eyes.

The man’s gaze was deep as a dark pool, his face expressionless as he looked at her. Because she was sleepy, there was a slight gleam of tears in the corner of her eyes, and her delicate skin, so fair and soft, had an indentation on her chin where he had just pressed down, giving her a fragile, delicate appearance.

Lian Sheng thought she was dreaming, seeing his sharp features and dark eyes focused on her. How could Yi Qiancheng be here?

The chill from his body seeped into hers as he pressed close. Moreover, his grip on her hands kept her still, and the coldness of his skin told her that this wasn’t a dream.

Still in a haze, she murmured, “Husband.”

Her voice was so faint it was almost like a mosquito’s buzz, but it was enough to shatter the expression on his face.

“You seem to be living comfortably.”

He spoke, and she could tell that Yi Qiancheng was angry—very angry.