“Qingyu,” Zhuge Qingtian was so excited that he wanted to hold the uncovered pale hand of Mu Qingyu, but Leng Shuang wielded her sword to stop him. Leng Shuang looked very cold and said, “How dare you touch the body of Her Highness?”
Qin Yunuan looked up at Zhuge Qingtian and wore a hardly noticeable smile. Now, Zhuge Qingtian was like a lion tied with the iron chain. He was angry but restrained by many things. This man, who was originally bold and brave, was bound by his long-hidden feeling for Mu Qingyu, the concealing of his identity and the fear of failing to narrow the huge status gap between Mu Qingyu and him.
Today, Leng Shuang was particularly talkative, and Qin Yunuan, who always asked her maids to be good-mannered, should allow Leng Shuang to sneer at Zhuge Qingtian. “Why do you pretend that you care about her very much? Now that Her Highness already committed suicide, it’s time to put an end to your affairs. So shouldn’t you feel happy and relaxed now?”
“Nonsense!” Zhuge Qingtian rarely scolded women. But this time, Leng Shuang went too far. Zhuge Qingtian directly took out his falchion and wielded it to Leng Shuang. Although he exerted much strength, he didn’t wield the falchion fast. After all, he only wanted to give a warning to Leng Shuang. Leng Shuang fended against the falchion with her own sword.
The sword and the falchion crashed, making a clear clang sound. Qin Yunuan slightly turned her head and looked at Zhuge Qingtian as if she had been watching a farce. “Or how should you feel? You’re so arrogant now but still deny everything between you and Her Highness. Eventually, Her Highness was forced to commit suicide and died with hatred. Zhuge Qingtian, you blame us for pressuring Her Highness to kill herself, but in fact, you are the one to pressure her. Because of your years-long company, she fell in love with you. But also because of your inaction, she had worried about your future for four years. Now she’s relieved. And you, take the pain alone.”
“I didn’t,” Zhuge Qingtian found it hard to explain. No one could understand his hopelessness and repentance. “I didn’t intend to conceal anything. But since I went to West Xia, the royal family in East Qin hasn’t stopped sending assassins to kill me. If I had told her my feeling, she would have got involved in this endless escape. I don’t want anyone to hurt her, so I have no choice but to hide my feelings.”
Qin Yunuan laughed grimly and said, “You chose to live such a tiring life to keep running away from your enemies and chose to not marry her. So it still means that you are a coward.”
“I’m not!”
“If you are not, do you dare to propose to her and marry her regardless of your status?” Qin Yunuan kept asking aggressively.
“I… but she already…” While speaking, he became gloomy.
“So you don’t dare?”
“No, I mean…”
“Fine, you after all are a timid coward,” Qin Yunuan sneered. “She’s already dead, but you still don’t dare to make a promise. Alright, we now know the man Her Highness loved is useless, and she must be blind. Otherwise, how would she fall in love with you?”
Qin Yunuan’s every word was sarcastic. Zhuge Qingtian turned his head and said, “How will I not dare to marry her? I swear I only love her in my life. No matter what she looks like and whether she is alive, she’s my only love.”
“Well, she’s dead now, but you can hold a ghost wedding. Do you dare to do so?” Qin Yunuan gave a charming smile.
“Of course I do. As long as her father agrees, I will marry her and prepare a memorial tablet for her. I’ll take care of her for the rest of my life.”
“Why do you mention that annoying old man? I’m just asking you. Do you dare or not?” Qin Yunuan didn’t like Mu Qingyu’s father.
“I do,” Zhuge Qingtian lowered his head and then tilted it. The white linen cloth that covered Mu Qingyu was thin, but it represented a gap between her and him that he could never cross. Looking at her, he said with his hands shaking, “Even if everyone opposes us to get married, I will marry her.”
Suddenly, Qin Yunuan smiled cunningly and directly walked forward to lift the linen cloth that covered Mu Qingyu.
“What are you doing?” Zhuge Qingtian wanted to stop her. Although Mu Qingyu was dead now, he wouldn’t allow anyone to show disrespect to her.
“Why are you so nervous?” Qin Yunuan stopped and just patted Mu Qingyu on her shoulder. “Your Highness, have you heard what he said? He finally made a confession.”
In fact, Qin Yunuan merely hid some sleep-conducive spices in her sleeves. Mu Qingyu remained conscious, although she seemed to have fallen asleep. As Qin Yunuan planned, Mu Qingyu would hear every word Zhuge Qingtian said to her affectionately, but she couldn’t talk. Also, Mu Qingyu would wake up long ago. Otherwise, she would not have moved her finger which had aroused Zhuge Qingtian’s suspicion.
But strangely, no matter how many times Qin Yunuan called Mu Qingyu, she didn’t answer and just lay stiffly on the cart.
Qin Yunuan was doubtful and worried. Zhuge Qingtian directly walked forward and lifted the linen cloth without Qin Yunuan’s permission. But it was right Mu Qingyu who lay under the white linen cloth. Zhuge Qingtian was a bit in a daze. Qin Yunuan saw Mu Qingyu’s pale face. Supposedly, the breathless pill wouldn’t make her face pale. Taking the pill, people would only stop breathing, and other organs would function well. Even, their faces would be as ruddy and glossy as those of living people.
But…
Qin Yunuan frowned and felt Mu Qingyu’s pulse. As she expected…
“Madam Leng, what’s wrong with Qingyu?” Zhuge Qingtian was very anxious seeing that Mu Qingyu just lay there.
“She was poisoned,” Qin Yunuan said and shook her head. She was rather heavy-hearted. “I don’t know whether she was poisoned before or after I gave her the pill. But it’s still my fault.”
If Qin Yunuan hadn’t meddled in their business to force Zhuge Qingtian to tell his feelings for Mu Qingyu, this farce wouldn’t happen.
Zhuge Qingtian took a deep breath. It could be told that he tried very hard to accept the fact. “Madam Leng, it’s not your fault.” Then he knelt to Qin Yunuan with a serious look, making a loud sound. He said with a strong determination, “But, please save her. No matter how many people or materials you need, I will find them for you. No matter how rare the herbs you need are, I will risk my life to get them back.”
“No, no,” Qin Yunuan kept shaking her head. She knew how worried he was. “Now, if we want to cure her, we’d better find out who poisoned her or how she was poisoned first, rather than find herbs. Her pulse is unstable. The person who poisoned her is very skilled. I have no way to cure her simply based on her pulse.”
“Unless…” Qin Yunuan elongated the word and looked at Zhuge Qingtian out of the corner of her eye.
“Unless what?”
“Unless I can test drugs on someone,” Qin Yunuan turned around. She and Zhuge Qingtian stood face to face with her white dress flying with the wind. “I mean, I will keep making different antidotes and ask people to take them to check what poison is in her. But this is really dangerous. If one takes too many drugs, he may die.”
“I can help with this,” Zhuge Qingtian patted himself on his chest and said confidently. He could even die for Mu Qingyu, let alone just test drugs for her.
“No need. You have a more important task,” Qin Yunuan said because something occurred to her. “Do you still remember Yun’er, Her Highness’ maid? She told me that, it was Yun’er who plotted against you to make you see her when she was in bath. But she was kind, so she merely kicked that maid out of the camp. You go to have an investigation and chase after that girl. Or, you can seek for clues from maids who are close to Yun’er.”
Zhuge Qingtian hesitated, because it meant that he had to leave Mu Qingyu and not stay with her all the time.
“Lieutenant Zhuge, I think that’s more important than your company for her now. I doubt that there is a spy in our camp. If we don’t find him out, I’m afraid Her Highness won’t be the only one who suffers.”
Zhuge Qingtian nodded, and from his clear-cut face, it could be told that he was determined. He believed that Qin Yunuan could cure Mu Qingyu, so he should take care of something else now. After all, other than Yun’er, he knew servants who served Mu Qingyu best.
“This matters much. Let’s go back to the camp first. Leng Shuang, you send Her Highness back through the path. Now everyone believes that she’s dead. So does the spy. We can’t give ourselves away.”
Leng Shuang nodded. Finishing their discussion, they went to different directions.
Later, Qin Yunuan was carefully examining herbs on her table in her tent. She thought about Mu Qingyu’s wired and unstable pulse. Leng Changxi, who was discussing tactics with soldiers in another tent, might not come back until late at night. She assumed that he would argue with the inspector and that old general for some time because of Mu Qingyu’s death.
At this time, Leng Shuang reported that she already sent Mu Qingyu to a tent near the wound barrack. It was where heavily injured soldiers got treatment. Doctor Ting Xue was taking care of her, and it was safe for Mu Qingyu to stay there.
When Leng Shuang was about to leave, Qin Yunuan suddenly called her. “Leng Shuang, do you know Heiying…”
Leng Shuang turned around and looked calm. “I know he has lost all his martial arts, and all his meridians are broken. He lies on the bed and can’t move now, like the disabled.”
