Chapter 139: Feelings Surge on a Rainy Night
The heavy rain came without warning, pouring down in sheets, and in just a moment, it had carved deep gullies across the muddy official road…
The hem of Xue Sui’s torn skirt was already soaked through with blood and rain. The instant Li Zhao pushed her into the carriage, the cloud-dragon pattern on her shoulder, tinged with blood, flashed in the lightning, causing her eyes to ache.
“Xiao Zhao! Protect your young lady!”
Li Zhao didn’t look back. He drew his sword, turned, his movements agile, and led the Eastern Palace guards like leopards pouncing on prey towards the masked assassins—
In his dark brocade robe, with a black jade belt cinched at his waist, he was like a phantom, swift as lightning and light, appearing and disappearing in the chaotic crowd. He was like a lurking dark dragon tearing through the rain and mist, fighting with exhilarating ferocity.
Xiao Zhao watched, dumbfounded, her eyes wide.
“His Highness the Crown Prince is fighting like a madman, miss. I’m watching… my hands are numb.”
The sharp sound of the sword cutting through the air reached her ears, and the rain pattered against the curtain.
Xue Sui snatched the waist knife she was gripping tightly from Xiao Zhao’s hand.
Upon inspection, it indeed had a nick a finger-width wide.
“Your hands are numb from killing.”
Xue Sui put down the damaged waist knife, opened the medicine box, and sprinkled some Sanqi powder onto Xiao Zhao’s tiger’s mouth. Then, she took out a roll of clean gauze and wrapped her hand layer by layer.
Xiao Zhao said dismissively, “I haven’t held a knife in a while, just a bit of skin rubbed off, it’s nothing.”
Xue Sui replied, “If the wound gets wet and festers, it will leave a scar, making it difficult to marry later.”
Xiao Zhao shivered in fear, “Please don’t curse, miss! This servant would rather stay with you forever than marry a scoundrel!”
Xue Sui smiled slightly and said no more.
Xiao Zhao lifted the edge of the curtain and looked out again, still watching Li Zhao fight.
His ferocity and sharp style both chilled her and earned her admiration.
“Oh, miss, His Highness the Crown Prince seems to be injured too?”
More than injured, that bone-penetrating nail had barbs on it.
Xue Sui glanced at him indifferently, then lowered her eyes to tidy the medicine box…
“Let him go wild.”
In the Eastern Palace, that noble cage, Li Zhao was not the obedient and docile Crown Prince, and was criticized everywhere. But in reality, he had already tried his best to restrain his sharpness. Now that the trapped beast was out of its cage, if he didn’t indulge his nature, when would he?
The sounds of fighting outside the carriage gradually weakened, and the Eastern Palace guards closed in on the carriage in a fan formation.
The horses, startled by the downpour, let out piercing neighs.
Li Zhao thrust his long sword into a masked man’s chest with a backhand stroke. Rainwater flowed from his brow bone into his collar.
“Yu Qianshan.”
“Your subordinate is here!”
A burly man who looked like a general quickly approached and bowed with his fists clasped.
“What are Your Highness’s orders?”
Li Zhao pulled out his long sword. The large raindrops couldn’t extinguish the scarlet ferocity in his eyes.
“Search them! Bury the dead on the spot, and tie up all the living ones and bring them back…”
“Yes!”
The rain curtain was heavy, and the battle had ceased.
However, the secrets hidden beneath this slaughter could not be covered by the heavy rain.
“Your Highness—” Xue Sui’s voice came from inside the carriage.
Li Zhao’s blood-stained fingertips paused slightly. He turned his head and saw Xue Sui lifting the carriage curtain, revealing a clean and pure face.
“Consort Wan has not yet woken up. I fear her cold condition may act up, so we must depart immediately.”
Li Zhao, holding his dripping sword, slowly walked towards the carriage. Rainwater dripped from his raven-black eyelashes onto his face. The palace maids accompanying the guard detail quickly held up a paper umbrella, but he gently brushed it aside.
“The road is slippery due to the heavy rain, so let’s go to the West Mountain Imperial Palace together.”
This place was much closer to the West Mountain Imperial Palace than returning to the capital…
Xue Sui pondered for a moment and nodded slightly.
Wen Jia looked grateful and bowed, “Thank you, Crown Prince, for saving us. My mother and I truly don’t know how to repay you…”
“Imperial Sister, you are too kind.” Li Zhao glanced at Xue Sui, his expression calm, “It is merely karma.”
Wen Jia was surprised by his words, paused slightly, and then fell silent.
Although they were half-siblings, their statuses were vastly different. They had not been close in the past, so Wen Jia did not dare to overstep in front of Li Zhao, adhering to all etiquette in her every action.
After a brief reorganization, the group prepared to depart.
Lu You’an’s wound had been properly treated by an imperial physician who had rushed back. However, with the torrential rain, his situation was awkward.
“The bandits have been eliminated, so I should be going back now.”
He bowed to everyone in turn.
“Everyone, farewell!”
Wen Jia tightly twisted the silk handkerchief in her fingertips.
Seeing Lu You’an go to lead his horse, a two-inch long gash on his arm revealing his blood-soaked undergarment, yet he paid it no mind, she couldn’t help but tremble slightly.
“Young Master Lu, why don’t you stay for a while and go to the Imperial Palace to recuperate? You can return to the capital after the rain stops?”
Before she could finish speaking, her words were swallowed by the thunder.
Lu You’an’s retreating figure paused slightly in the mud. He clutched his injured arm and slowly turned back, “Thank you for your kindness, Princess, but I have urgent matters and cannot stay long.”
With that, he struggled to lead his horse, determined to leave.
Wen Jia couldn’t think of a reason to keep him.
Suddenly, Li Zhao let out a light hum, a mocking curve at the corner of his lips.
“I will be interrogating the assassins at the West Mountain Imperial Palace tonight, and I will need to ask Young Master Lu for his testimony…”
His tone was cold, as if he were stating a matter of fact.
Lu You’an looked back at Wen Jia, vaguely feeling that this was an excuse Li Zhao had made for him. However, he had no prior dealings with Li Zhao, and in the past, due to Ping Le, Li Zhao had never even given him a pleasant look. He really didn’t need to show him such concern.
Thus, he thought of the antidote he had stolen from Ping Le’s residence and sighed inwardly.
“Since it is Your Highness’s command, I dare not disobey. I will do my utmost to assist with all my might.”
Xue Sui looked at everyone and spoke at the opportune moment.
“I’ve heard that the back hall of the West Mountain Imperial Palace has a hot spring, which is most suitable for recuperating. Imperial Physician Zhou has also purchased a lot of medicinal materials, which can be used to prepare a medicinal bath for Consort Wan to help her recover her vital energy.”
Li Zhao looked at her.
“Move to the West Mountain Imperial Palace.”
–
The West Mountain Imperial Palace was the closest summer resort for the imperial family to Shangjing.
By the time the procession arrived, the rain had intensified.
Thunder rumbled, rolling over the glazed tiles, and the candlelight flickered unsteadily in the room.
Consort Wan lay weakly on the brocade couch, her breathing faint, like a thread.
Amun Rah stood by the couch, his aged palm covering the wolf-tooth pendant on his chest, muttering incantations—
“Divine eagle of Wulan Holy Mountain, come and guide the lost lamb…”
“Please use the snow water of Wulan Mountain to cleanse sins, and sweep away illness with the tail of a red fox…”
The ancient Xizi prayers, mixed with the sound of rain, echoed softly in the room.
Amun Rah suddenly drew his curved saber, cut his palm, and let the blood drip into a bowl of clear water. Then, this Xizi High Priest personally used cinnabar mixed with blood to press onto Consort Wan’s forehead, drawing a flame-like pattern.
“Princess Saina, the eagle of Chishui City should not be confined in the cage of the Central Plains! That year, the High Priest divined a propitious omen of a purple star and auspicious clouds, your life was not meant to end…”
Wen Jia’s palms clenched slightly, “Sixth Miss Xue said that after taking the antidote, she should be fine. It’s just that my mother’s body has always been frail, with qi and blood deficiency, so it will take some time to recover.”
Alimu, with red eyes, looked at Wen Jia and said, “The High Priest is devoutly praying for the Princess, seeking the protection of the ancestors of the Sacred Mountain… Princess Saina will surely get better.”
Wen Jia suddenly remembered her mother’s gentle whisper in her ear when she was young, “Yin’er, can you hear the echo from Wulan Holy Mountain? That’s the ancestors blowing the wolf bone flute, calling back their children…”
Wen Jia sniffled, holding back tears.
“We will, we definitely will.”
Alimu said indignantly, “I never expected Consort Xiao to possess Xizi secret medicine. She intended to kill the Princess and also frame Xizi…”
Wen Jia had not previously understood the implications and schemes…
Now that she understood everything, her hatred intensified.
Consort Xiao wanted to kill her mother, but never treated her and her mother as people, merely as ants that could be trampled upon at will, a tool to frame Empress Xie…
“How malicious!”
Amidst the thunder and rain, Consort Wan opened her eyes under the High Priest’s low chant.
“Yin’er, is this…”
“Alimu?”
“Amun Rah?”
She recognized the old acquaintances before her, tears streaming down her face.
Wen Jia quickly stepped forward and gently comforted her, “Mother, they came specifically to see you. Mother, don’t cry… Sixth Miss Xue said that crying harms the body.”
The two Xizi men bowed to her in unison.
“Princess Saina!”
Consort Wan suddenly leaned forward and grabbed the wolf-tooth pendant in front of Alimu. Her hand trembled, and she cried and laughed.
“Saina dares not forget the oath made before the Sacred Fire at the age of fourteen—to use my lifetime of blessings to exchange for the peace of the Xizi people… Saina has not fulfilled it, and is not worthy of your treatment, not worthy of this title of Princess…”
“Princess, you have done your best…”
Consort Wan gave a bitter smile, stroked the white hair at her temples, and tears fell like pearls.
“It’s been over twenty years. How are my father and mother now? Are they well?”
Alimu glanced at Amun Rah.
Saina, imprisoned in the Cold Palace, was unaware of the changes in Xizi, and they didn’t know where to begin.
Twenty years was too long, and too many things had happened.
After a long while, Amun Rah sighed deeply, “The King has already passed away. The current King of Xizi is the Princess’s elder brother, Ashina. The Great Consort also followed the King two years ago…”
Upon hearing this, Consort Wan suddenly pushed herself up by the edge of the couch, wanting to get up. However, her body was too weak, and her vision went black, causing her to fall back.
“Father… Mother…”
She weakly extended her hand, placed it on her chest, and murmured a prayer…
Wen Jia looked at her trembling body and patted her shoulder with heartache.
“Mother, you still have me, you still have me, and you have Niu Niu…”
Amun Rah looked at the lightning striking down by the window, his gaze dark as he looked towards the night sky, his voice like a curse.
“Just wait. When the gods on Wulan Holy Mountain open their eyes, they will surely fill the tents of those wicked people with Xizi’s soul-summoning banners…”
Candle wax dripped down the candlestick…
The torrential rain made a shattering sound on the glazed tiles.
They talked for a while longer.
It was getting late, and Alimu and Amun Rah knew they couldn’t stay long. Just as they had arrived, they put on their cloaks and straw raincoats and disappeared silently into the rainy night.
Wen Jia helped Consort Wan lie down, carefully instructed Dong Xu to take good care of her, and then went out carrying the medicine pot.
As soon as she stepped onto the corridor, she looked up and saw Lu You’an standing there. His injured arm was wrapped in gauze, and their eyes met under the lamplight. His eyes immediately showed a hint of worry.
“Shangjing is already wary of the Princess, and Consort Wan is a Xizi Princess… If this is discovered by someone with ulterior motives, it might bring great disaster.”
Wen Jia knew that with his intelligence, he had already guessed something.
“There are no other people with ulterior motives, only you. Will Young Master Lu spread this matter?”
Lu You’an shook his head.
Before he could speak, Wen Jia slowly walked towards him. Lu You’an subconsciously retreated slowly, being cornered by her until he reached a turn.
“You have always been kind. Even though Ping Le did so many wicked things, you never betrayed her. Towards me, you wouldn’t be so heartless, would you?”
Lu You’an was stunned into silence.
The Wen Jia of the past was gentle, reserved, and as docile as a lamb. Tonight, her tone carried a coldness and decisiveness she had never possessed before—
But all of this, in the end, was his fault, and he could not refute it.
Lu You’an lowered his head, his usually straight back seeming to bend. He pressed his palm against his injured arm and said in a low voice, “I have failed you. No matter how you scold or resent me, Princess, it is all deserved.”
Wen Jia was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
“I just heard a Xizi proverb that I found very reasonable. Would Young Master Lu care to hear it?”
Lu You’an replied, “I am all ears.”
Wen Jia continued, “If a son of the grasslands loves the bright moon, he will chase it to the horizon even across the sand sea! And you—”
“I… am not worthy.” Lu You’an’s expression was dejected.
The rain curtain under the eaves shattered in his eyes into a string of crystal clear water droplets, his voice growing even deeper.
“I personally refused the marriage proposal back then. Now I have achieved nothing, and I have a pair of children, reduced to this state. How dare I, covered in mud, entangle a beautiful phoenix?”
The thunder crashed down, making hearts tremble.
Wen Jia gazed at him for a long time and smiled bitterly again.
“I understand. Wen Jia does not blame you. I wish Young Master Lu great success in the future, soaring thousands of miles!”
With that, she hugged the medicine pot and slowly walked out of the moon gate.
Lu You’an remained in place, lost in thought amidst the rain.
The sound of a pottery jar shattering on the ground startled Lu You’an, who turned sharply, only to see Wen Jia, holding up her skirt, running into the rain.
The wind swept the rain, passing through the hall.
The candlelight crackled—
Xue Sui’s fingers holding the scissors paused slightly.
“Your Highness keeps moving around like this, are you afraid of pain, or afraid of death?”
Li Zhao’s wound was on his left shoulder. The bone-penetrating nail was still deeply embedded in his flesh, and blood had already soaked through his clothes.
Scolded by Xue Sui like this, Li Zhao chuckled softly.
“This wound looks somewhat similar to Lu You’an’s? One risked stealing medicine to save a beauty, the other stepped forward to protect a beloved…”
Pah!
Shameless.
Xue Sui’s face was grim, her voice clear and cold.
“His bone-penetrating nail went through his arm, so it doesn’t require much effort to remove, much easier than Your Highness’s.”
She finished speaking and lowered her head, attempting to cut open the fabric stuck to his wound by blood.
The scissors bit into the fabric, and tiny drops of blood seeped from the wound.
The bone-penetrating nail had barbs and was extremely difficult to remove. The fabric was stuck to the flesh, and pulling it would cause sharp pain.
Xue Sui lowered her eyes, “Your Highness, please bear with it.”
Li Zhao remained silent. The lines of his shoulders and neck tensed in the candlelight, revealing a sharp curve. Sweat trickled down his sunken spine, sliding deep into his undergarment…
Xue Sui’s hand holding the scissors tightened unconsciously, her knuckles turning white.
“Don’t move—”
The words were still on her tongue when Li Zhao suddenly turned his head, bit the blood-stained fabric with his teeth, and his pupils flashed with a wolf-like gleam. With a hint of mischief, he pulled hard, tearing it open.
“Can’t bear to do it? Divine Physician Xue, has your heart softened?”
Xue Sui looked at his red, smiling dark eyes and frowned slightly.
“Doesn’t it hurt?”
“I’m not afraid… hiss…”
Xue Sui suddenly acted, forcefully tearing open his blood-soaked front.
A drop of cold sweat slid down, like molten pine resin flowing over the spine of a sword forged from dark iron. The candlelight cast a glaze over him, revealing distinct muscle masses, not exaggerated like a bull, but with smooth, tight lines, exuding the charming demeanor of a handsome young man.
Xue Sui lowered her eyes, her fingertips, stained with ointment, gently applied it around his wound, her movements so gentle as if to awaken the love silk gu in his blood…
Li Zhao’s Adam’s apple bobbed with her movements.
A hot flame, tracing the skin they touched, leaped up—
“Xue Ping’an.”
Li Zhao’s breathing suddenly quickened, and the sound that escaped his throat was unexpectedly suggestive.
“You might as well give me a quick end…”
Xue Sui’s eyes darkened. She suddenly gripped his shoulder, grabbed the bone-penetrating nail, and exerted sudden force.
“!!” Li Zhao’s eyes widened slightly, his head thrown back, forming an alluring curve.
Xue Sui exhaled slowly, looking at the barbed hidden weapon, and felt a slight tremor in her palm.
However, the expected roar did not come. Li Zhao’s pain seemed to be stuck in his throat. His handsome face turned red, cold sweat soaked his forehead, and his eyes stared at her like molten gold, like a beast about to devour someone.
“It’s done, the bone-penetrating nail is out.”
Xue Sui comforted him. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, a man’s scent, mixed with blood, rushed towards her.
Li Zhao clasped her waist with his backhand, suddenly pulled her close, his scorching lips lightly brushing her earlobe, and whispered:
“I’m not in pain, I’m just uncomfortable because of the love silk gu. Xue Ping’an… tell me, what should I do?”
This chapter is quite long, ha…
See you tomorrow!
Li Zhao: Stuck here? Huh? Huh? Not letting me sleep, are you?
Xue Sui: Stuck well! I’ll deal with him tomorrow!
