Qingchen only vaguely felt something was strange, which was why she made her move in a daze. Upon hearing this, the force in her hand slowly decreased.
Zhuang Su seized the opportunity and hurriedly stepped out of the tent. When the sunlight fell upon her, it only highlighted her deathly pale face.
"How are you doing? Still holding on, right?"
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Su realized that Li Jiu hadn't left but was waiting for her at the door. She forced a smile, shook her head, and remained silent.
Li Jiu gave her a deep look and said, "You lost too much blood that day, and then you took care of the Alliance Leader day and night for several days in a row. Naturally, you couldn't hold on. Leave this to me. You go back and rest first."
Zhuang Su was truly flattered by Li Jiu's "caring" attitude and said, "Steward Li, I would like to entrust you with a matter."
Li Jiu asked, "What is it?"
Zhuang Su bit her lip slightly and said, "In another half month, please secretly arrange for a few people to impersonate officials and 'abduct' me from here." Her face was slightly pale, making her words sound somewhat desolate. "In another half month, I'm afraid I can't guarantee I can hold out in front of him. If you want him to complete his month-long treatment in peace, please—help me. At least for the remaining half month after that, you need to prevent him from finding out any news about me from the court." Zhuang Su smiled suddenly as she spoke, a smile that, in Li Jiu's eyes, seemed to have an irresistible force: "Steward Li, you... won't refuse, will you?"
Li Jiu remained silent.
Yes, he truly had no reason to refuse. Qingchen's life was the most important thing to him. However, looking at this pale and thin woman, he suddenly felt a hidden pressure. Her expression was clear, as if she could see right through him, and for a moment, he almost truly didn't want her to die. After all, he had already witnessed the changes Qingchen had undergone after this person's "death," and he couldn't be sure what would happen if she died again.
However, Li Jiu knew, and Zhuang Su knew, that they had no way out.
"I promise you." After a long silence, Li Jiu's words fell on the ground, sounding rather profound.
Zhuang Su smiled faintly, then turned and left without a word. Now, all she needed to do was nourish her blood and try her best not to show any abnormality in front of Qing Chen.
After Qingchen recovered, the standoff between the One Leaf Alliance and Black Wind Stronghold once again reached a fever pitch. However, the methods of this alliance leader were truly admirable. The situation in Black Wind Stronghold gradually became urgent, while the atmosphere in the One Leaf Alliance's encampment was becoming increasingly lively.
It was clear to anyone with eyes that after several days of fighting, Black Wind Stronghold had gradually lost its ability to resist.
A faint aroma of tea filled the tent, spreading richly over time. Zhuang Su watched Qing Chen drink another day's medicine, noticing that his face had changed from pale to slightly flushed, and a gentle, reassuring smile graced his lips.
Just as Qingchen finished his medicine, he saw her expression and, with a smirk, pulled her into his arms. Zhuang Su struggled a few times, but under his amused gaze, she finally lowered her eyes and let him be.
Seeing that she was making a fuss, Qingchen also felt a little bored, so he casually stroked her hair and said with a smile, "Susu, in a while I will be able to avenge you. When that time comes, we will go back to Shengxiao Valley, and I will use an eight-person sedan chair to bring you home as my bride, okay?"
These words made Zhuang Su blush, a faint feeling of happiness rising in her heart, but then she suddenly felt sad again as she thought of something. She concealed the desolation in her eyes and smiled softly, "We'll see when the time comes, why bring it up so early?"
Qingchen assumed she was just shy and hugged her a little tighter.
Zhuang Su's hand pressed down, a deep, subtle pain rising within her, yet she seemed oblivious in her dazed state. At that moment, the person held her in such a simple posture; she could feel a warm, gentle warmth pressing against her back, a comforting sensation. She felt a pang of longing for this feeling, if—this taste of happiness were eternal, and not just a fleeting moment.
It was precisely because it was so fleeting that she dared not hope for more. So... she pushed him away.
Zhuang Su gently broke free from Qing Chen's embrace and said, "I'm going out for a bit." As she got out of bed, her vision suddenly went black, and she stumbled, only managing to grab onto a nearby table to avoid falling. Qing Chen quickly got out of bed to help her up, his brow furrowing, "Su Su, what's wrong? Are you alright?"
"It's nothing." Zhuang Su shook her head, waved him away, and walked out calmly. Darkness occasionally appeared in front of her, making her vision particularly unclear, but she forced herself to calm down and make her steps appear normal.
Step by step, until the gaze from behind gently blocked her way.
Zhuang Su leaned against a nearby tree, his eyes closed, patiently waiting for the dizziness to pass.
She's been like this frequently these past few days. The excessive blood loss has clearly taken its toll, causing her health to deteriorate day by day. These past few days, she's been wearing much thicker layers of makeup than usual to conceal her pale complexion. In his presence, she always forces a smile.
She didn't know how many more days she could keep a low profile.
She slightly rolled up her sleeves, revealing her once smooth, jade-like hands now wrapped in thick bandages, with faint traces of blood still visible through. Every day when she drew blood, she would make deep cuts on her hands, leaving behind alternating fresh and old marks over the days. As more blood was drawn, the wounds grew deeper each day.
Li Jiu didn't know when he would make arrangements... Zhuang Su frowned slightly, and in a daze, she felt the wind around her suddenly become sharp, and several figures suddenly darted out from between the trees.
In order to avoid being seen, she had moved a certain distance from the One Leaf Alliance's encampment, so no one noticed.
Zhuang Su was surprised. Could it be someone arranged by Li Jiu? But if that were the case, it would have been better to alert others before making the move. Zhuang Su frowned slightly, trying to clear her mind, when suddenly something covered her mouth. The pungent odor that hit her nose instantly made her faint.
In that instant, she also realized that these people were not arranged by Li Jiu.
Chapter 38 Who Will Cross the River? (Part 1)
When Li Jiu rushed into the house, Qingchen glanced at his expression and frowned: "What's wrong?"
“Susu…” Li Jiu’s expression immediately darkened, “Susu has been kidnapped.”
"What?" Qingchen loosened his grip, and the cup lid fell through the air, shattering into countless pieces upon hitting the ground. A deep look appeared in his eyes: "People from the underworld?"
Li Jiu shook his head, carefully choosing his words: "No. I'm afraid it's—people from the imperial court."
Qingchen suddenly thought of Liusu, and a private, almost imperceptible smile appeared on her lips: "Could it be that my good disciple wants to catch up?"
Li Jiu still didn't react; he had already gotten up and walked straight out of the tent. Li Jiu was momentarily dazed, then hurriedly chased after him, asking, "Alliance Leader, where are you going?"
"Of course we'll go after them." Qingchen's gaze swept lightly over Li Jiu, but didn't linger for even a moment.
Seeing him mount his horse, Li Jiu quickly ordered his men to follow. Gradually, the group disappeared into the depths of the woods.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Zhuang Su gradually awoke. At first glance, the dim light around her made her uncomfortable. She could only vaguely hear the sound of firewood falling into the campfire, "Crackling—crackling—!" She cleared her eyes slightly and gradually made out the person sitting not far away. She parted her lips slightly: "Second...Senior Brother?"
Liu Su paused slightly as she was throwing firewood into the campfire. Seeing that she was awake, she quickly went over to help her up: "Su Su, is that your voice?"
Zhuang Su was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. The method of feeding medicine with blood, once started, shouldn't be stopped. Originally, it was just to give Li Jiu a false appearance, but unexpectedly, he was actually "kidnapped" by the court officials. She grabbed Liu Su's collar, her face slightly grim: "Let me go back. I won't pursue the poisoning matter with you, as long as you don't hinder me."
He held onto the tassel, staring at her intently without uttering a sound. After a long, long time, he finally let out a soft sigh: "Susu, the Emperor—misses you very much."
Thinking of Shen Jian, Zhuang Su paused slightly. She hadn't seen that person for so long. She wondered how he was doing…
Liu Su noticed Zhuang Su's gaze, her lips tightened slightly, but she said calmly, "The Emperor is in that village not far away. Even if you want to go back, you should come with me to see him."
Zhuang Su hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. After her "death," she had seen Qingchen and Liusu, but never Shen Jian. Qingchen had consumed too much of her attention, leaving her no time to inquire about him. In truth, she still missed him somewhat.
Zhuang Su's eyelashes drooped slightly, revealing a hint of unsteadiness. Liu Su caught her just as she nearly fell, her brow furrowed with concern: "Su Su, what's wrong? Have you been sick lately?"
Zhuang Su shook her head wearily, too weak to support herself for long, so he helped her up. With a little support, she managed to keep from collapsing to the ground. She closed her eyes tightly to hide the dizziness creeping over her, and gently waved her hand to indicate that she was alright.
Seeing her expression, Liu Su ordered a carriage to be prepared, and the carriage rumbled along until it reached a nearby village. Zhuang Su leaned wearily against the carriage wall, gazing absently at the bustling agricultural scene outside, finding it somewhat harmonious and peaceful. Shen Jian seemed unwilling to disturb the villagers, so their movements were quite unreserved.
As Zhuang Su got out of the car, she couldn't help but turn around and take another deep look.
"Susu, what's wrong?" Liusu asked.
Zhuang Su shook her head, turned around and followed him to the door of a house. It was an ordinary house with walls made of yellow earth and a dilapidated door that made a creaking sound when opened and closed.
Zhuang Su stood at the door, hesitating for a moment.
Strictly speaking, she and Shen Jian should now be considered "enemies." From the moment she decided to stay by Qingchen's side, she had already "betrayed" him. Meeting again for the first time under such a completely hostile stance, Zhuang Su was momentarily at a loss as to how to behave.
Liu Su gazed at her intently, her voice rising slightly: "Your Majesty, the person has been brought."
The room fell silent for a moment, and after a long while, the person said in a low voice, "Come in." It was the same cold voice as in my memory, but perhaps it was just my imagination, but I could vaguely feel a slight tremor in my ears.
Zhuang Su's fingertips touched the door, and without much force, the door opened with a click.
As the scene gradually came into view, the furnishings remained simple and old-fashioned. However, at the table in the center of the room sat a man in a wheelchair, gazing intently at her. Zhuang Su's lips trembled slightly, but she ultimately remained silent.
Shen Jian's gaze remained fixed on her, never wavering for even a moment, as if trying to imprint every detail of her into his mind. His hand on the armrest of the wheelchair tightened slightly, and he reached out to her from afar, gesturing for her to come over.
Zhuang Su took small steps, unconsciously walking towards him step by step. As she drew closer, she reached out and gently touched his fingers. Shen Jian's hand seemed to touch her for a fleeting moment, then suddenly he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.
Zhuang Su felt a familiar yet strange aura coming towards her, which instantly overwhelmed her. In a daze, she looked up and saw Shen Jian staring at her intently. He hadn't said a word, but simply reached out and very gently and slowly removed her mask.
There were too many emotions surging in Chen Jian's eyes, which were beyond Su Su's comprehension. She could only look away shyly.
"Susu..." Shen Jian murmured softly, his hand touching her cheek, his expression gradually turning cold again. Liu Su had already left, leaving only the two of them in the room, creating a somewhat ambiguous atmosphere. Shen Jian scrutinized her face inch by inch, his voice slightly tired and hoarse: "Liu Su said your voice..."
He didn't finish speaking, but Zhuang Su, knowing he was worried, forced a smile and said, "She can still speak, she just needs some more rest." Her voice was rough and unpleasant, but at least her words were clear.
For a fleeting moment, a hint of sadness seemed to flash in Shen Jian's eyes.
Zhuang Su had never seen Shen Jian show such emotion before. A sudden pang struck her heart, and she noticed how much thinner he had become in her arms. She tried to convince herself that perhaps it wasn't for her sake, so she forced herself to calm down and said softly, "Shen Jian, I... I came here just to let you know that I'm alright. But I have to go back..."
"Go back?" Shen Jian's voice was devoid of emotion, only a slight, mocking smile played on his lips. "Go back to where? Back to the One Leaf Alliance? Or back to Qing Chen's side?"
Zhuang Su dared not look him in the eye, lowering her gaze slightly: "Chen Jian, I must go back." She straightened up slightly, dragging her weary body as she turned to leave, when a force suddenly pulled her back from behind. Because of the force, it aggravated the wound on her hand, causing a sharp pain that made her let out a deep groan involuntarily.
Shen Jian's grip loosened instantly. Seeing Zhuang Su about to faint, he rushed forward in a moment of panic, pulling her into his arms as they both fell to the ground. Zhuang Su, momentarily dizzy, gradually regained her senses and noticed Shen Jian's appearance, anxiously asking, "Shen Jian, are you alright?"
She reached out to help Shen Jian, but he grabbed her wrist. Shen Jian's eyes were deep: "Have I done anything wrong? Shouldn't I be asking you what you want?" As he spoke, he reached out with his other hand and suddenly lifted up Zhuang Su's wide sleeve.
Her once smooth, supple skin was now covered in tightly wrapped bandages. The bandages, wrapped in layers, looked rather out of place on her slender arms. The wounds that had been pulled open earlier were now seeping blood from within the bandages. Some of these wounds had already healed, while others appeared to have appeared only in the last few days.
"What exactly have you been doing with Qingchen!" Although his voice remained calm, Shen Jian's face had turned extremely gloomy.
Zhuang Su glanced away from him and with a slight effort, pulled her hand back from Chen Jian's grasp: "You don't need to worry about this."
"Is that so?" Shen Jian's lips curled up slightly, a smile that seemed somewhat cruel. "Perhaps, I don't need to care..."
Just as Zhuang Su was about to ask about the meaning of those words, she suddenly heard a commotion outside. She hurriedly opened the door and saw in the distance a group of figures fighting. It was too far away to see clearly what was happening, but she could vaguely make out that some of the people were the farmers who had been working in the fields.
If it was someone Shen Jian wanted to deal with, then only… Zhuang Su was suddenly startled and was about to rush out the door when Shen Jian had already sat back in his wheelchair and tightly grabbed her hand from behind, as if it were a lock, firmly imprisoning her and leaving her nowhere to escape.
Zhuang Su struggled a few times but couldn't escape. She paused, then slowly turned around, looking at him with disbelief. Shen Jian, the man who had stood by her through thick and thin, who had sworn he would never change for her, was now using her as bait to lure Qing Chen into a trap?
On Zhuang Su's pale face, a weak, pale smile appeared on Hall's face, somewhat desolate: "Shen Jian, as an emperor, you have indeed done very well..."
He tightened his grip on her arm slightly, his posture stiffening, but he still didn't let go.
At this moment, the sounds of clashing weapons in the distance gradually subsided, and finally, amidst the slumped figures, a man dressed in white slowly walked towards the houses. Zhuang Su kept shaking her head at him from afar, but he seemed not to see her. As he approached, the same carefree and unrestrained smile on his lips, tinged with a hint of frivolity, played on his lips: "Su Su, why don't you greet me before coming to see an old friend? Isn't that a bit too formal..."
He smiled, but his gaze was fixed on Shen Jian, a hint of killing intent emanating from beneath his cold exterior. A gentle breeze blew, and his hairband had long since come loose, his long hair falling loosely. The jade flute in his hand was stained with blood, its surface faintly translucent and red.
Chapter 38 Who Will Cross the River? (Part 2)
Zhuang Su's blood-red hue stung her eyes, and restrained by Shen Jian, she could only secretly shake her head at Qing Chen. However, Qing Chen seemed completely oblivious to her expression, merely tilting her head slightly and asking Shen Jian, "'Release her,' if I said that, I doubt the Emperor would give me that face, would he?"
Shen Jian's eyes were deep and profound, and a cold smile played on his lips: "The reason I invited the Alliance Leader here in this way recently is simply to discuss one matter."
Qingchen's gaze fell indifferently: "What do you want to discuss?"
“The power of the One Leaf Alliance is a real headache for us.” Shen Jian looked up, his voice rising slightly, tinged with coldness. “I hope that after the Black Wind Stronghold matter is settled, you can lead your troops straight to the capital. As long as you attend the meeting as scheduled, I will definitely release her. But if that’s not possible… I don’t mind letting her be trapped within the palace walls for the rest of her life.”
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Su froze. Her slightly widened eyes met Shen Jian's shadow as she turned. He still had that icy expression, still that captivatingly handsome face. Yet, for the first time in her life, she truly felt the unfamiliarity of this man. Bringing people into Luoyang without cause was tantamount to rebellion. Just then, a glint of light fell upon her neck—a long sword.
Shen Jian didn't look at her at all from beginning to end.
Zhuang Su lowered her eyes, finally letting her eyelashes gently cover her entire expression. She felt something particularly heavy weighing on her heart, yet she didn't blame him. After all, they each had their own stance now, and she had no right to blame him…
Qingchen's gaze fell on the long, sharp blade, and a slight smile appeared on her lips: "Does Your Majesty only want Qingchen's life?"
Chen Jian said in a flat tone: "I only want 'Ye Chen's' life."
"And...it's for a reason that everyone can accept?" Qingchen Mansheng continued his words, her expression somewhat distant. "Then why should I agree to it?"
"Why should I? It depends on whether you truly want her to be well." Shen Jian sneered, suddenly lifting Zhuang Su's sleeve. Caught off guard by the sudden action, Zhuang Su's bandaged hand was abruptly revealed to everyone. Liu Su, who had been standing by watching, instinctively almost rushed forward to protect her, while Li Jiu's expression darkened abruptly at the door.