Chapter 50: Drunk in the Flower Shade (1) I’ll take you for a walk, and the road will be easier to walk on…
The library was kept dry year-round, so once a fire started, flames would soar into the sky. Fortunately, there was a fire brigade outside Prince Yu's mansion, and with so many people inside today, the fire was quickly extinguished.
Liu Shijun, who was trapped inside, broke the door at the last moment and jumped down from a high place. She was caught by the people standing below with a strong cloth and survived.
"Master Liu! Master Liu! It was Miss Liu who jumped down from the building!"
Everyone who arrived after Yan Huinan, including Prince Yu and Minister Liu, was stunned. Upon hearing that it was his daughter, Minister Liu desperately pushed his way through the crowd, rushing to the center of the crowd.
The thick smoke around them had not yet cleared. Liu Shijun had wounds on her body from hitting the door, as well as many burns of varying sizes. She had fallen into a coma from inhaling too much smoke, and her heartbeat was extremely weak, almost undetectable.
Xie Yun tried her best to treat her. The "Golden Chamber" recorded a method to save people from hanging, which worked on a similar principle. Liu Shiyun had inhaled too much smoke into her chest and needed ventilation assistance to restore blood circulation.
She ordered them to step aside, allowing air to circulate. After laying Liu Shiyun flat, she instructed two others to hold her shoulders steady. Xie Yun then pressed on her chest, applying continuous and rhythmic pressure for a while. After observing her condition, she continued pressing again, repeating this process. Finally, she heard Liu Shiyun cough, and her heartbeat returned. Xie Yun quickly felt her pulse, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming she was fine.
Xie Yun was already sweating profusely at this time, while Minister Liu beside her was still in shock. He rushed over to see his daughter with tears streaming down his face.
Unfortunately, the maidservant following Liu Shijun had already been engulfed in flames before they could break down the library door. Now, only a severely burned, unrecognizable corpse remained.
After Liu Shijun woke up, she was in excruciating pain all over. She saw a corpse covered with a white cloth lying not far away. She seemed to realize something and raised her hand to reach for it, but saw her own arm, which was unrecognizable and covered in hideous, bloody burns. The next second, she burst into tears and retched in disgust while crying.
The top floor of the library had become a charred ruin, with thick smoke billowing into the sky. Burnt pages and ashes drifted in the wind, but the human affairs were still unfinished. It was like a beautiful mask, the upper half of the face burned, but the lower half still smiled a mournful and strange smile.
Xie Yun could no longer bear to watch this scene. She had clearly been tricked into going there, but why Liu Shijun was there, Xie Yun had no idea. But as a woman, she could sense how desperate Liu Shijun must have felt when she saw her in this horrifying state. Perhaps she even wanted to die.
At the same time, she was terrified by what Wu Si had just said. However, she hadn't told Yan Huinan about this. She didn't dare think about her involvement in the past, thinking that she would tell Yan Huinan everything after the truth was revealed and she knew what had happened to the princess. She couldn't tell him now when everything was unclear.
Yan Huinan was standing beside her at that time. Xie Yun subconsciously held his hand, turned around and buried her face in his arms, muttering, "If I had really gone in just now... the person lying there..."
Before she finished speaking, Yan Huinan's heart suddenly stopped for a moment. He lowered his head and kissed Xie Yun's forehead. When he raised his hand, his fingers couldn't stop trembling. He suppressed the trembling of his fingers and patted Xie Yun's back gently: "No, don't think about it."
If the person lying there today is Xie Yun, then no one in the mansion will be able to leave today.
The originally joyous birthday banquet was completely ruined by an unknown fire. Minister Liu, who loves his daughter dearly, was furious at the palace and was determined to find out who tricked Liu Shijun into the library and who set the fire.
Liu Shijun pointed out each person one by one, and finally found someone in the crowd, "That's him! He was the one who told me Xie Yun went to the library!"
But that person wasn't the one who had deceived Xie Yun. She hadn't seen the man who had delivered the message among all the registered servants in the palace. Xie Yun drew a picture of the man, but the palace manager also said he had never seen him.
The man seemed to have disappeared out of thin air.
The princess was truly worried about Xie Yun. From the moment she met her, she held her hand tightly, asking questions like this and that, fearing something might have happened to her, as if she were her own daughter. "This person isn't from my family. There were so many things going on at the banquet today, and someone might have sneaked in. This is my aunt's fault. I'm already old, and it's not a birthday celebration, so it doesn't matter whether I celebrate or not. Who would have thought that a birthday banquet would cause such a big disaster?"
Xie Yun smiled and shook her head, comforting her, "This was also unexpected. Aunt, don't blame yourself. It's just that it's hard for Uncle to come out and take charge of the situation despite being injured."
This was just a small talk between Xie Yun and the princess. Minister Liu in the main hall was still waiting for Prince Yu to give him an explanation.
After an investigation, the firefighters determined that the fire was indeed arson. To prevent the books from rotting, getting damaged by insects, and rodents, the library was regularly cleaned and maintained, keeping it dry and well-ventilated. However, they discovered a small, burnt piece of tinder inside the building.
As soon as these words were spoken, Minister Liu immediately slammed the table and stood up, insisting that Prince Yu give him and his daughter a proper explanation.
Prince Yu's compensation of ten thousand taels of gold wasn't enough, so Minister Liu finally insisted that Yan Huinan marry Liu Shiyun, or else he would not relent. He must have felt that Yan Huinan respected Prince Yu, and as long as he and Prince Yu put pressure on Yan Huinan together, Yan Huinan couldn't refuse.
After all, Yan Huinan now regards Prince Yu as his father, so he will still listen to what Prince Yu says.
His daughter, whom he had raised from a young age, was well-educated, well-mannered, and both talented and beautiful. However, ever since she began to fall in love with Yan Huinan, she remained stubborn despite all attempts to dissuade him. Later, Yan Huinan married, and Minister Liu promised to find a suitable and talented young man from among the doctors in the capital.
But no matter how he tried to dissuade her, it was useless. Now that Liu Shijun's face had been burned, which family in Beijing would be willing to marry her daughter? As a father, he could only risk his reputation at this time to fight for his daughter's lifelong happiness.
But Yan Huinan refused without a second thought. "Lord Liu, I used to respect you because you were a veteran of two dynasties, upright and sensible. I never thought you would start taking advantage of your age. Let me make it clear again that I, Yan Huinan, will only have Xie Yun as my wife in this life. I will never change and will not take concubines."
When Yan Huinan said this, the princess subconsciously protected Xie Yun behind her and whispered to her, "Don't be afraid. Ziyou and your uncle and aunt will protect you."
Now alone and helpless in the capital, Xie Yun felt the warmth of her family for the first time. It was a strange and incredible feeling, as if she had suddenly returned to her carefree youth. She was overwhelmed, yet her heart was filled with a sense of security.
Although Prince Yu had fallen out of his wheelchair in the afternoon and injured his vertebrae, he still stood up to support Yan Huinan. "Lord Liu, you know that my two children are very close to each other, especially Ziyou. He has always been independent-minded. I will agree to any compensation you ask for, even if it means my palace supporting your daughter for the rest of her life. But since Ziyou is not happy about this, it is best to let it go."
In the end, the matter was settled with compensation of ten thousand taels of gold.
In the evening, the princess wanted to let Xie Yun and Yan Huinan stay in her mansion for one night. However, because they received the news about the female Gu, they needed to go to the Dali Temple and did not stay longer.
Xie Yun followed Yan Huinan as they walked out of the palace. Han Zhen held a lantern beside her. Xie Yun was so absorbed in what she was about to say that she didn't notice that Yan Huinan, who was much taller than her, turned back every two steps.
"Yan Huinan."
Yan Huinan saw Xie Yun raise her head. As soon as she looked up, she would find Yan Huinan looking at her. She said in a muffled voice: "We both know why we became husband and wife. If one day in the future, you want to take a concubine, or you want a real wife, we can divorce amicably. It's all fine."
She spoke calmly and sincerely, without anger or struggle. Perhaps because Yan Huinan saved her, she was grateful to him and wanted to heal her, or perhaps she had feelings for him.
But in Xie Yun's world, she didn't have to be with Yan Huinan. She could live well without him.
Yan Huinan had understood it a long time ago, but every time Xie Yun said something like this, it still made him feel uncomfortable.
He said "hmm" softly, then extended his hand to Xie Yun, "Do you want to hold hands?"
Xie Yun: “Hmm?”
He said, "It's dark and the road is bumpy. I'll lead you."
The road will be easier to walk on.
Xie Yun looked at him in surprise, but she slowly reached out her hand and interlocked her fingers with his. His palm was large and warm, and he held her tightly.
She was so focused on walking that she didn't notice Yan Huinan looking at her with a dejected expression as she walked with her head down. She laughed to herself and let out a breath.
Little liar.
-
Xie Yun, bearing Wu Si's message and request, followed Yan Huinan to the Dali Temple to search for Wu Yue, who had already endured countless tortures and was covered in scars. After hearing Xie Yun's words, he refused to say anything other than to hand over the female Gu. His words were as hard as iron, and his life was also as hard as iron.
Yan Huinan kept his promise and let Wu Yue leave the city. As he left, Wu Yue's staggering figure slowly disappeared into the night. Someone was waiting for him outside the city.
The next night, someone placed the inducement drug in the general's mansion.
A prescription was also attached. After reading it, Xie Yun found that it had an aphrodisiac effect, both reasonably and unexpectedly. Only when there was a large temperature difference between the human body and the outside world would the insect choose the lower temperature outside and break out of the body.
Many of these were herbs cultivated by the Miao people themselves, which Xie Yun had only seen in ancient medical texts, and which possessed detoxifying properties. There were also some that she was unfamiliar with, but these were likely the herbs that could truly awaken the female Gu.
Perhaps the female insect reacts to the smell of these medicinal herbs.
The prescription also included a sentence: "Three days and three nights"
This... Xie Yun felt her whole body heat up when she saw this. She had memorized the prescription anyway, so she was about to burn the note on the candle, but Yan Huinan, who had walked up behind her at some point, snatched it away.
He read it with an expressionless face and didn't seem to have any reaction after reading it, as if this was a very common thing in his eyes and not worth mentioning?
Aside from the wedding night, Xie Yun had never imagined that one day this would be treated as a very important ritual. She still couldn't believe that such a thing actually existed; it was simply outrageous.
Although autumn had arrived, the midday heat could still occasionally reach its peak. To ensure a cool, even slightly chilly, environment, and to draw out the poisonous insects, Yan Huinan had chosen a secret room sheltered from sunlight. This room had been renovated by Song Hongxuan after he bestowed the house upon Yan Huinan, presumably to house some of his treasured possessions. They weren't weapons or treasures, just a few large boxes. Xie Yun had no idea what was inside, but the boxes were dust-free, indicating they were well-preserved.
Yan Huinan ordered someone to take some ice from the ice cellar and put it in the ice container.
These old ices that have been frozen for a long time will not melt even if they are kept in this secret room for three days and three nights.
Xie Yun felt the cold as soon as she walked in, and now she was shivering after standing in the room for a while.
But before everything, Xie Yun still had one thing to do, which was to use a needle to prick a wound on the skin. Compared to the male Gu, the female Gu was much smaller. As long as there was a small needle hole on the skin, the female Gu was placed near the wound. After it came into contact with human body temperature, the female Gu would drill under the skin on its own. After a period of nourishment by body fluids, the female Gu would mature and emit a smell that attracted male Gu. This smell could only be perceived by the Gu insects.
When the female insect entered her skin, Xie Yun could feel a tingling sensation, similar to the pain she felt when she had her ears pierced.
After everything was ready, Xie Yun didn't know what to do next. She felt a little cold. But because they had both taken the inducer, they were now suppressing an unbearable heat in their bodies.
Even this poor bed was brought in temporarily, and there was a thin quilt on it.
Yan Huinan stood facing her, his Adam's apple rolling, and said, "Xie Yun, you can leave here at any time."
Xie Yun felt a little dizzy from the effects of the drug, but she remained able to move. She glanced at the door to the secret room. She had noticed the mechanism on the door when she entered, but Yan Huinan had now disarmed it. Indeed, if she really wanted to leave, Yan Huinan would not stop her.
But at this moment, Yan Huinan was not only the person who saved her life, but also her patient.
They had long been unable to explain who was to blame for the current situation. If she could save him but didn't, she would definitely feel uneasy.
Xie Yun withdrew her gaze from the door of the secret room. She decisively stood on tiptoe, held Yan Huinan's face and kissed his lips. She easily pried open his teeth and put her tongue in.
Yan Huinan understood her feelings and closed his eyes to respond to her kiss. He gently lifted Xie Yun up and her legs naturally wrapped around his waist.
There was silence all around, so the sound of water splashing when they were entwined and kissing, as well as the sound of heartbeats and the friction of clothes, were all particularly clear, resounding in their eardrums.
Soon, Xie Yun no longer felt cold, but instead there was an indescribable heat and desire pulling her and Yan Huinan, pulling them into the abyss.
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The author has something to say: Here I come. Please forgive me for being a bit of a nerd and writing about cheesy things. There's more to come!
And... that, that... I wonder if anyone can understand the title of my chapter
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