Fish Meat – Chapter 200
by Little PandaThe Fourth Year of Zhao Wu
Secrets in the Sleeve (20)
Finally safely climbing into the Moon Ascender, Zhen Wenjun collapsed on the floor under the evening breeze, gasping heavily, without an ounce of strength left.
Earlier, due to extreme tension, she hadn’t felt the pain from her wounds, but now that she was safe, even the smallest injuries began to throb madly. The pain and the feeling of complete exhaustion made it impossible for her to move even a finger. Opening her eyes to gaze at the serene moon above, she had never seen it so large and bright, as if she could reach out and touch it.
Lifted from the ground, floating quietly in the high air, all the fighting below seemed so far away from her.
Wei Tingxu was very close to her.
Wei Tingxu held her tightly, saying nothing, the embrace so strong it made her ache slightly, yet she didn’t push Wei Tingxu away. She lay on the ground with Wei Tingxu pressing against her, face buried in her embrace, the posture somewhat improper. Xiaohua and Wei Jing’an both turned their heads, lying down on the other side pretending to admire the scenery.
“It’s alright, I’m still alive, aren’t I?” Zhen Wenjun stroked Wei Tingxu’s back, offering words of comfort to soothe her emotions. Wei Tingxu didn’t loosen her grip but held on even tighter.
Reflecting on her recent brush with death, Zhen Wenjun felt deeply moved; surviving this escape was already a miracle.
“Poor Xiaoxue…” Zhen Wenjun sighed, her heart bitter with sorrow.
“It was a good child,” Wei Tingxu raised her upper body, gazing intently at Zhen Wenjun’s face from close range, wiping from the corner of her eye to her cheek and lips, “You’re a good child too.”
Zhen Wenjun blushed at her gaze and intimate words, turning her face slightly aside: “Your leg is injured, it needs immediate treatment, or it will leave lasting damage. You’ve only just regained the ability to walk…”
“Why don’t you tell me who injured me?”
“In that desperate moment, there really was no other way.”
“I know you chose the safest strategy, I don’t blame you. However, my legs can only be treated by you now.”
“…”
“What? Trying to get out of it? Or do you think my risking death to save you from the Ministry of Justice was just me being foolish?”
“No.” Zhen Wenjun took a deep breath and said seriously, “I’m grateful. Actually, at first, I thought you might not come.”
“That’s right, you can’t trust me anymore. In your heart, I’ve always been a cunning person who puts benefits above all else, so why would I care about your life? So my abandoning the Wei family to risk death and save you from the Ministry of Justice was just my foolish one-sided decision.” As Wei Tingxu finished speaking and tried to stand, the wounds on her legs were pulled, causing her to pause in pain, gritting her teeth as cold sweat broke out.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore.” Zhen Wenjun struggled to sit up and support her, “Xiaohua!”
Xiaohua looked back.
“Are there any medicines for stopping bleeding here?”
“Not sure, I’ll look.”
Zhen Wenjun and Xiaohua searched for medical supplies together, while Wei Tingxu sat trying to move her legs, only to be frozen by pain again.
After searching for a while, besides some bows, arrows, ropes, and fuel, they only found a small medicine box. Zhen Wenjun opened it and sniffed – it was indeed medicine for stopping bleeding, but the amount was small, not nearly enough for the four of them whose bodies were covered in wounds.
As Zhen Wenjun continued searching, Wei Tingxu said: “No need to look further. I remember Ah Liao said that to accommodate more people, the Moon Ascender only carries essential items. There probably aren’t any other medicines.”
“But your legs…”
Wei Tingxu shook her head: “Let’s leave it for now, we’ll figure something out after landing.”
Zhen Wenjun held the medicine box and asked Xiaohua and Wei Jing’an: “Should we use the medicine for Wei Zizhuo first, do you have any objections?”
Xiaohua and Wei Jing’an naturally shook their heads.
Wei Tingxu sat leaning against the basket’s edge while Zhen Wenjun knelt before her, and after examining the wound, warned: “Your narrow trousers [ηͺθ’΄ | zhΗi kΓΉ | traditional narrow-legged pants] will be difficult to remove. I’ll tear the fabric to apply medicine, bear with it.”
Wei Tingxu nodded: “Go ahead, it’s fine.”
Zhen Wenjun wanted to tear it directly, but the tearing motion might affect the wound. She thought about finding a weapon to cut it, but there were no swords, and arrows wouldn’t work well. As Zhen Wenjun hesitated, Wei Tingxu handed her the Golden Cicada Knife:
“Use this.”
Zhen Wenjun was startled: “How did you…”
“I knew you always carried this blade, it means a lot to you, so I picked it up along the way.”
Zhen Wenjun held the Golden Cicada Knife, looking at its countless scratches with melancholy.
Although she had escaped safely without bringing harm to Wei Tingxu, her Ah Muβs whereabouts remained a mystery.
Gazing at the increasingly distant Runing City, she knew she would have to return soon.
Having escaped danger, their tense nerves finally relaxed. Wei Jing’an fell asleep immediately, his snores thunderous.
Xiaohua also leaned to one side, tired but not sleeping, still carefully observing their surroundings and staying alert, worried that the Zhuiyue Army might catch up in unexpected ways.
After having medicine applied, Wei Tingxu was exhausted, with waves of drowsiness washing over her. The Moon Ascender’s huge suspended basket was very rigid and vertical, making it uncomfortable to lean against in any position. After leaning for a while, Wei Tingxu’s neck became sore, and after shifting uncomfortably, she looked at Zhen Wenjun beside her, her gaze lingering on her shoulders.
Zhen Wenjun said nothing, just straightened her back a little more.
After receiving this tacit signal, Wei Tingxu comfortably leaned over.
Neither spoke first. Zhen Wenjun’s throat moved slightly as she cleared it faintly, and after a while asked: “Was it you who poisoned Guang Shaoling with the Earth Heat Grass?”
Zhen Wenjun’s collarbones were hard and protruding, making it uncomfortable to lean against. Wei Tingxu could feel she had lost considerable weight.
Wei Tingxu adjusted to the most comfortable position and hummed in agreement: “I prepared for the worst when coming to the Ministry of Justice. My father’s death had already caused enough turmoil in the Wei family. Though using mourning as a reason to leave Runing was legitimate, Li Yanyi wouldn’t let us go easily. Sure enough, she chose to ambush us in secret. However, once we leave Runing, she won’t be able to trouble the Wei family anymore. The Moon Ascender can’t float all the way to Runing; we’ll need to continue on the ground. Returning home for mourning is natural and proper – even as Emperor, bound by ethics, she couldn’t order the regional checkpoints to stop us. So, breaking through Runing means victory for the Wei family. I understood this, and so did Li Yanyi. She would certainly mobilize troops to prevent the Wei family from leaving the capital, which would be my best chance to save you. Before coming, I got a concealed weapon from Ah Liao – this device containing Earth Heat Grass.”
Wei Tingxu pulled out a palm-sized box from her sleeve. Zhen Wenjun played with it; the medicine inside was used up, so she could examine it thoroughly. She discovered Ah Liao was truly skilled – clapping both hands would flatten the back half of the box, revealing two rows of dense small holes that could be loaded with various medicines for shooting. If loaded with poison, its power would be even greater.
After holding back for a while, Zhen Wenjun finally said “Thank you.”
Wei Tingxu smiled: “Between us, the debts of gratitude and grievance are countless, why speak of thanks? I’m curious about how you escaped – was it with that blade?”
“Yes.” Zhen Wenjun quickly spun the Golden Cicada Knife between her fingers, “With it, no place can hold me.”
“I guessed as much – you must have planned an escape route before surrendering yourself to the Ministry of Justice.”
“Though sadly, I couldn’t rescue Ah Mu.”
“In that case, my rescue attempt might have actually hindered you.”
“I wouldn’t say that… Without your help, I might not have managed to escape the Ministry of Justice alone.”
“Are you feeling guilty about injuring my legs?”
Zhen Wenjun didn’t answer.
“My Lady, we’re running out of fuel.”
After floating for more than a shichen [2 hours], the Moon Ascender finally began to descend slowly.
Very fortunately, the wind was mild at this time, and below there was a river with a spacious stone beach beside it, allowing the Moon Ascender to land steadily.
“My Lady, I don’t see Ah Liao and the others.” During landing, Xiaohua had been observing but hadn’t seen any other Moon Ascenders nearby.
“Perhaps due to different wind directions, they landed elsewhere. But since we all took off from Runing, we shouldn’t be too far apart.” Wei Tingxu said to Zhen Wenjun, “This should be Zhao County, a hundred lapproximately 500 meters or 0.310686 miles] from Runing, within our planned landing zone. I’ve arranged to meet my mother and Ah Liao in the county town. The Wei family’s troops are waiting there to receive us. Once we enter the town, we’ll be safe.”
Zhen Wenjun nodded with furrowed brows, seeming both to have heard and not heard her words.
“You’re worried about your mother’s safety. Rest assured, as long as you and I live, Li Yanyi won’t take your mother’s life. Don’t worry about not seeing your mother – Li Yanyi’s goal isn’t to separate mother and daughter forever. On the contrary, she’ll certainly use your mother again to threaten you back to Runing. What you need to consider is what to do when you return to Runing next time.”
Zhen Wenjun asked her: “What would you do?”
Wei Tingxu smiled: “Do you really want to know?”
“Never mind… I probably couldn’t learn your methods anyway.”
The Moon Ascender bumped slightly after landing, then quickly came to a stop.
Wei Jing’an opened the gate and was first to descend. After his nap, he seemed as if all his wounds had healed, stretching comfortably before reaching out to help Wei Tingxu.
Wei Tingxu tried to stand, but the slightest movement of her legs caused heart-piercing pain.
Zhen Wenjun asked: “Could it be damage to the tendons and bones?”
“Not certain, just can’t stand up.”
“Are there other problems?”
Wei Tingxu pointed to her chest: “The old wound here isn’t good, having some trouble breathing.”
The injuries to both chest and legs were connected to Zhen Wenjun, leaving her momentarily speechless.
“Seems like there’s movement,” Xiaohua heard hoofbeats.
“Yes,” Wei Jing’an heard them too, “They’re some distance from us. Who would be galloping around in the dead of night? Could it be the Imperial Guard in pursuit?”
Wei Tingxu said: “Very likely. Guang Shaoling led the Zhuiyue Army back to the Ministry of Justice, but Lin Ding and the Imperial Guard weren’t there. They might have chased Ah Mu and the others all the way here. We shouldn’t linger, better leave quickly.”
Wei Tingxu tried to stand up forcefully. Wei Jing’an moved to carry her but Zhen Wenjun beat him to it.
Wei Tingxu wanted to say something, but Zhen Wenjun stopped her: “No need to speak. We can discuss everything once we’re somewhere safe. Let’s go.”
Wei Jing’an walked in front, carefully scouting the path. Zhen Wenjun carried Wei Tingxu in the middle, while Xiaohua brought up the rear, frequently checking behind for pursuers.
The hoofbeats grew distant as Zhao County came into view.
“Looking at these hoofprints, they’re definitely from Imperial Guard horses,” Wei Jing’an carefully examined the traces on the official road before entering the city. “Imperial Guard horses have anti-slip devices fitted, these small holes are marks left by those devices.”
“Seems Ah Liao and the others drew away the pursuers,” Wei Tingxu said from Zhen Wenjun’s arms. “Let’s talk after we enter the city.”
“Will Li Yanyi truly stop pursuing us?” Zhen Wenjun asked worriedly.
Wei Tingxu smiled: “I fear she’s too busy with her own affairs right now to worry about us.”
Last night’s bloody storm that swept through the Ministry of Justice and the tragic death of the Emperor’s most capable assistant meant nothing different to common citizens, but for Li Yanyi, it was her most struggling night.
Li Yanyi drifted between consciousness and stupor, and whenever she awoke, she would start coughing violently, accompanied by severe blood vomiting.
Empress Dowager Geng didn’t dare leave Xiashou Palace for even a moment, and the imperial physicians were also afraid to leave, staying by the Emperor’s side until dawn.
“What exactly is wrong with the Emperor! Have you reached any conclusions!” Empress Dowager Geng grew anxious seeing these old imperial physicians checking pulse patterns and eyelids, going back and forth without saying anything.
After discussion, the imperial physicians reached a preliminary conclusion: “The Emperor has been poisoned.”
“Poisoned?” Empress Dowager Geng didn’t understand, “Every imperial meal is tested for poison. If there was poison, it would have been discovered long ago. Why only notice now! Everyone in Runing City has caught the cold disease, and the Emperor has been infected too! It’s just coughing caused by the cold disease, which has reached this state due to delayed treatment. How dare you make such alarming claims about poisoning! Do you know what consequences such news would bring if it spread!”
“Please don’t worry, Your Highness, let this old servant explain.” The most experienced imperial physician, nearly seventy years old, had weathered many storms and remained calm facing the Empress Dowager’s questioning. He led her outside and spoke softly: “The Emperor has been given a slow-acting poison, one that food testers cannot detect. If this humble servant is not mistaken, this poison is called ‘Buddha’s Curse’, colorless and hard to detect with a slightly sweet taste, easily consumed with wine and meat, making it impossible to guard against or notice. This poison needs time to accumulate before taking effect, gradually affecting one’s temperament, commonly causing insomnia, mouth sores, irritability, and anger. Once the toxin accumulates to a certain level, it erupts quickly, making the temperament more volatile, commonly causing blindness, coughing, and massive blood vomiting.”
The word “blindness” hit Empress Dowager Geng like a hammer to the heart, making her pale with shock: “You mean… the Emperor will go blind?!”
“This humble servant dares not deceive Your Highness, it is indeed possible. And…”
“And what? Speak freely!”
The imperial physician looked at Empress Dowager Geng, his expression grave, his voice dropping even lower: “The reason it’s called Buddha’s Curse is that the poison becomes increasingly severe until the victim’s internal organs completely fail, leading to death.”
Empress Dowager Geng nearly collapsed to the ground, fortunately supported by the old imperial physician.
“Death… you mean the Emperor might…”
Just as the imperial physician was about to speak, the door was kicked open with a “bang,” startling them both.
“You say, I will die.” Li Yanyi’s face was yellow as gold paper, her lips white, and her eyes so bloodshot it was unsettling. She pointed at the imperial physician while swaying, floating over like a reanimated corpse.
The imperial physician backed away repeatedly in fear, while Empress Dowager Geng went forward to embrace her, patting her back soothingly: “Huaichen, don’t be afraid, Mother is here, Mother is here…”
Li Yanyi pushed her away abruptly, muttering something.
“What is Your Majesty saying?” The imperial physician and several Zhuiyue Army soldiers gathered around, not daring to approach too closely but worried she might fall, anxiously circling around her.
Finally, someone understood.
“Her Majesty says she wants to hold morning court.”
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.
“Correct.” Li Yanyi laughed between coughs, “Whoever administered the poison… I shall find them and tear them into ten thousand pieces!”
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