The Foolish Agent

Chapter 94

Qingfeng turned around and realized that the Second Prince's men had surrounded the three of them without him noticing. The chaotic crowd from before had vanished. Only the ministers remained, kept at bay by armored guards, nervously watching the emperor's family's performance. Clearly, those armored guards were all the Second Prince's men. The Second Prince, with an imposing air, issued orders to them.

"The Crown Prince has kidnapped the Empress and intends to commit adultery. Seize him!"

Immediately, more than a dozen armored soldiers rushed forward.

Qingfeng didn't even turn his head. The sword in his right hand was still against the Empress's neck. With a casual wave of his left hand, the dozen or so guards who rushed up fell down and quickly turned into a pool of blood, leaving only their empty iron armor.

Seeing this, none of the guards dared to step forward and risk their lives.

Upon seeing this, the emperor suddenly stood up and loudly announced to the ministers outside:

"Your Excellencies, hear my decree: The Second Prince has committed treason, and I hereby formally appoint the First Prince as Crown Prince. I hereby order him, in his capacity as Crown Prince, to execute all these rebellious officials and their sons on the spot!"

"Your Majesty is wise! Long live the Crown Prince!" The ministers had already witnessed the Crown Prince's prowess and understood the Emperor's intentions. This kind of free, potentially fatal flattery was something they weren't going to pass up.

"Is it true that if I help you deal with these people, you'll release Xiaojie?" Qingfeng completely ignored the emperor's words. He still stared hatefully at the empress's face and asked coldly. The blade of the sword he held against the empress's neck was already stained with blood.

"Alright! As long as you quell today's chaos and then settle down to be your subordinate, I naturally won't make things difficult for Xiao Jie. To be honest, I like her very much too. After all, she saved the lives of our family of three!" The Empress readily agreed.

"Hmph! You still remember she saved your life? She should save pigs or dogs, not you beasts like you," Qingfeng coldly cursed.

"Don't forget you are our son!" the Queen replied gently. From beginning to end, she played the role of a great mother who, even when her son threatened her with a sword, still smiled and persuaded him to turn over a new leaf.

Chapter 123 Danger or Safety?

Leng Jie felt as if she had stepped into a hazy, indistinct fog. All around her was utter silence, a silence that terrified her. Suddenly, a child's piercing cry echoed from the depths of the fog.

"Waaaa, Mommy, save me! Waaaa, Mommy, save me..."

She ran involuntarily toward the sound. But no matter how fast she ran, she couldn't see the child. Leng Jie wanted to call out to him, to ask where he was, but she couldn't make a sound.

"Mommy...Mommy...help...help..."

The child's voice grew weaker and weaker, as if someone was choking him, making it hard for him to breathe. Hearing this cry for help, Leng Jie felt a sharp pain in her heart. "Ah…!" she suddenly screamed, closing her eyes and shouting to the heavens!

Sigh! I finally cried out. Looks like I was dreaming just now!

"Ugh!" But why is there a sharp pain in my chest? With a thought, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at the place where the pain was coming from.

Holy crap! What did she see? A gaunt, white-bearded, old Taoist priest with a cow-nose was slashing her wrist veins with a lizard's knife! No wonder it hurt so much! What? He was actually using a golden bowl to catch her blood. And the way he greedily watched the blood flow into the bowl made it seem as if he wasn't catching blood, but rather the nectar bestowed by the Queen Mother of the West. And the kind that could instantly grant immortality.

What's going on? The dazed look was instantly replaced by astonishment, followed by two icy, sharp gazes that shot out like arrows of ice, and an angry shout escaped his lips:

"What are you doing?" At the same time, Leng Jie's peripheral vision had already taken in her surroundings. Her hands and feet were tied to the wall in a cross shape. The stone hut was dark and damp, and there was a faint smell of Chinese medicine in the air. This must be underground.

The old Taoist priest's hand, holding the bowl, trembled with startle at the sudden angry shout. The bowl tilted, and bright red blood splattered all over the ground.

"Oh no! My precious bowl is spilled!" the old Taoist priest shrieked, quickly righting the bowl. Suddenly, he turned his head, and two sinister, murderous gazes collided with a cold, sharp gaze capable of freezing one's heart to ice. A spark flew between them!

What a sharp gaze! Is he perhaps a phoenix with dragon blood flowing through his veins? He remains so calm even while others are bleeding him out. The old Taoist sighed inwardly.

What a vicious gaze! Leng Jie exclaimed, her computer-like brain working overtime. She remembered being attacked from behind in the Empress's palace. And the fact that so many palace maids around hadn't reacted at all meant there was only one possibility: the Empress herself must have framed her. A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes, and after analyzing the situation, she seemed to understand.

However, her blood couldn't withstand such a flow. Leng Jie broke the silence, asking sharply:

"Imperial Advisor? You want to use my blood to refine elixirs?"

The old Taoist priest shuddered again! But this time, no blood spilled from his face, because of his earlier mistake, he was now holding the bowl with both hands!

Leng Jie already knew from his expression that she had guessed correctly, and she continued with a cold sarcasm:

"You think I can cure those poisons, and that my blood can cure them too? That's wishful thinking!"

"Hahaha! Facing such a life-or-death situation, you remained calm and composed, neither screaming nor begging for mercy. You were able to analyze the situation so rationally, and most importantly, you were able to see through my identity and intentions at a glance. You truly are my daughter-in-law from the Xuanyuan family!" The old Taoist suddenly withdrew his sinister gaze and laughed heartily.

Shou Buli ignored Leng Jie's stunned silence, glanced back at the bowl which was already more than half full of blood, withdrew his right hand from the golden bowl, and quickly sealed the acupoints on Leng Jie's arm. The bleeding from the wound immediately stopped.

The old Taoist priest placed the golden bowl, which had collected most of the blood, on the ground beside him. Then, he took out a small porcelain bottle from his robes and sprinkled some medicinal powder onto Leng Jie's wounds. Next, he pulled a strip of white cloth from his sleeve to use as a bandage to wrap Xiao Jie's wounds.

After bandaging the wound, the old Taoist priest picked up the golden bowl containing the cold, fresh blood, said, "I have to go refine my elixir," and hurriedly left.

Leng Jie, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in the old man's words, "Indeed, she is my daughter-in-law from the Xuanyuan family." This statement was even more shocking than her own shocking remark! If Leng Jie hadn't been an "insulator," she would have been utterly stunned. Even so, it took her a long while to slowly close her wide-open mouth.

Good heavens, the Grand Preceptor of Beifeng Kingdom is a member of the Jinghe royal family? And not only does he know the secret of the Dragon-Phoenix Blood that only the Jinghe Emperor knows, but most importantly, he also knows that only she and Qingfeng know she is the Empress of Jinghe. Even the usually clear-headed Leng Jie felt dizzy. What on earth is going on?

A sharp pain in her wrist snapped Leng Jie back to reality. Why was she thinking about all that? Now wasn't the time to pursue the truth; her priority was finding a way to escape.

Leng Jie tried to use her internal energy to break free of the ropes binding her limbs. Her heart sank! Unable to gather internal energy? What was going on? She tried several more times, but still couldn't feel any internal energy at all.

Damn it! She can't use internal energy in this situation? Does that mean she's just stuck here, a human sacrifice? No, she never had internal energy before! She still managed to complete far more difficult tasks. Leng Jie reassured herself. She carefully surveyed her surroundings again, hoping to find something she could use to escape.

This was a stone room, roughly five or six square meters in size. No, it should more accurately be called a grotto. The three walls were all solid stone slabs, even the ceiling was made of the same stone. Clearly, this grotto had been carved out of a large rock. If she wasn't mistaken, this should be the cinnabar mine where the Imperial Preceptor mined cinnabar. Inside, besides her and the rope binding her, there was nothing else.

Looking at her own gear, she realized she was only wearing a thin, coarse cloth shirt and a pair of coarse cloth trousers that were barely half-worn. Even her life-saving ring was gone. "No way! Master! You planned everything, but did you foresee that your beloved disciple would travel all the way to Beifeng to save someone, only to become someone's drug user instead?" Leng Jie couldn't help but silently curse her all-powerful, prophetic master.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside, followed by the Grand Preceptor, carrying a bowl of steaming food, walking in with a smile. He looked up and met Leng Jie's cold gaze, and said with a smile:

"Girl, don't look at me with that hatred. I only borrowed a little of your blood. As long as you drink this blood-nourishing soup, I guarantee that neither you nor my little nephew will be in any danger."

"Who exactly are you?" Leng Jie couldn't help but ask, seeing his harmless appearance.

"If you obediently drink this bowl of soup, I'll tell you everything you want to know," the old Taoist priest said with a smile as he brought the bowl of soup to Leng Jie's lips.

"Hmph!" Leng Jie turned her face away and said resolutely, "If you won't tell me, then bleed me dry!"

"Girl, you can handle it, but my little nephew can't take it!" the Imperial Advisor reminded her with a smile.

"What does your grand-nephew have to do with me?" Wait! Leng Jie suddenly remembered her dream. Could the child who cried "Mommy, save me" be...? She woke up with a start. She hadn't had her period for a month since arriving in Beifeng, and she had always thought it was just menstrual irregularities caused by the sudden change in environment. She hadn't had that one time at all, and it was during what she thought was her safe period. She was actually pregnant.

She was going to be a mother! A happy smile unconsciously spread across Leng Jie's face. Suddenly, she remembered the scene from her dream, and her face darkened. No, she couldn't let anything happen to her child. Anyone who dared to harm her child would be punished severely.

The Imperial Advisor, observing the constantly shifting expressions on Leng Jie's face—from surprise to joy, then worry, then anger—knew she had come to her senses and reminded her once more:

"Girl, have you thought it through? If you want to save my grand-nephew, drink this bowl of soup right now."

"How do I know if there's poison in this soup?" Leng Jie glanced at the bowl of soup and asked coldly. Although she knew there wouldn't be any poison in it, because he still wanted to keep her alive for bloodletting, she just wasn't willing to give in to his wishes. Besides, if he knew she cared about the child, the child might be in even greater danger.

"You little brat, I know perfectly well you're not afraid of poison, why would I poison you? Do you think I'm a fool?" the old Taoist asked, his tone clearly unfriendly. Without another word, he reached out and pinched Leng Jie's nose, about to force-feed her. Leng Jie jerked her head away, and with a loud "bang!" her forehead slammed heavily against the old Taoist's chin. Before the old Taoist could erupt in anger, she quickly cried out:

I'll drink it!

The old Taoist priest, who was about to explode in anger, seemed to calm down considerably after hearing Leng Jie's reply. However, he still glared at her hatefully before putting the soup bowl back into Leng Jie's mouth.

Seeing that Leng Jie had finished the entire bowl of soup in one gulp and even licked her lips, the Imperial Advisor immediately said, as if seeking a reward:

"How is this soup? It's delicious! I've really gone all out for my grand-nephew. I even used a thousand-year-old ginseng that I myself wouldn't use."

"Hmph! You were the one who bled me without cause first!" Leng Jie coldly reminded her, "Now you should tell me what really happened, shouldn't you?"

"Yes! Of course I'll tell you, but you'll have to wait a bit. There's something else I need to do right now," the old Taoist readily agreed.

Leng Jie was about to scold him for breaking his promise when she saw him put the bowl down and then walk over to untie the rope binding her arms. Did he really mean no harm? But why did he tie her up when she was unconscious? Leng Jie looked at the old man who was freeing her from his restraints with a puzzled expression.

The Imperial Advisor gently lowered Leng Jie from the wall and met her gaze. He immediately explained:

"You don't need to look at me like that. I was also poisoned by that wretched woman, the Empress. There wasn't enough time to prepare an antidote, so I had to use your blood as the antidote."

"The Empress poisoned you? You poisoned her, didn't you?" Leng Jie moved her limbs, which were numb from being suspended, and replied in disbelief.

"Hehe!" The Imperial Advisor, whose lie had been exposed the moment he opened his mouth, immediately blushed crimson. Fortunately, the light was dim here; he figured the girl couldn't see it! He intended to use a laugh to smooth things over.

But Leng Jie had sharp eyes; she didn't miss a single expression on the old man's face. Before he could change the subject, she continued:

"Uncle! You used my blood to break the curse, didn't you?"

The old man suddenly looked up, staring at Leng Jie in surprise. He said incredulously:

"It seems my nephew loves you very much! Otherwise, why would he tell you such an important thing?"

"You've confessed without being asked! It's just a pity I know, but your nephew doesn't. But, does he really love her?" Leng Jie's lips curled into a smile as she continued to ask:

"Are you really Jinghe's royal uncle? Then which of Jinghe's royal uncles are you?"

"Of course! Monks don't lie..."

It turns out that this imperial advisor was indeed a prince of Jinghe, and he was Xuanyuan's uncle. The Jinghe royal family had an unwritten rule that the eldest son would inherit the throne. And he just happened to be the eldest son born at the very beginning.

However, he later became fascinated with Taoist cultivation practices and thus voluntarily relinquished the throne that he, as the eldest prince, should have inherited. He went to a famous Taoist temple in Jinghe and became an ordinary Taoist priest. Meanwhile, the second prince, Leng Jie's father-in-law, was made crown prince in the succession.

But his period of seclusion didn't last long; his father and son, the emperor, died. Afterwards, a fierce war broke out within the royal family for the throne. Of the dozen or so brothers, only he and Xuanyuan Yunlu's father remained. Xuanyuan's father was the victor, while he himself died before the war was over.

After the crown prince became emperor, he gave him a secret formula he had found in the royal family's secret manual. This was the same formula for the elixir used by the Northern Feng Emperor. He told him that the main ingredients in the formula could only be found in the far north, and sent several hundred guards to him, claiming they were to escort him to find the elixir. At the time, he was engrossed in cultivation and alchemy, so he naturally didn't suspect anything and happily accepted the formula.

Then they arrived in Beifeng. The emperor had his guards bring him a great deal of gold and silver, and he paid many people to help him find it. They quickly found the cinnabar in Beifeng. Then he began his alchemy career. Because the recipe was written very vaguely, it took him over ten years to complete. When his first batch of pills was ready, he was immediately excited and wanted to return to Jinghe to share it with his younger brother, the emperor.

But just as he was preparing to return home, the captain of the guard suddenly gave him a letter from his younger brother, the emperor. After reading it, he learned that his brother had always resented him for being the eldest prince. The letter told him that he had placed a curse on him, a curse that would forever prevent him from ever setting foot in Jinghe again.

His father favored him, so from a young age he could freely enter and leave the imperial study and the emperor's private chambers. Therefore, he knew the consequences of being cursed by Emperor Jinghe and how to break the curse.

"Do you hate him?" Leng Jie asked.

"Hate? I must have hated him!" the Grand Preceptor replied calmly. After a pause, he said with a touch of sorrow, "But when I heard the news of his death six years ago, the hatred had already gone with him."

Now that her identity was known, Leng Jie asked the question she most wanted to know.

"How did my royal uncle know my identity?"

"Oh! I also happened to see the phoenix mark on your side in the Empress's palace. At the time, I thought I was seeing things! No one would have imagined that you, the future Crown Princess of Beifeng, would actually be the Phoenix Empress, a figure that has not appeared in Jinghe for generations." The Imperial Preceptor still had a surprised expression when he spoke of it.

"So you ambushed me from behind, then tied me up like that to draw my blood to break the curse?" Leng Jie suddenly questioned sharply.

The Imperial Advisor quickly waved his hand and explained:

"It wasn't me who attacked you, but the Empress's shadow guard. I was originally invited by the Second Prince to kidnap the Empress from her palace. But when I arrived, I happened to see someone taking off your court robes. I also inadvertently saw the phoenix mark on your body. So, I gave up the idea of messing with that woman and rescued you first."

"Are you sure you're saving me?" Leng Jie asked in a dangerous tone. She then proceeded to sternly accuse him of his crimes:

"You knew I was pregnant, yet you didn't even give me an extra layer of clothing, and you hung me up. You not only sealed my internal energy but also bled me! Is this how you save me?"

Now the old man should realize his mistake!

"Wrong," the old man replied, showing no remorse whatsoever, and instead answered with self-righteous indignation:

"Of course I was saving you! I not only saved you, but also the baby in your womb. At the same time, I saved millions of people in Jinghe."

“Ugh…” Leng Jie kept gagging.

"Do you know what would have happened if I hadn't saved you at the last minute?" the old man asked defiantly when Leng Jie didn't believe him.

"What consequences?" A strange glint flashed in his eyes as he asked disdainfully.

"Sigh! I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid it would be too much for you. But you really need to understand, so I'll tell you everything! You should know that the empress deliberately took poison and asked you to use your internal energy to save her life, right?"

Leng Jie nodded with a stern face.