It turned out that Li Minzhi was using her as bait to lure Xin Suiyun into a trap. Qi Yue was anxious, hoping that Xin Suiyun would not fall for the trap.
The carriage suddenly stopped, and the sounds of fighting came from outside. Li Minzhi's expression changed, and he lifted the carriage curtain. In that instant, a dark figure descended from the sky, a sword flashing straight for Li Minzhi's face.
"Suiyun!" Qi Yue exclaimed inwardly.
Xin Suiyun was agile and quickly forced Li Minzhi to retreat. However, just as he was about to subdue Li Minzhi, dozens of men in black suddenly emerged from all sides and surrounded them.
"As expected, they've arrived." Li Minzhi laughed triumphantly. "Xin Suiyun, today is your death day!"
Xin Suiyun stood protectively in front of the carriage and said coldly, "Li Minzhi, you have committed treason and collusion with the enemy. The evidence is irrefutable. Why don't you surrender?"
"Evidence?" Li Minzhi sneered. "Once you're dead, that evidence will naturally disappear."
The men in black swarmed forward. Xin Suiyun drew his sword to meet them, his swordsmanship fierce, each move aimed straight for vital points. Qi Yue watched in the carriage, her heart pounding with fear, noticing that the wound on Xin Suiyun's left arm had reopened, and blood had soaked through his sleeve.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Xin Suiyun seized the opportunity and hurled a signal flare. The red flames exploded in the night sky, illuminating the entire wilderness.
"He's calling for reinforcements!" a man in black shouted.
Li Minzhi's expression changed drastically: "Let's finish this quickly!"
The battle intensified. Xin Suiyun, struggling to fight the enemy while protecting Qi Yue inside the carriage, gradually found himself overwhelmed. Qi Yue was frantic with worry when she suddenly remembered the jade hairpin in her hair—a token of love given to her by Xin Suiyun.
She struggled to move her bound hands and finally reached the jade hairpin, using it to cut the ropes. After removing the gag, she quietly observed the situation outside the carriage.
Xin Suiyun sustained new wounds, but still held the carriage tightly. Taking advantage of the opportunity, a man in black attacked from the side, raising his knife to slash at Xin Suiyun.
"Watch out!" Qi Yue exclaimed, rushing out of the carriage and pushing Xin Suiyun aside.
The blade sliced across her arm, and blood gushed out. Seeing this, Xin Suiyun's eyes widened in fury. She killed the attacker with a single sword stroke and pulled Qi Yue into her arms.
"How are you?" His voice trembled, his eyes filled with fear and heartache.
Qi Yue endured the pain and said, "I'm fine, don't get distracted."
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar. Xin Rui led a troop of imperial guards galloping towards them: "Li Minzhi, you have nowhere to escape!"
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Li Minzhi suddenly threw a hidden weapon, aiming straight for Qi Yue's heart. Xin Suiyun turned around without hesitation and used his body to shield her from the weapon.
"No!" Qi Yue supported his staggering body, only to see a poisoned dart deeply embedded in his right chest.
Despite the excruciating pain, Xin Suiyun hurled his longsword, striking Li Minzhi squarely in the back of the knee. Li Minzhi screamed and collapsed, quickly subdued by the Imperial Guards.
"Suiyun, hang in there!" Qi Yue tore off a piece of her clothes to bandage him, tears blurring her vision.
Xin Suiyun weakly raised her hand to wipe away her tears: "Don't cry... I'm just glad you're safe..."
Xin Rui rushed over and, upon seeing the situation, immediately ordered someone to summon the imperial physician. However, Xin Suiyun had been poisoned with a deadly toxin, and his face quickly turned bluish-purple.
"It's the 'Blood Kiss' of the Northern Barbarians!" the accompanying military doctor exclaimed after examining the poison. "There is no antidote for this poison; those poisoned will die from blood clotting!"
Qi Yue was struck dumb, and hugged Xin Suiyun tightly: "No, it's impossible! Suiyun, you promised to come back safely!"
Xin Suiyun's breath grew weaker and weaker, yet she still managed a forced smile: "I'm sorry... I have to break my promise..."
Just as everyone was in despair, a fast horse galloped in. Qin Sang dismounted and rushed towards Xin Suiyun without even having time to bow: "I've developed the antidote!"
It turned out that after receiving Xin Rui's message, Qin Sang traveled day and night from Jiangnan and finally arrived at the last minute.
After taking the antidote, Xin Suiyun's complexion gradually improved. Qin Sang carefully took her pulse and finally breathed a sigh of relief: "The poison has been brought under control, but she needs to rest for several months."
Qi Yue burst into tears of joy, tightly gripping Xin Suiyun's hand: "You scared me to death..."
Xin Suiyun weakly squeezed her hand back, her eyes filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.
Li Minzhi was escorted back to the capital, and the Crown Prince personally tried the case after returning to court. The evidence of his treason was irrefutable, and Li Minzhi was sentenced to death, while his accomplices were also captured one by one.
Xin Suiyun was pardoned for his meritorious service in capturing the thief and was granted the title of Yunqiwei, finally able to walk openly in the sunlight.
However, the recovery process was long and painful. Although the poison of 'Blood Kiss' had been neutralized, it had caused great damage to the body. Xin Suiyun often suffered from persistent high fever, and the healing of her wounds was exceptionally slow.
Qi Yue stayed by his bedside day and night, taking meticulous care of him. One day, Xin Suiyun woke up from his deep sleep and saw Qi Yue resting by the bedside, with deep shadows under her eyes.
He gently stroked her hair, his heart filled with guilt and gratitude. Qi Yue was startled awake; seeing him awake, she immediately smiled, "You're awake? How are you feeling?"
"I'm much better." Xin Suiyun held her hand. "You've had a tough time these past few days."
Qi Yue shook her head: "Compared to what you've done for me, these are nothing."
Xin Suiyun gazed at her, then suddenly said, "Yue'er, shall we get married after I recover?"
Qi Yue froze, unable to believe her ears: "You...what did you say?"
“I said,” Xin Suiyun said, enunciating each word with utmost solemnity, “I want to marry you. Not because you are my cousin, not because we are engaged, but because I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Tears welled up in Qi Yue's eyes—tears of joy. She nodded vigorously: "I do, I've always done."
However, good things don't always come easy. Just as the two were immersed in happiness, Qi Huaihe and Xin Xiyao learned of the news.
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