Chapter 145: One Life for Another

Su He was ill, and the princess's mansion was suddenly in a state of chaos.

The imperial physician ordered Qi Huai to rush into the palace for treatment, and finally concluded that the patient was poisoned. However, with his decades of medical experience, he had no idea what the poison was or how to detoxify it.

He knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face. "The Emperor ordered me to take care of the princess, but she was poisoned for no apparent reason. I was powerless to do anything about it. I have failed the Emperor's orders. I am guilty."

Su He huddled on the couch, clutching her chest. The intense, gnawing pain left her face pale and sweaty, but her mind remained clear. She murmured, "I was already infected with this poison... before I became pregnant, and there's no cure. Lord Qi... please don't blame yourself."

She consulted many ancient books and collected many poison techniques, but still could not find the antidote for the Heart-Eating Flower poison. It seemed that no one except Bai Jinan could cure this poison.

Qi Huai asked, "What kind of poison is it?"

Su He replied: "The poison... the poison of the Heart-Eating Flower."

Qi Huai was deflated when he heard this. He had never heard of this vicious name.

At this time, the emperor in Weiyang Palace also received the news and hurried to the princess's mansion in a sedan chair.

He looked at his daughter who was suffering in pain on the bed, and his heart was broken. He had spent so much effort and waited for so long to finally find his daughter, but he never expected that something unexpected would happen now.

The emperor ordered sternly, "Bring here all the servants who serve the princess. I will interrogate them one by one to see who was so audacious as to poison the princess."

Su He called out "Father" with difficulty, and then winked at Zhang Xiuhua beside him.

Zhang Xiuhua had already burst into tears. Seeing Su He's expression, she dropped to her knees and said, "Your Majesty, no one in this palace would poison the princess, and no one dares to do so." She then choked up and told him that Bai Jinan had poisoned Su He, emphasizing, "This poison... only Bai Jinan can cure it."

The emperor's body softened and he staggered when he heard this.

Zhao Fu immediately stepped forward to support him and said, "Your Majesty, please take care of yourself." The emperor raised his hand to support his forehead, feeling as if thousands of arrows were piercing his heart.

He recalled that Bai Jinan had said before his death that he would definitely regret killing him.

He didn't think much about it at the time, but today, he knows that Bai Jinan's words were not groundless.

The emperor took a moment to calm down, looked at Su He on the couch with heartache, and ordered Qi Huai: "I want you to do your best, no matter what medicine you use, you must protect the princess's life first."

Qi Huai replied tremblingly: "Your Majesty... obeys your command."

The emperor then ordered Zhao Fu: "Draft an edict to recruit all the poison doctors in Liang State to detoxify the princess."

Zhao Fu also bowed and replied "yes".

Su He, lying on the sickbed, murmured "Father" again.

The emperor immediately stepped forward and held Su He's hand: "He He, bear with it for a while. Father will definitely detoxify you and find an antidote for you."

Su He felt dizzy from the pain and his whole body curled up.

The pain was like a sharp needle, piercing the chest continuously and then spreading from the chest to every part of the body - it was much more painful than giving birth, much more painful than any other pain.

She knew there was no cure for the pain, and she knew her death was approaching.

She burst into tears, "LeLe...I'll leave her to Father."

The emperor also burst into tears: "Don't worry, Hehe, with your father here, Lele will have no worries in her life."

He also said: "With the emperor father here, He He will be safe and sound."

Su He took a breath and looked at Zhang Xiuhua and Chunlan, "Le Le... please take good care of her." These were the two people she trusted the most, and the two who had been with her all the way. Now that her time was up, she felt most at ease entrusting her child to them.

Zhang Xiuhua and Chunlan knelt in front of the couch and cried breathlessly.

They knew that she was worried about her child, and they also knew that she was making arrangements for her funeral.

Everything was clearly getting better, so why did they have to endure this catastrophe? They couldn't understand it, and they couldn't accept it.

Zhang Xiuhua cried and said, "Princess, don't worry. The emperor will definitely find the antidote."

Chunlan also cried and said, "Princess, everything will be fine."

The severe pain came again, making Su He a little dazed.

She clutched the bed sheet tightly, using her last bit of strength to keep herself awake: "Aunt and Chunlan... I'd like to ask father to take care of them..." After she finished speaking, her neck went limp and she fainted.

No matter how much she missed and was reluctant to let go, she had to let go.

She has tried her best to get to where she is today with great difficulty.

Let everything return to its place, and let dust return to dust.

She seemed to really want to take a break.

Zhang Xiuhua screamed: "Princess, wake up! Princess, wake up!"

Chunlan was also crying loudly, and all the servants in the room were crying too.

The emperor's breath was trembling and tears were streaming down his face.

Zhao Fu stepped forward to comfort him, "Your Majesty, rest assured. Master Qi has gone to prepare the medicine. He will definitely be able to save the princess. This old servant has just sent someone to convey the emperor's order. I believe a poison doctor will be found soon to detoxify the princess."

The emperor nodded and said "OK".

He hunched his back and seemed to have aged instantly.

At this time, Wu Sheng, who came to visit Chunlan, also learned about the situation in the princess's mansion.

He rushed to the Dali Temple as fast as the wind, and as soon as he entered the public housing, he reported loudly: "Boss, something bad has happened to the princess."

Xie Wuhen paused: "What happened?"

Wu Sheng then recounted the details of how Bai Jin'an had poisoned Su He. He concluded, "The princess is now unconscious. The emperor has ordered the recruitment of an expert antidote, while Qi Huai is using a decoction to temporarily keep the princess alive. As for how long, no one knows."

Xie Wuhen stood up and strode out of the house.

Wu Sheng asked from behind him, "Where are you going, Boss?"

He ignored him, walked outside the house, brought a horse, grabbed the reins and rode away.

Xie Wuhen arrived at the princess's mansion quickly.

He had never been here since Su He moved into this mansion, and today was his first time.

As soon as he entered the main hall, the emperor came up to him eagerly: "Zi Yu, you are here. You have heard about the princess's poisoning, right? Now that Bai Jin'an is dead, how can the poison be cured?"

Since the palace coup, or since he found his daughter Su He, the emperor, who had always been decisive and ruthless, seemed like a different person. He became softer and kinder, and more like an ordinary old man, or an ordinary father.

Even in such an urgent matter, he no longer concealed his feeling of powerlessness.

Xie Wuhen replied in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best to find an antidote for the princess."

The emperor nodded, then led Xie Wuhen into Su He's bedroom.

At that time, Su He was lying unconscious on the bed. The light coming in from the window reflected her beautiful face.

He hadn't seen her face for a long time, and when he saw it again, he suddenly realized how much he missed her.

He remembered the last time he spoke to her was during the Tongtiantai rebellion.

He remembered the last time he saw her lying in bed was in Chunhua Courtyard...

He suddenly felt uncomfortable. She was good at using poison, but she had poisoned herself. This poison must not be something that ordinary people could cure. She must have suffered a lot because of it.

He bowed his head and clasped his fists: "I will go find an antidote for the princess right away."

The emperor asked, "Where are you going to look for him?"

He did not answer directly: "Your Majesty is waiting for news from me." After saying that, he strode out of the palace gate.

Xie Wuhen rode out of the princess's mansion and then galloped towards the west city.

The owner of the "Cure All Diseases" pharmacy in West City is good at making miraculous elixirs. Didn't the "Hide the Sky and Escape the Sea" that Zeng Yidao used last time come from this pharmacy? Maybe the owner of the pharmacy can also make an antidote to the Heart-Eating Flower poison.

In two quarters of an hour, he arrived outside the pharmacy.

At that time, the owner of the medicine shop, Yu Xian, was sitting in the shop with his legs crossed, eating melon seeds. When he saw Xie Wuhen appear, he was stunned for a moment, then reacted after a moment, stood up with his waist bent, and asked tremblingly, "Isn't this the lord from the Dali Temple? I have been very law-abiding recently... I wonder what the lord wants to see me about today?"

He still remembered the cold expression on this gentleman's face when he interrogated him last time.

Xie Wuhen asked directly: "Do you understand the poison of the Heart-Eating Flower?"

Yu Xian paused: "What kind of flower...what kind of poison?"

Xie Wuhen's heart was already half cold, and he repeated: "The poison of the Heart-eating Flower."

Yu Xian looked embarrassed and said, "I have never heard of this kind of poison, and I don't know anything about poison."

Xie Wuhen asked again: "Do you know anyone who is knowledgeable about poisons?"

Yu Xian shook his head: "Your Excellency thinks too highly of me. I am just a small medicine dealer. How could I be involved with someone who knows poison?"

Xie Wuhen's expression darkened and he said, "Sorry to bother you." Then he turned and left the pharmacy.

For the next two days, he stayed in the princess's mansion and received many poison doctors who came to visit him, but no one could cure Su He of the heart-eating flower poison.

Qi Huai boiled life-saving medicine for Su He every day, and his hair turned white as he did so.

His face was filled with sorrow: "Thank you, sir. What do you say we should do? The princess's breath is getting weaker and weaker. If we can't find an antidote, this medicine will not be able to keep her alive. If something happens to the princess, my entire Qi family will die too." After he finished speaking, he covered his face with his hands and cried.

The white-haired old man cried even more sadly.

Xie Wuhen patted his shoulder, turned and walked away.

He walked straight into Su He's bedroom. At that time, Zhang Xiuhua and Chunlan were guarding the bed. There had been no progress in the past two days, and their eyelids were red and swollen from crying.

Xie Wuhen ordered: "You guys go out first."

The two knew that this was their former brother-in-law and would not harm the princess, so they went out obediently.

There were only he and she left in the hall.

It was completely dark and a candle was burning by the bed.

In the dim light, her sleepy face looked a little cute and peaceful, as if nothing had happened and she was just asleep.

Just like she used to sleep until the sun was high in the sky every day in Chunhuayuan.

He sat down in front of the couch and stared at her quietly.

After a moment he took her hand and placed it to his lips.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, greedily sniffing the fragrance of her skin, and tears quietly slid out of the corners of his eyes.

He murmured, "Don't worry, He He, I will definitely find an antidote for you."

He kissed the back of her hand, put her hand back on the quilt, stood up and walked out of the hall.

It was summer, and the wind was full of restlessness, making his clothes rustle.

He ordered Wu Sheng: "Prepare the horses."

Wu Sheng asked, "Where are you going, boss, at this late hour?"

He replied, "To a dark cell."

He was so busy dealing with the rebels these days that he forgot about one person.

The horse galloped in the dark and soon arrived outside the prison gate.

Xie Wuhen dismounted and walked in.

He walked along a dark and damp corridor and came to the door of a cell. Bai Jinfu in the cell was still sitting cross-legged on the straw mat as usual, with his eyes closed.

Xie Wuhen ordered the jailer to open the prison door and stepped inside.

He said in a deep voice: "Bai Jinan has been beheaded. Senior can be released from prison now."

Bai Jinfu slowly opened his eyes and looked at him: "Are you serious, sir?"

Xie Wuhen replied: "Really!"

Bai Jinfu was still a little dazed, and sighed: "Brother, he finally lost."

Xie Wuhen answered the question irrelevantly: "Before I leave the prison, can you do me a favor?"

Bai Jinfu stood up from the straw mat, clasped his fists and bowed to him: "My lord, if you have something to say, please feel free to speak."

Xie Wuhen replied: "Senior, can you help me find an antidote to the Heart-Eating Flower poison?"

Bai Jinfu frowned slightly and asked, "The poison of the Heart-Eating Flower?"

Xie Wuhen's chest tightened. "Could it be that Senior hasn't heard of this poison either?"

Bai Jinfu replied, "I've heard from my brother before. It's said that those who are poisoned by this will feel the pain of thousands of ants gnawing at their hearts and hot oil pouring over their bones, until they die from the pain."

Hearing the words "died in pain", Xie Wuhen's breathing began to tighten, and he asked anxiously: "How can I detoxify?"

Bai Jinfu asked back, "Could it be... that brother poisoned someone before he died?"

Xie Wuhen replied: "He poisoned the princess of the current dynasty, and now the princess has taken effect from the poison."

Bai Jinfu sighed, "Although I'm as close to him as a brother, I haven't learned a single bit of his skills. I don't understand poison."

Xie Wuhen asked again: "Senior, do you know who in this world besides Bai Jinan can cure this poison?"

Bai Jinfu shook his head: "I don't know anyone who can cure this poison, but..."

"But what?"

"However, my brother is good friends with Cheng Juesai, the master of Medicine King Valley. He was taught all his poison techniques by Cheng Juesai himself. Perhaps you can find the antidote for this poison by going to Medicine King Valley."

Xie Wuhen asked, "Is it the Medicine King Valley in Kunshan?"

Bai Jinfu replied: "That's right."

Xie Wu felt relieved and clasped his fists to express his gratitude solemnly.

Bai Jinfu was subsequently released from prison.

Xie Wuhen then instructed Wu Sheng: "Find a few capable guards, prepare fast horses, and go to Kunshan Yaowang Valley."

Wu Sheng glanced at the vast night sky and asked, "Are we leaving tonight?"

Xie Wuhen replied in a deep voice: "That's right, we'll set off tonight."

Kunshan is at least three days’ express ride away from the capital, so he must get the antidote as soon as possible to save Su He’s life.

Half an hour later, Xie Wuhen led a group of people out of the city gate and galloped straight towards Kunshan.

They traveled day and night without sleep and arrived at the foot of Kunshan Mountain two days later.

After more than an hour of investigation, they finally found the location of Yaowang Valley deep in Kunshan.

At this time, there were two guards guarding outside the gate of Yaowang Valley, and outsiders were not allowed to enter.

Wu Sheng stepped forward and explained his purpose. The guard replied sternly, "The Valley Master is in retreat and will not see any guests."

Wu Sheng asked again, "When will the Valley Master come out of seclusion?"

The guard replied: "It will take half a year."

After half a year, they simply couldn't wait any longer.

Even if they leave now, they have to race against time.

Xie Wuhen had already unsheathed his sword and flew up at lightning speed, passing over the heads of the two guards and heading straight for the gate of Yaowang Valley.

The two guards are top-notch experts, how can we let them go?

The two men turned around and chased after him with knives in hand at lightning speed.

Wu Sheng immediately ordered the accompanying guards: "Quickly arrest those two."

The guards received the order and attacked the two guards together. The silent valley was suddenly filled with the flash of swords and murderous aura, which made the branches tremble and the birds fly away in fright.

Fortunately, Xie Wuhen escaped the fight and successfully entered the Medicine King Valley and came to the main hall in the valley.

The hall was empty.

Xie Wuhen looked around and only found a boy picking herbs in the side hall.

The boy looked childish and puzzled: "Who are you?"

Xie Wuhen replied: "I am the guest of your Valley Master."

The boy became more and more confused: "But the Valley Master is in seclusion, how can he welcome guests?"

Xie Wuhen asked, "Where is the Valley Master in seclusion?"

The boy stood up, opened the window, and pointed to the lush green forest outside: "It's in the back mountain."

Xie Wuhen said "thank you" and turned to walk out of the hall.

The boy pouted and said, "Why did you leave without saying goodbye? How rude." Then he sat down and continued to pick herbs.

Xie Wuhen leaped up and reached the back mountain as quickly as possible.

Then they found a stone gate in the valley behind the mountain, and there were also two guards guarding the gate.

He guessed that this was the entrance to Cheng Juesai's retreat.

He had no time to waste and had to attack with the most ferocious method. In just a few rounds, he knocked the two guards to the ground.

He turned around and pushed the stone door, but it remained motionless.

He exerted more strength and heard a loud "bang". The thick stone door suddenly bounced open and the splashing stone foam almost blinded him.

He wiped the stone foam off his face and walked in.

Inside the door was an empty stone house with a round stone platform in the middle. Cheng Jueshi was meditating on the platform with his eyes closed. He had white hair and beard and a solemn expression on his face.

Xie Wuhen stepped forward and bowed: "Junior has something to ask of me, and I hope that Valley Master Cheng can lend a hand."

Cheng Juesai still had his eyes closed as he asked calmly, "Since you have something to ask for, why did you injure my disciples and disrupt my practice?"

Xie Wuhen replied: "It's an emergency, I hope Valley Master Cheng will forgive me."

Cheng Juesai then opened his eyes and looked at him calmly: "Who are you?"

Xie Wuhen replied: "I am Xie Wuhen, the Minister of the Dali Temple."

Cheng Juesai asked again: "What do you want?"

Xie Wuhen replied, "I beg Valley Master Cheng to give me the antidote to the Heart-Eating Flower poison."

Cheng Juesai paused after hearing this, "Who was poisoned?"

Xie Wuhen replied: "The current Princess Yongyi."

Cheng Juesai let out a long breath, "The first rule of our Medicine King Valley is that we must not have any involvement with anyone in the imperial court. I'm afraid I can't help you with this."

"Whether you are a member of the imperial court or a commoner, saving a life is a good deed."

"If we had done good without considering the consequences, my Medicine King Valley would have been destroyed long ago."

"What exactly does Valley Master Cheng want in exchange for giving me the antidote?"

"No matter what, I can't give you an antidote."

Xie Wuhen's expression turned cold as he slowly spoke, "Not long ago, the Emperor's former tutor, Bai Jin'an, attempted rebellion and was executed by the imperial court. His poisoning of the princess was part of his plan. I've heard that Bai Jin'an was once a friend of Valley Master Cheng, and that his poison skills were a gift from Valley Master Cheng. If we investigate further, I'm afraid Valley Master Cheng is also implicated."

Cheng Juesai looked at him meaningfully: "Are you threatening me?"

Xie Wuhen replied: "This is not only a threat, it is also the truth. If Valley Master Cheng refuses to cooperate, Medicine King Valley will also be doomed to destruction."

Cheng Juesai's old eyes were cloudy, but he stared at him without blinking.

After a moment, he stood up from the stone platform and added a few candles to the stone house.

The light became much brighter, making the expressions on their faces more distinct.

Cheng Juesai softened his tone, but he couldn't hide his helplessness: "To be honest, it's not that I don't want to save people, but I don't have the antidote."

Xie Wuhen asked, "Who has the antidote?"

Cheng Juesai replied: "No one has the antidote."

Xie Wuhen paused, and could not help but grip the hilt of the sword at his waist, and asked in a deep voice: "How can this poison be cured?"

Cheng Juesai shook his head: "I'm afraid this poison is difficult to cure."

Xie Wuhen raised his voice: "Even if it's difficult to solve, there must be a solution, right?"

Cheng Juesai raised his eyes and said, "If the solution is one life for another, will you solve it, sir, or not?"

Xie Wuhen frowned slightly: "What do you mean by this?"

Cheng Juesai replied, "To cure the poison of the Heart-Eating Flower, we must use the Soul-Returning Grass from the Medicine King Valley and the heart blood of a living person." He emphasized, "And anyone whose heart blood is taken will surely die. May I ask, sir, who will provide this 'heart blood'?"

There was a moment of silence, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop in the house!

After a moment, Xie Wuhen blurted out: "Me!"

Cheng Juesai asked back, "Are you not afraid of death, sir?"

Xie Wuhen replied in a deep voice, "Master Cheng does not need to worry about my life."

Cheng Juesai's face showed a hint of surprise and respect.

He finally relented, "May I ask, sir, when do you need me to prepare the antidote?"

Xie Wuhen said loudly: "Time waits for no one, now!"

Wu Sheng, who had already arrived outside the stone house, hurried in and gave earnest advice: "Boss, don't be impulsive. Don't forget that you are the only male in the Xie family's main branch. You still have the old lady to support. Even if you don't think about yourself, you must think about the old lady."

Xie Wuhen said firmly, "My mother has no worries about food and clothing, and has lived a comfortable life. She is already luckier than many people. Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I believe that even if my mother were by my side at this moment, she would not oppose my decision."

Wu Sheng knelt down anxiously, tears streaming down his face. "Then take my own blood. My life is worthless. I am willing to be the princess' medicine."

Xie Wuhen helped him up, his eyes also wet with tears.

He said solemnly: "You are also the only son of the Wu family, and your parents are counting on you to support them."

After he finished speaking, he smiled, then stretched out his palm and pushed Wu Sheng out of the stone house, then flew forward and slammed the stone door shut.

Wu Sheng slammed the stone door and cried out, "Boss, open the door, Boss, don't be impulsive..."

Only Xie Wuhen and Cheng Juesai were left in the stone house.

Cheng Juesai looked at him with new eyes: "Although you hold a high position and great power, you are also a man of character."

Xie Wuhen replied, "I only hope that Valley Master Cheng will keep his word and prepare the antidote as soon as possible. The Emperor will reward you handsomely afterwards."

Cheng Juesai smiled calmly: "Medicine King Valley is far away from the imperial court in order to stay away from disputes. How could we compromise for mere money? But today, considering your sincerity, I will make an exception." As he spoke, he raised the candle and turned to walk to the other side of the stone house, pushed open a wooden door, and came to the room where he specialized in refining medicines.

Xie Wuhen also followed him in.

There was a huge desk in the room, on which were placed many pottery bowls filled with a wide variety of medicinal powders and soups.

There was also a simple bed in the corner, with all the bedding and pillows on it, which seemed to be a temporary resting place.

Cheng Juesai had already poured some Soul-Returning Grass juice into a ceramic bowl, then slowly shook the bowl, saying, "Sir, please go and rest on that couch. I will be taking your blood soon."

Xie Wuhen said "hmm" and turned around to sit on the couch.

After a moment, Cheng Juesheng put down the pottery bowl in his hand and took out a hollow silver needle from the wooden cabinet.

The silver needle was as long as half an arm and as thick as a little finger. It shone brightly under the dim candlelight in the stone house.

He walked up to Xie Wuhen and asked, "My Lord, do you have anything else to say?"

Xie Wuhen glanced at the silver needle and said, "Is this the tool for drawing blood from the heart?"

Cheng Juesai replied: "That's right."

Xie Wuhen asked again: "When can the antidote be prepared?"

Cheng Juesai replied: "Early tomorrow morning."

Xie Wuhen's eyelashes fluttered and he fell silent.

"Tomorrow morning" may be a time that he will never be able to reach in his life.

He said in a hoarse voice, "Tomorrow, when my subordinates come to get the medicine, please ask Valley Master Cheng to convey to the princess... not to let her know that this medicine is made with my heart blood."

Cheng Juesai asked, "Sir, don't you want the princess to feel guilty?"

Xie Wuhen replied, "Valley Master Cheng, please convey the truth."

Cheng Juesai nodded: "Okay, I agree."

Xie Wuhen said "thank you" and then lay down.

He looked determined, calm, and fearless, as if he was just taking a rest on the couch because he was tired.

Cheng Juesai couldn't help but sigh: "I'm an old man, but this is the first time I've seen a young man so calm in the face of death."

There were faint tears in Xie Wuhen's eyes, but he had a smile on his face.

He said: "If I can protect the people I want to protect, I will die without regrets."

If he could save her life, what would it matter if he died?

Cheng Juesai also smiled: "It turns out that the master is still a romantic."

Xie Wuhen didn't say anything stubborn this time, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Valley Master Cheng."

Cheng Juesai had already bent down and squatted on the edge of the couch and asked him, "Are you ready, sir?"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes: "Master Cheng Gu, please take action."

Cheng Jueshi replied "Okay", then held the silver needle in his hand and stabbed it into Xie Wuhen's chest.

Xie Wuhen only felt a sharp pain, and then he lost consciousness...