Chapter 106 A Fight to the Death "...Qin Jin, hate me..."
[Break off all ties]
"Let me tell you, the new favorite concubine of the Prince of Xian is the daughter of General Xue."
"How can you talk nonsense? The Xue family has been completely wiped out, and Madam Xue is already dead. How could she have become a concubine of the Prince of Xian?"
"I'm not lying! I recognize Madam Xue. That day when Prince Xian was enjoying the lanterns with his favorite concubine, I caught a glimpse of her from afar, and it was definitely her!"
"......real?"
"If I am lying, may I be struck by lightning!"
The carriage slowly drove through the bustling street, leaving the endless chatter behind. Ji Dian's face was ashen, and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the curtain.
He looked at the man sitting to one side, whose eyes remained closed, and it was unclear whether he had heard the gossip.
Seeing this, he didn't say anything more, turned his face away and sighed heavily.
The carriage traveled all the way to the Taoist temple in the south of the city. Today, the Taoist Master Huiyuan, who had been wandering for many years, finally returned to Chang'an. He was highly skilled in medicine and good at curing rare poisons. Upon hearing the news, Ji Dian quickly pulled Qin Jin to come and pay his respects and ask for medicine.
The two were invited into a secret room by the young Taoist priest. Master Huiyuan already knew their purpose and took their pulse after they sat down.
After a moment of contemplation under Ji Dian's anxious and expectant gaze, Daoist Huiyuan took out the prepared antidote prescription: "My lord, please decoct the herbs listed above and take it twice a day. The remaining poison in your body will be cleared in less than a month."
"Really?!" Ji Dian stood up excitedly.
Master Huiyuan laughed and said, "I am getting old and no longer able to travel far. I will spend my old age in this Taoist temple. If the poison is not cured within a month, Lord Ji, you may send someone to arrest me and hold me accountable."
Ji Dian's tense heart finally settled, and he looked at Qin Jin, overjoyed.
It should be noted that Qin Jin has been suffering from this strange poison for more than five months, since New Year's Eve.
At that time, the imperial physician rushed to the scene and saved Qin Jin's life, but he could no longer speak.
He was poisoned and rendered mute.
This would be a devastating blow to either a spirited young man or a general with a distinguished military record.
In particular, the poison was actually produced by...
Ji Dian suppressed the anger that welled up within him at the mere thought of that name.
Over the past five months, countless renowned doctors from all over the world have entered the Qin residence only to leave shaking their heads and sighing. They were all helpless in dealing with the remaining poison in Qin Jin's body. Such torment had left him physically and mentally exhausted. Fortunately, there was always a way out.
Ji Dian breathed a long sigh of relief, took out the prepared consultation fee and handed it to Daoist Huiyuan, but to his surprise, Daoist Huiyuan refused it with a smile: "As long as Lord Qin takes his medicine on time every day, he will definitely see improvement in less than seven days. As for the consultation fee, there is no need for it."
Ji Dian was slightly surprised: "Why is that?"
Master Huiyuan's consultation fees are always clearly marked, without exception.
Master Huiyuan said, "Lord Qin is a righteous general who protects the borders and the people."
This sounds like an answer.
During this period, the government posted imperial edicts, and many famous doctors gathered in Chang'an. Some came for fame, some for profit, but many others came out of gratitude for Qin Jin's past protection and for the sake of benevolence and righteousness in their hearts.
Ji Dian was not particularly surprised by this answer. After declining several times, Ji Dian bowed deeply to Daoist Huiyuan and said, "I will never forget your great kindness, Daoist."
Master Huiyuan turned away from the greeting, as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed his words.
Ji Dian carefully put away the prescription, not noticing his expression, and then left the secret room with Qin Jin.
Anxious to get medicine for Qin Jin, Ji Dian didn't want to waste a moment, but unexpectedly, when he left the Taoist temple, he saw that figure that made him grit his teeth in a pavilion not far away: "Xue Rongyue!"
Enrage instantly overwhelmed his reason, and Ji Dian charged forward recklessly: "How dare you show your face in front of us!"
When he learned that Xue Rongyue had poisoned Qin Jin, he was furious and rode his horse to the private residence where Xue Rongyue was being held. However, Xue Rongyue had already been taken away and her whereabouts were unknown. When he heard news of her again, she had already entered the Prince Xian's mansion.
Xue Rongyue was standing by the pavilion picking flowers when she heard this and turned around. The branches that she had bent over suddenly straightened, sprinkling the cool morning dew onto Xue Rongyue's neck.
Her gaze swept across Qin Jin's face and landed on Ji Dian, whose face was contorted with rage. She smiled faintly and said, "I don't understand what you mean, Lord Ji. The three of us are old friends, so why wouldn't I dare to appear in front of you two? Besides, I came to the Taoist temple for the protection of the True Man. Please don't take offense, Lord Ji."
"Old acquaintance? How dare you utter those words!" Ji Dian sneered. "Madam Xue has a guilty conscience and knows her sins are grave, so she came to beg the Master for protection. But how could the Master protect such a wicked person as you!"
"Lord Ji, please be careful with your words."
Xue Rongyue's face remained completely expressionless: "From royalty and nobility to commoners, countless people have come seeking your protection. Could it be that they all have guilty consciences and are deeply sinful?"
Ji Dian's face was grim as he approached step by step: "Are they all as heartless and ungrateful as you?!"
Upon hearing this, Xue Rongyue's calm face suddenly broke into a smile: "Heartless and ungrateful? Lord Ji, when have I ever done such a thing?"
Seeing that Xue Rongyue actually tried to deny it, Ji Dian laughed angrily: "If Qin Jin hadn't risked everything to protect you back then, you would have been dead long ago! But not only are you ungrateful, you even poisoned Qin Jin. Do you dare to say that you didn't poison him?"
Ji Dian thought Xue Rongyue would continue to make excuses, but to his surprise, Xue Rongyue nodded and admitted in the face of Ji Dian's stern questioning: "Of course I poisoned her, but how can I bear those eight words? After all, I have never forgotten the kindness of the Prince Xian to me, nor have I ever betrayed him."
Ji Dian's breath caught in his throat as he looked at Xue Rongyue in disbelief.
Xue Rongyue's lips curved into a deeper smile, and her gaze seemed to be provocative: "As for Qin Jin, he's just a fool who was used."
It had been a long time since the two had last seen each other. When their eyes met, Qin Jin's eyes were like a bottomless abyss, silent and calm, devoid of any warmth.
He did not step into the pavilion, maintaining a distant distance from Xue Rongyue throughout, and his gaze did not linger on her for long. When he met her eyes, it was as if he were looking at a stranger.
Xue Rongyue laughed: "So the mighty General Qin is nothing more than this. I have never seen such an easy person to fool. He believes everything I say and actually thinks I am deeply in love with him, believing all that nonsense about having a long future ahead of us."
"Lord Ji, don't plead for him. Back then, I slaughtered his raccoon cat, made soup for him, and he acted like he wanted to sever all ties with me. But I shed a couple of tears and pretended to be wronged, and he fell into this carefully woven trap again."
"So, it's all thanks to Lord Qin. Thanks to his complete lack of suspicion towards me, I was able to help Prince Xian, which led to Prince Xian valuing me highly, showering me with favor, and granting me endless wealth and honor..."
Qin Jin remained indifferent throughout, unperturbed by Xue Rongyue's words. Ji Dian, however, could no longer bear it. He roared and pounced on Xue Rongyue, pinning her against a pillar and gripping her neck tightly with his large hand: "Shut up, you bitch!"
With bloodshot eyes, Ji Dian gripped Xue Rongyue's neck tightly, unable to accept Qin Jin being humiliated in this way.
The veins on the back of Ji Dian's hand bulged. Ji Dian was a martial artist and used all his strength. In the blink of an eye, Xue Rongyue was out of breath, her vision blurred, and the danger of death loomed over her.
She feigned a struggle for a moment, then let her hand fall limply, quietly waiting for the final moment to arrive.
Just as her face turned ashen and blue, her eyes bloodshot, she was completely out of breath and her mind was no longer able to think, a pair of hands suddenly pulled Ji Dian back two steps.
The hand that had been holding her neck loosened, and in the next instant, Xue Rongyue collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
Shocked, Ji Dian was furious as he looked at Qin Jin. He roared, "Even now, you still want to protect her?!"
Qin Jin never glanced at Xue Rongyue from beginning to end. He wrote a line on Ji Dian's hand: "She is now the favorite concubine of the Prince of Xian. If you kill her, the Prince of Xian will use this as an excuse to make trouble for you."
Seeing this, Ji Dian regained his senses slightly. He glared fiercely at Xue Rongyue, unwilling to let her off so easily: "So what? She admitted to poisoning you!"
When Xue Rongyue fled, she set fire to the private courtyard, and the guards and the nanny who delivered meals disappeared without a trace. Therefore, even though they knew that Xue Rongyue had poisoned the place, they had no evidence and could not hold her accountable.
Qin Jin wrote: There are only the three of us here, you, me, and her. There is no evidence, only confessions. If we kill her, it will be easy for them to make a fuss.
Ji Dian was still unwilling to give up, but then she saw Qin Jin continue writing: Her intentions today are strange, as if she is deliberately waiting for you and me and trying to provoke us. You should calm down and not fall for her trick.
Ji Dian was immediately jolted and realized the truth.
Upon closer reflection, Xue Rongyue's appearance here today is indeed very strange. Ever since she entered the Prince Xian's mansion, she has been avoiding them. Yet today she suddenly came, her words filled with malice. For someone as valuing her life as much as she does, such behavior is indeed extremely unusual.
It seems this is another trap set for them. If he were to impulsively kill him, it would only benefit the Prince of Xian for nothing.
Ji Dian looked at Xue Rongyue with disgust: "You are still so cunning and disgusting! I will spare you for now, but let's see how long the Prince of Xian can protect you, and how long you can enjoy wealth and glory in the future. You have chosen your own path, so never regret it!"
Having said that, he no longer wished to entangle himself with Xue Rongyue here. He coldly glanced at the young Taoist who had rushed over after hearing the commotion but dared not step forward, and then pulled Qin Jin away in a long stride.
After taking only a few steps, Xue Rongyue suddenly called out, "Qin Jin!"
The two paused slightly. Upon hearing this, Ji Dian's anger flared up again. He was about to pull Qin Jin away quickly to avoid being bewitched by her again when he heard Xue Rongyue chuckle softly.
Her voice was very hoarse and weak, as if she had squeezed the words out with all her might, and there was an indescribable meaning in her voice: "...Qin Jin, hate me."
Qin Jin turned his head slightly and glanced at her.
Xue Rongyue leaned against a pillar and barely managed to stand up. Her face was still pale, and her lips were bloodless, which made her eyes look even more like black obsidian crystals. When she looked at him, there was an emotion in her eyes that Qin Jin could not understand at this moment.
Qin Jin withdrew his gaze, left without looking back, and departed.
Watching Qin Jin's departing figure, Xue Rongyue suddenly remembered that before the Xue family's misfortune, Jingnu had said with a smile, "What kind of enemies are you and Prince Qin? It's just a little squabble between you and him, a pair of bickering lovers."
At that time, she was quite unconvinced when she heard this, but at the same time, she also felt a sense of relief that was hard to explain.
And now...
Seeing Qin Jin and Ji Dian walk away, the young Taoist mustered his courage and ran forward. He wanted to help Xue Rongyue into the Taoist temple to rest, but Xue Rongyue politely declined.
After being repeatedly refused, the young Taoist had no choice but to leave. He wanted to go to the temple to get some water for Xue Rongyue, but after taking only two steps, he heard a very low, almost muttered voice behind him: "...Now, we've truly become mortal enemies..."
The young Taoist looked over, puzzled, and saw a tear slide down the woman's pale face and land on the jade bracelet on her wrist.
The young Taoist suddenly realized that the jade bracelet looked very familiar. Upon closer reflection, he recalled that a few days prior, a woman whose face was obscured by a veil in the night, had come to the Taoist temple seeking the antidote prescription from Master Huiyuan; she had also worn the exact same jade bracelet.
"My lord, the scouts we sent have returned. Lady Xue should have woken up by now," the servant reported.
His hand slipped, spilling hot tea onto the back of his hand. Jiang Shiyan's listless expression snapped, and he stared straight at the source: "Really!?"
The servant replied, "What Physician Xu said himself must be true."
Jiang Shiyan suddenly stood up: "Prepare the carriage, I'm going to the Princess's residence!"
The servant quickly stepped forward to stop him, saying, "Young master, a few days ago General Xue wanted to bring Lady Xue back to the manor, which caused the Princess to order the gates to be closed to guests. If you go now, I'm afraid you won't be able to see Lady Xue..."
Jiang Shiyan paid no attention to any of this and walked out, ignoring everything.
The scheme went very smoothly. They not only eliminated Qin Jin, but also forced Liu Yuanhu to frame Xue Xiude and pinned the identity of the man in black on Qin Jin.
Now, Xue Xiude has been reinstated, while Qin Jin fell off a cliff and his body was never found, and everyone is against him. They have won this round, and he should be happy. However, he did not expect that the Prince of Xian would make a move against Xue Rongyue. Since being rescued, Xue Rongyue has been in a coma, which has made him restless and depressed.
Now that he has suddenly heard that Xue Rongyue has woken up, how could he possibly sit still? Without seeing Xue Rongyue with his own eyes, he simply cannot calm his heart, which has been filled with fear and anxiety for many days.
Seeing this, the servant had no choice but to kneel down and hug Jiang Shiyan's leg: "My lord, please consider the bigger picture. Prince Xian is already quite dissatisfied with you. In three or four days, things will be settled. If you go to the Princess's residence at this critical juncture, you will not only easily alert the enemy, but also incur Prince Xian's displeasure. At that time, Prince Xian may even take action against Lady Xue!"
Jiang Shiyan suddenly stopped in his tracks.
A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He took a deep breath and, after a long pause, said, "Bring me paper and pen."
Seeing that he was no longer insisting on going to Princess Yu'an's residence, the servant breathed a slight sigh of relief, stood up and went to the study to get paper and pen. He had only run a few steps when he suddenly heard a loud crash from behind. The servant subconsciously turned around and saw Jiang Shiyan kick over the vase in front of him, his expression gloomy.
The servant kept his head down and continued running towards the study, pretending not to hear or see anything. But he couldn't help but worry. Ever since he learned that Prince Xian had made a move against Lady Xue, his husband had become increasingly unable to tolerate Prince Xian. He made no attempt to hide his resentment. What would happen after the deed was done?
The birds that had been standing in the courtyard were startled and flew away in twos and threes, circling around Chang'an.
Osmanthus blossoms fell in the wind, carrying a sweet fragrance. Xue Rongyue sat blankly by the window, watching the birds circling outside, her expression dazed and pale.
Jingnu watched her with concern, holding a bowl of hot soup that had been repeatedly heated, but no matter how much she tried to persuade her, Xue Rongyue couldn't drink it, and she became thinner from worry.
Just as she was about to step forward again to persuade him, she suddenly heard a faint sound by the wall. Jingnu's brow furrowed, and she looked up to see a familiar figure leap in—
"Luo Zhen!"
Luo Zhen, who had rushed back to Chang'an, was covered in dust and had a letter in his hand. Before he could exchange many pleasantries with Jingnu, he went straight to Xue Rongyue, who was sitting by the window: "My lady, please read the secret letter."
Her eyes moved slowly and stiffly toward the letter in Luo Zhen's hand. Xue Rongyue's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and her breathing became rapid.
She closed her eyes, her hand trembling as she reached out and took the letter.
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Author's note: Goodnight everyone~ [Sprinkling flowers]
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