Chapter 116: The One That Can Be Poisoned
While Yun Ce was reading, when he came across those so-called chapters about demon concubines who brought ruin to the state, he always felt pity for these beauties.
Men fight for the world, men guard the world, and the ones who truly cause political chaos and bring disaster to the country are also men, but as soon as a relatively outstanding woman appears in this process.
Then, all the blame becomes the woman’s.
Yun Ce thought at the time, if he were the man behind that woman, he certainly wouldn’t bear to let her take the blame for this.
The ultimate romance for a true man is either the feast of five cauldrons or being boiled in five cauldrons, right?
Later, after leaving school, entering the system, and becoming a minor official, he began to slowly understand those men who pushed women out to take the blame.
—Just a lover, that’s all.
A person’s heart doesn’t harden in a single day; it hardens gradually in life, so generally speaking, the older one’s heart is harder than the younger one’s.
Especially when it comes to the emperor, he can be even more heartless and ruthless. After all, the kings of Great Qin in the past all referred to themselves as the Lonely One.
The emperor’s consort, and one who was an extremely noble Imperial Noble Consort, was pregnant, which should have been a cause for universal celebration,
1 But at the banquet prepared by the emperor for the Imperial Noble Consort, she left behind a letter to be read aloud to the emperor in public, and then disappeared without a trace.
1 The person who read the letter was chopped into minced meat by the emperor, and his three clans were exterminated. Later, feeling it wasn’t enough, he exterminated three more clans. Half a year later, the emperor was still furious and unappeased, so he killed the friends of the one who read the letter as well.
1 After hearing Zhang Min recount the contents of that letter, Yun Ce felt that everything Emperor Liu Mu did was not excessive at all, and even thought his resolve in killing didn’t match that of Ming Emperor Zhu Di. After suffering humiliation, Zhu Di killed ten clans of Fang Xiaoru, while after suffering such an extraordinary humiliation, Liu Mu only killed seven clans of Liu Chengfeng.
1 That mad Imperial Noble Consort wrote in the letter to Emperor Liu Mu that the child in her stomach was not his at all, and that he, the Great Han Emperor, was not worthy of impregnating her. The only person in the world who could make her pregnant and willing to give birth to the child was Huo Qubing, and naturally, the child was Huo Qubing’s.
1 Emperor Liu Mu went mad after hearing it…
1 Yun Ce felt that if this happened to him, he would go mad too.
1 E Ji leaned her head on Yun Ce’s shoulder and solemnly assured him that from now on, she would only give birth to Yun Ce’s children, and guaranteed that the children she bore would definitely have pure Yun Clan bloodline.
1 For someone like Zhang Min, who mixes with men outside all day, it’s uncertain. When the child is born, a blood test for paternity must be done before they can enter the Yun Clan ancestral hall to have their name recorded.
1 Zhang Min no longer cared about E Ji’s slander. She knew that since Yun Ce asked this question, he must have met or been in contact with Jade Lady.
1 So, she cautiously asked, “Everyone says Jade Lady is a beauty who brings disaster, has Young Master met Jade Lady?”
2 Yun Ce said, “I’ve met her, and more than once. All in all, we spent a full three and a half months together. She left just seven days ago.”
2 Zhang Min said in horror, “Three and a half months, seven days ago? This must be someone we brought out from Chuyun Prefecture. I know everyone who came from there. Who is it?”
2 E Ji said indifferently, “Heng Ji.”
2 Upon hearing this, Zhang Min immediately looked at Yun Ce and said, “You fell for her beauty, so you risked bringing her out from Chuyun Prefecture?”
2 Yun Ce shook his head and said, “I brought her back from Chuyun Prefecture because I pitied her.”
2 “You really weren’t infatuated with her?”
2 Yun Ce pulled E Ji’s little hand and held it, then kissed her pink tender lips and said, “I’m more infatuated with E Ji.”
2 E Ji immediately grinned at Zhang Min and said, “I’m much better than her.”
2 Yun Ce nodded repeatedly, but Doggy untimely said in his mind, “You mistook E Ji for Jade Lady again.”
2 Yun Ce gathered his mind, pretended to ponder carefully, and asked Zhang Min.
3 “Huo Qubing was sent into the mausoleum six hundred years ago. How did this Jade Lady get pregnant with Huo Qubing’s child?”
3 Zhang Min said matter-of-factly, “King Huo is omnipotent.”
3 Yun Ce spread his hands in surprise and said, “I know King Huo is invincible under heaven, and I know he is omnipotent, but we still have to abide by some objective laws, after all. King Huo has been dead for six hundred years.
3 Also, you just looked worried about me. Are you worried that I was seduced by Heng Ji, or worried that our contact with Heng Ji will bring us catastrophic disaster?
3 After all, the emperor has gone completely mad over this matter.”
3 Zhang Min looked at Yun Ce suspiciously and said, “You really haven’t been poisoned by Jade Lady?”
3 Yun Ce kissed E Ji’s lips again and said, “No!”
3 Zhang Min sneered and said, “Best not. Back then, Liu Chengfeng’s clan was a prominent family in our Great Han, and Liu Chengfeng himself was one of the rare elegant and romantic talents of Great Han.
3 This very man, after being hacked seven or eight times with the emperor’s sword, covered in blood, still smiled and told others—no regrets!
3 If you’ve been poisoned by Jade Lady, best tell us early so we can run far away and avoid being implicated by you.
4 Also, after suffering such an extraordinary humiliation, the emperor still issued an edict to the world in Yuanlong 17, that is, two years ago, pardoning all crimes of Jade Lady, that is, Imperial Consort Yu.”
4 “He can tolerate this?” Yun Ce heard the obvious crack in his own voice.
4 Zhang Min nodded seriously, then said worriedly, “You really haven’t been poisoned by Jade Lady?”
4 Yun Ce stubbornly shook his head. He felt he needed to properly face this matter now. In just those moments earlier, he had twice mistaken E Ji for Heng Ji.
4 Perhaps, possibly, that woman really is poisonous.
4 In Chuyun City, when he was trying to steal Shehuo, that was such a secretive major event. Even if he encountered witnesses, he should have silenced them immediately. Moreover, before meeting Heng Ji, he had basically killed all those who raided him.
4 But when he encountered Heng Ji, he softened and not only didn’t kill them, but even got robbed by them.
4 Also, when Heng Ji asked to leave Yun Family Manor, Yun Ce should have struck a second time, but for some reason his brain acted up. Not only did he allow them to take the child, he even gave them a horse carriage for free…
4 If what Zhang Min said is true, and Heng Ji had the ability to leave Yun Family Manor without anyone knowing, why did she specifically come to say goodbye?
4 “Just to seduce me?”
5 As soon as this thought arose, it started raining from the sky. This rain was more like a piss from heaven, trying to wake this narcissistic guy.
5 Yun Ce irritably grabbed his wet hair.
5 The rain in Chang’an area is simply sick. It rains once every two days, and each time it’s lingering and sentimental. That amount of rain might be useful for watering the gardens of wealthy families, but obviously insufficient for irrigating crops.
5 “Check my head.” Yun Ce gave Doggy an order.
5 Doggy didn’t move, but lazily told him that his brain was fine, only detecting somewhat excessive hormone secretion.
5 “Stop the excessive hormone secretion.”
5 “Get lost. That’s something you secrete yourself. How do you expect me to stop it? Should I cut it off?”
5 Yun Ce pulled open his pants and looked at his brother, finding him quietly nestled in place without moving. Killing him now would be too unjust, so he decisively told Doggy, “Strictly monitor my physical activity.”
5 Doggy agreed, then said again, “You must go to the volcano crater. Shehuo was originally nourished by myriad homes’ lights. Now, with only your family’s lamp, it’s running out of power. Try the volcano crater.”
5 “What if it triggers a natural disaster?”
6 “You still care about that?”
6 “I’m a person with morals.”
6 “Alright, try it carefully. If it doesn’t work, forget it. Let me tell you, Shehuo is very beneficial for my evolution and Dragon Pearl’s, and it can even change your body.
6 Your body is now severely dragonized. Don’t think your transformed claws are sharp and can rapidly boost your strength. Have you considered that if this continues, sooner or later you’ll become a half-dragon, half-human monster.”
6 “A half-dragon half-human monster? I was still hoping one day to become a dragon and traverse the universe to go home.”
6 “I think you’re overthinking it. Do children born from dragons and other creatures look like dragons?”
6 Yun Ce thought of the appearances of dragon clan descendants like Suanni and Baxia, and firmly shook his head, “Not the same.”
6 Doggy sneered and said, “Dragons’ genes are too strong. With prolonged immersion, you’ll almost certainly become a half-dragon half-human monster. This kind of power, I’m willing to call it the power of animal nature.
6 If you like this power, pretend I said nothing. If you still want to stand among the hundred clans in human form, best go to the volcano and make Shehuo stronger.
6 Shehuo is originally the origin of humans. With this human origin of Shehuo continuously shining on you, your human genes have a chance to defeat the dragon clan genes. Just like many things since ancient times, let the dragon clan genes serve you and become a strength you can control.”
7 “Good, we’ll go when we have a chance.”
7 “Don’t wait for a chance. Go tonight.”
7 Yun Ce felt that Doggy really was humanity’s good teacher and friend. It had no active thinking, only awesome thinking. When people can’t see the road ahead, it can dispel all the mist and point straight forward.
7 Yun Ce was human. Having dragons as ancestors was fine, but he really didn’t want to become a dragon, especially evolving into something like Baxia. He was even less willing.
7 When returning to the room at night, Yun Ce deliberately looked at E Ji twice more. It hadn’t turned into Heng Ji’s face, which was good. The little girl was sitting under the oil lamp mending clothes for him, her little face flushed, indescribably virtuous.
7 “In a bit, I need to go out.”
7 “Okay, got it. I’ll leave the door open for you then. Not dangerous, right?”
7 “Shouldn’t be dangerous, but if there’s an earthquake or mountain shake, take Doggy and run.”
7 E Ji looked up at Yun Ce and nodded seriously.
7 Yun Ce closed the door and left. E Ji stared blankly at the door, as if her gaze could see through it to Yun Ce outside.
8 Doggy saw Yun Ce leave, crawled out from under the bed, watched E Ji for a while, then jumped onto the bed and licked her with its pink tongue until tears flowed from E Ji’s eyes. Only then did it quietly lie beside E Ji, its pair of bright round eyes seemingly pondering something hard.
