"This is the extraordinary man in the city, Young Master He."
I rolled my eyes. "The son of... Minister He?"
He smiled slightly, as warm as spring, and said, "Not bad."
"Could you plant a lantana for me?"
A smile played on his lips, and his gentle eyes flickered. "What would Miss need a poisonous plant for?"
"I have my own uses. Can you plant me or not?"
He didn't reply, but simply shook his head slightly.
"Very well, if you are unwilling, I will not force you."
I turned to leave, but the voice behind me suddenly changed.
"Heh, I had no idea when Rong Lian learned to be accommodating?"
The tone and manner of the voice were so familiar that I suddenly turned around and took a closer look before realizing who this Mr. He under the crabapple tree really was.
We share the same surname, He. How could I not recognize the person in front of me as the Medicine King after removing his human skin mask? Having grown accustomed to his disguised old face, and having not seen his face behind the mask for many years, my memory of it had become blurred. Moreover, he always seemed to have no connection whatsoever with the capital. No one would have imagined that He Xiuqi was the son of He Gongqing.
"What are you surprised about? I was also urgently summoned back by my father." He slowly walked over. "I'm also wondering why my father, who clearly knew that Nangong Ling was an extremely ambitious person, still let a wolf into the house. Wasn't he afraid of getting himself into trouble?"
"Oh, so you know how to shrink your bones?" I looked him over carefully from head to toe and asked.
My seemingly random sentence left him stunned for a moment before he reacted.
"What?"
"So you're actually half a head shorter than me. No matter how good you are at dispensing medicine, you can't grow that much taller in just two months."
As I was speaking, I gestured with my hand, and He Xiuqi rolled his eyes at me, as if to say, "You're being silly."
Everyone has their own thoughts and plans, and I really don't want to bother thinking about who can be trusted and who can't. That person is very powerful now, and he certainly won't let himself suffer any losses. All I need to do is take good care of myself and protect myself; that's the biggest worry I can share with him.
Chapter 65
It's not surprising that there are assassins at this time. What's annoying is that they always disturb my sleep, and in the end, they all end up in the dungeon. When I'm bored, they even become my scapegoats. So Qionghua still looks at me with a hopeless look and mutters that being an assassin these days is not easy.
After what seemed like the umpteenth wave of assassins arrived, a man walked in through the Changsheng Gate in a proper manner.
When Aqing ran back to tell me, I was eating Poria cocos paste, and I almost choked to death.
Because Aqing had forcibly wrapped me in too many layers of clothing, I tripped and fell hard before I even reached Xianglong Pavilion, which made me feel a surge of anger rush to my head.
Qionghua, who was standing in front of the pavilion, pulling Ayue along as they studied the Bauhinia flower, saw me rushing over aggressively. She glanced at me a couple more times, then smiled smugly and continued to pull the good-natured Ayue along to examine his Bauhinia flower.
The Xianglong Pavilion hadn't been covered with felt yet, and a thin layer of cool air rushed up my feet as soon as I stepped inside. Before I could even see what was inside, I instinctively took a step back, only to fall into a familiar embrace. Long, slender hands wrapped around my waist, and soft, dark hair brushed against my face. As his breath enveloped me, a kiss was placed on my ear.
"You run faster than me," he chuckled softly, his voice tinged with weariness.
Well, he probably only came over after receiving the news.
Yue Linghe bit her lip, turned her head away, and her eyes were red.
I thought of my past self. I felt uncomfortable seeing that scene at Shuiyun Pavilion, let alone seeing Yunzhi holding me so intimately now. Suddenly, I felt a pang of pity for her. But matters of the heart are always selfish, and Ronglian isn't exactly a magnanimous person. I've made up my mind that Yunzhi can only be mine, now, before, and in the future.
"What's that on your face? Why does it look so gloomy?" As I was quietly making a decision, Nangong Ling turned to face me.
"Huh?" Before I could react, his hand was already touching my cheek.
"Aqing, what's wrong?" he asked, his brows furrowed.
"It's all Ah Qing's fault. She picked out too complicated clothes for Miss, which caused her to trip."
Nangong Ling wiped the dust off my face and brushed it off my clothes. He nodded in satisfaction after he finished tidying me up.
"It's not your fault, she must have run too fast." He gave Aqing a reassuring smile, then looked at me and flicked my forehead lightly. "Stumbling and staggering, how could you be so clumsy?"
You're the idiot. There are so many women in the world with good tempers and personalities, yet you only want Rong Lian.
"Come in, it's cold outside." He led me inside. "Aqing, go and add some more firewood, get some pastries, and warm a pot of flower tea."
After Aqing went downstairs, he carried me to the bed and took out a soft blanket to warm my feet. Only after settling me in did he look directly at Yue Linghe, who was watching from the side, almost unable to bear it any longer.
"Has something happened at home?"
"My aunt said that your brother has abandoned his family for a vixen."
“Witch…” he repeated, then glanced at me with amusement, “If I remember correctly, this marriage was arranged only after she strongly persuaded me. Back then, she wanted to see me make a fool of myself, but now she can’t stand to see me suffer, okay?”
How could your brother speak so ill of your aunt?
"It's not bad, I didn't see it that way either, which is why I entrusted my mother to her. In the end, it was because of her little niece's influence that she did something to treat the guests poorly."
The hand on my waist tightened. Had I gone too far? I was just stating the facts.
"Tell me the truth, who brought you in?"
"Brother Tianxiang..."
"Anything else?"
"Brother Ghost."
Nangong Ling pondered for a moment, "They're all in cahoots."
"If people from Qianxiang Tower come, it won't be too late for Xuanmo Sect either. Next will be Feng Moru. Yunzhi, do you believe that Old Man Yan will come too?"
Whenever I mention Feng Moru, Nangong Ling's eyes light up, often with a hint of lingering killing intent; it's almost become a habit.
"Well, it's time to make a move. From today onwards, you'd better stay by my side and not stray too far."
Sigh, it's so boring not being able to go to the outer city.
"Your brother..." A faint voice drifted over, weak and powerless.
Nangong Ling looked at her and sighed, "With your senior brother here, there's nothing to be afraid of."
Instantly, her large eyes reddened again, and her pale face was so pitiful that it was hard to bear to look at her.
"Years ago, I told you why I kept you by my side, and you said you knew it then. To my surprise, you were so bold, knowingly crossing my bottom line. Back then, only three people knew that I had given Lian'er Guanghan Powder. Qionghua and Shaoyou killed them but dared not disobey my orders. Only you saw Lian'er's fearlessness, so I might not pursue the matter with you..." He hesitated for a moment but continued, "But you are not Rong Lian after all."
Although everyone has always known the truth, saying it out loud is like a needle pricking the skin; it hurts when it goes in and it hurts when it comes out.
When she reached her limit and could no longer bear it, Yue Linghe trembled and ran out the door in a disheveled state, almost bumping into Aqing who was carrying tea and snacks.
The sky outside is a bit overcast, and it hasn't cleared up in the last couple of days. It should snow soon.
Chapter 66
On the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, as dawn broke and the night was still young, starlight gradually lit up Phoenix Mountain outside the imperial city.
I put on my coat and went out onto the terrace, looking down at the inner city, which was nothing but endless darkness.
There is no moon tonight, and the fog is thick. Looking up at the sky, it is dark and heavy, as if it might press down at any moment.
"Miss, it's chilly outside, why don't you come inside?"
At this moment, Aqing had changed into light black attire. Shitian used clouds as a symbol, so the collar, cuffs, and hem of the clothes were all decorated with silver threads to depict layers of ethereal clouds.
"The Nangong family has indeed run into trouble, to the point of being threatened by Han Xuanmo." Taking the hand warmer from Aqing, the white mist he exhaled was quickly swallowed up by the night.
"What do you mean?" Seeing that I didn't move, she simply moved a small table and some tea and snacks onto the terrace.
"Because Gui Hongyi entered the city, but it's all for naught. Even if he's in, the message can't get out. During this time, Minister Tan has gotten three more wrinkles on his face. Do you know why? He's worried. How come that kid Nangong Ling is so meticulous and leak-proof, yet he's been stuck in the Minister's Palace and hasn't been able to send out a single word? Look at the fire on Phoenix Mountain, it's been burning for three days now, but because they haven't received any news from the city, they're hesitant to make a move. Ah Qing, guess who's behind this scheme?"
“Ah Qing is foolish and can’t guess.” She shook her head and gave a gentle smile.
"...You know it in your heart, you just don't want to admit it." I picked up my tea and took a sip; it had the fragrance of plum blossoms. "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; after the oriole, there's a hunter. People are superior to others; there are schemes within schemes. The winner is simply someone who is more cunning than others."
I spoke so casually at the time, thinking I had guessed everything, but little did I know that I had only guessed half of it.
"The people of Tianqi from the Seven Star Tower and the Soaring Dragon Pavilion will surely follow the Supreme Heavenly Lord to the death." He then knelt on one knee to show his respect.
Foolish? Ah Qing, you're not foolish at all. Otherwise, how could you have survived in the Imperial City, and how could you have become the Heavenly Emperor of Tianqi? She understood the meaning behind my words. She was unwilling to go against the plan. So I told her that if she had a disloyal heart, she would only face death. Only by supporting Nangong Ling to become the Lord of the Imperial City—the Supreme Heavenly Emperor—would she have a way to live.
"Get up. You don't need to kneel before me. Save that for the future Heavenly Emperor." The thick clouds on the horizon resembled a churning black dragon, its claws outstretched, domineeringly obscuring the stars and moon. "There's one more thing. Do you know where Yue Linghe, who came last time, has been placed?"
"At Heshun Restaurant."
"How come it's almost dawn by the time we get to this remote guest room?"
"Miss, are you going now? It will be faster if you take the carriage."
"No need for that, we can just walk over slowly."
The wind was strong at night, blowing away wisps of clouds and mist. Before the clouds had even dispersed, another thick cloud would immediately follow to fill the gap, and this continued until the east began to lighten.
The Heshun Pavilion is built in a rather unassuming manner, but upon closer inspection, one can see that it is constructed using the finest bricks, tiles, and wooden beams, which truly reflects the saying that everything within the imperial city is of the highest quality.
Upon entering the hall, the first thing that caught the eye was that bright red python robe, so vividly colored that it resembled a fierce god or demon, even startling Ah Qing.
"Tsk, that's really eye-catching."
Upon hearing my voice, the person in the courtyard turned around and scrutinized me closely with their long, bright eyes.
"I suppose only the fourth young lady of the Rong family could possess such an imposing aura?" Her thin lips, as pale as cherry blossoms, curved into a smile, but her brows furrowed slightly.
Where is Yue Linghe?
"Does Miss Rong need to see her about something?"