Chapter 110 Honesty
Xiao Qing asked many questions, including whether the Grand Tutor had made an agreement with them to put on such a show in front of her; whether the Grand Tutor was using some kind of drug to control them, and so on.
However, the answer Ma Hong gave in the end was not quite what she had imagined.
Although Fu Mingyi did intervene in the matter of whether they were willing to serve Xiao Yan, he did not actually use drugs to control Ma Hong and the others.
Regarding Ma Hong's illness and the medicine the Grand Tutor gave him, Ma Hong gave a different answer.
As mentioned before, although the Southern Palace has always had martial attendants, their numbers have been decreasing. The martial attendant system has become a mere formality, and the martial attendant lineage has been passed down through private master-disciple instruction. In the eyes of the orthodox martial attendants of the Northern Yongxiao Palace, this is no longer recognized.
However, although these people were not recognized, the Great Xiao Dynasty began to control them from the very first day they entered the palace.
While male palace attendants could leave the palace once they reached the age of twenty, for military attendants, leaving the palace without being chosen by their master and kept by his side meant certain death. The Great Xiao Dynasty never allowed any military attendant to leave the palace alive.
Ma Hong couldn't pinpoint exactly when he became controlled by the drugs. He had tried many explanations, but each time he was disappointed. The drugs they received were exactly the same as those given to other ordinary palace servants, but for these martial servants, the period around age twenty became particularly difficult.
It started with pain all over his body, with his knees and back being the most painful. So he always hunched over, and the pain in these areas would become even worse on rainy days.
Finally, he thought it might be related to the martial arts they practiced. Perhaps it was the combined effect of their martial arts training and the medicine they took that made the ordinary palace servants fine, but these martial arts servants were in great pain.
If Fu Mingyi hadn't found him and asked him to serve the young emperor, he felt he would have died alone and miserable outside the palace, just like his master.
Fu Mingyi gave him hope. And having stayed by Xiao Qing's side for so long, he truly felt that this hope was within his grasp.
Surprisingly, Xiao Qing admitted that he and Liu Yi were by his side, but did not give him any medicine.
This terrified them.
So when Fu Mingyi later found him and offered him the antidote as bait, expressing her hope that he would go to Xiao Yan's side, he couldn't say that he wasn't tempted at all.
However, he did not expect that Liu Yi overheard their conversation and expressed his desire to go to Xiao Yan's side before he could.
Even though Fu Mingyi told Ma Hong that Xiao Qing was unaware of the matter of bestowing medicine, and had explicitly or implicitly suggested that he request medicine from Xiao Qing, Xiao Qing's attitude towards Ma Hong was already very cold and even disgusted at that time.
The physical pain became increasingly unbearable for Ma Hong, and the psychological disappointment made him even more disheartened, which led to the current situation.
It's no lie that Ma Hong stayed by Xiao Qing's side with the mindset of certain death.
Xiao Qing sighed and said frankly, "I really didn't know about the medicine. If you had told me from the beginning, even if I didn't have the medicine, I would have asked the Grand Tutor for it. It's a matter of life and death, how could I not care? Now, you can take the antidote."
Ma Hong shrank his neck uneasily and remained silent.
Xiao Qing grew anxious. "Speak!"
Ma Hong then said, "Before, at Tianyin Temple, I knew I had failed in my duty and didn't want to... Later, the Grand Tutor bestowed medicine upon me, and I... I used a little of it."
"How much is 'a little'? Is it effective? How long does it last?"
"It should last for a few more days without any problem."
Xiao Qing's face darkened.
"What about the remaining antidote?"
Ma Hong felt both touched and helpless. "It's ruined."
Xiao Qing's eyes widened.
No wonder Jueyin said he was a dying man. Isn't that courting death?
She said irritably, "They say it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death. Are you a blockhead? How can you not cherish your own life? You can't do this kind of thing again, understand? I'm going to ask the Grand Tutor for the antidote right now! You're coming with me."
Xiao Qing acted immediately, getting up and heading outside.
Ma Hong felt a warm glow in his heart. Thinking of everything that had happened before, and of the little emperor in the Martial Soul Tomb who was so different from the one he was now, and of everything she had just said, he couldn't help but kneel down again, his voice choked with emotion.
"Your Majesty, if anything were to happen to you, even ten thousand deaths would not be enough to atone for my sins. I only... I only..."
"Alright, alright, stop saying those things, I don't like hearing them. Now I'll take you to see the Grand Tutor."
Xiao Qing waved his hand, signaling him to leave quickly.
"Mingxiu, you should rest first."
After leaving Chengde Palace, Xiao Qing was about to go find the Grand Tutor, but as she passed through the small garden, she caught a glimpse of Liu Yi anxiously looking in the direction of Chengde Palace not far away. When he saw them come out, a look of surprise appeared on his face.
However, the first person he saw was Ma Hong.
Xiao Qing thought for a moment and said to Ma Hong, "Go and take a look."
Liu Yi forced himself to walk over and greeted, "This servant greets Your Majesty, may Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings."
Xiao Qing nodded, gesturing for him to rise, then walked to the side and said, "A little wine is intoxicating. I'll just stroll around here; I don't need anyone to serve me."
This is a deliberate act of leaving space for them.
Ma Hong and Liu Yi expressed their gratitude together, but Liu Yi, seeing Xiao Qing like this, could no longer contain his confusion.
He had a lot to say to Ma Hong, and at this moment he didn't care about the young emperor's understanding, so he just pulled Ma Hong aside.
Because of Xiao Qing's honesty, Ma Hong's mood is now completely different from before.
He smiled faintly, ignoring Liu Yi's anxiety, and continued walking at his own unhurried pace.
Xiao Qing then walked slowly in the opposite direction.
Perhaps because of the ordeal, Xiao Qing now feels that life is precious, and even ordinary things like the night breeze on her face feel very intimate and valuable.
There were guards every ten steps in the small garden, so it was very safe even at night. Xiao Qing unconsciously took a few more steps.
To the west of the small garden are Yunguang Lake and Feihong Bridge. On the other side of the bridge is a secluded space, originally the residence of the emperor, empress, and concubines. However, since Xiao Qing is still young and the harem is empty, it has been left unused.
Xiao Qing stood on the octagonal pavilion by Yun Guang Lake, gazing at the Fei Hong Bridge in the still night. The lake below reflected the full moon in the sky, its light shattered by the ripples, rippling with shimmering light.
Xiao Qing stood there for a while, and then, feeling a bit cold, she unconsciously hugged her arms and pulled her shoulders inward.
At that moment, she felt a warmth on her shoulders as something was draped over her shoulders.
She was taken aback, thinking it was the Grand Tutor, but when she turned around, she saw Zhao Youchen with a somewhat unnatural expression.
"I have overstepped my bounds." He knelt down, his eyes fixed on her as if trying to see into her soul.
Xiao Qing was stunned for a moment before finally saying, "Thank you."
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