Chapter 139

Prince Ning'an, carrying the blood-written edict and the tiger tally, summoned the garrison in the west of the city to enter and purge the remaining forces. Qin Sang, on the other hand, went to the residence of Princess Yuanzhao.

The eldest princess never expected that she would ultimately lose to her own son. She was placed under house arrest in her residence, which was heavily guarded.

When Qin Sang entered, she was dressed in plain clothes, her hair was slightly disheveled, and her face no longer had its usual peaceful expression, but instead revealed an indescribable regret and sorrow.

When Qin Sang entered, she didn't even raise her head, still maintaining a dignified posture, resting her forehead on one hand, staring blankly at something.

"I am Nan Yin, the Tea Master of the Nine Heavens. The Goddess probably doesn't recognize me," Qin Sang said softly.

The other person finally withdrew their unfocused gaze and shifted their attention to Qin Sang's face. After scrutinizing her for a moment, they sighed, their expression unreadable, "So that's how it is. It was Si Ming who sent you to stop me?"

"I didn't mention you before I came. I was just told to avoid this catastrophe for the Kingdom of Namo. The fate of the Kingdom of Namo is not over yet."

Yuan Zhao gave a light snort, seemingly disdainful.

Qin Sang: "Why? Why must the Kingdom of Nanwu be destroyed?"

“I can’t stand it, I hate it, I don’t want the Zhao family to continue being emperor, it’s that simple. Why are there so many whys in this world?” Yuan Zhao said coldly.

"Is it to avenge your husband?"

Yuan Zhao was finally struck by the truth, and his fingertips trembled slightly.

Qin Sang's voice was soft and gentle: "I understand. During my time in the mortal realm, I also met a mortal, but just yesterday, he died in battle. I also feel hatred, but after thinking about it, I don't know who to hate. Should I hate you? Or hate people's wolfish ambitions? Or hate myself for not being able to protect him?"

Yuan Zhao stared at her, and Qin Sang continued, "But I don't want revenge anymore. When will this cycle of revenge end? I want to go to his next life to find him and make up for the regrets of this life. You've done enough. Stop now."

Yuan Zhao had a place in her heart that had been frozen for many years. She never mentioned him to anyone, and even when she recalled him, she was very careful, for fear that once something was broken, not even a trace would remain.

But then she suddenly heard a cracking sound.

Qin Sang said, "Perhaps he has already reappeared in your life, but you just haven't noticed."

Yuan Zhao's mind was buzzing, and suddenly a cold face appeared before his eyes.

Not long after Qin Sang left, Bai Yiqing came in with a cold face.

Yuan Zhao stared at him for a long time, and as she stared, tears suddenly welled up in her eyes. Whether human or immortal, once one has an obsession, it will give rise to the root of stubbornness. This root spreads wildly, carrying a desire to permeate and strangle everything, spreading in all directions, killing gods and Buddhas if they stand in the way.

But once the roots are destroyed, those arrogant tentacles will wither away in an instant.

She recognized him, but he didn't recognize her.

"Come here," she called to Bai Yiqing.

Bai Yiqing took two steps forward: "Mother, I'm sorry."

Yuan Zhao reached out and stroked his temple. He was so handsome, just as handsome as in his previous life, no, he was different.

"My mother is leaving," she said with a smile. "If fate allows, we will meet again."

Bai Yiqing did not understand his mother's meaning.

But the next moment, she swiftly plunged the dagger into her abdomen. The excruciating pain forced her to expel her immortal body; after lingering in place for a moment, she flew back to the Ninth Heaven.

Qin Sang came out of Princess Yuanzhao's residence and walked down the street. She saw white banners fluttering in the wind and mournful cries. It was as if she were in a dream, and even her steps felt unsteady.

While Prince Ning'an was busy leading people to clean up the blood-soaked inner courtyard of the palace, she walked back to the Xie residence. Looking at the Xie residence, which was once again covered in white, she suddenly remembered that Xie Lin had once pointed at her nose and cursed her, saying that she was a jinx.

How could she not be? Since she came to this mansion, the Xie family has suffered several deaths, with three generations of the family dying one after another. Isn't she a jinx?

She stood at the door, not daring to go in.

However, just as she turned around to choose a faraway place to die, she heard someone call out to her from behind.

"Qin Sang!"

Qin Sang turned around; it was Xie Xiao.

Xie Xiao, the little girl, was still wearing white mourning clothes. She was tall and thin, and her previously innocent face now showed an expression she had never seen before after several blows.

Qin Sang's heart skipped a beat; it was a painful kind of growth. She couldn't bear to look at him a second time, avoiding his expression, and said, "I won't go in, so as not to upset anyone. Xie Lin is right, I am a jinx."

Xie Xiao stared at her for a long time before saying, "The coup in the imperial court was not your fault. I know that. You don't need to flatter yourself and take all the blame."

Qin Sang: "..."

Xie Xiao: "Are you just leaving like that? Where are you going? Aren't you going to get married?"

Qin Sang smiled wryly: "It was originally a political marriage to oppose the Crown Prince. Now that the Crown Prince's faction has been purged and the Emperor is seriously ill, it wouldn't be difficult for Prince Ning'an to break off this marriage." She thought for a moment and still said, "Good luck. But you're still too young. Wait another two years."

Xie Xiao: "Who wants to talk to you about this? I...aren't you going in to see your second brother?"

Qin Sang paused, speechless, then turned and left.

She told herself, "What are you looking at? When a person dies, their soul drifts away; it's just a shell." If she had been faster, perhaps she could have made it in time.

It only took half an hour to walk from the south of the city to the city gate. Qin Sang originally planned to find an abandoned house and hang herself from a beam in the southeast corner. But then she was afraid that her death would frighten people, so she thought it would be best if there was a hill she could jump over.

There just happens to be a mountain called Nanjun Mountain in the south of the city. The mountain is quite high, so jumping off it would be perfect – you'd be dead and never see the body again.

She hired a carriage; the journey wasn't far, but it wasn't short either. After about an hour, the driver said they had arrived.

When Qin Sang lifted the curtain, she saw that this was not the foot of Nanjun Mountain at all, but clearly a villa belonging to a wealthy family.

Then the coachman said, "The prince said, 'Miss, don't be so upset. The person you want to see is still inside. He doesn't want to take away what belongs to others. He thanks you for your help these past few days and will grant you a peaceful life for the rest of your days.'"

Qin Sang: "..."

After the coachman finished speaking, he turned the horse around and drove away.

Qin Sang stood in front of the neatly rammed earthen wall of the courtyard for a long time before she saw a person carrying a basket on his back walking from a distance.

The man was taken aback when he saw Qin Sang, then a smile bloomed on his face: "Sister Qin Sang, it's been a long time."

The visitor was Tang Zi'an.

He still looked as fair and clean as ever, but why was he here?

It turned out that Tang Zian had entered the capital a month earlier at the behest of Old Madam Qin, fearing that something might happen to the children in the city.

That day, Qin Sang held the cold and stiff Xie Sui'an in her arms as she fell into a deep sleep. It took the Prince of Ning'an a long time to separate the two. Tang Zi'an was just arriving with all the medicinal herbs in the carriage. The Prince of Ning'an ordered his men to lift Xie Sui'an onto the carriage for treatment, and Tang Zi'an finally lived up to his expectations, managing to save the person.

He was just too weak, so in order to make it easier for him to recuperate and for Qin Sang to protect him, Prince Ning'an kindly gave up his villa in the suburbs of the capital. He really went to great lengths.

Tang Zi'an pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, unable to recount what he had witnessed the previous night. His beloved woman had been so distraught over another man; he knew she would never return.

"He's still unconscious. He's lost too much blood and needs to rest for a while before he can get out of bed," he said as he walked.

Qin Sang suppressed her joy, feeling on one hand that she was probably dreaming, and on the other hand, she was really looking forward to seeing him again later.

After passing through the front yard, Jinyun, who was sitting on the railing under the eaves, suddenly jumped up: "Doctor, you're back? The young master hasn't woken up yet!"

Tang Zian: "...Uh, yes, let me go in and take another look."

Jinyun was just as anxious as Qin Sang, and asked worriedly, "Won't he never wake up?"

Even Qin Sang couldn't help but scold, "What nonsense are you talking about? Can't you wish your young master some good fortune?"

Jinyun's eyes were red, and he lowered his head to wipe away a tear. Seeing this, Qin Sang recalled how he had fought bravely to save people yesterday, and couldn't help but soften her heart to comfort him, saying, "You can rest assured about Tang Zian's medical skills. If he says it's nothing serious, then it's nothing serious. It's just that your young master is too tired. He needs to rest enough before he can wake up, right?"

Jinyun nodded: "Then you should go in and check on him quickly."

As the door to the main room opened, Qin Sang smelled a strong medicinal ginseng aroma, which was not unpleasant.

"We can only feed a little medicine, so we use a hot towel soaked in the medicine to cover the mouth and nose, and let the steam help the medicine in," Tang Zian explained. Sure enough, when he went in, there was a young boy sitting by the bed serving him.

The room was filled with steam, and the stove was burning brightly, making it warm and cozy, unlike the cold outside.

The person on the bed was nestled in a brocade quilt, their face pale and bluish, but upon closer inspection, one could see that they were breathing faintly.

Recalling the despair she felt last night when she couldn't detect his breath, that feeling of helplessness and regret seemed to return. Her throat ached, and her nose stung as she walked towards the bedside.

The person who was cold last night has regained body temperature, but her hands are so cold that it startles the person and makes them frown slightly.

Seeing him like this, Qin Sang's chest was quickly filled with something, as if afraid that this person would leave again, and she wrapped her hands around his hands.

I used to think he was really difficult to deal with, but now the more I look at him, the more adorable he seems.

Seeing this, Tang Zian felt a chill in his chest and called the boy to retreat together.

The only sound in the bedroom was their breathing, accompanied by the gurgling of the medicine jar, creating a quiet yet indescribably warm atmosphere.

She felt a little tired, so she rested her head on his chest, listening to his slow and even heartbeat, and imagined the rest of their lives together.

Perhaps, if he didn't need to inherit the position of family head, she could take him back to Li County, back to that tea garden, roast meat, drink tea, and watch the mountains and clouds.

Perhaps because the room was too warm, or perhaps because she was too tired, lost in thought, she fell asleep on his chest.

Xie Sui'an felt he might have been woken up by the pressure. In his dream, Tan Bi had pinned him against the wall, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't push him away. How resentful he felt! Why was Tan Bi so strong, while he was so weak?

It seems I need to practice more diligently from now on. Next time we meet, I'll definitely beat him until he's black and blue and begging for his parents!

He woke up in a state of intense resentment and frustration.

As soon as he woke up, he felt a round head pressing against his chest. Although the air was filled with the smell of medicine, he could still smell her unique scent.

He was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

One year later. Lixian County.

In the center of the lush green tea garden stands a thatched courtyard, from which wisps of smoke rise... no, thick smoke billows, like a pillar reaching for the sky, drifting across the azure heavens.

"Xie Sui'an, are you trying to kill me?!" Qin Sang's voice seemed to soar higher than the thick smoke, "What are you roasting chicken for in the middle of the day?! Where did you get this chicken?"

Jinyun, his face covered in soot from the smoke, ran out and complained to Qin Sang, who had just returned with the farmers after picking tea leaves: "Madam, the young master said you worked hard picking tea and wanted to give you a surprise, so we went out and hunted a pure wild pheasant. The young master said that the meat of this wild pheasant is firm and will taste very good when roasted! Cough cough, but, for some reason, the firewood keeps smoking."

The tea-picking girls watching nearby couldn't stand it anymore and said, "It's been raining lately, so the firewood must be damp. If you use damp firewood, it definitely won't burn properly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Sui'an came running out of the backyard, covered in dust and grime. He was coughing and wiping away tears when he saw her. His face immediately lit up with a happy smile when he saw her: "Sang Sang, you're back! Cough cough, come back and eat. I made you lunch, roasted wild pheasant! Cough cough... Why don't you come in and try it and see if it's good?"

Qin Sang: "..."

Onlookers: "Haha, go have lunch, Sang Sang."

Onlooker 2: "That's right, don't worry about us. Your husband made this meal especially for you. Go in and have a taste."

Bystander 3: "Um... do we have any wild pheasants around here? I heard that Zhao Laosi's chicken went missing the day before yesterday..."

Jinyun, unable to bear it any longer, began to shoo people away: "Go, go, go! What are you all doing gathered here? Go home and have dinner!"

The crowd dispersed, laughing and joking. Qin Sang, carrying a tea-picking basket on her back, stood there for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She stepped forward to wipe the soot off Xie Sui'an's face, and asked as she entered the house, "How did you catch this pheasant?"

"What, in a tree? Can that pheasant fly that high?"

"Xie Sui'an, is this chicken not fully cooked?"

"How about adding some salt and baking it again?"

(End of article)