Sueño de Jiangshan

Capítulo 72

"I challenge you to a duel! If you win, these two women are yours, and I'll return to Xiping immediately. If I win, I'll take both women with me. Do you dare?"

"Hmph! You dare to take my people away from my territory?" Xuanyuan Xili's gaze swept over the Crown Prince of Xiping. He sneered, revealing disdain.

"Your Highness, have you forgotten where you are? You actually dare to use my people as a wager against me? What wishful thinking!"

"I know this is your territory. What? You dare not accept a man's challenge?" Crown Prince Xiping, having suppressed his anger, retorted with the same contemptuous sneer:

"It seems that what that woman said is true; you're not a man at all!"

Leng Jie was taken aback! She knew who the woman was without needing to be told. However, Leng Jie hadn't expected her to discuss such a matter with the Crown Prince of Xiping. It seemed that the woman's relationship with him was quite unusual! Leng Jie secretly glanced at Xuan Yuan, not at all surprised; he was already furious, practically fuming.

If he were to kill that damned crown prince with a single blow, Xiping would undoubtedly use the pretext of avenging the prince to openly declare war on Jing. Then the people of Jing would know that their emperor had started a war over a woman. Their morale would completely collapse. The situation for Jing would then be entirely different.

Leng Jie was relieved that Xuanyuan hadn't agreed to use them as a wager, so naturally she wouldn't ignore his anger.

Leng Jie reached out and grasped Xuan Yuan's trembling hand, then smiled at the Crown Prince of Xiping:

"Is Your Highness trying to deliberately provoke my Emperor into accidentally killing you? If you truly wish to die, there's no need for my Emperor to lift a finger. I can send you on your way. Your father will then receive a letter from the Emperor stating that Your Highness intended to take advantage of me but was instead killed by my own hand. I imagine your brothers will be extremely grateful to me, won't they?"

Leng Jie's smile was radiant, and her words, spoken with an air of nonchalance, sent a chill down the spine of the Crown Prince of Xiping. He wasn't worried that Emperor Xuanyuan would dare kill him. However, Leng Jie's words had alarmed him! Although he didn't know if she actually had the ability to kill him, her composed expression made him hesitant to take the risk.

Just then, the sound of the madam serving dishes finally came from outside the door.

Leng Jie pointed to a table full of delicious dishes and said to the Crown Prince of Xiping:

"Your Highness, please sit down and have your meal!"

The Crown Prince of Xiping sheathed his scimitar and glared at Xuanyuan. He sat down reluctantly.

Leng Jie placed a duck leg into Qing'er's bowl, who had been silent, gesturing for her to eat quickly. Then she picked up another duck leg that Xuan Yuan had already placed for her and began to gnaw on it.

After finishing one, she noticed that the annoying Prince Xiping still showed no sign of leaving. She truly didn't understand; he'd already been beaten and scolded. Why was he still making a fool of himself by staying here? Did he still want to compete with her for Qing'er? Thinking of Qing'er, Leng Jie felt a pang of guilt. She glanced at the Prince Xiping, who was still looking defiant, and while wiping her greasy hands with a handkerchief, she said to him:

"Your Highness, you just swore at me. I, out of concern for the people, struck you twice, so we're even. I won't hold it against you. However, I want to remind you that you must never use women as a wager again. Especially not women like me, because my way of dealing with men who treat me this way is always to castrate them, then feed them breast-enhancing drugs, turning them into neither-male-nor-female transvestites. Finally, I'll take back everything they've done to them."

"Pfft!" Xuanyuan spat out the tea he had just taken a sip of, back into the cup. If he had accepted the challenge from the Crown Prince of Xiping in a fit of anger, the consequences would have been unimaginable! What a close call! He couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

The Crown Prince of Xiping stared blankly at Leng Jie for a long while, then suddenly stood up and left behind a harsh remark:

"You will all eventually be my women!"

Then he turned and left.

Leng Jie shouted back at his retreating figure:

"Girl, I'm waiting for that day to come! Because I really want to see what you look like as a ladyboy."

Qing'er couldn't help but steal a glance at Leng Jie. She felt that this young lady's manner of speaking was very similar to her young master's. Thinking of her young master, she felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She tried hard to hold back her laughter.

Seeing that Qing'er finally had her usual smile back, Leng Jie felt a warmth in her heart. Suddenly, she asked excitedly:

"Qing'er! Tell your sister, how did you get here? How did you turn into Xiyu?"

Qing'er was suddenly stunned! She called her Qing'er. So she knew her? But she didn't remember having such a sister?

Seeing Qing'er staring blankly at her without replying, Leng Jie anxiously asked loudly:

"Speak quickly! What happened? Why aren't you at the General's Mansion?"

Qing'er was still confused. She was still wondering who this young lady was? How did she know she was in the General's Mansion? Could she be a relative of the General's Mansion?

Seeing that she remained silent and blank, Leng Jie finally lost her temper and jumped up. She grabbed her shoulders, shook her violently, and loudly demanded:

"Didn't I tell you to wait for me at the General's Mansion? Did the General's Mansion sell you here?"

Seeing Xiao Jie nearly going crazy with anxiety, while Qing'er still didn't understand what was going on, Xuan Yuan quickly reminded her:

"Qing'er, she is your nameless young master. Tell her quickly what happened to you at the General's Mansion? Look how worried she is."

This time, Qing'er wasn't dumbfounded; instead, she excitedly asked Xuanyuan:

"What did His Majesty just say?"

"She is your nameless young master!" Xuanyuan understood her shock, because he had had the same experience. Therefore, he clearly told her a second time.

"Bang!" Qing'er suddenly felt something in her heart shatter, then her vision blurred, and her body went limp and she fell backward.

"Qing'er!" Leng Jie exclaimed in surprise and reached out to catch her.

Chapter 105 The Nameless Crime

Leng Jie carried the unconscious Qing'er into the inner room and laid her flat on her bed. She immediately pinched Qing'er's philtrum. Qing'er opened her eyes abruptly, finally catching her breath. However, she still stared blankly at Leng Jie.

"Qing'er! Qing'er! Are you alright?" Leng Jie called out repeatedly. Seeing Qing'er still staring blankly at her without saying a word, Leng Jie assumed Qing'er was angry that she hadn't gone to find her, and quickly apologized:

"Qing'er! I'm sorry! It's all my fault. I shouldn't have brought you out of the palace and then left you at the General's Mansion without a care. If you resent me, then get up and scold me, hit me! Don't keep it all bottled up!"

Xuanyuan, who had followed in, saw that his Xiaojie was almost frantic with worry, and also tried to comfort her:

"Qing'er, your young lady didn't lie to you on purpose. She even lied to me back then. I've already forgiven her, so don't be angry with her. Look how anxious she is. Besides, she didn't deliberately not come to see you. She's only been back in the capital for a few days."

After hearing Xuanyuan's explanation, Qing'er finally showed some expression. Leng Jie quickly chimed in:

"Although my sister has been traveling all over the country for the past three years, I have never forgotten my lovely little Qing'er!"

Qing'er stared into Leng Jie's eyes, and she saw in them the same sincere affection the young master had shown her when he had comforted her. A sudden pang of sadness gripped her heart, and she burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably into Leng Jie's arms. "Waaaaah..."

Leng Jie quickly hugged her, gently patted her back, and coaxed her softly, "Cry, cry. Cry out all the grievances and unhappiness in your heart at once. Now that your sister is back, your sister will never let you get hurt again."

Xuanyuan stared blankly at Leng Jie. He had only ever heard of people telling others not to cry; this was the first time he had ever seen someone try to comfort someone who was crying like this. Wasn't she just making her even more upset and causing her to cry even harder?

Hearing Leng Jie's words, Qing'er cried even louder. Leng Jie simply held her quietly, gently stroking her back, helping her catch her breath from her sobs, as if trying to make her cry more freely.

Xuanyuan couldn't bear the scene and shook his head. He then withdrew.

After a while, Qing'er finally finished crying. She unceremoniously wiped her face, covered in snot and tears, on Leng Jie's clothes, tilted her round little face up, glared at Leng Jie with her two red eyes like a little rabbit, pouted her little lips, and complained in a spoiled tone:

"Miss is so wicked! Pretending to be a man to deceive Qing'er. Qing'er won't stand for it, Qing'er wants the young master, not the young lady."

Her beloved Qing'er is finally back. Leng Jie smiled with relief, and couldn't help but gently tap Qing'er's forehead with her finger, teasingly saying:

"Hehe, my Qing'er is a grown-up now, and she knows to choose a gentleman over a young lady. In that case, I must hurry up and find you a handsome young man so that my little Qing'er can be married off!"

A glint of surprise flashed in Qing'er's big eyes, and she suddenly threw herself back into Leng Jie's arms. Her slender arms wrapped around Leng Jie's neck, her delicate body rubbing and twisting against her, as she said incessantly:

"I don't want anyone else, I only want Young Master Wuming! Qing'er said she would follow and serve you for life. You asked me to learn literature and martial arts, and I have now learned everything you asked. You can't go back on your word!"

Although Leng Jie wasn't as nauseous as Xuan Yuan from physical contact, Qing'er's advances still gave her goosebumps. She quickly reached out to pull Qing'er's arms away, but Qing'er's delicate arms were like two water snakes, tightly wrapped around her neck. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull them apart. Of course, she was afraid of hurting her, so she wouldn't actually use brute force.

Left with no other choice, Leng Jie had to beg for mercy: "Alright! My little aunt. I'll give you a nameless young master in return, okay? Please spare me! I can't breathe anymore."

"Pfft!" Qing'er suddenly burst into laughter. She released her arm, made a face at Leng Jie, and laughed while looking up:

"Hehe, so playing pranks really is this fun! No wonder you always used to play pranks on people. Today I finally got my money's worth!"

Leng Jie felt a chill run down her spine! This little brat dared to deliberately take advantage of her? She quickly reached her hands under Qing'er's armpits, tickling her until Qing'er's waist trembled, giggling and dodging, while simultaneously retaliating. Leng Jie, caught in the crossfire, chuckled as well.

Xuanyuan, who was waiting outside, saw people inside crying and laughing intermittently. He couldn't help but get up and go in to check. As soon as he entered, he saw Leng Jie and Qing'er sitting on the bed, laughing and joking wildly. Xuanyuan had never seen Leng Jie so crazy and laughing so happily.

Watching the two laughing heartily, Xuan Yuan suddenly felt a strange unease. They hadn't seen each other for three years, yet Xiao Jie had shown absolutely no emotion when she saw him. But when she saw Qing'er, she was first anxious, then guilty, and now she was laughing so happily. It was clear that he held a lower place in her heart than a little girl she had casually rescued. Thinking of this, Xuan Yuan suddenly froze. What was he thinking? He was actually jealous of a little girl? He quickly composed himself, coughed lightly at the two still playing on the bed, and, drawing their attention back, said seriously:

"Stop fooling around. Qing'er, tell me what happened? How did you get here?"

"Yes! What exactly happened? Why didn't you wait for me at the General's Mansion to pick you up?" Leng Jie stopped laughing and asked seriously.

Qing'er tugged at her clothes, which were crumpled up from the madness, before pouting and complaining to Leng Jie:

"Miss told Qing'er to wait for you at the General's Mansion, but you haven't come even once. You said you had to go to Worry-Free Valley to find you if something happened, but you can't get in at all. As a result, you lost the silver notes you gave me. Sister Ling'er's illness has worsened again. So, we had no choice but to return to the capital. But we dare not go back to the General's Mansion. I really have no other choice but to come here to perform and earn money to treat Sister Ling'er's illness!"

Qing'er's rapid-fire words left Leng Jie completely bewildered. However, she understood one thing: she hadn't been sold to a brothel by the General's mansion. She looked up at Xuan Yuan and asked:

Did you understand what she said?

Xuanyuan shook his head in agreement. Leng Jie lowered her eyes and said to Qing'er:

"See? We didn't understand either. It's not that I'm stupid, it's just that you explained it too convolutedly. How about this, I'll ask a question, and you answer it, okay?"

Qing'er nodded obediently and replied, "Okay!"

Leng Jie smiled at her with satisfaction. She then began to ask:

"When and why did you leave the General's Mansion? Was it because someone there bullied you?"

Qing'er immediately shook her head and replied, "No, no. The people in the General's Mansion treat Qing'er very well. They hired many teachers for Qing'er and taught her many skills."

"Then why did you leave the General's Mansion? And why can't you go back?" Leng Jie asked, puzzled.

"I escaped with Sister Ling'er," Qing'er suddenly said sadly.

"Ye Ling'er? She's the most favored young lady in the General's Mansion. Besides, doesn't she have a childhood sweetheart and senior brother? Why do you need to take her away?" Leng Jie asked, even more puzzled.

Qing'er sniffled, and her big, red eyes, which had just been crying, immediately began to well up with tears again.

Leng Jie quickly grasped her hand and encouraged her, "It's alright. With your sister and the Emperor here, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Qing'er lowered her head, suppressing the tears that were already welling up in her eyes. She pursed her lips and bravely looked up at the Emperor, who was nodding at her, then looked down to meet Leng Jie's encouraging gaze. After a moment of preparation, she began to speak again:

"Sister Ling'er is so pitiful! Two years ago, Sister Ling'er's senior brother heard from somewhere that she had been humiliated by a young master in the palace. Then, without asking any questions, he proposed to annul the engagement the day before his wedding to Sister Ling'er. The general naturally disagreed, and that young master Zhu had no choice. But at the wedding the next day, he married another woman at the same time."

When Ling'er found out, she went to explain to her senior brother, but that young master Zhu not only refused to listen but also allowed another bride to berate her for being shameless. He hurled many nasty insults at her, and in a fit of anger, Ling'er fought him. Young master Zhu, believing that the other woman was no match for her, joined the fight. Seeing that young master Zhu was helping another woman against her, Ling'er was heartbroken. Desperate for death, she took a full-force blow from young master Zhu.

Although the old general saved her life in time, she could no longer practice martial arts. Suffering this double blow, the elder sister became a completely different person. She was constantly depressed, locking herself in her room and remaining silent. She only spoke to Qing'er, ignoring everyone else. This continued for over a year.

Six months ago, that young master Zhu suddenly sent a letter of divorce. At the time, my sister didn't react much. Qing'er also felt that since my sister's heart was dead, whether or not they divorced was just a matter of a piece of paper.

To Qing'er's surprise, the day after her sister received the letter of divorce, someone came to propose marriage to her sister Ling'er again. Qing'er heard that the visitor was the second son of the Minister of War. So she ran to the study to eavesdrop on his conversation with the general, only to find out that he wanted to take her sister as a concubine. She thought that the general, who loved her sister so much, would definitely not agree. But to her surprise, after listening to the man's sweet talk, the general actually agreed without hesitation.

When I got back, I told my sister everything. Upon hearing this, she immediately went to the general in a frenzy, crying and saying she would rather die than marry him. But the general resolutely told her that even if she died, she would no longer be a member of the Ye family. He then ordered that the young lady be confined to her small courtyard, forbidding her from stepping out before her marriage, and forbidding Qing'er from visiting her either.

After the general finished speaking, I saw despair in my sister's eyes. Afraid she might do something foolish, I secretly took her out of the general's mansion that very night. Once outside, we had nowhere to go, so we thought of going to Worry-Free Valley to find you.

Qing'er paused here, looking at Leng Jie, who quickly handed her a cup of fragrant tea. Qing'er took it, drank it all in one gulp, and continued:

"But after finally finding Wuyou Valley, we discovered that no one could actually enter. So we had no choice but to return to the capital. That way, you can find us if you go to the General's Mansion. But on the way, we encountered a swindler. She first pretended to be pitiful to gain our sympathy and asked us to take her to the capital. In the end, she drugged us and stole our luggage and ran away."

Fortunately, Ling'er and I still had some jewelry with us. We pawned it to get back to the capital. Ling'er fell ill as soon as we arrived. I used all my money to buy medicine for her. Her condition showed a slight improvement, but I had no more money to buy more. Her illness was getting worse. I knelt before the doctor and begged him to let me have some medicine on credit, promising to pay him back once I found work and earned money. Just then, I ran into Zhang Mama, who had also gone for treatment. Seeing our pitiful state, she paid for the medicine and took Ling'er, who was living in a dilapidated temple outside the city, to her home to care for her.

To express my gratitude for Zhang Mama's generous help, I came to her Lianxiang Pavilion to play the zither and sing. At the same time, I also earned money to help my sister continue her treatment. Now, Sister Ling'er can get out of bed and walk around.

At this point, a smile unconsciously appeared on Qing'er's face. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she abruptly raised her head and eagerly explained to Leng Jie:

"Qing'er was really just playing the zither and singing. She never did anything improper. Miss, you must believe Qing'er!"

Leng Jie pulled her into her arms and nodded firmly, saying, "I believe in Qing'er. In my heart, Qing'er will always be the purest and most innocent."