She turned around, her eyes slightly raised, and slowly leaned closer. "The thing I've worked so hard to get, you're going to hand over to me as soon as you arrive. Qi Xiang, you really have some skills."
I suppressed my emotions and sneered, "I'm no match for you. When it comes to scheming and tactics, I'm far inferior to Your Highness. I consider my master my closest person. If you hadn't plotted to poison him, I would never have come to the Eastern Land. You say you like Lou Xiyue, but behind his back you killed his third uncle. What's the value of your affection?"
Lianji scoffed, "Don't forget, it wasn't me who secretly killed his third uncle. It was you and I who killed Lou Zhao together. And that final poison was all concocted by you, wasn't it? Yuluo Gate is heavily guarded; without you, how could Lou Xiyue have believed it so easily?"
I braced myself against the corner of the table, my heart suddenly clenching as if a huge boulder were pressing down on it, making it hard to breathe. I forced myself to say, "Fine, Your Highness, you've gone to all this trouble just to make me suffer. I'll do as you say. I'm telling you, Qi Xiao, whether it's becoming a princess or taking my life, I will definitely heal my master. When it comes to ruthlessness, I can't compare to you. I can't just stand by and watch my loved ones suffer. Anyway, I'm already poisoned and on the verge of death. Add all your grievances to the table."
Lianji raised an eyebrow at me, paused for a moment, and then said, "Heh, don't make it sound so nice. Didn't you hear what the Emperor said just now? He wants to make you the Princess, and the entire Great Xue Kingdom will be within his grasp. I'd like to see how you'll still be all lovey-dovey with Lou Xiyue after you become the Princess?"
She leaned closer and whispered, "Lou Xiyue wanted to exchange the Xiezhi jade for the antidote to wolfsbane with the Emperor. He knows your background and is extremely reluctant for you to enter the palace as a princess. He has gone to great lengths to protect you. He is truly very affectionate. If he knew that you would rather succeed to the throne and be separated from him forever in order to find the antidote for Xia Jingnan, I wonder what he would think?"
I paused for a moment, then asked, "Where is he now?"
Lianji brushed her clothes aside and stepped out of the palace. "If you don't know, how would I know?"
My temples were throbbing with pain. I took a few steps while holding onto the table, and a metallic taste rose in my throat. Then my vision went dark, and I fell into a deep sleep.
I think I had a dream.
Clumps of white mist shrouded the heavy twilight, and a few peach blossoms bloomed outside the window, with a branch stretching out diagonally, full of spring colors.
Someone touched my cheek with the back of their hand and whispered, "Why is it so cold?"
She opened her eyes and looked around. In the hazy light, she could see a young man in a blue robe with a handsome face, who looked like Lou Xiyue.
He held a bowl of medicine in his hand and fed it to me little by little, with a faint fragrance of orchid and sandalwood emanating from his sleeves.
Then he pulled me into his arms and whispered, "Will this feel better?"
After some time, someone pushed open the door and entered. He seemed to be taken aback for a moment, and said, "Seventh Young Master, you took out the Hundred Jade Marrow to save people. Now that the Master has lost his treasure, he is furious and the mansion is in chaos. You should go back and take a look."
Lou Xiyue coughed twice, covering her mouth.
It felt like something gently touched my forehead, and I heard him whisper in my ear, "I'll come see you later."
Then, the dream shifted, and behind the swaying willow branches, Qi Xiao clutched her stomach and giggled. Tears welled in her eyes as she laughed and said to me, "Sister, I'm going to get back everything you owe me, one by one."
When I woke up, my forehead was covered in cold sweat and my pillowcase was soaked.
I leaned against the couch, trying to figure out the whole story, but I just couldn't get it right.
There is only one thing that is absolutely clear: I am destined to be embroiled in this palace intrigue, unable to extricate myself.
I got up, took a sip of tea, and went out to find Zhuo Shang to go find the Emperor.
Overnight, the world turned upside down. If I don't get to the bottom of this, I'll die unjustly.
The Emperor, feeling unwell, sat at his desk, propping his forehead up with his hand, and furrowed his brow as he examined the figures in the paintings on the scrolls.
Openly inquiring about this royal secret might be a bit difficult, so after much thought, I chose a more subtle and touching approach: "Your Majesty, the weather is fine today. It's the beginning of spring, and everything is waiting to be rebuilt. Birds are returning to their nests, and all things are growing. Flowers are in full bloom, and wives and concubines are plentiful."
The Emperor paused, then looked up at me. "Why don't you accompany me for a walk in the back garden?"
I said, "That's not what I meant."
He asked, "What do you mean?"
I said, "I want to ask the Emperor about that royal secret about my parents."
He rubbed his temples, sighed, and got up to walk out of the hall.
I strolled with him in the garden, where clusters of peonies were in full bloom.
This old story from twenty years ago has been brought up again.
At that time, Yue Ji was the princess of the Xue Kingdom, of legitimate royal blood. On her birthday, the five planets aligned, purple clouds soared, and the sun and moon shone brightly. The diviner prophesied that this woman would surely be able to turn the tide and lead the Great Xue Kingdom to the pinnacle of the century.
Looking back at this bloody period, we can probably only draw this conclusion: whether it was a Taoist priest drawing talismans at a stall or a fortune teller in the imperial court, fortune tellers were all unreliable.
From a young age, Yueji shouldered the heavy responsibility of governing the country. Putting aside her appearance, she was no different from an ordinary emperor. She studied classics and strategies from childhood, and when the two countries were at war, she also led the army on a western expedition.
When Yueji was seventeen, she first met Jin Lang on the battlefield. The two armies were arrayed at Xishanbu, and the Jin banner fluttered in the north wind.
At that time, Jin Lang did not yet have such a resounding reputation. Dressed in a red battle robe, he sat astride a black steed, exuding an extraordinary air, his eyes reflecting the flying sand and stones of the vast battlefield.
When the commander challenged him, Yueji, despite being a martial artist, was no match for Jinlang, who wielded a long sword.
Her helmet fell to the ground, revealing a knife scar on her snow-white face, which was now hidden by the yellow sand. Jin Lang's red-tasseled sword came to a stop at her neck. He sheathed the sword, his eyes narrowing, and said indifferently, "Has the Eastern Land lost all its generals and ministers? Sending a woman to the battlefield."
In the battle of Xishanbu, besides the helmet that Jin Lang had taken off, she also had a scar on her face.
What followed was a two-year-long chaotic war.
Unable to withstand the attack, Xue had no choice but to send Yue Ji to Li Kingdom for a marriage alliance as a gesture of goodwill.
The bride was General Jin, who had already achieved numerous military victories.
The process of the marriage alliance was fraught with twists and turns.
Princess's entourage slowly entered the territory of the Li Kingdom. A young man in a blue robe, riding a white horse, was waiting for her by the roadside.
Because Yue Ji had a scar on her cheek, Xue Guo was afraid that the groom would see her appearance and break off the marriage, so he instructed her to always wear a veil and not to remove it until the wedding night.
She lifted the carriage curtain slightly and glanced at the young master on horseback.
He had a handsome face and a refined demeanor, smiling as he spoke to someone nearby. Most people assumed that the renowned War God Jin Lang would be a rather burly man, but he turned out to be a refined and elegant scholar. A hint of surprise rose in Yue Ji's heart.
Of course, her surprise stemmed entirely from her misunderstanding.