"You…"
Xiao Jinyan took a token from his chest and threw it at one of the servants: "Go to the county office. Tell the County Magistrate not to delay and come here immediately."
"Yes, yes, I'll go right away."
Seeing the token engraved with the character "Rui," the servant turned pale with fright and dared not disobey in the slightest. He mounted his horse and sped off like the wind.
"You all…"
Xiao Jinyan pointed his sword at Liu Kui and gave orders to the remaining men: "Tie him up with rope and hand him over to the County Magistrate for punishment."
"How dare you tie me up? Do you want to die?"
Liu Kui tried to threaten them again, but Su Cai, who had gotten up from the ground, stuffed a torn rag into his mouth.
His servants, intimidated by Xiao Jinyan's authority, tied him up tightly with rope.
The Su family was deeply grateful to Xiao Jinyan. They offered him the best room to rest in and brought out medicinal ointment they usually hesitated to use, applying it to his wounds.
Su Xiao's mother steeled herself and slaughtered the family's only egg-laying hen to make chicken soup, hoping to nourish his health.
After drinking the soup, Xiao Jinyan's complexion noticeably improved, no longer as pale as paper.
Lying in bed, he appeared to rest with his eyes closed, but in reality, he remained highly alert. As a martial artist, his hearing was exceptionally sharp, and he could clearly perceive every movement around him.
The room where he was temporarily recuperating happened to be Su Xiao's boudoir. Her family doted on her and had given her the best-positioned south-facing room with ample sunlight.
Seeing Xiao Jinyan's eyes tightly shut, she mistakenly thought he was asleep. Tiptoeing to the wardrobe, she took out a clean ruqun dress. Turning her back to the bed, she removed the clothes that had been soaked in the river.
The faint rustling sounds reached his ears, and Xiao Jinyan's vigilance surged. He abruptly opened his eyes.
What met his gaze was the maiden's slender waist, resembling a piece of jade immersed in water—snow-white and flawless.
His face flushed crimson. After staring blankly for a few seconds, he closed his eyes again.
Unaware of his momentary change in expression, Su Xiao changed her clothes, picked up the family's only bronze mirror, and went to the window to examine herself closely.
The person in the bronze mirror was slightly different from the captivating, peerless beauty she had been just before her death in her previous life—somewhat more youthful and tender. Her delicate and elegant face featured a pair of cunning, lively eyes, with thick, long eyelashes fluttering, exuding endless playfulness and charm.
How wonderful!
She had returned, truly restored to how she was before her Ji-pin ceremony.
She was Su Xiao, no longer Liu Qinghan, the courtesan of the brothel.
Her family was still alive. She was still her parents' most beloved daughter and her brothers' most cherished younger sister.
She was so happy, so elated that she felt like flying.
Lost in joyful thoughts, Su Xiao couldn't help but hum a little tune and spin happily around the room a few times.
In her previous life, she had mingled in the brothels and, before becoming a courtesan, had rigorously practiced music, song, and dance.
Her voice was soft and beautiful, and with her current joyful mood, the melody she hummed was exceptionally melodious and pleasing to the ear.
Xiao Jinyan listened attentively, unconsciously immersed in the sound.
The servant returned quickly, accompanied by the County Magistrate and a Prince Rui's guard who had caught wind of the news and tracked them down.
Seeing the token representing royal status, the County Magistrate was already terrified out of his wits. Upon entering, he immediately fell to his knees with a thud.
Supported by the guard, Xiao Jinyan walked to the stone bench in the courtyard and sat down. His cold gaze, sharp as a blade, seemed to slice through the County Magistrate's nerves.
"Your Highness, spare my life…"
The County Magistrate trembled in fear, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy: "My worthless son did not intentionally offend; he was acting under orders when he came to the countryside and offended Your Highness."
"Under whose orders?"
Xiao Jinyan asked in a deep voice.
"A noble from the capital."
The County Magistrate answered timidly: "That noble saw the young lady of the Su family in a carriage and remarked, 'Such a rare beauty even in this remote town.' The noble's attendant then ordered this official to handle the matter properly and send Miss Su to the capital."
"Ah?!"
Su Xiao's expression changed upon hearing this.
Only then did she understand that Liu Kui had come to the countryside to seize someone—it was actually related to that noble she had encountered in the county town.
At the time, she had indeed seen the curtain of the carriage lift slightly, but she never expected that the noble's offer of help had ulterior motives.
"Who is it?"
Xiao Jinyan frowned tightly: "Who could make a local official like you so terrified that you willingly serve them?"
"The noble's name…"
The County Magistrate shook like a sieve in fear: "This official dares not say."
"Swish!"
A flash of sword light swept by as Xiao Jinyan's personal guard placed a blade against his neck.
"It's… it's… Prince Xian."
The County Magistrate shuddered all over, nearly wetting himself in fright.
Xiao Jinyan's eyes suddenly widened, shooting out a sharp, icy glare.
Prince Xian, Xiao Ji, was born to Consort Xue and was Xiao Jinyan's sworn rival.
The current Emperor had many sons, but the most powerful contenders for the Crown Prince position were Xiao Ji and Xiao Jinyan.
Xiao Jinyan's mother was the Empress.
One held seniority, the other held legitimacy, and the forces behind them were also divided into two factions.
The Emperor adored Consort Xue and favored Prince Xian.
The Empress was not the Emperor's preferred choice; she was the daughter of a minor sixth-rank official, forcibly given to the Emperor by the Empress Dowager to consolidate her own position in the palace and facilitate control.
The Empress Dowager was not the Emperor's birth mother. During his youth, she had listened to politics from behind a curtain, holding power over the court for many years, with numerous trusted veteran ministers under her command.
The Empress's maternal family was weak and relied on the Empress Dowager. Though she appeared prestigious on the surface, she was actually a puppet, having to obey the Empress Dowager in all matters.
This was why Xiao Jinyan, despite being the legitimate son of the central palace and holding military power, had to exercise caution and could not easily sever ties with the Empress Dowager's faction. It was also why he remained unmarried past the age of twenty.
First, he spent years leading troops in battle and had no mind for marriage.
Another important reason, born of necessity, was to ensure the Empress's safety in the palace and to win over the forces behind the Empress Dowager, he had to marry a daughter of the Lin family.
This trip to Jiangnan, accompanying Lin Wanru on an outing, was also a gesture of goodwill toward the Empress Dowager.
However, he never expected to encounter an assassination attempt.
Xiao Ji, though bearing the title of Prince Xian, was actually two-faced and unpredictable. In her previous life, Su Xiao had heard many rumors about him in the brothels.
Upon realizing that the noble from the capital was Prince Xian, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
Xiao Jinyan's peril on the Qinhuai River was likely connected to him.
If she could think of it, how could Xiao Jinyan not?
He narrowed his eyes, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.
His eldest brother had truly given him a "great gift"!
Lin Wanru was the only daughter of Chancellor Lin, his precious child born in his later years, cherished like a pearl in his palm.
Xiao Ji's assassination attempt targeted him, but Lin Wanru also suffered as a result.
During the attack, he deliberately watched Lin Wanru fall into the water without rescuing her, aiming to kill two birds with one stone.
If Lin Wanru were truly dead, it would not only free him from having to marry a woman he did not love but also drag Prime Minister Lin into the fray, making him despise Xiao Ji and engage in a life-and-death struggle with him. Meanwhile, he himself could remain hidden behind the scenes, reaping the benefits of their conflict.