Chapter 88 Collapse

Looking at the boy whose ears were turning red, Qiu Heng smiled and said, "Of course, no problem. As long as Fangzhou knows how to make it, Lord Xue can eat whatever he wants."

"Red bean cake will do." Xue Han finished quickly, his expression solemn. "I have other things to do, so I'll take my leave first."

Qiu Heng shook her head and got into the carriage.

Lately, Xue Han has been acting increasingly strangely, putting on a serious, crime-solving act when asking for a snack. Those who don't know her might think she's asking for evidence, but those who do might think she's asking for a snack from her.

Fangzhou prepared red bean cakes and osmanthus cakes, and the next day Qiuheng handed the food box to Hu Si on the street.

"Miss Qiu, are you alone again?" Hu Si was much more polite to Qiu Heng than before.

There's no way around it; anyone who's ever seen this little girl violently pulling someone's hair would have to be polite.

"Yes, I'm traveling alone, so it's convenient for me to just wander around."

Hu Si's lips twitched, thinking to himself that it was rare to see a young woman who could justify sneaking out to play so confidently.

"Sixth Miss Qiu, please be careful and call for help if anything happens."

Hu Si carried the food box to see Xue Han and couldn't help but say, "This Yongqing Marquis's mansion is no good. It's too easy for the young lady to sneak out."

"Take the snacks to Uncle Xu."

"yes."

After Hu Si left, Xue Han looked through the case files for a while, then got up and went out.

The streets were bustling with people and traffic.

Xue Hanman wandered aimlessly.

"Lord Xue." A familiar female voice called out.

Xue Han suddenly turned his head and saw pedestrians hurrying by, their faces blurred.

Could it be a hallucination?

He thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile, then noticed footsteps approaching.

"Sixth Miss Qiu—"

Qiu Heng smiled and said, "If I had known we would meet by such a coincidence, I would have just given you the snacks."

"It was quite a coincidence," Xue Han said, feeling inexplicably guilty.

Qiu Heng lifted her foot and walked forward, speaking in a casual tone: "Lord Xue isn't busy today?"

"Not too busy." Xue Han's gaze swept over the girl's thick black hair, then looked straight ahead. "Why isn't Miss Qiu Liu going home?"

Qiu Heng dodged the children who were jumping past her: "Usually when I go out, I have to travel with a lot of people and carriages. It's rare for me to be alone and I want to wander around more."

Walking side by side like the closest of friends, Xue Han casually brought up a topic: "Was it Qiu Liu who removed Hui Niang from her social status?"

Qiu Heng glanced at him: "Lord Xue knows? Well, you can't hide it from the Imperial City Guard forever."

It's not easy for courtesans to renounce their status, which is why they sought help from Brother Ling.

"I never expected that Miss Qiu would do all this for Hui Niang." Xue Han paused. "Hui Niang was forcibly taken by Yuan Chenghai in her early years."

Qiu Heng raised her eyebrows.

She genuinely didn't know Hui Niang's past; she only had a brief encounter with her and felt that Hui Niang was of decent character. Having also taken advantage of her, she helped her within her means.

“Hui Niang really liked the incense I made and gave me a very generous thank-you gift. It’s hard not to feel sorry for her when she’s in trouble.” Qiu Heng slowed her pace and glanced at the young peddler carrying his load past. “In the end, it’s because Yuan Chenghai was an inhumane official who has harmed too many people.”

"Indeed, thankfully he has already received his just deserts."

Qiu Heng looked up at Xue Han and asked with a smile, "Does Lord Xue also believe in retribution?"

The autumn sun softened the boy's facial features and also softened his voice: "I believe you."

Qiu Heng blinked.

I always felt that Xue Han wasn't the type to believe in these things.

Thinking this, he said, "If Heaven doesn't punish, someone else will."

Qiu Heng's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, but she subtly changed the subject: "I heard that Yuan Chenghai was specifically looking for rare flowers and stones for the Emperor, using them as a pretext to wreak havoc in the region. Now that he is dead, the people of the southeast can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

First came the endless stream of hemp paper plastered all over the city, then Yuan Chenghai's crimes were announced, and everyone in the capital heard how badly the people of the southeast had been harmed by Yuan Chenghai.

Xue Han didn't reply.

Qiu Heng's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be that a new person will take over?"

Her guess, which came to her from Xue Han's silence, actually came true.

"The Vice Minister of Works, Li, will take over his post and will soon head south."

Qiu Heng stopped in her tracks: "Vice Minister Li of the Ministry of Works?"

The Li Liang I met yesterday when I left the palace, was he the one who took over Yuan Chenghai's job?

One traitor Yuan died, and another corrupt official was gone—imagining Emperor Jingping summoning Li Liang after yesterday's banquet, instructing him to go south to find him a beloved woman, Qiu Heng suddenly felt a churning in her stomach and couldn't help but cover her mouth and run to the roadside.

Xue Han chased after her: "Sixth Miss Qiu, what's wrong?"

Qiu Heng leaned against a weeping willow tree by the roadside and gagged for a moment. She looked up and waved to Xue Han, "I'm fine—"

As soon as she finished speaking, a large tear slid down her cheek, but she was completely unaware of it.

The girl's snow-white face and the silent tears that slid down her cheeks sent a shiver down Xue Han's spine.

"I'll take you to the clinic." Xue Han disregarded everything else and reached out to grasp Qiu Heng's wrist.

Qiu Heng suddenly pulled her hand away and took several steps back.

"Sixth Miss Qiu—"

The pale-faced girl gave him a forced smile: "I just suddenly feel a little unwell, probably from eating something bad. I'll be fine after resting at home. Lord Xue, please go ahead with your work. I'll be going now."

She left in a hurry, and Xue Han quickly followed.

"Lord Xue, you don't need to follow me—" Despair and disgust churned in Qiu Heng's heart like thick ink.

It means that our long-held beliefs have been shaken, the direction we have strived for has become chaotic, and all the suffering we have endured to achieve our goals seems to have been in vain.

A profound sense of absurdity enveloped Qiu Heng, making her feel like a fish suddenly leaping ashore, almost suffocating.

She even felt that she herself was nothingness, absurd.

Did she really travel to thirty years in the future?

An omnipotent gentleman, a king kneeling to entrust him with a heavy responsibility, a boundless fire, a people suffering ravages... Could all of this just be her illusion?

She is nothing, and can't change anything, right?

Qiu Heng looked up at the sky.

Suddenly, thunder rumbled, a gale arose, and a curtain of rain stretched from the sky to the earth, enveloping everything in its embrace.

Pedestrians hurried past on the street, and shop doors that were open were quickly slammed shut.

Qiu Heng walked listlessly in the sudden rain, her clothes getting soaked.

Then, she was pulled into an embrace.

The boy's voice came from above her head, filled with suppressed urgency and confusion: "Sixth Miss Qiu, what's wrong with you?"

What's wrong?

Qiu Heng didn't know what was wrong with her; she just couldn't control her nausea and wanted to close her eyes and fall asleep.

The lack of response only made Xue Han more anxious.

"Autumn Heng!"

He called out, but found that the girl in his arms had her eyes closed and was completely silent.

A tremendous panic gripped the boy's heart: "Aheng!"

There has still been no response.

Xue Han picked Qiu Heng up and carried her straight to the nearest clinic.

Inside the clinic, the door had just been closed when it was kicked open.

"What are you doing—"

Before the shopkeeper could finish asking, Xue Han tossed over a silver ingot: "Please have your best doctor examine this young lady!"

A quarter of an hour later, in the private room where the patient was being treated, the doctor who had finished taking the pulse said to Xue Han, "This young lady is suffering from a sudden attack of anger. She will be fine after taking the medicine when she wakes up."

Thank you.

The doctor got up and left, while Xue Han stared blankly at the still unconscious girl.