Chapter 54

Gu Hanjiang quickly arrived with a military physician to pick up the guests. Qingwu, having properly donned the pleated skirt left neatly on the writing desk and small table, decisively walked in the opposite direction.

The cold wind at the draft seemed fiercer than anywhere else. The azure silk ribbon around her waist fluttered and swirled in the wind, and the dull, aching sensation deep within her abdomen had yet to subside. Walking with unsteady footsteps along the gravel path outside the military tent, she looked like a precarious swallow.

Only when the commotion near the main tent faded out of earshot did she realize she had unconsciously wandered toward the edge of the mountain forest.

Pei Muchi and Gu Hanjiang maintained well-disciplined troops. Even with an event as grave as the commander-in-chief fainting, the surroundings did not descend into utter chaos; the various camps recovered their order after a brief moment of startled murmurs.

Patrolling soldiers wove through every corner of the tents. Qingwu counted the torches being lit step by step, listening to the idle chatter of the night watchmen.

"Now that the Southern Dynasty poses no threat, why hasn't the Lord returned to the capital yet? What will we do if something unexpected happens in Bianjing?"

They had followed Pei Muchi from the very beginning, and their tones carried an unmistakable undercurrent of reverence whenever they spoke of their lord.

"I heard the Lord went back and forth just to bring that young lady back to the capital. Who knows how things ended up like this?" Their tone held a trace of curiosity and confusion, but no real blame.

Since ancient times, heroes have been matched with beauties; mortals must have desires to live a vibrant life.

"Which young lady?"

"She was drinking with us that day, and she even taught you how to sword-fight. Forgot?"

That soldier let out an excited "Oh!" then asked, "Does that mean the Lord is going to marry her once they return? I actually received guidance from the future Empress!"

Hearing these words, Qingwu tightened her fingers, then slowly relaxed them.

Her *dantian* was completely hollowed out.

Before engaging in that intimate act with her, he had also crippled her internal energy.

Was it a warning telling her never to run away again?

Yet the way he had collapsed earlier, without the slightest warning, seemed inextricably linked to her.

In Qingwu's mind, the memory of being bent and posed into various positions by him surfaced unbidden. Her calves felt somewhat weak, prompting her to find a place to sit down and rest her feet.

"Hah—" She let out a long, stagnant breath, as if trying to expel the stifling weight trapped inside her chest.

A sudden weight settled upon her shoulders. Qingwu slowly lifted her head.

Du Jin untied his cold-weather cloak, draped it over her shoulders, and sat down at a distance of two palm-widths.

It was as if he had merely come to keep her company and dispel her gloom, yet the atmosphere felt awkwardly stiff.

"Lingyu." Qingwu pulled the collar tight, tying the satin ribbons herself.

"Does the Princess remember?" Du Jin's expression eased slightly.

During those days in Peach Blossom Village, Qingwu had never addressed him by his courtesy name with such a heavy tone.

"Mn. I was abducted by a woman who claimed she was giving me a grand gift. This must have been it, right?" Qingwu pressed her palms flat against the ground, letting the sharp pebbles prick into her skin.

In truth, she was deeply conflicted.

Before her memories returned, she had simply assumed Pei Muchi was a romantic debt she had incurred in the capital. But recalling those past events now, it felt entirely like a dream.

The imperial attendant her own Imperial Father had carefully bound and bestowed upon her actually possessed such formidable capabilities.

Du Jin placed his hands formally upon his knees, maintaining a respectful distance from her.

Seeing his constrained demeanor, Qingwu managed to force a difficult smile. "Didn't I tell you not to call me Princess? What princess is left now?"

She rested her right hand gently on the back of Du Jin's hand, patting it twice. "Choosing you after losing my memory was because you were the person in my mind I most wished to draw close to and rely upon. That our relationship has now become so awkward is by no means your fault."

Qingwu knew that Du Jin was someone who easily trapped himself in dead ends and was all too prone to shouldering heavy burdens.

"It was me. I failed to handle these matters properly," she apologized.

Now that a new dynasty was about to be established, she hoped Du Jin could break free from the shackles of centering his world around her and go pursue what he truly desired to do.

Du Jin understood her meaning. Thinking of the olive branch Gu Hanjiang had extended, a sense of release washed over him.

He had originally thought that as long as he stood by her side, he would eventually have a chance.

Yet, ten years had passed, and twice...

Chapter (1/3)

Chapter (2/3)

She had chosen not to choose him.

Du Jin remained silent for a long while, slowly letting go of the taut string in his heart.

He knew that the moment he played along and spoke certain words right now, the person he had gazed upon for so many years would drift far away from him, perhaps even vanishing without a trace.

Before losing her memory, Qingwu had projected a sweet and harmless facade to the outside world, only peeling back her outer disguise when she was alone with him, using her sharp intellect to analyze complex matters for him.

He had once believed this was the Princess's exclusive favor toward him.

Yet back in Peach Blossom Village, when she laid aside her inner burdens and genuinely coexisted with him, she never constantly weighed every step of the way. When occasional disagreements arose, she was far more inclined to act spoiled and coax him into submissive compliance against his better judgment.

Comparing the two, this stark disparity left him in silence.

"What does Lingyu wish to do in the future?" Qingwu refused to let him wallow in his own thoughts, insisting that he articulate clearly what their relationship would be moving forward.

"That military strategist in the army mentioned to me that he hopes I will enter official service."

In truth, Du Jin had rejected Gu Hanjiang just the day before under the pretext of incompetence.

He neither brandished swords nor possessed a mind as swift and sharp as Gu Hanjiang's. Anyone with eyes could see he was merely Qingwu's appendage, lacking any extraordinary abilities.

His sole passable skill—medical expertise—was hardly enough to provide timely help in a crisis.

After pondering repeatedly over the past two days, he concluded that Gu Hanjiang had merely valued his identity as the heir of the previous dynasty's general's estate.

Pei Muchi had recently executed a batch of dissenting veteran officials in Bianjing, making it a critical time to wield both benevolence and authority. If Du Jin surrendered to the new dynasty now, coupled with the special significance behind his background, the path of the new dynasty would appear all the more legitimate.

Du Jin had no interest in the art of political scheming and refused to serve as anyone's stepping stone, yet neither did he wish to disappoint Qingwu.

"That sounds wonderful." Qingwu indeed took his words to heart, even beginning to ponder what conditions she could use to bargain with Pei Muchi for Du Jin's future in the new court.

Once she fell silent, Du Jin began searching for topics to speak of again, though it sounded more like imparting final instructions.

"The one who took you away was the Queen of the Southern Dynasty. She inflicted a poison upon you that only Young Master Pei can detoxify." He paused. "Perhaps he can no longer be called Young Master Pei."

Their thoughts aligned instantly, carrying them back to the day the city fell.

"In the end, A-wu will still choose him, won't she?" At the final syllable, Du Jin's voice grew so faint it seemed ready to shatter.

"I don't know," Qingwu answered truthfully.

She had a very strange sensation. When she first caught sight of that figure beneath the city walls, from a distance, the appearance and physique were an exact match. Yet after their close interaction just now, coupled with her continuous pondering and recollection, she felt that the temperament and aura of the person she had glimpsed in a flash fell somewhat short of Pei Muchi's.

Much like how Zhixue had leaped from the city walls.

Could the person she had seen also have been an impostor?

And yet, it was undeniably Pei Muchi who had taken charge of the shattered thirty-four prefectures...

The ground soaked by the heavy rain of the previous night had yet to dry entirely, and a low rumble tore through the clouds in the sky, carrying the scent of damp earth and grass.

Qingwu simply found herself suddenly thinking of the three young maids who had followed her, wondering how they were faring now.

Du Jin, however, misinterpreted her silence, pressing his lips together bitterly. "It's going to rain again. Let's head back."

——

Returning to Du Jin's tent was clearly inappropriate for Qingwu. After turning it over in her mind, she ultimately found herself with no choice but to return to Pei Muchi's quarters.

She lingered outside for a long while before finally dragging her reluctant feet into the warm military tent.

Many important figures within the army had gathered inside the main tent, yet not a single person stopped Qingwu as she approached.

The military physician lifted the corner of the bed curtain, revealing a side profile as smooth and white as jade.

Pei Muchi lay quietly at the edge of the bed, his narrow eyes half-closed, his slender brows devoid of emotion, smoothed out into a gentle calm. The pallor of illness added an air of solitary desolation to his entire frame.

After such a long separation, the very aura surrounding him seemed to have changed.

After taking his pulse, the military physician held his brush motionless for a long time without writing a single stroke. "The Lord's poison has worsened. We must expedite the extraction process; otherwise, even the strongest constitution cannot withstand such constant depletion."

Hearing this, Gu Hanjiang turned and sought out Qingwu.

He knew Pei Yuanxi's condition: although riddled with countless hidden wounds, it was not severe enough to render him unconscious overnight.

Chapter (2/3)

Chapter (3/3)

"When will he wake up?" Now that the hidden threat of the Southern Dynasty was basically resolved, the camp was still piled high with duties like mountains. Their lord couldn't simply lie in bed playing the deserter, could he?

Besides, they still needed to discuss returning to the capital to retrieve the imperial seal. Most men in the camp were rough warriors accustomed to fighting battles; Gu Hanjiang could not make such a monumental decision entirely on his own.

While reliable men had been left behind in Bianjing to stabilize the situation, the coronation ceremony remained uncompleted, leaving people in the shadows watching like tigers eyeing their prey.

The military physician stroked his beard, pondering for a long moment before speaking. "The Lord has suffered a severe stagnation of Qi due to overwhelming fury. Unless the root cause is resolved, it will be difficult for him to fully regain consciousness in the short term."

*Overwhelming! Fury! Caused! Stagnation!*

Gu Hanjiang silently repeated those words several times in his mind.

A detoxification process that ended up in such a state needed no guessing as to where the root cause lay.

Gu Hanjiang felt a surge of Qi rush straight to the top of his head. His gaze swept like a carpet across the people standing below the steps.

Since the primary culprit lay there completely unconscious, he had no choice but to seek out the other party.

Qingwu was standing behind a group of burly generals, hidden from view entirely.

When Gu Hanjiang pushed aside the blockers in front and dragged her out, she was leaning nonchalantly against a pillar, gazing indifferently at the few people bustling frantically around the bed.

He chuckled coldly, "The young lady truly doesn't care whether Pei Yuanxi lives or dies."

Qingwu lifted Pei Muchi's sleeve, tossed his arm back down onto his abdomen, and dropped heavily onto the edge of the bed.

She rarely did anything so lacking in decorum, yet even when she did, it lacked any vulgarity, resembling more the petty temper tantrums of a child.

Qingwu stated, "My legs are weak. I cannot stand steadily."

Gu Hanjiang: ......

What could he possibly say to that?

He could only impatiently close his eyes, force a deep breath, and suppress the fiery temper rising to his crown.

He dared not yell at this exalted ancestor, fearing Pei Muchi would wake up and tear into him; by then, he would only be infuriating himself to no avail, a loss outweighing the gain.

"Initially, Pei Yuanxi was unwilling to use such a method either, but time waits for no one. In order to channel the poison from your body into his own, he reduced himself to this state. At the very least, have some pity on him."

Gu Hanjiang never imagined a day would come when he would love someone and extend that affection to others.

Pei Muchi had saved his life once; not only must he repay Pei Muchi, but he also had to humor this stubborn, self-inflicted romantic debt that cost Pei eight hundred to damage his own thousand.

"He forced my Imperial Father to his death and ruined my wedding banquet. Does he expect me to treat him with pleasant words? Perhaps the strategist can humble himself to that extent, but I cannot."

When Gu Hanjiang first heard her speak, he assumed she was merely acting spoiled and arrogant due to Pei Muchi's indulgence. But as she continued, the more wrong it sounded. Recalling that Du Jin seemed to have mentioned this matter as well, suspecting some misunderstanding was at play, he hurriedly interrupted, "But he..."

Before he could finish, Qingwu's voice drowned his out. "But what! Are you going to tell me there are hidden circumstances again?"

Gu Hanjiang froze, pressing his throbbing temples.

No wonder Pei Yuanxi had reduced himself to this state; this sharp tongue of hers was truly adept at infuriating people.

Gu Hanjiang yanked the quilt off Pei Muchi and pulled Qingwu with such force that she stumbled, nearly falling flat on her backside.

As if venting his frustration, his tone returned to a calmer register before softening slightly. "What talk of forcing your Imperial Father to his death? He hadn't even laid eyes on the Emperor; why would he force him?"

Qingwu: ?

She had clearly witnessed it with her own eyes that day...

Seeing that she still disbelieved him, Gu Hanjiang let out a dry, incredulous laugh. "Right, we were outside the city gates at the time."

Qingwu wore an expression of *as expected*, her face gradually sinking into a sneer of contempt.

Seeing her expression made Gu Hanjiang even angrier. The temper he had suppressed for so long erupted like a volcano, words tumbling out in a rapid succession: "We weren't even targeting your Imperial Father! At such a critical juncture, dragging that half-dead body of his, he insisted on coming to find you—nothing could stop him."

Not only that, just as Qiyu was about to launch the siege and present an optimal opportunity for revenge, the moment someone looked away for even a second, Pei Yuanxi had vanished.

Fuming, Gu Hanjiang pointed first at several generals and then at himself. "We agreed to coordinate from the inside and outside, but he ran off toward you all by himself, leaving the rest of us behind! Who are we supposed to reason with?"

Just as he was gesticulating wildly, the figure lying on the bed let out two coughs.