L'histoire destructrice de mari d'une impitoyable médecin légiste

Chapitre 133

Xi Bao's delicate brows were tightly furrowed: "Master has been soaking for two hours and has drunk quite a bit of wine. It's almost dawn, and we still have to travel soon. If you can't bear to part with the General, why don't you go to the plum blossom grove instead of agonizing over this..."

"Heh... You really are as insightful as before. Since you're so perceptive, can't you see my wariness towards you? Or do you really not understand? You have no right to guess my thoughts anymore." Zi Jin lay in the hot spring, looking up at the sky.

happy Bao stopped talking and carefully arranged the robes that Zi Jin would wear the next day: "Master, don't be afraid. After we leave the valley, happy Bao will protect you just like before."

Zi Jin turned her head to look at happy Bao, who was tidying her clothes under the oil lamp: "What's your name?"

happy Bao turned her head blankly: "Bao Xian".

"Baoxian...why did you have to be castrated before entering the palace?"

Bao Xian lowered his head, carefully straightening his robes, and said nothing more.

Zi Jin smiled maliciously and said, "Your emerald eyes are really ugly. Looking at you makes me lose my appetite. Even the best bamboo leaf tea tastes bland."

Bao Xian lowered his head even further: "The news was released a month ago. Now that the end of the year is approaching, I don't know if they will really come. Instead of looking into my eyes, Master, you should think about whether the plan is feasible."

Zi Jin gripped her wine cup, closed her eyes, and leaned against the stone pillow: "I'm not worried about them at all. What I'm more worried about is the green-eyed cobra I keep by my side. Who knows... it might bite me back at any time. If I kill it, it's been with me for so many years. If I let it stay by my side, I'm unwilling, fearing that it might bite me again someday. The story of the farmer and the snake... is still vivid in my mind. I can't be careless."

After tidying his robes, Bao Xian stood three steps away from the hot spring. After a long while, he spoke again: "Master has time to worry about that snake, why not worry about the King of Sikou?"

Zi Jin glanced at Bao Xian seemingly casually: "Oh? What are you worried about him for? Tell me?"

"Six months ago, not long after Your Majesty fell off the cliff, the King of Sikou bestowed upon Yu Luo the title of Consort Luo. Now, Consort Luo is more than six months pregnant. The King of Sikou has decreed that if Consort Luo gives birth to a son, the Empress of Chen Kingdom will undoubtedly be hers. To celebrate Your Majesty's fall, Prince Anle took four palace maids as concubines. Although all four are still servants, the fact that he favored them shows how overjoyed he was at the time. But... for some reason, since Your Majesty recovered, the King of Sikou has been relentlessly ostracizing Prince Anle, who still holds real power. Although they live in the same palace now, they are like strangers. Aren't you worried, Your Majesty? Aren't you worried about the King of Sikou, who has no real power?" Bao Xian's voice was unusually gentle.

Zi Jin listened attentively, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes: "Hehe... What about other countries? Do we have any news from other countries? We only have intelligence from Chen Kingdom, which is far from enough."

Bao Xian raised his eyes, a mysterious smile playing on his lips: "So it turns out that Master doesn't care about the King of Sikou and Yu Luo at all. Master is truly heartless and cold-hearted."

Zi Jin picked up her wine cup and drank it all in one gulp: "Those who have abandoned me, yesterday's days cannot be retained; those who trouble my heart, today's days are full of worries... To me, Yu Luo, Si Kou Xun Xiang, An Le Wang, and Xi Bao are all in the past. There is no room for you to withdraw from my future. After obtaining the antidote, you will be nothing to me, leaving no trace."

Bao Xian slowly lowered his eyes, his emerald eyes appearing unusually dim in contrast to the light: "Doesn't Master want to know the current situation of the Yue Kingdom?"

"Speak, it's good to know yourself and your enemy. Dugu Xihui, please report it at the same time."

Bao Xian glanced at Zi Jin and said in a low voice, "This spring, the Crown Prince of Yue Kingdom suddenly fell seriously ill, and during his illness, he was attacked by assassins in Chaoyang Palace and nearly lost his life. Not long after, the Third Prince of the Jun family was imprisoned, and Consort Lin was banished to the Cold Palace. The Second Prince of the Jun family, who was about to seize power, became a prisoner overnight, and Consort Li died suddenly in the palace. Zi Yinfeng was also under house arrest in the Yue Kingdom Palace at that time... He was spared because the Tiger Tally was never found. Three months ago, the Second Prince Jun An died in prison, and Consort Li's family power was eradicated. A month ago, the Third Prince Jun Chi, who had been missing for nearly half a year, returned to Yue Kingdom and was imprisoned again. Emperor Xuanlong is in his prime, and he has already seized power in Yue Kingdom. He has also issued an edict to establish Crown Prince Jun Lin as the next ruler. Yue Kingdom can now be said to be the one with the least potential threat to imperial power among the three kingdoms."

Zi Jin closed her eyes and furrowed her brows, her fingers tapping naturally on the wine pot beside her.

"Compared to the other two countries, the Dugu monarch is relatively weak. Currently, most of the power in Yao Kingdom is still in the hands of Empress Dowager Dugu—the Dugu Sikou clan. Empress Dowager Dugu is the aunt of the Sikou king and the younger sister of the previous Sikou clan chief. So, although Yao Kingdom is said to be the Dugu family's territory, most of the power has already fallen into the hands of Chen Kingdom. In the past two years, although the grown-up Dugu monarch has also tried to seize power, he hasn't been very diligent. If the Dugu monarch hadn't focused most of his energy on Jinyang Tower, the Dugu Sikou clan wouldn't have become so powerful."

Zi Jin opened her eyes: "Judging from the current situation, the Sikou family has a better chance of unifying the three kingdoms?"

Bao Xian's lips curled slightly: "Although it seems so, the Sikou family has always had few offspring. Apart from the two Sikou brothers, the collateral branches are not a threat. No matter how capable Dugu Sikou is, or how much she favors her nephew, she is just a woman. The Dugu monarch has no interest in the throne, so he probably won't fight for it. If the master makes a move... then the world may change."

Zi Jin toyed with the wine cup in her hand: "The world is destined to be in chaos. Emperor Xuanlong Ying has always been ambitious. Even if I don't act, he will seize the opportunity to make his move. Our plan is just to make the world even more chaotic."

Bao Xian got up and picked up a towel from beside the hot spring: "Master, aren't you afraid at all?"

Zi Jin turned around and smiled, "What are you afraid of?"

"Master, aren't you afraid? What will they choose then?" Bao Xian asked after taking the things.

"I'm afraid. More than the choice itself, I'm afraid the old woman is wrong. If none of them come, the whole plan will be for nothing."

Bao Xian lowered his eyes: "Your Majesty can rest assured that as long as they receive the message, they will definitely come. I'm just afraid that their choice will disappoint Your Majesty."

Zi Jin looked up and sneered: "Without hope, where does disappointment come from? They mean nothing to me anymore. All I want now is the antidote. I'm just afraid that you and that old woman and her servant will try to play tricks again!"

Bao Xian looked up at Zi Jin in a daze for a long time, then unfolded a piece of cotton cloth the size of a cloak in her hand: "Master, you'd better come up quickly, even medicinal baths have some toxicity."

Zi Jin looked up at Bao Xian for a moment, smiled gently, and slowly stepped onto the stairs, walking up step by step. Bao Xian wiped the water droplets off Zi Jin's body without looking at her, then wrapped a heavy cloak around her, brought the braziers from all sides to her side, and picked up another dry cotton cloth to carefully wipe Zi Jin's slightly reddish long hair.

Zi Jin leaned over the bronze mirror, scrutinizing Bao Xian's seemingly normal expression: "Bao Xian, do you think they'll still recognize me now that I look like this?"

Bao Xian didn't look up, carefully tidying her long hair: "Although Master has grown much taller than half a year ago and has the appearance of a young girl, her appearance hasn't changed much."

Zi Jin smiled leisurely: "You're getting better and better at talking, no wonder the old lady dotes on you so much. But I quite like myself now. People say that fair skin covers a hundred flaws, and although I don't seem to have changed much from before, I look much better than before. My eyes aren't as fleshy as they used to be, but it's a pity that I still have single eyelids."

"What are you saying, Master? You've always had phoenix eyes since you were little. They only appeared larger because you were too thin before. Now that you've regained your energy and spirit, you no longer need to worry about that life-suppressing powder."

Zi Jin sneered: "Since you knew all along that Yu Luo had drugged me, why didn't you ever stop her?"

"At that time... Bao Xian also agreed... that it would be better for Master not to grow up, but little did she know that Master would be cursed with the Soul-Cherishing Potion. It seems that Prince Anle is quite cruel..."

Zi Jin's face darkened: "Heh, are you as ruthless as me?... He drugged me, and although I lost my sense of taste, I could still at least taste the aroma of wine. Bao Xian's medicine is far superior to Xi Po Mei Hun. The pain that pierces to the bone makes one lose even the courage to die. If we're talking about ruthlessness, who can be more ruthless than Steward Bao?"

Bao Xian lowered her head tightly: "The antidote was clearly in Master's hands that day, but Master insisted on suffering for it. Bao Xian felt sorry for you. If Master wasn't so stubborn, you wouldn't have to suffer."

Zi Jin suddenly turned around and stared at Bao Xian for a long time: "Change your clothes and tie your hair, get in the car directly, I don't want to stay in this valley for another second."

Bao Xian ignored Zi Jin's anger, dressing her in robes one by one, and finally wrapping her in the heaviest cloak. She moved the braziers away, styled Zi Jin's hair into a simple bun, and applied light makeup. Slowly, a smile appeared on Bao Xian's lips: "As long as you dress up, Master, you are no less beautiful than Yu Luo."

Zi Jin suddenly opened her eyes, a cold glint flashing in them, a cold, hard smile curling at the corner of her lips: "I once heard in the Yue Kingdom that the Second Prince, Jun An, had a penchant for male concubines. Any eunuch who served in his palace, if even slightly attractive, would never escape. If I remember correctly, before I came here, Bao Xian was under the Second Prince's command. Bao Xian... how many times did the Second Prince show you favor before?"

Bao Xian's hands, which were adjusting the hem of her clothes, tightened little by little, and her face was devoid of any smile: "Master...why bother..."

Zi Jin grabbed the hem of Bao Xian's clothes and turned to walk towards the door: "Who is your master? You need to recognize who your master is. I can't afford a servant like you!"

Bao Xian quickly stood up and followed Zi Jin step by step, her voice unusually urgent: "Master once said that Bao Xian is no one's servant. Master once said that she would never let Bao Xian suffer the slightest grievance again, that she would treat Bao Xian well, and that she would make it up to Bao Xian..."

Zi Jin suddenly stopped and sneered, "That's what I said to Xi Bao. You are not him! Xi Bao died in the Yue Kingdom's palace a year ago. To me, you are nothing more than a stranger."

Bao Xian stood there, stunned, a strange glint in his emerald eyes.

Without turning her head, Zi Jin walked quickly towards the plum blossom grove. Only when she was almost there did she slow down and stand quietly inside the pavilion, silently gazing at the not-so-new grave in the distance. Zi Jin wanted to approach, but seemed afraid of something, and finally stood at the edge of the pavilion.

Sometime during the day, a plum tree grew beside the grave, its slender branches standing out strangely in the dim light of dawn.