Chapter 335: Chapter 325: Heartstrike
The more oppressive Lin Helin’s demeanor became, the more nervous Fengyu felt. Yet, the more nervous she was, the calmer she appeared. She had long mastered the role of impersonating Xie Xun, making it almost impossible for anyone to see through her disguise.
She grew ever more composed as she looked at Lin Helin. The Lin Family was renowned not only for producing scholarly prodigies but also for their extraordinarily handsome appearance. Their features were delicately exquisite. However, rumors about Lin Helin within the Capital City were minimal, scant to an extreme. Moreover, Fengyu’s stay in Shangjing had been brief; in her mind, Lin Helin was still traveling the world. For such a young man to turn up in Jiaozhou clearly marked him as a strategist. Yet unless she possessed divine foresight, Fengyu could hardly discern his identity.
The thought of Crown Princess Consort Lin Yushu crossed her mind. Even though their facial features bore a slight resemblance, the Lin Family’s numerous members made it impossible for Fengyu to determine who he was.
It was only when Lin Helin spoke a line of formal courtesy that Fengyu speculated inwardly, if the gentleman before her wasn’t trying to deceive her, he must indeed be Lin Helin. Xie Xun had always been notoriously short of propriety. He feared no authority, carried himself with arrogant abandon, and even Prince Kang Yuwen Zhao dared not suppress him by means of decorum. Throughout all of the Capital City, only Marquis Zhenbei, the Grand Marshal, Marquis An Yuan, and certain elders of the Lin Family could keep Xie Xun in line through etiquette.
Among his peers, anyone capable of reproaching Xie Xun with propriety had to possess two attributes: a sufficiently illustrious lineage and formidable capability, enough to earn Xie Xun’s respect.
Xie Zhang and Xie Jue fit the criteria.
And aside from them!
Fengyu gradually smiled, clasped her hands, and bowed, "Zhixu greets Cousin!"
Lin Helin regarded Xie Xun with a thoughtful expression. Just at that moment, Fengyu felt an overwhelming sense of collapse, and when she opened her eyes again, she had returned to her own body.
A close escape!
Zhixu had managed to return to her own body in the nick of time!
Fengyu strode out of the military tent. Qiuxiang and Chunlu stood guard near her. Nuanyang was preparing to leave for an errand when Fengyu called out to him, "Nuanyang, come back!"
Nuanyang turned on his heel, "Miss, what do you need me for?"
"Is Lin Helin within Jiaozhou City?"
"He is, Miss. Do you know him?"
Fengyu exhaled in relief, her heart pounding violently. Her guesswork had paid off—it turned out that the man was indeed the Lin Family’s eldest young master, a first-place scholar celebrated across the land.
Xie Jue and Fengyu often discussed societal affairs, sharing tidings on Feng Shu and the Feng Family, yet rarely delving into court politics. Due to the pressing matters in West Continent and the challenges of correspondence, Fengyu paid little heed to the political landscape and was unaware that Lin Helin had already entered the inner cabinet. Both he and Xie Jue had studied under Elder Lin—impressive, indeed.
When Xie Xun returned to his own body, he steadied himself, noting Lin Helin’s probing gaze and sensing the wound on his arm. Scanning the surroundings, he spotted Li Pengfei and several household guards, deducing the situation at once. A pang of frustration surged within him as he silently warned himself to refrain from exchanging bodies with Ayu using the Soul Suppressing Pearl in the future. Though it was a valuable trump card, it was also a perilous tactic. In moments of danger, even a brief departure could spell life-or-death trials for Ayu.
"Cousin, do you intend to watch me bleed out and die before your very eyes?" Xie Xun asked coldly.
A physician was already waiting outside the Moon Gate. Xue Yu, hearing the commotion, hurried over to apologize to Xie Xun, speaking earnestly and imploring him to overlook this offense.
Xie Xun sneered, "I am but a lone prince in Jiaozhou, a piece of meat on the chopping block. Should I perish here, it would merely be a wager lost on my part. I could hardly blame anyone else for it, could I?"
Xue Yu felt a chill creep up his spine and could only manage a few awkward chuckles, standing stiffly beside Lin Helin like a wooden stump. Lin Helin remained silent, his gaze fixed on Xie Xun with an investigative air, until the physician escorted Xie Xun away to treat his injuries.
Fengyu might be skilled at impersonating Xie Xun, but mimicry could only go so far. Perfect replication was impossible. Xie Xun had once been a spirited young marquis, riding gallantly through the city streets, and later a blood-soaked warrior familiar with the bone-white death of the battlefield. No matter how convincing Fengyu’s portrayal, it was impossible to emulate the ruthless and fierce aura that truly marked Xie Xun.
Uneasy, Xue Yu asked tentatively, "Sir, how should we deal with Li Pengfei?"
"You are the official in charge of Jiaozhou. Handle it according to the law; there’s no need to consult me." Lin Helin couldn’t be bothered to waste his time on someone like Li Pengfei.
"Understood!"
Xue Yu waved his hand, prompting the household guards to step forward and apprehend Li Pengfei. But Li Pengfei struggled, laughing maniacally as he proclaimed, "Lin Helin, Xie Xun is a traitorous rebel. Now that he’s isolated here in Jiaozhou, if you don’t kill him, one day he’ll kill you—and wipe out the entire Yuwen Royal Family! I know him too well; he’s vindictive and harbors no mercy for his enemies. Everyone who’s ever crossed him—he’ll make sure not a single one escapes, not even a baby Crown Prince!"
These words struck like knives.
The infant Crown Prince of Yanyang was Lin Yushu’s biological son.
And Lin Helin’s own nephew.
The moonlight elongated Lin Helin’s shadow into an impossibly thin and long figure. He turned slightly, and all Li Pengfei could see was half of the young master’s face bathed in moonlight.
His expression carried a hint of mockery, a trace of a smile, as he said in an even tone, "Even I wouldn’t dare claim to truly understand Xie Zhixu. Where, then, did you arrive at such a conclusion?"
Li Pengfei attempted further instigation, but Lin Helin merely raised two fingers in a light backward wave. Xue Yu, not daring to linger, ushered the man out of the courtyard with guards in tow. Li Pengfei continued shouting that Xie Xun must be killed, insisting it was the best chance to prevent civil war in Yanyang.