Chu Xinian, who had led a meticulous and boring life, rarely encountered this kind of situation. It took him a few seconds to understand Xie Jingyuan’s intention.
“…”
The night was long and he said nothing. In the darkness, he quietly took off his boots and then lay down on the bed.
Xie Jingyuan felt the movement beside him with his eyes closed and motionless, feeling only the faint, distant, and cold scent unique to Chu Xinian. It was like a cold rain falling in a desolate forest, where there was no one around.
The bed was covered with a thick mattress, but Xie Jingyuan still felt cold. But it was too warm for a normal person.
Chu Xinian let out a sigh, “General, being soft-hearted is not a good thing…”
He said these words again, this time directly addressing Xie Jingyuan.
Xie Jingyuan widened his eyes, raising his eyebrows in disbelief, “Are you talking about me?”
Chu Xinian asked back, “Is there anyone else here?”
Xie Jingyuan’s disdain for this term was evident. He commented sarcastically, “Those words would be more appropriate for the Crown Prince. Even the Emperor praised him for his innate kindness and benevolence.”
Chu Xinian’s hands dropped to his abdomen, his fingertips circling silently. He wanted to say that those who could compete for the throne could not be simple. How could the Crown Prince be truly kind and benevolent?
But in the end, he said nothing.
Among the nine dragon sons, each one was different. The struggle within the Royal Family was inherently more ruthless than that of ordinary households. It was a matter of life and death: lose and die, win and live. Each had their reasons for fighting for that position.
Perhaps there were no absolute heroes or villains in the struggle for the crown. Only Chu Xinian, who had the pen, named “Chu Jiaoping” as the protagonist, so the Crown Prince’s supporters became the antagonists.
Now, looking from Xie Jingyuan’s perspective, the blame might not be entirely on him.
Chu Xinian did not realize that so much time together had gradually tipped the scales of his heart, causing him to develop a preference for a certain character. To the point of disregarding the original protagonist.
This kind of silent change was the most terrifying.
In the dark, Chu Xinian accidentally touched Xie Jingyuan’s cold hand and discovered that the other party’s body was as cold as ice. Slowly, he reached out and adjusted the slippery sheet for him, whispering, “Sleep.”
Xie Jingyuan had not yet eliminated his remaining poison, and his body was always cooler than the others.
He did not speak, as if he had fallen asleep again. But Chu Xinian heard the sounds of System in his ear: [Ding! Attention dear host, the villain’s blackening level has dropped to 93%. Please continue your efforts~]
Compared to the previous times, this time it dropped a little more, but Chu Xinian still didn’t know why. He opened his eyes and looked at System’s glowing body, wanting to ask something but feeling that he would not get an answer.
Chu Xinian just said, “…You can disappear now.”
It’s already night, you’re blinding me.
System emitted a furious hum: [Ignorant human! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!]
Who do you think you are!
In the evening of the next day, Chu Xinian put on clothes that allowed him to move easily, tied up his hair, and set out to explore the scene of the murder. He had already asked Chu San and Chu Si beforehand, and the location was 50 km south of the outskirts of the Capital, in what was once a deserted village.
Xie Jingyuan sat on the edge of the bed and stared at him as if he were watching a good show, “What, are you planning to leave at night?”
Chu Xinian wiped the dagger he carried for self-defense and hid it in his clothes. He replied, “What, you don’t think so?”
Xie Jingyuan slowly shook his head, smiling mischievously, “This General just wants to know how you plan to leave the Capital at night without a pass.”
The Great Yan Dynasty had a curfew. At the end of the day, one was not to venture out at night. Offenders would be briefly detained or promptly punished on the spot.
Chu Xinian had no official position, and no special duties, so he couldn’t get into a carriage and go out ostentatiously. Unless he learned how to cut a hole in the ground like a rat.
“I know.” Chu Xinian kept his cool. He lifted the hem of his robe and sat next to Xie Jingyuan, extending his hand towards him, “General, could I borrow your pass?”
Xie Jingyuan glanced at the thin, white palm of his hand, then sneered, finding it ridiculous, “Why should I lend it to you?”
Chu Xinian smiled and lowered his voice, saying earnestly, “If I find out the truth and help the General eliminate an enemy during the night, will the General lend it to me or not?”
Xie Jingyuan paused, his sharp gaze.
“Enemy?” He pondered these words, smiling with ambiguous meaning, “How do you know who my enemy is? You’d better find the murderer.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“This Prince is curious too, isn’t it, General Xie?” His gaze was fixed on Xie Jingyuan, his tone unfriendly.
Xie Jingyuan did not move, but Chu Xinian stood up and saluted, “Greetings, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
“Forget the formalities.” The Crown Prince still showed no signs of friendliness towards him. He waved his hand and sat down. His gaze first landed on Chu Xinian, then shifted to Xie Jingyuan, asking with a half smile, “Why are you staying up late and running to the desolate suburbs of the Capital? Are you tired of being a high-ranking General and want to be a petty thief?”
It was Xie Jingyuan who had asked the Crown Prince to come.
Xie Jingyuan ignored Chu Xinian’s inquisitive look and ordered someone to bring two black garments, “Put these on.”
Then he turned to the Crown Prince, “Today, the ones standing guard are the Huben Guards, and they are very strict when it comes to inspection. As I have publicly declared my illness, using permission to leave will certainly draw attention. So I thought I would use your carriage to go out together.”
Chu Xinian realized the trick, “Your Highness also wants to leave the Capital?”
The Crown Prince remained silent. Xie Jingyuan looked at Chu Xinian and explained, “Tomorrow is the anniversary of the Late Emperor’s death. The Crown Prince visits the Imperial Mausoleum outside every year to pay his respects.”
Chu Xinian put on his clothes silently, thinking that Xie Jingyuan surely borrowed the Crown Prince’s route for his convenience. Wasn’t he afraid that he had ulterior motives? Chu Xinian looked at Xie Jingyuan thoughtfully and asked, “Will the General go too?”
Xie Jingyuan grimaced, “Why, you can go but I can’t?”
Chu Xinian thought, let him go if he wants to. After all, he wasn’t involved in anything shady. He smiled and replied, “Of course, you can.”
The night was dark. The spies outside saw the Crown Prince linger briefly in the General’s Mansion before going out again. He climbed into the carriage and headed straight for the suburbs of the Capital, unnoticed by the two attendants following him.
The Crown Prince sat expressionless in the carriage, feeling uncomfortable with the swaying motion. It was understandable to bring Xie Jingyuan, but why bring this ‘enemy spy’, Chu Xinian? They could not help but cast suspicious glances at him.
Xie Jingyuan sat opposite Chu Xinian, his eyes also fixed on him, pondering over something.
Chu Xinian held a medium-sized gourd in his hand, containing some kind of liquid and swaying gently from time to time. He was smiling, looking innocent and harmless under the dual gaze of Xie Jingyuan and the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince pursed his lips, thinking that he was as skilled at pretending to be a pseudo-gentleman as Prince Jin.
Xie Jingyuan raised an eyebrow and asked directly, “Why are you smiling?”
Chu Xinian shook his head, “It’s nothing.”
He simply found it amusing and strange. He wondered if back in the modern era, anyone would believe his experience if he wrote about it.
As the carriage approached the Capital’s gate, it was stopped. The deputy commander of the Huben Guard, seeing the royal emblem, frowned and asked with sword in hand, “May I ask who is inside the carriage? Kindly show yourself.”
The sharp voice of the eunuch driving the carriage rebuked, “Insolent! This is the Crown Prince’s carriage. How dare you stop us?”
The deputy commander remained indifferent and said, “There has been a proliferation of bandits lately. Among them are many camouflaged experts. I am only concerned about security.”
The eunuch glared, about to protest angrily. But the Crown Prince suddenly pulled aside the curtain and looked out, frowning impatiently, “I am going out to pay my respects at the Imperial Mausoleum. If anyone dares to prevent me, he shall be beheaded without mercy!”
His face was that of the Crown Prince, and his temperament matched that of the Crown Prince. It was not something an ordinary person could imitate, let alone his audacity.
Seeing this, the deputy commander followed orders and quickly signaled to let them pass.
Since the Crown Prince had revealed himself as he pulled aside the curtain, Chu Xinian took the opportunity to squeeze into a seat next to Xie Jingyuan. Observing the situation, he thoughtfully asked, “Has the Crown Prince always been like this?”
He recalled that when he wrote about the Crown Prince, although words like ‘incompetent’ were used, he did not expect the character to be so bold. After all, the Huben Guard was the Emperor’s guard. It seemed that the Crown Prince did not have much respect for them.
Xie Jingyuan looked at Chu Xinian and said, “Don’t blame me for not warning you, but he is very petty. It is better not to ask such questions.”
Just as his words fell, the Crown Prince returned to his seat. His gaze darted back and forth between the two, his tone suspicious, “Were you speaking ill of me?”
Predictably, he was narrow-minded.
Chu Xinian remained silent, and Xie Jingyuan looked away.
The carriage continued to sway as it traveled towards the suburbs, leaving deep tracks in the muddy road. The sky was dark, with stars barely visible. Chu Xinian kept track of the time, and after about three hours, the carriage finally stopped.
Xie Jingyuan jumped out of the carriage, feeling the cold wind blowing. He coughed slightly and frowned, enduring the discomfort.
Chu Xinian had a cloak in his hand, wanting to help Xie Jingyuan put it on, but he hesitated as the Crown Prince was nearby and made no move.
The Crown Prince sat down in the carriage and lifted half the curtain, saying, “I am going to burn incense in the Imperial Mausoleum. I will return to this place in half an hour to pick you up”.
After giving the order, the group set off. The eunuch driving the carriage swung his whip and the wheels sped away, quickly disappearing at the end of the small road.
Chu Xinian watched the Crown Prince drive away, feeling bewildered. The Empress Dowager’s memorial day was an important event, and all the members of the Royal Family were supposed to burn incense and pay their respects. Why was the Crown Prince the only one walking alone in the middle of the night?
Xie Jingyuan seemed to understand his confusion but did not explain. He merely said, “You came late at night just to stand here?”
Chu Xinian handed him the cloak and then used a lamp to light the torch in his hand. He grabbed a wooden stick and walked into the depths of the forest, using the dim light to guide his way as he tapped the bushes with the stick.
Xie Jingyuan saw the cloak, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly put it on, “At this rate, I’m afraid we won’t reach our destination before dawn.”
Chu Xinian strictly followed the guidelines of wilderness survival. In the dark and dangerous mountain forest, it was necessary to use a stick to explore and avoid the attacks of snakes, insects, and rats, “Safety is important.”
Xie Jingyuan took a piece of stone and quickly snapped the wooden stick in two. He smiled mockingly and said, “With General Xie present, are you still afraid of danger?”
“…”
Chu Xinian looked at the remaining half of the stick in his hand for a few seconds, reflected on Xie Jingyuan’s words, and found some truth in them. He discarded the stick and continued walking with the torch.
Xie Jingyuan increased his pace and went ahead to explore the path. As a martial arts expert, his vision was excellent. He keenly observed unusual shapes in the surrounding trees. Upon closer inspection, he found many branches cut cleanly, indicating that a fierce fight had taken place.
Chu Xinian came to his side and touched the clean cuts on the branches, “They were cut by a sword.”
The crime scene must be nearby.
Chu Xinian looked at the dimly lit lantern in his hand and remembered something, “System?”
A large diamond appeared in response, illuminating the surroundings brightly, comparable to the lights of a nightclub. He snorted and said: [Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?]
He also needs to rest, you know?
Chu Xinian didn’t think anything, just called out to him to give him a light, “….I’m a little confused about which way to go, I’d like to ask you for help.”
System loved to help the lost lambs. Eagerly he approached and asked: [Host~ How should I help you?]
Chu Xinian smiled softly and said, “Stay here and don’t move”.
System: […]
Only Chu Xiniann could see the glow of the System. Looking at the nearby tangled undergrowth and the extensive trampled marks, indicating a possible crime scene. He regretted that the rain a few days ago had washed away any traces of blood.
He took out a small gourd he had prepared in advance, poured its contents into the palm of his hand, and spread it evenly on the ground.
Xie Jingyuan caught a sour smell, resembling alcohol and vinegar, and frowned, “What are you doing?”
Chu Xinian said, “Looking for bloodstains.”
As early as the 1930s, forensic scientists began using the reagent luminol to detect bloodstains. When this reagent reacts with the hemoglobin in blood, it produces fluorescence.
However, the Great Yan Dynasty obviously had no such thing, so Chu Xinian could only mix vinegar and rice wine and spread it evenly on the grass. This liquid would also react when it found bloodstains.
Although Xie Jingyuan did not know what he was doing, he still held the torch to provide light. When Chu Xinian poured the liquid from the gourd, faint white traces suddenly appeared on the grass. Although the color was extremely light, it was still visible under the torch.
Xie Jingyuan hadn’t seen such a technique before and frowned doubtfully, “Is this what you call bloodstains?”
Chu Xinian nodded, “The power of science.”
Xie Jingyuan clicked his tongue and sneered, “Is this person called science impressive?”
He thought science was a person.
A hint of a smile shone in Chu Xinian’s eyes, and he said slowly, “Hmm… Probably a little more impressive than you.”
Xie Jingyuan’s face darkened, and he gritted his teeth silently. With the silver mask on his face, he looked even more sinister and ghostly in the darkness.
Chu Xinian did not notice and focused on examining the bloodstains on the ground. Finally, he discovered that among the chaotic bloodstains, there seemed to be a trail in a southeasterly direction.
He poured the liquid from the gourd and continued spraying it. A faint, almost invisible stain of blood ran straight into the depths of the dense forest.
Chu Xinian said to Xie Jingyuan, “When Jiu Ning was dying, she crawled a distance. Let’s take a look.”
Xie Jingyuan had an unpleasant expression and refused to move. But seeing that Chu Xinian was already walking towards the forest, he reluctantly followed him.
The bloodstain was long, and as they walked further away, it became fainter and almost invisible. Chu Xinian had to discard the empty gourd and crouched down to look around for clues. The wild grass here grew tall, reaching up to his knees. As a result, he did not notice that there was a well under his feet. By the time he stepped in, he had already fallen…
“Xie Jingyuan!”
Chu Xinian’s heart clenched, and in his anxious state, he shouted that name. Xie Jingyuan turned around at the sound and immediately reached out like lightning to grab his arm, but due to inertia, the two were pulled together.
Xie Jingyuan grabbed the edge of the well with claw-like hands, trying to hold them both. However, the bricks and stones were rotten and crumbled under his grip, falling straight down into the deep well.
Splash!
Water splashed everywhere.
Great, there’s water in the well. It was Chu Xinian’s first thought after falling in.
If only Xie Jingyuan hadn’t cut his stick, they probably wouldn’t have fallen. Chu Xinian’s second thought.
They both fell into the well and choked on a few mouthfuls of water before resurfacing. Xie Jingyuan grabbed Chu Xinian’s arm tightly and immediately checked his condition, “Chu Xinian!”
“I’m fine,” Chu Xinian replied, wiping the water off his face with his sleeve. Perhaps he had become accustomed to a quiet life in his early thirties, as even in a desperate situation, he would quickly regain his composure.
Xie Jingyuan, “We fell into the well”.
“I know” Chu Xinian replied.
Xie Jingyuan did not know what to say for a moment but continued to tightly grip Chu Xinian’s arm. After a moment, he sneered, “You insisted on coming to the suburbs of the Capital, how do you like it now that you’ve fallen into a well?”
Chu Xinian felt a chill from the well water, which made him shiver, “General, can you climb up with your martial skills?”
As soon as he said it, he realized it was impossible. It was like a bird that falls into a well and can’t get out. They needed a horizontal run to take flight. If winged animals were like that, then Xie Jingyuan had even less chance of getting out.
Even if there was the ability of lightness in this era, it shouldn’t be possible to defy the laws of nature to that extent.
“No.” Xie Jingyuan shook his head, as expected, “The wall of the well is too high, at least 10 meters. Even if I jump, I can only reach a maximum of 5 meters.”
Chu Xinian now had only one thought in his mind: it was a miracle that they did not die from the fall. Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that Xie Jingyuan cushioned the impact when he fell.
Xie Jingyuan curved his lips and sneered, “Why don’t you let that person called ‘science’ save you, isn’t he more impressive than this General?”
Chu Xinian made a nodding sound, “He’s not here right now.”
Science was a mysterious thing, sometimes present and sometimes not.
Perhaps because it was too quiet in the well, Chu Xinian felt the urge to say something to lighten the mood. After a moment of silence, he said, “General, you didn’t have to fall in here with me…”
As long as Xie Jingyuan let go, everything would be settled.
Xie Jingyuan looked back at him, with most of his body in shadow, making it difficult to see clearly, “Is that so? I didn’t react in time just now. If you fall again next time, I won’t try to catch you.”
After saying that, Xie Jingyuan slowly let go of Chu Xinian and turned around, lost in his thoughts.
Chu Xinian looked at his back and suddenly felt that this person did not look like a villain. The ending in the original novel, where he was imprisoned by the new emperor until death, seemed too harsh.
Hesitating for a moment, Chu Xinian reached out and gently placed his hand on Xie Jingyuan’s shoulder, whispering, “It is estimated that the Crown Prince will come soon. Let’s hope he finds us.”
Xie Jingyuan thought of the Crown Prince’s reckless nature and sneered, “It would be better if he doesn’t fall.”
His mouth seemed to have a magical effect. Just as he uttered his words, a sudden clamor came from above as if someone was shouting. However, the distance was too great to make it out clearly.
Xie Jingyuan instinctively looked up, fearing that it was the Crown Prince and preparing to remind him to be careful. However, before he could speak, there was a sound of collapsing bricks and a dark figure plummeted down.
Splash!
The Crown Prince lived up to Xie Jingyuan’s expectations and fell successfully.
The author has something to say:
#An immortal fairy fell from the sky#
It seems like there are two vinegars around Chu Xinian. The one inside the gourd and the one beside him😂 Poor Science-kun, he became the subject of General Xie’s hatred.
The immortal fairy sure is going to give those two an earful!
Thank you so much for updating
Lmao the way i snorted when the crown prince also fell into the well as xie jingyuan’s prediction 😂😂 these trio make such good partners lmaoo