After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

Chapter 256 Luo Hanfeng's Plan

Xie Mingzhu really didn't know how to refuse. She clenched her fists under her sleeve, then smiled and turned to the side, saying, "I'm at ease letting my brother in."

Xie Tongchen pursed his lips and stepped inside.

After Xie Mingzhu went inside, she closed the door to her boudoir.

As soon as he closed the door, Xie Tongchen turned to look at Xie Mingzhu.

Xie Mingzhu then said, "In case there is an assassin in the house, it's better to close the door to prevent the assassin from escaping."

Xie Tongchen then said nothing more.

Even though the two are siblings, Xie Tongchen's heart is not pure. He spent the night in the same room with Xie Mingzhu, which made Xie Tongchen's mind extremely confused.

He first looked around the room, then searched through the wardrobe, but found nothing unusual.

Finally, Xie Tongchen turned his gaze to the screen. Just as he was about to step over, Xie Mingzhu blocked his way.

“Brother, that’s my bed. I got out of bed and there was no assassin there.”

"Besides..."

Xie Mingzhu lowered her head, a blush rising on her fair face. "Although my brother has watched me grow up since I was little, it is still a girl's private matter, and Mingzhu is also a little embarrassed."

Hearing her say that, Xie Tongchen was taken aback, then immediately looked away awkwardly and explained, "No, that's not what I meant, brother."

"But that assassin is cunning. If he were to hide on your bed and I didn't discover him, your life would be in danger."

Xie Mingzhu bit her lip, "Does my brother not believe me?"

Xie Tongchen quickly explained, "No, that's not what I meant."

Before he finished speaking, Xie Mingzhu's eyes were already wet. She lowered her head and sobbed, crying, "I know that ever since my sister came back, you have all been wary of me. Father is like that, and so are my brothers."

"I thought my second brother was different, but I never expected him to be like this too?"

Crystal-clear tears slid down Xie Mingzhu's cheeks.

Xie Tongchen's face showed visible panic. He frantically tried to wipe away Xie Mingzhu's tears, but when he tried to touch her, he pulled back as if he had been electrocuted.

Xie Mingzhu looked up at him, then slowly leaned into his arms, sobbing softly, "Brother, I'm really scared. I'm afraid that one day you won't want me anymore."

“I am all alone, without father or mother. Without you, I really don’t know where to go.”

Xie Tongchen's pupils trembled slightly.

With Xiangyu in his arms, Xie Tongchen didn't know what to do with his hands.

Hearing what Xie Mingzhu said, he felt extremely distressed.

He placed his hand on Xie Mingzhu's shoulder and said in a steady voice, "It's not like that, Mingzhu. Even if they really don't want you, I will still protect you."

"Really? Brother?" Xie Mingzhu lifted her head from Xie Tongchen's embrace, looking at him with teary eyes.

Xie Mingzhu's face was filled with tears, and her red eyes were staring at him. She looked pitiful and pathetic.

Xie Tongchen stared at her blankly, his Adam's apple bobbing. His hand on Xie Mingzhu's shoulder tightened slightly, and his eyes gradually became deep and dangerous, like a wild beast that had spotted its prey, his gaze fixed firmly on Xie Mingzhu.

"Brother?" Xie Mingzhu was startled by his gaze and gave him a brief reminder.

Xie Tongchen suddenly came to his senses. He immediately released his hand from Xie Mingzhu's shoulder, turned around abruptly, and said, "Since there's nothing in the house, Mingzhu, you should rest well."

"I'm going to go hunt down the assassin again."

With that, Xie Tongchen flicked his sleeve and left.

After everyone left, Xie Mingzhu stood there for a while, and only after hearing that there was no sound in the courtyard did she turn around and walk towards the screen.

Inside the screen.

Luo Hanfeng had already gotten out of bed and was sitting on the bed, wearing a black robe, his dark hair cascading down his back. He had one leg on the edge of the bed, the other hand on his knee, and was resting his chin on his hand, waiting for Xie Mingzhu to come in.

His black robe was stained with dark red blood.

But he had a clean smile on his face, and his clear, beautiful eyes were looking at Xie Mingzhu.

After everyone entered, Luo Hanfeng spoke up, "Mingzhu, your second brother seems to have special feelings for you."

Xie Mingzhu looked at Luo Hanfeng with a puzzled expression: "What different emotion?"

She never thought about Xie Tongchen in a romantic way.

However, Xie Mingzhu could also sense that Xie Tongchen must be the one who pitied her the most among her three brothers. Otherwise, she wouldn't have used such a pitiful method to gain Xie Tongchen's sympathy and thus let Luo Hanfeng escape a disaster.

Luo Hanfeng smiled and said decisively, "Xie Tongchen likes you. His feelings for you are definitely romantic."

Upon hearing this, Xie Mingzhu retorted almost without thinking, "That's impossible, he's my brother."

She couldn't accept that her older brother, who had watched her grow up, had feelings for her that were different from what she had imagined.

Luo Hanfeng blinked in surprise: "How is it impossible? You two aren't blood siblings."

Xie Mingzhu opened her mouth and couldn't help but say, "Even so, he is the older brother who watched me grow up since I was a child. How could he have romantic feelings for me?"

Even if they aren't blood-related siblings, they've lived together as brother and sister for so long.

Xie Mingzhu is still a daughter of the Xie family. Isn't this incest?

It goes against common sense and morality.

Just thinking about it made Xie Mingzhu feel a sense of wickedness.

Luo Hanfeng sighed softly. His eyes were clear, but deep within them lay a chilling coldness.

He gently ruffled Xie Mingzhu's hair and said softly, "Mingzhu, you are still too kind."

"The Xie family is utterly disgusting. What reason do you have to stay here?"

"You'll find out later that their affection for you only lasts for how much benefit you can bring them. Once your usefulness disappears, how much of that affection will they still have left for you?"

"The only person in the Xie family who still stands by your side, your second brother, still has improper thoughts about you."

His voice was lowered slightly, carrying a seductive quality.

Xie Mingzhu pursed her lips tightly.

She could already sense it without Luo Hanfeng saying anything.

The Xie family really disappointed her.

If Xie Tongchen truly harbors improper thoughts towards her, Xie Mingzhu will not know how to face the Xie family in the future.

She wasn't immediately swayed by Luo Hanfeng, but simply asked, "Why did you go to assassinate Xie Xing today?"

Luo Hanfeng said, "Mingzhu, aren't you unhappy with Xie Xing? I want to help you get rid of her."

Xie Mingzhu's expression faltered slightly.

Luo Hanfeng lowered his eyelashes, his voice muffled: "I just didn't expect that she was hiding another man in her room, which caused me to make a mistake."

"She hid a man in the house?" Xie Mingzhu asked in surprise.

How could Xie Xing be so bold?

"Yes." A moment of gloom flashed in Luo Hanfeng's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

He said, "Mingzhu, do you know why the General of the State's Mansion is so powerful?"

Xie Mingzhu said, "My father and brother fought on the battlefield; they earned their reputation through their own efforts."

Luo Hanfeng shook his head, stood up, walked out of the screen to the window, which was closed.

He said, "Now the emperor is wary of the General's Mansion and has the intention to eliminate it, but he has not yet taken action because your father has 100,000 soldiers under his command."

"Power overpowers the emperor. He has always wanted to take back these 100,000 soldiers. If it weren't for this military power, the entire Xie family would have been wiped out long ago."

Xie Mingzhu was surprised.

She had never known any of this.

She stood behind Luo Hanfeng, looking up at him.

The boy who was once bullied has now stood tall and has the aura of a superior. Yet, in her presence, he is incredibly gentle and obedient to her.

Xie Mingzhu felt a warmth in her heart.

"Mingzhu." Luo Hanfeng turned around, looking at her tenderly, "If you want to leave the General's Mansion, you should do so as soon as possible."

"The situation will soon become turbulent, and you will be implicated by the General's Mansion."

"I can't bear to see you suffer."

"But..." Xie Mingzhu hesitated, "If I leave the General's Mansion, where can I go?"

No longer the daughter of a general, and without the title of the most talented woman in the capital, she was like a rat crossing the street.

Luo Hanfeng smiled and said, "You are a princess of the previous dynasty, you have your own place to go."

"The General's Mansion treats you so well, why do you still want to stay here?"

"If you've thought it through, before you leave, go to your father's study and steal the military tally inside. Then you'll have 100,000 soldiers."

"Why worry about not being above ten thousand men?"

Xie Mingzhu's mind went blank.

Is that really possible?

If she does that, what will happen to the General's Mansion?

Even though her father and brothers had been so cold to her these days, and she had felt resentment and bitterness in her heart, she could never bring herself to tell her story of how her family had been wiped out in the past.

She was unwilling.

After all, we've had a friendship spanning over a decade.

Even if they can't be called relatives, they shouldn't become enemies.

Luo Hanfeng naturally noticed Xie Mingzhu's hesitation. He put his arm around Xie Mingzhu's shoulder and said gently, "Everything I've done is for you. If you've been wronged, I'll naturally stand up for you."

"You're concerned about your friendship with the General's Mansion, but have you ever considered that they're secretly plotting to kill you without a trace?"

Xie Mingzhu looked up in surprise.

Are they going to kill her?

why?

Luo Hanfeng said, "What if they find out your identity?"

Xie Mingzhu's face turned deathly pale instantly.

She staggered back two steps.

She couldn't help but think of the probing she had received from Xie Ansheng and the others a while ago.

So it was already discovered back then?

But why didn't you say anything after discovering it?

Xie Mingzhu's mind was in complete chaos.

……

Prince Jin's Mansion.

Hua An, carrying the news from Song Qingyang's side, rushed to Jun Lanjin's side and whispered, "Your Highness, just as you predicted, the Seventh Prince has made his move."

"When I arrived with my men, Song Qingyang was almost killed."

Jun Lanjin's face remained expressionless. He drank the medicine that had been brought to him in one gulp and asked, "Where is Song Qingyang?"

"She has been rescued."

Just then, a voice announced from outside: "Your Highness, the Sixth Prince has arrived."

"Let him in."

As soon as he finished speaking, Luo Huaichuan strode over to them.

"I heard that the top scholar was ambushed and assassinated on his way. Can we find out who did it?"

As Luo Huaichuan spoke, he plopped down next to Jun Lanjin.

He turned his head and suddenly saw Jun Lanjin. The words he was about to say were swallowed back. He frowned, looked Jun Lanjin up and down, and couldn't help but ask, "Why do you look so pale today?"

Jun Lanjin's face was as pale as paper, and his fingers were ice-cold.

Ximen Zhu snorted coldly, "This man doesn't care about his own health. He's practically halfway to his coffin, and he's still thinking about that girl."

"What?" Luo Huaichuan exclaimed in surprise.

He quickly reached out to grasp Jun Lanjin's hand, but as soon as he touched the back of his hand, he withdrew it as if it were frozen in the cold.

"Hiss!" Luo Huaichuan gasped.

"Why is it so cold?"

Ximen Zhu was administering acupuncture to Jun Lanjin when he heard this and snorted coldly, saying, "The cold poison in his body has not been cleared, the two toxins are clashing with each other, and he has overused his internal energy, which has already shown signs of death."

"If it weren't for my superb medical skills, he would have died long ago."

Luo Huaichuan's face really darkened.

"Why did this happen all of a sudden?"

Ximen Zhu looked at Jun Lanjin.

Jun Lanjin asked without changing his expression, "How did you know?"

Luo Huaichuan said, "According to the news from my subordinates, the news of the assassination attempt on the top scholar will probably reach the court first thing tomorrow morning, and then Father Emperor will surely be furious."

Someone dared to assassinate the top scholar personally appointed by the emperor; this was simply a slap in the emperor's face.

Jun Lanjin said, "This was done by the Seventh Prince."

"The Seventh Prince?!" Luo Huaichuan almost lost his voice.

He had even considered the possibility of the Third or Fourth Prince or the Crown Prince, but he never expected it to be Luo Hanfeng.

Luo Hanfeng is of lowly status and has only recently made his appearance before the Emperor. However, he has no power or influence and no one to rely on. How could he dare to do such a thing?

“He has designs on the throne,” Jun Lanjin said slowly. “The 100,000 troops under the Zhenguo General’s Mansion are something the Crown Prince has always wanted.”

"Whichever prince obtains the power of these 100,000 troops will have the throne as easy as taking something out of a pocket."

Luo Huaichuan said, "That's in terms of the Crown Prince and myself. What is Luo Hanfeng anyway?"

What kind of trouble could a prince who came out of the cold palace possibly cause?

"What if we add the Wen family to the mix?"

Recently, Luo Hanfeng and Wen Yan have been getting very close, so it's not hard to imagine that there's nothing going on between them.

"But what does this have to do with the top scholar?"

Luo Huaichuan is beyond comprehension.

"The top scholar, Song Qingyang, was the brother of the Xie family's newly found fifth young lady."

"As far as I know, when Xie Xing was raised in the Song family, Song Qingyang doted on this younger sister."

"It's likely that after Luo Hanfeng learned about this, he wanted to nip Song Qingyang in the bud."

Luo Huaichuan: ?

What was he thinking?

Jun Lanjin raised his eyes and glanced at him indifferently: "Even a military general shouldn't be so stupid."

Luo Huaichuan: "..."

"Xie Xing and Luo Hanfeng are at odds, and naturally, her brother will not stand on Luo Hanfeng's side either."

As for the Xie family…

A faint glint of cold light flashed in Jun Lanjin's eyes. "He probably intends to devour the Xie family during this period of time."

What does he want to do?