Chapter 104
Qin Sang's silver hairpin was wedged in the middle of the heavy stone door, the hairpin was flattened, and the gap outside was almost invisible from here.
Qin Sang stood with her hands on her hips for a while, then finally sighed, turned her neck to observe the area from all angles, and reached out to pat it on the left and touch it on the right.
In the far right corner of the stone gate, there is an old, withered vine. All the leaves have fallen, leaving only the tangled and intertwined tendrils.
She tugged at the main stem, and dust fluttered down from the vines. She quickly lowered her eyes, closed her mouth, and shook it off.
But the next moment, it was as if he had thought of something.
She tugged at the vine again, which climbed upwards along the cave, as if determined to crawl into the cracks in the rocks and emerge from the cave.
Seeing that she was staring at him, Xie Sui'an also stood up from the ground. He walked over, glanced at her, and reached out to pull her along.
"Huh? Your wound has reopened?" Even in the dim light, Qin Sang could still see the obvious bloodstains spreading on Xie Sui'an's back.
"Did it just burst open when you opened it?" she asked.
Xie Sui'an seemed unconcerned: "Oh, it just hurts a little. Did it burst open?"
Qin Sang clicked her tongue and pulled him to the stone bench.
“Sit down,” she said.
Xie Sui'an then sat down.
"Untie your belt."
"ah?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? How can I change your bandages if I don't untie them?"
"Oh." Xie Sui'an looked like a timid young wife who had been taken advantage of, and awkwardly reached out to untie her belt.
Although he was hesitant, his movements were extremely quick. Soon, he had his upper body exposed in front of Qin Sang.
Qin Sang: "...Don't move, I'll be as gentle as possible."
The cave was damp, and her fingers were icy cold. Although she tried her best, they inevitably touched his skin. Xie Sui'an shuddered at the shock, and the muscles in his back tensed instantly.
Qin Sang couldn't help but exclaim, "Relax!"
"Oh." He had no choice but to relax again.
Qin Sang glanced at him, sighing inwardly. To ease the awkwardness between them, she said, "Tell me about the Crown Prince. What kind of person is he? What do you know about him?"
"Crown Prince?" Xie Suian was slightly taken aback, but her mind quickly recalled many things.
He pursed his lips before saying, "When he was little, he would run around naked with a snotty nose. Because he was short and had short legs, he couldn't run fast and was always bullied. Back then, his mother wasn't the Empress yet; she was Consort Han."
"Later, the late empress died of illness. Not two years later, her mother became empress. Then, a few years later, the Prince Su's rebellion occurred. As the eldest son, he was naturally promoted to the position of crown prince."
"Of course, ever since his mother became empress, she stopped him from playing with us and kept him locked up in the palace to study all day. So, I can only deduce what became of him from the few words spoken by the seventh prince and the others."
As Qin Sang cleaned the blood around his wound, she listened attentively: "What did you deduce?"
Xie Sui paused for a moment, as if keeping everyone in suspense, before finally saying, "He's sick, a bloodthirsty maniac."
Upon first hearing the words "bloodthirsty maniac," Qin Sang thought it meant someone who liked to drink raw blood. However, Xie Sui'an continued, "He is tyrannical by nature and likes to kill people, especially women. He would play with them first and then torture and kill them."
Qin Sang grimaced as she listened, as if the wound on her back had reopened on her own. Xie Sui'an continued, "Countless corpses were transported out of the Eastern Palace and thrown directly into the Hundred Beasts Garden, leaving not even bones behind. At first, they might have been able to keep it a secret, but as time went on, some people were afraid and told the truth. So I reckon my grandfather knew about it, and even the Emperor knew."
Qin Sang frowned, but her hand remained steady: "So your grandfather considered deposing the crown prince and instead supporting Prince Ning'an. But the emperor was unwilling to make a big fuss."
"With the support of his maternal uncle in Han, the Crown Prince's power has become increasingly entrenched over the years. Even if the Emperor wanted to make a move, he would probably be powerless to do so. Hiss..."
Qin Sang applied the new medicine to him, covered it with gauze, and said, "So your grandfather dared to pluck the tiger's fur, and he was... removed."
Thinking of his grandfather Xie Sui'an, he felt a pang of sadness. He sighed helplessly, "In the end, this matter is just a family affair, but for the sake of the people, my grandfather risked everything to support a new candidate for the throne..." He paused again and tilted his head slightly, "Speaking of which, your Prince Ning'an is no ordinary person either."
What do you mean by my Prince Ning'an? Qin Sang subconsciously pressed his wound, making Xie Sui'an wince in pain.
He smiled helplessly and continued, "He is no ordinary person, having endured so many years under the noses of the Empress and the Crown Prince. Moreover, now that he has suddenly emerged into the world, he will surely become the target of everyone's criticism, and his life will be in danger. You... even setting aside my personal motives, you should not get involved."
Only then did the two understand why Prime Minister Xie hadn't used his own granddaughter in his marriage alliances.
This is a one-way street; unless one has a deep-seated hatred, it would be difficult for an ordinary person to persevere.
Xie Sui'an had always known Qin Sang's purpose in coming to the capital, but now he didn't know how to dissuade her.
Not long ago, he boasted that he could help Qin Sang avenge the wrongs she wanted and help investigate the wrongful convictions she wanted to overturn. But now it seems that things are far more complicated than he thought.
He felt utterly worthless, like a street thug who only knew how to boast and talk big, but actually had no ability whatsoever.
What makes him think he can help Qin Sang overturn her case? Just because he's a lowly Imperial Guard soldier who hasn't even reported for duty yet.
Now, he can no longer speak so arrogantly; all he can say is, "Don't get involved."
Qin Sang changed the subject: "I heard that Prince Ning'an has suffered from a chronic illness since childhood and is a sickly person. When I saw him earlier, his eyes were dark and his face was pale, and it certainly didn't seem like he was faking it. If he did it on purpose, then he must have been drinking poison since childhood. Tsk, he is indeed a ruthless person."
"Scared?" Xie Sui'an chuckled. "If you're scared, then don't go."
Qin Sang carefully arranged the new strips of cloth, which were from the packages Xie Xiao had thrown in earlier. She gently wrapped them around him, around his chest, her breath brushing against his neck, causing Xie Sui'an to clench his fists.
"I have to go, even if I'm afraid," Qin Sang said.
Xie Sui'an gently released his hand, feeling a chill, bitterness, and numbness in his heart, as if the pain was even worse than the wound on his back.
Qin Sang: "As for marriage, it has nothing to do with feelings. It's just that there are some things I can't tell you right now. Like you said, since Prince Ning'an can survive under the noses of the Empress and the perverted Crown Prince, it proves that he has his own abilities. My marriage to him can be considered a powerful alliance."
He was initially upset, but when he heard the last sentence, "a powerful alliance," Xie Sui'an couldn't help but laugh. This woman was really something; even her boasting had a sense of propriety.
After laughing, he asked, "So, if we put aside all these grudges and disputes, and you had to choose for yourself, who would you choose to marry?"
I didn't feel anything when I asked the question, but after I finished, it felt like my heart was being hit with a hammer, each blow resounding through my eardrums.
They had kissed before, but Qin Sang didn't seem to feel anything at all. She seemed to have completely forgotten about it and didn't care at all.
But he cared. He wanted to hold this girl in his arms, to embrace her, to hide her away, and not let anyone else peek at her.
But now, he can only sit there and listen to her analyze why she should marry someone else.
Qin Sang remained silent for a long time after hearing Xie Suian's question. Of course, she knew what he wanted to hear, but she was just a passerby. She would leave once she finished her business here, and it would be useless for her to make vows of eternal love to anyone.
Because she was just passing through, even though she thought Xie Sui'an was actually quite cute and not bad, she found it hard to let her emotions run wild.
Restrained emotions bring calmness.
However, she said, "If I had no other considerations and had to find someone to marry in this lifetime, I might choose you."
"..." Xie Sui'an's throat moved, and he asked, "Why?"
The cave was so quiet that the only sound was the flowing hot spring water. Suddenly, the candle wick exploded with a small "pop".
Qin Sang had already re-bandaged his wound. She withdrew her hand, staring at his back, her breathing suddenly becoming a little erratic: "Why don't you tell me first, why do you like me?"
Before Xie Suian could answer, she continued, "Don't say it's just because of my appearance." This appearance isn't mine; my appearance can change at any time.
But this is obviously asking too much of people.
Xie Suian thought for a moment, and was about to speak when the cave entrance suddenly made a dull sound again.
A sliver of moonlight pierced through the cave, almost splitting it in two.
The stone gate was opened, leaving a gap large enough for one person to pass through, and the sound of footsteps running away could be heard outside.
Xie Suian and Qin Sang exchanged a glance, grabbed their clothes, and ran towards the cave entrance. Once they confirmed the stone door was no longer moving, Xie Suian pushed Qin Sang out, then followed her out himself.
He quickly put on his clothes. The mountain breeze at night carried a cool, damp air, and a light mist rose from the forest.
Tonight the moon is full, and its light spills from the branches and leaves onto the ground, making it look like many ghosts crawling on the ground.
The two only vaguely saw a figure quickly disappear down the path. Xie Sui'an wanted to chase after it, but Qin Sang stopped him: "Don't rush, think about what the situation is now."
Judging from Xie Xiao's previous actions, he was protecting the two of them, bringing them food and medicine. There was no reason for him to secretly release them in the middle of the night.
Even if we're going to release him, we can't be so hasty. We should at least arrange an escape route, right? Xie Sui'an is currently being hunted down by the Crown Prince.
Who released them?
Xie Sui'an frowned: "Does this mean letting us out to walk right into a trap?"
Qin Sang glanced at him: "Possibly. Even if Xie Xiao doesn't want us to go to our deaths, you stumbled upon the Crown Prince's grand plan today, so he will definitely launch a large-scale search for you across the entire island. And if he can't find you, the only one who will suffer... is your good fourth uncle."
"So someone didn't want my fourth uncle to suffer, so they secretly released us," Xie Sui'an concluded.
Qin Sang nodded: "That should be the case."
She glanced at the path she had come from and knew that it led to a lake with a panoramic view. If there was no boat, they would have to swim, but Xie Sui'an's wound had just been bandaged and he couldn't get it wet.
Moreover, if someone really betrayed them behind Xie Xiao's back, the assassins chasing them would definitely have arrived by now.
She turned her gaze to all directions except for the path. This place was like a giant natural vase, with only a wide opening at the top. Although it was tall, the branches and vines were so thick that it was not impossible to climb up if one wanted to.
Moreover, if you're on the island, climbing this hill might give you a clear view of the entire island.
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