La favorita del harén La concubina fea es venenosa

Chapter 001: Always By My Side

"Ah..." With a heart-wrenching scream, Qingmo suddenly jumped up from the bed, clutching the thin blanket tightly with both hands and screaming incoherently. Her face was pale and her forehead was covered with fine beads of cold sweat.

She dreamt of the man with the bright red beauty mark under his eye again, a dream she'd had for over twenty years since she was old enough to understand. In the dream, the man stood sideways, shrouded in a thin white mist. Looking at his blurry figure, she felt inexplicably sorrowful and depressed, even in her dreams.

Who exactly is he? Qingmo was certain she had never seen him before.

"Knock knock knock..." Just as I was pondering, a series of urgent knocks came from the door, breaking the tranquility of the morning.

"Who is it?" She quickly got up, put on a coat, walked to the door, and opened the iron gate.

"Instructor Xiaoyue, something terrible has happened. A major shooting has occurred at Panlong Mountain in Muping County next door, with multiple casualties. Chief Instructor Yue says you need to lead a team there in person."

Standing at the door was Gu Huai, the squad leader of the first platoon. He was usually cautious and steady in his work, but now he was covered in sweat and breathing rapidly, which fully demonstrated the seriousness of the matter.

Qingmo looked grave. After a two-second silence, she asked in a low voice, her words rapid yet calm: "Approximately how many criminals are there? What weapons are they using? Do they have any hostages? How far are they from the small village at the foot of Panlong Mountain?"

Gu Huai's face darkened, his already furrowed brows furrowing even more deeply. He looked at Qing Mo with some difficulty and said, "No, the Ministry of Public Security found nothing. All the criminals fled into Panlong Mountain. Because our troops are skilled in field operations, so..."

“Okay, I understand,” Qingmo nodded knowingly. As an excellent special forces instructor, she was naturally skilled in field operations. She then calmly analyzed, “Panlong Mountain has a complex terrain, with thousand-year-old trees everywhere. There are also countless venomous snakes and wild beasts inside. Even the local villagers who are familiar with the terrain dare not enter casually. Prepare your equipment and assemble at the training ground in half an hour.”

"Yes, Instructor Xiaoyue." Gu Huai saluted and ran away.

Two green military vehicles were driving on the treacherous mountain road when they stopped.

The murder occurred on a flat area at the top of the mountain. There are usually not many vehicles on the highway. A flat area has been specially set up at the top of the mountain for drivers to rest and maneuver their vehicles.

It was only a little past seven o'clock, but the temperature on the mountain was unusually low, and the cold wind, carrying a heavy smell of blood, rushed straight into our nostrils. On the cement-paved ground, a large patch of dark red bloodstains was a shocking sight.

"Gu Huai, did you receive the information that the criminals really escaped from the mountaintop into Panlong Mountain?" Qing Mo carefully examined all the edges of the roadside. Apart from a small area with slight friction marks, the rest of the area was normal. The bloodstains and footprints all over the ground proved that there were quite a few criminals. She was a little confused.

"Yes, Instructor Xiaoyue. At that time, the comrades from the Ministry of Public Security surrounded the area from both sides, and the criminals couldn't get down the mountain at all, so they all escaped into Panlong Mountain," Gu Huai explained solemnly.

"Alright, then you and your men keep a close watch up here. Judging from the friction marks on the roadside, it doesn't seem like a large group of people escaped down here. I'll go down and take a look by myself," Qingmo instructed as she tied a rope around her waist.

"No," Gu Huai said nervously, grabbing her hand as she was moving. Qing Mo looked up at him, and he explained somewhat awkwardly, "We can handle these small things. You're the instructor, and if there's any danger..." Qing Mo smiled, patted his shoulder, stepped over the railing, and slid down the mountainside.

Panlong Mountain has a treacherous terrain with cliffs everywhere, but the trees there are incredibly resilient, with many different species growing on the steep rock faces.

Qingmo held the rope in one hand and the pistol in the other, carefully avoiding the dense foliage as she looked around. Suddenly, a strange noise came from above. She looked up abruptly, her body instantly stiffening.

As she hung suspended in mid-air, looking up at the mountains shrouded in thin clouds, weren't they the very mountains she dreamed of every night? In that instant, the clouds transformed into a man's face, slowly turning towards her. Her heart clenched, and she stared intently at the white mist. Suddenly, the rope trembled, and her body plummeted uncontrollably. Before losing consciousness, she vaguely heard a man's heart-wrenching roar beside her ear, calling... her name.

**

The morning glow bathed the simply furnished room. Qingmo stared thoughtfully at the diamond-shaped mirror in front of her. In the mirror, the woman had an oval face, slender eyebrows, round eyes, a small nose, and a moderately sized mouth. Her features looked quite regular, but put together, they were just an ordinary face.

Twelve years ago, she was a fierce female instructor in the special forces. In an accident, her soul transmigrated into the body of a three-year-old. This body shared the same name as hers; it belonged to Yue Qingmo, the youngest daughter of Yue Qingyang, the high priest of the Moon Spirit Clan.

This country is called Fengyue Kingdom, and there are no historical records about it. Within Fengyue Kingdom, there are two major powers: the Phoenix Clan and the Moon Spirit Clan. The Phoenix Clan holds court and controls military, political, social, and diplomatic affairs; while the Moon Spirit Clan focuses on sacrifices, prayers, and shamanism, generally keeping to themselves.

She emerged alive from the Ice Palace at the age of three and became a Moon Maiden of the Moon Spirit Clan. Moon Spirit Clan women are often charming and beautiful, while men are often handsome. Because of her ordinary appearance, she has never been favored.

"Knock knock knock..." Just as I was reminiscing, a series of urgent knocks broke the morning's tranquility.

"Miss, something terrible has happened..." Accompanied by several clear and urgent shouts, the door was pushed open instantly, and a girl in pink ran in.

"Tianzhen, what big thing has happened again?" Qingmo stood up and asked slowly.

Tianzhen, breathless, looked at her anxiously and said, "The... the High Priest has been poisoned, and Madam wants you to come over."

"Ha, there are plenty of skilled doctors in the manor. Why would you call me over? Are you afraid he won't die anytime soon and you want me to go and anger him to death?" Qingmo smiled disdainfully, then uttered two words, "I'm not going."

"Miss, you really aren't going..." Tianzhen looked at her with some difficulty, lowered her eyelashes in shame, and whispered, "But, but the wet nurse and the high priest are both poisoned, and they're currently..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qingmo's face darkened, and she grabbed her hand abruptly, exclaiming, "What did you say? The wet nurse was also poisoned! Why didn't you say so sooner?" With that, she vanished.

"Miss, wait for me! Wait for me!" Tianzhen shouted as she chased after her.

In the Hanhai Academy, as Qingmo entered the room, Yuechu Qing, who was sitting to the side, was fanning herself with a feather fan and glancing at her with a sarcastic tone, "Oh, look, isn't this our Moon Maiden? What wind blew the Moon Maiden of the Yue Clan here today? How strange."

"Heh, sister, you're joking. Since she's a Yue Clan Moon Maiden, she can go anywhere from Full Moon Manor, so what does a mere Han Hai Academy matter?" As soon as Yue Chuqing finished speaking, Yue Surong across from her also looked over, scrutinizing her attire from head to toe. Looking at that simple and plain blue robe, she felt disdain in her heart, but pretended to feel sorry for her, saying, "Sister Moon Maiden, you are a Yue Clan Moon Maiden, how can you dress so shabbily? If word gets out, people will think that our Yue Clan is at its end."

"Enough! Aren't you two chaotic enough? Shut your mouths, or get out!" Yue Surong was about to say something when Ge Manman, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, suddenly turned around, her eyes wide with anger, which frightened the two of them into silence.

Qingmo stood at the door, saying nothing from beginning to end, her face indifferent, as if she were an outsider. When Ge Manman spoke, she chuckled coldly a few times and asked in a low voice, "How is the High Priest? If there's nothing else, I'll take the wet nurse back to my courtyard."

“Your father is poisoned beyond cure. Aren’t you going to come and take a look?” Ge Manman said indifferently, glancing at her sideways.

"What?" The three exclaimed in unison. Yuechu Qing and Yue Surong stood up in a panic, looking towards the bed, while Qingmo frowned slightly, staring at the couch placed to the side of the room. On the couch, the woman dressed in coarse cloth lay quietly, her breathing steady, as if she were asleep.

“Yes, even the most skilled physicians of the Ren Yue clan couldn’t save them, because the poison they were afflicted with was ‘Drunken Lovesickness.’” Ge Manman seemed oblivious to their surprise, speaking calmly and eloquently.

Yuechu Qing and Yue Surong's expressions changed repeatedly. The two stood before the bed with grave expressions, saying nothing more. Qingmo swiftly pulled a dagger from her boot, cut her finger, and a drop of blood fell onto the wet nurse's forehead. The blood instantly slid down her cheek and onto her clothes, turning the spot on her forehead a faint purple. Her face turned deathly pale in an instant. Yes, it was Zui Xiangsi.

"Drunken Longing"—what a beautiful name. Ten years ago, when she was studying medicine, she saw this poison in a medical text and thought to herself that the woman who created it must be the most intelligent and ruthless person in the world. Because "Drunken Longing" is colorless and odorless, a heartless person would experience no ill effects. Conversely, if lovers consumed it and fell in love within twelve hours, both would be poisoned. The poisoned would be as if drunk and asleep, their minds filled with endless, tender emotions, forever lost in a dream, never to awaken.

The Yuezhi people believed their blood could cure diseases. A single drop was enough; if the blood and flesh mingled, the illness was cured; if the blood dripped but the forehead didn't change color, then there was a cure. The Yuezhi had risen to power for over a century and had no incurable diseases or poisons. Yet, the wet nurse's forehead had turned purple—undoubtedly due to "Drunken Lovesickness." This was because "Drunken Lovesickness" originated from the Yuezhi, and the woman who created this poison had dripped her own blood into it. Therefore, "Drunken Lovesickness" turned purple with blood, a condition the Yuezhi couldn't cure, and no medicine could cure it anywhere else in the world.

"Mother, is Father really beyond saving? Why...why did he get poisoned along with the wet nurse? Could it be...could they be having an affair?" After a long silence, Yue Surong looked at Ge Manman with some trepidation and asked softly.

Ge Manman didn't look at her, but kept her eyes downcast and gently looking at Yue Qingyang. She held his hands, which were resting on the edge of the bed, and said slowly, without any hint of anxiety or anger in her tone, "I don't know why he and the wet nurse were poisoned together. I only know that today I couldn't get the door of Hanhai Courtyard open. After someone opened the door, I found the master and Han Danyi lying on the ground together. The diagnosis was that they were poisoned by 'Drunken Lovesickness'."

Unable to get the answer she wanted, Yue Surong was helpless. Ever since she was old enough to understand, Ge Manman had always been like this, indifferent to everyone, even her own daughters. She had never said a kind word to them, let alone shown any

……