Chapter 276 is like a mother looking at her daughter.
After Elder Yan and Yu Sui finished their conversation, Shan Rong, who was sitting in the pavilion, spoke up: "Geng Hanfu sent word that Xuan Kui's men have temporarily withdrawn from the capital."
This is just in case.
Old Yan said, "Let him hide it himself first."
After this ordeal, Aoi should calm down for a while.
Having been recognized and returned to the Nangong family, becoming a young lady of the royal mansion, she finds herself in the eye of the storm. From now on, her every word and action will be watched, and she can no longer hide in the shadows and control everything as before.
She also needs time to adapt to the changes brought about by this new identity.
"Tell Fengtang to deal with everyone involved in today's events," Old Yan said expressionlessly. "Leave two farmers for Su Xing, so she'll think it was Yan Manfeng's doing."
Shan Rong nodded slightly.
The torrential rain raged through the capital all night, only gradually subsiding at dawn.
Madam Su stayed by Qingkui's bedside all night, watching the doctors and Mr. Zhou busy with the treatment. Because she was preoccupied with her thoughts, she looked quite haggard.
After the other doctors left, Mr. Zhou turned to look at the woman sitting by the bed. The gauze curtains were tied on both sides, and the red ropes hanging down were adorned with tassels tied with dazzling gemstones, swaying gently in the morning breeze blowing into the room.
In Mr. Zhou's eyes, Madam Su should have been as radiant and beautiful as a jewel on a tassel, not as she is now, seemingly only filled with sorrow.
The pent-up impulse could no longer be suppressed. Mr. Zhou stepped forward and whispered to Madam Su, "If you want to leave, I can take you and Qingkui with me."
Madam Su stared blankly at the still unconscious Qingkui for a long time before moving her eyes and looking at Mr. Zhou with a bitter smile: "Sir, if I hadn't lost my power because of the Breath of Earth, perhaps I could have taken another gamble."
Unfortunately, she was no longer at her peak, and no longer had the strength and courage to contend with Nangong Ming.
Because of the Breath of Earth, even if Nangong Ming lets her go, the people of Yan will not.
Madam Su lowered her head, revealing a very frustrated expression. She did not continue to put on a brave face in front of Mr. Zhou. She slowly grasped Qingkui's left hand, her heart filled with torment: "Besides, I did all this for Kui'er. Now that she has become like this, how can I let her fall into danger again?"
Perhaps Nangong Ming is right. What she should do is not to make Qingkui live according to her own wishes, but to do her best to help Qingkui achieve what she wants.
As Mr. Zhou watched this scene, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.
My heart sank to the bottom.
He slowly lowered his head, turned around and left in silence. When he came outside, Mr. Zhou looked up at the clear sky after the rain.
He left with Madam Su to live in seclusion, to protect Madam Su and her child, and to stay away from conflict.
He thought they could live a good life on the summit of Mount Luo.
Later, Mr. Zhou wanted to protect Qingkui, but he was no match for the power of the Nangong family. Nangong Ming did not stop him from teaching Qingkui, but he also would not let him take Qingkui away.
Over the years, Mr. Zhou has grown increasingly weary of the struggles between clans, schools of thought, and nations. But Qingkui is ambitious, and Madam Su has made up her mind that neither of them will ever turn back.
Mr. Zhou gazed at the sky, sighed inwardly, and slowly walked away, leaving the Nangong Prince's Mansion and departing from the capital of Qingyang.
When Nangong Ming returned to the Prince's Mansion at noon, he heard the news that Mr. Zhou had left the capital. He said expressionlessly, "He figured it out and left naturally."
He didn't send anyone to stop Mr. Zhou, because he knew the man was weary and couldn't be relied upon to do anything for him. Mr. Zhou wanted to live in seclusion and not get involved in conflicts; now that he had even let go of Su Xing and Qing Kui, no one could threaten him anymore.
The three medical sages of the Xuan Gu Continent are: Jiang Shulan of Taiyi, Mr. Zhou of Yan, and the third, whose nationality and real name are unknown, and who travels through the six kingdoms and is known only as Mingyue Qing.
Legend has it that this person is like the bright moon in the sky, pure and otherworldly, a radiant immortal.
He achieved fame at a young age and befriended the emperor. At the age of twenty, he single-handedly destroyed the entire royal family of the Zhou Kingdom. A thousand years later, the Zhou royal family changed their surname to You, because Ming Yueqing had wiped out all Zhou bloodlines.
As a result, Ming Yueqing went from being a revered medical sage to a wanted criminal in six kingdoms.
He went from being praised by the world as a prodigy and a celestial being to becoming a ruthless and bloodthirsty demon.
Jiang Shulan is a sage of the Taiyi sect, with a compassionate heart. Although Mr. Zhou is a sage of the Yan state, he has no interest in fighting and only wants to live in seclusion.
Only this Mingyue Qing, who rose to fame in his youth but went into hiding after murdering the Zhou royal family, is so well-known that it's worrying.
Nangong Ming, recalling Mr. Zhou's matter, casually asked, "Have you heard any news about Mingyue Qing recently?"
Cao Yan lowered his head and replied, "Not yet."
Nangong Ming laughed and said, "He's quite good at hiding; there hasn't been a single trace of him for over ten years."
Cao Yan said, "Could it be that the You clan of Zhou intentionally concealed his whereabouts?"
“It’s not impossible.” Nangong Ming walked towards the west tower. “The You family was able to gain control of the Zhou Kingdom thanks to Mingyue Qing.”
Cao Yan added, "Doctor Chen said that the Second Prince's soul was also damaged, and he will probably need more than two months to recover."
Nangong Ming didn't answer and walked straight ahead.
Seeing this, Cao Yan did not continue speaking.
Upon arriving at the West Building, before Nangong Ming even stepped into his bedroom, he heard Qingkui's furious roar from inside: "Get out! I said I don't want to see you right now, I don't want to see anyone!"
Cao Yan and the others were quite sensible; the moment they heard the sound, they lowered their heads and stood still without moving forward.
Nangong Ming had anticipated this when he arrived, so he wasn't surprised by Qingkui's reaction. When Nangong Ming went inside, he saw that Qingkui's face was pale, her eyes were bloodshot, and she was emotionally agitated, staring at Madam Su with a stubborn and angry gaze.
Madam Su appeared somewhat at a loss, even a little embarrassed, clearly because this situation was something she had never expected.
Nangong Ming walked into the room and said calmly, "She is your mother. Is this how you talk to your mother?"
Upon seeing Nangong Ming, Qingkui's expression froze, her face turned even paler, and sweat instantly appeared on her forehead.
Her lips trembled, but in the end she just bit her lower lip and didn't speak, though her eyes revealed her thoughts.
Extremely impatient.
Madam Su took a deep breath and said, "I'll go out first. When the medicine is ready, I'll have Ah Chun bring it in for you. You...you remember to drink it."
After she finished speaking, seeing no reaction from Qingkui, she lowered her eyes sadly and turned to leave.
Once only Qingkui and Nangong Ming remained in the room, Qingkui took several deep breaths to suppress her emotions before turning to Nangong Ming, bowing her head and not daring to look him in the eye: "I've embarrassed you this time, but please give me another chance, I promise..." (Yao Xia)
"Given your current state, how can I possibly give you a chance?" Nangong Ming interrupted her indifferently.
These words made Qingkui tremble. Her bloodshot eyes slowly looked down at her right arm, and when she saw the empty space, her breath caught in her throat.
Her other hand, hidden under the blanket, slowly clenched its five fingers. She felt an overwhelming hatred in her heart, but she had to suppress it for the time being.
"Even like this, I can still do it." Qingkui took a deep breath, composed herself, and slowly finished speaking before looking up at Nangong Ming.
Those eyes, which were originally clear and bright, now had a layer of blood on their dark pupils, making them look strange and tragically beautiful.
Qingkui refused to admit defeat and wouldn't give in no matter what.
She may be angry and resentful, but she will never bow her head and admit defeat.
Nangong Ming looked at her, a smile on his face, but no smile in his eyes: "Was the blow from Wenren Xu so great that it made you lose your mind to make a judgment, or is this the only judgment you can make?"
Qingkui said, "I know His Majesty is wary of the Zhongli family. Even if Zhongli Que is a woman, he is not at ease. His Majesty's original intention was to destroy Zhongli Que's hand before he could feel at ease."
"Breaking Zhongli Que's hand will both reassure His Majesty and enrage Zhongli Ci, causing him to reveal a weakness."
Before she could finish speaking, Nangong Ming interrupted her: "There are things you can do, and things you shouldn't do. If you rush to do what the Duan family should do, it will only make the Duan family think that the Nangong family should be inferior."
Upon hearing this, Qingkui turned pale.
The Duan family is the royal family of Qingyang. While protecting the Duan family's throne in Qingyang, they are also vying for the position among themselves.
In the past, the most prominent family in Qingyang was the Duan family.
Later, the Nangong family rose to prominence, becoming as powerful as the Duan family. They faced threats from the Zhongli family in the front and the growing strength of the Nangong family in the back.
The Duan family became increasingly wary of the Zhongli family, and thus chose to befriend the Nangong family, even bestowing upon them the title of princely nobles.
However, the Duan family's innate royal arrogance meant they did not consider themselves equals with the Nangong family.
“You wanted to please His Majesty and severely damage the Zhongli family, but you underestimated Zhongli Ci. You shouldn’t have taken action yourself. Instead, you let the Duan family be your weapon and let them hurt Zhongli Que.” Nangong Ming said calmly to Qing Kui. “I didn’t ask you to come to the capital to please His Majesty.”
"I..." Qingkui panicked a little, "I discovered that there is a problem with Zhongli Que's Wind Listening Ruler. She is definitely hiding something. I can't even find her transmission records on the Wind Listening Ruler!"
Nangong Ming saw through Qingkui's panic and, realizing his misjudgment, was eager to prove himself with something else.
Instead of agreeing with Qingkui, he asked in return, "What made you lose these judgments?"
Qingkui gritted her teeth, sweating profusely. She had always performed well, so she had never felt direct pressure from Nangong Ming.
I used to only see others being targeted by Nangong Ming, but now that it's happening to me, I know how unbearable that must have been.
She gave up on defending herself and lowered her head again, saying, "It was my oversight and impulsive action, because of Wenren Xu..."
She still felt a burning hatred for Wenren Xu when he was mentioned.
Qingkui said, "Father, you can punish me however you want, but please give me another chance!"
"Let her rest for now. Don't go out during this period. You are now the eldest daughter of the Prince's Mansion and can no longer go out as you used to," Nangong Ming said. "Have a good talk with your mother, and we'll talk about it again when you've learned to control your anger."
Aoi lowered her head unwillingly: "...Yes."
Seeing her with her head down, and then glancing at her missing arm, Nangong Ming didn't say anything more.
From that day on, although people outside kept talking about the young lady who had been taken back by the Prince of Nangong's mansion, no one was ever able to see what she looked like.
Those who knew Chu Jin before, after learning her identity, all sent visiting cards to the Prince of Nangong's residence, wanting to inquire about her injuries, but all were refused by the Prince's residence.
When Madam Sun learned that Chu Jin was the child of Madam Su and Nangong Ming, she was in a daze for a long time and could not believe it at all. She also sent a visiting card to the Nangong Prince's Mansion, but it was rejected by Madam Su.
Zhong Lizhi watched her busy herself and sat on the side without saying a word.
Holding the rejected reply, Madam Sun said in a daze, "How could such a good child be their daughter?"
Zhong Li Ci's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing this.
Madam Sun said, "Back in Antan Mountain, if it weren't for Miss Chu dispelling the miasma, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to return long ago."
Zhong Li Ci said, "I sent someone to look for her. She left after you left An Tan Mountain."
Madam Sun then turned to look at him: "I met her in the capital later and asked her about this matter. Miss Chu said that her master was seriously ill, so she left Antan Mountain to go back and visit him."
Zhong Li Ci: "You still believe what she said?"
Madam Sun was taken aback. For some reason, she had a natural affinity and trust for Chu Jin.
"I... I don't know why," Madam Sun sighed softly. "I just felt sorry for her, that she was all alone and had a hard time, so I always unconsciously treated her better."
Zhongli Ci said, "She deserves half the credit for Que'er's attack on Shuiyang Mountain. Do you still think she's a good person?"
Madam Sun hesitated and said, "Doesn't the evidence say she's innocent?"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li Ci realized the seriousness of the situation, stepped forward, and reached out to touch her eyes: "Medical pupil techniques can bewitch people's hearts."
Madam Sun widened her eyes slightly, unable to believe that Chu Jin would do such a thing to her.
A wisp of golden Five Elements Qi from Zhongli Ci's fingertip entered Madam Sun's eyes, but she could not detect any Qi affected by the pupil technique.
Not a pupil technique?
Zhongli Ci calmed down.
The three divine sword spells he left on Madam Sun could be triggered in life-or-death situations, blocking attacks from those below the Saint realm, but they were useless against witchcraft or poison.
Zhongli Ci helped Madam Sun sit down, and meeting her bewildered gaze, turned to the outside and said, "Go and call a few doctors over."
Zhong Lique had already woken up. She sat at the table, looking at the person in the mirror. Her slender neck was wrapped in gauze, and her hands were also wrapped in thick gauze, making her look somewhat clumsy.
She instinctively reached for the Wind Listening Ruler, only to realize that it had been stolen. Although Su Feng had retrieved it, just in case, he destroyed Zhong Li Que's Wind Listening Ruler.
Zhongli Que was unable to contact Yu Sui, who was far away in Taiyi.
Zhong Lique was afraid that she would worry or be angry, so she thought it best to contact Sui Sui as soon as possible to report that she was safe. So she got up and asked the maid to bring her a new wind-listening ruler, but she heard that her mother had called several doctors over.
She wanted to go and see for herself, but was stopped by the maid: "Miss, the doctor said you should rest well and not move around too much recently. You should rest first, and I will go and inquire."
Zhong Lique did feel a bit dizzy from standing for so long, and after being persuaded by the maid to come back, he sat down at the table again.
The fluffy snow squirrel stood on the redwood branch that Zhonglique had specially prepared for it, tilting its head to look at her.
Zhongli Que reached out her hand to it, and it flew to the girl's hand and nuzzled against her.
Looking at the redwood branch, Zhong Lique couldn't help but think of the divine wooden slip from the Fangji family that Yu Sui had sent him.
With a slight thought, she placed the snow squirrel on her shoulder and took out the divine wood talisman given to her by Yu Sui from a hidden compartment under the table. The cool and smooth touch made Zhong Lique love it.
Zhong Lique concentrated and held the sacred wooden divination stick in his hand. He lightly touched the stick with his other hand, closed his eyes, and meditated on what he wanted. He then wrote his mother's name on the stick with the hand that had touched it.
At first, there was no reaction, but Zhong Lique could feel her energy being depleted and her fatigue becoming more and more obvious.
She prayed again with focused concentration, and the instant her finger touched the sacred wooden divination stick, her consciousness was stripped away, just like that scene on that rainy night:
Zhong Lique saw that Madam Sun went out to see Chu Jin. The two walked along the riverbank with smiles on their faces, and there was no hint of discord in their conversation.
Madam Sun's gaze towards Chu Jin was always filled with affection, tolerance, and trust.
This gaze felt familiar to Zhong Lique.
It's like a mother looking at her daughter.
However, in the next instant, Madam Sun's shadow flickered, as if two shadows had merged together.
Zhong Lique opened his eyes and suddenly stood up, causing the snow squirrel that had been dozing on his shoulder to fall off unexpectedly.
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