Lin Huaiyin's attempt to steal a chicken failed.
"Does Young Master Xie think I look like a dead man?"
Lin Huaiyin spoke slowly and deliberately, asking questions instead of answering, while secretly pouring Five Poisons Powder into the teacup, stirring it, and then turning to hand it to Xie Xincun: "Would you like some tea to clear your head and continue watching?"
"You're such a good girl." Xie Xincun was very pleased. He covered Lin Huaiyin's right hand, held her hand, and drank it all in one gulp.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and the teacup was emptied.
Lin Huaiyin stared intently, her heart pounding. There was no shyness or timidity in her eyes at being touched by a man; only the joy of successfully poisoning him!
It's that easy?
She swallowed hard, secretly marveling at how Sun Tzu had truly outmaneuvered her!
No matter how skilled Xie Xincun was in medicine, he would never have imagined that she carried poison with her.
The Five Poisons Powder is deadly upon contact with blood. If he dies from the poison, bury him in the Imperial Garden and pretend nothing happened. Lin Huaiyin plans to dig him up and burn him after she enters the palace as Empress.
If he doesn't die, Lin Huaiyin will knock him unconscious, tie him up, summon the Imperial Guards, and hand him over to her father!
Oh no, Father won't do; we need to find a way to hand him over to Xiao Zhian.
Lin Huaiyin recalled Xie Xincun's arrogant behavior in the Eastern Palace and couldn't help but fantasize about beating him up together as husband and wife, and then locking him up in a secret room.
After being locked up...
Lin Huaiyin had some bold ideas, such as establishing an organization similar to Hu Shoulin to force Xie Xincun to train her. However, before she could think about it, she saw Xie Xincun take away the teacup and put her right index finger in his mouth.
A soft, warm, and moist piece of flesh coiled around my finger like a snake, its entanglement and sucking causing the sharp canine teeth to pierce the flesh and sting the finger bone.
Pain amplifies the senses, opening up channels. An itch travels from the fingertips to the heart in an instant, a tingling, bone-chilling sensation that reaches the tailbone. Lin Huaiyin's upper body is only covered by a thin bra. Her body trembles, soft and supple, rippling with moisture.
In an instant, Lin Huaiyin felt dizzy, her waist was sore, and she couldn't muster any strength. As if possessed, she wanted to fall onto Xie Xincun.
The man's profile was handsome, with broad shoulders and a straight back. The belt accentuated his strong waist beautifully. Perhaps it would look even better if he unbuckled it and looked inside… Lin Huaiyin's eyes were glazed over, her mind wandering. Her left hand trembled as she reached for his waist, finding it firm and alluring. Her fingers eagerly slipped into the belt, the scalding heat of his body burning between the belt and her clothes. Her fingers, excited and frenzied, pushed fiercely towards the buckle…
No, no, this isn't right.
Clinging to her last shred of consciousness, Lin Huaiyin bit her tongue and furrowed her brow.
Her throat was dry and itchy, and she suddenly missed Xiao Zhian.
I really want to.
She misses Xiao Zhian's lips and fingers, and the place where her calloused fingers rubbed against her, causing her to hiss and scream in pain.
I miss him.
Lin Huaiyin misses Xiao Zhian terribly...
Lin Huaiyin had a fair complexion and peach-like cheeks, and her figure was as slender as a willow in the wind, yet her fingers possessed an eerie strength.
Xie Xincun looked down at the delicate fingers that were fiddling with his belt. It was the first time he had ever seen a young woman's affections. It was like a charming peach blossom floating in the water, its fragrance intoxicating.
The owner of the fingers is very attractive, Xie Xincun admitted.
But the secrets she holds are intriguing and even more captivating.
Before figuring out the cause of the scar, Xie Xincun really had no mind to do anything else.
He gazed at Lin Huaiyin with a smile, withdrew the silver needles that had been used to stimulate her desire, and returned her to a state of clarity.
Lin Huaiyin's pupils gradually refocused, reshaping Xie Xincun's appearance.
Sword's eyebrows were bold, Star's eyes were deep, and his gaze was ambiguous in the shadow of his thick eyelashes. Beneath his high nose bridge, his diamond-shaped lips, glistening with moisture, curved into a slight smile, and he spoke without letting up—"If there is a next time, I will take it as an invitation."
After he finished speaking, he stood up and helped Lin Huaiyin to sit up, focusing only on the injury on her back.
Lin Huaiyin was filled with shame and indignation. She wiped the fingers that Xie Xincun had licked, her mind filled with the memory of pulling at his belt and pouting as she tried to kiss him. Even though it wasn't her intention, she was still terrified that Xie Xincun had so easily manipulated her to this extent. She wiped her fingers with a heart full of fear.
"Stop rubbing." Xie Xincun took a break from his busy schedule to scold: "Who taught you to stir poison with your fingers? My [illegible] can cure all poisons. It's best to keep it until the poison is completely neutralized before washing it off."
Hearing him say that, Lin Huaiyin felt even more uncomfortable—Xie Xincun's saliva, which she couldn't see clearly, suddenly materialized on her fingers, as if it were really sticky and coated with a layer.
I'd rather die than keep something like that in my hands!
Lin Huaiyin was furious, raising her finger as if she wanted to chop it off. However, after looking at it for a while, the tightness in her finger caused by the drying saliva made her suddenly have a flash of inspiration—just now, Xie Xincun said that his [something] could cure all poisons?!
Does "can cure all poisons" mean that as long as his [specific ingredient] is present, it can cure infertility, the emperor's poison, and so on?
Is there really such a good thing?
Lin Huaiyin's eyes darted around, her resolve hardened. She was determined to squeeze every last drop out of Xie Xincun, leaving him completely drained. She quickly categorized the fluids—saliva, blood, sweat, and... well, you know...
So, the way to get him is—to get him to curse you and spit on you? To stab him and draw his blood? To make him run around until he sweats and steal his underwear? Or, no, let's forget about that for now.
The dawn came unexpectedly, but Lin Huaiyin seized it tightly, carefully planning her next move. Suddenly, she remembered she still had tears. To collect the tears, she needed a small handkerchief, but her small handkerchief…
Never mind, it got dirty because of Xiao Zhian, so I didn't bring it with me.
Moreover, Lin Huaiyin didn't think Xie Xincun would shed tears, so she simply ignored it. As she thought about it, her small chest rose and fell in Xie Xincun's eyes, like the brocade ribbon hanging from her waist, swaying back and forth.
Is the little girl getting excited again?
Xie Xincun glanced at Lin Huaiyin's profile. Her face was rosy and her eyelashes were fluttering. She was very cute, but she should stop making a fuss.
He can't hide his feelings, and he won't shed a tear until he's face-to-face. His loud and boisterous personality is completely at odds with the deadly scars on his body.
Yes, that's the feeling—a sense of incongruity—Xie Xincun gazed at her delicate face, which was overly vibrant and bright, while the scars on her back were too terrifying and cruel. The two combined to create a contradictory and disjointed feeling.
She should be dead, yet she lives in front of him.
Since she denied ever dying and not coming back to life, Xie Xincun deduced the opposite—that she was a living person, bearing the marks of the dead.
Behind the scar, there must be a dead person, Xie Xincun was very certain—that the dead person climbed onto Lin Huaiyin's back for some reason, merged into her body, and became a part of her.
So, all that's needed is to find the deceased and uncover the connection between the deceased and Lin Huaiyin, and the so-called "illness" will become self-evident. As for the cure, Xie Xincun finds it simple—it's just a matter of changing skin, a piece of cake.
But how do you find a dead person who was shot and burned in a foreign land?
Then he asked Lin Huaiyin, "Girl, who is the person who suffered this arrow wound and burns, and where did they die?"
The sudden question sent shivers down Lin Huaiyin's spine, making every hair on her body stand on end—Xie Xincun was terrifying. He firmly believed that serious injury meant certain death, that someone had died, and if it wasn't her, it was someone else. Once he confirmed the existence of a deceased person, his next step would be to connect her with the deceased and deduce even more…
In this high-stakes gamble, Lin Huaiyin only risked herself, but she was willing to bet on everything Xie Xin had. She was betting that her deepest secrets would never be discovered.
She wasn't afraid of losing, but she had to win to keep Xie Xincun, this monster, in check for the sake of the Daxing Empire.
Xie Xincun's strength far exceeded Lin Huaiyin's expectations.
Two-step bet:
First: Identify the symptoms.
Second: Healing.
I thought that the first step alone would stop Xie Xincun, but I didn't expect that his two questions would get straight to the heart of the matter and force us toward the answer.
"Don't lie to me," Xie Xincun whispered in her ear, warning her.
Knowing his capabilities, Lin Huaiyin was afraid of another round of bone-numbing torture. She dared not lie, and a sly glint in her eyes turned into a final struggle as she replied, "This is against the rules, and I have no obligation to tell you."
In fact, the entire bet was illegal because no rules were agreed upon.
For example, who makes the decision on the diagnosis of a disease? What are the standards used?
Lin Huaiyin deliberately avoided mentioning it, knowing Xie Xincun's pride; he was arrogant and conceited, and disdained such trivial matters.
Xie Xincun didn't care because he knew no one could lie to him. He had a thousand ways to verify whether Lin Huaiyin was lying. He only needed a few silver needles to find out what Lin Huaiyin wanted to know, and she would obediently spill the beans.
Now, the key information is in Lin Huaiyin's hands. Xie Xincun can tell from her eyes that she knows everything. She won't utter a word, just waiting to defeat his Hu Shoulin. She's even eager to do something to him...
That brat, how dare she have designs on him!
Xie Xincun's starry eyes sparkled. Since becoming the young master of Tiger Guard Forest, no one had offended him for more than ten years. Now, she looked mischievous, cowardly yet brave, and wanted to take advantage of him. Her cute appearance made him want to touch her.
If it weren't for the bet, Xie Xincun would have taught her the consequences of insubordination right now.
Having roamed the world for many years, Xie Xincun was used to doing whatever he pleased. But now, he had been tricked by a little girl and trapped in a gambling game. He had to admit that the little girl was something else. She was smart, cunning, and shameless. He was aroused by an interest he hadn't had in years. This girl and the scar on her back made him tremble with excitement and go crazy. When the bet ended, he would dismantle her completely and devour her piece by piece.
Now that she's keeping the secret, Xie Xincun has the patience to find out for himself.
The process of exploring and solving the mystery is far more interesting than easily getting an answer. He enjoyed it, tilting his head to touch Lin Huaiyin's forehead, and generously telling her the next direction: "Let me think. After being possessed by a dead person, you will definitely behave differently than before. I heard that you just divorced your husband. Let's go find your ex-husband and hear what he has to say."
"No, no, no, it wasn't us." Lin Huaiyin turned her face away and shook her head in refusal. "You're the one who went to find them. I have no obligation to accompany you. My parents are waiting for me to come home for dinner."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xincun briefly imagined what it would be like without her by his side. He felt a chill and immediately rejected the idea: "You have to stay by my side. You are not allowed to go anywhere."
"You're clearly not playing by the rules, are you?" Lin Huaiyin raised her chin, clicked her tongue, and shook her head. "Aren't you a miracle doctor? You've been trying for so long and it's still no use. You might as well just admit defeat. Our Crown Prince is merely one, two, three—"
Lin Huaiyin counted on her fingers: "Ten days. Our Crown Prince is so busy with state affairs. If he finds out the truth in ten days, why don't you come to me again in ten days?"
After saying that, Lin Huaiyin picked up her clothes and began to put them on.
When Xie Xincun heard her mention other men, her voice filled with admiration and her eyes shining like stars, she immediately put on her clothes without letting him see them. For some reason, an inexplicable anger suddenly flared up in his chest. Xie Xincun's gaze darkened, and his fingertips flashed with silver light. The concubines and palace maids who had been lying on the side fluttered their eyelashes and gradually woke up.
"ah!"
"Ahhh!"
"Someone come here!"
The women screamed and ran away, causing Lin Huaiyin's eardrums to bulge.
The Imperial Guards sprang into action at the first sign of trouble, shouting and marching rapidly as they drew near.
Xie Xincun leaned against the bed railing, unmoving, while Lin Huaiyin hurriedly tried to put on her clothes, but instead of finishing, she ended up with her clothes all tangled up in a mess.
As the footsteps grew louder and the Imperial Guards drew near, Xie Xincun remained unperturbed, leisurely watching Lin Huaiyin's panic. Lin Huaiyin, having no other choice and daring not to be captured within the palace, tore at her clothes and climbed onto Xie Xincun's back.
"What are you doing?" Xie Xincun remained unmoved and shook her off.
Lin Huaiyin climbed again.
At that moment, the Imperial Guards rushed forward, their swords gleaming coldly—"Who dares to trespass into the palace! Those who should not be killed will be executed without exception!"
Lin Huaiyin buried her face in Xie Xincun's nape and threatened in a low voice, "If my dad finds out, I'll pin it all on you."
A soft breath landed on the hair on the back of Xie Xincun's neck, making the hair stand on end. Xie Xincun's neck stiffened, and his breath caught in his throat for a moment. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Lin Huaiyin heard her heart pounding. Through the cold light, she leaped out of the palace gate.
——
The Eastern Palace.
Inside the Jiade Hall, stacks of books and scrolls were piled up like mountains and seas.
Xiao Zhian reviewed Hu Shoulin's old files and roughly outlined its development.
A hundred years ago, Xie Tiankuang, the ancestor of Hu Shoulin, led five thousand disciples to destroy the Liaocheng Kingdom and establish the new Liao Kingdom as a betrothal gift in order to marry Princess Yao of the Jin Kingdom. Afterwards, the couple retired to the mountains and forests to promote medicine and help the people.
However, Xie Tiankuang was skilled in both medicine and martial arts, and was also adept at killing. He was known as the "Medical Master and Battlefield Asura". His disciples inherited his title generation after generation, and the new Liao emperor also wanted to help him grow stronger. Over the past hundred years, Hu Shoulin has become a powerful force that has shaken the empire.
Before the altar of mountains and rivers, Xiao Zhian gazed at the location of Xin Liao. Hu Shoulin was personally supported by the ruler of Xin Liao, and now the young master of the Xie family is acting recklessly, kidnapping the crown princess in Daxing. He must have been running rampant in Xin Liao for a long time as well.
The State of Jin, the State of Xin Liao, and Hu Shoulin.
Upper state, vassal state, and Jianghu organization.
These three forces cannot be united.
War should not be started lightly, and the flames of war should not be brought to our own territory. Xiao Zhian decided to write a letter of pledging allegiance to the state and send envoys to the Jin and Xin Liao states in turn to invite the head of the Xie family of Hu Shoulin to come and treat his father's illness.
If the Xie family can restrain their offspring, this matter can be resolved through negotiation.
Otherwise, Xiao Zhian would have to do Hu Shoulin a favor, confirming Hu Shoulin's suspicion of colluding with powerful foreign countries, thus inciting suspicion and infighting among Jin, Xin Liao, and Hu Shoulin.
Having roughly finalized the plan, Xiao Zhian summoned Du Yu for questioning.
"After Pingyang returned to the capital, has there been any unusual activity?"
"Your Highness," Du Yu said, bowing slightly amidst the pile of books, "as you instructed, I relaxed my surveillance. Princess Pingyang's men had contact with Zhao Yanxiu today."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhian narrowed his phoenix eyes dangerously and ordered, "If Zhao Yanxiu makes any unusual moves, deal with him immediately."
"Yes." Du Yu bowed his head and accepted the order.
Remembering Lin Huaiyin's instructions, Xiao Zhian asked, "How are the arrangements for the people around the capital to meet Bai Zhizhi?"
"Your Highness, rest assured, we will do everything in our power to protect Miss Bai's life." Du Yu clasped his hands in a fist and then said, "Your Highness, Miss Mei has something that requires your approval."
"I agree, I'll take care of it for her." Xiao Zhian nodded in agreement without asking why.
Du Yu was surprised, said "Yes" and took his leave.
Outside the palace gate, Du Yu's shadow was extremely long.
As dusk settled and the sky darkened, neither Xuan Ge in the palace nor the guards outside dared to utter a sound.
Almost everyone witnessed Xie Xincun abducting people from the Eastern Palace. There was still no news of Lin Huaiyin, and none of the people who went out to look for her returned. It was as if no one in the entire capital could find her.
Xiao Zhian sat silently on his throne, knowing what it meant that no one could be found in the capital—it meant that Yinyin was in the palace.
The fact that she was in the palace without alerting the Imperial Guards indicates that the situation was not yet so dire that Yin Yin was unable to handle it.
At this time of year, the palace gates are about to be locked, and it is not advisable for the crown prince to enter the palace, but Xiao Zhian still decided to make the trip.
"I heard that the Imperial Concubine is worried about me, so I should go to the palace to express my gratitude."
Xiao Zhian stood up, descended the steps, and prepared to enter the palace.
——
at the same time.
Xie Xincun kicked open the door to another bedroom and barged inside.
The bedchamber was painted with pepper-colored walls, extremely luxurious, filled with the aroma of animal brains and gold.
Xie Xincun specifically chose this room because he felt that the previous room was too shabby and not worthy of the brat beside him. Moreover, this place had a strange atmosphere that was also attracting him.
As they walked, silver light scattered everywhere, causing the palace maids to stagger and fall. Lin Huaiyin squinted and cursed inwardly for their misdeeds.
Lifting the golden curtain, Xie Xincun intended to kick aside the concubines and send Lin Huaiyin, this little cuckoo, up there. But Lin Huaiyin took one look and laughed. The pregnant concubine inside was fast asleep.
"Consort Hui?"
It was like finding a needle in a haystack. Lin Huaiyin's face was beaming with joy. Her clothes were disheveled, but her first instinct was to grab Xie Xincun's arm. "Come quick, come quick, help me check her baby."
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