Full House Spring

Chapter 83: Blood on the Tip of the Knife
Fang Tangli retracted her gaze and whispered to Xia Li:

"Kuang Chengrui is a capable man. He seems to have good character. You should observe him more. When choosing a man, his family background is not the first priority. Only a man with a good character is worth entrusting your life to."

Xia Li smiled but said nothing. She had seen many girls who had suffered emotional setbacks, so how could she dare to entrust her life to someone easily? Even if she wanted to get married, she was only choosing a partner and a reliable father for her children, and she must not pin too much emotions on someone.

She heard some movement on the roof and subconsciously looked up. In the dim firelight, she saw that the leaking area had been re-covered with tiles, and finally the rain stopped dripping.

Cao Shixiang put the dried coat on Fang Tangli, and then shouted to Kuang Chengrui on the roof: "Brother Kuang, it's still leaking in front of you to the right."

Kuang Chengrui found the position accurately. One of them was directing from below while the other was covering the roof. Soon the rain stopped leaking. When Fang Qizheng came back with Kuang Chengrui holding an umbrella, the dough had been cooked soft.

Fang Zongru called out to Kuang Chengrui, "Chengrui, come here and dry your clothes while you eat."

Kuang Chengrui was not a pretentious person. He had endured marches and battles in even worse conditions than this one. But seeing Xia Li sitting by the fire, he did not refuse and walked straight over.

Xia Li glanced at him calmly, treating him no differently from everyone else. Fang Tangli had already tasted the noodles, and she said in surprise:
"Sister, how did you make this pancake? We have to work hard to make it in the mansion, and I haven't seen you making any effort. How come this pancake is ready so quickly?"

Xia Li took a sip of the noodle soup and explained softly, "This pancake is made before leaving. It is made by cutting the kneaded dough into thin noodles and then deep-frying them to make them easier to carry."

Kuang Chengrui picked up a piece of noodles with chopsticks and put it into his mouth, then silently memorized the recipe. Others also praised it highly. Meat and vegetables were added to the noodles, and everyone was full after drinking the soup.

As soon as they had eaten and drunk their fill, they began to feel sleepy. Taking advantage of a break in the rain, the maids took the bedding from the carriage into the dilapidated temple, sipped on the straw inside, and rested for the night.

Xia Li just thought of it as a camping trip. With so many people around her and her father and brother watching over her every step of the way, she soon began to yawn and fall asleep, while the guards took turns to keep watch throughout the night.

Only Kuang Chengrui sat by the fire and added firewood to prevent it from going out at night. The rain would not stop for a while, and if he caught a cold, he would be delayed on the road.

It was late at night and the only sound besides the sound of wind and rain outside was the sound of burning firewood. Although there were guards on duty, Kuang Chengrui remained vigilant at all times because he only trusted himself.

Just when everyone was fast asleep and the guards could no longer resist the sleepiness and were dozing off, someone quietly surrounded them from outside. Kuang Chengrui suddenly opened his half-closed eyes and reminded them, "There are people surrounding us outside, everyone wake up quickly!"

His shout startled everyone. The guards quickly drew their swords and took defensive postures. Fang Zongru protected Xia Li behind him. Kuang Chengrui stepped over the threshold with a sharp look in his eyes and a knife in his hand.

His clothes fluttered in the wind, and his whole body was filled with the aura of a single man blocking a thousand. Seeing that the people inside had noticed him, the Third Prince simply stopped hiding. He lit a torch and walked out of the dark night, his eyes full of determination to face death.

Seeing that Kuang Chengrui didn't take him seriously, he just said coldly: "Let Fang Zongru come out and talk to me. You can't stop me by yourself."

Kuang Chengrui was not a reckless person. He stood guard at the door with a knife in hand and did not respond. Fang Qizheng walked out first. He recognized the Third Prince and Minister Song and frowned as he said, "I wonder why the Third Prince is looking for my father? It seems that our Fang family has nothing to do with you."

The Third Prince forced a smile on his face and took over the conversation:

"We didn't have any dealings before, but now we do. This prince is in need of advisors like your Fang family. When I achieve great things in the future, I will definitely not miss out on your benefits."

Fang Qizheng had never expected that the Third Prince would be so ignorant. He clasped his hands and said politely, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. However, my family is indifferent to fame and gain, and only cares about reading the books of sages. Besides, my father is old, so he is not worthy of being appointed to a high position."

The third prince's gloomy eyes were as scary as bloodthirsty, and he said in a cold voice: "Master Fang, you'd better think it over before you speak. Although I am a fallen prince, not everyone can disobey me. I'm afraid it's not up to you whether you agree or not today."

Fang Qi was looking sullen, trying hard to suppress his anger. Before he could speak, he heard Fang Zongru behind him say:
"Why would Third Prince want to fight a rock with an egg? Now that the court is stable and the people are living and working in peace, you should just give up on this thought."

Seeing Fang Zongru appear, Kuang Chengrui quickly took a step back and stood beside him in a defensive posture. The Third Prince gritted his teeth and said:

"Then Li Fengmin is a traitor. He killed all the princes and deserves death. I should be the heir to the throne. Do you want to help him?"

Fang Zongru's face was covered with a layer of frost, and he patiently advised:
"The struggle for succession has always been like this. The late emperor was able to seize the position of the late crown prince, so why can't Your Majesty take it back? Now that the overall situation has been decided, why should the third prince struggle desperately? If you can put down your butcher knife, I am willing to do my best to save your life."

Minister Song, who was standing beside the Third Prince, was somewhat tempted. He had long regretted fleeing with the Third Prince, and now there was no turning back. He only hoped to save his life.

However, the Third Prince hated King Hui so much, and his mother was killed by King Hui's sword. The two of them had long been enemies. Minister Song had aged visibly during his days on the run. He trembled and said, "Can Principal Fang keep his word? My people are still in jail. Can you..."

Before he could finish his words, he was kicked to the ground by the Third Prince. He was furious and said, "Uncle, have you forgotten how tragically my mother died? You actually want to submit to that traitor. Have you ever thought about how I feel?"

Minister Song fell to the ground in a state of dismay. He burst into tears and said:

"Your Highness, please have mercy on my family. My death is not a big deal, but more than 50 people in the Song family have become lambs to be slaughtered. How can you bear it?"

The third prince said with a sullen face, "A man should not worry about not having a wife. I will not forget the Song family's kindness. When I ascend the throne, I will give you countless beauties. You can have as many children as you want."

After the Third Prince finished speaking, he turned around and said with a fierce look in his eyes: "Since Lord Fang is unwilling to be of use to me, there is no need for him to stay. Kill everyone without mercy!"

As soon as he finished speaking, hundreds of men in black rushed out from the dark night, each of them holding a weapon and full of murderous intent. Kuang Chengrui quickly pushed Fang Zongru into the ruined temple, picked up a knife and slashed at the newcomers.

He didn't care at all when the warm blood splashed on his face. There were more than fifty guards on this trip, so it was no problem for them to deal with ordinary villains. However, the people on the third prince's side were all death warriors. Their killing methods were ruthless and every move was deadly.

Even if the guards tried their best, they could not resist. Only Kuang Chengrui was so skilled in Kung Fu that the group of men in black could not get close to him at all. The long sword in his hand seemed like a magical weapon, and he killed every man in black with his sword.

Xia Li had never seen such a bloody fighting scene. The smell of blood filled the air. She almost felt nauseous. Her face turned pale and her body trembled slightly involuntarily.

Fang Qizhen hurriedly held her in his arms, Fang Tangli was held by Cao Shixiang, the maids and servants huddled together, Fang Zongru anxiously stared at the battle situation outside, seeing the guards falling one by one and the men in black gradually approaching the ruined temple.

Kuang Chengrui continued to fight with blood dripping from the tip of his knife. Xia Li noticed that he had an injury on his back. The third prince was blood-thirsty and ordered the group of men in black to change their target and kill them. Kuang Chengrui immediately counterattacked. Fang Zongru shouted to Fang Qizheng, "Hurry up and protect your sister and escape. No matter what, she cannot get into any mishap." Fang Qizheng was not a hesitant person and did not allow him to hesitate at this moment. He immediately pulled Xia Li out, while Cao Shixiang protected Fang Tangli and escaped from the other side.

The third prince noticed that Kuang Chengrui glanced at Xia Li more than once, and Fang Zongru also paid special attention to her, so he immediately chased after the two of them.

At this moment, Kuang Chengrui was entangled by the man in black and couldn't get away. Fang Qizheng didn't know how to fight, so how could he be a match for the third prince? He easily caught Xia Li, pinched her neck and shouted: "Stop it! If you use a knife again, I will strangle this woman to death."

Fang Zongru was furious and said, "Third Prince, what a talent it is to attack a powerless female relative. If anything happens to my daughter, my Fang family will never be reconciled with you."

The Third Prince did not expect Xia Li to be a member of the Fang family. The Fang family has a deep foundation. Unless he kills everyone today, there will be endless troubles. He raised the corners of his mouth and said coldly:

"Don't worry, Mr. Fang. I will treat your beloved daughter with care. If you want me to let her go, you can let that guy kill himself first."

Kuang Chengrui's killing power was too strong. Many of the assassins were killed by him. How could the Third Prince let him go? Fang Zongru said sternly:

"My daughter has nothing to do with him, how can I let him take her place? You want me to be your aide, right? If you let my daughter go, I will go with you."

The third prince sneered and said, "It's too late. If I catch you, I'm sure you won't really help me with any plans. Instead of that, I'd rather make you suffer."

After saying that, he increased his strength, and Xia Li cried in pain. Just when she was about to suffocate, Kuang Chengrui's cold voice came to her ears. "Let her go, I'll end it myself."

The Third Prince laughed loudly. He loosened his grip and said sarcastically, "So you care about this girl's life or death. I have caught the right person. I always keep my word. Go ahead."

Although Xia Li is an egoist, she is unwilling to live with the lives of others. Kuang Chengrui didn't owe her anything in his previous life. Seeing that he was about to take action, Xia Li sneered loudly:

"No wonder you failed miserably. You are so poor that you don't even have a decent piece of clothing, yet you still want to defeat the emperor. It's ridiculous. If you let us go, I can give you a silver mine."

The Third Prince was indeed attracted by her words. He stared at Xia Li with wide eyes and said, "You are so arrogant, girl. Could it be that your Fang family secretly hides a silver mine?"

Fang Zongru immediately denied it, saying, "Our Fang family does not have any silver mines."

The Third Prince is so poor that he can't even support his assassins. He will try every possible way to get some money.

"Tell me the truth. Where is the silver mine? If you dare to lie to me, I will break your neck."

Xia Li knew that he was interested in the silver mine and sneered, "If you don't let me go, how can I get you the map? I'm the only one who knows where the silver mine is."

The Third Prince carefully looked at her for a few times, and confirmed that she was powerless, before he said, "Move faster, and don't play tricks."

Xia Li raised his eyes to look at Kuang Chengrui and said calmly: "Third Prince, please let me go first."

The third prince was too confident and did not think Xia Li could escape from his grasp, so he finally let go of his hand.

After Xia Li broke free from the shackles, he faced the Third Prince and slowly reached his hand into his sleeve. He suddenly pulled out the dagger and stabbed it into the Third Prince's abdomen. Kuang Chengrui seemed to be prepared. He flew forward and kicked him down, then pounced on him and punched him several times. The Third Prince lost consciousness before he could react.

Fang Zongru, with a pale face, pulled Xia Li to hide behind him. Kuang Chengrui captured the third prince. The remaining assassins had to be cautious. Cao Shixiang and Fang Qizheng, together with the surviving guards, tied up the rest of the people.

Minister Song was stunned when he saw the unconscious Third Prince. He asked in a trembling voice, "Is the Third Prince dead? Did you kill him?"

Kuang Chengrui pulled out the dagger, wiped the blood with his clothes, then felt the pulse of the Third Prince and said coldly: "The wound is not deep, he won't die for a while."

After that, he stood up and walked to Xia Li and handed her the dagger. Xia Li's eyes flickered when she saw that the dagger was clean. She took the dagger, bowed, and said softly: "Thank you, Captain Kuang, for rescuing me."

Kuang Chengrui responded in a low voice. Fang Qi was staring at him with great vigilance. Fang Tangli was also beside Xia Li. She panicked when she saw the dagger and turned to Madam Zhou and said, "Madam, take this dirty thing out and wash it."

She originally wanted to throw it away, but after all, it was not hers, so she couldn't make her own decision. Xia Li obediently handed the dagger to Madam Zhou. Fang Tangli held her arm and said, "You are such a brave girl. Not only did you dare to deceive the Third Prince, you also dared to draw your sword to save yourself. I don't know where you got the courage from."

Xia Li's eyebrows were calm, and he whispered, "At that time, I just wanted to get out of trouble quickly, and I didn't care about being afraid."

She didn't want to continue this topic, so she looked at Fang Zongru and said, "Dad, what should we do with the Third Prince?"

Fang Zongru pondered and said, "This matter must be handled properly. Why don't you let Chengrui work harder and return to Kyoto to hand over the Third Prince and others to His Majesty. You are the one who captured them, so you should take the credit."

Kuang Chengrui's face was as cold as a rock. He said firmly, "I can't go. I have to escort you back to Laizhou. The guards have suffered heavy casualties. What if I'm not here and encounter danger next time?"

This is an important matter. If there were no female relatives accompanying them, they could still travel light. But with so many female relatives around, it would be very dangerous without someone with strong martial arts skills to take charge.

Fang Zongru naturally didn't want his daughter to be in danger again, so he made a prompt decision:

"In that case, Xunzhi should send his men back to Kyoto, and then catch up with us as fast as possible."

Xunzhi is Fang Qizheng's pen name. He didn't want to take the credit, so he frowned and said to Cao Shixiang, "Why don't you let your brother-in-law go? After all, he is an official appointed by the court, and he should be the one to deal with this matter."

Cao Shixiang waved his hand quickly and said, "My uncle should do it for me. I am worried about Ah Li going back alone."

Fang Qizheng couldn't refuse, so he could only go there himself with a sullen face.

(End of this chapter)