Chapter 138

  A shrill, ear-piercing sound suddenly rang out, and Qing Xia seemed to turn into a ferocious leopard in an instant, grabbing shoulders, grasping elbows, colliding knees, and pinching throats all at once. However, just as the movement came to a stop, a bright white light flashed abruptly within the main hall, and Qin Zhiyan, who was normally gentle and elegant, swiftly drew out Li Xian's long sword from his waist, like a dragon entering the sea or a zigzagging lightning bolt, and fiercely pressed it against Qin Zhimo's neck!

  "Am I too indulgent with you in the past, making you forget the rules of the Proclaimed King's Mansion?"

  A low, muffled voice slowly rose, not loud or cold, but to Qin Ziming and Qin Zhicheng's ears, it was like a sharp blade cutting through skin, bringing with it a thick aura of murder and terror. They looked at Qin Ziyuan in disbelief, seeing a man in a green robe with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, his gaze slightly slanted as he looked at the two of them. The long wind outside howled and blew into the room, sweeping across the hem of his flying robes, seeming to carry the scent of blood from the battlefield, lightly drifting through the air.

  When did they forget the look of this gentle and elegant man when he was angry? When did they naively think that he would always face everything with a calm and serene smile? When did they even forget that this seemingly weak and feeble man was the great Qin war god who shook the northern borders and made the cruel Xiongnu people tremble with fear?

  They became more and more arrogant, more and more unscrupulous, more and more self-satisfied, until they provoked the sleeping tiger, only to suddenly realize that they were just a weak ant.

  Qin's flames gazed coldly at his younger brother, looking at the man who had just been proud and arrogant but was now standing still, trembling with fear. He spoke slowly in a low voice: "The great Qin family, connected by blood, I have never treated you poorly, why do you repeatedly pressure me, advancing inch by inch? Do you really think that the Xuanwang Fu is without anyone, or are you just deceiving me, Qin's flames, as an incompetent?"

  "Third, Third Brother," Seventh Prince Qin Zhen's face turned pale, his voice almost trembling. Some scenes that had been hidden deep in his memory resurfaced before his eyes, like a mournful cry from a lost soul piercing his nerves. He half-raised his hand, wanting to reach out and grab Qin Zhenyan's hand, but hesitated, and instead hastily said: "Ninth Brother is reckless and speaks without thinking, he didn't mean any harm."

  Qin's eyes narrowed slightly as he smiled coldly and said in a low voice, "A good person is often deceived by others, a good horse is often ridden by others. I deeply understood this principle ten years ago. Old Nine, at the Taihe Hall ten years ago, Old Five was splattered with blood on the Xuan Yuan stage, and Eleven cut off one of his arms to save his life. You were also there at that time, have you forgotten all about it so quickly?"

  Qin's face turned even paler, and after struggling for a few moments, he finally regained his composure from the shock. He was no longer as arrogant as before, and said: "Third Brother, I didn't mean anything else, I..."

  "It goes without saying," Qin Zhiyan interrupted him coldly, slowly putting down his long sword and turning sideways to say in a deep voice: "This is my last warning to you. If there's another offense in the future, don't blame me for not considering brotherly affection. The Great Qin imperial court has always been a den of tigers and wolves, and our ancestral teachings have never stopped us from private fights. If you still want to try, come and test the weight of my Flame Character Camp."

  Having said that, he ignored the few people and turned around abruptly, his green robe fluttering and billowing in the wind, like a strong grass from the north, with a vigorous vitality and a cold and stern aura.

  Qing Xia's mouth curled up in a cold smile, and with a swift motion, he loosened Qin Zhiyin's grip on his shoulder. With a sudden burst of strength, he yanked Qin Zhiyin's arm out of its socket. Qin Zhiyin gritted his teeth, his face darkening as he glared at Qing Xia and the others with no hint of remorse.

  Qing Xia picked up the ginseng on the table, slammed the lid shut and said to Li Xian: "Throw all these things away, don't pollute the place of Xuanwang Fu."

  Qin Zhi Min let out a cold snort and turned to leave without looking back. Qin Zhi Cheng furrowed his brow, bowed to Qing Xia, and then chased after him. But before they had even left the Xuan Wang Fu, they ran into Sixth Prince Qin Zhi Ying and Thirteenth Prince Qin Zhi Yu, who were walking together. Qin Zhi Yu was always someone who reveled in chaos, and seeing Qin Zhi Min's unpleasant expression, he still approached with a smile and asked: "Hey! Ninth Brother, what's with the getup? Could it be that you've been following Eighth Brother onto the battlefield for the past few days?"

  Qin Zhiyuan's anger was burning, but he ignored Qin Zhiyu's provocation and turned to leave. Qin Zhicheng followed behind him, greeted the two of them, and hastily ran out.

  Qin Zhiyin and Qin Zhiyu burst out laughing, striding into the hall, where they saw Qing Xia. Qin Zhiyin flashed a bright smile, exaggeratedly bowing low, and boomed: "Greetings, Third Aunt!"

  "What nonsense is this?" Qin Zhiyu said angrily: "Miss Zhuang hasn't married Third Brother yet, she should be called Marquis of Minru for now."

  "It's just a matter of time, I think you're still got a dirty mind."

  Qing Xia was worried about Qin Zhiyan, and didn't want to see these two guys with unclear intentions causing trouble here. Just as she thought of sending them away, Lian Zhou suddenly ran in with a heavy expression and said in a low voice: "Miss, where did Mr. Bai Shi go?"

  It was as if a thunderbolt had struck Qing Xia's head, she trembled all over, almost falling to the ground, and hastily shook her head, running towards Qin Zhiyan's bedroom.

  That night, Qin Zhiyan remained unconscious. The eight shamans of Nanjiang were helpless and ineffective in their treatment. Bai Shi shaman said that even if the great elder himself came, he might not be able to revive him. They could only wait out the night, and perhaps there would still be a chance for treatment. The entire Xuanwang Mansion was shrouded in gloomy skies, everyone held their breath, looking up at the sky, waiting for dawn to break.

  In her life, Qing Xia had never known that the night could be so unbearable. She kept telling herself to be strong, she was a modern special agent, used to seeing life and death, how could she be defeated by such things? But Bai Shi Wu Yi's mouth kept opening and closing in front of her eyes, his voice seemed to come from the 21st century, distant and hollow. He said that Qin Zhi Yan was already at the end of his strength, on that day when he received Qing Xia's letter on White Deer Plain, he vomited blood due to a severe illness, after waking up he refused to return to the capital for treatment, forcibly suppressing it with medicine, now suddenly enraged and attacking his heart, his five organs were severely damaged, already at the end of his life, nine out of ten chances he wouldn't make it through this night.

  Those sounds were like a series of thunderclaps, repeatedly striking the already unclear sky. Is this the end? Is his time running out? He's only 24 years old, why would his time be running out? She shook her head in disbelief, tightly grasping White Stone Witch Doctor's sleeve, forcing back tears that were about to fall, and said frantically: "No, no, what are they made of? How could someone as calm as Zhī Yán be driven to death by them? You save him, you're the best doctor in Nán Jiāng, aren't you? Save him, he won't die, you won't let him die, no!"

  The white stone shaman's face was heavy, and he said in a bitter tone: "Princess, it's not that I don't want to, but I can't. With the current condition of the Third Prince, even if the Great Elder himself came or the master of the Western Forest were reborn, there would be no possibility of curing him. The medicine sent by the Great Elder a few days ago was originally just a spiritual medicine that suppressed the spread of toxins, treating only the symptoms and not the root cause. Once it breaks through, the harm will be even greater. As for the Third Prince now... Alas..."

  "Why sigh?" Qing Xia suddenly became furious, tightly grasping the collar of Bai Shi Wu Yi and shouting angrily: "You're a doctor, even if you can't save him, you have to try! Can't just wait like this, can you?!"

  Li Xian rushed forward and grabbed Qing Xia's hand, shouting: "Qing sister, calm down!"

  "How can I be calm?" Qing Xia shouted in a shrill voice, her tears finally streaming down uncontrollably. Standing in the room, in front of all the powerful people of Xuan Wang Fu, she cried out loudly with tearful eyes: "How can I be calm? It was fine just now, how did it suddenly become like this? You're all deceiving me!"

  "Right! I'm going into the palace!" Qing Xia suddenly lifted her head, her eyes wide with excitement, and frantically searched around the room.

  Bi'er was so scared that she cried straight away, pulling Qing Xia's hand and following behind her, crying out: "Miss, miss, what are you looking for?"

  "Bie'er," Qing Xia's eyes widened, and she suddenly turned around to tightly grasp Bie'er's hand. In a low voice, she said: "Where is my court attire? Didn't the Emperor bestow one upon me? I'm going into the palace, I'm going into the palace to find a doctor for Zhi Yan. That whatever Grand Elder, if he dares not come, I'll bind him and bring him here."

  "Princess," said Kuroki Majo in a low voice, "there is no longer any chance of escape, unless the Shōkyo clan suddenly appears; otherwise, there is no opportunity."

  "Right!" Qing Xia's eyes suddenly lit up with a hint of splendor, as if a drowning person had grasped the last straw. She suddenly said in a low voice: "Right! And there are also divine doctors hidden in the mountains, I want to go find them. Prepare the boat, prepare the horse, I want to go find them."

  "Miss!" Lianzhou knelt down at Qingxia's feet, his voice shaking with sobs. This strong and stubborn man was now crying uncontrollably, tightly grasping Qingxia's hem and shouting: "Don't do this! Even if you ride a thousand-mile horse, it's impossible to find the divine doctor who hasn't appeared in decades in just one night! And even if you found him, it's impossible to bring him back before dawn!"

  Qing Xia was stunned on the spot, so many facts hit her heart like a heavy hammer, tears fell down in big drops, her face turned pale, almost unable to stand, swaying and holding onto the table for support. She slowly lifted her head as if in a trance, asking Bai Shi Wu Yi in a pitifully small voice, sounding like a dying animal: "No chance? Can't be saved?"

  Her eyes were so pitiful, as if all her hopes had been reduced to a thin layer of fragile paper. Bai Shi Wumu let out a long sigh and finally closed his eyes, shaking his head heavily.

  With a thud, Qing Xia's vision went black and she fell to the ground. The surrounding crowd rushed forward frantically, wanting to help her up, but she struggled to get up on her own, pushing away their hands, and said sorrowfully: "Leave me alone, I want to go with him, all of you leave."

  Lianzhou wanted to reach out and grab her, softly calling: "Miss."

  "Get out!" Qing Xia turned around and shouted sternly: "Don't you all have anything to do? Go outside the city, stabilize the Yanzi camp. If anything happens to Yanzi, I want Qin Er, Qin Qi, Qin Jiu, I want the entire Great Qin imperial family to pay in blood!"

  As soon as the words fell, Qing Xia's tears rolled down, she turned and walked into Qin Zhiyan's bedroom, tightly leaning against the closed door, letting her tears flow down, her heart felt like being pierced by thousands of steel needles.

  Blood debts are repaid in blood, but what if he really has something to do with it? She would set the entire world ablaze and what could be done about it? She suddenly knelt down on the cold ground, covering her face with both hands, wailing loudly, her voice low and hoarse, like a desperate beast.

  All night, she stuck to his side, tightly grasping his hand, as if he would disappear if she relaxed a little. There was immense weight and pain suppressing her heart, making it hard for her to breathe. Her hands gently stroked the clean lines of his eyebrows, repeatedly recalling every tiny detail from when they first met. In that small heart, there wasn't even half a shadow of sadness.

  Qin's face was calm and gentle, without a hint of pain, as if he were asleep.

  Qing Xia pressed her face against his icy forehead, her throat already hoarse from crying, her voice soft and floating slowly in the warm air, carrying a hint of unreal desolation.

  "Zhi Yan, wake up."

  The pale woman spoke softly, her eyes gradually becoming hazy, and even the air began to become humid. "Every time you sleep like this, I'm so scared, afraid that you won't be able to open your eyes and look at me again, won't be able to touch my nose and say I'm naughty, won't be able to hold me gently, and won't wake up again. Zhe Yan, we've been through all sorts of hardships together, in the imperial mausoleum, on the White Deer Plain, in Penglai Valley, so many dangers, so many life-and-death crises, but we've always made it through. How can you fall now? You're the war god of Qin, an invincible general, a legendary hero who's won every battle. How can you die on your sickbed? You promised to stay with me forever, to take care of me, to give me a peaceful life, and to make me smile happily. But if you die, if you're gone, how can I go on living? How can I still smile?"

  Tears flowed slowly down, Qing Xia's voice was low and hoarse, like a broken bottle.

  "Yi Yan, I always thought I was strong, I always thought I could face any difficulty alone. But now I realize, I'm not strong at all, without you, I am nothing. I will be afraid of the dark, afraid of being cold, afraid of getting sick, afraid of having no money, afraid of having no one to care for me, afraid of having no one to pamper me. I like it when you're by my side, no matter what I do, you'll always have my back. I like it when you help me scold those old women who bully me, I like it when the wind blows and you stand in front of me, I like it when you hold my hand in front of your brothers and father. Yi Yan, if you're not here, what should I do? In this time and space that doesn't belong to me, how should I live? I have no family, no relatives, where should I go?"

  Finally unable to hold back her tears, Qing Xia tightly grasped Qin Zhiyan's hand, sobbing and choking as she spoke: "Qin Zhiyan, wake up! We're about to get married, I'm going to marry you. You can't just leave me like this, you can't go back on your word. How could you be so cruel as to let me fall in love with you unconditionally, and then kick me away? I want to follow you, no matter where you go, please take me with you, don't leave me here alone. Zhiyan, open your eyes and look at me, I'm your Aima, I'm your Changsheng, I'm still alive, how could you die before me?"

  The pain in her heart spread wildly, the endless darkness seemed to swallow her whole like a raging tide. For a moment, she felt suffocated, coughing violently, with bright red blood gushing out of her mouth and splashing onto the blue flowered quilt, like blooming red plum blossoms. She looked at her own blood, but suddenly burst into laughter, her bloody lips curling up in a smile: "Zhiyan, I'm going to die too, I can go find you now, I can be with you, no matter who it is, they won't be able to separate us again."

  "...No..." A low voice suddenly sounded, so faint, yet so clear.

  In an instant, Qing Xia was as if electrocuted, suddenly lifting her head, only to see Qin Zhiyan tightly furrowing his brow, although still not opening his eyes, yet he spoke clearly and slowly: "No...can't...allow!"

  "Zhī yān!" Qing Xia exclaimed excitedly, embracing his shoulders: "Zhī yān, you're awake, you're fine, you won't die, right?"

  "Yī mǎ ér......" A weak voice slowly came out of his pale, bloodless lips, "Cannot... die..."

  Tears gushed out, Qing Xia almost stumbled out of the bedroom door, half-lying on the cold stone slab, shouting hoarsely: "Someone come! Zhi Yan woke up, someone come!"

  It was another three days and three nights of diagnosis, almost exhausting the heart and soul of every person in the Wangfu. Qin Zhiyan, who had been sentenced to death several times by Ba Wu, woke up again under Qing Xia's summons, as if by a miracle. Finally, on the fourth night, Bai Shi Wumu said, exhausted, that he had never seen anyone with such a strong will to live as San Gongzi, and then collapsed, relieved of his burden.

  Hachiyo used the Heavenly Hazard technique to forcibly retrieve Qin's Flame from the hands of the Death God, exhausting her energy and falling ill. For a time, the Wang Manor was almost turned into a hospital, with countless famous doctors of Great Qin coming and going.

  Qing Xia stayed by Qin Zhiyan's side every day, sometimes awake and sometimes in a daze. This situation lasted for more than 20 days before he gradually recovered. Looking at Qing Xia's thin figure, Qin Zhiyan smiled weakly, but only brought more tears to Qing Xia's eyes.

  This morning, Qin Zhiyin came to visit again. These days, Qing Xia had blocked all the brothers of the Qin family at the door and did not allow them to visit. Even Qin Zhiyun, who was shameless, did not dare to enter after being rejected twice. Only Qin Zhiyin repeatedly suffered setbacks, but became more courageous. Qin Zhiyan has gradually recovered to his normal state, and he will still have to participate in the Qin government's affairs in the future. Qing Xia thought for a moment and invited him to the study.

  The clear tea was fragrant, and the two sat facing each other. Qing Xia spoke straightforwardly: "I want to know what happened on Taihe Hall ten years ago."

  Qin Zhiyin walked in and saw that only Qing Xia was there, so he knew she had something to say. Upon hearing this, he smiled slightly and said: "Actually, it would be more appropriate for Third Brother to tell you."

  "I know he'll tell me," said Qing Xia calmly, "but I want to know now, and his physical condition isn't good enough to recall this matter at the moment. So, I hope you can come and tell me, I will be very grateful."

  Qin Zhiyuan thought for a while, then suddenly raised his head and said: "Do you know why Third Brother got this illness?"

  Qing Xia was taken aback and remembered what the old man with a white beard in the Flame Character Camp had said, "Is it White Witchcraft?"

  Qin Zhiyin shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying: "I'm not sure what kind of poison it was, I only know that when Third Brother and the Crown Prince, Second Brother were locked up in the imperial mausoleum, the Crown Prince and Second Brother came out quickly, but Third Brother took a month to escape from the imperial mausoleum and was sent back to Xianyang by the guards. After returning, he contracted a serious illness, and it's unknown how many times he hovered between life and death. In the imperial mausoleums of past dynasties, there is not even a blade of grass growing inside. Third Brother was small and weak, at that time he wandered around the outer eight circles, and there were no lights or fires inside, do you know what he ate?"

  Qing Xia heard this and suddenly felt like she had fallen into an icy abyss. She didn't want to think about it anymore, nor did she want to ask any more questions. Yet, she remained seated there, listening intently as Qin Zhiyin spoke in a slow and deliberate tone: "The scouts guarding the camp said that almost all of the desiccated corpses buried outside the eighth circle were devoured by those three."

  "All the servants who were buried with the emperors of past dynasties were forced to take large doses of poison to prevent them from damaging the tombs. Third Brother ate their flesh, so he was naturally poisoned. After he returned, news spread slowly through the palace that even his birth mother, Concubine Yao, feared him and called him a mad devil, not daring to approach him. He was sent to Bei Yuan and handed over to the wet nurses to care for, but those old women were cruel, one by one bullying him, Third Brother spent nearly ten years in Bei Yuan living a life that was neither human nor ghostly, locked in a small black room, enduring both the humiliation of being treated as an outcast and the pain of each episode of poisoning. If not for his nanny protecting him, he might have died long ago."

  "When Third Brother was fourteen, Father went hunting at Huashangyuan and Eighth Brother secretly pushed him out from Beiyuan. At that time, he was suffering from illness and had been unable to walk for two years, still sitting in a wheelchair, let alone riding a horse. Father felt disappointed and very angry, punishing Eighth Brother to kneel in front of the gate for three hours. Eighth Brother was furious and talked back to Father, who beat him more than ten times with a whip. Second Brother and Fifth Brother also took turns mocking him. Eighth Brother was only twelve years old that year and couldn't take it, drawing his knife and fighting with Fifth Brother. Fifth Brother was the son of Empress Shunyuan, the younger brother of the Crown Prince, and the grandson of the Prime Minister, although young, he had already been made a king, with more than twenty attendants under him. Eighth Brother was too young and naturally couldn't win, but in the end, Fifth Brother's people suffered greatly, each person's left leg being shot through by an arrow, even the location was the same. Later we found out that it was Third Brother who saw Eighth Brother being bullied and took action."

  Qin's smile was faint, lacking his usual carefree cleverness, but with a hint of unspoken mockery. "After Father found out, he was actually delighted," he said. "Not only did he not punish Third Brother and Eighth Brother, but he even brought Third Brother from Beiyuan to live in the Taihua Pavilion, right next to the Eastern Palace, and made him the King of Xuan. He also arranged for Mu Kuan's daughter, Mu Yuyao, to be betrothed to Third Brother as his consort. Unfortunately, this good fortune didn't last long. Within three days, Third Brother, Eighth Brother, and Mu Yuyao all disappeared together. The entire country was turned upside down, with everyone thinking it was the work of enemy spies. Unexpectedly, at the family banquet in the Taihe Hall half a month later, Third Brother, who had been bedridden for years, suddenly appeared, carrying Eighth Brother on his back and covered in blood. Amidst everyone's shock, he killed Fifth Brother with one sword stroke, then stood before Eleventh Brother like a demon, with none of the surrounding guards able to get close to him despite their attempts. Over twenty people were killed or injured, until finally, Eleventh Brother seemed to go mad and cut off his own arm before collapsing to the ground, narrowly escaping disaster. To this day, he remains a madman."

  Qing Xia's eyebrows were tightly furrowed, and she couldn't speak for a long time. Qin Zhiyin looked at her, shook his head slowly, and said: "Maybe you don't believe it, but I really don't know what happened during that half month. After Father investigated, he hid everything and only sent Third Brother to the Beijiang Barracks. It wasn't until five years ago that he returned to Xianyang again."

  It was as if a needle had suddenly pierced her heart, Qing Xia slowly smiled, she shook her head and pursed her lips.

  What have those people done to drive him to this state? Those wicked princes of the Qin, those shameless scoundrels who destroy human nature, cannot be forgiven, absolutely cannot.

  "Zhuang sister," Qin Zhiyin said in a deep voice, "No matter what, Third Brother is the most respected person in my heart. The Qin family has already rotted from within, and it's impossible for anyone to stay out of it. Rather than letting others bring disaster to the country and its people, it's better to let Third Brother take over. I've always hoped that Third Brother could trust me like he trusts Old Eight, but unfortunately, there's no such opportunity. Please help me pass this message on, sister."

  "Do you think he can still easily believe others now?" Qing Xia sneered and said lightly, "In any case, I appreciate your feelings for telling me these things today. As for what's to come, we'll talk about it later."

  Qin Zhi let out a helpless sigh and walked out, while Lian Zhou waited at the door and slowly walked in to say to Qing Xia: "Miss, the young master is waiting for you to have dinner in the dining hall."

  "Alright," Qing Xia nodded and said to Lian Zhou, "Tonight, bring the elite of the 500 Flame Character Camp to sneak into the city. We have endured for too long, it's time to counterattack."

  Lianzhou was taken aback, his expression slightly strange as he widened his eyes. Qingxia furrowed her brow and said in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

  Lianzhou hastily shook his head and said: "No, no, it's just that His Highness has just given similar orders. He said that the young lady might need someone tonight."

  It was Qing Xia's turn to be stunned, but in an instant her expression became gentle.

  The flames rise high into the blue sky and fall deep into the yellow springs, I also cannot let go of your hand. From now on, I will always stand by your side, you will never be lonely again.