After reading the entire blood-written letter, Helan Ruo was completely unable to describe her feelings at that moment. She felt heartache, sadness, resentment, and anger—a complex mix of emotions.
He had thought that since Situ Yin had gone to such lengths to snatch Mu Qing away, he would at least treat her with care and attention. But now he had received a letter written in blood from Mu Qing—so much blood! How desperate she must have been to write such a letter to him!
Despite already being granted the title of Consort Chen, she has never had a good night's sleep, and is tormented by the fear of dying at Situ Yin's hands every day.
That's not all. She was also banished to the Cold Palace by Situ Yin because of a minor case of amnesia in front of the Emperor. There, she was starving and cold, and was beaten. Every night, she couldn't sleep because of the pain from her injuries. If she didn't get sick, she would be fine, but if she did, she would only face death.
Helan Ruo could hardly believe that such an experience would befall Mu Qing, who had once laughed so proudly and arrogantly.
He seemed to see her, who was once so proud, suddenly broken by these hardships, curled up on the ground, just to beg for a chance to live!
Thinking of this, Helan Ruo, her eyes bloodshot, clenched the blood-stained book tightly in her hand.
Just then, there was a knock on the door of his study. Since the door was not closed, Tang Ning walked in with a smile, carrying a tray.
Helan Ruo immediately lowered her head, and then, for reasons unknown, she subconsciously hid the blood-written letter in her sleeve.
Tang Ning clearly saw He Lanruo hide something in her sleeve, but she pretended not to notice and smiled as she placed the tray on He Lanruo's desk. "Mother instructed the kitchen to stew some ginseng and black chicken soup for us. I've already finished mine. Here, this is yours."
"Okay, you can put it here."
He Lanruo said this in a muffled voice.
Unexpectedly, the next second he suddenly felt Tang Ning's hand press against his forehead.
Even though she hadn't done anything wrong, Helan Ruo was still startled because of her guilty conscience.
He suddenly looked up and met Tang Ning's worried gaze.
"Zichu, are you alright? You sound a little off. Could it be that the weather has changed so quickly these past few days and you've caught a chill? Should I call a doctor over now to check your pulse?"
As Tang Ning was anxiously turning around, she was suddenly grabbed by the arm by the other party.
"No need, no need to call a doctor, I'm fine, really fine, I'm perfectly alright, you don't need to worry so much."
He Lanruo hurriedly said.
"Really?"
Tang Ning was still somewhat uneasy.
"It's real, realer than pearls. I see it's getting late, you should go back to sleep first. I still have some things to take care of here, don't wait for me, okay?"
He Lanruo, holding Tang Ning's hands, said this earnestly.
Seeing him like this, Tang Ning smiled and then suddenly stretched out her arms and hugged his lean waist, gently rubbing her cheek against his chest. "Okay... Also, no matter what difficulties you encounter, you can tell me, okay? After all, we are husband and wife, right?"
Hearing this, Helan Ruo's eyes flickered slightly, "Tang Ning..."
"Um?"
"...It's getting late and the dew is heavy. You've never been feeling well. If possible, ask Chun Tan and the others to make you some hot water to soak your feet before you go to sleep. That way, you'll keep your body warm."
Even though the honest words were already on the tip of her tongue, when Helan Ruo finally spoke, they turned into something completely unrelated: concern for Tang Ning's health.
After all, if he really decided to rescue Mu Qing from the cold palace, it would be a serious crime of deceiving the emperor. For Tang Ning's sake, the less she knew, the better.
He stretched out his arms and hugged Tang Ning tightly, burying his face in her hair.
But he couldn't bear to watch Mu Qing, who had saved his life, suffer or even die.
But that's all there is to it.
Even if Mu Qing is rescued by him, he will not have anything else happen with her.
Although Tang Ning married him due to various coincidences, he had to take responsibility for her after marrying her; otherwise, what difference would there be between him and Situ Yin?
Regardless of whether Mu Qing can be rescued by him, He Lanruo will only have one wife in his life, and that is Tang Ning.
Helan Ruo hugged Tang Ning even tighter.
"Alright, go back now. I'll be back in a bit after I finish this."
He said this in a hoarse voice.
"Um."
Tang Ning, held in He Lanruo's arms, nodded vigorously.
Soon, Tang Ning left the study and walked down the lit corridor of the Duke's mansion. With a casual glance back, she seemed to still see the light shining from He Lanruo's study.
The night breeze ruffled the hair behind Tang Ning's ears, and she squinted slightly.
Actually, she didn't need to look to know what Helan Ruo was hiding. After all, not long ago he came back with a look of curiosity and told her about a person in the North District who could even change his face.
She remembered it perfectly clearly: in the story, not long after he met this face-changing martial arts master, he received a distress letter from Ji Muqing, and then…
It seems she won't be staying in the Duke of Guo's mansion for long.
Judging from Helan Ruo's act of concealing the letter, it's clear that he's unlikely to actually change his face, given his current level of goodwill. However, he would definitely find an opportunity to smuggle Ji Muqing out of the Cold Palace.
Even after entering the palace, Ji Muqing hadn't damaged her image in Helan Ruo's heart. Plus, there was the life-saving grace she had once received. Now that she was suffering in the cold palace, Helan Ruo, if she were a man, probably wouldn't be able to sit still.
He might still naively think that as long as he can rescue Ji Muqing from the cold palace, he can abandon her and live a good life with her as his wife.
It's a pity that, judging from the original plot, this Miss Ji is probably not as indifferent to fame and fortune as she seems, and she would not easily let go of a big tree like Helan Ruo, whom she can cling to.
In short, she wanted to live, but not in poverty and misery, living in anonymity.
They're definitely going to cause trouble.
What's more, there's also Situ Yin, whose thought process is completely different from ordinary people, watching him like a hawk.
It can be said that as long as Helan Ruo chooses to rescue Ji Muqing from the cold palace, it means that he has embarked on a dead end without looking back, a dead end where he and she have no choice but to separate.
It's a pity, she was clearly quite happy living in the Duke of Guo's mansion.
After thinking this through without a care in the world, Tang Ning slowly walked towards the courtyard where she and He Lanruo lived.
Three days later, Ji Muqing, who was in the cold palace, finally received a reply from Helan Ruo. With the idea of knowing yourself and your enemy, she deliberately played the victim to her grandfather, Prime Minister Ji, and inquired about the various things between Helan Ruo and his new wife.
Suppressing her joy and anticipation, Ji Muqing took a deep breath and opened Helan Ruo's message. As she read it, the corners of her mouth slowly, slowly fell, and her eyes changed from excitement and anticipation to complete darkness.
Well, Helan Ruo promised to rescue her, and even guaranteed her the timeframe, saying she would definitely rescue her within three days, and asked her to endure for two more days.
But she wanted more than just to be rescued. Hadn't she already arranged for the face-changing expert that her grandfather and uncle knew to deliberately appear in front of Helan Ruo? She trusted her grandfather's abilities; Helan Ruo must have encountered that person before.
But why did he not mention this person at all in his reply?
In other words, Helan Ruo was willing to risk her life to rescue her, but she never even considered changing her face.
She remembered clearly how much Helan Ruo liked her and how much she couldn't let her go. Even after entering the palace, she could tell from her grandfather's words that Helan Ruo hadn't let go of her for a single day in the past three years.
Now that he has this opportunity to be with her legitimately, he hasn't gone in the direction she imagined. What does that mean?
This means that Helan Ruo has changed her mind.
He missed her, but he preferred his new wife. Even after encountering this extraordinary person who could switch faces, he instinctively didn't want to harm his wife. So, he probably never even entertained the thought of swapping his face with hers.
Thinking of this, Ji Muqing's hand clenched the letter tightly, and she closed her eyes tightly.
Then she quickly put down Helan Ruo's letter and patiently read the message her grandfather had sent her.
She looked at the records compiled by Prime Minister Ji, detailing the loving relationship between Helan Ruo and his wife, Qin Tangning, and how Helan Ruo had even emptied half of the Jin Yu Xuan restaurant just to make her smile…
The more Ji Muqing looked, the more her hands trembled.
As she read on, she didn't even want to continue. A flash of resentment crossed her eyes, and without thinking, she crumpled the letter in her hand into a ball. The more she crumpled, the more gloomy her eyes became.
Helan Ruo was only willing to rescue her, but after rescuing her, he might leave her to fend for herself, living like a rat that couldn't see the light of day.
who is she?
She is Ji Muqing.
She absolutely refused to live such a wretched life!
Because for her, that's not living.
It's just barely clinging to life.
Helan Ruo wants to abandon her? For the sake of his newlywed wife, abandon her?
Staring at a palm-sized stone in the corner, Ji Muqing slowly stood up, bent down to pick it up, weighed it in her hand, and suddenly smiled gently.
Then, with a fierce look in her eyes, she raised the stone and smashed it hard against her forehead. Her vision went black, and she staggered, blood flowing directly from the wound on her forehead.
Now let's see if Helan Ruo can really let her go.
Ji Muqing thought to herself with a slight upturn of her lips.
Almost simultaneously, Situ Yin, who had learned from his guards in his own palace what Ji Muqing had done, was slightly taken aback, but then couldn't help but slap the table and burst into laughter.
That's interesting.
How come he never knew that his Consort Chen was so interesting?
She always acted like a quail in front of him, but I never expected her to be so ruthless when facing Helan Ruo.
It seems she knows what it means to assess the situation, and she knows that even if she smashed her own head in front of him, or even if she slit her throat right in front of him, he probably wouldn't even blink an eye.
Ji Muqing's unexpected behavior made Situ Yin immediately look forward to how Helan Ruo and Tang Ning would respond.
Seriously, it's been a long time since I've encountered something so interesting.
Situ Yin narrowed his eyes slightly.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
With Situ Yin's deliberate leniency, He Lanruo's smuggling of Ji Muqing out went surprisingly smoothly.
Hearing from the people he had arranged that Ji Muqing had been rescued and settled in the courtyard he had specially prepared for her, He Lanruo breathed a deep sigh of relief, as if he had accomplished a great task.
However, he soon noticed that something was off about his subordinate's expression.
"Is there anything else?"
He Lanruo frowned and asked this question.
He did not choose to see Mu Qing, even though Tang Ning was unaware of it. He did not want to see Mu Qing without her knowledge, because that would always make him feel like he was betraying Tang Ning.
Hearing from his subordinates that Mu Qing seemed very strange, and that He Lanruo, who was even repeatedly asking to see him, frowned even more.
Left with no other choice, Helan Ruo could only step into the small courtyard where Ji Muqing was being housed, her emotions a complex mix of feelings.
As Helan Ruo pushed open the door, before she could even decide how to face Ji Muqing, whom she hadn't seen for three years, a dark figure suddenly rushed into her arms like the wind.
In an instant, Helan Ruo froze. After regaining his senses, he quickly reached out and supported the shoulders of the person in his arms.
After helping her to her feet, Helan Ruo finally got a clear look at Ji Muqing's appearance. Although it was still the same face as three years ago, it was pale and thin. That was not all; her forehead was wrapped in a tattered cloth that was seeping blood.
Before He Lanruo could even ask about her injuries, his eyes widened in disbelief, he saw Ji Muqing reach out and affectionately hug his arm, her eyes filled with accusation and resentment.
"Zichu, why did it take you so long to pick me up? That place was really scary. I was so hungry, but I couldn't find anything to eat. I finally managed to get some food, but it was immediately snatched away. They... they kept throwing stones at me, and they kept throwing them. It hurt so much, I cried from the pain, but they kept throwing them."
"Why didn't you come pick me up sooner? Don't you like me the most? How could you send me to a place like that? I almost didn't make it back! If I didn't come back, you wouldn't see me anymore. Let's see how worried you are!"
As she spoke, Ji Muqing looked at Helan Ruo in front of her with exceptionally clear eyes.
Even... even somewhat childish.
At this moment, the disbelief in Helan Ruo's eyes became even more obvious.
Why would Mu Qing speak to him like that? Even three years ago, she had never spoken to him like that.
She looks somewhat like... her younger self.
Just as he thought of this, Helan Ruo's gaze fell on the wound on Ji Muqing's forehead, and soon, an unbelievable thought appeared in his mind.
"Mu Qing, how old are you now?"
He Lanruo asked this question, enunciating each word clearly.
"Why do you call me Muqing? That's strange. You always call me Jiaojiao, don't you?" Ji Muqing asked with some confusion. Then she raised her little face and smiled. "You even asked me how old I am. Nine years old? My birthday just passed, have you forgotten? Also, why do you look so different? But it doesn't matter. No matter what you look like, I can recognize you as my Zichu at a glance!"
Upon hearing the words "nine years old," Helan Ruo felt a buzzing in her head, and she couldn't even hear what was said afterward.
Yes, before they were nine years old, they called each other by their nicknames because they were close friends.
One day, Mu Qing suddenly told him with a very serious expression that Jiao Jiao was her given name and that he was not allowed to call her that anymore, otherwise she would never talk to him again.
Helan Ruo had no choice but to change it.
But now, now...
Half an hour later, Helan Ruo looked at the Huichuntang doctor standing in front of her, who had just finished taking Ji Muqing's pulse through the curtain. She learned directly from him that Muqing's head must have suffered a heavy blow three days ago, and because it was not treated in time, it had ended up in its current state.
She thought she was only nine years old, and that the heavy blow three days ago must have caused her to forget the memories of these past years.
Such symptoms are very complex; she might remember them tomorrow, or it might take a year and a half, or even longer...
"You'll never remember it in your entire life, right?"
He Lanruo's voice was terribly dry.
That's right.
The senior doctor, who was on a house call, stroked his beard and nodded in agreement.
Upon hearing this, Helan Ruo subconsciously looked at the tightly closed curtain in front of her, and with a wave of her hand, she ordered her men to send the old doctor from Huichuntang out.
No sooner had the old doctor left than Ji Muqing immediately peeked out from behind the curtain.
"Zichu, I've been hiding for so long, why haven't you come looking for me yet? Oh dear, you've seen me! No, I need to find another place to hide!"
As she spoke, Ji Muqing immediately jumped off the bed and headed straight for the cabinet outside the bedroom.
As soon as she hid inside the closet, the corners of her mouth slowly curled up.
Only after Helan Ruo searched around and opened the cabinet door did she rush towards him with a look of surprise and joy, "Ah, Zichu, you found me! You're so amazing!"
Ji Muqing smiled with childlike innocence.
After playing hide-and-seek with nine-year-old Ji Muqing for quite a while, Helan Ruo finally returned to the Duke of Guo's mansion in a daze, under the watchful gaze of Ji Muqing's red eyes.
Almost as soon as he stepped into his courtyard, he instinctively and bewilderedly pulled Tang Ning into his arms.
He didn't know what to do.
Why, why did Mu Qing end up like this?
How could he possibly let go of it?
What should he do?
Perhaps, perhaps he could write to Prime Minister Ji. He had heard Mu Qing mention more than once that Prime Minister Ji had always doted on her, and perhaps he would be willing to take care of his granddaughter.
Just as Helan Ruo was thinking about these random things, Tang Ning immediately smelled the scent of another woman on him. Not only that, she also saw a long, thin strand of hair on his shoulder that didn't belong to her.
That's really interesting.
She might not have made any connection to anyone else, but with Ji Muqing, who was scheming and plotting to send the original owner to her death in the story, Tang Ning was absolutely certain that the other party was provoking her.
Logically speaking, given how much Helan Ruo likes her now, he shouldn't be entangled with other women, even if that woman is Ji Muqing.
But now Helan Ruo has returned with this fragrance all over her body, and even has a strand of hair on her shoulder.
It's obvious that something must have happened to Ji Muqing, something that Helan Ruo couldn't just abandon her for the time being.
What is it?
Injured? Seriously ill? Or...amnesia?
After all, if she pretends that nothing has happened in the past few years, and she is still living in the past of her love with Helan Ruo, it would be best if she were a little more immature and naive. Even if Helan Ruo wanted to let go, she probably wouldn't be able to!
On the other end, she originally wanted to talk to Tang Bao, but when she saw Tang Ning hit the bullseye with the little system, she swallowed nervously.
Upon glancing at 54088's surprised and stunned expression floating beside her, Tang Ning raised an eyebrow in her mind.
She guessed right.
It seems that Helan Ruo is stuck with a very sticky plaster, and she won't be able to get rid of it anytime soon, or rather, for the rest of her life.
Meanwhile, having made up his mind, Helan Ruo immediately began writing letters to Prime Minister Ji behind Tang Ning's back. Unfortunately, he wrote several letters but received no response. Unwilling to give up, he eventually went to the teahouse that Prime Minister Ji frequented to wait for him.
He dismissed his attendants and then told him righteously that he only had one granddaughter, the Consort Chen in the palace, and that the woman Helan Ruo mentioned had no relation to his granddaughter whatsoever. Did you understand?
After hearing his words, Helan Ruo immediately understood what he meant: even if he helped Mu Qing escape from the dangerous Cold Palace, Prime Minister Ji would never acknowledge her. Not only would he not acknowledge her, but the entire Ji family would not acknowledge her either.
What a cunning old fox Ji Xiang is! Even if he knew about something as serious as this that could cost him his head, he would only pretend not to know. If His Majesty pursued the matter later, he could still claim ignorance and be exempt from punishment.
Just then, Helan Ruo, who was filled with despair by Ji Xiang's "righteous and indignant" attitude, received another message. Because he had been in contact with Ji Xiang for the past few days, he had not had time to go to the courtyard. His people told him that Ji Muqing had not eaten for several days because she had not seen him, and no one could get close to her. She kept calling his name.
Upon hearing the news, Helan Ruo hurriedly ran towards the courtyard.
Chunmian, who had been sent out by Tang Ning to buy snacks at almost the same time, turned around and saw her young master running past her with a pale face.
Before she could even call out to him, Helan Ruo disappeared around the corner.
With no other option, Chunmian headed towards the Duke's mansion.
Before she could even take a step, she suddenly remembered that before she left, Tang Ning seemed to have told her that if she unexpectedly ran into the young master outside, she could let him know so he could come back early. The princess had ordered the kitchen to prepare hot pot today, so the family could have a good meal together and not stay out too late.
Thinking of this, Chunmian no longer cared about returning to the Duke's mansion and turned around to chase after the direction Helan Ruo had just left.
Chunmian was always quick on her feet, and after chasing for a short while, she saw Helan Ruo, who was running ahead of her, suddenly enter an alley. She hurriedly followed.
"Small……"
Just as Chunmian happily uttered a sound after turning a corner, she saw Helan Ruo suddenly push open the gate of a house, and then a smiling, delicate woman jumped out and rushed up to hug him.
Perhaps fearing discovery, the courtyard gate was quickly closed from the inside, and no one knew what would happen inside.
In just one glance, the roasted chestnuts in Chunmian's hand rolled all over the ground.
At roughly the same moment, Tang Ning, who was sewing a cloak for He Lanruo with Chun Tan's help, suddenly felt a light prick on her hand from the needle.
"Madam, are you alright?"
Seeing this, Chun Tan quickly put down the embroidery frame in her hand, came to Tang Ning's side, and held her hand to ask.
"It's nothing, just a prick, it's nothing serious."
Tang Ning smiled gently.
Hmm, Chunmian should have already discovered that Helan Ruo is keeping a mistress outside. Unlike Chun Tan, who is better at keeping secrets, she will definitely reveal everything to her soon.
If Ji Muqing wants to take it, then he should.
He's just a man; consider it a gift to her.
Anyway, she won't be staying here for long. However, she still wants to take these two cute little girls with her. Situ Yin shouldn't be so stingy, right?
Tang Ning smiled even more gently.
The author has something to say: I just want to say that Ji Muqing is a ruthless person, much more cunning than Qin Qianqian.
Then, the departure will probably be a bit heartbreaking, but you guys should be used to it by now, right?
I feel that He Lanruo is the most innocent (and foolish) character in the entire chapter.
Everyone around me is ruthless.
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