Chapter 58: Mountains and Rivers, Beauty, and Freedom

  People say that the meaning of life is to struggle. Xiaoyi thinks that this struggle can be divided into deep and shallow struggles. And her life, unfortunately, belongs to the former.

  It's just that I've managed to drag another person into this mess.

  "Cousin, you're living a pretty comfortable life, aren't you?" Yuan Xiaogong said with a tone that was never kind.

  Xia Zhi Qi wasn't someone who would easily compromise himself either. He glanced at the young master standing at the door, who was still wearing a embroidered silk robe and exuding an air of elegance between his eyebrows, and slightly curled up the corner of his lips with a relaxed and calm expression. "I'm telling you, Brother-in-law, how do you write the word 'conscience'? You should have forgotten it by now! Luckily I've been reminding myself about your divine machine camp's firearms matter all this time. If I hadn't sent someone to deliver a message to you, would you have come?"

  That's right, she bit Mei Zi's ear before, just for this matter.

  But as for excuses, Yuan Xiaoyu still had another hobby besides women - firearms.

  With that thing, she bet this old man would definitely come.

  As expected.

  Yu Xiao Gongzi gave her a glance, slightly furrowed his brow, beckoned with his hand towards the outside, and Dan Fengyan's eyes sparkled with a smile.

  "Wu Si, bring in some good wine and dishes for the young master."

  "Yes, General."

  A loud and clear response was followed by a small soldier-like man, who quickly brought in a three-tiered wooden food box with chicken wings. He spread out a canvas cloth on the wooden bed and arranged the contents of the food box: a plate of peanuts, a dish of shiny roasted duck, a dish of braised beef, a dish of pig's ears, two large bowls, and two jars of hot wine. After everything was in place, he slowly retreated outside.

  "Here, sister-in-law, for you."

  Yu Xiao Gong Ye was a straightforward person, not so particular. On the seventh day of summer, he sat down opposite her, with only one person sitting at the head of the wooden bed, separated by a piece of cloth with a wine table in between, and they really started eating and drinking peanuts and pig ears in this thatched cottage.

  "Cheers!" Xia Chuqi clinked his bowl with him, "As it turns out, you're not a bad guy after all. They say that in today's world, it's easy to add flowers to brocade, but hard to send charcoal in the snow. With me looking like I'm half dead and half alive now, you still brought good wine and food to visit me, and it really touches my heart...I'm so moved I could cry..."

  "Stop pretending!"

  Yuan You waved his hand to interrupt her, Dan Feng's eyes narrowed, "Any donkey that can bray is a kicking and bucking goods. If you didn't let Mei Zi bring the message, I would have invited you to drink and eat meat, and then you told me the plan for improving firearms. Could I have bothered to bring so many things?"

  "Ah!" Xia Chuqi's face fell, and he looked crestfallen. He chuckled and picked up a piece of roasted duck with his chopsticks, dipped it in the sweet sauce on the small plate, and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, he made satisfied noises, "I was just about to get sentimental, and you go and pour cold water on me. Unfeeling, truly unfeeling."

  He lightly let out a "hmm", and then swallowed a piece of beef with some strong liquor, before saying, "You, you're not someone who knows how to be content. I thought my 19th uncle was really being taken advantage of by you. But now that I've taken a look, your life doesn't seem like it's been affected at all."

  Pick up a peanut, Xia Qi smashed it towards his face, "Get out get out, isn't it humiliating enough to have to wait for you to collect the body?"

  Yu Xiao Gong Ye opened his mouth and took in a peanut, then rolled it into his tongue.

  "Smells good. Can't you speak properly?"

  On the seventh day of summer, she was both amused and annoyed. "You're the one who doesn't speak properly, aren't you? Which pot doesn't open when it's mentioned, from now on, don't mention that person in front of me again."

  Yu Xiao Gongzi chuckled and said, "Oh, are you trying to draw a line between yourself and my nineteenth uncle?"

  "Look at me! Isn't this just like me? I shouldn't have?"

  His eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze deepened as he stared at the charcoal fire. He looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back, and instead, a faint, gentle smile played on his lips.

  "After saying that, what's the point of calling me over? I really don't dare to believe you'd think of firearms for my sake and have a good heart?"

  "Let's drink and not talk about those depressing things. We've had a drink today, who knows when we two siblings can have another one, it's really hard to say." Xia Chuqi narrowed her eyes, leaned over and poured wine for Yuan Yu, clinking the bowl with a sly smile like a fox.

  "What does it mean?" Yuan You frowned.

  "It doesn't matter. Good wine, really good wine, much better than that mixed grain wine."

  Suddenly blurting out words made Xia Chuyi inexplicably think of the mixed grain wine he drank on the big stone by Qingling River that day.

  As I savored it, there was a slightly unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth.

  He sneered and laughed, tilted his head back, and gulped down a big mouthful.

  "What a relief."

  The alcohol content of this era is all low, it's really not easy to drink.

  She thought to herself, Yuan You glanced at her and also drank with a big mouth, laughing and pulling out a face of peach blossoms. "Don't mention it, drinking in this kind of place is really another kind of fun, the feeling is like seeing off a death row prisoner, there's no tomorrow after today, I don't even know if I can pull it out after drinking, it's really refreshing."

  "Good for nothing stuff!"

  Xia Chuiqi scolded him with a loud voice, glanced at him, and suddenly smiled again.

  "It's almost the same anyway, you can just see me off today."

  Yu Xiao Gong Ye just put the wine bowl to his mouth, then put it down again, and hooked his lips in confusion. "Cousin, let's make one thing clear first, what's with inviting you to drink and eat meat and talk big? I can handle that, no problem. But if you have any ideas about me taking you out, that's definitely not possible. If I did that, my nineteenth uncle would skin me alive."

  Xia Chuqi gazed at his delicate and beautiful peony eyes, and then handed the wine bowl to him with a slightly evil smile, suddenly changing the subject.

  "Brother, I have a question for you."

  "What?"

  "Are you willing to let your nineteenth uncle skin you or are you willing to never get married for the rest of your life?"

  Yuan You's face changed, he looked out the door and his pupils suddenly dilated.

  "You're plotting against me?"

  "Right." Xia Chu nodded and replied very concisely, "The wine bowl I handed you earlier had my exclusive 'Newlywed Powder'. This thing doesn't have any other bad effects if eaten, it can even strengthen the body and make one want to be a newlywed every night. The only downside is that wanting to be a newlywed but being unable to, tsk tsk, the pain of enduring this is more painful than death. Table brother, you should consider my problem again, which one is more miserable?"

  In the past, I indulged in games and flowers, loving nothing but beautiful wine and beautiful women.

  She is so cruel and heartless, it's actually worse than killing him.

  At the beginning of summer, Xia Chuqi understood him, but he seemed to still not quite understand Xia Chuqi. Unexpectedly, she had been plotting against him from the moment he entered the door. Thinking about it, his own family's treasured fine wine and exquisite dishes that he brought in himself were actually drugged?

  At that moment, Yuan Xiao Gongzi's pair of phoenix eyes suddenly opened, revealing a hint of annoyance.

  "Chu Qi——"

  "Brother, don't get angry."

  "Come on, it's actually quite simple. You knock out that little soldier and bring him in, I'll switch clothes with him and slip out under the cover of darkness, who would notice? Later, I'll give you the antidote formula, your 19th uncle can't find me, he really can't kill you, right? You're a prince after all, at most you'll get punched a few times. I've already thought it through for you, no need to make such a big fuss, getting angry and hurting your liver, it's bad for men's reproductive health too. Cousin, calm down."

  Yuan You gritted his teeth and stared at her.

  "You even let me put out the fire, and you've already killed me with your thoughts."

  Xia smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then withdrew her hand.

  "Absolutely not. Impulsiveness is the devil, from now on, you'd better pray for my longevity, or else your lifelong happiness might be ruined in an instant. Because I dare guarantee that except for me, Chu Qi, there's no one else in this world who can configure the antidote for 'New Bride Powder', believe it? Of course, you might not believe it, but it's not about being afraid of ten thousand things, it's about being afraid of that one thing, right? Brother-in-law."

  She said it lightly, Yuan You's handsome face turned darker and darker, looking at her with a bad temper.

  "Cousin, is it really okay for you to handle things this way?"

  She raised the corner of her lips, and Xia Chui once again stuffed the wine bowl into his hand, laughing so happily, "That's just perfect. Look at the sky outside, it's still dark, we can drink a few more mouthfuls. Brother-in-law, consider this as you seeing me off, from now on, we'll be separated by mountains and rivers...".

  She was smiling, but when she got to this point, looking at Yuan Yu's handsome face and then at the dark and gloomy woodshed, her next words suddenly became difficult to say. She could only hold up the wine bowl, like a man, and with a flourish, pour it into her mouth, venting all the frustration that had been pent up in her heart for the past few days, all at once, into that one bowl of clear and refreshing wine.

  "Alright, then let's have a good drink."

  Yuanyou let out a sigh and filled her cup with wine again, downing several bowls. One of his hands rested on her shoulder.

  "Cousin sister, my nineteenth uncle... perhaps he also had no choice."

  "Let's not mention him again." Xia Chuyi's face fell, and she said fiercely, exchanging a brief glance with Yuan Yu, before putting on a smile again. "I understand, I was wrong from the start. I thought all princes under heaven loved that golden throne, the best seat in the world. But some people don't love it, what do they love? Do they love the beauty who embroidered 'River Clearing and Sea Calming, Time Harmonious and Years Abundant' with her own hands? Haha, that beauty understands his heart, a single embroidery has turned the tide of the situation!"

  "Cousin... why must you do this?"

  "Haha, wasn't I just chatting with you for fun? Don't mention it, this person's abacus is truly precise. He can advance and retreat at will, no one is as brilliant as him. Now, for the sake of that beauty, he can use actual actions to prove himself to his old man. Look, your son me, I don't care about that position at all, I just like a peaceful world, I only want our people to live in happiness and contentment... these two people are the ones who fabricated rumors and deceived the masses, you can deal with them as you please, and one of them is someone I deeply love, I've handed them over to you together... see, loyal and devoted! Of course, if he's not satisfied, he can turn the tables at any time, the hearts of the people are already won over by him, the King of Jin... who knows, maybe he'll even get the beauty and the throne all at once? Haha... what a great move!"

  She drank wine and muttered to herself.

  Yu Wei occasionally glanced at her and said, "Do you really understand him?"

  "I don't understand crap!" Xia Chuqi curled her lip, "I'm just messing around for no reason, like you said, I'm a dead prisoner anyway, so what's the difference? I'm not afraid of anyone saying I'm slandering the imperial court or defaming the king. But brother-in-law, luckily you were adopted by the Duke of Chengguo when you were young... if you still had the surname Zhao now, who knows, maybe you'd also have those crooked thoughts and want to fight with your imperial brother for the golden throne? Haha."

  She smiled self-deprecatingly and gulped down glass after glass of wine.

  Yuanyou's eyes narrowed slightly, as if something had touched a certain point in his heart.

  "I, young master, love beautiful women, but I don't care about power or wealth."

  "Go away! When can one believe a man's words?"

  "Oh no, you've forgotten our eternal love so quickly?"

  "What's the point of talking about eternal love and forgetting? Get lost."

  Yuan You looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "Don't think that I don't know anything. You and my nineteenth uncle... you two really haven't got something going on?"

  "It's nothing. It really is nothing."

  On the seventh day of summer, laughing and drinking with joy, drinking is even more straightforward.

  Yuanyou stared at him for a long time, seeing that she was still gulping down the wine in big mouthfuls, and snatched the wine bowl from her hand, raising an eyebrow.

  "My nineteenth uncle... might not be what you think he is?"

  "Ah," Xia Qiuyi smiled, "What does he look like?"

  Yu Xiao Gong Ye furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before suddenly letting out a sigh.

  "You mentioned that embroidered picture... Ah, it's a long story. In the early years of the Emperor's reign, in order to show his favor and kindness to the meritorious ministers and generals, he married off his own princesses to the sons of various noble families, and also arranged marriages for his sons and grandsons. Those girls mostly came from these same families with military merit. When my 19th uncle was still young, the Emperor had already betrothed him to Dongfang Almu, the talented and beautiful daughter of the Dongfang family, as his primary wife. The two of them had known about this arranged marriage since they were young, and everyone thought it would be a perfect match... But just that year, when the wedding preparations were halfway done..."

  It's rare for Yuan Xiaoye to be so willing to open up, and Xia Qi listened quietly.

  It can be said that at this point, he seemed to be avoiding something, and after circling his tongue for a while, he said, "When it came down to it, the emperor unexpectedly gave Amur to the crown prince, who is also my biological father. Then, he arranged for the youngest daughter of the Dong family to marry my nineteenth uncle. That girl was also unlucky and fell ill before she could get married, then died at home... Later, the emperor arranged three more marriages, but those girls either died suddenly or violently... The emperor became anxious, while my nineteenth uncle has never been enthusiastic about this matter, and since he is often away fighting wars, he has no intention of getting married, so it was slowly put on hold. Do you understand?

  "What's going on?"

  He gave him a strange look, saw that he didn't make a sound, and stared at himself in a daze. Xia Chuyi finally hooked his lips, "Finished?"

  "Is that all? Want to know something more?"

  She patted her forehead, and Xia Qi snorted, "Nothing to know. It's just that every family has a difficult scripture to recite, even the emperor's family is no exception. Looking at you princes and princesses, living in luxury, but even marriage can't be controlled by yourself, pitiful creatures."

  Perhaps it was a deep feeling, Yuan You slightly closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

  "It's indeed the case. In the future, I won't be able to marry a woman I've never even seen before? Fortunately, I'm not like my 19th uncle, I think it through, in my backyard, there are already many beautiful women stored up, haha, living a carefree life."

  He laughed heartily.

  On the seventh day of summer, however, he was solemn and silent.

  Looking at Yuan Xiaogong's usual pampered face, he suddenly felt a sense of regret.

  This guy may also have his own heartache that is unknown to others, amidst the laughter and anger, and the struggles of life.

  No way, she's just being sarcastic.

  She shook her head vigorously, swaying the wine jug back and forth, took a glance at the sky outside, and let out a belch.

  "This wine is really not intoxicating."

  ……

  ……

  About half an hour later, the sky gradually darkened.

  The guard outside the woodshed had already prepared to hand over his shift and finally plucked up the courage to ask Young Master Yuan to come out. Yuan You was sitting on a wooden bed, seemingly tired, stretched his waist, and slowly crawled out of the woodshed with a small soldier following closely behind him, carrying a large hardwood food box that didn't quite match his physique, walking towards the horse-tying area.

  The door of the barn was closed again.

  Today Yuan Xiaogongzi rode a horse into the post station.

  That little soldier seems not very familiar with riding the horse he rode in on.

  He tried several times but couldn't get on the horse, and had to be helped by Yuan Xiaojun before he could mount it. But even after getting on the horse, he still swayed back and forth several times before sitting steadily, until Yuan Xiaojun whispered a few more words about how to control the horse, then she tried to turn the horse's head.

  Two people, one in front of the other, rode horses at a very slow pace.

  They were heading in the direction of the west gate of Shenji Camp.

  Not far away, Yuan Xiao Gongzi whispered again, "The four city gates are all arranged with Jin Yiwei. Be careful."

  The little soldier shifted his hat on his head and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, I'm careful, I won't let anyone see through it, rest assured."

  This little soldier is Xia Chuqi who wants to get rid of Jin Chan's shell.

  But she never expected that when people are down on their luck, even drinking water can choke them. Before she had finished speaking, a group of imperial guards in full dress appeared from the front, led by a tall figure in a bright red changshan with a flying fish pattern, like a crimson cloud that made one's heart feel pressured and surprised.

  Other Jin Yiwei's eyes may not be so poisonous.

  But if I were to encounter that troublesome Eastern Great Demoness, it's not necessarily so.

  Yu Xiao Gong Ye didn't expect it to be so coincidental, and was startled for a moment, his horse's pace hesitating.

  "Let's take a different route."

  At the beginning of summer, she slightly lowered her eyelids and bowed her head. "It's too late now, changing directions might attract his attention even more. You calm down, just focus on using all your strength to attract his attention. Don't worry, brother, you look better than me, he won't take a second glance at me."

  “……”

  Yu Wei silently pursed his lips.

  Xia's words were simple, but her hands holding the reins had stiffened.

  Not to mention the tension of riding alone for the first time, but thinking about the methods of that Eastern demon, her heart was also filled with anxiety. She felt that the short distance, which normally took only a few steps, seemed longer than ever before. She knew that if the Eastern demon discovered any traces, all her plans would be ruined in an instant. Moreover, it would be even more difficult for her to escape afterwards...

  "The barn is flooded!"

  Suddenly, a sharp scream pierced through the dark sky.

  "Come quick! The barn is flooding!"

  Just as Xia Zhiyu turned her head, a burst of flames suddenly shot up into the sky from the direction of the thatched hut where she had been imprisoned, bringing with it thick black smoke, like red and black mushroom clouds, illuminating half the horizon in an instant.

  "It's all over, your soldier, Wu Si he..."

  "It's nothing." Yuan You also glanced back, "Just consider it a sacrifice for the country."

  The fire came extremely cleverly, as if to cover up Xia Chuyi's escape. When she and Dongfang Qingxuan were less than three zhang apart, the Jin Yiwei cavalry suddenly turned their horses around and galloped towards the barn, without even a spare glance in this direction from Dongfang Qingxuan.

  The big stone in my heart finally fell on the seventh day of summer.

  "Heaven has eyes. Brother, hurry up a bit. If we don't leave now, when will we?"

  ……

  ……

  The woodshed was originally a place for storing firewood.

  Inside, the dry firewood stored there, once it encounters a raging fire that has been fueled with oil, the effect of the blaze is truly astonishing, almost in an instant, it engulfs the entire woodshed, and then the flames begin to spread to the adjacent rooms on either side.

  "Quickly bring some water—"

  "Hurry! Put out the fire! Save the fire!"

  The sound of splashing water, the shouting voices, the human voices were boiling over, almost shaking the sky with that burst of noise mixed with screams, it made people's ears tingle.

  Suddenly, thick smoke filled the sky, flames danced wildly, and those who were fighting the fire coughed one after another.

  When Jin Yiwei rushed over, the thatched house was already completely surrounded by fire.

  The houses of the post station are mostly wooden structures, and now they can't be burned down.

  So, when the fire broke out, except for leaving necessary guards at the city gate, almost all the forces of the post station were used to put out the fire, and all the living forces of the entire post station also gathered here.

  In the midst of a crowd rushing to and fro, Mei Zi hadn't even approached the fierce flames yet, but was already scared stiff, kneeling on the ground with a thud, wailing loudly and calling out "Chu Qi" in a heart-wrenching tone. Yuè Yù's eyes were also red-rimmed, constantly wiping away tears with her handkerchief as she hugged Mei Zi's shoulders and comforted her nonstop.

  And in the crowd, it's unclear who is cursing.

  "That Chu Qi is really something, if she doesn't want to live herself, then don't drag others down with her! This fire originated from the woodshed, it must be that she's feeling wronged in her heart, thinking that the master has imprisoned her, and she can't think of anything else, so she set the fire to kill herself!"

  "Didn't you say you were pregnant with the emperor's grandson? Why are you still being stubborn?"

  "Which woman is not long-haired and short-sighted? Perhaps she was originally trying to scare Your Highness, but didn't know that the fire would start burning and couldn't be put out..."

  "It's not... really pitiful..."

  The Eastern Blue Mystic's enchanting eyes remained slightly narrowed.

  Under the illumination of the flames, his figure was still extremely beautiful, with a hint of a cold smile at the corner of his lips.

  Ning Wang, who was still embracing Rou Yuwen in the house earlier, also rushed over hastily. He gazed at the massive fire with a solemn expression on his face and remained silent for a long time, lost in thought.

  The location of Yu Huang Pavilion is farthest from the woodshed here.

  Zhao Zun also came last naturally.

  Watching the soaring flames and the soldiers rushing to put out the fire, he stood quietly in one place, with one hand behind his back, his eyes still cold and piercing. A black cloak was shrouded in mystery and intrigue under the reflection of the flames, until the entire hut was reduced to ashes, without saying a single word.

  Report—

  A soldier clad in iron armor knelt on one knee, his voice a little hoarse from the smoke.

  "Your Highness, the people inside... when they were dug out, they already... already..."

  When he said the word "kuò", the soldier raised his hands, revealing ten black fingers stained with fresh blood. He glanced at Zhao Zhu's dark face and lowered his voice a few more notches.

  "Chu Qi... has already been burned into a charred corpse..."

  Zhao Zhu quietly looked at the woodshed for a while before humming in agreement.

  "Have her remains properly coffined — into the coffin!"

  The last two words, he said extremely slowly, in that cold and detached gaze, seemed to hide a deeper layer of emotions, or could be understood as reluctance, unease, sadness, heartache... yet no one could tell which one it was.

  At the sight, Dongfang Qingxuan, who was standing beside him, smiled and said, "How pitiful! Chu Qi is a clever and cunning girl, but she's also very intelligent and elegant. She died such a miserable death. Just thinking about it, that delicate skin of hers being burned by the fire must have been an unbearable feeling."

  Zhao Zhu clenched his fists tightly, but still didn't say a word.

  "Qing Xuan thought for a moment, 'Could it be that Your Highness is trying to destroy the evidence by setting fire to it?'"

  Zhao Zun slowly turned his eyes and looked at him, his gaze suddenly cold.

  "The Eastern Master must have heard of a saying: 'A tiger does not eat its own son.'"

  "What does Your Highness mean by this?"

  "That Chu Qi is pregnant with my child, who doesn't know? I must consider the safety of the fetus in her womb, even if I don't care about hers. Does Lord Dongfang think I'm a shameless person who would kill his own flesh and blood?"

  The eastern blue phoenix's eyes narrowed slightly.

  He slowly hooked his lips into a smile, like a beautiful and enchanting flower blooming at the corner of his mouth. His smile was so captivating that Ning Wang Zhao Xi, who was standing not far away, unconsciously walked over, as if he had been intoxicated by his voice.

  "Your Highness is really good at joking, Qing Xuan doesn't dare think so."

  Zhaoyu quietly looked at him, then coldly said, "If it weren't for Duke Dongfang's excessive coercion, would I have imprisoned the person closest to my heart in this thatched cottage without seeing the light of day? And would I have allowed my first child to perish in a sea of flames before they were even born? Duke Dongfang, when we return to the capital, you will have to give me and my unborn grandson an explanation in front of His Majesty."

  A cold and icy sentence, loud and clear.

  The Eastern Blue Mystic's face, which had been smiling shallowly, gradually regained its composure. However, those enchanting eyes of hers emitted an even warmer glow instead.

  "Your Highness, Qing Xuan really can't understand you more and more."

  Zhao Zhen looked at him coolly and slightly raised an eyebrow. "If you can't understand, then that's just how it is. If I let you understand, what significance would it have?"

  The red dress of the Eastern Blue Mystic Enchantress shone with a dazzling brilliance under the fiery light.

  Suddenly, he smiled again.

  "Your Highness, it seems Qing Xuan was also deceived."

  Zhao Zun turned his head away, gazing at the flames, "The landscape painting embroidered by the Crown Prince's consort and presented by Lord Dongfang is truly too precious for me to accept."

  He turned back, his eyes sideways, cold and emotionless, his voice devoid of any sentiment.

  "Zheng Er Bao, return the embroidery to Master Dongfang."

  "Yes!"

  It seemed that it had long been prepared, and Chen Erbao waved his sleeve. Two soldiers carried a peach wood carved and painted long box and respectfully presented it to Dongfang Qingxuan's face.

  Dongfang Qingxuan slightly narrowed his eyes, seemingly somewhat perplexed.

  "A gift once given cannot be taken back. Since Qing Xuan has presented it to Your Highness, it now belongs to you."

  "Are you letting me handle this?" Zhao Zhuo said calmly.

  Eastern Qing Xuan slowly hooked his lips, "Yes."

  "Very well—" Zhao You's face was expressionless, "Zheng Er Bao, throw him into the fire and burn him."

  "Grandpa..."

  Zheng Er Bao called out softly, but when he met Zhao Zun's cold gaze, he didn't dare to continue and quickly had someone carry him away to the still smoldering fire. But Dongfang Qingxuan's hand was clenched tighter and his voice was no longer as calm as before, "Your Highness, this embroidery was done by Amur for half a year, every stitch and thread was personally done by her..."

  Zhao Zhu was silent and didn't look at him.

  Just as the embroidered picture was about to be thrown into the sea of flames, Dongfang Qingxuan couldn't bear it anymore.

  Slowly

  He took two slow steps forward, his smile unfolding like a crimson cloak, more resplendent than the flames.

  "As you wish, Your Highness, I shall take it back then."

  Zhao You no longer spoke, slowly turning his head, his eyes faintly sweeping over the faces of Dongfang Qingxuan and Ning Wang Zhao Xi. In front of them, he calmly instructed Zhou Wenze, who was in charge of documents beside him.

  "I, your humble minister, have been delayed in Qinggang for several days, but now I am fully recovered from my illness. Having heard that the northern border is plagued by bandits and it's hard to quell them, I dare not linger on my sickbed any longer. I wish to offer my services to assist Your Majesty, and once the affairs in the capital are settled, I will immediately proceed to Beiping Prefecture... The current political situation has accumulated many problems, and the ruler and ministers should be of one mind. I hope that Your Majesty will not believe the treacherous words of sycophantic officials, which would allow external enemies to take advantage of the situation... I started a campaign against the south in the 22nd year of Hongtai, and now, on the 13th day of the 12th month of the 24th year of Hongtai, my army will return to the capital. I will also capture and bring back alive Fan Congliang, the county magistrate of Qinggang, who has been spreading rumors and flattering people. I hope that Your Majesty will mete out justice, as a warning to the world and an eternal example."

  Having said that, he didn't look at anyone else and strode away quickly.

  Behind him were raging flames and thick smoke, but he didn't look back at the dancing sparks that filled the sky.

  Dongfang Qingxuan stood in front of the flames for a long time, his eyes more enchanting than the fire, yet also difficult to fathom.

  Ning Wang Zhao Xi sighed and walked closer to his side, "Old Nineteen, he is a ruthless man, always unfeeling. Don't worry about it, Master Dongfang."

  Dongfang Qingxuan smiled slightly, "What does Your Highness Ning Wang mean?"

  "That Chu Qi took away the child of Old Nineteen just like that, without even giving him a second glance. Let alone someone who has already married into another family, does Master Dong think he would stand on your side?"

  "Will Prince Nanjing help you again, Third Brother?"

  "It seems that both I and Lord Dongfang were wrong. I thought Old Nineteen was ambitious for power, while you thought he was after beautiful women, but in the end, he didn't want anything. Now, what's to be done?"

  Dongfang Qingxuan smiled lightly and asked back, "What does Your Highness Ning Wang think?"

  King Ning's son, Zhao Xi, just smiled and didn't answer.

  In fact, the previous three-footed tripod had always been most neutral to Zhao Zun. Whether it was Zhao Xi who came from afar to welcome him in Jincheng Prefecture or Dongfang Qingxuan who brought the embroidered picture of the crown prince's wife to negotiate a peace, their true purpose was only one - either to make him serve them or to eliminate him directly.

  In his and Zhao Mianze's heart, there has only been one truly formidable opponent all along - Zhao Zun.

  But neither of them considers the other as the most formidable one.

  Ke Zhao Xi also understood, Zhao Zu was not a muddle-headed person.

  Since ancient times, those who have achieved great success and overshadowed their masters have basically not had a good ending. Not only are there several powerful ministers in the imperial court who are wary of him, but even his own father, Emperor Hongtai, is also on guard against him. Zhao Zun's military achievements aside, he is also extremely popular among the common people. The incident with the nursery rhyme notwithstanding, whoever was framing him, their father's concerns have likely only grown heavier. If he were to return to the capital and tell his father that he didn't want that piece of land, would the naturally suspicious old emperor believe him? Would he let him off? Those who become emperors are always ruthless; now that the world is at peace, Zhao Zun's prestige is unmatched for the time being. There are many precedents to learn from: "When the birds are gone, the bows are stored away; when the cunning rabbits die, the hunting dogs are cooked."

  Under the collapse of imperial power and family affection, he was just finding a foundation for himself to settle down.

  So he simply let the rope slide down, personally created the "Thousand Year Stone Tablet" incident, then personally stood out to prove his innocence, and then confessed his heart to the old emperor, letting the people of the world protect him, which would actually eliminate the old emperor's worries about him.

  After all, if he really had his heart set on the imperial throne, he would have stationed himself at Qinggang Pass, with hundreds of thousands of troops and the natural barrier of Shu Road. Even if he didn't take the throne, he could still dominate one side as a king. When the time came, with the hearts of the people as his foundation, it would be easy to conquer the capital in one battle...

  Soft and hard, in the midst of various forces intertwined in the court, he indeed played a good game of chess, making Zhao Xi sigh repeatedly.

  "Eastern big brother, don't you see? Old Nineteen is the real winner."

  After listening to Ning Wang's analysis, Dongfang Qingxuan couldn't help but smile. His entire being slowly unfolded in that one place, like a blooming red rose, enticing and addictive. "Your Highness has finally understood, but isn't it too late now?"

  Duke Ning stroked his chin and smiled calmly.

  "It's not too late, I still have a trump card in my hand, perhaps Qingxuan, you can't even think of it?"

  Eastern Qing Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly, "Does Your Highness think that just because of you, you can be an opponent for Qing Xuan?"

  In the gentle ripples of her eyes, Zhao Xi closed his eyes, calmed down, and slowly opened them again. A hint of satisfaction floated in the bottom of his eyes. "Well, let's see how it goes? If that day comes, Qing Xuan will have to follow my orders."

  "I'm afraid Your Highness won't have that day."

  The Eastern Qing's bright and beautiful eyes sparkled with a smile, like a spring sprinkling water on the heart of Ning Wang.

  This person, he must get it.

  ……

  ……

  In the relay station, a fire burned down the thatched house. A few people were arguing loudly about their grievances when Xia Chuyi rode his horse galloping along the clear and vast riverbank of Qingling River under the vast sky.

  To avoid being discovered by others, he and Yuan Xiao Gongzi did not take the official road, but instead followed the Qingling River downstream directly towards Ling Shui County.

  Here, on a piece of dark land, the river flows gurglingly, with waves rippling, and the endless mountain ridges and fields are all hidden in the dimness.

  One man and one horse stopped at the boundary between Qinggang and Ling River.

  "Drive——"

  Xia Qi's first solo horse ride, felt like a genius, riding this horse and actually being able to gallop with the wind. Indeed, human potential is limitless. To survive, let alone ride horses, I reckon you can even ride satellites into space.

  She jumped off her horse and learned from the people of the time, rushing to Yuan Yu with a fist and courtesy.

  "Brother, great kindness doesn't need to be thanked. This time we must say goodbye, from now on the mountains are high and the waters are long, I'm afraid you and I will never meet again. However, your great kindness today, if there's a chance in the future, Chu Qi will definitely repay it heavily."

  "No need, no need, don't thank me."

  Yuan You threw down his whip and Xia Chuyi was taken aback, "Why didn't you thank him? Then who should I thank?"

  He glanced up at the sky, Yu Xiu let out a sigh, but didn't respond. He only stretched out his hand and said, "No need to thank me, and don't say those insipid words that sound like they're coming from someone else's mouth. You're not acting like the Chu Qi I know. Hurry up, time is running out. Just bring out the antidote and we'll be done with this. I'm really worried that tonight will turn into a night where I won't be able to...ahem...perform my duties as a groom."

  He let out a soft "oh" and Xia Chuqi gave a sly smile, first putting down the reins in his hand before using all his might to rub at his collar several times until he was grinding his teeth, only then did he smilingly withdraw his hand and place the object into Yuan Yu's palm.

  "It's been only three days since I last bathed, and the medicine is a bit less effective. Brother, next time if there's an opportunity, I'll give you a bigger one."

  Yuanyou looked at her hand and stared at her in almost unbelievable disbelief.

  "Are you kidding me? Chu Qi, didn't you give Young Master medicine?"

  "Sorry, I had to take drastic measures. Don't take it to heart, Brother. It's true that I drugged you; otherwise, how could I have tricked you? Even if you had reacted at the time, you wouldn't have believed me anyway. The thing is, the drug will wear off on its own after a few hours, once the effects of the wine have passed. No harm done."

  "Fart!"

  Yuan You clenched his teeth, his handsome face twisted in a scowl, as if he would have liked to tear her apart.

  "What could I have done at that time when you scared me like that and faced me with such a dark face? Could I have reacted in any way? It's obvious that you didn't put any medicine, you little rabbit, you don't even need to make up lies, just speak nonsense..."

  "Hey, if you think I don't exist then I don't exist, do you need to speak so hurtfully? I'm a woman."

  "I've always suspected you're actually a woman!"

  Yuanyou let out a low hum, looking at her with his phoenix eyes slanted, and knew that the fire in his heart had not dissipated. Xia Chui laughed loudly, laughing so hard that he almost bent over, but as the laughter faded to the end, it slowly disappeared from the corners of his mouth, and suddenly stretched out both hands.

  "Older brother, come give me a hug."

  He glanced at her with a scowl, jumped off his horse and gently wrapped his arms around her small body, suppressing the usual playful smile on his face, letting out a sigh.

  "Sister, from now on, your brother can't take care of you anymore. The world is harsh and people's hearts are treacherous. As a young lady, be smart about things and don't fall into someone else's hands again. If there's a next time, I'm afraid it won't end so luckily."

  Xia Zhiqiu let go of his hand and patted him on the shoulder, just like he used to bid farewell to his comrades-in-arms.

  "Alright, alright, I know. Don't worry about me. Robbery? No way, I'm not afraid of that. Rape? If he's handsome, I might even consider it. Who can bear to suffer a loss, right? Besides..."

  Her gaze dimmed for a moment, her eyes swept across the clear waters of Qingling River, but her line of sight was fixed on the direction of Qinggang County Town. Her voice softened, "Besides, not everyone has the skill to deceive me into going."

  Hearing the loss in her voice, Yuan Yu's narrow and long eyes narrowed slightly.

  "Cousin sister, actually..."

  At the beginning of summer, she smiled self-deprecatingly and avoided meeting Yuan Yu's eyes directly. She didn't like being seen through by others, nor did she want her own small, vulnerable thoughts to be exposed to the world.

  "Brother, don't say any more. I know you can't bear to part with me. But the future is long, and one day if I go to the capital, I will definitely visit your home and disturb you. We didn't finish drinking today, and we'll have another chance to continue drinking, how about that?"

  "The greatest pain in life is separation... Cousin, what are your plans for the future?"

  He turned his head dryly, and Xia Qi had already adjusted her mood. She smiled with a smirk, "Come on, don't be sour, what's with the farewell talk? You should go back to Smoke Street and Willow Alley and tell those girls instead? As for me, I'm carefree and easygoing, roaming the world, with the four seas as my home. I get up whenever I want, earn some money, buy a house, raise a few pretty boys - what do you think of this life plan?"

  Yuanyou silently stared at her for a moment, then suddenly pulled out a purse from his bosom and stuffed it into her hand.

  "Take it, you might need it."

  I counted the silver coins in my hand, and on the seventh day of summer, I opened them up to take a look. "Heh, there's so much! It seems like you had prepared it for me long ago, Brother... If only you were really my brother..."

  She had been smiling and joking all along, but finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She forced a few smiles, but the corners of her mouth twitched, and she ended up pouting instead, rushing over to hug Yuanshu again.

  "Thanks, big brother."

  It's also a man's arms.

  But why... is it so different?

  She reluctantly let go, pretending to be relaxed, and pulled out her own bundle from the hardwood food box, tied it to the saddle, and got on the horse with a much better posture than before. She jumped up lightly, turned back to Yuan You, made a fist, said "see you later", patted the horse's buttocks, and headed in the direction of Ling Water County.

  "You really don't have to thank me."

  Yuan You looked at her and stood still for a long time, rarely feeling a pang of sadness.

  "Alas, what's the point of this? Is freedom really that great? What's the use of being so pretentious?"

  He let out a long sigh, but he didn't know that just ahead of him, Xia Qi had turned the horse's head and was heading in the direction of Lian Nian Village again.

  She didn't tell Yuan You, not because she didn't trust him.

  But she knew that the fool would eventually become her burden, and if she wanted true freedom, she had to take him with her. Now, taking advantage of the fire at the relay station, looking at the flames, which couldn't be controlled for a while, without time to investigate, she had to go to Langyuan Village first, and if possible, bring the fool along...

  But little did she know, this departure would mark the beginning of another turning point in her life.

  Digression

  For the 14th consecutive day with over 10,000 words updated, dear readers, open your package and see if you have a monthly ticket in hand, give a vote to your lovely Er Jin, one person one vote, happiness and fulfillment. Medical Concubine is also going to start a new chapter... Oh, come on, encourage me!

  Thank you, dear [myicecat], for upgrading to "Imperial Concubine Doctor"!