After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 35

Qun Qing lightly tugged, and the draped silk slipped from his hand, floating gently to the ground.

Lu Huating thought she would turn to leave, but to his surprise, Qun Qing stood still. After rummaging in her sleeve for a while, she brought something out and held it in front of him.

In her palm lay a string of sandalwood beads on a plain handkerchief.

Sensing a hint of guilt on her part, Lu Huating seized the opportunity, his eyes fixed on a multicolored knot among the beads. Qun Qing explained,

“I couldn’t find the seventeenth bead, so I replaced it with this colorful knot to make up for it. And I had re-blessed it by a female nun. Surely the advisor doesn’t mind?”

Lu Huating gazed at the knot with a hint of sarcasm but said nothing. Just as he extended his hand, Qun Qing earnestly reminded him,

“You can’t take the handkerchief away. I’m not well off.”

He had already taken one from her before.

Lu Huating retracted his hand, glanced aside, and remarked with a smile,

“Why did you replace the red thread with one mixed with silver? If someone pulled from one end with force, would it cut my wrist?”

Qun Qing, caught off guard by his imagination, felt a flare of irritation and replied,

“If that’s truly how the advisor sees it, then so be it.”

Hearing this, Lu Huating laughed, rolled up his sleeve, and fixed his gaze on her with a dazzling smile.

“Even if you poisoned this colorful knot, I’d accept it without hesitation.”

He then raised his wrist, signaling for her to help him put it on.

In the spirit of their temporary alliance, Qun Qing held the sandalwood beads through the cloth and slid them onto his wrist.

“Have you ever cut your wrist?” she asked, noticing a small crescent-shaped scar on his pale wrist.

“It looks like a knife wound, but it’s actually from a cat scratch,” Lu Huating replied with a smile. “Miss Qing, look closely—sometimes appearances can be deceiving.”

Unexpectedly, Qun Qing leaned in to examine it closely, her warm breath tickling his wrist. Lu Huating’s breath caught as Qun Qing pulled back, her eyes sharp and bright.

“If you behead me today, that would be your own doing.”

Qun Qing, once an assassin, could tell the true nature of a wound’s shape and trajectory without mistake. However, she also understood that everyone has their secrets, so she refrained from further questioning, pushing the sandalwood beads onto his wrist and retrieving her handkerchief.

“Why were you in Pei Jianzuo’s main hall today?” Lu Huating asked.

“I heard some rumors and went to rescue Yunu,” Qun Qing replied.

“Oh? I asked Xun Su to inquire with Madam Zhang, and she didn’t give that account,” Lu Huating said with a warm smile as he lowered his sleeve.

Qun Qing’s eyelashes trembled.

“Pei Jianzuo withheld my palace register,” This matter did not affect Prince Yan’s Mansion, nor did it affect Lu Huating’s interests. He would not care. Since they wanted to cooperate, they always needed to build some trust. Qun Qing took out the palace registration and showed it to him:

“Without it in the Shanggong Bureau, I couldn’t collect my monthly stipend. I had no choice but to retrieve it myself.”

Lu Huating glanced at her briefly.

A moment ago, she was without even a handkerchief, and now she was risking herself over her stipend. How short on money was she? Surely her expenses for her mission to South Chu couldn’t all be out of pocket?

Qun Qing added, “I’m just not sure what Pei Jianzuo will do to retaliate after discovering this.”

“It’s okay,” Lu Huating said casually, leaning against the stone wall. “He won’t be in charge after tomorrow.”

Qun Qing felt a pang of surprise. While she had taken only a few moments to retrieve her palace register, Lu Huating had already dismissed Pei Jianzuo from his post?

“How will I contact you then?” Qun Qing asked.

“You’ll know when the time comes,” Lu Huating replied.

Since the conversation had concluded, Qun Qing stowed her palace register.

“Then I’ll take my leave. Advisor, wait a moment before following—I don’t want anyone to see us.”

The young lord leaned lazily against the shadows of the stone cave, his sleeve fluttering in the wind as he stayed silent. Qun Qing, with no hesitation, turned and stepped into the spring sunlight.

—

At the entrance to the Shanggong Bureau, a group of palace servants gathered, as Xu Sibu stood at the hall doors lecturing them. Qun Qing hurried in just as Xu Sibu finished her talk, placing the palace register on the desk.

“Lady Zhang found my palace register,” Qun Qing said smoothly. “It seems it was misplaced. I will give it to you.”

Xu Sibu looked slightly startled, glancing at Qun Qing before placing the register in the wooden box with a sigh of relief. “It’s you! I was starting to worry something might have happened since you were without your register.”

Whether because Qun Qing had assumed the role of palace supervisor or due to Lady Lanyue’s influence, Xu Sibu’s attitude toward Qun Qing was noticeably gentler than before, even sparing a few moments to chat.

“Did you see all the palace maidens outside? They’re all here for the upcoming selection for the Six Offices,” Xu Sibu explained. “That Lady Lanyue from your palace is really quite persuasive. Are you planning to test for an official position, Lady Qing?”

Qun Qing had no need to join the Six Offices in this life, but it wouldn’t hurt to gather more information, so she replied with a smile, “I had thought about it, but I’m afraid it’s too difficult since the selection is overseen by Princess Yan herself.”

With Prince Yan’s recent return to Chang’an, Xiao Yunru’s plans to establish her inner palace were underway, and she intended to promote Six Offices officials from among the palace maids. The palace maids were eagerly applying, unwilling to miss this chance for advancement.

“It’s not difficult! This is the easiest time, with the new dynasty needing people everywhere,” Xu Sibu encouraged her. “You may have the honor of being a palace supervisor, but that role still depends on the favor of others. An official position grants true freedom. With your talents, Lady Qing, who knows how far you could go?”

Qun Qing thought to herself that in her past life, she might have taken up such a selection. After all, her mother’s careful upbringing had been aimed at guiding her toward an official path, not as a spy. But now, ensuring her mother’s safety was her priority—only then could she find peace of mind.

“If you join, our Shanggong Bureau is a good place, with a generous monthly stipend. It’d be nice to have a companion,” Xu Sibu said, her long face framed by crescent eyebrows, smiling warmly. “Although, it’s quite a busy role. My temper got the better of me last time when I was reluctant to help you find your register—sorry about that.”

After thanking her and departing, Qun Qing reflected that Xu Sibu, who seemed difficult to deal with, now appeared smart and smooth, even willing to apologize.

But with her register retrieved, the weight was lifted off her mind, and she left the Shanggong Bureau with ease.

—

While her days went smoothly, the recent night duties brought a sense of dread.

Due to the envoy from the State of Liuli, Li Xuan was in a terrible mood. Tonight, he grew frustrated as his ink wouldn’t spread, and he threw a string of beads at a young attendant’s head, knocking off his gauze cap.

Li Xuan dismissed everyone, drank silently, and sat separated by a screen. On one side, Zheng Zhiyi slept soundly, while on the other, silence loomed heavily, like dark clouds overhead.

Qun Qing felt uneasy. Her duty was to help Li Xuan with his seal, but he seemed to be grooming her for political matters, giving her time to study reports and even testing her responses. If he was in a bad mood, she could expect a round of scolding.

Determined to help him before he became critical, she ventured, “I heard from Lan Yue that the envoys from Liuli are being difficult, refusing to offer the Buddha relic. Is that what’s troubling Your Highness?”

“Those two envoys, one old and one young, stay focused on their prayers, except for that one, Adiné, whose intentions are questionable. He keeps comparing Kingdome Chen to the fallen Kingdom Chu, subtly mocking us for being impoverished,” Li Xuan said.

Qun Qing found Adiné’s name familiar. “Regarding religious matters, our Emperor may not invest as extravagantly as the reckless former emperor, but he is compassionate and beneficial to the people. The envoy is probably trying to extract more offerings from Kingdom Chen. Your Highness needn’t worry.”

Li Xuan gripped his wine cup tightly. “I know my father values the Buddha relic greatly, so I’ve held back before. But today, Adiné dared to say there are rumors that the Emperor’s throne was seized through bloodshed rather than legitimate succession, implying the Buddha relic couldn’t be granted to Kingdom Chen. I lost my temper and smashed the incense holder.”

Qun Qing’s heart raced. The Li family had indeed taken power by force, and saying such things to the Crown Prince was like provoking a tiger. But with the relic in the envoys’ hands, what could be done?

“If relations have soured with the envoys, what should we do?”

“No need to worry. Grand Tutor Meng went to smooth things over.” Li Xuan gave a nonchalant smile, though his eyes lacked joy, seemingly concealing something. “The Grand Tutor is learned in all areas, from astronomy to geography, and is eloquent. The envoys respect him more than they respect me, the Crown Prince.”

“Is the Grand Tutor Meng Guangshen, the same Meng who painted Night Banquet of Ladies?” Qun Qing asked, listening intently.

She knew Meng Guangshen was highly knowledgeable, a strategist during Emperor Chen Ming’s rise, and Li Xuan’s mentor. It seemed that although Li Xuan was grown, his teacher still managed many things for him, which subtly annoyed the Crown Prince.

Mentioning Night Banquet of Ladies made Li Xuan’s gaze linger on her.

“Where is that silver-red shawl I gave you? I remember picking out that fabric.”

Her unconventional arguments had made him accustomed to that striking color, and now, seeing her in simpler tones, he felt something was missing.

Qun Qing recalled that Lu Huating had shredded the shawl beyond repair.

“It got torn by accident yesterday, so I sent it for repairs.”

Thankfully, Li Xuan didn’t pursue the matter. Perhaps due to the wine, his voice softened.

“One piece is too little; it’s not enough to have a spare. Someone, bring another piece of crimson silk for Lady Qing.”

This red color, which was more gorgeous and presumptuous than the silver-red, made Qunqing’s heart jump

“Your Highness, Lady Liang also likes silk. She hasn’t received any for her autumn robes. If you wish to reward, give her enough for a gown, and I can make do with scraps.”

Li Xuan looked directly at her, seeming irritated by her mention of Zheng Zhiyi. After a moment, he said to the eunuch, “If she doesn’t want it, then neither do I. Instead, fetch two bolts of golden-sunset silk from the storehouse and give them to Lady Liang.”

The eunuch departed with the orders, and Li Xuan closed his eyes, feigning rest, leaving the room in a tense silence.

Qun Qing watched his expression carefully, worried he might suddenly fall ill. She quickly added a spoonful of rosemary to the incense burner.

“Have you still been having headaches, Your Highness? When did they first appear?”

Xiangsi Yin wasn’t a common poison, and she was curious where the two had encountered it.

As the scent drifted, Li Xuan opened his eyes, his expression gradually easing as he saw her tending to the incense.

“In my youth, I was healthy. But during the battle for the kingdom at Feihu Pass, the Governor of Youzhou, Li Min, captured my mother and me, torturing us to force my father’s hand. Ever since, I’ve had lingering illness,” he spoke bitterly.

“Feihu Pass…” Qun Qing began, “Was Prince Yan and Advisor Lu also captured then?”

Li Xuan first frowned, then replied, his voice tense. “Since you grew up in the palace and don’t know these past events, I won’t hold it against you. Only my mother and I were captured that day. Sanlang¹’s army passed by Feihu but, outnumbered, hurried north to bring reinforcements instead of rescuing us.”

“I understand Sanlang’s choice,” Li Xuan continued, his expression unreadable. “He had close comrades like Lu Huating, loyal brothers who would have died if they tried to rescue us. My younger brother and I were never close, but what I can’t forgive is that my mother, his own stepmother, was killed at Feihu Pass!”

No, that didn’t seem right…

Qun Qing’s hand paused. Li Xuan seemed unaware that his symptoms were poison-related and not caused by his ordeal at Feihu Pass. Since Lu Huating hadn’t been present at Feihu but was also poisoned, it was clear that the poisoning had occurred elsewhere.

However, she decided not to reveal her suspicions. First, it could expose her identity, and second, if enmity between the Crown Prince and Prince Yan grew, it would only benefit her. The Crown Prince’s hatred for Prince Yan might one day help remove him…

“What are you asking about Prince Yan and Lu Huating for?” Li Xuan glanced at Qun Qing.

A chill ran down her spine. “I merely asked about Advisor Lu because he’s so capable. It’s a pity he’s with Prince Yan. I thought… if he could serve Your Highness instead, it would be ideal.”

A thoughtful smile played on Li Xuan’s lips. “It’s no secret. I’ve known Lu Huating since childhood. His mother, Madame Wan, was my wet nurse.”

Qun Qing was taken aback.

“Since his mother was your wet nurse, does that mean he’s older than you?” she asked, sensing an age discrepancy.

“He had an older brother, who was my age but was killed by wolves at age seven,” Li Xuan explained, returning to his reports. “Lu Huating was the second son, born when his mother was serving as Sanlang’s wet nurse.”

Qun Qing hadn’t expected such a tragic story.

After a pause, she asked, “Since you’ve known Advisor Lu since childhood, why did he choose to follow Prince Yan instead of Your Highness?”

According to Li Xuan, before the Feihu Pass incident, he hadn’t shown any signs of illness. In terms of both intellect and martial skill, he should have been more outstanding than Li Huan.

Li Xuan was silent for a moment before replying, “That’s my own fault. As the heir, I had to uphold my dignity and couldn’t associate too closely with a wet nurse’s son.”

Qun Qing understood. As the legitimate heir, Li Xuan was burdened with high expectations, which prevented him from mingling with the children of his wet nurse.

Lu Huating had no choice but to seek companionship with Li Huan, who, disfigured and unloved, had no similar restrictions.

“When Lu Huating was nine, he and his mother accidentally fell into a wolf den. Sanlang is different from me.” Li Xuan paused. “He has been strong since he was a child, and still remembered the kindness of a shared wet nurse. He charged into the den with only a stick, rescuing both of them, his mask torn and his face scarred in the process.”