Xiao Xun's order, imbued with thunderous rage and overwhelming killing intent, swept through the entire capital like an invisible storm, and then rushed towards the northern ice plains at an urgent speed.
Jingyuan was like the calmest yet most oppressive spot in the eye of a storm, and Xin Jiuwei could clearly feel the tension permeating the air.
The guards brought by You Ye practically surrounded Jingyuan like an iron barrel, taking turns on duty day and night. Even a strange bird flying by would attract wary stares. Xin Jiuwei was trapped in this exquisite cage, like a caged beast, only able to piece together the turbulent waves outside through the vague fragments of information You Ye delivered each day.
News from the North seemed frozen, and was slow to arrive.
Xin Jiuwei sat by the window every day, looking at the withered branches covered with snow in the courtyard, her heart feeling like it was being fried in oil.
Qi Huaiyu's vicious threatening letter gnawed at her mind like a poisonous snake. The words "The Shadow has arrived, await good news" echoed repeatedly in the silent night, gnawing at her sanity. The news of her brother Xin Yunzhou's relocation to Tiebi Pass came from Xiao Xun, but what about after the "triple-strength guards" and the "search for Shadow Pavilion assassins"? Was her brother safe? Had the Shadow Pavilion assassins... succeeded?
The immense fear and agonizing wait were driving her nearly mad. She forced herself to attend to her duties, flipping through account books, but her fingertips trembled uncontrollably. Xin Kui stood silently by her side, her eyes filled with worry, yet she dared not disturb her.
On the seventh night, all was quiet, and the snow fell silently.
The tightly closed gates of Jingyuan were once again struck by heavy, urgent pounding! This time, the sound carried a heart-wrenching urgency!
The guards instantly drew their swords, the blades gleaming coldly in the snowy night. Xin Kui darted behind the door like a shadow, her short dagger half an inch from its sheath.
Xin Jiuwei abruptly stood up from her desk, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of her chest! It's here! It's finally here! Is it bad news? Or...?
The door was suddenly flung open. Standing outside wasn't You Ye, but Qin Lang!
The young general of the Pingxi General's Mansion, his gleaming silver armor stained with mud and dried dark brown grime, wore a mask of extreme exhaustion from a long journey and an undisguised anxiety. Behind him followed two equally weary and somber-looking guards. In Qin Lang's hands, he tightly clutched a rectangular box wrapped in thick oilcloth!
"Miss Xin!" Qin Lang's voice was hoarse and strained, filled with the urgency of someone who had just escaped death. "The Sixth Prince... the Sixth Prince was attacked in the Northern Border! He is seriously injured!"
boom--!
Xin Jiuwei felt her mind go completely blank! Xiao Xun... seriously injured?!
Before she could react, Qin Lang continued rapidly, “Shadow Pavilion assassins launched a surprise attack on the outskirts of Iron Wall Pass! Their target was General Xin! His Highness had made preparations in advance and personally led elite troops to intercept them! A bloody battle... a fierce battle! The Shadow Pavilion assassins were cunning and ruthless. To save... to save my father (General Qin was inspecting military affairs at Iron Wall Pass at the time), His Highness was struck by a cold arrow! The arrow... was coated with a strange poison!”
He stepped forward and handed the oilcloth-wrapped box he was carrying to Xin Jiuwei, his gesture carrying an undeniable solemnity: "Before His Highness lost consciousness, he only gave one instruction: 'Give this...to Xin Jiuwei personally.'"
Xin Jiuwei stood frozen in place, her body stiff and cold. Xiao Xun seriously injured? Poisoned? In a coma? To save General Qin? To… protect the Iron Wall Pass where her brother was? The immense shock made her vision blur and her ears ring.
Her hand trembled as she reached out, her fingertips touching the cold, oilcloth-wrapped box, which carried the chill of the North and the stench of blood. The box was heavy. She instinctively took it, its icy coldness penetrating her skin.
“Your Highness…he…” Xin Jiuwei’s voice trembled so badly that it was almost inaudible.
"His Highness's injuries are extremely serious! The military doctors have exhausted all means to suppress the spread of the poison, but... the toxicity is so potent that the military medical officers are helpless! His Highness remains unconscious and has a persistent high fever!" Qin Lang's eyes were bloodshot, his voice filled with sorrow and a barely perceptible fear. "This humble general traveled day and night to escort His Highness's personal guards back with this item! His Highness strictly ordered that it be personally delivered to Miss Xin! Perhaps... this item holds the key to the antidote!"
The key to the detoxification? Xin Jiuwei suddenly looked down at the cold box in her arms! Xiao Xun's only request before he fell unconscious... was to give this to her?!
An indescribable panic and immense responsibility instantly overwhelmed her! She clutched the box tightly, as if grasping at a last straw, her knuckles turning white from the effort. Xiao Xun… he couldn't die! Absolutely not! For the sake of fighting Qi Huaiyu and the Shadow Pavilion, for her brother's safety, and even more so for… the person who had offered her a cold pillar of support in her despair!
"General Qin! Where is His Highness now? What is the military situation?" Xin Jiuwei forced herself to remain calm, her voice still trembling, but carrying a hint of determination.
"His Highness is still at the Iron Wall Pass camp! General Xin is unharmed, and most of the Shadow Pavilion assassins have been killed, with the rest fleeing! But His Highness's injuries... are urgent!" Qin Lang said urgently. "This humble general has been ordered to escort this item back to the capital, and I request Miss Xin to quickly find renowned doctors in the capital, especially those skilled in detoxification! These are the arrows and poison blood samples brought back by His Highness's personal guards!" He gestured to the guards behind him to hand over a small, sealed copper box.
Xin Jiuwei's heart sank to the bottom. Iron Wall Pass was a thousand miles away from the capital, and Xiao Xun was seriously injured and unconscious. How could such a distant water quench a nearby fire?! The key to the antidote was in the box in her hands? But what was in that box? How could she use it to save Xiao Xun, so far away?!
Despair surged in again like a cold tide. But this time, Xin Jiuwei did not collapse. The devastating news of Xiao Xun's uncertain fate acted like the most potent stimulant, completely igniting the ruthlessness and determination within her! She abruptly raised her head, her eyes burning with a cold flame, a flame powerful enough to incinerate all fear!
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