Chapter 245: Chapter 245: Pain That Hurts to the Core
The young man couldn’t help but ponder deeply.
However, some matters simply cannot withstand scrutiny.
Cui Yun wondered, did Emperor He act this way because he truly empathized with the common people, or was it just to gain a favorable reputation?
If it was the former, why not deploy personnel from the Imperial Censorate to create a balanced situation for mutual supervision?
There clearly existed many methods to eliminate such phenomena.
Was it negligence on Emperor He’s part, failing to foresee the consequences, or did the corrupt officials guess the Emperor’s intentions and thus dare to be so presumptuous?
If it was just the latter, then such a ruler is indeed too hypocritical.
The sudden rain lasted for half an hour.
After several people bade farewell and left, the old woman felt a small pouch the size of a palm on the table.
It was filled with gold melon seeds.
She had an eye disease and had been poor all her life, how would she know what it was.
Cui Yun did not stop what Xue Tuan did but simply said softly after boarding the carriage.
"Ji Qing, have someone send rice here every month."
Xue Tuan gestured to him.
Cui Yun: "You give her gold melon seeds, the old lady does not know what they are, even if she knew, she would not dare to use them."
Nonsense!
Xue Tuan did not want to admit it.
Cui Yun couldn’t help but tease it.
At this moment, Chi City urgently requested support, and the message arrived hurriedly from eight hundred miles away.
That night, Xue Tuan sulkily went to Qiao Si’s courtyard again.
Qiao Si was handling needle and thread, embroidering clothes for a newborn. The room was lit, and the faint smile on her lips seemed to brighten her surroundings.
"Where’s your money pouch? You used to hang it forward every day. Isn’t it too tight?"
She even measured Xue Tuan’s size.
"I’ll make you a piece of clothing too."
She touched her belly: "Using the same fabric, when worn it’ll show that you belong to the Cui family when you go out."
Xue Tuan meekly: "Meow."
"What’s wrong? Did Second Uncle scold you?"
Qiao Si’s gentle laughter was like water: "You’ve been coming to find me more frequently these days, how about waiting for the young master to come back? I’ll ask him to speak with Second Uncle, and try to take you over?"
Xue Tuan slumped down, it didn’t cry out, but simply quietly kept Qiao Si company.
Until Cui Yun came to find it, with a worried frown, Cui Yun carried it back.
Cui Yun furrowed his brows: "What’s the matter with you?"
Xue Tuan grunted.
Cui Yun chuckled.
"Being moody."
Xue Tuan didn’t have the energy to glare at him.
That night it was so anxious it didn’t even apply the ointment, pacing back and forth in the room.
Seeing that it was really not right, Cui Yun couldn’t help but hold it up on the bed, Xue Tuan was truly sad. It then willingly lay its head on the young man’s chest.
"Do you want me to soothe you to sleep?"
Xue Tuan thought about it, that would be nice.
Then go ahead and sing a little tune.
It looked eagerly at Cui Yun.
Cui Yun: "Wishful thinking. Close your eyes, sleep."
"Meow." It swayed its tail sadly.
After a while, a calm and lazily mellow male voice came from the room.
"Teach you how to read?"
With that sentence, Xue Tuan seemed to harbor murderous intent in its eyes.
Fortunately, Cui Yun did not trouble it, but started reading some complex and esoteric books he had recently been studying.
It was torturous.
Xue Tuan: ... It couldn’t help but yawn.
Cui Yun read a line, it collapsed a bit more. The cat’s eyelids drooped, and it fell deeply asleep.
The next day, Shengjing remained bustling as usual.
No one knew, the soldiers defending the land fought desperately, the civilians inside the city lived in perpetual dismay, experiencing the terror of life and death separations, and the once orderly streets led by the soldiers were already covered with corpses.
Dead.
A ground full of blood. As if it could form a river.
All dead.
It’s laughable that in the court, over trivial matters, these civil servants argue endlessly, just using their mouths.
"Mr. Jin, you arrived late to the early court session, and although I know you’re ill, those who don’t know might take this as a great disrespect towards the Emperor!"
"Lord Liu, why the sarcastic tone? Well, it’s because I filed a complaint against you not so long ago."
"You——"
"Lord Liu, there’s no need to fly into a rage from shame, indeed I had caused your demotion. Your displeasure with me is inevitable."
Prince Gong stood in the line, truly annoyed by what he heard. He glanced at the Duke.
"Look, they’re arguing again."
Emperor He sat high in the hall, and he remained silent, effectively condoning the officials’ disputes. After a while, he finally slammed the dragon table and declared authoritatively.
"Silence!"
"Where do you think you are?"
————
At Marquis Yangling Mansion, there was no peace that day.
Xue Tuan had gone missing. Everyone in the mansion was searching.
Cui Yun, under the wide-open window in the room, found a half-used Buhuo. His expression was somber and terrifying.
On New Year’s Eve five years later, in the pear garden, he had mentioned it to Shen Hua, yet he ultimately hid the fact that Xue Tuan was affected too.
He could only send servants of the mansion.
The young man, who had not yet inherited his title and had no achievements, was still a noble Second Young Master of the Marquis Mansion, but the government office and Ministry of Justice in Shengjing would not bow to his authority, not going as far as to dig three feet underground to find a cat.
Cui Yun clenched his lips tightly, tasting the flavor of power for the first time.
Without power, he could do nothing.
Meanwhile, in an abandoned temple, a cat’s tragic screams could be heard.
It bit hard into the hand of the man who captured it.
But how strong could a cat’s bite be?
Soon, it was flung away, its body tracing a mournful arc in the air, to finally crash heavily onto the ground.
The pain was so intense it felt in all its organs.
"You little beast."
The man, muscled and fierce, cursed angrily.
Possibly because of the heat, he didn’t care about the cat much, and quickly tossed aside the bothersome mask.
Under the mask was a ruthlessly savage face.
A scar stretched from the corner of his eye to the root of his ear, along with yellow, smoke-stained teeth.
"If not for your utility, I would have slaughtered you already!"
Xue Tuan struggled to get up, stumbling backward. It tried to run, but affected by the Buhuo, its head felt dizzy, walking crookedly.
It didn’t get far before collapsing with a ’thud’.
Then, it saw a familiar face entering.
It was—Third Elder.
He was dressed the same as when last seen, in all black, hunched over.
"You’ve arrived."
The savage man had no patience.
"Since you’re here, hurry up and perform the ritual, I’m still waiting to report back!"
Third Elder seemed reluctant.
"I really don’t want to commit sins anymore. You..."
"Is it your place to speak? Third Elder, don’t forget, your son’s life is in your hands. I advise you to be compliant."
"How dare you keep Zhong’er from me!"
"Keep him? Third Elder, you jest. He’s been invited as a guest by the master, treated daily to fine food and wine."
The scarred man played with the knife in his hand. He crouched down, one hand pinning down the struggling cat, the cold knife blade casually scraped over Xue Tuan’s body several times. Flesh turned inside out, and bright red blood spurted.
"Meow!"
Xue Tuan’s clear eyes filled with tears, which rolled down drop by drop.
It hurt so much.
Cui Yun! Why haven’t you come to find me yet.
At this time, why is there no Shadow Guard next to Cui Yun, if Yingwu were here...
The cat, weak and writhing in pain, cried woefully.
Then the man ominously said, "Murder is also an art. It must be done so God and ghosts won’t notice, without letting anyone spot any clues."
That means he had to start with someone or something near him.
So, he sought out Xue Tuan.
The scarred man sneered, "Bloodletting is done; it’s enough for you to place the poisonous insect."
He said, "This time, our Emperor wants the Second Young Master of the Marquis Mansion to die."