The bodies on the ground were carried away, and the guards carried buckets of water to wash away the blood stains on the wooden boards. It seemed that they were washed away, but the smell of blood still lingered in the air.
Xu Zhihuai sat on the bed with his hands on his knees, speechless for a long time.
Zhu Xuxing comforted her for a while, leaving her to freshen up and change clothes.
Xu Zhihuai took off her wet dress and wiped her body with cold water. She wiped away the blood on her cheeks and ears until her skin started to tingle.
Xu Zhihuai lowered her eyes and looked at herself reflected in the water. Her face was a little distorted, and her eyes were dark and sad.
She knew in her heart that the people in the fishing village were in serious danger.
The Huangji Guards were able to massacre her family's village back then, so they certainly won't let them go tonight...
A cool breeze blew gently, making Xu Zhihuai shiver.
She couldn't help but think of that night when the sky was full of fire, when a group of men in black broke into the village with swords and flying swords, killing people and setting fires with ruthless methods!
When she crawled out of the winter cellar, there was nothing but devastation and misery.
Thick smoke billowed, broken walls were broken, and charred and twisted corpses were everywhere. Of the more than sixty people in the village, she was the only one who survived.
That night became her eternal nightmare.
Xu Zhihuai took a deep breath and raised his head to suppress the tears that were pouring out.
She should have been obedient and stayed in the cabin. But for some reason, she still walked onto the deck by mistake. The Huangji Guards on the other side were lined up in black clothes and leather boots, holding extremely sharp Tang Hengdao.
Wei Li and Yue Yichuan looked coldly at the fishermen who were kneeling down begging for mercy. Regardless of whether they were men, women, old or young, they all wanted to be interrogated one by one.
Soon, the cry came, the sound was harsh.
Xu Zhihuai's vision was gradually blurred by tears. She didn't dare to listen anymore, held her head and covered her ears, and ran back to the cabin in a hurry.
The long-lasting pain broke through her layers.
Zhu Xuxing came back to look for her and frowned when he saw her stumbling away.
When he caught up with her, he saw two lines of big tears hanging down her cheeks, crying like a tearful person.
"Zhihuai."
He was anxious, hugged her and patted her gently: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
Xu Zhihuai lay on his shoulder, grabbed his sleeves, and cried with a three-quarter vibrato and a seven-cent voice: "Please, Your Highness, please don't let Qing Yihou kill anyone again..."
Zhu Xuxing's bright and clear eyes flashed with tenderness. He held her shoulders with both hands and said solemnly: "They will not hurt innocent people."
Xu Zhihuai's eyes flickered, but he stopped talking.
Wei Li is a madman, who can control him?
Xu Zhihuai bit his lip, holding back the pain of remembering, and said in a trembling voice: "Your Highness knows the methods of the Marquis...you can't kill those children..."
Zhu Xuxing looked slightly startled when he heard this: "You misunderstood, how could I let Wei Li hurt an innocent child?"
"No!"
Xu Zhihuai shook his head vigorously: "I can see clearly how His Highness treats those fishermen. I am just afraid of Qingyi Hou Weili, his methods, and his indifference."
Zhu Xuxing frowned slightly and murmured: "Wei Li is a sharp and powerful sword. The court needs him, and I need him too. The people who attacked us tonight are definitely not something ordinary people can deal with." , the same thing happened in Huainan."
It takes ten years to sharpen a sword, and it will never become stronger until it is broken.
Although Zhu Xuxing sometimes resented Wei Li's actions, he knew very well that Wei Li's sword was sharpened "by his own hands".
After hearing Zhu Xuxing's words, Xu Zhihuai lowered his eyes silently, his thick eyelashes blocking the sadness and disappointment in his heart.
Yes, kill first and report later, royal power has granted you!
The overwhelming power in Wei Li's hands was given to him by the court, the emperor, and the prince. How could he not use it?
But why did the court kill her family back then?
She doesn’t understand, she doesn’t understand!
Seeing that she was slightly entranced, Zhu Xuxing held her in his arms again to calm her down. He leaned against the side of her face and whispered: "I know you are kind in your heart, but you must kill someone tonight."
Xu Zhihuai bit his lip and said nothing, his heart filled with sadness.
I don’t know how long it took, but the sky turned gray and blue and white.
Xu Zhihuai blinked his dry eyes, feeling that he could still vaguely hear some crying in his ears.
After hesitating for a long time, she opened the window and looked.
The Huangji Guards on the shore disappeared, and so did the villagers begging for mercy and complaining. There were only piles of burned-out fires, with lingering smoke drifting in the wind.
Xu Zhihuai's gaze also followed the light smoke, and soon she saw the bright red color emerging among the gravel on the shore.
When she took a closer look, her heart became tangled again unconsciously.
How many lives were lost in the hands of Qingyi Hou Weili in just one night?
Xu Zhihuai looked at the dirty blood quietly and gasped softly.
After this incident, she also understood that the initiator behind this cruelty was not only Wei Li, but also the Crown Prince who held her in the palm of his hand every day, and the emperor who he was so comfortable with!
The truth may be even muddier than this bloody water, and it's so confusing that it makes people feel chilling.
After a night of turmoil, everything was settled and the merchant ship set off again.
After Xu Zhihuai tidied himself up, he got up and went to the front cabin to prepare tea for Zhu Xiuxing, who had not slept all night.
Wei Li and Yue Yichuan were also there, and Xu Zhihuai was calm and peaceful. When he was supposed to be bowing and doing things, his pair of slender jade hands rose and fell to create three cups of fragrant tea.
The first cup was naturally for Zhu Xuxing. She held it up with both hands and smiled brightly: "Your Highness, please use it. This is the Osmanthus Longjing that Your Highness likes."
Zhu Xuxing felt a little distressed: "Why do you need to do this kind of thing?"
The smile on Xu Zhihuai's face became more and more gentle, and he lowered his eyes and said: "Your Highness, I was frightened and confused last night and said a lot of rude words. Moreover, I also remembered that when I was attacked by an assassin, luckily Qing Yi Mr. Hou showed up in time and saved my life." After saying that, she turned around to get a second cup of tea and bowed to Wei Li: "Thank you, Mr. Hou, for saving my life. Let's have a cup of tea to express our gratitude."
Zhu Xuxing was slightly surprised when he heard this, and suddenly heard Wei Li laughing loudly.
He took the tea and didn't even look at Xu Zhihuai. He only looked at Zhu Xiuxing: "Your Highness's woman is indeed extraordinary and quite tolerant."
His mocking and frivolous words did not make Xu Zhihuai panic. She gave the third cup of tea to Yue Yichuan: "Master Yue was injured while protecting His Highness last night. Is it serious?"
Yue Yichuan frowned and looked at Xu Zhihuai with a scrutinizing gaze, and then said for a long time: "It's nothing serious."
After Xu Zhihuai served the tea, he retreated and returned to the cabin quietly. But she was not idle either. She took a bath, changed clothes, dressed up, and made herself look delicate and pretty.
It is getting dark and the birds are returning to their nests.
Zhu Xuxing came back to rest and was startled when he entered the door.
Under the orange candlelight, Xu Zhihuai was dressed in scarlet clothes, ready to bloom.
She turned her apricot eyes and looked at Zhu Xingxing with great energy, her eyes filled with charm as she looked around.
Then, she stood up and ran towards him, her figure as graceful as a butterfly.
"Your Highness."
She rushed towards him softly, her pink arms actively hooked around his neck, and she threw herself into her arms with the warm fragrance of soft jade.
Zhu Xuxing was startled suddenly, his chest felt hot, and he seemed to want to say something. Unexpectedly, the person in his arms met his lips and kissed her softly.
Such behavior is so obvious, so how could he not understand?
Zhu Xuxing's eyes fluctuated: "What's wrong with you?"
Xu Zhihuai buried his little face in his neck and blew warm air into his ear: "Your Highness, I'm so scared. If I died under that assassin's knife last night, the thing I would be most reluctant to part with in this life is Your Highness. . There is only His Highness in my heart, and I only live for His Highness."
