Sima Ray sneered, as he gripped Qin Yunuan’s chin powerfully with his fingertips, forcing Qin Yunuan to look at him.
“Take your filthy hands off me.” Qin Yunuan looked directly at Sima Ray. His eyes were filled with desire for power.
“No, I won’t.” Sima Ray smiled grimly and increased the force on his hands until his nails dented Qin Yunuan’s chin. “Nuan, I know you don’t like it. But it doesn’t really matter as long as I like you. Your wisdom and cleverness make you the best candidate to be the empress of my empire.”
“Stop dreaming.” Qin Yunuan spat in disdain.
Sima Ray took a step back and slowly wiped off the spit on his face. He licked the spit in front of Qin Yunuan and put up an enjoying look, “It tastes so nice.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“I am more disgusting than you think.” Sima Ray strode forward and held Qin Yunuan’s wrist, trying to drag Qin Yunuan to him. However, Qin Yunuan struggled hard and tripped. She rolled her eyes back and passed out. Sima Ray frowned. He knew well about the little tricks of this woman, so he dared not approach her anymore. However, after quite a while, Qin Yunuan was still fainted by the bed.
Sima Ray’s eyes narrowed. He walked towards the door and opened the stone-made door by a secret switch on the wall.
“Find me a doctor right now.”
There were military doctors in the army. After a while, a thirtyish doctor rushed in, carrying a medication box with him. He was dragged into the room by Sima Ray as soon as he arrived at the door. Sima Ray pointed at Qin Yunuan and said, “Treat her. If you can’t, then die together with her.”
The doctor was quite young, but he was quite calm. “I’ll try my best.” The doctor ordered his apprentice to open the medication box. He pulled out a red thread and asked his apprentice to tie it on Qin Yunuan’s wrist so that he could test her pulse through the thread. It seemed that the doctor was quite capable.
When the pulse was clear, the doctor frowned.
“How is she doing?” Sima Ray couldn’t help but urged.
The doctor got up and saluted, “Prince Ray, Infanta Ping is pregnant. She just fainted because of anxiety and anger.”
“Pregnant?” Sima Ray’s expressions were unclear, “For how long?”
“Not more than two months. Maybe Infanta Ping was too tired lately, so her pulse is not really stable. She should rest well and not to be stimulated anymore.” The doctor answered honestly. However, Sima Ray raised his leg and kicked towards his chest powerfully.
“Pregnant?” Sima Ray roared madly, “Qin Yunuan, you’re carrying Leng Changxi’s child after all.” Sima Ray said as he reached his hand out for Qin Yunuan’s abdomen. When his hand is an inch to Qin Yunuan’s abdomen, the doctor on the ground reminded him, “Prince Ray!”
Sima Ray returned to his mind and smiled suddenly, “It doesn’t matter that she gets pregnant. I should say it’s better this way. I just wanted to kidnap you, but now I have his child with me as well. Nuan, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you, and watch you give birth to the child. Then, I’ll show Leng Changxi how his wife and his child live on me.”
Sima Ray was exerting a weird and cold temperament. He suddenly raised his head and laughed. The army outside was all ready, waiting for Sima Ray’s order. Du Sheng put on the armor and helmet for Sima Ray. Sima Ray turned back to look at Qin Yunuan one more time, looking extremely affectionate. “Nuan, wait for me.” Then, he ordered the doctor, “Take care of her when I’m not here. If she turned worse when I’m back, you’ll take its toll.”
The doctor arched his hands and agreed. Fifty thousand soldiers were waiting on the field, all set. Sima Ray was inspecting them on a high tower and encouraging them. The Sun Family had a hundred thousand private soldiers in total, but the Sun Family still saved some for themselves. With the Commander’s Seal Sun Family gave him, Sima Ray could only command seventy thousand of them. After the Sun Family was wiped out, there were many soldiers who fled. After knowing that they were heading to the palace in the Royal City, another half fled. Within the fifty thousand soldiers, half of it was from Sun Family, and the other half was gathered by Sima Ray along his way.
Sima Ray would never fight a war that he was unconfident of.
“Prince Ray, there’s news from the Royal Palace.” Du Sheng bowed and handed him a letter.
Sima Ray unrolled the letter and took a quick glance, looking very pleased. “Imperial Concubine Yang, she never lets me down. I’ve already said it before that my ways are way more thoughtful than you think.”
Just as Qin Yunuan guessed, Imperial Concubine Yang had always been on Sima Ray’s side. Sima Ray was good at putting his spies everywhere. Even though Imperial Concubine Yang appeared to be insignificant before, she had gathered lots of information for Sima Ray in the dark. By the assassination last time, Sima Ray made Imperial Concubine Yun trust Imperial Concubine Yang fully. After that, Imperial Concubine Yang raised her status step by step with the remaining people of Sima Ray and the trust of Imperial Concubine Yun. By then, no one would doubt that such an imperial concubine has any connection with an allegedly dead prince.
The Jinling soldiers were well trained. They had arrived at the Tongming Gate of the Royal City without being noticed in a couple of hours. The people in the Royal City were all well asleep, and the general guarding the Tongming Gate was already replaced by Imperial Concubine Yang’s people. As soon as they saw the yellow flag from afar, they opened the gate to let them in. No one had noticed that fifty thousand people entered the city quietly.
Qin Yunuan was still sleeping when all these happened, and she wasn’t aware of any of it. She had a dream. It was about her childhood, while her mother was still alive. On a warm winter day, her mother was washing her hair in the courtyard. Her mother rubbed her hair with warm water, and it felt comfortable.
“Seeing the black hair of Nuan, I know that you’ll definitely find a husband who will treat you well.” Mother’s smile was kind, like an angel.
“I’m not going to marry anyone. I’ll stay with mother for my whole life.”
“Silly girl,” Shangguan Yu wiped Qin Yunuan’s hair and said, “When you meet someone who makes your heart pound, you won’t feel the same. He’ll be like a surprise for your life, showing up suddenly and entering your life without a hint. He’ll never leave you after that, and you’ll carry his child and accompany him for the rest of your life.”
In her dream, Qin Yunuan’s eyelids trembled, and she muttered, “Changxi.” Where was he at the moment? Did he know that I was missing? I hoped that he could come for me, but I also hoped that he could stay steady, so as not to be tricked by Sima Ray. I loved him, so I hoped that he could live well, for me and for himself, no matter what would happen to me.
Faintly, there seemed to be another voice calling her.
“Infanta Ping, it’s time for medicine.”
Qin Yunuan’s heart trembled, and she suddenly opened her eyes. She realized what situation she was in, and she got very cautious immediately. She saw a scholar-like man standing respectfully by her bed, and a bowl of hot brown medicine on the tea table.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Lu Cheng, your doctor, Infanta Ping.” The doctor Lu Cheng bowed slightly.
“Huh, you’re just Sima Ray’s servant after all.” Qin Yunuan turned her head around without looking at the medicine on the tea table. She didn’t trust Sima Ray, so she naturally wouldn’t trust Lu Cheng either.
Lu Cheng remained calm. He took the medicine and handed it to Qin Yunuan. “Even if Infanta Ping isn’t willing to take it, you should take it, for the child in your womb.”
“What did you say?”
It was true that she was easily asleep these days, and that she was getting to like sour food, and also that she was being easily tired. However, Qin Yunuan had never thought that she’d got pregnant. If that was true…
Qin Yunuan unconsciously touched her abdomen when she heard Lu Cheng said, “I guess Master Su wouldn’t rest in peace if he sees you like this.”
Qin Yunuan stared at Lu Cheng. What did he just say? “Master Su”?
She looked at him doubtfully, as Lu Cheng arched his hands and said, “My original name is Lu Wuyi, and Master Su Chenghai was my teacher.”
Qin Yunuan had heard of Lu Wuyi. The Lu Family had been doctors in the regions south of the River for nine generations. Lu Wuyi was also nicknamed Tri-acupuncture Lu. It was said that he could cure any illness with three acupuncture needles. What she didn’t expect was that Lu Wuyi’s teacher was Su Chenghai, who was almost ten years younger than him.
“You’re his apprentice?” Qin Yunuan looked at him doubtfully.
“Exactly.”
“Then why are you in the Jinling army? And why are you working for Sima Ray? Did you know that…”
“Wuyi’s just a doctor.” Lu Wuyi handed the medicine to her and said, “All I can do is to treat people. Now that you’re weak, Infanta Ping, don’t be so stubborn. Come on, drink the medicine before it’s getting cold.”
Qin Yunuan peeked at the medicine, “You’ve received Sima Ray’s order to treat me so well, right? I heard your conversation. Even if I’m weak, it was not that easy for me to pass out. I could take the medicine under one condition. You have to do me a favor.”
Lu Wuyi held his breath. Qin Yunuan took the medicine bowl from him and put it against her lips. It was like threatening him, but also like asking for an old friend’s help.
“My servant girls were still captured by Sima Ray.” Qin Yunuan frowned. “Sima Ray is vicious, so I’m not sure if they’re still alive. The servant girl in purple clothes likes my hairpin a lot. Could you give it to her, so that she would be happy before she died?” Qin Yunuan said as she removed a butterfly-shaped golden hairpin from her hair. The tip of the hairpin was sharp as if it could pierce a person’s chest.
“How about that?” Qin Yunuan smiled and looked at Lu Wuyi.
