Путешествие безумки по династии Сун

Глава 110

"What a useless woman! She got scared so easily!" Lin Yin'er, holding her son, glared fiercely at Shui Rong'er, cursing her inwardly. A glint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes as she raised an eyebrow. Holding her son, she slowly approached Xuan Yuan, looking at him with innocent eyes and saying:

"Second Senior Brother! Do you know how much I love you? From the moment Master brought me back from outside the palace and I first saw you, I told myself that I would marry no one but you in this life. Later, when Master passed away, you clearly promised in front of her that you would marry me and take me out of the palace. But did you keep your promise? You didn't. You must be blaming me for heartlessly picking on your past mistakes now, right?"

The promise he made to his mother on her deathbed had always been a painful knot in Xuan Yuan's heart, and now Lin Yin'er had brought it up again. Xuan Yuan's heart couldn't help but be stirred once more. It seemed that he truly had wronged her. A trace of guilt involuntarily appeared on Xuan Yuan's usually indifferent face.

Lin Yin'er was secretly delighted. From Xuan Yuan's changing expression, she clearly saw that her second senior brother wasn't entirely heartless towards her. She continued:

"But do you know how much I've suffered for loving you? The Crown Prince said that if I did as he said, you would definitely marry me. So I drugged your wine, but when you woke up the next morning, your first reaction was to vomit violently. After that, you avoided me every day. The Crown Prince also said that if I got pregnant, you would definitely marry me. So he made me pregnant with Yi'er. But I didn't even have a chance to tell you about this before you left the palace alone."

Seeing the change in Xuanyuan's expression, Leng Jie finally couldn't hold back any longer. She couldn't tolerate her man showing remorse towards another woman, especially not the scheming Lin Yin'er. Leng Jie stepped forward, standing between Xuanyuan and Lin Yin'er, her eyes narrowed as she glanced at Lin Yin'er with a mocking look, coldly sneering:

"Lin Yin'er, are you trying to tell everyone that because you love the Emperor, you can conspire with others time and time again to frame him and pin the children you had with other men on him for six years? And now you're righteously pointing the finger at the Emperor for not favoring you?"

Just as she was about to achieve her goal, an unexpected obstacle appeared. And the newcomer was none other than the woman Lin Yin'er hated. She glared fiercely at Leng Jie with a sinister, bloodthirsty gaze. Leng Jie returned her gaze with disdain, not waiting for her to offer any excuses, and continued coldly:

"I've seen many shameless people, like that Consort Shui just now. She cheated on the Emperor with him, yet dared to blame it on him in front of everyone. Then there's the Third Prince's mother, Empress Dowager Shui. She bore him a son, yet she blamed the late Emperor. And of course, we can't forget the Crown Prince who just met his demise. He not only slept with his father's beloved concubine, but also seduced his younger brother's childhood sweetheart." As she spoke, Leng Jie's disdainful gaze swept over Shui Rong'er and Empress Dowager Shui.

Empress Dowager Shui's face flushed red, her expression one of utter embarrassment and anger. She barked fiercely at Leng Jie, her voice trembling with fear:

"You're being insolent! This is utterly outrageous..."

However, before she could finish speaking, she was immobilized by a silver needle flicked out by Leng Jie. Leng Jie glared at the Empress Dowager Shui, then shifted her gaze back to Lin Yin'er. Suddenly, her gaze became incredibly sharp, and her voice was chillingly cold:

"But none of them are as shameless as you! We can understand Consort Shui and Empress Dowager Shui's extramarital affairs as a matter of loneliness. After all, they had no feelings for the late Emperor and the current Emperor. There are countless women who have spent their entire lives in the harem without ever being noticed by the Emperor. Their extramarital affairs, while morally wrong, are somewhat understandable. As for the Crown Prince's behavior, let's just call him a pervert. Because all of this started because of him. He not only angered the late Emperor to death, but also killed himself. In short, he brought it upon himself and has already received his retribution. But where is your shamelessness? Do you even know?"

At this point, Leng Jie paused. She glanced at the ministers who were listening intently and asked them:

"Do any of you experts know this?" Without waiting for an answer, she looked at Lin Yin'er disdainfully and said:

"Your shamelessness lies in the fact that after betraying a man who once truly loved you with both your body and soul, you still shamelessly come to him and tell him you love him. What's even more laughable is that you actually attribute your shameless behavior entirely to this person who was completely innocent from beginning to end." Leng Jie turned back and exchanged a deep look with Xuan Yuan. Then she turned to the ministers and said with absolute certainty:

"Tell me, where did the Emperor go wrong? Did he ever intend to compete with the Crown Prince for the throne? No! After learning that the Crown Prince had seduced his childhood sweetheart, he chose to leave alone to save face for them. Was he wrong? No! Yet the Crown Prince persisted, even at the cost of the lives and property of the people, inviting a wolf into the house. His aim was to use someone else to harm his only brother, the Emperor. What is a person who can do something that hurts loved ones and pleases enemies but is a psychopath?" Leng Jie then turned her gaze to Empress Dowager Shui, looking at her with disdain, and said:

"Empress Dowager Shui seemed to have some doubts about what I said? Perhaps everyone shares the same doubt about the fact that the late Emperor's third prince was also the son of the abnormal crown prince?"

She was quite pleased with the curious glances from everyone and the flustered, averted look from the Empress Dowager. Leng Jie turned to the ministers and began to speak as casually as if telling a story:

"Everyone knows the legendary story of the late Emperor and Empress, right? Then you should also know that the late Emperor once swore to the late Empress Dowager that he would only accept the late Empress bearing him a child in his lifetime! And you should also have heard of the dragon blood curse that the Xuanyuan clan has always inherited! That is to say, any blood oath sworn by an emperor who inherited the dragon blood of the Xuanyuan clan becomes an unalterable curse. As the Minister of Rites, you should know about this matter, Lord Su, right?"

"This old minister has indeed heard of it." Lord Su, who had always been concerned with royal bloodlines, was taken aback by Leng Jie's words. Finally, seeing that Leng Jie had asked him, he answered without hesitation.

A hint of a smile flashed across Leng Jie's eyes, but her tone remained cold as she asked:

"In that case, do you still believe that the Third Prince was born to the late Emperor and Empress Dowager Shui? Do you still believe that he is qualified to inherit the throne? Most importantly, everyone seems to have forgotten that the Emperor succeeded to the throne according to the late Emperor's will. And how could the late Emperor not know about his beloved son's health condition? Do you ministers really think that the late Emperor would not have thought about the continuation of the royal bloodline?"

Everyone was stunned by Leng Jie's words, for her few sentences had summarized the entire incident, its cause and effect. Most importantly, the Emperor was the victim from beginning to end. Everyone's thoughts involuntarily followed her lead. She was right! Who stipulated that the Emperor's concubines must be favored by him? Once the Emperor learned that his beloved had conspired with another man to frame him, how could he possibly accept that woman again? Therefore, Lin Yin'er and Consort Shui naturally became objects of everyone's contempt and scorn.

Prime Minister Leng and his wife smiled at each other, proud to have such a daughter!

Leng Yangtian, Xingyue, Qing'er, and the Dragon Gate disciples who came with Leng Jie all looked at Leng Jie with admiration.

Eunuch Fu was happy for the Emperor, because he could see Leng Jie's heart in her protective expression towards him.

Xuanyuan gazed at Leng Jie with deep affection. He had always known of her extraordinary abilities. This wasn't the first time she had protected him in front of everyone. But he knew this time was different; this time, he saw a deep jealousy in her eyes. Especially when Lin Yin'er stood before him, her indignation revealed her feelings. Therefore, he thoroughly enjoyed this feeling—the feeling of being cared for by his lover. He couldn't help but reach out and pull Leng Jie into his arms. Ignoring the astonished gazes of the crowd, he pressed his sensual lips to Leng Jie's fragrant lips. Completely unprepared, Leng Jie stared at Xuanyuan in astonishment, her eyes asking, "Are you trying to show them that you're normal?"

"What do their thoughts have to do with me?" Xuanyuan replied with an innocent look. At the same time, his nimble tongue had already gently pried open Xiaojie's pearly teeth, slipping into that pool of nectar, vigorously sucking out the sweet nectar. Although Leng Jie had somewhat been forced to accept the kiss, she did not feel any aversion. On the contrary, she deepened the kiss with all her heart. With their feelings intertwined, the two of them, entwined in tender affection, completely lost in their own world.

The crowd was first astonished by the Emperor's performance, then amazed by their kissing skills. Those inexperienced blushed, yet couldn't help but stare intently. Those who had just doubted the Emperor's incompetence were now speechless in the face of the facts. They now began to worry about their own and their families' future.

However, no one noticed that a vicious and sinister light had suddenly appeared in Lin Yin'er's eyes. She suddenly struck out with her palm towards Leng Jie's back. By the time Xuan Yuan noticed, it was too late to stop her. He could only hold Leng Jie and spin her around, handing his back to Lin Yin'er.

"Your Majesty!" A cry of alarm rang out, followed by a sharp "swoosh!" as a weapon pierced Xuanyuan's body from his back. Then, Lin Yin'er pulled a five-inch-long, blood-stained dagger from Xuanyuan's back. "Pfft!" A spurt of blood shot out.

Everything happened in an instant; no one had time to react. It was already over. By the time Leng Jie realized something was wrong, Xuan Yuan had already collapsed weakly onto her shoulder.

"Xuanyuan! How are you?" Leng Jie hugged Xuanyuan, reached out and pressed the major acupoints around his wound to stop the gushing of blood, and asked anxiously.

"I'm fine..." Xuanyuan wanted to say that he was alright, but before he could finish speaking, he fainted again.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty..."

Leng Jie called out twice, but Xuan Yuan didn't respond. She quickly took his pulse to check his injuries. After checking his pulse, Leng Jie couldn't help but feel a chill. Although the knife wound was severe, it hadn't damaged any vital organs. It shouldn't have caused such serious symptoms. She suddenly turned and roared at Lin Yin'er, who had already been restrained by Duanmu Xingyue:

What did you do to him?

"Hahaha, I knew he would take this blow for you, but he doesn't know that my target isn't you, it's him! Haha, with his martial arts skills, it's impossible for me to implant this Soul-Stealing Vessel into his body. Haha, he's mine! I've suffered so much for him, and today I've finally waited for it! Haha..." Lin Yin'er laughed wildly.

Xingyue pressed the sword against her neck and asked sharply:

"Speak! What exactly did you do to the Emperor? What is the Soul-Stealing Vessel?"

"Hahaha, what are you thinking about me? Then kill him! That way I can die with my second senior brother. That's the Soul-Losing Vessel I prepared especially for him. I've been feeding it my blood every day for three years to wait for this day. Three years, I've been waiting for this day. As long as it enters my second senior brother's body, he will be mine. Life and death cannot separate us!" Lin Yin'er shouted madly.

Lin Yin'er's words sent a chill down Leng Jie's spine, as her understanding of Gu poison was practically zero. No, she couldn't lose her composure. If Gu poison existed, there must be a way to break it. Suppressing her fear, Leng Jie handed Xuan Yuan to the anxious Eunuch Fu. She stood up and said to Xing Yue:

"Xingyue! Take that madman back to Qingfeng Residence first." Then he instructed Jiang Feifan:

"Lord Jiang, you must immediately go and announce to the people surrounding the capital that the former crown prince who rebelled has been killed and the riot has been quelled! Tell them that in order to compensate them for the losses they suffered while being confined at home for ten days, the emperor will distribute one tael of silver to each of them from the national treasury. Tell them to go home immediately and wait for the government to send someone to deliver the money to them."

These words immediately caused an uproar among the ministers. Some immediately argued that she had no right to use the national treasury assets. Leng Jie waved her hand to interrupt their discussion, then turned to Yang Tian and said:

"Brother, I'm leaving the distribution of silver to you. Remember to distribute it per person. One tael regardless of wealth."

"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!"

"Yes, brother, I understand," Jiang Feifan and Leng Yangtian replied simultaneously. Leng Jie then turned to Leng Xiang and said:

"Father! I'm leaving the rest to you."

"Who are you? What gives you the right to dictate the affairs of the state? Even if you are the Emperor's concubine, you can only manage the Emperor's harem. What right do you, a woman, have to arbitrarily use the national treasury's funds on behalf of the Emperor? Without the Emperor's orders, you can forget about getting a single coin from my Ministry of Revenue!" The two old men of the Shui family finally couldn't hold back any longer and stood up, pointing at Leng Jie and speaking righteously. It was as if they were the ones most loyal to the Emperor.

Leng Jie gave him a cold glare, and was about to take out the gold medal when a loud laugh suddenly came from the doorway:

"Hahaha! It seems I've returned just in time! It's so lively here!"

Immediately following the sound, a person arrived, and an old Taoist priest with white beard and white hair gracefully landed beside Leng Jie.

"Your Highness?" A courtier recognized the newcomer and called out.

"Hehe, this old Taoist is called Wuxuzi! I'm no longer the Great Prince." The old Taoist chuckled at the person he was addressing. He then turned and gave Leng Jie a slight bow.

"Wu Xuzi greets Your Majesty the Empress! May Your Majesty be well!"

The words "Empress" were like a thunderclap, instantly shaking everyone except for the Leng family. Of course, the most surprised were Qing'er and Eunuch Fu. Qing'er stumbled in shock, while Eunuch Fu nearly dropped the Emperor's statue he was holding.

Leng Jie ignored the astonishment of the crowd, as this was something she had expected. However, as expected, Xuan Yuan's usual expression was absent. She unconsciously shifted her gaze to Xuan Yuan, who was leaning against Eunuch Fu. She softly complained:

"Uncle Wang, you're too late."

"I'd love to be here early! But it's packed with people outside, even I, an old Taoist priest, wouldn't be able to get in!" the old Taoist priest defended himself. Following Leng Jie's gaze, he noticed something amiss with his nephew, who looked exactly like his sister-in-law.

Chapter 138

"What's wrong with Your Majesty? It seems this old Taoist priest is truly late," the Imperial Uncle asked Xiao Jie.

Upon hearing her uncle's question, Xiao Jie's eyes immediately lit up with hope. She quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him to Xuanyuan's side, saying urgently:

"Uncle, you are a highly accomplished master, you must have a way to break the curse! Please take a look at him! That madwoman has put a soul-destroying curse on him."

"A Soul-Stealing Vessel?" the Imperial Uncle exclaimed, his fingers already probing Xuanyuan's wrist. His expression suddenly turned incredibly grave, his sharp gaze piercing Lin Yin'er. Lin Yin'er, seemingly unfazed, returned his gaze with a silly grin.

The Imperial Uncle's expression shattered Leng Jie's newly ignited hope, and her heart sank involuntarily. She mustered her courage and asked:

"Uncle, you know what happened with that pot, right? It's alright, I can bear whatever it is, just tell me!"

The Imperial Uncle withdrew his sharp gaze, looking at Leng Jie with pity. He released his grip on Xuanyuan's wrist, stood up, and addressed the ministers:

"Judging from the astonished looks on your faces just now, it seems that none of you know the Empress's identity?"

The ministers nodded in unison. Now that the emperor was injured and the last elder of the royal family had spoken, none of them dared to object.

"As for why Her Majesty the Empress didn't reveal her identity before, this old Taoist doesn't know, and you don't need to know. You only need to know one thing: today's events are a calamity destined for His Majesty, and also a calamity for Jinghe's empire. Whether His Majesty and Jinghe can overcome this calamity depends on our Empress, the reincarnation of a deity! Therefore, you had better cooperate fully with her to help Jinghe safely overcome this calamity. Otherwise, disaster will not only befall the Xuanyuan royal family, but you who receive royal stipends will be the first to suffer!" The Imperial Uncle's words were authoritative yet calm. Although they carried a serious threat and warning, he spoke as if it had nothing to do with him.

"The Empress of Heavenly Mandate!" These four words once again sent a shiver down the spines of the assembled ministers. They all knew the weight of those words! In Jinghe's history, there were three Empresses of Heavenly Mandate, each appearing during a time of great crisis for the dynasty. Yet, after overcoming these crises, Jinghe would rise even higher and stronger. At the same time, they suddenly understood why the late emperor had insisted that the current emperor marry a mentally challenged woman as empress, and why he had left a will stipulating that the empress could never be deposed.

Consider this: from her first appearance at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet as the junior sister of Qingfeng Gongzi, where she debated with the Xiping envoy, to her extraordinary wisdom in turning the tide of the encirclement, and her composure in immediately stabilizing the people after the Emperor's injury… don't all these demonstrate her extraordinary abilities? Add to that the Imperial Uncle's alarmist words, and the ministers are already kneeling before the Empress in fear, shouting:

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! Long live Your Majesty!"

Leng Jie coldly swept her gaze over this group of despicable opportunists. She really couldn't afford to cause any more trouble now, otherwise she would have loved to wipe them all out. However, she would remember this debt. After next year's imperial examinations, she would definitely replace them all. Suppressing her anger, Leng Jie waved her hand and said:

"Ping Sheng!"

After everyone had gotten up, she said sternly:

"Let's leave it at that. Once we leave this ancestral hall, I do not wish for any further rumors or exile related to today's events. All of you, return to your posts and resume your duties. As for Consort Shui and Empress Dowager Shui, you shall remain here to observe vegetarianism and chant Buddhist prayers to atone for your sins. The Third Prince and Xuanyuan Yi should have been executed along with their father, but His Majesty has always been benevolent. Therefore, I will not go against his wishes. Let my Imperial Uncle take them to a Taoist temple for quiet cultivation, to calm their minds and rid them of their innate malevolence!"

The Empress's decree sent shockwaves through the ministers, who were already on the verge of death. They exchanged bewildered glances, utterly incredulous. They hadn't expected the powerful Empress to be so lenient. Not only did she not punish them, but she also reinstated them to their original positions. Even more astonishing was that she had spared the Crown Prince's two children. Wasn't she worried about raising a tiger that would eventually become a threat? Or perhaps she simply didn't understand? But given her recent assertiveness, the idea that she didn't understand was utterly unbelievable!

Seeing their incredulous expressions, Leng Jie inwardly despised these ministers. She thought to herself, "Hmph! If it weren't for the urgent need to stabilize the court, none of you would be leaving here today."

Noticing their confusion, Leng Jie's expression suddenly darkened, and she coldly asked:

"What? Do you gentlemen have objections to what I have said? Do you want me to hand over today's matter to the Dali court for trial, and then have Jinghe and Lülie convict you all according to the law? It seems that you gentlemen are indeed loyal! Very well! I will grant your wish!"

After speaking, Leng Jie turned and made a gesture as if to instruct Prime Minister Leng to handle the matter according to the law. The ministers, of course, dared not have the slightest doubt or negligence! One by one, they hurriedly responded:

"Thank you, Your Majesty! The Empress has spared our lives! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"

Leng Jie waved her hand to stop the cry that gave her goosebumps. She said seriously:

"Until His Majesty recovers, the Prime Minister Leng will continue to oversee the country. Furthermore, I'd like to share a closely guarded secret of the royal family. Three years ago, His Majesty entrusted me with the task of taking over the Dark Guard on his behalf. I can confidently say that with Jinghe's current economic strength, conquering Xiping is not an issue; unifying the entire continent would be no problem. Therefore, please rest assured, my lords, Jinghe will not decline due to a single war or internal strife. The affairs of state are entrusted to you. Curing His Majesty is my responsibility. I will ensure His Majesty's recovery in a short time."

Leng Jie's words not only calmed the crowd but also served as a threat and deterrent. They had previously opposed the Emperor with a sense of侥幸 (a gambler's mentality), partly because they believed the Emperor didn't have control over the secret service. Now that they knew even the secret service was in the Empress's hands, who would dare to cause trouble? That would be suicide! The ministers all bowed their heads and pledged their loyalty.

"Your Majesty's decree is our solemn command! We are determined to serve Your Majesty and Jinghe with utmost loyalty and dedication!"

Ignoring the kneeling ministers, Leng Jie helped the Prime Minister to his feet. With teary eyes, she said to him, "Father, you'll have to trouble yourself."

"Don't worry, Dad's got everything covered!" Leng Xiang patted his daughter's slender shoulder, giving her an encouraging look.

Leng Jie nodded silently to him, forcefully sucking back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she turned and took Xuan Yuan from Eunuch Fu's arms. Carrying him, she headed towards Qingfeng Residence. Madam Leng tried to take Xuan Yuan from her, but Leng Jie gave her a sorrowful smile and shook her head. It was unclear where she got the strength, but even without using her internal energy, she could easily carry Xuan Yuan back to Qingfeng Medicine House.

Back at Qingfeng Pharmacy, Leng Jie placed Xuanyuan on the bed. She immediately asked anxiously, "Uncle! You can tell me now. Just how serious was the poison Xuanyuan was in?"

She knew that the reason her uncle hadn't revealed Xuanyuan's illness in front of everyone, but instead unveiled her identity first, was because Xuanyuan's condition was dire, and he feared further trouble. Therefore, he wanted her to stabilize the court first. So, she cooperated with him and arranged all the affairs of state. Now, it was time for her to face the test.

The royal uncle replied with concern:

"As far as I know, the Soul-Stealing Gu originates from a small tribe in the Western Ping Kingdom. Those afflicted will first fall into a three-day coma. Afterward, they will become soulless and heartless, completely at the mercy of their keeper. The Soul-Stealing Gu is fed on the blood of its keeper. It recognizes the person who feeds it as its master and will only drink the blood of its master. Once this Gu is implanted into another person, the afflicted must drink the blood of the keeper every twelve hours; otherwise, both the afflicted person and the keeper will die."

Therefore, raising this kind of potion is tantamount to linking one's own life with that of the person afflicted by it. Very few people raise this kind of potion. They use it specifically to deal with powerful tribal chiefs who want to bully them.

Back in Beifeng, the Imperial Uncle already knew of Xiao Jie's abilities. But seeing it with his own eyes today, he still couldn't help but sigh inwardly! Having such an Empress was truly a blessing for Jinghe, a blessing for all the people, and especially a blessing for his little nephew! However, they now faced their final test; whether they could successfully overcome this calamity depended on their willpower.