Tang Ning slid the bracelet onto her wrist, realizing that it fit perfectly—not too large, not too small. The golden and jade hollowed bracelet looked extremely beautiful against her fair skin, with the small bells gently hanging down. When she moved her hand slightly, the bells chimed softly.
A faint smile appeared in Tang Ning's eyes as she played with the bracelet on her wrist before finally lowering her gaze to the letter Xiao Yan had sent back.
The letter was still written in concise language, with Xiao Yan telling her that he had found the Di family's mother and two children. He had rescued them during an ambush and became acquainted with them. He mentioned that he had been delayed a few days in Anxi, and had developed new ideas regarding the Zhen'an Army and the Di family. He intended to take advantage of this opportunity to completely seize control of the Di family, meaning his return to the capital might be delayed for some time.
Tang Ning traced her fingers over the letter paper thoughtfully.
Canglang spoke up: "Lady, has the Master said when he will return to the capital?"
"Probably still a little while," Tang Ning replied, handing the letter to Canglang. "At first, my brother went to the northwest only to investigate certain matters, but meeting the Di family has given him more opportunities. If he can take advantage of the Di family now, and once he returns to the capital, he will no longer need to worry about them in the future."
When Xiao Yan left the capital, they both knew that the promised twenty-day return was not a set date. However, Xiao Yan had told her that he went to the northwest to confirm certain things, so even if there was a delay, he would surely return within a month.
But when Xiao Yan sent word that he had encountered the Di family, and she had unexpectedly learned of his true identity, she had a vague feeling that he would use the Di family to take control of the military power. However, seizing control of both the Zhen'an Army and the Longting Guard would not be easy, especially when dealing with the generals guarding the border.
Tang Ning had long been prepared for Xiao Yan to delay his return. In order to give him enough time in the northwest, she had taken advantage of the Lingyun Temple incident without hesitation, dragging the Second Prince, the Fourth Prince, and even Empress Lu into it.
Xiao Yan publicly "spitting blood" and re-injuring himself was covered up by Doctor Sun, and with the help of Yue Fengcheng, the emperor would not suspect anything.
The Empress and her son had failed to harm her, one was confined to the Fengxi Palace, and the other was imprisoned. Although they wouldn't die, they would certainly be severely punished. They wouldn't be able to come to Jiyun Alley for a while.
The Second Prince would not face much consequence without solid evidence, but half of the court officials had spoken in his defense during the morning court. This would undoubtedly upset Emperor An. Even if he wanted to explain and prove his innocence, he would most likely send someone in his stead to avoid being seen as conspiring with Xiao Yan.
Even if he did come personally, Tang Ning and Xiao Yan would likely be so furious over the Lingyun Temple incident that they would refuse to see him. The Second Prince would become nervous and would not think much of it.
Previously, the capital had been too quiet, and Xiao Yan had been unable to avoid people coming to "visit" him. But once the capital became chaotic, those who had been associated with Xiao Yan would all have their own problems to deal with. Emperor An’s attention would shift to Jiyun Alley, and those people wouldn’t be able to avoid the eyes of others, giving Xiao Yan plenty of time.
Tang Ning turned to Canglang and said, "My brother needs at least another month. The capital needs to be thrown into turmoil first."
"The Fourth Prince's wife and Princess Leyang have undeniable evidence of their crimes, but the Fourth and Second Princes still have opportunities to clear their names. You should have someone incite the Fourth Prince's wife’s family to turn against the Fourth Prince, and as for the Second Prince, Second Lady Bai and Madam Pei should not investigate too quickly."
"Furthermore, spread the word that the Lingyun Temple incident was a setup targeting both the Second and Fourth Princes. Try to shift the blame onto other princes or royal relatives. The aristocratic families should also not be spared—don’t go into too much detail, just make it seem plausible."
Canglang asked, "Lady, do you intend to stir up chaos in the capital?"
Tang Ning lightly hummed in response, "Be discreet, and don't let anyone notice."
After Canglang left to carry out the orders, Tang Ning burned the letter and then curled up by the Yu Li Terrace, playing with the bracelet on her wrist, watching the shimmering lake surface.
Her head rested on her arm as she sighed softly. She didn’t know when her brother would return.
She missed him so much.
...
Northwest.
After parting ways with Madam Di, Xiao Yan escorted the Di siblings on their journey through the northwest.
At first, after they changed their appearances, the pursuit had lessened, and Xiao Yan even found someone to tend to Di Tao's injuries. They were traveling at a moderate pace.
But just two days later, the constant pursuit resurfaced. Their disguises had lost their effectiveness, and the guards who had been protecting them were killed or wounded.
After two days of fleeing, as they approached Fengcheng, the Di siblings were in a desperate state. Even Xiao Yan and the remaining three guards were severely injured.
Di Tao's previously untreated injuries had worsened, and he had been slashed in the leg. Xiao Yan was carrying him, while Di Fangyun followed closely behind, being protected by one of the guards.
Di Tao could smell the strong scent of blood from Xiao Yan’s body as he looked down.
"Brother He, you, you go..."
Even if Di Tao wanted to use the people in front of him to protect himself, he felt a strong sense of guilt at this moment. He watched how Xiao Yan risked his life to protect them, and also watched the people around him being killed and injured.
At this time, Fengcheng was not far away, but the people chasing behind were very close, and the footsteps were getting closer and closer.
They can't escape.
Di Tao struggled to get down, his eyes red: "Run quickly... You can save your life if you enter Fengcheng, don't worry about me, take Fangyun away..."
Di Fangyun's tears were streaming down her face. She bit her lips tightly and dared not speak.
Di Tao whispered: "Brother He, take Fangyun away and leave me alone..."
"Shut up!"
Xiao Yan growled, and rushed forward with a pale face: "So many people died to protect you. If I abandon you now, their deaths will be in vain. I still have to wait for you to repay me."
If it was when they just met, Di Tao might have believed him, believing him for the sake of the Di family behind him, but after knowing each other for so many days, Xiao Yan protected them all the way during their escape. If it was just for profit, he could have abandoned them long ago. Di Tao already knew that he was a person who was cold on the outside but warm on the inside and very soft-hearted.
Di Tao shed tears as he watched the blood flowing down his arm: "It's Fang Yun and I who are holding you back."
Xiao Yan listened to the dying voice behind him, gasping for breath, and looking at the vaguely visible city wall, he whispered: "Di Tao, we have already reached Fengcheng, you can't fall into the hands of Beiling people, General Di can't have a weak underbelly because of you... The Zhen'an Army is protecting the Great Wei, I must keep you alive."
Xiao Yan staggered, having lost too much blood, and his face turned pale, but his words remained calm.
"I promised to send you back, so I won't abandon you."
Di Tao's eyes were red.
"There, don't let them get on the official road!"
“Chase after him!”
A loud shout came from behind, and a figure in the forest was getting closer and closer. Xiao Yan said to the side while running: "Zhang Bin, wait a minute, you take Di Tao and the others away, I will stop the people behind!"====================
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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