A6 C187 - Shortcut

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Rong Xuan always felt that Ji Fan must be afraid deep down, or else his fingertips wouldn't be so cold, trembling continuously, and uncontrollable. The full moon shone in the sky with radiant clarity, their surroundings masked by the cover of the night. They quickly navigated the lengthy palace pathways, unnoticed by anyone.

Rong Xuan led Ji Fan to return to his residence with haste. They entered, closed the door, and summoned a servant to bring hot water. He cleaned the bloodstains from Ji Fan's face and replaced his clothes.

Throughout this process, Ji Fan allowed Rong Xuan to attend to him. After some time, his body finally began to regain warmth. He seemed to remember something and slowly lifted his eyes to look at Rong Xuan. With his bloodstains wiped clean from his face, he exuded an inexplicable paleness and gloom. His voice was hoarse as he said, "What happened in the court today has undoubtedly raised suspicions in Emperor Zhou's mind. Within three days, there will be more people secretly watching me."

They couldn't afford any further delay regarding Zhou's departure.

Rong Xuan recalled the troop deployments discussed by Zhao Su earlier today and unconsciously frowned. "If Zhou discovers the matter about the departure, we may be pursued by more than fifty thousand troops. Since the arrival of the Yan delegation in the capital, city gates have been tightly monitored. I assume it's to prevent your escape."

Ji Fan was about to respond when they suddenly heard an announcement from outside. It turned out that Yue Yuanting and Han Xiaoyun had arrived. Rong Xuan knew this must be an urgent matter. He gently squeezed Ji Fan's hand, saying, "I will go out for a while. You all can continue your discussion."

After saying his words, he got up, opened the door, and left. Coincidentally, he passed by Yue Yuanting and others. Rong Xuan glanced unintentionally and found that Yan Fengchen was also scratching his head and cheeks, following Han Xiaoyun with a dejected look. A flash of understanding crossed Rong Xuan's mind like lightning, but it was too fast to grasp entirely.

Yue Yuanting, known for his sharp observations, noticed a young and elegant gentleman coming out of Ji Fan's room, not looking like a servant or guard. He couldn't help but cast a puzzled look, his mind full of thoughts.

Han Xiaoyun, however, was too furious to care about such details. He immediately dragged Yan Fengchen into the room, slammed the door behind him, and his anger was apparent.

Yan Fengchen shuddered as if he were a startled quail.

Sensing something was amiss, Ji Fan raised his gaze and asked, "General Han, why are you so angry?"

When the question came to Han Xiaoyun, he became more infuriated. He took a seat at the bottom and slammed the table hard. It was a mix of embarrassment and frustration as he said, "I've had the misfortune of having a son who's turned out to be such a rebel. With the impending departure for Zhou, he refuses to leave. If I had known this back then, I would have slapped him to death, sparing us the trouble today."

Hearing Han Xiaoyun's words, Yan Fengchen gathered the courage to explain, "I... I promised Yannian that I wouldn't leave her alone. She lost her mother and cries every day. If I were to leave her at this time, she would be even sadder..."

Yan Fengchen was naturally a bit foolish, and this explanation carried a hint of genuine emotion.

Han Xiaoyun, upon hearing this, flew into a rage, raising his hand to strike him. However, Ji Fan stopped him with a raised hand and said, "Fengchen has always been stubborn. General, there's no need to argue with him. He has already come of age, and it's not good to slap his face all day long."

Yan Fengchen cleverly hid behind Ji Fan. Seeing Han Xiaoyun's fury, he could only reluctantly refrain from striking and heaved a deep sigh. "Your Highness, you spoil him too much. That's why he's so unruly."

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