Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Chapter 123 Ning Zhanyan persuades Du Rushuang to let go of Wu Song

When Du Rushuang heard Ning Zhanyan call Zhang Ruowen his "future brother-in-law," she blushed and said shyly to Ning Zhanyan, "What brother-in-law? Awen and I aren't married yet. I've only just regained my memories, okay?"

Seeing Du Rushuang looking down like a little girl, Ning Zhanyan teased her, "Hasn't Shuang'er made her choice yet? I'd like to ask you, do you like Yelü Wen more, or Wu Song more?"

“Brother, what do you take your sister for? She only fell in love with Wu Song because of my amnesia. Now that A-Wen has helped me regain my memory, and he even risked his life to cure me of the poison, of course I choose to be with A-Wen.” Du Rushuang looked at Ning Zhanyan seriously and answered.

"Hmm? Don't be foolish, little sister! There are many ways to repay a debt of gratitude. You don't have to offer yourself to Zhang Ruowen just because he cured you of the poison. Besides, I saw you risk your life to help Wu Song escape from Mingfu Cave, so you must like him too." Ning Zhanyan scrutinized Du Rushuang from head to toe, as if trying to see through her heart.

Du Rushuang felt a little guilty under Ning Zhanyan's gaze and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Brother, actually, Wu Song and I fell off a cliff together when we were tracking the assassin that day. He broke his leg, but I think he's almost recovered these days. I want you to help me rescue him. There's a pack of wolves belonging to the wolf king at the edge of that cliff, and ordinary people can't get off."

“No wonder my men have been searching for so many days without finding any news about you and Wu Song. So you were hiding at the bottom of Sunset Cliff.” Ning Zhanyan glanced thoughtfully at Du Rushuang and muttered to himself.

"Sunset Cliff? Brother, you know that place? It's where the Wolf King's assassins hide. You helped him before, so it's no wonder you know about it. So you knew about the assassination of the Jin envoy beforehand?" Du Rushuang asked Ning Zhanyan tentatively. She was afraid that Ning Zhanyan had participated in the assassination of the Jin envoy, and even more afraid that he would continue to aid and abet the wicked and help the Wolf King rebel.

“I was unaware of the assassination of the Jin envoy beforehand. The Wolf King didn’t entrust this matter to me; it must have been entrusted to you and Zhang Ruowen. However, something went wrong along the way, and you lost your memory. I guess the assassination of the Jin envoy was Zhang Ruowen.” Knowing that Du Rushuang was worried about him, Ning Zhanyan briefly explained to Du Rushuang what he had done on the Cuju field at the Imperial Palace that day.

"Huh? You and your cousin pulled off such a grand scheme just to help him win Pan Jinghe's heart? That woman surnamed Pan even asked my cousin to do it for her... Ugh! How could you two be so absurd!" Du Rushuang was furious when she found out that Ning Weizhi had tricked Pan Jinghe into loving her, and she cursed loudly through gritted teeth.

Seeing Du Rushuang's displeasure, Ning Zhanyan coughed lightly and defended Ning Weizhi, saying, "You haven't been close to your cousin since childhood, so you don't know his character. He's a well-known incorruptible official, highly valued by the Emperor, who has now promoted him to Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He's liked Pan Jinghe for many years, and this football match was a rare opportunity for him to shine. He finally won the heart of his beauty, so you should be happy for him."

"Happy for him? Dream on! What's so great about Pan Jinghe? She looks like a vixen, and her Cuju skills are all show and no substance. Last time in the Imperial Cuju Tournament, she even scored an own goal, which led to His Majesty disqualifying her from the Song Dynasty's women's Cuju team." Du Rushuang couldn't help but criticize Pan Jinghe; she genuinely disliked her.

“Shuang’er, you shouldn’t say these things in front of your cousin. Although I also feel that Pan Jinghe is not good enough for my good cousin Weizhi, their affairs are none of our business. Right now, I advise you to stay at my escort agency and recover your health. Let your brother handle the rest. There’s one more thing I want to advise you.” Ning Zhanyan said gently to Du Rushuang, but his expression was troubled, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Du Rushuang was impatient and couldn't stand Ning Zhanyan's appearance. She grabbed her brother's shoulder and urged him, "Brother, what do you want to say? You're making me anxious!"

Seeing that Du Rushuang was willing to listen to his advice seriously, Ning Zhanyan gently poked her forehead with his finger and said softly, "Listen to me carefully, you can no longer meet with Wu Song alone. Now that you have regained your memory and chosen Zhang Ruowen, then don't get entangled with Wu Song anymore."

Du Rushuang pursed her lips and said helplessly, "Brother, you're right! But I should at least explain things to Wu Song, otherwise he'll think I'm fickle, and I don't want him to misunderstand me as a woman like his sister-in-law Pan Jinlian."

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhanyan also felt that Du Rushuang should indeed give Wu Song an explanation, so he softened his tone and said to Du Rushuang, "Then how about I take some men to Sunset Cliff to rescue Wu Song in a little while?"

“Brother, you don’t need to come in person. I’ve already had Du Shiniang relay Wu Song’s message to Lu Zhichen. I will drive away the wolves to help Wu Song and Lu Zhichen leave Sunset Cliff safely. Brother, just lend me a few bodyguards. I don’t know if the news of A-Wen being imprisoned in Dali Temple has reached the Wolf King yet. Compared to Wu Song, I’m more worried about A-Wen,” Du Rushuang said to Ning Zhanyan.

Ning Zhanyan gently patted Du Rushuang's hand, comforting her: "I have already rescued Mu Can and Bai He. They should go to the Wolf King to report. The Wolf King will definitely find a way to save Awen. After all, he only has Zhang Ruowen as his adopted son, and Zhang Ruowen has always been loyal to him. Unlike us siblings, we were forced to kill and set fires with him."

“But I’m still worried about A-Wen. Brother, didn’t you say before that our cousin Ning Weizhi is an upright official? He certainly wouldn’t show favoritism because of my relationship with A-Wen. He’s very weak after he detoxified me, and I’m afraid he won’t be able to stand the coldness of prison.”

“The Wolf King is ruthless and vicious. I’m afraid he’ll abandon A-Wen to protect himself, especially since A-Wen’s act of secretly curing my poison has angered him. Brother, could you go see the Wolf King and tell him to find a way to save A-Wen?” Du Rushuang became more and more agitated as she spoke, and eventually she started sobbing.

Seeing this, Ning Zhanyan felt sorry for Du Rushuang. He quickly comforted her, saying, "Shuang'er, don't be sad or anxious! I will personally plead with your cousin Ning Weizhi to spare Zhang Ruowen from torture. As for the Wolf King, since he knows about my faked death, I believe he won't let me off so easily. I will go and talk to him myself and ask him to find a way to get Zhang Ruowen out of Dali Temple."

Mu Can and Bai He, one with a broken left shoulder and the other with a broken right leg, were rescued from Zhou Chengquan's guards by Ning Zhanyan and hurriedly returned to report to the Wolf King. Upon learning that Zhang Ruowen had been imprisoned due to a scheme by Du Shiniang and Zhou Chengquan, the Wolf King was furious: "Du Shiniang, Zhou Chengquan, how dare you plot against my adopted son! My foolish son is so devoted, sacrificing half his power to save a woman who betrayed him!"

After thinking for a moment, the Wolf King quickly wrote a letter and sent it to Gao Qiu and his son, instructing them to protect Zhang Ruowen and find a way to rescue him from the Dali Temple prison. Otherwise, he would present the letters of their collusion, along with other evidence, to Emperor Huizong of Song.

At that moment, Gao Can was reporting to Gao Qiu in the mansion about Ning Weizhi transferring Lin Chong to the Dali Temple prison for interrogation. Gao Qiu said somewhat displeasedly, "Can'er, I told you long ago to be ruthless towards Lin Chong and force him to confess to the crime of assassinating the Jin envoy as soon as possible, but you insisted on using him to control Du Shiniang. Of all the women you could want, why did you have to compete with Zhou Chengquan for a woman from a brothel? You really don't know what's important!"

Gao Can quickly stood up, bowed, and apologized to Gao Qiu, saying, "I was confused for a moment, which allowed Zhou Chengquan and Ning Weizhi to plot against me. I will definitely find a way to get Lin Chong to confess to assassinating the Jin envoy so that the Wolf King can proceed with his next plan."

"My good boy, you'd better keep your word! Don't disappoint your godfather again!" Gao Qiu glared at Gao Can, who didn't dare to breathe and repeatedly agreed, "I will."

At this moment, a guard handed the Wolf King's letter to Gao Qiu. Gao Qiu frowned as he read it and said to Gao Can, "I never imagined that Du Shiniang would be so vengeful. She schemed against her sworn sister, Du Rushuang, and had Zhou Chengquan capture the Wolf King's sworn son, Zhang Ruowen, hoping to use him to clear Lin Chong's name."

"What? Du Shiniang actually…" Gao Can was shocked. He couldn't believe that Du Shiniang would disregard her sisterly bond with Du Rushuang and try to exchange Zhang Ruowen for Lin Chong. But he was even more jealous of Lin Chong, that such a clever and decisive woman like Du Shiniang loved him. He gritted his teeth and asked Grand Commandant Gao with suspicion:

"Godfather, the Wolf King sent us a message. Does he want us to rescue Zhang Ruowen?"

Gao Qiu nodded slightly and instructed Gao Can: "Zhang Ruowen is as important to the Wolf King as you are to me. The bond between father and son is deep. You must find a way to rescue him. Do not let this matter ruin our subsequent plans."

The high-ranking official replied solemnly, "I know, I will definitely rescue Zhang Ruowen from the Dali Temple prison as soon as possible."