Someone knocked on the door, "Let me help you to sit," he gently helped her to sit on the bed. Before he could walk away, he heard her, "It was you that's why I risked my life," she was toward the opened window, the bright light was gleaming in her eyes, those were still wet with her tears.
He stood rooted after he listened to her reasoning, he did not ask why nor any question popped in his mind, he was blank, he knew that someone was most of the time keeping a stare on him but he thought that it was mere fancy phantasm or his over-cautious attitude.
Her sister and two maids entered the room with the second knock.
"Please, take care of yourself, Miss Jie Lan," he exited the room after saying what he thought was necessary.
Wei Lan looked at her sister playfully and in return, she received a scold.
Two maids dress up her wound anew and told her some precautions too that if she moved often her wound would not fix itself and she needed complete rest and should not take rest bath before her outer skin was cured.
...…
"She is just small girl and this was the second attempt that we lost," an advisor spoke up.
"This is because we did not take the matter seriously," another advisor berated the first advisor.
"Then how are we going to take the matter seriously, only a week is left in the Prince ceremony and we were supposed to silent this matter before the ceremony," the first one deduced his concern.
They were sitting in the secret pavilion court and waiting for the King for further orders.
"I think we don't need plan this time, we can directly assassin her and if anyone asked, we don't need to give an excuse for her assassin, we can blame some random burglars."
The third advisor proposed a face-on plan.
They heard and were about to review when the King entered the secret pavilion.
They stood up and bowed to the King, King was not in a good mood so they did not initiate conversation.
After a long time, someone cleared his throat and spoke, "We heard that two assassins that we sent were killed by the security in-charge of the mansion."
"There is no need to worry anymore; King paused for a long while.
They thought that King had abandoned the idea to get rid Henan Zhong daughter of General Zhong, they were thinking other possibilities too.
....
Wan Hu wanted to talk to his father regarding the safety of Henan Zhong and the matter of Pendant, today he finally decided to talk to his father.
He saw his father heading toward pavilion court so he thought to follow behind him.
He did not send a slave to inform the King that Prince wanted to seek him.
Just when he intended to enter the door, he heard the last words on an advisor.
He was clear that whenever his father was here in this pavilion, he would discuss serious issues. "I have prepared twenty over martial assassins to chase her away and if possible kill her," he was finally get frustrated over the matter to get rid her.
Prince heard his father and tinge of disgust in his voice, he could not digest what he heard, and he soundlessly left the pavilion court.
The martial assassins about whom his father was talking were ruthless assassins; his heart was not at ease.
He thought that his father cared for Henan Zhong being the daughter of General Zhong but he never thought that King wanted to get rid her.
If King wanted to get rid her, did it means that…
his wild ideas were wandering, he brought up the pendant of General Zhong, "Does it means King hates master? Then…" he ran to his room, preparing things for urgent.
...
A Day Before
Henan called for Lue Zhen and gave him new orders, she called for all maids and servants of the mansion and thanked them for their services and handed some gold coins to depart to their houses saying that she did not need their services anymore.
She suggested both sisters, Jie Lan, and Wei Lan that if she wanted, she could send them back to Palace but both were reluctant to leave her, she cleared her intentions to her guards and gave them choice, either they wanted to follow her since she was going to search her father or they simply choose to leave the mansion.
They chose to follow her no matter what kind of circumstances lay ahead.
She instructed Lye Zhen to shift both sisters to a safe and better place and after that, if he wanted to join her, he could, she told her rough estimates to where she was heading.
Before anyone in the Royal State could determine her intentions, she would disappear from their vision.
Anyone who was after her life should wait until she found her father.
Guards packed their weapons and luggage, Henan also packed her necessary things. Important and crucial things of the mansion were shifted its underground store, she locked that mansion and its keys dug deep in a soil flower pot.
They left mansion one by one.
Henan slightly changed her appearance with some black marks on her face, her ordinary clothing added to it.
She had gathered the information where her father lost against Huns last time and she was 90% sure that the King was behind all this.
She did not want to tell Wan Hu because it was sensitive for Wan Hu acceptance, how could he suspect his own father for the murder of his own master, also it would be considered inappropriate if all this Henan speak out in front of him.