Ah, love.
When the emperor saw Wan Niang raise her head as if to speak, she lowered her head and remained silent when she met his eyes.
The emperor lifted her chin. "My beloved consort, speak your mind. I won't be angry."
Wan Niang gazed at the Emperor with her clear eyes. "Your Majesty's favor towards me is something I should be content with. However, I always think of the debt I owe General Han Qing that is not yet settled, and I cannot help but feel uneasy. But I am afraid that if I speak out, it will put Your Majesty in a difficult position."
The emperor released her chin and pulled her closer again. "Silly girl, is such a small matter worth making things difficult for you? I will issue a decree to pardon Han Qing in a moment. Are you satisfied, my beloved?"
Wan Niang straightened her upper body and hooked her arm around the emperor's neck, "Your Majesty is so good to me!"
She waited for a long time, but didn't hear the emperor speak. She looked up in confusion and met the emperor's direct gaze.
Wan Niang pursed her lips, then boldly presented her red lips to the emperor's, her fingers trembling as she untied his belt.
The emperor gladly accepted the meat offered to him, ripped open Wan Niang's clothes, and fell onto the bed.
The room was enchanting.
When the emperor returned to his bedchamber, satisfied, he saw the imperial physician and realized that Consort Xuan's face was still swollen. He turned around, glanced at her, and whispered, "Wait in Fanghua Palace and take her pulse when Consort Xuan wakes up."
After instructing the imperial physician, the emperor turned to his personal eunuch and ordered, "Release Han Qing's ban and send him to the Jingshan camp."
The eunuch glanced at the emperor furtively and, seeing that he was in a good mood, asked, "Your Majesty, should General Han return to the Jingshan camp today, or wait two days?"
The emperor then remembered that Han Qing had been flogged. "Considering his injuries, he is permitted to return to camp the day after tomorrow."
As soon as the emperor left, Wan Niang opened her eyes and summoned her confidante to send the news of Han Qing's release from confinement out of the palace.
Jin Xiaoxiao quickly received the news from the palace and secretly admired her senior sister.
After expressing her feelings, she went to find Jin Yuanyuan.
"Aunt, General Han has been released from confinement. I'll take you to see him."
Jin Yuanyuan perked up, "Okay, thank you, Xiaoxiao."
Jin Xiaoxiao sat in the main hall of Han Qing's residence and waited for an incense stick to burn before she saw Han Qing. His walking posture was very stiff, just like a bamboo pole that refused to bend.
After exchanging pleasantries, Han Qing was already covered in sweat.
Jin Xiaoxiao looked at Han Qing's pale lips and said remorsefully, "General Han, I'm sorry, I was too presumptuous. I didn't expect your injury to be so serious."
Han Qing waved his hand, suppressing his pain and comforting her with a relaxed expression, "It's nothing, this little injury is nothing. I've been feeling uncomfortable lying down these past few days, and even if you hadn't come, I was planning to get up and move around."
Han Qing's painful visit to see her wasn't for that reason; he wasn't a masochist. The real reason was that last night, based on known clues, he and his subordinate general Wang deduced that his savior was this little one before them. Although it seemed unbelievable, he trusted his intuition.
Jin Xiaoxiao, worried that he might feel discomfort in his wound from sitting for too long, asked succinctly, "General Han, you have a Gu worm in your body. Do you want to get rid of it?"
Han Qing frowned. "A Gu worm?"
Jin Yuanyuan, who had been silent all along, spoke up at this moment: "General Han, the one who really wants to see you is me. To be honest, I also have Gu worms on my body."
Han Qing noticed her the moment he entered; after all, her beauty was hard for any man to ignore. However, Han Qing, knowing he wasn't a lecherous man, didn't look at her much. Now that she had taken the initiative to speak to him, it would be impolite not to look at her.
Han Qing looked up and met Jin Yuanyuan's bright eyes. She immediately held her breath. She was a hundred times more beautiful than a fairy.
Jin Yuanyuan couldn't bear Han Qing's infatuated gaze, so she lowered her head and avoided looking at him.
Jin Xiaoxiao tilted her head, scrutinizing the two who had suddenly become mute. Han Qing's worthless appearance clearly indicated he had fallen for her aunt; her aunt's slightly flushed face might not be from shyness, but rather anger. Compared to Yue Xiao, Han Qing was quite outstanding. But now was not the time for romantic entanglements.
Jin Xiaoxiao jumped off the chair and came to Han Qing, waving her hand in front of his face. "General Han? General Han?"
Han Qing suddenly snapped out of her daze. "Huh? What's wrong?"
Jin Xiaoxiao sighed. To prevent Han Qing from staring blankly at her aunt again, she blocked her aunt's path and asked, "My aunt has also been cursed. She's found a way to remove it. Would you be willing to cooperate with her?"
"Yes! I do!"
Jin Xiaoxiao rubbed her ears, which had almost gone deafened by the noise, and turned around to see that her aunt did not react. She then walked up to her aunt and relayed Han Qing's message, "Aunt, he said he is willing to cooperate in removing the curse."
Jin Yuanyuan raised her head. "General Han, the Gu we were afflicted by was caused by the same person. The Gu worm needs to be watered with fresh blood containing that person's scent every day to grow, but the Gu worm does not drink the blood of the person it hosts."
Han Qing's heart was in turmoil, but he calmly asked, "Does the young lady mean that we should feed each other's Gu worms every day?"
Jin Yuanyuan paused for a moment, then continued, "Once the Gu worm grows up, we can find it and remove it. But the bigger it is, the greater the burden on the body will be, and the greater the pain will be."
Han Qing's expression turned grave after hearing this. "Is there no other solution?"
Jin Yuanyuan shook her head, "I searched through all the books and only found this one."
Jin Xiaoxiao turned to look at Han Qing, "General Han, are you afraid of pain?"
Han Qing stood up excitedly, "I'm a grown man, I can endure it, but I'm afraid the girl's body can't take it."
Jin Xiaoxiao's eyes darted around, "Then why don't you go first—"
Jin Yuanyuan interrupted Jin Xiaoxiao's suggestion and said firmly, "As long as we can get rid of the Gu worms, I'm not afraid even if it means cutting off a piece of my own flesh."
Seeing that Han Qing had fallen in love with her aunt again after hearing her aunt's declaration, Jin Xiaoxiao waved to Ji Jun, "Let's go, our mission is over."
After saying that, she and Ji Jun left Han Qing's residence.
Jin Xiaoxiao bought two skewers of candied hawthorns and handed one to Ji Jun, saying, "It's been a long time since we've strolled around the market so leisurely."
Ji Yun kept saying, "You're busy."
Jin Xiaoxiao looked up at the magnificent sunset in the west, "busy proving that I'm still alive and well."
She took a bite of the sweet and sour candied hawthorn, looking around at the stalls displaying various melons, fruits, and snacks, with children holding lotus leaves and flowers. Passersby were all carrying small clay figurines. Jin Xiaoxiao asked in surprise, "Why is it so lively today?"
Ji Jun swallowed the candied hawthorn in her mouth. "Qixi Festival is almost here."
Jin Xiaoxiao suddenly realized, then waved her hand and said boldly, "Let's go to the restaurant and eat while we watch the fun."
Jin Xiaoxiao and Ji Jun booked a private room at Fuxing Restaurant. While waiting for the food, Jin Xiaoxiao propped her chin up and looked out the window at the crowds of people coming and going.
Suddenly, a few young women standing diagonally below her caught Jin Xiaoxiao's attention. She stood on tiptoe to look and saw four women standing in a "人" (human) formation. The three women facing Jin Xiaoxiao were arrogant, while the one with her back to her had her head turned to the left.
The girl on the left waved the handkerchief in her hand and said disdainfully, "Jinniang, is this the finished product you embroidered after three days?"
The girl in the middle glanced at the couple standing on her right and said with a smile, "Your embroidery skills are not even as good as a ten-year-old child's. How dare you take advantage of being the only daughter of the eldest son's family to cling to the status of Mr. Wu's fiancée? If you still have any shame, take the initiative to give up the engagement and let the lovers be together."
Jinniang's gaze remained fixed on Wu Yong. She could clearly see the furrowed brows Wu Yong made when he heard her name, and the upturned corners of his mouth when he looked at her cousin Huiniang.
Jinniang withdrew her gaze, pursed her lips, snatched back the handkerchief, and clutched it tightly in her palm.
Wu Yong looked at Jinniang, who was as stiff as a wooden statue, with disgust. "I already have someone I love. If you don't want to be labeled as someone who has been jilted, you should take the initiative to break off the engagement."
Hui Niang, understanding the situation, said, "Sister, outsiders only know that our family has a marriage agreement with the Wu family, but they don't know the specific candidates." She shyly looked up at Wu Yong, "Why don't we change the marriage?"
Jinniang suddenly looked up, "How dare you ask me to switch marriages with you! You're tired of your fiancé, why are you trying to seduce mine? Are you that desperate for a man?"
Hui Niang's eyes were glistening with tears. She glanced at Wu Yong, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back, before lowering her head and taking out a silk handkerchief to cover her eyes.
Her gaze captivated Wu Yong, who was completely mesmerized. He raised his hand and slapped Jinniang without any mercy. "You wretch, how could you be so vicious! Hui'er is the purest and most flawless woman in the world. You are not even as good as one of Hui'er's fingers!"
A trickle of blood escaped from Jinniang's lips, her expression sorrowful, as she murmured, "You'll regret this!"
After saying that, she turned and stumbled away, leaving a handkerchief floating on the dusty ground.
Yue Xiao stepped onto the handkerchief and walked behind Wu Yong.
Wu Yong anxiously circled around Hui Niang, "Hui'er, Jin Niang is just jealous of you. Don't take her words to heart. It's not worth shedding tears for someone like her. Hui'er, don't cry, be careful with your eyes."
Yue Xiao patted Wu Yong on the shoulder, but Wu Yong impatiently shook off Yue Xiao's hand, "Get lost, can't you see I'm busy?"
Yue Xiao said unhappily, "Wu Yong, who are you telling to get lost?"
Wu Yong recognized Yue Xiao's voice and quickly turned around to apologize, "Cousin, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you."
Yue Xiao, chin in hand, asked, "What are you doing blocking the doorway?"
Wu Yong pointed to the dirty and wrinkled handkerchief on the ground, "Cousin, look at this. This is what my betrothed, whom I was betrothed to since childhood, embroidered. Not only is her needlework terrible, but her character is also awful. She even slandered Hui'er in public. Cousin, please help me talk to my parents. I want to break off the engagement with her."
Yue Xiao glanced at the filthy handkerchief. "I've heard that the embroidery skills of the women in your fiancée's family are highly regarded by nobles in the palace. How come her embroidery skills are so terrible?"
"It must be because she's lazy and doesn't want to study. Cousin, can you talk to my parents for me?"
Yue Xiao casually agreed.
On the other side, Jinniang leaned against a willow tree on the lake shore, gazing at the shimmering lake water. Her mind kept replaying Wu Yong's words of self-reproach and the disappointed expressions on her elders' faces. At this moment, the hustle and bustle of the world left her behind. She felt that the world was vast and there was nowhere for her to belong.
Jinniang slowly walked down the lake, and with each step, tears she had held back for so long finally welled up in her eyes. The closer she got to the water, the more tears she shed.
Jin Xiaoxiao left Fuxing Restaurant as soon as Yue Xiao appeared. She picked up the handkerchief that Jin Niang had dropped and had Ji Jun carry her to chase after the person. Just as Jin Niang was about to jump into the lake, they arrived at the bridge opposite Jin Niang.
Seeing that Jinniang was about to jump into the lake, Jin Xiaoxiao shouted, "Sister on the other side, don't be in such a hurry to jump. Let me treat you to a peach."
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