Wen Lingjiao shook her head and smiled helplessly: "This He'er has grown up with me since she was a child, and she only serves me, so everyone in the sect... everyone in the sect is afraid of her. She is really too arrogant and speaks without restraint. Please forgive me if I have offended you."
Qiu Yizi waved her hand and said magnanimously, "What's that? The Princess Bohai whom you met in Guangyang City is many times more aggressive than He'er. You say one word and she has ten words waiting for you. Even my adoptive father, Prince Youyan, has to give her some respect!"
"Oh, is that so?" Wen Lingjiao seemed a little disappointed. She replied incoherently and asked again, "Just now I heard you say in the courtyard that you have something to tell me. What is it?"
Qiu Yizi nodded, but didn't know where to start. After a long silence, he said half-as-please, "It's been several months since we parted in the Japanese army. Miss, how are you?"
Wen Lingjiao said slowly: "Young Master is very capable. He defeated my Holy Church army in a few moves. He also came up with many clever tricks and easily captured the Yuhuangding headquarters. I fled all the way like a stray dog. I finally settled down in Luoyang, but Young Master brought the Persuasion Bureau here... How can I say that everything is going well?" After saying this, she raised her phoenix eyes and glanced at Qiu Yi.
Qiu Yizi saw the rare shyness flashing in her eyes, and couldn't help but feel moved. After calming down a little, he said, "This is what I want to say. Your sect has been struggling, and it was hard to gather rural villagers to start an uprising in Henan. Although it was quite smooth at the beginning, and it was considered to have captured several counties, but when the Youyan army arrived, it was like a flood washing away the sand, and it was defeated in an instant. This shows that it is really difficult for your sect to succeed in its great cause, and I am afraid that a single misstep will lead to eternal regret."
When the shortcomings of the Tianzun Sect were mentioned, Wen Lingjiao, the Saint of the sect, showed a hint of displeasure on her face. However, she was gentle after all, so she said with a hint of mockery: "Sir, are you here to show off your martial arts to me? Don't forget, you are now surrounded by tigers and wolves. If you step out of this threshold, you might be turned into dust immediately! Aren't you still under the protection of my Saint Sect?"
Qiu Yizi smiled after hearing this: "Miss, don't forget that you are no different from me at this moment. You are just in this tiny place. If I walk out of this door, I may be shattered to pieces. Miss, you may not be able to keep your body intact after leaving here."
Wen Lingjiao smiled and said, "That young master really looks down on me. I have been free and easy in Luoyang for more than half a month. If I want to escape from this small place, I am afraid there are ways!"
"What about outside the capital? Even if the lady can escape from Luoyang, she will still be a criminal that the court is trying hard to find. As the saying goes, All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people in the world are the king's subjects. Does the lady intend to escape like this for the rest of her life, never having a day in peace and living out her life like this?" Qiu Yizi asked.
Wen Lingjiao was speechless when she heard this, and couldn't think of anything else to say in response. But she heard Qiu Yizi continue:
"This is the second point I want to make. I have carefully read the scriptures of the Tianzun Sect and know that although the Tianzun Sect claims that all beings are equal, it is ultimately just the Wen family's inheritance. The leaders of every dynasty have been succeeded by men from the Wen family. Although the young lady's brother is doomed to die, Miss Wen is, after all, just a female member of the Wen family, and there is a way to save him..."
As Qiu Yizhi was talking, he subconsciously touched his chin, thinking, and said: "If the young lady can surrender to my adoptive father, the prince, I will do my best to protect her. Perhaps my master and several brothers can come forward and say a few good words. Maybe my adoptive father will show mercy and pardon the young lady's crime and give her a clean body. Then the young lady will be able to walk lightly in the world of martial arts, wouldn't it be wonderful?"
“Is… is that so…” A fleeting light suddenly flashed in Wen Lingjiao’s eyes.
Qiu Yizhi had seen this and thought: Since ancient times, women have not had great ambitions, they just want to live a peaceful life. Could it be that the scene he described has moved the gorgeous Wen Lingjiao in front of him? He also thought that his adoptive father, the Prince of Youyan, has always distinguished between good and evil and hates cults. There is no guarantee that he can really forgive this arrogant Saint of the Tianzun Sect.
So Qiu Yizi immediately said: "What I just said has not been discussed with my adoptive father. But my adoptive father has always been kind. Even if there are some difficulties at that time, if I guarantee it with my life, I believe he will not embarrass the girl!"
"What you said is indeed a way out, but... but I can't just watch my brother..." Wen Lingjiao bit her lower lip with her jade teeth and sighed vaguely, "What the hero Yuchi said just now, 'Once you are in the arena, you have no choice', it's really a wise saying!"
Qiu Yizhi looked at Wen Lingjiao's frowning face, and suddenly a strange feeling came over him. This feeling was something he had never felt before, and it seemed to be somewhat similar to the feeling when Yiran met him by the Hutuo River that day, but the taste was very different. Although Qiu Yizhi was young, he grew up in a military camp and was used to seeing blood and flesh flying everywhere. His heart had long been tempered into a stone, but Wen Lingjiao's smile and a few words melted the seemingly hard surface, revealing a fragile core.
Qiu Yizi's heart tightened and he could no longer sit still. He stood up quickly and stood by the bed, carefully observing the pale window paper, reciting the ancient poem in his heart: "Reeds are lush, white dew turns to frost. The so-called sweetheart is on the other side of the water. Following her upstream, the way is long and obstructed. Following her upstream, she seems in the center of the water..." When Master Zhongli recited this ancient poem, he only felt that the language was simple and the artistic conception was profound. Today, he finally felt the mystery of it.
Wen Lingjiao over there had nothing to say. She sat upright in her chair, playing with her hanging hair with her hands intentionally or unintentionally.
The room suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of two people's hearts beating fast and slow.
I don't know how long the silence lasted, He'er finally knocked on the door and came in. She was also a very smart person, and seeing that the atmosphere in the room was a little awkward, she didn't say anything, but took out a few plates of stir-fried meat and vegetable side dishes, and a few plates of fine snacks from a food box she was carrying, and placed them neatly on the table, then stood aside respectfully.
Wen Lingjiao murmured, "Sir, please have your meal!"
Qiu Yizi had already pricked up his ears to listen carefully to her movements, but he pretended to be in deep thought and was awakened. His body trembled, and then he sat back in his original position and said, "Miss, please..."
Wen Lingjiao, however, was reserved and humble.
Qiu Yizi didn't want to pick up her chopsticks either, and said again: "Miss, please eat first..."
He'er, who was serving beside him, could no longer hold back: "Mr. Qiu, please eat quickly. When has our young lady ever honored you with a meal at the same table with a man? Not to mention eating, even sitting at the same table and talking so much is something that has never happened before..."
After hearing what He'er said, Wen Lingjiao's pretty face turned red with embarrassment. She complained, "He'er, what are you talking about? Be careful or I'll punish you when I get back!"
He Er seemed to be used to talking casually with her master, and she said angrily, "Young lady, don't be so modest. If you continue to be modest, I'm afraid you two will starve to death."
After He'er's disturbance, the awkward atmosphere in the room was somewhat relieved. Qiu Yizi and Wen Lingjiao were indeed very hungry. They looked at each other and picked up their chopsticks at the same time. Just as they were about to put some food into their mouths, they heard someone in the yard say, "Is my brother here?"
Qiu Yizhi heard the voice and realized that it was Yuchi Lianghong who had returned from work, but before he could agree, He'er, who was standing by, thought it was the unruly member of the Tianzun Sect, so she shouted, "What brother? Who is so bold? How dare you shout in front of the young lady?"
Qiu Yizi smiled and stopped him, saying, "Miss He'er, don't talk nonsense. My brother is back from doing some work." Then he said to Wen Lingjiao, "I have something to say to my brother. I'll take my leave first... I'll come back to accompany you in a while. I'm sorry for being so rude."
According to He'er's personality, she would definitely mock Qiu Yizhi if she saw him leaving. But she seemed to be very afraid of Yuchi Lianghong, and she didn't dare to say a word and watched Qiu Yizhi walk out of the house.
As expected, Yuchi Lianghong, following Qiu Yizhi's instructions, used his peerless Qinggong to easily find Zhao Chengxiao in the Prime Minister's Residence, and explained Qiu Yizhi's words in detail, and then hurried back to report. He had high Qinggong skills and rich experience in the martial arts world. After leaving the Prime Minister's Residence, he secretly saw a few minions of the Persuasion Department following him, so he walked for a while, took a long detour, and made sure that no one was following him, and then flew into the courtyard.
Qiu Yizi talked with Yuchi Lianghong for a while, then pushed the door open and went back into the house, saying to Wen Lingjiao, "This hero Yuchi is my sworn brother. He was in a hurry to help me with some things, and he didn't have time to eat. Could I borrow your kindness and invite my brother to have dinner with me?"
Wen Lingjiao's face flashed with a fleeting reluctance, but she said: "Young Master, you are really unfathomable in what you do. It is fortunate that you have the chance to become sworn brothers with the world's best martial artist, Yuchi. I really have to look at you with new eyes. Since you are interested, it would be fine to invite Yuchi to come in and have a chat."
Although Yuchi Lianghong was born in an aristocratic family and was well-trained among the martial arts heroes, he was still a warrior after all. After working hard, his stomach was empty. He just said "please" to the two and started to eat heartily. Qiu Yizi and Wen Lingjiao saw that Yuchi Lianghong was eating so happily, so there was no reason to be polite, so they ate up the whole table of dishes like a whirlwind.
After having enough wine and eating, when He'er had cleared the dishes on the table, Qiu Yizi bowed to the two of them and said, "It just so happens that Miss Wen and my brother are both here. I have a small matter that I must help with. I wonder if you two can help me with this?"
Seeing that both of them nodded silently, he smiled and said, "I want to meet the eunuch Wang Zhonghai who is behind this!" (To be continued)