game
Just two days after the Lantern Festival, the group packed their things and set off.
He Lin thoughtfully arranged a carriage, which was large enough to accommodate four or five people, since there were quite a few people going.
Once outside the capital, one could see Yin Zhaobai waiting on the path ahead, a newly sprouted blade of grass dangling from his mouth.
When the carriage stopped, Jiang Yi lifted the curtain and looked outside.
She was right; Yin Zhaobai followed.
"Muya, Brother Zhaobai is here! Our journey is going to be quite lively now."
Although Shangguan Muya was somewhat surprised, she remained noncommittal about what Jiang Yi said and pursed her lips.
She wasn't unaware of Yin Zhaobai's feelings for her, nor was she unaware that Jiang Yi intended to bring them together; it was just that after everything that had happened, she truly didn't know how to face him.
She felt both gratitude and hatred towards Yin Zhaobai, and it was difficult for her to give a precise conclusion.
The downfall of the Prime Minister's mansion was inextricably linked to him. Although her father was at fault first, he was still her biological father; how could she not hate him? On the other hand, Yin Zhaobai did indeed have feelings of protectiveness towards her…
Just as the group was about to set off, they heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats from behind.
Jiang Yi exclaimed "Huh?" This was strange. Weren't all the people already here? Why are there more people?
He craned his neck to take a look, and couldn't help but swear: "Damn, why is he here too?"
Xia Zhi asked curiously, "Miss, who's here?"
Qi Junxu.
Shangguan Muya's eyes widened: "My cousin?"
Jiang Yi nodded.
After getting off the carriage, they discovered that Qi Junxu had only brought one attendant with him; he was quite bold.
"Cousin, what's wrong with you...?"
Qi Junxu laughed heartily: "I also happen to be going to Southern Xinjiang to take care of some business. Since we're going the same way, let's go together."
Jiang Yi's jaw nearly dropped in shock, and she yelled, "What?! You you you..."
Qi Junxu raised his eyebrows, looking smug yet helpless, making one want to throw a worn-out shoe at his face.
Unfortunately, very few people in this world dare to do that.
That's outrageous! That's despicable!
Jiang Yi quickly walked to He Lin's side, pulled him close, and whispered, "Did you send him?"
He Lin uttered two words slowly, immediately denying it: "No."
"That's strange. What's he doing following us? Could he be planning something?"
He Lin smiled faintly: "You're overthinking it."
Jiang Yi thought about it carefully and it seemed to make sense. Why would a prince like him, with nothing better to do, follow them all the way just to sabotage He Lin's chances of getting the antidote? It seemed unlikely, unless he was out of his mind.
"Well, Miss Jiang, have you and Young Master Lin reached an agreement?"
Jiang Yi snorted inwardly. Qi Junxu had better be discerning and not do anything underhanded, otherwise, with the emperor far away, he would definitely get a good beating!
"Ha, it's all settled. With His Highness accompanying us on this journey, those demons and monsters will surely not dare to approach, and things should go much more smoothly. We are truly honored."
Qi Junxu held the reins with both hands, grinning broadly: "Of course."
Having said that, he spurred his horse and rode away.
Jiang Yi pouted as she watched his retreating figure, and He Lin gently patted her lower back.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen."
"Okay, let's go. If he dares to cause trouble, I'll make him regret it!"
He Lin: "..."
The weather was very cold at night, and unfortunately, they couldn't find an inn, so the group had to spend the night in a dilapidated temple. Luckily, the temple could at least provide some shelter from the wind and rain.
Inside the temple stood a dilapidated Bodhisattva statue, its head bowed and eyes downcast, its right hand holding a vase and its left hand plucking a flower. Much of the colored clay covering the sculpture had cracked and peeled off, obscuring its original appearance. On the altar, besides the incense burner, were two dishes of something that looked like dark, wild fruit, but they had been there for too long and dried out beyond recognition.
A bonfire was burning brightly in the center, crackling loudly, and everyone formed a circle around it.
Are you cold?
In the silence, He Lin fiddled with the firewood a few times and asked Jiang Yi, who was standing next to him, a question.
Jiang Yi pulled her cloak tighter around herself and rested her head on He Lin's arm: "It's alright."
It's just a bit boring.
She naturally reached out and took the strong liquor that He Lin had just drunk, tilted her head back and took a sip herself, which made her cough from the spiciness.
Qi Junxu scoffed at this, "Are you even capable? You can choke on a little alcohol."
"What? This wine is obviously too strong! Is it even meant for human consumption?"
Oh right, this wine was brought by Qi Junxu. Who knows why it's so spicy? And he still has the nerve to say it.
Qi Junxu glanced down at the bottle in his hand and chuckled, "Strong liquor warms you up; it doesn't hurt to drink more when you're cold. Hey, Jiang Yi, you're usually so talkative, why are you acting like you're mute today? We're in the middle of nowhere, why don't you say something more? At least show some signs of life, otherwise what if wolves come in the middle of the night?"
"Huh? Qi Junxu, what do you take me for? I'm not one of those actors in your palace who sings songs to pass the time. You think I'll just tell you what to say?"
Qi Junxu raised an eyebrow and pursed his lips, remaining noncommittal.
Sure enough, within three seconds, Jiang Yi sat up straight, exclaimed, and said, "Since we're all just killing time anyway, why don't we play a game?"
Qi Junxu was delighted and eagerly agreed, "Sure, what do you want to play?"
He Lin glanced across the campfire toward him, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"It's very simple. This game is called Truth or Dare! The winner can make the loser do anything, or ask the loser a question. Ahem, listen up, friends, you have to tell the truth! If the loser doesn't want to do anything or refuses to answer the question, then they have to punish themselves with three drinks. Uh, the conditions are a bit simple, not three drinks, just a big gulp as a token gesture. How about it? Anyone scared to play and want to quit? Hmm?"
Jiang Yi looked around and saw that no one had raised their hand. She was very satisfied and raised the corners of her mouth. Just as she was about to start, a hand suddenly trembled and was raised above her head.
"Xia Zhi? Why are you raising your hand? Put it down, are you trying to disrespect me?"
"Miss, I... I'd rather watch you play, I don't know how."
"Oh, it's okay if I don't know how, it's all about participation! It's settled then!"
Jiang Yi detained the person and somehow managed to pull out a clean porcelain bowl and dice.
"How about we guess the number of dice? If we guess right, then we can choose anyone to play Truth or Dare. Conversely, if we guess wrong, we can all choose whoever plays Truth or Dare. What do you say?"
Jiang Yi's eyes lit up, and an idea came to her: "Second Prince, why don't you go first?"
Qi Junxu raised one eyebrow and asked, "Why me first?"
Jiang Yi, not speaking her mind, started spouting nonsense with her eyes wide open: "Oh dear, you're the one with the highest status here. If you set an example first, no one will dare to act recklessly or cheat!"
These words resonated deeply with Qi Junxu. He casually tossed the wooden stick aside, then patted the dust off his hands and nodded repeatedly: "Alright, give it to me."
Jiang Yi smiled and stuffed the things into his hands. As she sat back down, she didn't forget to call the two people at the door.
"Shan Yanzhi, Feng He, you two stop guarding the gate and come in to play. It's more fun with more people."
The two people who were keeping watch heard Jiang Yi call them, and they glanced at He Lin and Qi Junxu at the same time. Then, carrying their swords, they stepped into the temple gate and joined the game.
Qi Junxu placed the dice at the bottom of the bowl and shook it repeatedly. Everyone stared at the hand that was shaking the porcelain bowl, and he stopped after three or four shakes.
Qi Junxu curled his lips and slowly uttered a number: "Six."
Jiang Yi craned her neck to look at the bottom of the bowl. When she saw the numbers on the dice, she stared wide-eyed in disbelief and blinked several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
WTF!!
Seriously?! One in six probability! How could you guess that?!
"How is it, Miss Jiang?"
Jiang Yi was speechless for a moment: "What do you mean, 'how about'? You won, so you have to choose one person to play Truth or Dare."
"Oh? You said it yourself."
Qi Junxu glanced at her, his eyes intriguing, as if he had already locked onto her.
Jiang Yi lowered her head, wishing she could disappear into thin air.
Oh no, what if Qi Junxu, that sore loser, takes this opportunity to get revenge on her?
Just as Jiang Yi nervously clasped her hands together, Qi Junxu's gaze shifted slightly, landing on He Lin.
"Young Master Lin, I have a question I would like to ask you."
Jiang Yi looked back and forth between the two of them, and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
He Lin picked up some broken branches from the side and threw them in to add fuel to the fire, then poked at the blazing campfire a couple of times.
"Since it's just a game, Your Highness has won. You may ask any questions you may have."
Qi Junxu placed his arms on his lap, turned slightly to look at him, and his expression became somewhat serious.
Yin Zhaobai noticed something was wrong with He Lin's expression and felt nervous for him. He grabbed the wine bottle on the ground, tilted his head back, and drank it down to calm himself down first. This was definitely not a good problem.
"You—are you Qi Junheng?"
"Pfft...cough cough..."
Yin Zhaobai spat out the wine he hadn't yet swallowed, choking him and causing him to cough.
really……
Upon hearing this, He Lin's subordinate suddenly paused and immediately stopped stirring the fire.
Jiang Yi's throat tightened, and she couldn't help but defend He Lin: "Hey! Qi Junxu, you're using the game as an excuse to settle personal scores! This is a matter of personal privacy, you've crossed the line!"
“Jiang Yi, I am asking him a question, why are you in such a hurry? Besides, didn’t you say that the winner can designate someone to answer the question, and that person must tell the truth?”
"I……"
"I heard an interesting story before. It is said that once, Young Master Lin and Lady Tong went to the palace to meet the Emperor, but my father mistook him for my deceased third brother, Qi Junheng. Do you think there are really two people in this world who look so alike? Hmm, Young Master Lin?"
He Lin pursed his lips.
"...Although Lady Tong and Consort Su are sisters, and you and my third brother are also related by blood, it's understandable that you look somewhat alike. But you're the first person who could make my father mistake you at first glance and refuse to let you go, going so far as to want to perform a blood test to prove your kinship. I find this very interesting, so I did some private investigation and inadvertently discovered that you were already quite old when Lady Tong entered the General's Mansion, is that right?"
As he spoke, he chuckled, "So it seems your mother, Su Tong, either became pregnant out of wedlock and raised you alone for several years before entering the manor, or you are not Su Tong's biological son, but rather the son of Consort Su, her nephew, or you are not General He's son, but rather Su Tong's son with someone else—"
"Enough!"
He Lin suddenly interrupted him, startling Jiang Yi. Shangguan Muya and Xia Zhi were even more confused, their jaws dropping in astonishment...
Qi Junxu wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "Young Master Lin, why are you in such a hurry to interrupt me? Of these three possibilities, I'm most optimistic about the second one. Putting aside the first and third possibilities, whether the Princess can tolerate you and your mother, just consider the fire in Consort Su's palace back then. After all, it burned for a whole day and night. How could a five-year-old child have survived..."
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