The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 92

Little Sheng’er is So Lucky

Last night, Qu Ting had come to find Qu Sheng to tell her about Xiao Bingying’s involvement. Qu Sheng had no objections, but she felt that Qu Ting’s earlier suggestion for her to leave first was unwise.

Their numbers were already small. If they split the group further and something went wrong, Qu Ting and the others might not even make it out of the Haichao Kingdom.

She had spent the entire night weighing her options. After careful consideration, she settled on a new approach: they would use cunning. It was time for a bit of sleight of hand—stealing the beams and replacing the pillars¹—rather than a reckless kidnapping.

Today was a day of rest, which gave her the perfect opportunity to do something she enjoyed.

And right now, the soft moans mixed with Lin Xizhao’s whimpers were the best reward Qu Sheng could have asked for.

As Qu Sheng felt the delicate tremor of Lin Xizhao’s body, she became like a wave herself, drawn by Lin Xizhao’s tide. She crested and fell with every ripple, the sensation washing over every corner of her being. She loved this feeling, as if she and Lin Xizhao were bound together. She changed with Lin Xizhao’s every sensation, her own heart reaching its peak at the exact moment Lin Xizhao found her release.

The sun was three poles high² when Qu Ting began pacing back and forth outside Qu Sheng’s door. Qian Shuangying and Xiao Bingying had both opened their own doors to watch him from the corridor several times.

Qu Sheng’s eyes had only just healed, and Qu Ting didn’t want to disturb her. But a problem had arisen with the plan she’d devised, and he needed to inform her so they could discuss their next move.

Half an hour later, well into the afternoon, Lin Xizhao emerged from the room dressed in her outer robes. Qu Sheng was still in bed. She hadn’t been particularly clingy today, but because she had stayed up all night watching Lin Xizhao, she had fallen into a deep sleep that morning.

Lin Xizhao wasn’t lacking sleep, but she was exhausted from Qu Sheng’s vigorous attention. She had lain in bed for a long while, only rising to open the door when she heard footsteps outside that didn’t sound like they were just passing by.

The moment she opened the door, Qu Ting stopped his pacing and turned. Seeing Lin Xizhao emerge, he asked urgently, “Is Sheng-meimei³ awake?”

“No. Is it urgent, Third Brother?”

Qu Ting nodded. “Yes.”

He said nothing more. Lin Xizhao waited for a moment before remembering what Qu Sheng had told her that morning. “Is it something to do with Cheng Xi’s brother?”

Qu Ting had assumed Lin Xizhao didn’t know and had been trying to be discreet. Hearing her state it so plainly caught him off guard. “Sheng-meimei told you everything?” he asked, a touch embarrassed.

Lin Xizhao shook her head. “She only said she had to rescue someone.” It had been a guess. Qu Sheng had only mentioned saving someone on behalf of a benefactor.

They were strangers in this land, so what benefactor could they possibly have? It could only be Liu Wuxiang, or Cheng Xi, who had guided them here.

Lately, she had noticed that Cheng Xi’s mood was very low. Even when she smiled, it was forced. Lin Xizhao knew Qu Sheng hadn’t told her the details because she didn’t want her to worry, and she trusted that if Qu Sheng dared to make such a promise, she must have a way to fulfill it.

Hearing Lin Xizhao’s answer, Qu Ting’s expression shifted several times. He wasn’t sure if Qu Sheng would be angry that he’d let this slip, but seeing the confident way Lin Xizhao had asked her question, he figured she would have guessed everything even if he hadn’t said a word.

Thinking of the anxious look on Qu Ting’s face, Lin Xizhao considered it for a moment. “I’ll go wake her,” she said. “She’s slept for a good hour. She can always sleep more later, but some opportunities are lost if you miss the right moment.”

Qu Ting nodded. He watched Lin Xizhao return to the room, and a short while later, Qu Sheng emerged, fully dressed.

Qu Sheng opened the door and glanced outside. Seeing Qu Ting was still there, she said, “Come in and talk, Third Brotherge.”

Seeing Qu Ting enter, Lin Xizhao prepared to leave, but Qu Sheng stopped her with a look, her voice gentle. “Jiejie, you don’t have to go. There’s nothing you can’t hear.” Qu Sheng planned to stay in the Haichao Kingdom, which meant there would be times she couldn’t be by Lin Xizhao’s side. It was better to be open about things than to be secretive. Besides, Lin Xizhao might even be able to offer some ideas.

At Qu Sheng’s words, Lin Xizhao stopped and turned back, pouring them tea.

Qu Ting accepted the cup with a word of thanks. Qu Sheng took a small sip. “You can speak freely, Third Brother.”

“It’s like this,” he began. “The new king of Haichao somehow got wind that someone was planning to kidnap Cheng Feng⁴ during the Heaven Worship Ceremony.⁵ He canceled Cheng Feng’s appearance and had him taken back to the palace last night.”

“Did one of our people leak the information?” Qu Sheng was puzzled. In theory, her people were reliable, but she couldn’t rule out the possibility that one of the agents planted over the years had turned traitor.

“No. I heard that there really was another group planning to abduct Cheng Feng. We just don’t know who they are yet.” Qu Ting didn’t doubt the existence of this other faction.

As a prince of the Haichao Kingdom, Cheng Feng, though not the crown prince, was deeply respected and loved by both the court and the common people. It was said that the previous king had intended to pass the throne to him, but he had suddenly fallen ill while traveling abroad and died before he could return to the palace. As a result, the crown prince, his eldest son Cheng Wei,⁶ ascended the throne without opposition.

“Please find out who these people are, Third Brotherge. They might be able to help us.” Qu Sheng didn’t blame heaven and accuse others⁷ just because her plan had been disrupted. One path might be blocked, but that didn’t mean the road was completely closed.

Receiving his orders, Qu Ting immediately sent his men to investigate. By evening, they had concrete news. The people who had planned to kidnap Cheng Feng during the ceremony were his former subordinates from his failed rebellion.

They hadn’t intentionally leaked the plan; they had been betrayed. Now, the Imperial City was in the midst of a massive manhunt to round them up. Patrols had been strengthened tonight. If not for their own agents using a few tricks, they likely wouldn’t have been able to get out of the Imperial City at all.

“Should we try to rescue them?” Qu Ting asked, standing in Qu Sheng’s room. He seemed to favor the idea. The enemy of their enemy was their friend. They were short on manpower, and their goals were the same. If they saved these men, their subsequent efforts would be twice as effective.

“No. We will quietly watch the changes,”⁸ Qu Sheng said, rejecting his suggestion. “Right now, we are in the shadows. If we try to save them, any mistake could expose us.”

Their capture wasn’t entirely a bad thing. At the very least, once they were all rounded up, the new king of Haichao would lower his guard.

Their objective had always been singular. The lives of those men had nothing to do with them, but their appearance had certainly created a bit of a headache for Qu Sheng.

Five days later.

The original promise to rescue Cheng Feng within five days had to be delayed due to the disruption.

Cheng Xi had been listless these past few days, her soul not in its house.⁹ Xiao Bingying saw it all but did nothing to comfort her. The Qu family didn’t give up halfway; a promise made was a promise kept. The five-day deadline had passed, yet Qu Sheng and her people hadn’t left. That was proof enough that the Qu family was still working on another plan.

Xiao Bingying sat in her room, reading a book she had borrowed from Liu Wuxiang, calmly waiting for the Qu family to come up with a countermeasure.

While Xiao Bingying read, Cheng Xi spent her days running over to Liu Wuxiang’s place. Xiao Bingying only had the Zhao Family Guards protect her, making no move to stop her.

When Cheng Xi returned in the evening, Xiao Bingying realized she hadn’t had a proper look at her in days. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but she couldn’t bear to see Cheng Xi looking so utterly bereft. It still made her heart ache.

Today, seeing her return with her head bowed, she stole a few more glances, a flicker of worry in her heart as she noted how much weight she had lost.

“Have you eaten?” Xiao Bingying asked, putting down her book.

Cheng Xi, lost in a daze, heard her voice and looked over, confused.

Did I hear that right?

She turned, and seeing Xiao Bingying still looking at her, she asked, a mix of shock and suspicion in her voice, “Are you asking me?”

It was a strange question. There were only the two of them in the room; of course Xiao Bingying was talking to her. But Xiao Bingying hadn’t spoken a single word to her in days. How could she not suspect her own ears?

She had imagined how Xiao Bingying might react after finding out the truth, but she had never expected this—not anger, not agitation, just a heavy, oppressive silence.¹⁰

“Yes,” Xiao Bingying nodded, asking again, “Have you eaten?”

Certain now that Xiao Bingying was speaking to her, Cheng Xi lowered her gaze to study her for a moment before curving her lips into a smile. “I’ve eaten. Have you?”

“I haven’t.” Xiao Bingying didn’t quite believe her. Cheng Xi’s complexion had turned sallow these past few days, a clear sign of poor appetite and a deficiency of qi and blood. Xiao Bingying looked up at her again. “Eat a little with me.”

Cheng Xi looked puzzled for a second, but after a moment’s thought, she nodded. “Alright.”

Xiao Bingying went out and had an attendant bring up some dishes. Over the past month in the Haichao Kingdom, she had more or less figured out which local foods Cheng Xi liked.

When the dishes arrived, every single one was a favorite of Cheng Xi’s.

Cheng Xi looked at the food on the table, her soft lips pressed together as a ripple of emotion stirred in her eyes. She had thought Xiao Bingying had completely washed her hands of her.

“I heard Doctor Liu has been teaching you a lot about medicine lately,” Cheng Xi said, trying to make conversation.

Xiao Bingying placed some food in Cheng Xi’s bowl and glanced up at her, replying with a soft “Mm.”

She herself had visited him less often than Cheng Xi. Every time she went, she knew Cheng Xi was there with Liu Wuxiang, yet she never once saw her. She could only feel the faint presence of her existence at night, when Cheng Xi would slip quietly into bed beside her.

Cheng Xi picked up the food Xiao Bingying had served her, took a small bite, and chewed thoughtfully. When she glanced up at Xiao Bingying, she caught her watching from the corner of her eye.

Xiao Bingying was still as cold as ice, but Cheng Xi could feel her concern.

After dinner, Xiao Bingying went down to the main hall to sit, getting up from time to time to walk around and aid her digestion.

Cheng Xi stood on the floor above, looking down. Their gazes missed each other several times. Then they both saw Lin Xizhao descend the stairs and disappear toward the back kitchen, and at that moment, their eyes finally met.

Cheng Xi, naturally, didn’t look away, but Xiao Bingying was different. She was not one to express her feelings, and with the unpleasantness between them, she felt awkward.

This wasn’t a matter of forgiveness. The issue was that even if Cheng Xi had approached her with an ulterior motive, things had happened between them that shouldn’t have. If this were a matter of marriage between a man and a woman, Xiao Bingying would have had to take full responsibility for Cheng Xi, especially since she had been the one to covet Cheng Xi’s beauty and take her without a second thought.

Of course, it wasn’t as if she had decided to abandon her now. She still couldn’t let her go. After meeting Cheng Xi’s gaze for a few seconds, Xiao Bingying’s eyes shifted, following Lin Xizhao as she reemerged from the inn’s kitchen.

Lin Xizhao was carrying a small basin and walked toward Xiao Bingying, who curved her lips into a smile. “Making a special treat for little Sheng’er again?”

Hearing this, Lin Xizhao’s eyes crinkled with warmth. “I just made a few pieces of Water Chestnut Cake.¹¹ You should try some.”

She took a small plate from a nearby table and gave a few pieces to Xiao Bingying.

Xiao Bingying took a bite and nodded in approval. “Little Sheng’er is so lucky.”

Hearing Xiao Bingying constantly bring up Qu Sheng didn’t used to bother Lin Xizhao, but now, it made her feel guilty.

After what had happened between her and Qu Sheng, even Liu Wuxiang had been able to diagnose it. There was no way Xiao Bingying didn’t know.

Lin Xizhao watched Xiao Bingying smile at her and recalled seeing Cheng Xi standing upstairs when she first came down… Cheng Xi must have been looking at Xiao Bingying below.

“You two…” Lin Xizhao began, then trailed off, wanting to ask if she and Cheng Xi had been fighting.

“It’s nothing,” Xiao Bingying said, cutting her off before she could finish, correctly guessing her question.

Lin Xizhao paused, stunned for a moment, then laughed. “I didn’t even finish my sentence. How did you know what I was going to ask?”

Xiao Bingying smiled. She knew, of course. By now, Lin Xizhao also knew about Cheng Xi leading them here. Lin Xizhao had always been clever, and after so many years together, she surely understood her.

She didn’t consider herself an accomplice in Cheng Xi’s deception, but she had undeniably been a participant. She couldn’t forgive herself, but she wouldn’t blame others, so she could only punish herself. Being cold to Cheng Xi was a form of self-punishment. She was already thinking about how she would make it up to the Qu family in the future. As for what Cheng Xi did, she didn’t completely distance herself because she didn’t want Cheng Xi to feel isolated. They had already shared skin-to-skin intimacy;¹² she wouldn’t let Cheng Xi face the Qu family’s disapproval alone.

“Don’t overthink it. Sheng’er and Third Brother don’t mind. You need to be understanding of Cheng Xi,” Lin Xizhao said, trying to console her.

The Qu family didn’t see Cheng Xi’s enticement as entirely wrong. After all, Qu Sheng’s eyes had truly been healed. And as their benefactors, it was only right for them to help in return. Though it started with a lie, the end result was the same.

Xiao Bingying nodded but didn’t truly let it go. She owed the Qu family for this and would definitely find a way to repay the debt.

Seeing Xiao Bingying’s deceptively nonchalant expression, Lin Xizhao sighed helplessly.

She had said her piece. Xiao Bingying was stubborn; there was no point in pressing the matter further.

“I saw earlier that the an attendant has some sores on his face. Do you have any medicine that could help him?”

Xiao Bingying looked at her, a hint of confusion in her eyes, but she nodded. “I have medicine, but it must be prescribed for the right symptoms.”

Lin Xizhao nodded and tried to recall the details, but she didn’t know how to describe them.

“He’s in the back kitchen. I’ll go with you to take a look,” Lin Xizhao said softly. The young waiter had helped her a great deal these past few days, especially with some of the more difficult-to-procure ingredients.

“Alright, I’ll go see,” Xiao Bingying agreed.

Lin Xizhao put down the pastries and accompanied Xiao Bingying to the kitchen. The moment Xiao Bingying saw the waiter, she frowned. But after a closer inspection, her alarm subsided. It was a false alarm.

For a moment, I thought he had Smallpox.¹³

“I’ll go get you some ointment. Apply it for a few days, and you’ll be fully recovered. Don’t worry.”

The waiter was overcome with gratitude. The itching had been driving him mad for days.

Xiao Bingying went upstairs to get the medicine for him. When she returned, Lin Xizhao was silent.

The moment Xiao Bingying had suspected Smallpox, Lin Xizhao had felt a chill. She had heard that Smallpox was extremely contagious and often fatal. Commoners and nobility alike lived in terror of it.

Lin Xizhao returned to her room and told Qu Sheng what had happened. Qu Sheng listened, her mind already turning over the possibilities.

How could they create a disease with identical symptoms in the Haichao Imperial City, but one that no doctor could identify?

The next morning, Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao went to Liu Wuxiang’s place. When they arrived, they were surprised to find Xiao Bingying and Cheng Xi already there.

After they explained their purpose, Liu Wuxiang simply smiled. “You’re too late. Someone already beat you to it.”

He gestured with his chin toward Xiao Bingying and Cheng Xi.

They had all had the same idea and had come to Liu Wuxiang to ask if such a disease existed.

And after they had asked, Liu Wuxiang gave them a definitive answer.

Yes, it existed. And its symptoms were even more severe, but it wouldn’t be fatal.

Three days later.

A strange illness appeared in the palace of the Haichao Imperial City. It looked like Smallpox, but its symptoms were worse, and it was highly contagious.

Everyone infected developed bean-sized red spots on their faces, accompanied by an unbearable itch.

The ministers advised the King of Haichao to flee the palace. For a time, the entire Imperial City was gripped by panic.

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The author has something to say:

Qu Sheng: “A day filled with mutual love.”

So sleepy, I’m completely wiped. A little less today, will try for a little more tomorrow.

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