Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
San Chun had long heard that the Snow Toad Ointment was a holy remedy for wounds, made from the Mountain Snow Toad, and a single box was worth a Noble Lady. However, at this moment, she really didn't want to deal with him. Looking in the mirror, her lips were swollen like hills, and the transparent ointment known as Snow Toad clearly took up a lot of space. While she felt heartbroken, she couldn't help but wonder if he was here to treat her wounds or to mock her.
"Do you remember this wooden box? You gave it to me back then."
San Chun let out an "ah," as she naturally did not remember.
Zhong Xue, however, fell into reminiscence. This box was indeed a gift from her. He had been injured in a private area back then, and the first wound medicine he received was surprisingly Snow Toad Ointment. He was taken aback. Such medicine, even for a wealthy nation like Yan, was incredibly difficult to obtain.
After applying it, he indeed healed within two days. From then on, he cherished it so much that he couldn't bear to use it until it eventually spoiled and grew moldy, forcing him to throw it away. However, after gaining power, he sent people to search for Snow Toad in the mountains and had the Imperial Physician carefully prepare Snow Toad Ointment. He even stored it in the original box and often kept it by his side, occasionally taking it out to play with.
Seeing that San Chun seemed to really like this box, a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips as he said, "This box is yours now."
San Chun was naturally overjoyed; she could use it whenever she got hurt and could even give some to Qing. He often went out at night and was planning to assassinate the Crown Prince of Qin, so having it on hand would always be beneficial.
After sitting for a while, Zhong Xue left. As soon as he stepped outside, he saw Kazama approaching with a strange smile.
"Did Lord Jun find it useful?"
Zhong Xue shot him a glare; he was being too indulgent with him, making him act so recklessly.
"Of course it's useful." He gritted his teeth and suddenly punched him in the face.
Kazama yelped in surprise and hurriedly dodged; by then, the second punch was already coming at him. He raised his hands to block it, and they ended up grappling with each other.
Hearing the commotion, San Chun opened the window and couldn't help but chuckle. Was this how they vent their frustrations here?
The next day when Kazama came to see her, he indeed sported two black eyes and had a large bump on his forehead. He told her that Chengyang Jun had ordered the expulsion of Young Master Ji Xun from the country, forbidding him from stepping foot in Anyi for the rest of his life.
The Wei Kingdom was currently on good terms with the Zhao Kingdom; such actions were indeed inappropriate. Many ministers had advised against it, but Zhong Xue stubbornly insisted on driving him away before feeling at ease.
Upon hearing the news, San Chun couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Who would have thought that those intoxicated by power would have hearts sharper than needles?
On the third day, Zhong Xue came to tell her to get ready; they were going to the Qin State.
San Chun was somewhat incredulous. A few days ago, when Zhong Xue asked her where she wanted to go, she said she wanted to go to the Qin State. At that time, she never thought he would agree.
She asked, "Are you sure you're not joking with me?"
Zhong Xue smiled and pinched her nose, "Do you think this Lord has nothing better to do than to fool around with you?"
As the saying goes, a ruler's words are not to be taken lightly. With his high status, he shouldn't be playing tricks on her. San Chun took it as a sign to believe him and happily began packing her belongings.
In recent days, he had gifted her quite a bit of gold, silver, and jewels, but she couldn't wear them all at once. She only picked out some essentials and packed the box of Snow Toad Ointment, ready to give it to Qing when the opportunity arose.
While she was tidying up, Zhong Xue happened to enter the room and lifted a string of pearls with his fingers. "Are you moving? Bringing all your valuables with you?"
San Chun smiled sheepishly, "Not all of them; I just picked out some valuable ones."
"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you plan to do with the items this Lord has gifted you?"
Naturally, she didn't dare give them away. She rolled her eyes and smiled, "Lord Jun, please don't mind. I'm just used to being poor and prefer to keep my valuables close for safety."
Zhong Xue almost burst out laughing upon hearing that. If she was used to being poor, then he was a ghost. The Yan State was a land of abundance, and as the crown prince, he was incredibly wealthy. In fact, many of his expenses back then came from her generosity. Was she poor? It was he who was poor!
Recalling how generous she had been in the past with her money compared to how frugal she was now made him wonder if it was the hardships of the last two years that changed her or if she had always been this way, pretending to be generous for others' sake.
He tossed her bundle aside. "You don't need to bring it all; with this Lord around, you won't starve."
She knew she wouldn't starve; she was just worried that Qing would suffer too much. However, since her intentions had been seen through, there was no way to carry everything with her. She only tucked the box of Snow Toad Ointment into her bosom as they were about to leave.
Zhong Xue did not know what to expect on this trip to Qin, but he brought a large entourage with him, including over ten thousand members of the Flying Dragon Squad and the Flying Tigers. The sight of such a massive cavalry drew the attention of many.
San Chun lifted the curtain of the carriage to look outside and couldn't help but click her tongue. "Lord Jun, are you going to pay a visit or to fight?"
Zhong Xue replied with a smile, "It could be both—visiting or fighting."
If the visit did not go as planned, then fighting it would be. He had his own reasons for going to Qin; there was an important matter at hand, and if San Chun knew the details, she might blame him.
San Chun was not concerned with these national affairs. Whether he was going to fight or visit, as long as she was not treated like a gift to be presented, it had nothing to do with her.
Zhong Xue was indeed going to fight, but his first battle was not against the Qin State; it was against Chu.
This was also what San Chun deduced based on their marching route. It was already strange for the Wei Kingdom's army to march straight through Chu without encountering any obstacles, especially since they reached Ying City without any hindrance. Later, after asking Kazama, she learned that Zhong Xue had specifically borrowed a route from Feng Lingjun, passing directly through his territory.
Feng Lingjun was no fool; if he agreed to this, it likely meant that Zhong Xue was fighting on his behalf.
The camp was set up three miles from the city. When San Chun saw Zhong Xue donning his armor, she became even more convinced that this was part of a strategy devised by Feng Lingjun and Zhong Xue, and that the soldiers preparing for battle were likely aiming for the Chu Palace within the city.
Feng Lingjun had always wanted to use her as a means to request troops from Zhong Xue, and she never expected him to actually agree. This left her feeling both surprised and flattered.
Seeing her frown in concern, Zhong Xue couldn't help but smile. "Wait here; I'll be back shortly."
San Chun looked at him and honestly admitted that she did not like how he looked in armor. He appeared cold and hard, exuding an aura of cruelty and even death.
She furrowed her brow. "Lord Jun, are you going to kill someone?"
"You figured it out?"
"Just a guess."
He smiled slightly at the corners of his mouth, instantly easing the oppressive atmosphere.
"You are still as smart as before."
San Chun tilted her head; how would he know what she was like in the past?
When they were in Niushan Village, she always thought of herself as foolish. Did he really know her before Niushan Village?
A wave of doubt surged in her heart, and she wanted to ask him something, but Zhong Xue had already taken off the Sword and walked out.
Inside the tent, over a hundred people were left to protect her, while the rest followed Chengyang Jun into the city. Listening to the surrounding silence, there were no shouts or sounds of battle; perhaps someone was inside the city opening the gates.
Kazama stayed with her, setting a pile of food in front of her, occasionally picking up one or two items and urging her to eat.
San Chun shot him a glance; what was there to eat at this late hour? If he had that much time, it would be better to let her sleep for a while.
However, Kazama clearly did not want her to sleep. It was dangerous here; if she fell asleep, she wouldn't have time to escape later. She understood this in her heart and kept her eyes open, waiting for Zhong Xue to return.
Around the time of the fifth watch, flames erupted in Ying City, and faint sounds of battle could be heard. She hurriedly ran out of the tent and tiptoed to look in that direction. Seeing her anxious expression, Kazama specially moved a table outside for her to stand on and see better.
San Chun glanced at her long dress and hesitated. After leaving Daliang, Zhong Xue had frequently frowned at her male attire and insisted that she change into Female Attire. Now that she was dressed like a lady, she should at least maintain some appearance, right?
Kazama couldn't help but laugh; usually, she didn't care about appearances at all, but now she was being so coy in the wilderness?
San Chun glared at him and stepped onto the table. However, even after getting up there, it was impossible to see what was happening in the city; at most, it just provided a little psychological comfort.
She didn't even know what she was anxious about; subconsciously, she hoped that Zhong Xue wouldn't get into trouble by barging into someone else's home. If things went wrong, they could easily be caught like fish in a barrel. Consequently, she would also share in the misfortune as his relative.
She didn't know how long she stood there; her feet were starting to feel numb when the sounds of battle gradually faded away, followed by an eerie silence—a deathly stillness.
About half an hour later, suddenly the city gates swung open, and a group of Ironclad Cavalry charged in. Even before the cavalry got close, a strong smell of blood wafted through the air.
The cavalry arrived quickly; San Chun had not yet managed to jump down from the table when Zhong Xue's horse was already right in front of her. It was impressive that he rode so steadily without any reins.
"Why are you standing up there?" Zhong Xue looked at her, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his mouth. This smile eased some of the cold, murderous aura surrounding him.
San Chun felt embarrassed for watching Ying City, and she didn’t even know what she was thinking. When the sounds of battle erupted, she found herself worrying about him. Was it because they had developed feelings during their time together, or was it something else? Or was it simply because she had become his woman in name?
She was unclear and couldn’t figure it out; she just stared at him, watching as his hand reached out toward her.
His palm was open, large, giving off a sense of stability. She instinctively reached out to hold his hand as she tried to jump down, but her legs suddenly went weak, and she fell into his embrace.
His armor was cold and hard, covered in blood, which made one frown at the sight.
Zhong Xue laughed heartily and suddenly picked her up horizontally, striding into the tent. He had long wanted to hold her like this; just like now, he wore armor while she wore Female Attire. He felt completely like a man protecting her, while she nestled against him like a bird seeking shelter.
As he decapitated countless guards in Chu Palace, her image suddenly flashed in his mind. He wondered if she would be waiting for him to return. He even thought that one day he would surely become the overlord of the Seven Kingdoms, with everyone bowing to him. At that time, she would stand by his side, sharing everything with him.
San Chun was startled by his sudden action and exclaimed, "What are you going to do?"
Comment 0 Comment Count