Originally, Li Hong Ming was in the study waiting for the good news, while peacefully practicing his writing. When that secret guard entered, he didn’t even lift his eyes once. “Where’s the thing?”
“Wangye please forgive, the mission failed. This subordinate and the others got ambushed. The brothers, in ordered to cover for this subordinate, all died.”
Li Hong Ming angrily tightened the grip on the brush. In an instant, blue veins violently popped up on the back of his hand, and his jaw tightly clenched. His complexion was ashen, clearly forcibly restraining his anger, but in the end, he wasn’t successful. He violent threw the brush down on the table, then furiously swiped everything off the table. “Useless garbage!”
The secret guard knelt on the floor, enduring the sharp pain, not saying a word.
Li Hong Ming circled around the desk and kicked his foot over. The secret guard was kicked onto the ground, but he still managed to crawl up and properly knelt there. Only when Li Hong Ming saw the black and red blood on the ground, did he not kick him a second time. “Talk. Just what in the world happened?”
The secret guard thoroughly narrated the situation at the time in full detail impartially, not mixing in the slightest bit of personal feelings.
Li Hong Ming had pretty much already determined whose hand this was by, however he still wanted to further confirm. He didn’t want to make an irrational conclusion because of his own conjectures. “Do you know the identity of the other party?”
“Kang Qinwang’s people. One among them once fought with this subordinate before. Although this subordinate has never seen his face before, but those moves this subordinate is very sure of.”
Li Hong Ming’s fist was clenched tightly, “Li Hong Yi, this prince sure has underestimated you. Originally thought you were nothing but a defeated general under this prince’s hand. Never thought that hunting the falcon year round, yet instead getting pecked in the eye by the falcon. Good, very good, we’ll just wait and see. ———Go down and recuperate your injuries.”
“Yes, this subordinate will withdraw.” The secret guard got up. However, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him, and just as he stepped out the door, he immediately fell head first to the ground. Because of the pain, his jaw was tightly clenched shut, and his whole body uncontrollably spasmed. Although he was still conscious, but from the looks of it, he was more or less on the verge of death.
“Quickly called get the residence’s physician.” Li Hong Ming angrily said. This person was one of the strong elite soldiers under him. Having lost that many people already, he was already very upset, and seeing that he still had great use for him, that’s why he didn’t punish him. Yet, this was the result?
The residence’s physician hastily came. As he checked the pulse, his complexion was not well. “Wangye, the toxins have already deeply penetrated the organs, it’s hopeless.”
Li Hong Ming looked to the black blood on the ground, finally coming to realization. In his eyes brewed an endless violent storm. “Send him on his way then.”
“Many thanks…..wangye.” The sharp pain from the poison was not something an average person could endure. It really was better to just straight up die.
From Li Hong Ming’s perspective, this was just Kang Qinwang trying not to leave anyone alive. But in reality, it was nothing more than Li Hong Yuan knowing full well that Li Hong Ming was highly paranoid, thus left a person to pass on the evidence to him. However, as for these secret guards, they were already very difficult to raise. Other people’s, naturally it was for the best if there can be one less of. This time, Li Hong Ming was also thoroughly unaware that the people that killed off his subordinates were all killed off too. As a matter of fact, he was even more determined that this was Kang Qinwang’s doing.
The thing from the Hundred Flower Building, although wasn’t anything particularly important, it was still considered something that can be used against him. At worse, it might even cause him to lose some more power. The exact situation on that side, he still wasn’t clear yet. Li Hong Ming was considering whether to send some people to investigate it again, or see if there’s a possibility of getting the thing back, or just completely abandon that portion of influence, cleaning up his tail so to better protect himself?
No matter how he picked, his loss was already set in stone. The only thing he can do is just to have the damage reduced to the lowest as much as possible.
“Wangye, Gentleman Liu requests an audience.”
Li Hong Ming didn’t have any good feelings towards that younger brother-in-law of his. However because he still occasionally needed to use him, it wasn’t good to refuse him at the door. Besides, he might have some information. The secret guard’s body was already taken away, and the blood on the ground was also wiped clean. “Invite him in.”
“Brother-in-law….” Perhaps because in the usual days he was too used to doing as he pleased, after he’d entered, he didn’t pay his respects either. He first grabbed the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea, then chugged it down in two mouthfuls.
Li Hong Ming looked to him, a shade washed over his eyes, “What happened?”
Gentleman Liu, with a mouth like a torrent, recounted everything that happened, cursing his own bad luck at every other turn.
Li Hong Ming patiently listened, but the only result he got was: this idiot, aside from bringing out that fake three color peony, didn’t provide any useful information. However, Sun Yi Lin’s existence, was it a coincidence, or was it deliberately arranged by Li Hong Yi? If it was the former, there wasn’t anything to say about it, but if it’s the latter, then what was the purpose?
Li Hong Ming had his own little brother-in-law sent off. However he also decided to abandon the Hundred Flower Building. Right now, Li Hong Yi’s people might even still be there watching. If he were to get caught in his hands again, then the gains really won’t make up for the losses. Thinking about how he needed to cut his tail to save his life, Li Hong Ming’s heart dripped blood. He vowed that he must compensate it back a hundred times from Li Hong Yi.
However, unknown to him, Kang Qinang’s wrath at the moment was only stronger and not weaker than his. He’d thought it to be a makeshift plan, yet still ended up falling into Li Hong Ming’s trap. Although he didn’t lose anything important, the loss of his secret guards still made him ached incessantly. More importantly was that resentment he felt, because he still couldn’t out maneuver Li Hong Ming. Imperial father regarded Li Hong Ming highly, and the court officials all felt that Li Hong Ming was stronger than him. And yet, every time he fought with him, it was also losing more than winning. That kind of resentment and hatred, sometimes drove him to the verge of insanity.
……….
Because Luo Pei Shan had sent someone ahead to report back, by the time they returned to the Luo Manor, including Luo Old Madam, everyone were all waiting outside the front gates. Everything was still perfectly fine when they’d went out, but in just a short time, each and every one looked to be in terrible shape.
“Old master….” The usually calm in all situations Luo Old Madam at this time also couldn’t hold still anymore. She quickly went forward and grabbed Luo Pei Shan’s arm, “Did you get hurt anywhere?”
Luo Pei Shan patted her hand comforting her. “This husband is fine, mainly it’s still third girl. Send her back first, and have the doctor check on her.”
Luo Old Madam naturally saw Gong mama behind coming down from the carriage carrying Jing Wan. When the servant that had came back said that third girl had fainted, she really was quite frightened. “What are you all waiting around for, still not helping third miss come down.”
……Very quickly, Jing Wan was sent back to the Elegant Haitang Residence. The residence’s old doctor naturally was already waiting there.
Inside Jing Wan’s inner room, aside from the people serving at her side, there was only her own mother, Zhang-shi. And the other female masters of the manor, for the most part, all came. They were all gathered outside, and because there was Luo Old Madam watching over, no one dared to say anything. Even someone such as Luo Jing Ying, who regardless how much she was enjoying another’s misfortune inside, even cursing why Jing Wan didn’t directly just die, on the surface still didn’t dare to show any expressions.
Very soon, the old doctor came out.
“Doctor, how’s that granddaughter of mine?” Luo Old Madam asked, carrying a bit of anxiousness.
“Old madam don’t worry, third miss is mostly fine. The injury on her head isn’t serious either, and there doesn’t appear to be any blood clots either. The reason why she’s still unconscious is probably because she’d breathed in some smoke, in addition to being frightened. She’ll wake up very soon.”
As a matter of fact, Jing Wan didn’t have any red marks on her head. Although he was elderly in years, he was still a man after all, and couldn’t part Jing Wan’s hair and carefully have look.
“Amitabha[1]. Thank goodness, thank goodness.” At last, she was able to let out a breath, “Also need to trouble doctor to give old master a look too.”
Luo Pei Shan had insisted on letting the doctor come check on Jing Wan first. He knew that he himself was fine, but if he doesn’t let the doctor check his pulse, then probably everyone all won’t be able to relax.
“Old madam is too polite, this originally is where this old one’s responsibility is at.” The old doctor hastily replied.
After sending away the doctor, Luo Old Madam went into the inner room to check on Jing Wan. She ordered the servant girls to carefully serve, and if Jing Wan wakes up, send someone to tell her immediately. Then she looked to Gong mama, who’d treated the sprain on her leg, and after quickly cleaning herself up and changing, came over first thing. Gong mama steadily stood there, still not a hair out of place, unable to see the slightest inconvenience. Old madam had heard from the servant girls say that her ankle had swollen to the size of a bun. “These two years, mama’s meticulous efforts in taking care of Wan Wan, I’ve taken it all to heart. This time too, able to protect the master…..”
“Old madam is overpraising this servant. With miss like this, this servant has to bear the blame.”
Luo Old Madam waved her hand, “That’s only an accident. There’s no reason to blame it on your head. I’m not that unreasonable. For the time being, take care of yourself. Wan Wan is used to having your serving her, and others I don’t feel reassured with either. I’ll temporarily leave someone here to help, when you’ve recovered, just let her return to my side.”
“Many thanks old madam.”
[1] Amitabha – Name of a celestial buddha, used in prayers.
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