Qi Yunwei wasn't sure how he arrived at that conclusion.
But he soon realized he was mistaken.
Because they didn't push his wife out to die.
Instead, he directly charged forward to take a knife for his wife.
Tsk tsk, that blade struck his chest squarely.
Qi Yunwei felt his own mouth twitch with pain at that moment.
"Madam Shen is your wife, after all. Why would you overthink things and stage this hero saving the damsel act? Was it worth it?"
Qi Yunwei admitted that Su Xiaoqi was very beautiful, but she still couldn't compare to a woman he had seen in his hometown.
Of course, among the people he knew, she was indeed of the highest caliber.
But even if she was beautiful, intelligent, good at making delicious and fun things, and agile in her movements,
It wasn't enough for the excellent Shen Yun to go to such lengths for her.
Thinking of this, the scene of Su Xiaoqi, covered in blood, standing amidst a group of strong masked assailants suddenly appeared in Qi Yunwei's mind.
Undeniably, at that moment, he felt admiration for Su Xiaoqi in his heart.
She remained calm in crisis, unyielding in the face of desperate circumstances, truly a rare heroic woman.
But for her, to make such calculations and almost self-mutilating actions, he felt he could never do it.
However, the injured and sick man in front of him looked extremely serious: "If you don't understand, don't speak carelessly." He then added, "It's in the past."
Shen Yun had paid such a great price, and after much effort, he had managed to slightly improve Su Xiaoqi's perception of him.
How could he let it be in vain?
Therefore, he repeatedly asked Qi Yunwei not to mention it again.
"But what if she suspects?"
"Just say that the enemies in the woods were a bit difficult to handle."
No matter how much Xiaoqi suspected this matter, she had no evidence, so she couldn't investigate further.
Qi Yunwei nodded, extended his hand to Shen Yun, and raised his eyebrows, "So, are we allied now?"
The reason Qi Yunwei was so eager to connect with Shen Yun was not without purpose.
He had a request for Shen Yun.
Shen Yun nodded, "As long as it does not violate ethics and morality, or the principles of heaven, earth, ruler, parents, and teacher, I will obey any command."
Qi Yunwei reached out, lightly bumped Shen Yun's hand, and then smiled, a brilliant smile.
He had high hopes for him!
With the support of the future powerful minister of this Great Liang Dynasty, he was not afraid of his ambitions not being realized?
As they clapped hands, Su Xiaoqi happened to walk in.
Her hair was still wet, hanging damply down her back. She was wrapped in a thick cotton coat. Seeing the rare harmonious atmosphere between the two, she couldn't help but furrow her delicate brows.
It wasn't that she was overthinking, but she always felt that Qi Yunwei was very unusual.
And he had such an encounter; wouldn't he be plotting against Shen Yun?
Qi Yunwei, looking at Su Xiaoqi who had just emerged from her bath, her face unadorned, like a blooming orchid, fresh, elegant, yet fragrant and alluring.
He swallowed hard, seeming to understand Shen Yun's reasons for acting that way.
She indeed had the capital for it.
"Ahem..." Shen Yun coughed, bringing Qi Yunwei back to his senses. He glanced at Shen Yun and immediately, with good sense, said, "Well, you guys chat, I'll head back to my room."
He turned and left as he spoke.
Su Xiaoqi followed him, and after he left, she closed the door. She frowned and said,
"What were you two talking about?"
Shen Yun said, "Brother Qi mentioned that many high-ranking officials and nobles have come to this temple. The guest monk earlier said our people shouldn't wander around to avoid disturbing the peace of the nobles."
Xiaoqi blinked her eyes.
She knew about this matter too. Guo'er had told her when she was bathing in the clean room.
So she didn't have much doubt about the truth of his words.
But she looked at Shen Yun and said, "Didn't you dislike Young Master Qi before? Why are you addressing him as brother?"
After all, the Shen Yun of the past was very aloof.
He only showed favor to Qi Yunwei a few times at the beginning when he was short of money and needed his help.
The second time she saw Qi Yunwei afterwards, for some unknown reason, he always gave him a cold shoulder and didn't call him Brother Qi, whereas Qi Yunwei always called him Brother Shen, Brother Shen, from behind.
Shen Yun had just agreed to cooperate with Qi Yunwei and had blurted it out. He hadn't expected Su Xiaoqi to be so sensitive and cling to this matter.
He had to cough lightly, "Cough, cough, cough, cough," trying to gloss over it.
"Oh, forget it. Your wound isn't healed yet. You should rest and recuperate properly first."
Su Xiaoqi, after all, was still worried about Shen Yun.
Shen Yun nodded obediently and closed his eyes.
However, his hands clasped Su Xiaoqi's fingers, not intending to let her go.
Su Xiaoqi was helpless. She tried to pull her hand away a few times, but seeing his injured state, she could only let him be.
They stayed at Gan Quan Temple for two days like this. Under Su Xiaoqi's professional and meticulous care, Shen Yun's chest wound healed quickly.
During this time, Qi Yunwei came to bid farewell, saying that he had reached the outskirts of the capital and had some matters to attend to, making it inconvenient to stay.
But he would leave some of his men for them, so they shouldn't worry.
Compared to his hurried departure, He Qiulei was quite content to stay.
From time to time, he would come to sit with Shen Yun and inquire about his injuries.
And thanks to his excellent eloquence and well-developed information network, Su Xiaoqi learned who the noble guests staying in the adjacent guest courtyard, mentioned by the guest monk, were.
"They are true nobles, extremely noble," He Qiulei said somewhat exaggeratedly.
"Do you know? The Grand Princess and the驸马 family are staying here to observe a fast and pray for the current Emperor."
Xiaoqi blinked her eyes. The Grand Princess?
She suddenly recalled that this Grand Princess, just as He Qiulei had said, was a different kind of existence in the Great Liang Dynasty.
Speaking of which, we must talk about the current Emperor of Great Liang.
The current Emperor had countless concubines and ten sons and one daughter. He had long ago bestowed the title of Crown Prince upon his eldest son, Liang Qiye.
He occupied both the eldest and the嫡 (born of the primary wife) positions, naturally being made Crown Prince.
He was intelligent and virtuous since childhood, benevolent, and enjoyed a reputation for integrity in the imperial court.
If things had continued this way, it would have been unquestionable. However, Emperor Xingzhao had always doted on Consort Huang and greatly praised her ten-year-old son, the tenth prince, even wanting to depose the Crown Prince because of it.
Crown Prince Liang Qiye was already of age, having held the position of Crown Prince for ten years. During this time, his reputation had been excellent, and the ministers in the imperial court naturally disagreed.
They directly stated that the position of the heir apparent was the foundation of the nation; either the嫡 (born of the primary wife) or the eldest should be established.
The tenth prince, born of Consort Huang, was neither嫡 nor eldest, and was still a young child without any virtuous reputation.
How could he be established?
Besides, the Crown Prince was virtuous and always had a good reputation; how could he be deposed?
At that time, the imperial court was in an uproar, causing chaos.
Just as the situation reached a stalemate, it was reported that the Crown Prince intended to rebel.
The statement came so abruptly that everyone naturally didn't believe it.
But in the end, the Imperial Guards found a dragon robe in the East Palace.
Emperor Xingzhao was furious upon learning of this matter and immediately used this incident to depose the Crown Prince, demoting him to commoner status and exiling him to the border.
Hearing He Qiulei recount this matter, Su Xiaoqi found that most of it corresponded with novels.
She thought it must be true.
"It's just that when the deposed Crown Prince went to the western regions, he was ambushed midway, causing his three-year-old legitimate eldest grandson to go missing. Everyone thought he was dead.
Only the deposed Crown Princess and her secondary wife, along with a concubine-born son, accompanied him to the western regions.
Alas, fifteen years have passed. The deposed Crown Prince is now thirty-five. It is said that last year, with the help of interested parties, his case was redressed.
The previously missing Imperial Grandson has also been located. It turns out he was secretly taken away by a palace servant who was eager to save his master. However, halfway there, they encountered pursuers, and to protect him, he was given to an elderly couple in Mianzhou City.
And now, he was found back a couple of days ago.
Hey, he looks so much like the deposed Crown Princess. Even the birthmark on his butt matches.
He's found, he's found back!" He Qiulei was quite gossipy.
He was indeed an excellent talent for gathering information. He became excited when talking about these imperial secrets that he had somehow found, gesticulating wildly, his plump face full of smiles.
Su Xiaoqi's heart stirred. That person who was found, why did she feel so familiar?
"Oh dear, I heard that the Imperial Grandson is also a pitiable one, having lived among the common people for so many years, he's become dark and thin, and is also mute..."