The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 151
by Little PandaOne Warhorse, One Thousand Taels
When Qu Yu and the others learned of the situation, their expressions grew grave. Qu Jinian and the rest were still in the Capital City, and no one knew how they were faring.
Lin Xizhao had already begun packing her luggage. Qu Sheng could not leave at the moment, but with the situation in the Capital City so unclear, Lin Xizhao needed to go back and see for herself.
“Wife.” Qu Sheng watched Lin Xizhao sorting through her things, her heart filled with worry. She had already dispatched soldiers with orders to seal off the major cities surrounding the Capital City. She did not want Lin Xizhao to go back.
She naturally worried about their relatives in the Capital City, but for Lin Xizhao to go there now was like a moth darting into a flame1.
“There are no female family members in the residence. I worry that those people won’t be cared for properly. Sheng’er, let me go back, alright?” Lin Xizhao turned to face Qu Sheng.
The messengers from the Capital City had been very clear: both Lin Xirui and Lin Xikuan had contracted the febrile disease. Furthermore, the situation at the Marquis Residence was completely unknown. Lin Xizhao was deeply anxious.
Qu Sheng gazed at Lin Xizhao, her eyes dodging the contact. She knew Lin Xizhao was worried about her family in the Capital City—how could she not be? But she was selfish. She simply didn’t want her to go.
Seeing Qu Sheng lower her eyes, Lin Xizhao was about to offer more words of persuasion when Qu Yu and the others arrived.
“Sheng-meimei, we’ve finished packing. We will depart shortly. Do you have any instructions for us?” Qu Yu walked over, supported by his attendants.
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao both tensed when they saw him walking.
Noticing their reaction, Zhao Jiayu said, “It’s alright. Liu Daifu also said he should walk more.”
Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao paused their steps and lowered their raised hands.
“For this trip, you all just need to stay in the neighboring counties. Once Liu Daifu figures out how to treat the febrile disease, come straight back,” Qu Sheng instructed. She actually wasn’t worried about Qu Yu’s group heading out. She knew that the current Qu Yu valued his life immensely.
Qu Yu nodded. He looked at Lin Xizhao and asked, “Has Xizhao-meimei finished packing?”
When Lin Xizhao had returned from Qu Yu’s tent earlier, she had mentioned traveling with them. But her destination was the Capital City; they would only share a portion of the journey before parting ways.
Hearing this, Qu Sheng looked back at Lin Xizhao, the reluctance in her eyes painfully obvious.
Qu Yu saw Qu Sheng’s worry. In a gentle voice, he said, “Liu Daifu just prepared medicine for all of us. As long as we take it and maintain strict precautions, we won’t easily be infected.” In truth, he felt the same as Qu Sheng—he didn’t want Lin Xizhao to return. But since the people of the Lin Residence had fallen ill, it was not his place to stop her.
Hearing his words, Lin Xizhao looked at Qu Sheng. “I promise to protect myself properly. I absolutely will not let myself catch the febrile disease. Let me go back, alright?”
Though her mind was made up, Lin Xizhao still wanted to win Qu Sheng’s approval. She truly believed that if Qu Sheng wasn’t tied down leading the army, she would have accompanied her back.
Qu Sheng kept her head bowed in silence.
Lin Xizhao pursed her soft lips. She looked toward Qu Yu and his wife. “I would like a few words alone with Sheng’er.”
Zhao Jiayu and Qu Yu exchanged a glance, nodded, and stepped outside.
Lin Xizhao looked at Qu Sheng, who was still staring at the ground without a word. She looked exactly the way she did when she was angry. But Lin Xizhao knew Qu Sheng wasn’t angry—she was just terrified for her.
Saying nothing, Lin Xizhao walked over and wrapped her arms around Qu Sheng’s slender, powerful waist. She leaned in, their necks crossing in a close embrace.
“I don’t want to do something I’ll regret,” she said, her voice low and gentle. “Let me go back, alright?”
After request after request, hearing Lin Xizhao’s words, Qu Sheng harbored a thousand objections in her heart. But blood was ultimately thicker than water. Refusing to let Lin Xizhao go back seemed far too cruel. Qu Sheng’s slightly dry lips parted. She trembled slightly for a long time before she finally spoke.
“Alright. Sheng’er will let Wife go back.”
Unable to bear disappointing Lin Xizhao, Qu Sheng finally relented, though she added one condition. “But you are not allowed to have physical contact with them.”
Lin Xizhao froze for a moment before releasing Qu Sheng. Looking into Qu Sheng’s worried yet undeniably firm eyes, a small smile touched her lips. “Alright. I promise you.”
It was said that the febrile disease was only contagious through physical contact. Lin Xizhao was worried that the others wouldn’t take proper care of Lin Xirui and the rest, meaning she would likely step in to do it herself. That was why Qu Sheng had insisted on this condition.
Just going back to look and putting her mind at ease would have to be enough.
Qu Sheng dispatched a squad of cavalry to escort Lin Xizhao and her party toward the Capital City. Sitting atop her horse, Qu Sheng gripped the reins tightly, watching the departing carriages for a long, long time.
Zhu Ming’an sat on horseback nearby, watching Qu Sheng’s back. Suddenly, she understood why her father had chosen to support this young general.
Qu Sheng was not heavily built, yet she carried a commanding, majestic aura that made it impossible to underestimate her. Today, she was merely seeing off her beloved, simply sitting on a horse, yet one could vaguely glimpse the heroic bearing she commanded on the battlefield. It was said that under Qu Sheng’s leadership, the army marched with absolute decisiveness, striking with an unstoppable force while maintaining a perfect balance of discipline and flexibility.
The military formations she had created left the enemy completely powerless to fight back. Even though the rebel forces had amassed their troops, they didn’t dare retaliate—they had been entirely beaten into fear by Qu Sheng.
Her father had chosen to align with her, and she wondered just what kind of grand legacy Qu Sheng would build.
“Alright, they’re far away now. Stop looking.” Jin Mingyi, wrapped in a red cloak, interrupted Qu Sheng’s lingering gaze.
Qu Sheng did not turn her head. She narrowed her eyes slightly, lowered her gaze for a brief moment, and then turned sideways to look at Zhu Ming’an. “I hope the entrusted matter will be completed on schedule.”
Zhu Ming’an nodded. “General, please rest assured.”
Jin Mingyi had no idea when the two of them had discussed business. Her gaze flicked back and forth between them. Just as she was about to ask, she heard Qu Sheng speak again.
“I won’t see you off any further today. Stay safe on the road.”
Zhu Ming’an inclined her head once more and raised her hands in a formal salute. “We shall part ways here.”
Qu Sheng nodded, her gaze sliding over to the still-bewildered Jin Mingyi. “If Cousin finds the journey too arduous, you may remain in the military camp and wait for Miss Zhu to return.”
“No way, I’m sticking with Ming’an,” Jin Mingyi declared, tugging her reins to steer her horse closer to Zhu Ming’an.
Zhu Ming’an glanced at Jin Mingyi, a suppressed smile touching the corners of her lips. “It will be hard… on you.”
The words warmed Jin Mingyi’s heart, and she didn’t press the matter further.
After Jin Mingyi and Zhu Ming’an rode off, Qu Sheng watched them for a few more moments before turning her horse around. When she returned to the military camp, letters brought by carrier pigeons were already waiting on her desk.
The investigation Qu Sheng had ordered into the plague had yielded results.
Several cities had seen mass infections almost overnight, which then slowly began to spread outward. Even without orders to investigate, letters had arrived from the Capital City confirming the situation.
It was exactly as Zhu Ming’an had suggested—someone had done this deliberately.
Zhu Ming’an had learned this from her father, though much of it was still speculation. There was no war in the heartland around the Capital City; the frequent battles were entirely in the south. Yet there was no plague here in the south, while the north had suddenly been struck by one. It was impossible not to be suspicious.
Several days later.
Lin Xizhao and her party arrived at a county town just outside the Capital City. Heeding Qu Yu’s advice, Lin Xizhao did not rush into the Capital City immediately. Instead, she waited there for three long days until Liu Daifu drafted a prescription based on the symptoms of the febrile disease.
Their group had already taken the plague-prevention pills, so they weren’t worried about catching the disease themselves. Once Liu Daifu confirmed the nature of the febrile disease and saw that his prescription was effective, the group immediately set off toward the Capital City.
Along the way, Lin Xizhao had the assistant commander Qu Sheng had assigned to her deliver the prescription to the prefectural offices of every city they passed, instructing them to distribute it and treat the plague.
After Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi departed, they quickly arrived in the heartland of the rebel territory. Jin Mingyi thought she was simply following Zhu Ming’an on a sightseeing tour and didn’t ask a single question about anything else. Afraid she might accidentally spill the secret if she talked too much, Zhu Ming’an deliberately told Jin Mingyi absolutely nothing. Through this unspoken agreement, the two of them arrived inside a walled city.
Because there was no active fighting here, the city gates were wide open. People could enter, but they were not allowed to leave.
Using the new merchant identity her family had recently acquired, Zhu Ming’an had someone present a token to the rebel leader, King Chao.
A squad of men soon arrived to welcome them. Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi boarded the palanquins they had brought.
Roughly half an hour later, the two were carried to a massive estate within the city. Zhu Ming’an stepped out of the palanquin and glanced up. The plaque above the main gates had already been torn down.
King Chao was notoriously greedy; this estate likely belonged to one of the city’s wealthy families whose home he had forcibly occupied.
He was a half-brother to the new Emperor, born to a palace maid. Having suffered tremendous injustice in the palace since childhood, he had spent years presenting lavish gifts to the late Emperor to win his favor, eventually earning a fief in a relatively prosperous region.
Over the years, King Chao had hoarded a massive amount of wealth. However, when he raised his army in rebellion, he burned through almost all of it. Now, he was aggressively plundering wealth from all sides to replenish the fortune he had spent.
To save time, King Chao’s first targets were the wealthy families within the city. Whether they held political power or aristocratic status, as long as they had money, he spared no one. He seized their wealth and slaughtered them.
Many minor merchants caught wind of this and fled early. Some powerful, established families, however, paid it no mind, assuming King Chao wouldn’t dare move against them. What they failed to realize was that King Chao harbored a deep, burning hatred for the aloof and those who relied on their family pedigree. He had suffered countless grievances in the palace as a child, and ministers had even pointedly called him a disgrace to the imperial bloodline.
Later, when he was crowned a vassal king, these deeply entrenched aristocratic families—and even some wealthy merchants—had looked down on him, considering it beneath them to associate with him. As a result, his heart had grown somewhat twisted.
Now that he had raised an army in rebellion, he carried the desperate air of a man throwing everything on one final gamble. If he succeeded, he would be Emperor; if he failed, it was merely death. He seemed no longer to care. But plundering wealth and executing these aristocrats brought him an unparalleled thrill.
Killing these people made him happier than winning a battle.
Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi entered the estate. An armored soldier led them toward the study.
“Wait here for a moment,” the soldier said, stopping and turning back to them.
Zhu Ming’an, dressed in men’s clothing, nodded. She watched the man go inside. It didn’t take long before he emerged again.
“His Highness invites you in.”
Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi entered the study. The room was hung with paintings by famous masters, and the shelves were lined with ancient texts.
Zhu Ming’an didn’t know which family this estate had belonged to, but it wasn’t hard to guess it had been the home of a powerful aristocrat.
“Why didn’t Squire Lu come personally this time?” King Chao was toying with a precious glazed glass orb. He cast a casual glance upward as he asked the question.
The Zhu family had not used their real name.
“My father is gravely ill and currently bedridden. He sent this lowly one to trade the grain with Your Highness,” Zhu Ming’an replied respectfully, keeping her head bowed.
King Chao set down the object in his hand. He looked up at Zhu Ming’an, taking in her bright, handsome features. “Are the 200,000 dan2 of grain I need ready?”
“The grain and forage are fully prepared. There is also a batch of warhorses—does Your Highness have any need for them?”
“Warhorses? Since when does your Lu family deal in warhorses?” King Chao asked, his suspicion piqued.
He was currently in desperate need of strong warhorses.
Zhu Ming’an smiled. “Your Highness merely needs to say clearly: do you want them, or not?”
“Insolent!” The soldier standing nearby shouted at Zhu Ming’an the moment he heard the slight arrogance in her tone. King Chao made no move to stop him.
Standing off to the side, Jin Mingyi was badly startled by the shout. She knew Zhu Ming’an was out here to do business, but she hadn’t realized they were doing business with King Chao. This was the head of the rebel army!
And she also suddenly realized something else: when Zhu Ming’an was discussing business, she wasn’t stuttering at all.
Zhu Ming’an lifted her eyes and cast a glance at the furious soldier. Her hand, hidden beneath her wide sleeve, reached out and gently squeezed Jin Mingyi’s hand, silently telling her not to be afraid.
Before entering the city, Zhu Ming’an had asked her to stay outside, but Jin Mingyi had absolutely refused.
“Your Highness need not be angry. If you require them, this lowly one will sell them. If you do not, this lowly one will simply turn around and sell them to someone else.”
“And who exactly do you plan to sell them to?”
Zhu Ming’an smiled at the question. “To whoever needs them, naturally.”
There was only one force currently fighting him that would dare to purchase a massive shipment of warhorses—the Qu family army. The other feudal lords of Tiansheng wouldn’t dare touch such an acquisition easily.
“How much silver?” King Chao asked, his brow knitting.
“One warhorse, one thousand taels. Fifty thousand horses in total,” Zhu Ming’an said breezily.
Hearing this, King Chao slammed his hand on the desk in a fury. “Men! Seize this profit-mongering wretch and execute him on the spot!”
The moment King Chao gave the order, the soldiers moved to detain Zhu Ming’an. Jin Mingyi panicked and immediately tried to resist, but Zhu Ming’an remained entirely unhurried, letting out a cold laugh.
Seeing her laugh, King Chao narrowed his eyes. “What are you laughing at?”
“I laugh because Your Highness is far too naive.”
King Chao frowned, grinding his teeth. “I think the naive one here is you!”
“The warhorses are not here,” Zhu Ming’an declared, her voice clear and bright.
“If I die, these warhorses will be delivered into the Qu family’s military camp entirely free of charge. Your Highness cannot bear to part with worldly wealth, yet you also wish to stop my Lu family from selling to others. Don’t you find that laughable?” Zhu Ming’an had already seen right through King Chao’s intentions.
He thought that by killing her, he could simply steal the warhorses. Previously, King Chao had figured out the Lu family’s pattern: whenever they came to negotiate a trade, they would stockpile the grain roughly a hundred miles away. As long as he took his men to search, he would undoubtedly find it.
He assumed the warhorses would be handled exactly the same way.
A normal warhorse was worth a few dozen taels at most. Under normal circumstances, unless they were legendary Ferghana horses3, anyone quoting such a price would be considered utterly insane.
Hearing this, King Chao’s jaw tightened.
Zhu Ming’an cast a sideways glance at him and spoke with practiced ease. “This lowly one has seen Your Highness suffer defeat after defeat, and I felt deeply saddened by it. Thinking of my own past experiences, which are so similar to Your Highness’s, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of grief, anger, and mutual understanding. I deliberately hid this from my father and brought these warhorses from beyond the Northern Frontier to lend Your Highness a helping hand. I never expected Your Highness to act so heartlessly.”
Hearing Zhu Ming’an speak of her background, King Chao stared at her, examining her expression closely.
“My concubine-mother4 was a maid in the estate. Since the day I was born, no one has ever looked me straight in the eye. Driven by a breath of pure resentment, I fought tooth and nail for years just to earn my father’s trust. This time, I took matters into my own hands to procure these warhorses specifically for Your Highness. If this deal goes through, I will finally be able to turn my life around. But if it fails, my father will absolutely expel me from the family. Hah! Who would have thought that before I could even be thrown out, Your Highness would want my life? This lowly one truly feels sorry for himself.”
Zhu Ming’an spoke with palpable grief and indignation. King Chao was half-convinced and half-doubtful. He pondered for a moment before waving his hand, ordering the soldiers to stand down.
“Since you are thinking of this prince’s interests, this prince ought to be grateful. But the price of these warhorses is so exorbitant—are you trying to empty all of this prince’s wealth?”
“Hah, Your Highness must be joking. Everyone knows that your wealth currently rivals a nation5. How could my little transaction possibly drain your entire fortune?” Zhu Ming’an said the words lightly. Seeing King Chao lower his eyes, she continued to fan the flames. “The transport of the warhorses had to be kept strictly confidential, and an enormous amount of silver was spent bribing officials along the way. This one thousand taels is barely enough to cover my costs; the profit I make on this is far less than what I make on the grain. But if this deal succeeds, even more warhorses will be transported here. Now that the various checkpoints have been bribed open, the next batch won’t cost this much. By then, it will surely be to your satisfaction.”
Having finished her pitch, Zhu Ming’an raised her hands and bowed.
King Chao was highly tempted by Zhu Ming’an’s words, but he couldn’t quite make up his mind. If he bought these warhorses, almost all the wealth he had plundered would have to be handed over. However, when he reminded himself that this money was ill-gotten to begin with—and had been incredibly easy to acquire—his heart didn’t ache quite as much. Still, he wanted to keep some reserves for the army’s future emergencies.
Seeing that King Chao was still hesitating, Zhu Ming’an lifted her eyelids. “I’ve heard that the most terrifying force within the Qu family army is their cavalry, and that Your Highness has suffered numerous defeats precisely because of them. These warhorses were all brought from beyond the Northern Frontier; they are fat, sturdy, and absolutely not inferior to the Qu family’s mounts. If Your Highness acquires these fifty thousand warhorses, wouldn’t it be like a tiger growing wings6? How could the Qu family’s little boy scouts possibly act arrogant then?”
The moment Zhu Ming’an mentioned the Qu family’s cavalry, King Chao immediately flared with anger. His repeated defeats were entirely due to that damned cavalry. The Qu family’s troop formations were completely unpredictable—just as his forces began to figure out one pattern, the Qu army would switch it entirely, leaving them completely unable to defend themselves.
Listening to Zhu Ming’an’s words, he pondered for a long time. Finally, he said, “Allow this prince to think on it further. This prince will give you an answer tomorrow.”
Knowing the bait had been taken, a smile immediately broke across Zhu Ming’an’s face. She cupped her hands. “Then this lowly one shall await Your Highness’s good news.”
Hearing this, King Chao stared at Zhu Ming’an for a moment before bursting into a hearty laugh. He turned to the soldier beside him. “Go! Take these two esteemed guests to the guest quarters to rest. Serve them well, and do not neglect them!”
Three days later, early in the morning, a message arrived by carrier pigeon at the military camp of the pacification army. Qu Sheng looked at the tiny slip of paper. It bore only a single character: ‘Success.’
She immediately issued the order for her generals to marshal the troops.
After half a day of mustering, the army set out toward the rebel heartland, spearheaded by heavily armored infantry.
The Qu family forces took the lead, first shouting challenges to draw the rebel forces out, then splitting into five separate columns to encircle, pursue, and intercept them. They completely dismantled the rebel vanguard formations and captured several cities in the process.
Once the rebel forces routed and fled, Qu Sheng did not rush to order a pursuit.
The areas surrounding the Capital City were currently plagued by the febrile disease. She was worried that if she pressed them too hard, the desperate rebels would scatter in that direction.
After resting and reorganizing for a few days, Zhu Ming’an returned from the rebel camp. Looking at the carts fully loaded with gold and jewelry, Qu Sheng stared at Zhu Ming’an for a long time.
When Zhu Baibing had first handed the operation over to his daughter, Qu Sheng had harbored some doubts. Now, she felt a genuine sense of admiration.
“Ming’an has not failed her entrusted task.” Zhu Ming’an offered a formal bow.
Originally, Qu Sheng had never intended to sell the horses at such an astronomical price. She had thought setting the price at five hundred taels was already too high—yet Zhu Ming’an had actually managed to sell them for a thousand taels apiece.
Zhu Ming’an was truly a prodigy among merchants.
Jin Mingyi had been grumbling to herself the entire way back. Zhu Ming’an was clearly capable of speaking fluently, yet whenever she spoke directly to Jin Mingyi, the moment she got anxious, she would start stuttering again.
It was the same when they returned. Even when speaking with Qu Sheng, Zhu Ming’an had a hint of a stutter. Jin Mingyi simply couldn’t figure it out. The moment Zhu Ming’an finished giving her report to Qu Sheng, Jin Mingyi dragged her back to their tent to resume her interrogation.
“Are you faking it or not?” Jin Mingyi demanded, thoroughly dissatisfied. She had worried so much about trying to cure Zhu Ming’an’s stutter. Yet, when Zhu Ming’an had been speaking with the rebel King Chao, she had been so remarkably fluent that Jin Mingyi felt like she was looking at a completely different person.
“N—no.” Seeing that Jin Mingyi seemed genuinely angry, Zhu Ming’an began to stutter again. Her hands shook slightly as she poured a cup of cold tea and offered it to her. “D—drink, tea.”
Jin Mingyi sat there, her chin raised, glaring at Zhu Ming’an. Made uncomfortable by the intense stare, Zhu Ming’an lowered her eyes and simply pressed the rim of the teacup against Jin Mingyi’s lips.
Out of sheer habit, Jin Mingyi actually opened her mouth and took a sip. Tasting the tea’s aroma, she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to be interrogating Zhu Ming’an. She hurriedly pushed the cup away. “Ugh, I’m not drinking that! Have you been lying to me or not?”
“No, I t—tr—tr—truly d—d—didn’t l—lie to you. When I, s—speak with, b—buyers, that’s just, h—how it is.” Zhu Ming’an genuinely hadn’t lied to Jin Mingyi.
She had suffered from a stutter since childhood, but strangely, it would vanish whenever she was conducting business. She had no idea why. If Jin Mingyi had ever bothered to help out at the shops before, she would have noticed this long ago. But Jin Mingyi was incredibly lazy—she did nothing but collect the silver and ignored everything else. Because of this, she had never actually seen Zhu Ming’an negotiate with a buyer before.
“If you don’t tell the truth, you’re not sleeping in my bed tonight.”
“N—no! You c—can’t!” The moment Zhu Ming’an heard that Jin Mingyi was going to banish her from the bed, she panicked. “I, tr—tr—tr—truly d—d—d—didn’t l—l—lie to you!”
In her panic, Zhu Ming’an’s stutter became far more severe. Sneaking kisses every night had already become a deeply ingrained habit for her. If she was denied even for a single night, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at all…
Listening to her, Jin Mingyi’s brow slowly began to furrow. Zhu Ming’an truly didn’t look like she was lying. But still feeling uncertain, Jin Mingyi snatched the cold tea from Zhu Ming’an’s hands, drank the rest of it, and marched off to find Qu Sheng.
Qu Sheng was currently overseeing the tally of the transported gold, silver, and jewelry, organizing it to be sent to the rear. According to Zhu Ming’an, by selling the horses and grain, King Chao had essentially emptied out his entire fortune. Some of the payment had even been made using famous paintings and calligraphy that had been appraised and converted into silver equivalents.
Qu Sheng merely stood there, doing nothing in particular, yet Jin Mingyi was able to spot her instantly. Her heroic, commanding silhouette possessed a handsome, upright bearing that the men in the army simply couldn’t imitate.
“Cousin.”
Hearing someone call her, Qu Sheng glanced over. This was a military camp, and people were generally not allowed to roam freely, but Qu Sheng had left orders earlier that Zhu Ming’an and Jin Mingyi were not to be stopped.
Jin Mingyi pulled Qu Sheng aside and grilled her for a long time. Qu Sheng had indeed heard that Zhu Ming’an had stuttered since childhood, but that her speech flowed perfectly whenever she followed her father to conduct business. Qu Sheng didn’t know the reason for it either, but since Jin Mingyi was asking, she told her the honest truth.
Zhu Ming’an, who had chased after Jin Mingyi, immediately offered her profuse thanks when she heard Qu Sheng explaining on her behalf. If Qu Sheng hadn’t stepped in to vouch for her, she really wouldn’t have been allowed into the bed tonight.
Capital City. The Lin Residence.
Ever since Qu Sheng had brought troops to surround King Wenze’s Residence, few people dared to visit. Now that people within the estate had contracted the plague, absolutely no one dared to set foot inside.
To prevent the plague toxins from spreading, Lin Xirui and Lin Xikuan had requested leaves of absence and remained confined within the residence.
Holding a bowl of porridge, Lin Xikuan sat at the edge of Lin Jianhai’s bed. He coughed softly a few times before speaking in a slow, low voice. “Father, you should eat a little something. If you don’t eat, A-jie will reprimand me when she returns.”
Lying paralyzed on the bed, entirely unable to speak, Lin Jianhai glared furiously at his son, refusing point-blank to eat anything the boy offered.
After Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao had left, Lin Xikuan had personally attended to Lin Jianhai every day. He had the estate’s kitchens prepare a wide variety of meals, and during those days, Lin Jianhai had actually put on weight.
It had seemed a picture of filial piety and fatherly love. But then, one day, right after Lin Jianhai had finished his meal, Lin Xikuan casually informed him that he had poisoned the food with a colorless, odorless, slow-acting toxin.
Upon hearing this, Lin Jianhai’s anger flared—but he didn’t doubt it for a second. He immediately jammed his fingers down his throat, vomiting up everything he had just eaten.
Watching this, Lin Xikuan smiled harmlessly. “Xikuan was just joking with you. Why did Father take it so seriously?”
Even after vomiting, Lin Jianhai still felt a lingering dread. The moment he stumbled out the door, he started shouting into the courtyard, demanding to see Lin Xizhao. But the soldiers informed him that Lin Xizhao had followed Qu Sheng to the battlefield. Unable to find his daughter, Lin Jianhai demanded to see his third son, Lin Xirui.
But Lin Xirui absolutely refused to see him. Qu Sheng had permitted both brothers to care for Lin Jianhai together, but Lin Xirui had not visited him a single time.
After that, Lin Xikuan continued bringing meals every day, and Lin Jianhai stubbornly refused to eat them. Watching Lin Jianhai grow visibly emaciated, and fearing that something terrible might happen to him, the soldiers eventually went and fetched Liang Lianhui.
Liang Lianhui listened as Lin Jianhai frantically claimed that Lin Xikuan was trying to murder him. Then, Liang Lianhui looked at Lin Xikuan, whose expression was the picture of meek submission. Lin Xikuan gently explained that their father had suffered a severe shock and had developed paranoia, causing him to imagine these things. In the end, Lin Xikuan fell to his knees, crying and begging through snot and tears for Lin Jianhai to please eat something.
Having been tormented by Lin Xikuan for days, Lin Jianhai was so infuriated by this sickening display of fake filial piety that he screamed curses at his son before storming back into the house.
Afterward, Lin Jianhai continued to refuse food, and Lin Xikuan stopped delivering it. But once Lin Jianhai’s body had recovered slightly, Lin Xikuan returned—only this time, he whispered that he was the one who had instructed the kitchens to prepare those other meals as well.
He told Lin Jianhai that he wanted him to die completely unnoticed7. Hearing this, Lin Jianhai was so angry his hands began to shake violently. The sudden, overwhelming surge of fury triggered a relapse of his old illness, and he collapsed, utterly paralyzed on the bed.
Liang Lianhui was summoned once again. He listened as Lin Xikuan voluntarily explained that Lin Jianhai constantly suspected him of trying to poison him, to the point that Lin Jianhai even believed the food sent by others was poisoned by him as well.
Frowning, Liang Lianhui had servants test the newly prepared meals with silver needles, and even summoned a doctor to examine the food. There was absolutely no poison in it. Consequently, Liang Lianhui fully believed Lin Xikuan’s claim: Lin Jianhai had developed hysteria.
From then on, whenever the soldiers went to find Liang Lianhui, he merely sent word back to Lin Xirui and Lin Xikuan, telling them to care for Lin Jianhai well and offering to summon an imperial physician from the palace if they needed one.
Having contracted the plague, Lin Xikuan’s body seemed to be showing signs of improvement. He hadn’t visited for the past few days. But upon hearing from the servants that Lin Jianhai had also caught the plague and was on the verge of recovering, Lin Xikuan dragged his sickly body over to pay him a visit.
The author has something to say:
Zhu Ming’an: “Selective stuttering.”
Jin Mingyi: “Selective banishment from the bed.”
Zhu Ming’an, immediately dropping to her knees: “I was wrong.”
Qu Sheng: “…Day one of missing my wife.”
Lin Xizhao: “I am waiting for you at home.”
Footnotes
- An adaptation of the Chinese idiom 'fēi'é-pūhuǒ' (like a moth darting into the flame), meaning to willingly court disaster or destruction.
- A traditional Chinese unit of weight and volume (dān), generally used for measuring grain. Depending on the historical era, one dan is roughly equivalent to 50 kilograms or 100 liters.
- A 'sweating blood' horse (hànxuè bǎomǎ), or Ferghana horse—a legendary breed of horse imported from Central Asia historically prized by Chinese emperors for its incredible stamina and speed.
- Original: xiǎoniáng. A term used to refer to a father's concubine, in this case, the speaker's biological mother who was a servant before becoming a concubine.
- An adaptation of the Chinese idiom 'fùkě-díguó' (wealth rivaling a nation), used to describe someone possessing staggering, almost incomprehensible riches.
- A direct translation of the idiom 'rú hǔ tiān yì' (like a tiger that has grown wings), meaning to give an already powerful entity even more strength or an added advantage.
- An adaptation of the Chinese idiom 'shénbùzhī-guǐbùjué' (unknown to gods or ghosts), meaning to do something completely secretly, without anyone noticing at all.
Wow hoping everything turns out good 🙏