Chapter 53 The Fifty-Third Princess
Snow fell in September, and apart from the messy footprints of soldiers, there were almost no traces of people on the streets.
The entire capital was in a state of panic, and people stayed indoors.
The common people stayed indoors entirely because of the unusual weather, while the officials stayed indoors entirely because something had changed in the palace. They only knew that the regent had surrounded the palace with layers upon layers of soldiers, and they didn't know what had happened, so they simply didn't go out.
At this moment, Zhu Huantang was under house arrest in the Regent's Palace. Looking at Cui Jiu, who was as still as a stone statue, Zhu Huantang said, "Why aren't you leaving yet?"
Cui Jiu still said the same thing: "I am acting under orders."
"On Jiang Jinyi's orders?"
"Zuo Qinghou".
Zhu Huantang's broken sword had long been reforged. As soon as he said this, the sword instantly drew closer, its nicked edge slicing through Cui Jiu's neck. Cui Jiu remained expressionless. "Now you are my master. Do with me as you please."
Zhu Huantang initially wanted to resolve this problem directly, but then he reconsidered. He didn't know where Zuo Qinghou was or what he was up to. If Cui Jiu was truly her man, she would definitely contact him, and then he would ensure that Zuo Qinghou never returned.
Zhu Huantang withdrew his sword and said, "I am a spy. If you don't kill me, Zuo Qinghou must have given you a lot of convenience."
Cui Jiu calmly said, "Wu already knows that you have been exposed. Even if you go back, they will not believe you anymore. The King of Xijing is a friend of Sui. When Fan Qi was trapped in the capital, the King of Xijing did a lot of work to save your life. It was the King's will. As long as you are willing to stay, it is possible for you to be second only to the King."
Even Zhu Huantang, the daughter of the King of Xijing, was unaware of such a secret, yet Cui Jiu knew it. Furthermore, was Fan Qi's "disappearance" related to the King of Xijing?
Zhu Huantang was startled. Why did Fan Qi go to his grandfather's place to teach him and Qin Sihai back then? Was it really just a coincidence that he went to a distant place to relax?
If that's the case, then this whole affair didn't even begin when he stepped into the capital, but rather when his master, Fan Qi, attacked the State of Sui.
A chill ran through Zhu Huantang. He swallowed hard, trying to calm his fear, and asked, "Where were you keeping watch that night?"
"From 3:45 PM to 1:15 PM."
That was probably some time after Zhu Huantang fainted. Although he knew it was probably pointless to ask, Zhu Huantang still asked, "Did you see where Zuo Qinghou went?"
Cui Jiu nodded, then shook his head.
Zhu Huantang frowned. "I am your master, answer!"
Cui Jiu pondered for a moment, “I saw two people riding away together, but I didn’t see their faces, so I’m not sure if it was Zuo Qinghou.”
As expected, Zuo Qinghou must have been rescued.
Zuo Qinghou was indeed kidnapped by Fan Qi.
However, only Fan Qi and Qin Sihai knew about this.
Qin Sihai was led into an empty palace. Rumor had it that these palaces were haunted at night by the spirits of those who had died unjustly. Using ghosts and spirits as a cover was indeed a good idea.
As soon as I stepped into the palace, the doors behind me slammed shut. Layers of gauze curtains fluttered gently, and judging by my breathing, there was only one person behind me.
Qin Sihai did not step forward, but knelt on one knee outside the outermost gauze curtain and respectfully bowed: "This humble subject pays respects to Your Highness, may Your Highness live a thousand years."
"Come forward," a gentle-spoken girl said from behind the curtain.
Qin Sihai lifted the veil and stepped forward. The woman's features became clearer and clearer, her hair styled in cloud-like hair and her eyebrows arched like a crane's tail. Only the last layer of veil remained. Qin Sihai stopped and bowed his head, saying, "Your Highness."
With a delicate hand, she lifted the gauze curtain from within, and Princess Ji Yuanshu of Wu, with a gentle smile, said, "It's been a long time." Not speaking between a ruler and his subject, she lowered her eyes slightly, seemingly shy, and continued softly, "It's good that you're still alive."
This shows how close they are, even without their status. Yet Qin Sihai still lowered his eyes, his posture more distant than respectful, and said, "It is thanks to Your Highness's blessing and protection that this humble person was able to escape death."
Wine and delicacies had been prepared inside the hall. After we took our seats, a gentle breeze blew, causing the gauze curtains to sway slightly, creating a rather ambiguous atmosphere.
Qin Sihai lowered his eyes respectfully and answered Ji Yuanshu's questions one by one.
Several years ago, his investigation into the smuggling of Yunnan Baiyao led him to Zhu Huantang's sister's husband, which eventually implicated the Liu family.
Qin Sihai wasn't new to officialdom; after punishing the peddler, he destroyed all the evidence. But the next day, as usual, Qin Sihai took on a case involving the arrest of smugglers of Baiyao (a traditional Chinese medicine). He waited at the trading post along that route, and soon five carriages made of black iron appeared in his field of vision, each with a guard at the front and rear.
"With such a heavily guarded carriage and such sparse security, it seems these two guards are not to be underestimated," Qin Sihai thought to himself.
The five carriages stopped at a temple. Before Qin Sihai could see the Wu Kingdom's messenger, he saw Zhu Huantang getting out of the carriage.
No matter what, it's still strange for our own people to run into each other. Qin Sihai had a bad feeling. He wanted to continue observing secretly, but suddenly, a rain of arrows came down from the sky. He raised his sword to block them, instantly revealing his whereabouts.
Cui Jiu had already sensed someone was there, so he triggered a mechanism on the carriage. When the spy appeared, he immediately drew his sword.
Zhu Huantang recognized Qin Sihai. To prevent their similar fighting styles from being discovered, Zhu Huantang took the initiative and attacked with his sword.
Cui Jiu was about to step forward to help when he saw that Fu Qianji had already taken the lead. He retreated to the carriage to guard Baiyao in case his accomplices hijacked the carriage.
Fu Qianji fired out several silver needles, which Qin Sihai dodged one by one with a few "whoosh" sounds.
Qin Sihai blocked Zhu Huantang's sword thrust from behind with his back, then turned to the side, allowing Zhu Huantang to exploit the opening created by the sword's momentum.
Zhu Huantang instantly stopped his sword strike and continued his attack. The act had to be convincing; otherwise, even Cui Jiu wouldn't be able to escape his notice.
After several swift exchanges, Zhu Huantang gave Qin Sihai a wink, and Qin Sihai instantly understood. He sheathed Zhu Huantang's sword with his scabbard, then struck Zhu Huantang on the shoulder with a palm, knocking him back five or six steps.
Just as Qin Sihai was about to seize his horse and leave, countless yamen runners from the Wu Kingdom's Pharmacy Bureau surrounded him from all sides.
Qin Sihai frowned, about to reveal his Thousand Bull Guard token. Unexpectedly, those men attacked without warning, their speed and clear targeting suggesting a pre-arranged plan.
The current situation doesn't allow Qin Sihai time to think things through; he can only break through first to have a chance to find out what's going on.
Qin Sihai tightened the bandage on his hand, holding the scabbard in one hand and the sword in the other, crouching low like a cheetah as he stared at the enemy before him.
We need to get serious.
The seven pharmacists worked together seamlessly, with one leading the attack, another restraining the others, and yet another waiting for an opportunity. The seven of them were like a hyena family; if one side faltered even slightly, the other would immediately step in to fill the gap, without a moment's rest.
They were just waiting for Qin Sihai to be exhausted from his defenses and to reveal the slightest flaw, then they would strike a fatal blow.
Qin Sihai also saw through the seven men's tactics: offense as defense. He dodged the poisoned needle by turning to the side, and then kicked the end of the needle, hitting the arm of a nearby pharmacy official.
The constable, unaware of the potency of the poisoned needle, pulled it out and was about to continue his attack when he suddenly felt dizzy. Looking down, he saw that his fingers had turned purple, with veins coiled on his hands like black centipedes, oozing droplets of blood, not to mention his arm under his clothes.
Qin Sihai gave him no time to react, ending his suffering with a single sword strike. The tight formation had a gap, and Qin Sihai quickly broke through the opening.
As he ran, he turned to defend himself, when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his foot. Only then did he see the poisoned needles that had been planted there sometime earlier, gleaming with an eerie blue light in the grass.
Fortunately, the several yamen runners from the pharmacy who were chasing after them were also poisoned.
Having just witnessed the potency of the poison, Qin Sihai dared not be negligent. He quickly took off his hair tie and tied it around his thigh, cut a gash under the ligature mark to bleed, and then, taking advantage of the moment when no one dared to step forward, turned and jumped into the Lop Nur River nearby.
Then he was saved by Zuo Qinghou, and so many years have passed since then.
With so much going on, Qin Sihai naturally couldn't tell everyone. Although Ji Yuanshu had indeed shown interest in him before, it was more out of admiration for a talented person, and a desire to win him over to strengthen the emperor's power. The fact that she came to see him today was obvious; he knew without a doubt that the emperor was worried and had sent Ji Yuanshu to subtly probe his intentions.
Qin Sihai said, "I was lucky to be saved by a traveling doctor. I then helped out at her house and learned some martial arts. Later, by the grace of heaven, I happened to meet my master and that's how I came back."
Ji Yuanshu poured him a glass of wine, but her words were sharp: "Then why don't you come back?"
Qin Sihai lowered his eyes. The sun had darkened his skin considerably, making him look like a shy and forlorn peasant man. He said softly, "Your Highness, it wasn't just the people from Sui who killed me back then, but I don't know who they were. I also dare not tell the traveling doctor who saved me about my background. How can I come back?"
Perhaps hurt by Qin Sihai's melancholy tone, Ji Yuanshu subconsciously placed her hand on the back of Qin Sihai's hand and softly comforted him, "It's all in the past."
When Qin Sihai was still in charge of the Thousand Bull Guards, Ji Yuanshu often made small, presumptuous, but not frivolous, gestures. Whenever she saw his upright and flustered expression, she would always smile and withdraw her hand, as if she had done nothing. But now, Qin Sihai had no official position to rely on. He did not withdraw his hand, but instead held the wine cup with his other hand and said softly, "The Sui Kingdom is no place for a human being... Master... Master suffered there, but he didn't tell me. I just want to stay by his side and take care of him."
After speaking, Qin Sihai tilted his head back and downed a large gulp of liquor. The spicy liquor went down his throat, making his eyes slightly red. The warmth on the back of his hand still made him uncomfortable. He took the opportunity to clasp his hands in apology and withdrew his hand, saying, "This humble subject has lost his composure. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
Ji Yuanshu naturally had her own considerations. After pondering for a moment, she finally helped Qin Sihai up. Without mentioning the matter of finding out the truth, she only said, "I have always admired your talent, sir. As long as you are devoted to the emperor and the country, my door will always be open to you. As long as you can endure the rumors for a while, achieving something will be easy for you. At that time, whether they are surnamed Liu or Xia, they can't do anything to you."
With the princess's words, Qin Sihai's official position was secure. As he left the palace, the moon was high in the sky, and Qin Sihai instinctively wanted to quicken his pace to return. But when he saw the red walls of the imperial palace, he came to his senses and realized he no longer needed to go and brew medicine for Zuo Qinghou.
I wonder how Zuo Qinghou is doing? I also wonder where Master has placed her?
Qin Sihai shook his groggy head vigorously and rubbed the back of his hands, thinking to himself: She's so opinionated, she's always causing me trouble.
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