Chapter 20 Blood Transfusion, She Regrets It (Previous Chapter)...
Lu Yuan's handsome face instantly became as if covered with a thick layer of frost. The cold aura emanating from him made the entire garden seem to have fallen into the dead of winter.
"Ming, I never knew you were so consumed by jealousy and hatred, and so vicious!"
His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a knife, each one drawing blood, piercing Mingwu's internal organs, leaving a bloody mess.
So, in his heart, she was such a wretched figure.
Mingwu's eyes burned terribly, but she bit her lower lip tightly, her pearly teeth sinking deep, her pink lips losing all color, leaving only a glaring pale ring.
She stubbornly raised her head, trying to force back her tears; she didn't want to cry in front of them.
A hint of sweet, metallic taste spread through my mouth.
A thin line of bright red blood slowly oozed from the corner of her pale lips.
Lu Yuan's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, and a trace of heartache, which he himself was unaware of, flashed across his eyes like a shooting star.
Her voice softened unconsciously.
"I……"
Mingwu spoke first: "Yes, you're right. I am indeed vicious."
A deathly silence fell over the surroundings, with only the cold wind howling through the bare branches.
"Miss, miss, what's wrong?" Lan Ying's sudden, high-pitched exclamation broke the silence.
Qi Lan has fainted.
Lu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly, and then he strode down the corridor.
The hem of his dark robe swept across the newly sprouted branches and leaves by the roadside.
The new shoots were so tender they were almost transparent, shivering in the cold wind. When the cold, hard fabric brushed against them, the veins snapped instantly.
A lone tender bud fell, only to be crushed into the soil by the official's boots that followed.
He bent down and picked up the unconscious Qi Lan, then instructed Xu Ming, who was following closely behind, "Go and summon the imperial physician immediately."
After saying that, he turned and left quickly, holding the person in his arms, without looking at Mingwu again throughout the whole process.
"The Prime Minister has decreed: Madam Ming has behaved improperly and violated the rules. She is hereby punished by being confined to her room to reflect on her mistakes and to copy the family rules ten times. She may not leave until she has finished copying them."
-
The secluded room was located in the southwest corner of the Prime Minister's residence, nestled among lush trees. The walls of the room were bare, and a corner of the mottled window frame was missing, letting in a cold draft.
There was no furniture in the room, only an old table with an oil lamp on it, the dim light illuminating only a small area.
Mingwu found an old cloth and laid it on top.
Mingwu found a relatively clean old cloth and spread it on the cold table. She unfolded a stack of blank Xuan paper, picked up her brush, and began to copy the text stroke by stroke.
Time slips away silently as the pen tip rubs against the paper.
The sky outside the window gradually changed from an impenetrable inky black to a pale, dead-fish-belly-like gray, as if someone had used a dull knife to cut open the night and reveal the pale bones beneath.
"Madam, you've been copying all night, please take a rest."
Chunnan's voice was thick with nasal tone as she advised him once again.
He regretted that he didn't know many characters and couldn't share his wife's worries.
Mingwu blinked wearily at her dry eyes, but didn't stop.
"It's alright, it'll be over soon... Waaah..."
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly groaned, her hand holding the brush trembled violently, and the wolf-hair brush fell to the ground with a "thud," leaving a hideous and twisted ink mark on the Xuan paper that was mostly copied.
She was curled up and slumped to one side, her hands tightly clutching her abdomen, her face as pale as paper, and fine beads of cold sweat seeping from her forehead.
"Madam! What's wrong? Has your stomach ailment flared up again? This servant will go and fetch the imperial physician right away!"
Chunnan was terrified.
However, there were no imperial physicians left there; all the imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Academy had been summoned to the Lan Hospital by Lu Yuan.
"Don't go..." Mingwu's voice trembled with pain, "Perhaps... she's too hungry..."
Chunnan became even more anxious upon hearing this.
The lady drank that harmful contraceptive soup a few days ago, and hasn't had a proper rest since. Last night she barely ate or drank anything, and stayed up all night copying.
Even the strongest body couldn't withstand that, let alone the lady who was already weaker than the average person.
"I'll go to the kitchen right away and get you a bowl of hot porridge to warm your stomach."
Not long after, Chunnan returned in a huff.
Her once neatly styled hair was now a mess, like a bird's nest. Her clothes were also torn and wrinkled.
There was a bruise on the corner of his mouth.
"What's wrong?"
"It's that Lan Ying from Lan Yuan again. She said... her daughter wanted to brew medicine, so she hogged the stove and wouldn't let the kitchen staff cook porridge for us."
She had no choice but to do it herself. Just as she put the rice into the pot, Lan Ying spat a mouthful of saliva into the pot.
Chun Nan was so angry that she was furious and rushed over to fight with Lan Ying.
"Who does Qi Lan think she is, daring to treat us like this? If she really enters the household, how will we, masters and servants, survive?"
“Madam, I think… the Prime Minister might not truly despise you. He must be bewitched by that vixen. You should go to the Prime Minister and clear things up. You can’t suffer this injustice for no reason.”
Mingwu paused, and a drop of thick ink fell heavily, quickly spreading across the paper.
Mingwu picked up the ruined piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the wastebasket. She then took out a new one, laid it out, and continued copying.
Chunnan was not discouraged and continued.
“I saw it clearly just now, the Prime Minister… the way the Prime Minister looked at you, he clearly cared. It’s just that he was angry, so his words were… a bit harsh.”
"Besides, those so-called Gu poisons and blood poisons are all just Qi Lan's side of the story. She must have accidentally learned about the mark on Madam's body, and that's why she made up such a vicious method to sow discord between you and the Prime Minister."
"Madam, you must not be fooled."
Mingwu placed the pen on the Qingshan pen holder.
"You're right, we should get to the bottom of this."
However, she wasn't going to ask Lu Yuan; she was going to leave the manor to find a doctor outside.
-
When I came out of the closed room, it was still dark. The waning moon looked like a dull pebble, cast aside on the horizon.
Upon arriving at the East Courtyard, Mingwu instructed Chunnan to deliver the copied family rules inside, while she herself found a quiet, secluded corner and sat down against a cold pillar.
A deliberately hushed conversation drifted faintly on the wind.
Mingwu looked in the direction of the sound and saw two figures walking slowly along a narrow path half-hidden by branches and leaves not far away.
Although most of her figure was obscured by the horizontal branches, Mingwu recognized the tall and familiar figure in black walking ahead at a glance.
It's Lu Yuan.
"...Prime Minister, the Gu mark has now appeared; the time is ripe..."
"...Give the lady's blood...to Miss Qi Lan..."
"boom!"
A thunderclap exploded on Mingwu's crown.
The explosion caused her vision to go black suddenly, her ears to ring incessantly, and her entire body to dissipate as if it were dust.
My heart felt as if it had been cleaved open by a heavy, blunt axe, the pain so intense that even my soul trembled violently.
She could even clearly "hear" the sound of her own heart shattering into countless pieces.
It turns out that what Qi Lan said was true.
It turns out that he married her because her unique constitution made her suitable for the Gu poison. Now, he is about to exchange her blood for that of his beloved Qi Lan.
Her eyes were dry and burning, as if they were about to burst. She stared wide-eyed at the figure in black walking further and further away until it disappeared from sight.
Her straight back resembled a bowstring that had been stretched to its limit and finally snapped under the strain.
Little by little, he uncontrollably hunched over.
The person seemed to have been drained of all vitality and moisture, visibly withered and decaying.
She covered her eyes, wanting to cry, but unable to.
It turns out that when the pain reaches its extreme, even tears can't be shed.
The surroundings were deathly silent.
Only the biting cold wind of early spring swirled up the withered yellow leaves on the ground, making a whistling sound as they danced in the empty courtyard.
-
escape!
This thought, like a wildly growing vine, instantly enveloped Mingwu's entire consciousness.
Leave here! Leave this cage built with her devotion and blood! Leave that cold-blooded man who treats her like a tool!
She didn't know where the strength came from, but she scrambled to her feet and stumbled as she ran wildly toward the gate of the mansion...
Sudden!
A sudden, excruciating pain shot through the inside of my right forearm.
It felt as if countless red-hot steel needles were churning wildly inside her bone marrow, or as if some living creature was viciously gnawing, ramming, and desperately trying to break free from her body deep within her flesh.
Caught off guard, Mingwu stumbled and fell forward uncontrollably.
Then, everything went black, and I lost consciousness.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on a narrow, cold, hard couch. Her hands and feet were bound by flexible ribbons, which didn't constrict her, but rendered her unable to move.
Beside me, there were blurry, swaying figures.
"...The timing is perfect. The Li Gu is fully activated. We can begin."
Mingwu struggled to move her eyes.
Seeing Qi Lan lying on a small couch not far away, Qi Lan smiled triumphantly when she saw her looking over.
Mingwu withdrew her gaze.
A thin, hollow silver needle, gleaming with a cold light, was being steadily picked up by the imperial physician with tweezers.
One end of the needle was connected to a hollow, transparent tube of unknown material. The other end of the tube... was connected to another needle, which was suspended above Qi Lan's wrist.
"No……"
Mingwu tried to struggle and scream, but her throat felt like it was blocked by mud and sand, and she could only make weak, broken sounds.
The imperial physician seemed to notice she was awake and turned his head. In the dim candlelight, his face appeared exceptionally cold and distant.
"Madam is awake? It's good that you're awake. Please rest assured, the Prime Minister specifically instructed that I will do my best to alleviate your suffering."
The Prime Minister gave the order...
Lu Yuan brought her here...
These words, like a final death knell, resounded loudly in Mingwu's already battered heart.
All the struggles, all the anger, all the questioning, all the pain... all vanished in this moment into an endless, cold, deathly silence.
So it really was him. He personally ordered her to be placed on this altar.
The last glimmer of light went out completely.
My heart is dead.
She gave up struggling.
She simply stared blankly at the carved beams and painted rafters above her, her empty, lifeless eyes distorting the exquisite patterns into grotesque ghostly figures.
Her senses became distant and numb, with only the eerie burning sensation at the mark on her arm serving as a final reminder.
She felt the cold needle tip pierce her skin.
A sharp, stabbing pain came.
Immediately following this was the feeling of life being slowly pulled away.
She slowly closed her eyes, tears silently sliding down her cheeks and disappearing into her hair.
She regretted it.
I regret stepping into this Prime Minister's residence, and I regret wearing that phoenix crown.
She regretted it even more... that spring night in the light rain and apricot blossoms, she met that bright and handsome man who dragged her into an endless abyss.
The final regret... is giving away one's sincere heart only to be treated like dirt and trampled into the mud.
A note from the author:
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Pre-order "Reborn, I Won't Be the Crown Prince's Wife": An honest young widow gets entangled with a cunning crown prince.
[A clear-headed and honest young widow vs. a seemingly gentle but actually cunning and insane prince]
"She's just a merchant's daughter who's cursed to bring misfortune to her husbands; it's already a blessing that she has my sympathy."
"He appears gentle on the surface, but is actually ruthless and cold-blooded. People like him should be kept far away."
-
Everyone says Su Shu is lucky. A merchant's daughter who caused her husband's death on her wedding day, she actually managed to attract the attention of the Prince of Wei's heir, who disregarded all moral principles and wanted to marry her.
Su Shu once thought that this was the end of suffering and the beginning of happiness.
It wasn't until after her marriage that she realized she was nothing but a joke.
He had long harbored feelings for his childhood sweetheart, but she entered the palace as a concubine, becoming the current Consort Yue. As for Su Shu, because she bore a slight resemblance to Consort Yue, she became his stand-in to deceive others.
-
When Su Shu opened her eyes again, she was back on the day her husband died. Standing in the mourning hall, she looked at Ren Yan's elegant and noble face, as beautiful as jade.
He gently comforted her, saying, "Please accept my condolences."
Su Shu dug her fingertips into her palm. In this life, she would no longer be deceived by his feigned affection. She decided to stay by her deceased husband's side.
But the more she tried to avoid him, the more she ran into Ren Yan; he was like a persistent ghost.
He even grabbed her wrist in public and said, "Shushu, I promise you the position of Crown Princess."
Su Shu took half a step back, each word filled with hatred:
"Your Highness, please have some self-respect! I am your half-sister-in-law."
Ren Yan, this time, it's me who doesn't want you anymore!
—
Ren Yan is the heir of the Prince of Wei's mansion. He is elegant and handsome, and he is also a cousin who grew up with the new emperor. He has a bright future ahead of him.
At first, he approached her with ulterior motives. His talk of marrying her wasn't sincere. She was just a widowed merchant's daughter; how could she be worthy of him?
But at some point, he began to take the act seriously and slowly fell in love with her.
Later, the "dead" eldest brother returned. She looked at her with wide eyes and smiled as she placed her hand in the eldest brother's palm.
She called him, "Husband."
At that moment, Ren Yan finally understood what it meant to have his heart ripped out.
No! She was his wife! She can only be his!
P.S.: The male protagonist will gradually remember his past life later on.
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