Chapter 56: Suspected pregnancy, no menstrual period for two months
Yun Si spared the man's life, and the man reported what he had seen and heard truthfully.
The man on the seat raised his head, half smiling, "You mean, Yun Si is back, and brought a woman with him?"
"yes."
Yun Yuan said in a surprised tone: "Can you see the woman's face clearly?"
The man shook his head, holding himself together and not falling down. He whispered timidly, "I... at least I have found out some information. Can I..."
Before he finished speaking, Yun Yuan's face darkened: "Are you bargaining with me?"
The kneeling man hurriedly shook his head: "I'll go right away!"
He closed his eyes, his heart dead.
He had to go to the Gu Cave to receive his punishment... There were countless poisonous insects bred there, and he had to stay there for a cup of tea before he could leave. Of course, he didn't stand still and coexist with the insects, but let them gnaw at his flesh and blood.
Yun Yuan ordered him to bring Yun Si back, but he failed to do so and deserved to be punished. As soon as he entered the Gu cave, a centipede scurried over and bit his calf...
…
A cup of tea later, the door to the Gu cave opened again. The man inside lay dying on the ground, his face pale and covered in all sorts of poisonous insects.
The guard outside the door just glanced at him calmly: "He's dead, drag him away."
Once you step into the wormhole, this is the outcome, there is no return.
Here, death is more common than drinking water.
***
Serving Jiang Li was a maid named Ningxiang. She was quiet and never dared to look up at him, always keeping her brows lowered. Her bangs drooped down, slightly obscuring her beautiful peach-shaped eyes.
Although Ningxiang only braided two simple pigtails, she was actually proficient in all kinds of bun styles. However, she never dared to ask more questions and always combed Jiang Li's hair according to his original hairstyle.
She could tell that the young master was very kind to this girl. During the entire meal, he had picked up food for her ten times, refilled her tea twice, and wiped her mouth three times.
But she seemed to be the only one surprised. The other maids and guards had blank expressions, as if they were already used to it.
After the meal, Ningxiang cleared the tableware with the others and bowed before leaving. She was genuinely curious about this woman and couldn't help but ask the other attendants, "Who is this young lady that the young master brought with him?"
But everyone remained silent, as if they had not heard it.
"Ningxiang, come here." The cook suddenly poked his head out of the kitchen and called her.
Ningxiang walked into the kitchen and someone threw a booklet to her: "It contains the girl's preferences, please remember them."
Holding the booklet, Ningxiang couldn't help but mutter, "Young Master hasn't married her yet, why is he so thoughtful..."
She was somewhat resentful of the increased workload.
The cook said sternly, "You've seen the young master's attitude. Marriage is only a matter of time. Maybe this girl... is already pregnant with the young master!"
Ningxiang was stunned and couldn't help but recall the scene during the meal. The young master was cautious, but the girl accepted it calmly.
Once doubts are born, they can never be dispelled.
While serving by her side, she couldn't help but glance at Jiang Li's belly, observing whether her movements were consistent with those of a pregnant woman. She found that this girl was not very active, was sleepy, and preferred spicy and sour food...
No way... is that true? She thought about the cook's words again, and combined with the attitude of the crowd, she was even more certain.
It had been two days since he arrived in Miaojiang. Aside from the fact that people had to bow to Jiang Li upon entering, things had been no different from his previous days in the temple. Jiang Li didn't like them kneeling to him...it would shorten his lifespan.
She learned some information from Yun Si: Yun Si had an uncle, Yun Yuan, who was more than ten years older than him and was now the Witch King of Miaojiang. After ascending the throne next month, Yun Yuan would hand over power in Miaojiang and no longer interfere.
The Witch King was probably the regent of the Central Plains Palace.
However, Jiang Li was extremely curious about how Yun Si could seize power. He stayed by her side all day long, almost wanting to stare at her. Could it be that he could seize power with that useless bloodline?
If she were Yun Si, she would probably be restless day and night, and would only feel at ease if she sat on the throne.
Afeng also adapted very well here. Because of his good character, the maids and servants all liked to play with him. After being fed everywhere, Afeng became much rounder.
Those people were very cautious in front of her, so Jiang Li stayed alone most of the time. She also asked Yun Si for a lot of Miao books, trying to find a way to cure the poison.
In the past two days, Yun Si has not gone anywhere except staying in the palace to accompany Jiang Li.
Seeing Jiang Li leaning against the window reading a book, Yun Si walked over and took the book away: "What are you reading?"
A book about witchcraft.
Yun Si only smiled lightly, and after seeing Jiang Li's eyes, her smile became even brighter: "Sister, you want to know the solution to this poison, right?"
Jiang Li was not afraid that he would know, because she had never hidden anything from him anyway.
"Yes." She snatched the book away.
"How come we're already in Miaojiang, sister, and you're still thinking of escaping?" Yun Si questioned, and then said, "The cure is simple, just kill me."
Yun Si said this as he pulled Jiang Li's hand and wrapped it around his neck.
Jiang Li shook it off.
"What? You're reluctant?" Yun Si said in a teasing tone.
Jiang Li rolled his eyes at him without hesitation: "If my life wasn't tied to yours, I would want to!"
Yun Si went to pull her hand again: "I brought some things for my sister."
Jiang Li couldn't persuade him, so he could only let Yun Si pull him to the door.
There was a group of maids standing outside the door, each holding a variety of purses.
Jiang Li looked at Yun Si in confusion.
"Didn't you think it was ugly before?" Yun Si smiled and pulled the purse off Jiang Li's waist. "Now you can choose the color and style. If you are still not satisfied, just tell me."
Jiang Li only glanced at it lightly and squeezed out two words: "Enough."
She snatched the purse and went back into the house.
Yun Si was a little stunned by this reaction. Doesn't she like it when I give her gifts? He said to the crowd, "Put the things down and everyone else go down."
After saying that, he turned and walked into the house. He chased after Jiang Li: "Don't you like it?"
"I like it." Jiang Li answered perfunctorily.
Yes, Yun Si took her casual words to heart, shouldn’t she be satisfied?
Yun Si: "As long as you like it, is there anything else you want?"
She paused and said, "I hope you won't bother me."
She thought she could catch her breath for a while after arriving in Miao territory, but now Yun Si was sticking even closer to her.
Yun Si didn't care: "Sister knows, I can't do it."
She said dissatisfiedly, "Aren't you the young master of Miaojiang? Is the young master of Miaojiang so idle all day long?"
Yun Si chuckled: "Then sister is wrong."
Although he had nothing to do during the day, he did a lot of things at night while Jiang Li was sleeping.
After careful consideration and planning, nothing was left out.
This time, returning to Miaojiang, he was bound to have a major battle with Yunyuan. He had already sent people to eliminate all the people lurking in Wang Ling. To become the Gu King of Miaojiang, in addition to possessing the power to convince the people, one also needed proof.
The certificate left by the previous Gu King.
Yun Si’s proof is his bloodline.
The previous Gu King favored the Queen, and when the Queen was on the verge of death, he directly offered the Miao sacred object in exchange for the Queen's life. Yun Yuan wanted to dig up the grave and dissect the body in order to retrieve the sacred object from the Queen's body.
Yun Yuan's acquisition of the holy object is also a kind of proof.
Yun Si was only nine years old when the previous Gu King passed away. The previous queen, kindhearted and with a young son, was powerless and unable to contend with the powerful ministers. At this juncture, Yun Yuan stepped forward, offering to temporarily assume the role of Gu King and concurrently serve as the Wu King as a token of his loyalty. He declared that the queen would always be the queen, and that Yun Si would be the future Gu King.
The late queen had always been well protected and was unfamiliar with political schemes. She easily believed Yun Yuan's seemingly sincere words, not knowing that she had sown the seeds of disaster.
From then on, Yun Si began to be controlled in every way. The teacher often bullied him secretly when the late queen was away. Yun Si cried to his mother, but she just said, "The teacher is strict with you because he wants you to succeed."
Yun Si was a precocious and insightful child. He knew that most people around him disliked him, and he also knew that his mother trusted Yun Yuan, so he pretended to be docile and obedient only in front of her.
However, the gentleman went even further and falsely accused Yun Si of disobeying discipline in front of the late queen.
Yun Si devised a plan. He deliberately angered the minister during the day, so that when his mother returned, she would catch him beating him. He feigned understanding and cried, "Mother, please don't blame the teacher! I was disobedient, and the teacher deserved to punish me."
The minister was so angry that he increased the strength of his hands.
The ruler fell on Yun Si, and the pain was felt in the Queen's heart. She couldn't bear it anymore and stopped him loudly: "Stop!"
She then dismissed the ministers and decided to teach Yun Si herself. Since the queen had spoken, the other party dared not disobey and could only retreat in anger.
Yun Si didn't get up. Instead, he rushed over and hugged his mother's legs, crying even more aggrievedly: "Mother, this is nothing... I have received more severe punishments. It's okay."
The late queen looked at his wounded body, her hands trembling slightly as she choked out a sob, "Ah Si, it's my fault... Please forgive me, okay?"
He pretended to be obedient and intimate, and as expected, he was loved and cared for.
His mother likes him because he is obedient.
After Yun Yuan became the Witch King, he was extremely attentive to the former queen, often asking about her well-being and showing concern for Yun Si from time to time.
Yun Si knew in his heart that this person must have some ulterior motive.
But if he showed any disgust or indifference, his mother would scold him: "He is your uncle, we are family, how can you be so rude?"
Yun Yuan always put on a tolerant attitude and said, "A Si is still young, sister-in-law, don't take it to heart."
This sentence made Yun Si feel sick for several years.
It was clearly a trivial matter, but when Yun Yuan said it, it made it seem like he was really ignorant. He had never had a good impression of Yun Yuan to begin with, and from then on, he only felt disgust.
His mother often praised Yun Yuan in front of him. He could not refute her and could only smile and respond: "What you said is right, mother."
At that time, he had not yet grasped Yun Yuan's true intentions and only wanted to compete with him for his mother's attention. It was not until later that he realized that Yun Yuan was after the throne.
A tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. So he always hid his edge and played weak in front of Yun Yuan, and was outshone every time. However, this earned him his mother's pity and comfort.
Yun Si knew what he wanted from a young age and was extremely demanding of himself. He devoted himself day and night to studying Gu techniques, cultivating Gu vessels, and ultimately taming the golden silkworm Gu. The price of this was countless near-death experiences.
The reason he mastered hundreds of Gu techniques was because he had endured the backlash and torture of hundreds of Gu techniques. Therefore, ordinary Miao Gu was almost ineffective against him.
He even stepped into the insect cave, and all the insects retreated, and no one dared to approach.
He was gifted and extremely hardworking; there was no other person like him in Miaojiang. Yun Yuan's repeated attempts to attack him were easily thwarted by him.
Yun Yuan had his own followers, so Yun Si also cultivated his own power, quietly made plans, and even arranged people into the opposing camp.
Later, he proposed to search for the immortality Gu, but his real purpose was to make Yun Yuan relax his vigilance. When the late queen passed away, Yun Si was isolated and helpless, not yet in a position to confront Yun Yuan head-on, so he could only endure and wait for the opportunity.
He spent three years in the royal mausoleum under the pretext of mourning, away from the political turmoil of Miao territory, secretly planning his plans. By the end of the three-year period, he was sixteen, with only a year left until his accession to the throne. He anticipated that Yunyuan would cause him considerable trouble within the next year, so he left Miao territory.
Originally, Yun Si didn't want to argue with him, but Yun Yuan had sneaked into the royal mausoleum some time ago. Fortunately, he had arranged for someone to lay a trap in advance, which stopped Yun Yuan.
And now, he doesn't need to hide anymore.
"By the way, we're getting married next month."
Jiang Li was shocked: "Get married?"
"When we were in Cangshui Village, you and I should have been husband and wife." Yun Si, "Sister owed me."
If I really marry Yun Si, it will be even more difficult to leave here... Am I going to follow him back to Miaojiang and be a couple with him for the rest of my life?
Jiang Li smiled softly, his voice filled with determination: "I don't want to."
Logically speaking, since he had already kept Jiang Li, whether they got married or not made no difference to him. But perhaps because his obsession was too strong, Yun Si actually reached out and stroked the top of her head, almost forcing her to nod.
Then, he smiled as if relieved: "That's right. I'll give the order right away to prepare for our wedding next month."
Whether she likes it or not, Jiang Li must become his wife. He looked at her furrowed brows and said in a casual tone, "I still have things to deal with. Have fun, sister."
He turned and walked away quickly, almost as if running away. But her voice still caught up with him, like a needle piercing his heart.
"Yun Si, are you going to lock me up forever?"
He paused without looking back: "In this Miao area, you can go wherever you want, no one will stop you." He understood the meaning of her words, but was unwilling to face it directly.
He just stubbornly wanted to keep her by his side, even if it meant breaking her wings.
"Do you know?" Jiang Li's voice was as soft as a sigh, yet cruelly clear. "I haven't felt the mountain wind for a month... and haven't tasted the mountain spring for seventeen days."
She looked out the window, her gaze seeming to penetrate through layers of barriers and fall into a distant place that could never be reached.
"Yun Si, I'm like a bird in your cage... You give me golden dishes and delicious food, splendid clothes, but you never ask me if I miss that sky. I never told you this because you always knew. I speak to you today to beg you. Even if you imprison me here, I don't want my name to be trapped in the Miao family tree for the rest of my life." Jiang Li stepped forward. "The name Jiang Li is not trapped in Cangshui Village, nor should it be trapped in Miaojiang."
Yun Si sneered helplessly, then turned around and said, "Sister has begged me, what else can I do?"
Hearing his tone, Jiang Li seemed to see hope: "You agree?"
"One year." Yun Si raised his eyes slightly, "I'll give my sister one year."
A year later, he would force her to marry him, whether she was willing or not.
One year is enough!
Jiang Li happily agreed: "Okay."
She had just arrived and knew nothing about the Miaojiang Royal Palace, so she was only familiar with the surroundings. The bedroom she was in was called the Butterfly Palace, which was also Yun Si's residence.
Since Yun Si had said she was allowed to go out without restrictions, she naturally wanted to go out and take a look. At least she would have a chance to leave in the future, so she had to know the way.
The moment she pushed open the door, everyone in the yard quickly straightened up. A Feng, who had just been surrounded by a group of people, now had a panicked look in his eyes.
Jiang Li glanced around and asked, "Who among you is familiar with this place?"
Ningxiang looked around and found that no one spoke. She raised one arm cautiously: "I..."
Jiang Li walked towards her: "Thank you for your help."
Ningxiang was somewhat flattered; she had never spoken to this mysterious woman before. She had been impatient and cold with the young master, but when she spoke to her, she was gentle and kind.
She always thought Jiang Li was arrogant and domineering...
Ningxiang bowed and said, "It's my pleasure!"
Exiting from the main gate of the Butterfly Palace, there is a wide road.
Ningxiang quickened her pace and walked ahead of her, pointing to the tall building in the distance: "The highest point of the palace is the Gu God Temple."
Jiang Li looked in the direction he was pointing and nodded thoughtfully.
Ningxiang turned to the side and pointed to another high place. "That's the Wuzhu Palace, which is lower than the Gu God Palace. These two places symbolize the power of the Miao people, so no matter where you go in the palace, you can see these two palaces."
"Witch Master?" Jiang Li was a little curious. She heard from Yun Si that the two of them had a bad relationship.
Ningxiang thought she didn't know, so she explained seriously, "The current witch master is the young master's uncle."
Jiang Li changed the subject: "Then I'll look around and see somewhere else?"
She had hoped to get some useful information from the maid, but it seemed she had overestimated it. She wasn't interested in the palace's secret history; she just wanted to know who she could borrow to leave the Miao border.
The two of them walked around in a circle, Ningxiang talking non-stop as if she were addicted. Jiang Li didn't want to interrupt her enthusiasm, so he just smiled bitterly and nodded perfunctorily.
But as she walked, she discovered it.
Someone is following her.
While Ningxiang was talking, she glanced at the shadow behind her: "Where are we now?"
Ningxiang looked around and replied, "Xiangyun Palace."
Jiang Li noticed that the shadow was getting closer and closer. "I didn't see it clearly when I passed by the Witch Master Hall just now. Why don't we go back and take another look?"
The shadow really stopped, she was right...
He was sent by Uncle Yun Si.
"Okay." Ningxiang agreed and turned around.
Jiang Li turned around unnaturally, afraid of accidentally alerting the enemy if she saw someone. But she stepped on a stone and fell to the side.
Ningxiang's heart trembled, and she quickly reached out to hold on: "Be careful!"
Jiang Li quickly lowered his head, put his hands over his chest and pretended to be frightened.
She just saw the hidden figure retract his feet into the corner.
Probably, it went unnoticed...
Ningxiang's first reaction was to check her belly... If something happened to the young master, her life would not be enough to pay for it.
Jiang Li came back to his senses and noticed that Ningxiang's gaze was a little strange: "What's wrong with you?"
Ningxiang shook her head and took a deep breath: "I'm glad you're okay."
Jiang Li pretended to be unaware and walked in the opposite direction of the Witch Master's Hall. The figure began to stir again.
Ningxiang saw this and reminded: "The Witch Master Hall is over here!"
Jiang Li changed direction and the figure shrank back again.
Helpless, since she was being targeted, she could only bite the bullet and follow Ningxiang towards the Witch Master Hall. She hadn't figured out a response yet. Firstly, she didn't know the other party's purpose, and secondly, she had no ability to protect herself. She was gambling with her life.
When they were twenty steps away from the Witch Master's Hall, the two stopped.
Ningxiang didn't notice the person following her. Instead, she said with a smile, "This is the Witch Master's Hall."
Jiang Li noticed a figure coming from behind her, and her hand quietly placed on the pouch at her waist.
In that person's sight, Jiang Li was concentrating on listening to the maid's words and didn't notice his approach at all.
When he appeared behind the two of them, Jiang Li suddenly turned around and waved his hand.
The man inhaled a lot of powder into his mouth and nose, and he started coughing because of the choking.
Hearing the voice, Jiang Li turned around and dragged Ningxiang back to the Butterfly Palace.
The Miao people were skilled in Gu, and since she didn't have Yun Si's advanced Gu skills, she naturally didn't dare to use it lightly. So she sprinkled Datura pollen for self-defense, but the pollen's effect didn't take effect immediately.
The man behind him took a breath and chased after Jiang Li.
Ningxiang was amazed at how nimble Jiang Li's hands were. She was even more surprised at how Jiang Li had discovered he was being followed...
The more excited a person is, the faster the poison in the flower will take effect.
The person behind him quickly slowed down and finally stopped.
Jiang Li was almost out of breath, so he chose to stop and rest.
Just when she thought she had escaped danger, a man suddenly appeared behind her. Ningxiang's pupils widened, and she quickly pulled Jiang Li behind her: "What are you doing?"
The man ignored Ningxiang and looked at Jiang Li: "Miss, please come back with me."
Seeing this man's attitude, Jiang Li actually felt relieved. Such a respectful and courteous person meant that he wasn't here to kill her.
Ningxiang shouted angrily: "Why? Who are you?"
The man replied, "The Master of the Witches invites you."
Jiang Li knew he couldn't get away, so he chose to go: "Okay, I'll go with you!"
The man respectfully made a gesture of invitation and took the opportunity to push Ningxiang hard.
Ningxiang fell to the ground: "Let her go!"
The man was impatient: "I said, she will come back intact!"
Ningxiang was stunned by the shouting and only added weakly, "Then you... move gently. If you hurt the young master, he will definitely not let you off easily!"
Jiang Li didn't understand Ningxiang's words at first, until he arrived at the Witch Master's Hall, then he realized that Ningxiang had misunderstood that she was pregnant...
Jiang Li was about to laugh at her naiveté, but suddenly remembered.
She hasn't had her period for two months...
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