The Sovereign – Chapter 102

Volume Six: A Cold Rainy Night Buries the Famous Flower

On the Brink of Life and Death

Only Half a Life Left

After the battle in Changning Prefecture, Ling Yu and Yi Qingyu were both badly wounded. Although her body was on the verge of collapse, Yi Qingyu still struggled to hang on and brought Liu Zhu towards Shennong Valley.

The sky over Shennong Valley inexplicably began to darken. This place had always been like spring all year round, with lush grass and flying orioles. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was as beautiful as a fairyland, and it had never appeared like it did today. Guiguzi looked at the sudden change in weather and knew that something inauspicious had happened. This world, it seems, was about to change.

“This peaceful and prosperous era has finally come to an end. The unification of the world and the hearts of all people returning to one is an inevitable trend.” Guiguzi stroked his beard, fiddling with the medicine in his hand, and looked up to see Liu Qianxun still using her inner strength to regulate her body.

Although every poisonous herb she had taken had been neutralized one by one by Guiguzi, and she had endured physical torments unimaginable to ordinary people, fortunately, he had made considerable progress in his research on gu poison. He fed the blood of Liu Qianxun, who had consumed the poisonous herbs, to the hundreds of gu worms he raised to observe their reactions, and then, through pharmacology and human body functions, developed a cure that could suppress the poison of the child gu.

Liu Qianxun concentrated her mind and gathered her qi, trying to use her inner strength to force out the remaining toxins in her body. However, the types of poisonous herbs were numerous and their potency was fierce, making it impossible to completely expel them. A light breeze blew by, and she heard the crisp sound of bells. Guiguzi hurriedly called out, “Someone has entered the valley!”

That sound carried surprise and excitement, as if welcoming an old friend. This was the formation he set up, as long as someone stepped in, there would be a bell sound as a warning. This intricate web of threads was hidden along the path into the valley, and no one except him knew its principle and layout.

Guiguzi hurriedly ran towards the lakeside, shielding his forehead with his hand, stretching his neck to look towards the entrance, feeling a bit nervous. It must be her, it has to be.

“Master Gui, who’s entering the valley that makes you so nervous? An enemy?” Seeing Guiguzi’s extremely strange expression, which seemed both hesitant and expectant, Liu Qianxun had a thought and said with a smile at the corner of her mouth, “Could it be a sweetheart?”

“Bah, don’t talk nonsense. This old man has no attachments, I’m just waiting for an old friend for a long time.” Guiguzi scratched his head, his eager gaze never leaving the valley entrance.

“Oh?~ This junior understands.” Liu Qianxun also looked in that direction, two familiar figures gradually came into view. Aren’t those mother and Yi Qingyu?

“Qingyu!~” Guiguzi was so excited he almost jumped, but this was quickly replaced by terror, because from afar he could sense that Yi Qingyu was severely injured.

“Mother!” Liu Qianxun and Guiguzi rushed forward at the same time, hurriedly supporting these two who were about to collapse.

Yi Qingyu’s face was deathly pale, her pupils dilated and gradually lifeless. Her chaotic qi made her extremely weak. She held on with her last breath, bringing Liu Zhu to Shennong Valley. Upon seeing Guiguzi, her first words were, “Old Ghost, quickly check Zhu’er’s body.”

“No, you look at Ah Yu first.” Every word from Liu Zhu seemed to take all her strength, the veins on her neck faintly visible. Guiguzi took one look at her and basically understood.

“Stop pushing back and forth, let’s go inside and talk, really, you’re both half-dead already.” Guiguzi was truly at a loss for words. He supported Yi Qingyu, while Liu Qianxun held up Liu Zhu, bringing the two of them into the house.

“Ugh~” Yi Qingyu’s qi was in chaos, unable to solidify. It constantly stirred her internal organs, causing unbearable pain. Yet from start to finish, she never let go of Liu Zhu’s hand.

“Ah Yu, how are you? Guiguzi, quickly check on her.” Liu Zhu’s sleeves were soaked in blood. Along the way, Yi Qingyu would cough up blood from time to time, the blood spilling from her mouth scorching Liu Zhu’s heart, over and over again.

“Her qi is running wild, let me.” Liu Qianxun steadied Yi Qingyu, sank her qi to the dantian, concentrated it in her palms, and helped Yi Qingyu regulate her breathing. Though she didn’t know medical skills, she could feel that Yi Qingyu’s internal energy was so chaotic it could damage all five organs and six viscera. How did she get such a severe injury?

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” Yi Qingyu forced herself to stay strong, wearing a faint smile, gripping Liu Zhu’s hand even tighter. How could she feel pain? All her emotions were immersed in the joy of reunion.

Liu Zhu felt both happy and worried, her hands tightly wrapping around Yi Qingyu, her eyes full of sorrow and heartache. Sadly, her own body weakened again, breathing becoming more and more difficult, often feeling short of breath and chest tightness. She wanted to hold it in, but still couldn’t control coughing out loud. Yi Qingyu tried to get up to support her, but was pushed down by Guiguzi, who glared at Yi Qingyu and scolded: “Do you want to die or what? Focus on regulating your breathing.”

“Little Bamboo, come here, let me check your pulse.” Guiguzi reached out his hand to Liu Zhu, and Liu Zhu nodded. Guiguzi lightly pressed with two fingers, his brows deeply furrowed. He then felt Liu Zhu’s neck pulse, pried open her eyes to look, and let out a deep sigh.

At this time, Liu Qianxun had also finished regulating Yi Qingyu’s condition. The two almost simultaneously asked, “How is she?”

“Let me check you now.” Guiguzi then checked Yi Qingyu’s pulse, his brows furrowing even deeper. He plopped down on the ground angrily, “One of you is terminally ill, the other has all five organs and six viscera ruptured, what on earth happened??” He glared at Yi Qingyu, feeling both angry and heartbroken, “With your skills, who in this world could hurt you?”

“It’s all my fault. Ah Yu thought I was captured by Ling Yu, so she broke into Changning Manor. The two of them fought fiercely, both ending up severely injured, sigh.”

“Ling Yu sent people to the loquat forest?” Liu Qianxun had been careless after all. When she left, she should have thought to bring her mother along. Given the current situation, even if Yi Qingyu could protect Liu Zhu, she would be overwhelmed. In her current state, if Liu Zhu stayed in Ji Kingdom, she would surely be in danger. So, was Ling Yu trying to rescue Liu Zhu back to Yu Kingdom?

“For so many years, Yu’er has always treated me well. If it weren’t for her sending people to care for my health year after year, I would have died long ago. So when I saw Ah Yu fighting with her, I got anxious, but everything was too late… Ah Yu was injured, misunderstood Yu’er, and also hurt her.” Liu Zhu recalled the scene of Yi Qingyu falling from the roof and felt scared, not even daring to remember it.

“I never thought that a country’s eldest princess would have such profound martial arts skills, and even use the heart method of Tiancang Pavilion.” Yi Qingyu thought of Ling Yu’s words and actions, perhaps she had indeed misunderstood her.

“She’s also injured…” Liu Qianxun thought about how Ling Yu had already taken a hit from her, and now after the fierce battle with Yi Qingyu, her internal injuries must be severe.

Guiguzi’s face was darker than the overcast sky. He put his hands on his hips and looked at the three of them chatting as if nothing had happened. He immediately scolded them in frustration, “Can you care about yourselves a bit? One poisoned, one internally injured, one seriously ill, who should this old man treat first? Really, not a single one in this family gives me peace of mind. This old man is anxious just looking at you all.”

“Poisoned? Who’s poisoned?” Liu Zhu asked, shifting her gaze to Liu Qianxun’s face. She quietly hid her arm behind her back, but Yi Qingyu noticed first, pulled her arm out, rolled up her sleeve, and was stunned.

“Xun’er! Why did you do this?” Liu Zhu held her arm, shocked by the sight of tiny wounds covering it. Countless knife cuts were scattered in different places. Her originally fair arm had no unmarked spots except for the cuts.

When the child is hurt, the mother’s heart aches. Liu Zhu held Liu Qianxun’s arm, her body trembling slightly, unable to speak. She knew her daughter could endure pain and hardship since childhood, but seeing her like this now, the heartache was beyond words.

“Mother, I’m fine. They’re just superficial wounds. They’ll heal in a few days.”

“Old Ghost, you dare use her to test drugs?” Yi Qingyu glared at Guiguzi. He avoided her gaze, guiltily turning his face away. “Well, you know that gu poison is hard to cure, and the mother-child gu is even more incurable. I can only use blood to nurture the gu worms to research an antidote.”

As Guiguzi spoke, he stole a glance at Yi Qingyu. Seeing her face still gloomy, he squinted and smiled, “Didn’t I manage to research the cure for your niece? Although it can’t drive the child gu out of the body, it can at least suppress the poison outbreaks. Don’t be angry anymore, heroine.” After saying this, he handed the ground medicine powder to Yi Qingyu.

“Alright, I’ll return to the capital for a bit. Zhu’er and Xun’er can stay here to recover.” As Yi Qingyu finished speaking and was about to get up, Liu Zhu hurriedly stopped her, “Not allowed!”

“Zhu’er, I’ll deliver the medicine and come right back. I’m at ease with Old Ghost taking care of you. Outsiders can’t enter Shennong Valley, so you can wait for me here without worry.” Although Yi Qingyu’s internal energy was gradually stabilizing, her internal injuries were still severe. She was just worried about Qin Junlan, fearing she might suffer from a poison outbreak, and was eager to return to Jidu.

“If you’re going, I’ll go with you. I won’t be separated from you again no matter what.” Liu Zhu held onto Yi Qingyu’s wrist, clinging tightly to her. She knew that Yi Qingyu only seemed to have recovered slightly, but in reality, her injuries were very serious. She was only able to stand because her internal energy had stabilized.

“Zhu’er, your current condition isn’t suitable for travel. You must let Old Ghost treat you. I promise I’ll be back in two days.”

“Aunt Qing, Mother, stop arguing. I’ll go. I want to… want to see her one more time.” Liu Qianxun thought she would never enter the palace again in this life, but if there was really a chance, she still wanted to see Qin Junlan one more time. How was her condition?

She ultimately couldn’t get past her own barrier. She said she’d never go back, but still couldn’t control her longing. As long as she’s okay, that’s all that matters, Liu Qianxun kept telling herself.

“Alright then, go directly to find Jin’er when you return, and come back quickly.” Yi Qingyu handed the antidote to her, gently squeezing her hand, and said earnestly, “Life is short. If there’s a misunderstanding, go clear it up. If you love each other, stay together. Why care about so much else? Your mother and I were separated for over twenty years before we could reunite. Do you want to keep missing out with Yan’er like this?”

“Aunt Qing, some things can’t be achieved just by my will.” Liu Qianxun’s eyes darkened. She took a deep breath and forced a weak smile, placing Liu Zhu’s hand into Yi Qingyu’s. “Now that mother has recognized you, Xun’er has no more worries.”

She could finally do anything without hesitation, even if it meant death, she had nothing to fear.

“Your body is in such a state now, please be very careful, Xun’er.” Liu Zhu was still worried, fearing she might do something foolish. She used to be cold-hearted, but now there was only endless melancholy and desolation, without a trace of vitality. In her eyes, there was only despair and loneliness.

“Mother, don’t worry, Xun’er knows.”

From Shennong Valley, riding at full speed, it takes only a day and a half to reach Jidu. Liu Qianxun tied her hair into a bun, changed into black men’s clothing, and stuck a mustache on her lips. After this disguise, no one could recognize her. When she rode past Suyuan Tower, she found that it had been sealed off. The former glory of Suyuan Tower, the once prosperous and beautiful scenery along the Qinghe River, and the once top beauty of Qinghe, no longer existed.

Things remain but people change, everything comes to an end. Liu Qianxun felt extremely desolate. The price of a beauty trap was the loss of everything.

She patiently waited until dark, taking advantage of the shift change in the imperial palace to leap over the wall using qinggong. During her days in the palace, she had already figured out the routes for sneaking in and observed the characteristics of guard patrols. In fact, all of these were inadvertently leaked to her by Chen Qing, but Chen Qing’s methods were so clever that everything seemed so natural, not deliberately done by anyone.

Liu Qianxun didn’t know that Yun Jin and her son had moved into Fenghuang Palace. She first infiltrated Qin Garden to investigate but didn’t see Yun Jin herself. She guessed that Yun Jin must be by Qin Junlan’s side, taking care of her.

Suddenly, a patrol team walked by. She quickly dodged, activating her qi, but felt her inner breath suddenly churning, definitely due to the remaining toxins acting up. She hurriedly sealed several of her acupoints and rushed towards Fenghuang Palace.

“Greetings, Noble Princess Consort.”

Liu Qianxun’s agile figure was carefully scouting the way when she suddenly heard a palace maid’s voice. She flipped her body like a gecko, clinging to the eaves. She saw Yun Jin carrying a bowl of soup, seemingly just out of the imperial kitchen. This was the nourishing soup she personally brewed for Qin Junlan, adding detoxifying and fever-reducing herbs as instructed by the imperial physician. She personally controlled the cooking time, fearing the bitterness of the herbs might make it difficult for Qin Junlan to swallow.

She walked attentively carrying the items, completely unaware that someone was approaching her. Liu Qianxun took advantage of her passing through an unguarded area, leaped down, and stood in front of Yun Jin. Yun Jin was shocked, but still looked at her calmly. Liu Qianxun quickly removed her face covering, “Sister, it’s me.”

“Xun’er?” Yun Jin hurriedly looked around, pulling her to a corner to avoid places where patrols might pass, and asked in a low voice, “Why did you come back? Don’t you know how dangerous this is?”

Liu Qianxun took out the antidote and handed it to Yun Jin, “Sister, this is the medicine I brought from Shennong Valley to suppress the poison’s outbreak. It was personally developed by Guiguzi. Remember to give it to her three times a day, mixed in with her food. It can suppress the toxins.”

“You went to Shennong Valley? And also…” Before Yun Jin could finish speaking, she noticed Liu Qianxun’s face was pale and greenish. From the corner of her eye, she also glimpsed what seemed to be wounds on her arm. She rolled up Liu Qianxun’s sleeve and looked at her in shock, “You…” She felt a sense of oppression in her heart, mixed with threads of pain.

Liu Qianxun’s arm was covered with thousands of intertwining wounds, with red knife wounds chaotically spread all over. Even without knowing what happened, she could guess that Liu Qianxun had tested the medicine on herself.

Liu Qianxun pulled her arm back, unconcerned about her own injuries, and instead grabbed Yun Jin’s hand, pleading, “Sister, you must promise me not to tell her, absolutely not.”

“But…”

“No buts!” Liu Qianxun stuffed the medicine bottle into Yun Jin’s hand, “Can I, take a look at her?”

Yun Jin nodded, how could she bear to refuse Liu Qianxun at a time like this? Her guess wasn’t wrong, Liu Qianxun couldn’t possibly be the culprit who poisoned, and her feelings for Qin Junlan couldn’t be fake, otherwise she wouldn’t do these meaningless things. And then there was her own intuition, as if there was a natural sense of closeness, she always felt that Liu Qianxun wasn’t a bad person.

“Follow me, be careful.” Yun Jin walked out as if nothing had happened, Liu Qianxun followed her in a half-hidden state all the way to Fengluang Palace. She deliberately dismissed the guards, allowing Liu Qianxun to have a chance to see Qin Junlan.

Red candles lit up every corner of Fengluang Palace, Qin Junlan sat at the table, holding a book and teaching Guo’er attentively.

“As a ruler, one must understand right and wrong, know good and evil, be close to worthy ministers, stay away from petty people, shoulder the responsibility of the country and society, and when necessary, it’s better to punish wrongly than to let the guilty go free, understand?” Qin Junlan’s tone was gentle, also because she didn’t have the strength to say too much. Every day she insisted on attending court, teaching Yun Jin to review memorials, and then giving lessons to Guo’er, she was already overdrawing her body.

“I understand Imperial Aunt at the beginning, but what does ‘better to punish wrongly than to let the guilty go free’ mean?” Guo’er was very clever and knew things that his peers didn’t, but after all, he was still a child and didn’t understand many things. Qin Junlan would always patiently explain to him.

“‘Better to punish wrongly than to let the guilty go free’ means that when you suspect… cough cough~~” Qin Junlan’s words were cut off halfway as she suddenly felt her heartbeat quicken rapidly. She then felt short of breath, and a violent cough came over her. She felt a sweet and fishy sensation in her throat that was about to overflow. She wanted to find a handkerchief but didn’t have time. Fresh blood spurted from her mouth and dripped onto the book.

“Mother, Mother, wuwuwu, Imperial Aunt is coughing up blood, Mother.” Guo’er saw Qin Junlan coughing up blood for the first time and was so scared that he started sobbing, only able to call out to his mother repeatedly.

Liu Qianxun’s heart tightened, aching so much that she couldn’t breathe. She involuntarily lifted her foot, but was held back by Yun Jin, who shook her head at her. At this moment, Liu Qianxun couldn’t appear no matter what. She herself was also very nervous, holding the medicine given by Liu Qianxun in her hand, calmly walking in and summoning the imperial doctor.

She turned her face away heavily, and as she turned, she looked towards Qin Junlan again. The person she had been thinking about day and night was right in front of her, but she couldn’t go forward, only leave. She leaned powerlessly against the wall, her nails digging hard inwards, not knowing that her palm was bleeding from the friction.

Her pupils were tinged with blue due to poisoning, and her sorrow turned into tears, spreading across her face. Her body was like a withered leaf, yellow all over, and those cuts on her arms had finally achieved results. Everything would be in time, right, Yan’er? As long as you get better, nothing else matters anymore.

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