Chapter 9 White Lotus.
Lingyi is ill. She feels neither pain nor itching, but she is listless all day long. She cannot stand the smell of food. Even if someone mentions the word "eat" in front of her, she will vomit.
There was hardly anything in her stomach to begin with, and she had vomited up all her bile. The little face that had managed to gain some weight back in the past few days was now completely gone, and she was so thin that her eyes were sunken.
I find it even harder to fall asleep at night. Even when I do fall asleep from exhaustion, I wake up shortly afterward, and I can only get one or two hours of sleep in a whole night.
Even though she understood that the princess would find it hard to bear seeing such a situation, even a person of iron couldn't go on without eating, drinking, or sleeping, let alone a princess of noble birth. Helpless, Zhao Mama could only ask Qiu Min to invite the prince consort to see if he had any way to persuade the princess.
Qiu Min returned quickly, but there was no one behind him—the prince consort was too busy to come.
Granny Zhao was furious. Could the驸马 (the驸马) possibly be busier than the princess? He hadn't even bothered to come and see her, and despite the princess's illness, he hadn't delayed his journey for a single moment these past few days. Before, Granny Zhao could console herself that Qingzhou was too dangerous, but now that they had passed Qingzhou and the驸马 still hadn't arrived, how could Granny Zhao not be suspicious?
Even Madam Zhen privately asked Qin Hong, "We were husband and wife after all, is your third brother really so heartless?"
Although Zhen Shi was not close to the princess these days, she couldn't bring herself to feel any aversion towards her.
The princess was young and had been raised in luxury. Despite the hardships she endured on the journey, she never complained, and the princess was always treated with respect, showing no arrogance or domineering attitude. Therefore, even though she knew it was wrong, she wanted to speak up for the princess.
Qin Hong, being a man, had a different opinion from Zhen Shi: "Her status is already awkward, and it will be even more difficult to arrange things after she returns to Jizhou. We didn't do anything to her; it was her own fault for wanting to look around so much. Who can we blame? It would be better for everyone if she just died on the road."
Zhen wanted to say something more, but seeing Qin Hong's resolute expression, she could only sigh in the end.
Qin Hong himself was not happy saying this; he both wanted the princess to die and felt that she was actually innocent.
Feeling suffocated, I went outside the inn and practiced a set of boxing moves until I had no strength left in my body, and only then did I feel a sense of relief.
By the time they returned, the moon was high in the sky. They had traveled all day and would have to get up early the next day. The inn was filled with the sounds of snoring.
He tiptoed back to his room, and as soon as he opened the door, he heard Qin Lie ask, "What have you been doing?"
Normally, Qin Hong never hides anything from Qin Lie, firstly because he doesn't have the mind to do so, and secondly because it's impossible to hide it from him anyway.
But today, he didn't want to mention his second sister-in-law's attempt to plead for the princess. He simply said, "My hands were itching, so I went outside and practiced boxing for a while. Third brother, it's so late, why aren't you asleep yet?"
For a long, long time, Qin Lie did not answer, until Qin Hong thought he had fallen asleep and was about to go to sleep himself, when he heard him say again, "Get out."
"ah?"
"You're covered in sweat, go sleep outside."
Qin Hong spent the night in another room. He had slept by trees, on the grass, and in mountain hollows during military campaigns, so squeezing in with others was nothing unusual.
Speaking of this, he was puzzled. His third brother had crawled through piles of corpses during the war, so why did he now complain about his stench?
It seems that after going to the capital, I brought back a bit of affectation.
He only dared to grumble inwardly, not daring to utter a sound. He finished his rice in a few bites and as he walked out, he saw Granny Zhao and a palace maid helping the princess into the carriage.
This isn't being pretentious; I was genuinely supporting her, and it felt like if I hadn't used a little less force, the princess would have fallen over.
His heart began to feel heavy again, but his eyes immediately turned to Qin Lie. He saw that Qin Lie completely ignored him, and he immediately felt a little better. Even her nominal husband didn't care whether she lived or died, so why should he not be able to bear it?
I thought that after passing Qingzhou, the road ahead would be mostly smooth, but I almost capsized in a ditch and was surrounded by people in Huangzhou.
It wasn't that they were careless, but who would have thought that the wedding procession in the fields would turn around and pull out weapons as they passed by? Hundreds of villagers also poured out of their houses and surrounded them.
Qin Lie looked at the "groom" who was also riding a horse: "I thought the White Lotus Sect was only active in Bingzhou, but I didn't expect its influence to have infiltrated Huangzhou."
It's more than just infiltration. This place has been so thoroughly fortified by them that hundreds of villagers in several villages are believers—or rather, those who weren't have already been persecuted by them.
If there were even one person among them who wasn't a real villager, Qin Lie would have noticed.
The groom, cupping his hands in greeting, smiled and said, “Your Excellency’s heroic spirit is something we had no intention of offending. However, a few days ago we had the honor of meeting your wife, who bears a striking resemblance to our Grand Master’s deceased wife. The Grand Master consulted the White Lotus Goddess and learned that your wife is actually the reincarnation of our Grand Master’s deceased wife, and that she and our Grand Master had a decades-long marital bond that remains unbroken. We hope that you will sever this karmic ties between you two as soon as possible, so that the Grand Master and his deceased wife can rekindle their romance. As a token of our gratitude, we will offer you a large sum of money to escort you out of Huangzhou, and the White Lotus Goddess will also bestow blessings upon you.”
Since joining the White Lotus Sect, he has become the priest of the surrounding area due to his outstanding abilities, and it has been a long time since he has treated others with such courtesy.
However, the chief minister had instructed him that this group of people were clearly from the military, and the horses they rode were also extraordinary, indicating they must be of great importance, so he should not easily antagonize them. Therefore, he had no choice but to be patient and offer them substantial benefits.
I've never seen anyone snatch another man's wife so brazenly.
Even Qin Hong, who secretly hoped for Lingyi's death, had a grim expression.
Qin Lie remained silent and made no move. His bow and arrow were already in his hand. A sharp arrow whistled past and struck the priest's webbed head, spitting out a single word, "Get lost!"
The priest was so frightened that he rolled to the ground, hiding behind people while shouting, "Catch them! Get back the deceased wife for the sake of the libationer!"
The surrounding people immediately rushed forward without fear of death. Among them were the old and the young. The white-haired old man rushed towards the sedan chair, the young boy grabbed the horse's leg, the woman pulled at the palace servants by the carriage, and the man raised his hoe to smash Qin Lie and his men who were riding horses.
If it were an enemy, they would just kill them without hesitation, but with this group of civilians, especially the elderly, women, and children, Qin Lie and his men couldn't help but hesitate to act rashly.
Some of the guards, while fending off hoes, also had to be careful of horses trampling on the children, and were soon injured in the process.
Qin Lie made a quick decision and said to Qin Hong, "I'll go kill that 'groom,' you protect them and leave."
While injuring people is troublesome, it's not impossible. Although there are many of these civilians, their actual combat strength is far inferior to that of the battle-hardened guards, let alone the princess's guards.
This rabble can only be instilled with fear by killing their leader.
Facing a group of extremely fanatical and fearless people, Qin Lie had to go through a lot of trouble to get rid of their entanglement, kill the "bride" and several other believers who were clearly his close protectors.
But the villagers did not scatter like birds and beasts; instead, they charged at the group with increasing frenzy, some even disregarding the galloping hooves and trying to hold them back with their bodies.
Even Qin Lie felt a chill run down his spine at the sight of such demonic believers.
Finally shaking them off, they arrived at the agreed-upon place with Qin Hong, only to find that one carriage was missing, and Qin Hong was riding a horse with a conflicted expression.
Qin Lie's face was ashen as he asked, "Where are they?"
Qin Hong looked at the ground and said, "We encountered the Grand Master of Ceremonies. He not only had a large number of men, but they were also quite skilled. We killed more than a dozen of them before we were able to escape. However, the princess's carriage was hitched up by its wheels. I wanted to pull her onto the horse, but she grabbed a palace maid's hand and wouldn't break free, so I couldn't save her..."
Qin Lie ignored him and only said, "I'm asking you where he is?!"
Qin Hong looked at him and hurriedly explained, "Third Brother! I really wanted to help her onto the horse, but for some reason, she was acting like a dazed fool before, but at that moment, she suddenly came to her senses and grabbed the palace maid's hand, trying to save her. No matter how I told her to let go, she wouldn't let go! I can't just cut off the palace maid's arm... And Second Sister-in-law's carriage is also in danger, I had no choice but to let go!"
"Idiot!" Qin Lie roared.
It was unclear whether he was cursing Qin Hong, who was standing in front of him, or the princess who wasn't even there.
Only then did Lingyi feel fear. She stepped out of the carriage, with Pearl trembling behind her. The chief priest was in his forties, with a fair complexion and long beard, dressed like a clerk. Behind him stood hundreds of followers, all burly and clearly martial artists. They surrounded her step by step.
Lingyi pulled out her long hairpin, pressed it against her throat, and said in a hoarse voice, "If you dare to take another step forward, I will kill myself!"
The man quickly waved his hand, signaling the men to stop, and said gently to her, "Madam, don't be afraid. They are all my subordinates, and no one dares to hurt you. I am your husband from your past life. You don't remember me only because you drank the Meng Po soup. Once you return to my side, you will remember everything."
Although he spoke gently, his eyes were fixed on her face, revealing a fanatical and infatuated expression.
Lingyi pressed the hairpin even deeper, "I'm not your deceased wife. If you don't let me go, I'll die here!"
As the chief priest watched her golden hairpin pierce her skin, and drops of bright red blood flowed down her jade-like neck into her clothes and down her cleavage, his belly grew increasingly hot, and his eyes were filled with an undisguised lewdness.
He licked his lips and said, "Madam, are you still thinking about your husband from this life? But he's useless, unable to protect you, just a piece of trash! Come with me, and you'll know what a real man is. I'll make you wish you were dead..."
Before he could finish saying "death," an arrow struck him squarely in the throat. His eyes widened, and he made a hoarse sound as he stepped forward, reaching out with both hands. Lingyi quickly retreated, but he only took a few steps before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
Lingyi raised her tearful eyes and saw Qin Lie riding towards her. He had just taken one life and then took out three arrows, nocked them on his longbow, released the string, and the three White Lotus Sect members closest to Lingyi immediately fell to the ground dead with arrows in their throats.
With such archery skills, the remaining men dared not move and stood frozen in place.
Qin Lie had already approached, and with three arrows nocked in one hand, he said coldly, "Aren't you going to get lost?"
The followers who stayed by the chief priest's side spent their days eating, drinking, and having fun with him. They were far less devout than the common people. Upon hearing of a general amnesty, they immediately scattered and fled like birds and beasts.
Qin Lie did not dismount. He bent down and reached out to pull Lingyi into his arms like a butterfly, incredibly light.
He spurred his horse and galloped away.
When they returned, Qin Hong had already set up tents with his men. With Huangzhou in such a state, the post stations were no longer reliable.
Before Qin Lie could stop his horse, Granny Zhao and the others came forward crying and calling "Princess." Qin Lie wanted to entrust Lingyi to their care, but she held tightly to his sleeve and refused to let go.
Seeing that the princess's pretty face was pale, her whole body was trembling, her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were stained with blood, Zhen couldn't help but say, "Third brother, the princess has been so frightened that you need to comfort her properly. I'm afraid no one else can do it."
Qin Lie paused for a moment, then reluctantly picked up Lingyi and stepped into the tent.
Qin Hong was puzzled and asked Zhen Shi, "Second sister-in-law, why are you speaking up for that princess? You know perfectly well..."
“You don’t understand,” Zhen interrupted him. “You’re not married yet, so you don’t understand that no man would let his woman get into that kind of situation, let alone someone like your third brother. If you keep interfering, it will only make him feel more guilty.”
Qin Hong said urgently, "Even if I don't like her, I didn't leave her there on purpose!"
“I know,” Madam Zhen sighed, “but ask yourself honestly, if it were me, or any other woman in the Qin family, would you still act this way?”
Qin Hong was speechless.
If it weren't for the little princess, but any other woman from the Qin family, even though he temporarily abandoned her to protect his second sister-in-law, he would have risked his life to bring her back once she was safe, and would never have ignored her.
Because of this realization, Qin Hong was sullen and couldn't even eat the meat porridge his family cooked over the fire. He leaned against a tree, chewing on a blade of grass, his eyes fixed on Qin Lie's tent.
From beginning to end, apart from Granny Zhao bringing in hot water and medicine, no one else went in or out of the tent.
Qin Hong waited for a long time, but finally couldn't wait any longer. He spat out the grass roots, picked up a bowl of porridge, and strode over.
Qin Hong was always casual and didn't need to announce his arrival, even in Qin Lie's military camp. But this time, as soon as he entered the tent, he felt that he shouldn't have come.
Actually, there wasn't much inside the tent; Qin Lie was simply sitting quietly on the couch, holding the princess.
Although they were embracing, both of them were dressed neatly. The princess leaned obediently against Qin Lie's chest, her arms wrapped around his neck, her face buried in his chest, only revealing a section of her snow-white neck and half an ear. Qin Lie was talking to her while gently stroking her back with one hand, clearly comforting her, without any hint of anything erotic or inappropriate.
Qin Hong was once tricked by some cunning soldiers who took him to a brothel. The girls there sang songs while dressed in very revealing clothes, and their eyes were all over the place. In the end, one of them even sat on a man's lap and thrust her breasts toward his mouth.
Compared to those, this was nothing, but Qin Hong felt extremely uncomfortable and didn't know where to put his hands and feet.
Just then, Qin Lie looked up at him and said, "Put it down."
Qin Hong felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He put down his chopsticks and left the tent as if his pants were on fire.
Hearing the noise, Lingyi turned around but saw no one, and confusion appeared in her eyes.
Qin Lie explained, "I didn't go out for dinner. Qin Hong brought you some food."
Lingyi gently shook her head: "I don't have much of an appetite." Then she asked worriedly: "He told me to let go back then, but I refused, and you had to go back to save me. Will he... be angry with me?"
Her hair was disheveled, her face was streaked with tears, and her eyes, washed with tears, still held a sense of panic and helplessness.
For anyone else, this would have been a disheveled sight, but for her, it was like a lotus flower glistening with dew after a rain, possessing a different kind of beauty.
This was the princess whom Emperor Jiahe raised in the deep palace.
When Emperor Jiahe was a prince, he was known for his good looks. Every woman who caught his eye was charming and beautiful, and all the princesses and princes he gave birth to were beautiful and outstanding.
This naive princess had no idea what it meant for people to "eat each other when the trees and grass are gone."
But she also didn't know that she had been abandoned and was worried about causing trouble for that person.
Qin Lie was at a loss for words. After a long while, he tried to get up to bring the porridge over, but she hugged him tightly as if startled, refusing to let him leave.
Seeing her tears fall again out of fear, Qin Lie wiped them away and sighed softly, "Why are you crying so much?"
With such a petite frame, tears flowed freely. On the way back, his front was already soaked. He had just managed to stop them, but now they were flowing again.
Lingyi didn't speak, but looked at him with her moist eyes, filled with such dependence that even the most hard-hearted man would melt into tenderness and instantly become captivated by her gaze.
Qin Lie looked away, took a short knife from his waist, and handed it to her.
Lingyi refused to take it, so he grabbed her hand, grasped the hilt of the knife, and drew the short knife himself.
Although the scabbard and hilt look unremarkable, made of ordinary wood, the blade is as cold as autumn frost, radiating a chilling light, and is clearly extremely sharp at a glance.
Qin Lie asked, "Do you know how many people I've killed with this knife?"
Lingyi could see the image of the chief priest collapsing to the ground after his throat was pierced, so close to her, only a few steps away. When he fell, his hand brushed against her skirt and landed on her shoes.
She flinched, trying to pull her hand back.
Qin Lie refused, placing her hand on the hilt of his sword and continuing, "Not many, only twenty-seven."
Compared to the hundreds of people on the battlefield, this is nothing. However, on the battlefield, long spears, bows and arrows, or halberds are used, so there is no need for such a short blade.
Even such a small amount startled the person in her arms; she trembled even more violently, and it looked like she was about to cry again.
Qin Lie stared at her and said, "But among these twenty-seven people, none of them are without a reason not to die. They either prey on the villagers or cause harm to the local area."
There are also those who betray their faith for personal gain and harm others with underhanded tactics; there's no need to talk to them.
He placed the dagger in her hand and asked, "Tell me, should people like those they met today be killed?"
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