Chapter 113 Chapter 113 "The backlash of the technique is all because...
Seeing the newcomer, Li Xuanbai managed to lower his voice, "You're here."
Since she was present, he couldn't lose his composure anymore, so he ordered all the servants who were kneeling on the ground to leave, and then he went back to sit at the desk by the window.
The desk was in a mess, with memorials and bamboo slips scattered all over the table. He slowly rolled up the bamboo slips spread out on the table and threw them to the end of the bank in annoyance.
Nan Qiongshuang sighed, holding up her skirt and sitting opposite him.
Both of them were in Gu Huaijin's control and had splitting headaches. Now, they really felt sorry for each other.
Li Xuanbai grabbed the teacup and moistened his throat: "Why are you here?"
She snorted weakly: "Guess why I came."
Li Xuanbai: "Did you get tricked by him too?"
She rolled her eyes: "He recognized me."
Li Xuanbai choked while drinking his tea: "Are you sure?"
"I don't know what tricks he used to persuade the emperor, and the emperor ordered me to go back to Wuliang Mountain with him. If I go back to Wuliang Mountain with him, will I be able to come back again?"
Li Xuanbai's brows hadn't relaxed that day as he collected the memorial. "He wants to take you back to the mountain. So, do you think he recognized you?"
She was stunned for a moment. "Do you still think I'm overthinking it?"
"You're overthinking it." He took a sip of tea and sighed deeply. "It wasn't you he wanted to take to Wuliang Mountain. It was Mao Linyan."
"Noble Concubine Sheng?" The round fan in her hand slipped in surprise, and the handle hit the table with a clatter.
Li Xuanbai nodded. "Today, in Xiaole Garden, we were discussing the title of nobility for Chang Da, and we also brought up this matter. The man surnamed Gu said that this year, a magical herb was produced on Wuliang Mountain that might not appear once every fifty years. However, the herb is so precious that it must be picked by a woman with a strong Yin body, washed with mountain spring water, and then sent to the White Horse Temple to be burned with incense for three days in order to maintain its medicinal properties."
"Among the women in the palace, Mao Linyan has the most sinister destiny. So, he suggested that Mao Linyan return with him. But he didn't expect that she would be stopped by that madman."
"Emperor Jiaqing?"
"Hmm." He took another sip of tea.
If this was Emperor Jiaqing's intention, then it was probably because Emperor Jiaqing was wary of the relationship between Concubine Sheng and Chang Da, and was afraid that Chang Da would interfere and set him up.
However, the horoscope fabricated for her by the Wangshengmen could not be considered extremely yin.
"Then, that Gu said," he sneered, "If there are two or three Yin in your horoscope, it's acceptable, as long as you've received divine grace."
She blinked and took a moment to react before she understood why Li Xuanbai had that playful, sarcastic and meaningful look in his eyes.
"The rain of divine grace"?
In fact, after Emperor Jiaqing drank that bowl of medicinal wine from Chang Da, it was not only his spirit that was destroyed.
Therefore, although she was favored, she never slept with the emperor.
This was the most painful part of Emperor Jiaqing's pain points, and no one knew about it or dared to mention it except the concubines in the palace.
"So, the Emperor doesn't trust Concubine Sheng, and after so much deliberation, he just happened to pick me?"
"About that."
Nan Qiong Shuang felt her head buzzing, so she held her forehead and took a break.
Xie Deyin's identity and background were fabricated by the Wangsheng Sect. Unexpectedly, it was so indistinguishable from the real thing that the emperor trusted her, not anyone else.
But she was the one who was most unable to go back to the mountain with him.
"Don't worry. That madman relies on you, very much. If you two leave, he'll be terribly panicked, so he'll only allow you to stay in the mountain for two days. After two days, you have to leave." Li Xuanbai put down the teacup and placed his hands on the edge of the table. "A mere two days, and you can't act?"
She stroked her hair distractedly. "It's been more than just two days. I still feel—"
I still feel that he did it on purpose.
Otherwise, how to explain the aggressive knees and boot tips under the card table, how to explain the hand that supported her lower back, why he touched her fingers by taking the handkerchief, why he pinched and rubbed her wrist?
She had been pierced by his sinister gaze so many times, each time leaving her sweating profusely and her hair standing on end. Could it all have been an illusion?!
--impossible.
--but.
She couldn't tell anyone these details.
It is too subtle and trivial, only enough for two people to know it, but it is not enough to prove to outsiders, and people will laugh at you for being sentimental.
Nan Qiong Shuang rarely felt so helpless. She was so anxious that she covered her head with one hand and clenched the other into a fist, tapping her temples gently.
No matter what others say or think.
She just knew that he knew who she was.
He had set up a trap, calculating and planning every step, deceiving everyone else and leaving her speechless and unable to seek help. She had to watch helplessly as he handcuffed her ankles, dragged her away inch by inch, and locked her into his territory.
Then, he was tortured day and night without seeing the light of day.
"If I—" she began, "if he doesn't let me go in two days, for whatever reason, the Regent will urge him to release me."
Li Xuanbai looked at her headache, and his originally bad mood improved a little. He smiled, "Are you really that afraid of him? I already said that he didn't recognize you."
She was too lazy to explain and remained silent.
"How was your conversation in Laughter Paradise today? Why are you so angry when you come back?"
When this matter was mentioned, Li Xuanbai's face, which had just relaxed a little, became gloomy again. He threw the bamboo slips in his hand onto the table, making a loud noise.
"Gu insisted on giving that idiot his wish." He pulled out a brush and angrily plucked the hairs from the tip. "He was given a title of king. I disagreed. In the end, it was agreed that the rice stipend would be small and the land would be no land, similar to Monkey King's Bimawen."
"Chang Da asked for land and money. You didn't give him either, just an empty title. Who are you trying to fool?" She didn't want to discuss politics any further. She stood up and straightened her clothes. "He's been a general for so many years. How can he be dismissed so easily? Let's not make a fuss about this again."
"Then what do you say we should do?" He grew impatient, pounding the table twice with his fists. The brushes in the pen holder on the table trembled slightly. "It's not enough? Do you want more?"
"If you ask me," she lowered her eyelashes and adjusted the beads on her hairpin, "you definitely can't give him a fiefdom. As for the rice allowance, give him as much as he deserves. Maybe even more, enough that he can't refuse."
Li Xuanbai was so angry that he glared.
"But, give him a noble title, not a hereditary title." She stood up, lightly picked up the round fan on the table, and fanned it leisurely. "I will give him a title, but not an iron certificate."
Li Xuanbai frowned for a moment.
Nan Qiong Shuang smiled: "Doesn't he have a son named Chang Zhong?"
Li Xuanbai immediately understood and raised his eyebrows.
After a moment, he smiled.
He said, "He has two sons. The other one is called Chang Ping."
Nan Qiong Shuang immediately understood that he understood.
Without the iron certificate, the title could not be inherited. If the salary and rice were large, Chang Da might be tempted by the money and accept it.
If he agreed, the seeds of estrangement between father and son might be sown.
This is the only obstacle on the road to becoming the emperor, and Li Xuanbai is eager to remove it as soon as possible.
She stood up, her pink chiffon gown folded and swayed behind her like a fleeting dream.
"I am most pleased to relieve the Regent's worries. Then," she turned her head, her long eyelashes drooping, her beauty like a demon, "I will take my leave, Regent."
*
Inside Handan Palace.
Nan Qiongshuang dismissed everyone and sat down under the carved window with a book of poetry from the previous dynasty spread out in front of her, without turning a page for a long time.
Outside the carved window, all the palace maids were busy packing her luggage for the trip to Wuliang Mountain.
She sighed deeply, leaned back on the chaise longue, and closed her eyes in annoyance.
"Nan Qiong Shuang."
Wu Dao's low voice rang in her ears.
She opened her eyes: "What?"
"The door has replied."
She immediately jumped up from the chaise longue and sat up straight.
"How do you say that?"
"Command said you need to submit a letter detailing the reason for the change of assignment and your current situation. It should be clearly stated and mailed before 11:00 AM tomorrow. We will reply to you before 11:00 AM tomorrow."
She turned over and got off the bed, then sat down at the table: "I'll write now."
After half an incense stick of time, Nan Qiongshuang stopped writing and placed the brush on the inkstone beside her.
A heartfelt letter, every word of which is heartbreaking, analyzes in detail the current situation, the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy and ourselves, and the author's own strengths and weaknesses. Between the lines, it is full of worries about his own premature death and inability to serve the sect of rebirth. It is moving to read and nauseating to write.
Wu Dao took the letter and handed it to the spy in Luojing City who was in charge of communication that day.
At night, Wangshengmen replied to the letter.
Nan Qiongshuang looked at the big word "Approved" stamped on the letter and felt relieved and almost moved.
Wu Dao: "For many years, you have been almost invincible, and your capture has been effortless. Considering you a man of strong character and potential, as well as diligent and conscientious, we have granted you permission to return halfway."
"On the day you leave the palace with that man surnamed Gu, you will board the boat with him as usual. Once you're aboard, around noon, someone from inside will be sent to pick you up. Find the perfect moment to jump off the boat. The signal will be three bird calls. Once aboard, they'll change boats several times to prevent others from following you. The boatman will tell you what to do."
"After you disembark, Qinglian will disguise you for a while. Afterwards, she will fake her own death. Someone else will take over Emperor Jiaqing's mission. From now on, you will have nothing to do with the name Xie Deyin, or anyone else in the Forbidden City."
"It doesn't matter anymore."
She felt a belated dull pain in her heart, numb.
"Every boatman is an assassin from the Seven Killing Hall sent by the sect. I will follow you all the way. So, don't even think about running, Nan Qiong Shuang."
He laughed like a wild beast with bared fangs and spitting hot air:
"We all cherish talents within this sect, so please don't let them down."
Let down?
Back then, for Gu Huaijin, she was only a step away from betrayal.
There was no betrayal then, and there will be even less betrayal in the future.
She smiled: "You worry too much, I am sincere."
Wu Dao grinned grimly and disappeared.
Perhaps because Gu Huaijin couldn't wait any longer, the day of leaving the palace came very quickly.
That day, the imperial concubines from the six palaces were escorted to the Qianqing Gate of the Forbidden City. Noble Consort Sheng, dressed in elegant and luxurious attire, stood at the front of the other concubines, but when she saw her, she didn't even raise her eyes.
She knew the reason behind his arrogance clearly.
She was taken out of the palace by Gu Huaijin, and when she returned to the palace, it was likely that Concubine Sheng would be favored again.
If it were in the past, she would be worried again, tossing and turning in the middle of the night, plotting how to regain favor.
Now, she is free and has left behind all those boring fights.
Their carriage and horses went straight to the ferry.
Gu Huaijin did not bring any guards with him. Wang Maoxing once advised Emperor Jiaqing to bring some guards with him, but he declined politely, saying that too many people would be noisy when nothing happened and would be a hindrance when something happened.
She only brought Qinglian and Yuanxiang with her. Emperor Jiaqing was certain that with Gu Huaijin by her side, no scoundrel in the world could get close to her, and he feared someone might be plotting an assassination. It would be better to travel in secret to avoid being targeted by thieves.
He didn't know that she happened to be an assassin, and Gu Huaijin happened to be the thief.
The group boarded the passenger ship.
If you want to go to Wuliang Mountain, you should take the Raohe River and travel by water.
The two people's cabins were naturally not in the same place, but they were both official cabins and were very close to each other.
She liked cleanliness, so she ordered Qinglian and Yuanxiang to remove all the pillows and mats prepared in the cabin and replace the cabin with the bedding they brought with them.
Gu Huaijin had received an order from Emperor Jiaqing to protect her safety and stay by her side at all times. At this moment, he sat at the round table in her cabin and poured himself a cup of tea.
"We're on the Rao River, so crowded and distracted, I don't feel comfortable addressing you as 'Your Highness.'" He said, "I wonder what Your Highness thinks would be a more appropriate way for me to address you."
She spoke in a serious tone. She had already been blocked to this extent, and she was still pretending.
She said, "Sir, just call me Deyin."
She couldn't see his eyes, but only saw his two handsome eyebrows raised teasingly above the black silk.
"Deyin?"
He spoke with a sneer, as if mocking her for still being so clever with him even at this point.
I don’t know who is being smart.
She said with a smile: "Deyin."
"Okay. Then I'll call you Deyin."
He readily followed suit, lifted the lid and took a sip of tea.
Nan Qiong Shuang suddenly noticed that his thumb was wearing the white jade ring.
Now, no matter how frightened she had been about the jade ring, she no longer had to be afraid.
She took a stool and sat down beside him, propping her chin on her hand. "Sir, you didn't have that ring when we first met. But what's its origin?"
When talking about "the first time we met", he laughed coldly again.
"The Wuliang Mountain heirloom jade ring. The inheritor of the Wuliang Heart Method should wear it at all times, nurturing the jade with the method and the method with the jade. The higher the realm, the smoother and whiter the jade becomes."
The jade ring had become as smooth as fat, and when worn on his thumb, it made his hand look as cold and white as snow.
She smiled, "Then, this jade is already flawless and white, which shows that you have profound skills."
So what if she's very skilled? If you catch her like a mouse, you'll still have to watch her slip away right under your nose.
"A compliment to Gu?" He smiled and said softly, "Your Majesty, I'm interested."
A faint hatred and resentment filled her. She felt a little uneasy again and stopped talking.
"Perhaps you could be considered very powerful in the past. But a few days ago, the backlash was severe, and your skills have regressed a lot." He looked at her, his lips opening and closing, the corners of his lips curled up in pleasure:
"...It's all because I met the Empress."
She held her breath for two moments, her face expressionless, and swallowed.
After a moment, she said, "...Sir. I'm a little sleepy and want to rest for a while. Please leave."
*
Gu Huaijin left. Perhaps because Wuliang Mountain was his territory, more suitable for torture than the passenger ship, he felt that the time for a showdown was not yet right.
She lay on the bed, her heart pounding, unable to calm down.
She had to leave quickly. She couldn't stay here any longer.
Qinglian had already changed into her dress and was waiting by her side.
She asked, "What time is it?"
Qinglian: "It's almost noon. You should get ready quickly."
She quickly changed Qinglian's clothes and said, "I'll go wait outside the cabin. You pretend to sleep on the couch. An informant will come from inside to arrange the rest. Please proceed with caution."
Qinglian and Yuanxiang nodded: "Yes."
She dressed like a maid, squatted on the upper deck of the passenger ship, and followed some unknown young ladies from official families stealthily, pretending to be someone else's maid. She was driven away three times by different people.
Wait and wait.
Finally, three bird calls were heard in the sky.
She looked down.
An inconspicuous black-sailed boat quietly approached the side of the passenger ship. The boatman was sitting inside the awning and his face could not be seen clearly.
She lifted the corner of her clothes and looked around.
People on the boat gathered in groups of three or four to chat and enjoy the view, and the sound of people selling fruits and candies continued. No one paid any attention to this side.
She floated lightly, flipped over the railing and jumped.
Her feet landed on the stable deck. She pricked up her ears, but didn't hear the rustling of clothes behind her. She stepped into the boat awning, hiding her figure, and then dared to peek through the gaps in the bamboo strips.
No one followed.
Gu Huaijin didn't notice and didn't chase after him.
She let out a long, deep sigh of relief.
The boatman rowed with both oars, and the black-sailed boat glided away silently.
Inside the boat, petals were scattered all over the ground and there were some bloodstains on the awning.
She was no longer surprised. Within the gate of rebirth, everything was done quickly, as fast as possible, with no taboos.
It seems that a dancer once performed on this boat and threw a boat full of flower petals.
A huge stone fell from her chest, and she felt extremely happy and relieved. She sighed, sat down beside the small table in the boat, took an unused wine cup, and poured herself some wine.
Unexpectedly, when I sat down, I felt a little disappointed.
Two people who were separated by death thought they would be separated for the rest of their lives, but unexpectedly, they met again by chance.
However, when we meet again, everything has changed.
Now, she admitted that she loved him, but she also had to tell herself clearly and distinctly that it was over.
She had to admit that she had never abandoned the past that shone so brightly in her memories. The saying "forget what should be forgotten, let go of what should be let go" was just a boast she used to show off.
But the past is the past. No matter how precious it is, it is useless, just like his two natal pearls that he once treasured but now discarded.
Precious but useless things are not suitable to be kept in your heart, but to be put aside.
She lowered her eyes to look at the wine glass, watched the wine swirling in the glass, and took a sip.
——That was the most regrettable drink she had ever had in her life.
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