Chapter 35 Corner Fourth Sister, would you be willing to help me?
Zhao Liangxu was drowsy as the carriage jolted along, unable to see clearly what was inside. It was already a feat that she was able to stay awake at all.
The woman, dressed as a married woman, took out a jade bottle, poured water from the bottle onto her hand, and then flicked her hand towards the four corners of the carriage, causing water droplets to splash everywhere.
The contents of the jade bottle were unknown, but the smell was even more pungent, masking the woman's rich fragrance.
She peeled off the mask from her face.
It turned out to be a human skin mask. No wonder she was so fearless in the teahouse. Even Chun and Xiao Chengzi were not afraid when they saw her face.
The woman lifted the curtain and spoke to the person driving the carriage.
Zhao Liangxu's ears felt as if they were covered with a sticky ointment, and she could only hear the woman's voice and the man's voice on horseback appearing and disappearing, making it difficult to catch and hear them clearly.
She pinched her palm hard, trying to regain her senses.
Zhao Liangxu blinked as hard as she could to make out the figure outside the curtain.
The two people were sitting outside the carriage...
He was carrying weapons...and the weapons looked familiar...
Sunlight shone on the blade, then reflected off the smooth, cold white edge into Zhao Liangxu's already clouded eyes.
This weapon... isn't it the same sharp blade that was hanging in the weapon shop earlier?
Those two were none other than the refugee brothers that Xia had gone to teach a lesson to!
This thought struck Zhao Liangxu's mind like a giant bell, its dull thud sending chills down her spine.
The woman in the carriage turned around again and was surprised to find that Zhao Liangxu was still forcing herself to stay awake.
She looked down at Zhao Liangxu, her mouth opening and closing.
"Your Highness... I found you... You haven't fainted yet... Why did you do this..."
What are you saying? I can't hear you.
Zhao Liangxu was unusually irritable. Her nails had grown a bit in recent days. Although they were neatly trimmed, the tips were still very thin.
Her hand was hidden in her sleeve, and she slid it forcefully against the inside of her forearm.
The stinging sensation when her fingers touched something damp made her much more alert.
The pungent smell still lingered in the carriage, which conveniently masked the faint odor of blood.
Zhao Liangxu kept her head down, ignoring the woman's gaze, but she still listened attentively to what the woman was saying. The woman was nearing the end of her sentence: "His Highness the Crown Prince needs the Fourth Prince's help. If you are obedient, His Highness the Crown Prince will not harm you."
So those two refugees who have become so plump and robust are actually following Zhao Chengxin?
I don't know how Zhao Chengxin could accept such a useless subordinate.
Even before they officially met, Zhao Liangxu already felt a growing dislike for Zhao Chengxin.
The smell lingered in the carriage for a long time. Zhao Liangxu's eyes cleared a little due to the pain, but she still pretended to be on the verge of falling asleep.
The carriage traveled for a short while before arriving at its destination.
Zhao Liangxu's hands were bound with rope, her hands clasped together in front of her abdomen, and she was pushed off the carriage by the woman.
The woman still thought Zhao Liangxu was in a dreamlike state, and Zhao Liangxu acted as if she were in a dream.
This place is a bit far from the teahouse we just visited, and even somewhat close to the edge of the capital.
It wasn't exactly a quiet place, but it was certainly secluded. The houses next to it were all owned by merchants, and they were in the most remote courtyard. So, they didn't seem out of place among the wealthy commoners.
It was simply that outsiders thought another small merchant had entered the capital, looking for business opportunities and a way out.
As Zhao Liangxu got out of the car, the eyes of the two vagrants next to her licked her entire body.
She unconsciously clenched her fist. The cut from her fingernail was still shallow, but the pain from the tear in her flesh was intense enough for Zhao Liangxu to regain consciousness. Such a shallow wound would stop bleeding quickly if left to bleed.
But as she exerted force with her arm, blood broke through the wound again.
Zhao Liangxu, her eyes glazed over, lowered her head slightly.
Fortunately, the blood hadn't soaked into my sleeve yet.
When she met Zhao Chengxin, Zhao Liangxu admitted that she admired his courage.
Such a bandit leader, the infamous crown prince of the fallen Northern Zhou dynasty, actually dared to venture deep into the capital.
Under the emperor's nose, within a hundred miles of the capital, were the emperor's elite personal guards and the victorious Zhou general's army.
I really don't know if Zhao Chengxin was incredibly bold in seeking wealth and fortune through danger, or simply too foolish to understand the depths of the water.
"Lu Ming, wake her up."
Zhao Chengxin rested one elbow on the armrest of the chair beneath him, his hand slightly clenched into a fist and pressed against his cheek.
As expected of those from the same lineage as Zhao Liangxu, the faces of the Northern Zhou royal family are all bright and flamboyant.
Zhao Chengxin had deep-set eyes and long, bright eyes and brows, making him look like a cold, arrogant, and wild nobleman at first glance. Having been immersed in the position of crown prince for many years, he possessed an inescapable arrogance of a superior.
Even though he had been on the run for a long time.
Lu Ming, the woman disguised as a married woman, handed Zhao Liangxu a porcelain bowl. The woman, who was in a daze and talking in her sleep, accepted whatever was given to her and did whatever she was told to do.
Zhao Liangxu obediently took the bowl of medicine, but "accidentally" knocked it over.
After all, her hands were still tied, so why should a dreamer be expected to be so clear-headed and efficient?
Seeing this, Lu Ming clicked her tongue, gestured to Zhao Chengxin, and then took another bowl of medicine, pretending to pour it directly into Zhao Liangxu's mouth.
Zhao Liangxu dodged Lu Ming's overbearing stance, no longer pretending, and directly addressed Zhao Chengxin, who was sitting on the main seat of the court: "Your Majesty, it's been a long time."
"She's your own sister after all, why are you treating me so cruelly?"
Lu Ming's eyebrows twitched; she had no idea when Zhao Liangxu had woken up!
"Hahaha, as expected of the Northern Zhou royal family, Fourth Sister actually didn't fall asleep under the influence of the Moon-Inducing Incense on the first try, and even managed to wake up on her own!"
Zhao Chengxin's taciturn demeanor vanished in the blink of an eye, and he laughed loudly, marveling repeatedly.
This was the first time Zhao Liangxu had spoken with her elder brother, the emperor. Previously, her memories were fragmented, and at that time she only thought Zhao Chengxin was an ambitious fool.
Having experienced the destruction of his country and the loss of his family, Zhao Liangxu thought he would at least become more gloomy and stubborn.
Looking back now, the first sentence I uttered gave the illusion of being from a carefree young person.
He was no longer worried that his sister had a way to get rid of the incense, nor was he afraid that Zhao Liangxu was pretending to be bound. Instead, he laughed happily and praised the Northern Zhou royal family for their excellent physique.
Months of fleeing haven't made him any better, and even the smooth and considerate person he remembered has faded away? Has he gone mad?
"Come, let my fourth sister sit down and rest."
Zhao Liangxu sat down unceremoniously on the chair that was offered to her, her hands still bound.
"Fourth sister, do you know I will rescue you from that predicament?" Zhao Chengxin asked, shifting his posture and leaning forward.
Zhao Liangxu carefully examined Zhao Chengxin, but did not answer his question directly: "I never expected that my brother would be so benevolent as to come all the way to the capital."
After all, there were several pairs of vigilant eyes watching around, so Zhao Liangxu had to soften her tone first.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengxin raised his voice and said with a smile, "Fourth Sister is naturally someone I value." He then sighed, "Fourth Sister, do you know how long I have missed you? When I heard that you were sent to that powerful eunuch's mansion, I was heartbroken. And when I heard that you actually saved the Emperor of Southern Zhou and were able to freely enter and leave the palace, Fourth Sister, you truly deserve to have been a hostage in Southern Zhou for so many years, yet you are so at ease there."
What does it mean to be like a fish in water? Zhao Liangxu almost laughed.
It seems he hasn't become a reckless prince who only knows how to laugh; he has indeed gone a bit mad.
His tone became increasingly cold and venomous. His former shrewdness had been tempered by the fall of the country, and his temper was now unpredictable.
"Does Your Majesty not know why I saved the Emperor of Southern Zhou?"
His bodyguards acted without authorization. How should he respond now? Or is it that he actually ordered them to act without authorization?
Zhao Chengxin paused for a moment after speaking, then grinned and said, "The secret guard is valuable enough. Although he doesn't obey orders, he still conveyed my thoughts, didn't he? Fourth Sister should have had a premonition when she was rescued today."
He said sarcastically, "Fourth sister, do you dislike me? I saved you, don't you know how to be grateful?"
Zhao Chengxin's words were like knives, threatening to reduce someone to the lowest of the low. He used sarcastic remarks like "like a fish in water" to accuse someone of being "ungrateful." If it were the Zhao Liangxu from before, she would probably be both angry and annoyed, feeling stifled but unsure how to respond.
But Zhao Liangxu wasn't going to indulge him. She coldly replied, "What kind of rescue is this? Your men have no respect for me at all. They kidnapped me like I was an object. If you said you were going to rescue me, why did it take so long before you suddenly sent someone to take me away without even sending me a message beforehand?"
She continued, "Even going back to the day the city fell, my brother abandoned me without hesitation, leaving me to fend for myself alone. He was so arbitrary and decisive. When I was all alone and helpless, did he ever think of saving me?"
"Furthermore, Your Majesty, you've ventured deep into the capital of Southern Zhou, yet you only feel that I'm in dire straits while you are not?"
Zhao Chengxin looked horrified, his mask appearing as if it had been shattered.
His extreme joy and sorrow made him seem quite neurotic.
Zhao Liangxu thought to herself, but seeing Zhao Chengxin's changed expression, she said angrily, "How can you say that, Fourth Sister? We are of the same blood, and our honor and disgrace are one. How could I abandon you? It is the circumstances that force me to do so, not my true feelings."
Zhao Chengxin looked displeased, but after a moment of thought, he calmed down and finally said, "Is it the way everyone around you is making you unhappy? I know you were upset that day, and I understand that you were a bit sharp-tongued when you were on edge." He gave Zhao Liangxu an excuse.
He waved his hand to dismiss everyone: "You may all leave, so that I may have a proper talk with my fourth sister."
After everyone else left, Zhao Chengxin left the main seat and walked towards Zhao Liangxu.
“It pains me to see my fourth sister suffer,” Zhao Chengxin said earnestly, appealing to her emotions.
"I've heard that Fourth Sister hasn't had a good time with the eunuchs either. That makes sense. Even though you've been a hostage in Southern Zhou for many years, you're still not a citizen of Southern Zhou. Northern Zhou is our homeland. Since Fourth Sister and I are of the same lineage, she should help me restore my country!"
The room was empty, and Zhao Chengxin's voice sounded somewhat loud. He paced around the room with great enthusiasm, occasionally waving his fist: "Fourth Sister's status is now perfect. Your Royal Brother urgently needs your help. What do you think, Fourth Sister?"
Zhao Chengxin was in high spirits. He extended one hand as an invitation and asked Zhao Liangxu with a smile.
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Author's Note: A storm is brewing, and Eunuch An will be present in the next few chapters (mmm).
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