Chapter 46 The Wedding.
When Qin Lie entered the city, Ling Yi had already been staying in a coastal village for several days.
This was the deal she made with Xie Yu that day—she would poison Song Pingkou, and after it was done, they would let her and Lin'er escape by feigning death.
If it weren't for the difficulty in finding new corpses similar in build to hers and Lin'er's, and her unwillingness to take lives, she wouldn't have waited for Qin Lie to arrive before hastily setting a fire.
She said she would live in seclusion in Jiangzhou, and asked for thousands of acres of fertile land and a large sum of gold and silver, but in reality, it was just to avoid being noticed—she had planned to go to sea from the very beginning.
There are dozens of islands overseas, which, though not as prosperous as this place, are still better than having Lin'er taken to the capital and living in constant fear.
Moreover, there's Qin Lie. Given his vengeful nature, how could he possibly let her go?
She had wanted to leave for a long time, but first the Japanese pirates attacked, and a few days ago the wind and waves were high. Tomorrow a ship will finally set sail.
Her belongings were already packed, ready to be carried on board the ship tomorrow. Xie San Niang was still worried, so she checked her luggage one last time, and then repeatedly instructed her: "The ship coming tomorrow is a cargo ship from the Shen family. The young master has already made arrangements. No matter what happens, the princess can inform the captain, and he will take care of things. There are many overseas islands, many of which can be considered prosperous. The princess can choose any one to disembark from. After a few years, when the turmoil here has subsided, if the princess wishes to return, she only needs to write a letter to be carried back by the ship, and I will personally come to pick her up."
Lingyi had no intention of returning, and simply smiled and thanked her.
Xie San Niang could see through her thoughts and said with remorse, "If I hadn't acted recklessly in Jizhou and dragged the princess into this mess, would the princess be in such a predicament today, far from home?"
Lingyi looked out the window at the horizon where the sea met the sky and smiled, “Third Sister, you must not dwell on the past. For me, how can I be far from home? It’s a vast and boundless place.”
Xie San Niang sighed, then heard Ling Yi ask, "When will Ji'an meet up with me?"
Ji'an was the former Emperor Chengtai, who was arranged by Xie Yu to die in the Xiaoyao Marquis's mansion a month ago.
Originally, there was also a Xie family member, but the fact that both of them died of illness at the same time would inevitably arouse suspicion. After Emperor Chengtai "died," Xie died by striking her head against a pillar, leaving only Ji'an, who changed his name and surname.
Xie San Niang said, "It's unusual for you to take two children out to sea alone. Young Master has arranged for him to go with someone else, and then they can meet up with you on the ship."
Lingyi still had some worries. "Third Sister, you must keep my departure to sea tomorrow a secret from Fifteenth Sister and the others!"
That day, when she negotiated terms with Xie Yu, the Fifteenth Princess and Aunt Liu Cui insisted on going to sea with her. Lingyi naturally wanted more relatives by her side, but was the overseas land a paradise? Even if it was not an uncivilized land, its customs and culture were completely different from those of the Central Plains, and they couldn't even understand the language.
I was forced to leave, how could I bear to let the two of them suffer with me?
At this point, Xie Sanniang couldn't help but be moved: "You asked me to keep it from her, how could she not know? With such a cold and aloof nature, she actually knelt down before me that day, begging me not to hide it from her and send you away..."
Tears welled up in Lingyi's eyes. For the past twenty years, she had either been living in a daze or had no control over her own life. Looking back, it seemed that she had only experienced hardships and rarely had a moment of genuine joy.
But because I have such a sister, I feel that my life has not been in vain.
Fortunately, the frost and snow eventually melt away.
I only hope that even if she and her fifteenth sister never see each other again, they can both, like the name Ji'an, turn misfortune into good fortune and have peace in all things.
But things don't always go as she wishes.
While she was asleep in the middle of the night, Third Sister woke her up: "Someone's coming outside, let's go quickly!"
Through the window, she could already see the torches getting closer and closer outside, which made Yi Xin's heart tremble. This scene seemed to be repeating itself from the past, but this time it was not the two of them. She had thought about her greatest fear a thousand times in her heart. She handed the sleeping Lin'er to Xie San Niang, "The person he wants to kill is me. You two go!"
The mother and son lived here, and in order not to attract too much attention, they did not send too many people to take care of them. Instead, they built a secret underground passage that led directly to the outside of the village.
But she can't leave, and she's not allowed to leave. As long as she's here, she can buy some time.
Xie San Niang wanted to say something, but she was no match for Qin Lie in the past, let alone the Prince Duan now. Looking at Ling Yi's expression, she understood. Finally, she gritted her teeth, picked up Lin'er, and entered the secret passage.
After they left, Lingyi slowly unplugged the oil drum, restored the secret passage entrance, straightened her clothes, and then pulled open the door bolt.
Hundreds of soldiers carrying torches had surrounded the small courtyard. Qin Lie, riding on his horse, had his face appearing both dark and bright in the firelight, making him look even more profound and handsome, like a cold sculpture.
.
Even before the fear, what surged into my heart was the humiliation etched into my bones.
Expectations that are like a joke, useless flattery, and contemptuous exploitation.
But as if another shoe had finally dropped, she was surprisingly calm, perhaps having anticipated this day when she left him.
She never expected that this day would come so soon, just when she was about to give up everything.
Qin Lie was also looking at her.
Three years have passed since they last met. The youthful innocence on her face has faded. She is dressed in coarse cloth clothes, her hair is loosely tied back, and a few strands fall down her neck.
Her simple clothes and plain hairpins could not conceal her beauty; from afar, she resembled a lotus emerging from clear water, her charm only growing more captivating.
She greeted him politely, "Your Highness, how have you been?"
Qin Lie acted as if he hadn't heard. It had indeed been a long time since they last met. How could he be alright?
He raised his hand to signal his men to stop, because Lingyi calmly took out a tinderbox, and the smell of tung oil could be smelled from the tip of his nose.
Looking behind her, tung oil was being poured out of a wooden barrel as tall as a person, already soaking the hem of her skirt.
Qin Lie was very polite: "Princess poisoned the rebels and made a great contribution to the Grand Censor. I have come here to bring the princess to the capital to live a life of luxury. The princess's actions are truly incomprehensible."
Lingyi said, "Your Highness doesn't need to understand. I just need some time to dress up. If you don't want to carry a charred corpse back, please wait outside for a moment."
Lingyi had no intention of escaping Qin Lie's clutches alive today; she only wanted to delay as much as possible before ending her life with a fire.
He only hoped that Qin Lie, seeing his gruesome death, would be appeased and stop pursuing Lin'er.
Even if it's not possible, we should try our best to let Xie San Niang take Lin'er as far away as possible.
Qin Lie remained calm and composed. "I've already waited three years, so this short time is nothing. But a princess like this is simply not worth wasting a single moment of my time on."
He beckoned, and his subordinate pushed someone forward.
But it was Gian, who was supposed to meet her on the ship the next day.
Qin Lie asked tenderly, "Doesn't the princess want to come and see her nephew?"
Lingyi's expression changed: "Prince Duan, he's still a child! You're a hero, don't you think this is utterly shameless?"
Qin Lie remained unperturbed: "It is precisely because he is young that he needs the princess's extra care. Could it be that the princess is so heartless as to disregard the only bloodline of the former crown prince? My patience is limited. I'll count down to five. If the princess doesn't come over..."
His expression was gentle, as if he were enjoying a solitary drink under the moon, yet suddenly he raised his knife and severed Jian's left little finger. Jian screamed in agony, clutching his finger and crying out in pain. In the darkness of the night, it was a horrifying sight.
Qin Lie, as if hearing celestial music, laughed and said, "Now that we've tested the knife, Princess, let's begin."
He knows her weaknesses best.
Having fallen into his hands, she would rather die. Just now, she simply chose to end her life, no longer caring about the raging flood behind her.
But this is Ji'an; he is not only the Crown Prince's only bloodline, but also the pillar that has supported her for so long.
She did so much for him. Even if there was only a glimmer of hope, even if she were trapped in hell, she couldn't bear to watch him die painfully in front of her.
"Enough, Qin Lie!" She closed her eyes and threw the tinderbox far outside. "I surrender. Do with it as you please."
.
The carriage rumbled along, and Lingyi and Ji'an sat inside. Ji'an's fingers had been bandaged, and he leaned weakly against Lingyi, his face pale. "Auntie, where are we going?" he asked feebly.
Lingyi shook her head: "I don't know."
Ultimately, they are taken wherever others lead them, so why should they have any say in the matter?
Gian pursed his lips and asked again, "Will they kill us?"
If she could die a quick death, that would be a relief for her. Lingyi didn't answer. Ji'an snuggled closer to her, his voice trembling, but he was trying his best to comfort her: "Aunt, don't be sad. I'm not afraid of death, and you shouldn't be either."
Lingyi hugged his thin body, forcing back her heartache, and said, "Don't worry, with your aunt here, I will definitely find a way to keep you alive."
The carriage finally stopped after traveling for an unknown amount of time. Qin Xiaohu got on and carried Ji'an, who had fallen asleep from exhaustion, off the carriage.
Lingyi got off the car and stood still. She looked up and saw a house of moderate size with a double happiness character pasted on the door and red lanterns hanging. It turned out to be a family holding a wedding.
Qin Lie walked up from behind and smiled slightly at her: "What is the princess looking at? Today is your joyous day, why don't you go inside?"
His attitude towards him, as if he were an old friend, was all the more terrifying.
But Yi had already disregarded life and death; to him, it was merely a matter of torment.
The two entered the courtyard, with no one following behind. The courtyard was decorated in a festive atmosphere.
Amidst this sea of crimson, Qin Lie stood for a moment before speaking, as if chatting with an old friend, "Two years ago, I went to Zhuozhou to look for you. Did that person deliver the message?"
"It's been sent."
"What did the messenger tell you?"
She said she came on your orders and that if I was willing to turn back, you would forgive my past mistakes and take me back to the capital immediately.
Qin Lie turned to look at her and chuckled, "So it really was you. You pretended to agree on this side, but then you told Xie Yu about my whereabouts and ordered him to send people to hunt me down. It's just a pity that I was lucky enough to survive and didn't die in Zhuozhou as the princess wished."
Lingyi paused for a moment, then explained, "I only asked him to expel you, not to kill you."
At that time, she was about to marry Song Pingkou and did not want anything to go wrong. However, Qin Lie was Huan'er's father. She only signaled to Xie Yu to let him back to the capital, and never thought of killing him.
Qin Lie said, "You don't need to explain—to me, whose orders it is is irrelevant. The situation was critical that day, and I had to hide in the carriage's inner compartment to leave Zhuozhou. And that day happened to be your wedding day."
Closing my eyes, it felt like that day was still there.
He hid in the carriage's inner compartment, just as his carriage passed by. A gust of wind blew by, lifting the brocade curtain, and he saw her sitting inside, her head covered by a red veil.
At that moment, his mouth was filled with the strong taste of blood.
Her wedding dress was strikingly bright red.
He had chewed on his hatred a thousand times, but when he spoke again, it was as if nothing had happened. "All along, I've always been able to do what I want and get what I want. Only you, so gentle and weak, the one I thought I had in my grasp, brought me the greatest humiliation. — Your elopement to Zhuozhou and your second marriage to Song Pingkou made me a laughingstock of the whole world. If I had had the strength then, I would have torn you to pieces to vent my hatred. But when I learned that you wanted to escape overseas, I felt that killing you with one blow would be too easy for you."
His smile was laced with poison: "Princess Yongjia, since you are so eager to marry, how can I refuse?"
Qin Lie led her to the hall, where three men were standing.
Lingyi naturally knew that Qin Lie would not let her off easily, but she did not expect that he would go to such lengths to collect such people one by one.
One was a gambler who had driven away several wives and was full of malice.
One is a decadent playboy who forced his deceased wife to work as a prostitute to make a living.
There was also an old beggar with a head full of scabies.
The three of them were initially uneasy, but upon seeing Lingyi, they were completely stunned, their eyes filled with amazement.
Lingyi's gaze swept over them, pausing at the wedding attire on the table before finally looking at Qin Lie. "Is it true that if I get married, Ji'an's life will be guaranteed?" She paused, then added, "And the safety of Third Sister and Lin'er as well."
The former prime minister once recruited many talented people from all over the world. With Xie San Niang's disguise skills and other people's secret passages, Qin Lie discovered the secret passage yesterday and chased after them but did not find anyone. Ling Yi is still worried. Now that the world belongs to the Qin family, if Qin Lie is determined, how can he not catch the person?
Qin Lie said, "The longer the princess behaves after she gets married, the longer they will live."
Seeing that Lingyi breathed a slight sigh of relief, he chuckled: "The princess has discarded me like a worn-out shoe, but I am very generous to the princess. These men are for the princess to choose from, and they can be married today. As husband and wife, they must perform the rites and acts of husband and wife, adhere to the three obediences and four virtues, and continue the family line. Not one of them can be missing."
Lingyi did not hesitate and lowered her eyes to reply with an "okay".
Lingyi chose the old beggar.
Compared to the other two, he is older and in poorer health, so he will probably die sooner.
Perhaps when he died, Qin Lie had already vented his anger and forgotten about her.
As soon as she finished choosing her consort, a maid came over and led her to get ready.
She was manipulated like a puppet. Finally, looking at herself in the mirror, she realized that this was the third time she had worn a wedding dress. How absurd! She forced a bleak smile.
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