After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 23
The wind caused the candle flame to flicker violently, and the pale shoulder that was visible seemed like ivory or frost.
It flashed by quickly, because the young lady calmly tightened her inner garment, and also because Lu Huating instinctively closed his eyes, seeing nothing but darkness.
When he reopened them, amidst the strange lights, only one person knelt on the prayer mat, lowering her head to tie her skirt.
Her hair, it turned out, was so long that it fell all the way down her back, scattered across her skirt. Its black, smooth strands shimmered with an eerie, cold luster under the light.
Lu Huating looked up. Above her head was a white jade statue of the Bodhisattva, serene and graceful, holding a flower and gazing downward, quietly watching over the two of them.
Lu Huating pulled at the corner of his lips in faint disbelief.
“Facing the Guanyin while changing, my lady?”
Whether one believed in spirits or not, it was ridiculous.
“It shouldn’t matter, right? After all, this is the dignified image of the Bodhisattva as a woman.”
Qun Qing glanced up at the jade statue, then casually gathered her raven-black hair into a simple bun, fixing it in place with a hairpin.
“This is where the attendant lady told me to change, to avoid clashing with the nobility in the side hall. Who knew an outer official would find his way here too.”
Her actions were unhurried. Lu Huating’s smile faded, and he looked at her coldly.
“You don’t seem anxious at all—clearly prepared. You’ve been waiting for me on purpose, so drop the act. Where is he?”
“Who?” Qun Qing asked.
“You know exactly who I’m talking about.”
Qun Qing thought for a moment and said,
“If the Chief Advisor is looking for that retainer whose clothes I soaked, he must be changing in the side hall. How could a palace maid like me bring him here to change clothes with me?”
Lu Huating smiled slightly. Qun Qing stood up, and in his gaze, she saw cold hostility.
He didn’t believe her.
“Doesn’t the Chief Advisor think this place is quite small?” Qun Qing took two steps forward, standing directly in front of Lu Huating, looking him straight in the eye.
“See for yourself—two people changing here wouldn’t even have space to move.”
It was then that Lu Huating noticed: the pavilion was surrounded on all sides by dark blue drapery, making the space very narrow, so much so that it felt as stifling as being inside a coffin. The proximity allowed Qun Qing to clearly see Lu Huating’s dark pupils, and the slight hint of murderous intent in them.
His expression remained unchanged, but a cold sweat formed on his forehead.
In her notes from the previous life, it was recorded that there were rumors that Lu Huating greatly disliked confined and narrow spaces. Qun Qing intentionally guided him to observe his surroundings.
Seeing his apparent discomfort, Qun Qing didn’t hesitate to take out the indigo sachet that had belonged to Lu Huating, playing with it in her hand.
Lu Huating looked at the sachet, surprised.
“You’re not here for me, Chief advisor, so why be delayed by trivialities?” Qun Qing said, holding the sachet. “There’s no one else here, just the two of us. If you don’t leave soon, someone else might see us, and we’d have unnecessary trouble.”
Lu Huating stared at her for a long moment before leaving without a word.
Seeing the door close, Qun Qing let out a sigh of relief. She ran back to the prayer mat and bowed twice before the Bodhisattva statue, murmuring prayers for forgiveness. As she bent down, a hand stretched out from beneath the altar drapery, and she lightly nudged it with her shoe tip.
The hand immediately withdrew.
Su Run, standing at a height of eight chi (around six feet), was curled up beneath the altar, miserable and red-faced.
But Qun Qing couldn’t let him out yet. She kept her eyes on a mirror embedded in the altar.
The mirror was connected to the outside by a bamboo tube, with angled mirrors set at every turn to allow her to see what was happening outside through multiple reflections.
That was how she had seen Lu Huating enter earlier.
Right now, Lu Huating was still standing at the door, not leaving.
Earlier, she had led Su Run all the way here to avoid the palace attendants. Su Run had clutched her hand tightly, seemingly eager to tell her something. He had said “Lu Huating” and then muttered strange words: “Chouzi, dreams.” Before he could say anything more, Lu Huating had arrived, forcing her to hastily hide Su Run.
No matter how hard she thought, Qun Qing couldn’t figure out who he was referring to when he said “Chouzi”.
This place was supposed to be hidden—why had Lu Huating found it so quickly? She couldn’t help but feel uneasy. The shrine was indeed small and stifling. Qun Qing wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and recalled the strange look in Lu Huating’s eyes when he saw the sachet. She decided to take the opportunity to empty it and examine everything inside carefully.
Earlier, she had only taken a quick glance, assuming it just held ten coins that were returned to her, without inspecting them closely, afraid of missing any clues.
Among the coins, there was also a tiny jade box of healing balm, the size of a fingernail. Qun Qing looked at her own palm, where her wound had already scabbed over, and set it aside.
A small, green pea-sized fragrance bead—she squeezed it, releasing the crisp scent of citrus. So that was the source of the fragrance on him.
Nothing special, just a scent commonly used by the nobility.
Qun Qing was about to put everything back into the sachet when she noticed something stuck to the bottom.
A small, rolled-up slip of paper. The note that Lu Huating had given her.
Qun Qing quickly unrolled it, her eyes scanning the characters, her mind in a whirl. It took her a moment to clearly make out the eight words written on it: “Qing Qing Zi Qin, Ming Ming Ru Yue.” (Your blue-green robes are as bright as the moonlight).
Lu Huating had once written her a death warrant, and in her memory, every stroke on that silk slip was like a jagged blade. But upon closer inspection today, she realized it was actually written in Zhao Script, favored by the noble scions for its elegance and grace, often used for poems on decorative stationery.
“Qing Qing Zi Qin“—it was a famous poem praising the virtuous.
Was he trying to recruit her into Prince Yan’s estate?
Qun Qing held the slip over the flame for a few moments to make sure she read it correctly, her expression becoming rather complicated.
They had only met a few times, and she hadn’t shown any particular talent, other than a bit of martial skill…
Qun Qing understood now.
In the first year of Shenglin, when Prince Yan’s power was just rising, the Chief Advisor was busy recruiting. He had even brought in eight close guards for Li Huan. Now, in this life, he was trying to recruit her.
Qun Qing stared at the slip, lost in thought.
If it were her former self, she would probably have been quite pleased.
If she could become a close guard at Prince Yan’s side, wouldn’t it be convenient to kill him? But being under Lu Huating’s command would make it even harder to escape than being in the palace. Even if she killed Prince Yan, it would cost her own life as well.
With that thought, Qun Qing resolutely held the slip over the candle flame.
The fire devoured the paper, leaving behind only the words “Qing Qing”—the interwoven strokes looked exceptionally beautiful in the flickering firelight. Even Qun Qing herself hadn’t realized his small script could be so elegant, and she became momentarily lost in thought.
The lantern that had been tossed into her arms that night amidst the dazzling lights had also been of the same bright color.
The door opened just as those two characters turned to ash in her hands.
“Must you oppose me, my lady?” Lu Huating’s voice came from behind her after a moment, calm but colder than the wind blowing in from outside.
Qun Qing brushed the ash from her hands and said,
“I don’t know you well enough to accept such an invitation.”
She did not wish to get entangled with him, but neither did she intend to belittle others.
“Are you close with the Crown Prince?” Lu Huating asked. “You don’t trust me.”
“That’s right. I’ve only met the Chief Advisor a few times; I can’t entrust myself to you—that’s the first reason. And Prince Yan’s future is uncertain—that’s the second,” Qun Qing replied calmly. “At least by the side of Lady Liang, I don’t have to worry about my stipend.”
“I think you’re lying.” Lu Huating stared at her, a cold smile on his lips. “If you don’t trust me, why would you entrust that man surnamed Su to me? Aren’t you afraid I might flay him alive?”
Qun Qing’s heart skipped a beat.
He had already gotten her whereabouts out of Su Run.
“I’ve handed him over to Princess Danyang as a retainer,” Lu Huating continued before she could respond. “That ‘good gentleman’ of yours, behind your back, is nothing but grateful to me and fawning over Princess Danyang, doing everything he can to please her. Perhaps you’ve misjudged him.”
Qun Qing was about to speak when she first heard a faint gasp.
That scoundrel Lu Huating was turning black into white, spouting nonsense. Hearing this, Su Run grew anxious. He had asthma, and now, agitated, he clutched his chest with both hands, curling up.
“So what?” Qun Qing raised her voice slightly. “Whoever this so-called gentleman is that the Chief Advisor speaks of, he must be aware that Her Highness Princess Danyang, though she enjoys her wine these days, was once an officer who accompanied the army—no mere hedonist. Whether as a retainer or attendant, who wouldn’t wish to serve a worthy master like that?”
These words were intentionally said for Su Run to hear, and indeed, over there, Su Run heard them and tried hard to calm himself down.
Lu Huating listened for a while and understood the underlying meaning immediately.
He thought Su Run had already been taken away, but unexpectedly, she had hidden him in this temple, right under his nose!
Without warning, he placed his hand on his sash, and with a soft sound, silver light flashed as his soft sword struck the four walls, cutting through the curtains, leaving four gaping slits.
If Su Run had been hiding behind the curtain, his head would have already been chopped off.
In that instant, Qun Qing used her body to shield the altar. Only then did she see clearly that Lu Huating held a soft sword, two fingers wide, as thin as a wooden plank and incredibly sharp. Everything happened so fast, her heart was pounding furiously.
“The Chief Advisor dares to bring a weapon into the palace.”
“Once bitten, twice shy. Should I allow the lady to protect me again?” Lu Huating calmly gripped the sword’s hilt and looked past her. “Move aside.”
Qun Qing didn’t move. The silver blade suddenly rose, brushing against her garment, stopping right by her neck.
Qun Qing couldn’t understand why he was so determined to go after Su Run. The thing she despised the most in this life was a madman.
“Chief Advisor, one should always leave some leeway.”
Lu Huating gazed at her.
“Look at that, you’re asking me to give you face again. What exactly is our relationship, that I should respect your wishes and take care of your people for you?”
Qun Qing said, “Not my people.”
“Fine, then he’s my man,” Lu Huating replied. “He is of use to me. But now, he has fled, and you are ruining my plans. Do you intend to take his place?”
“Then come after me,” Qun Qing looked at him calmly, clearly challenging him.
Lu Huating’s eyes deepened, and he gazed at her as if he hadn’t expected her to say such a thing. “Miss Qing, those are your words.”
Qun Qing was drenched in sweat, her hand reaching back to the altar, slowly feeling for the hidden switch.
The passageway was below the ground. Su Run had no martial skills, and if he fell, he might end up crippled—but that was better than dying.
Just as she made a move, Qun Qing felt a chill touch her neck, pressing against her warm pulse. Instantly, she channeled all her hatred from both past and present lives into her glare at him.
Lu Huating watched her, then unexpectedly smiled. “This feels right.”
“Some things, like mice and cats, or spiders and flies, are destined to be opposed. Put them in any other position, and it doesn’t seem right. Only as enemies do they feel at home,” he asked softly. “What do you think?”
Qun Qing closed her eyes, only feeling the warmth of her pulse throbbing against the sword’s edge.
No, she didn’t want this. She had clearly tried to stay out of his way. How had things ended up like this again? The cause and effect were too complex, too much to explain in a short time. Yet, to rush to defend herself felt false, like begging for her life.
“Lord Lu, I…”
Opening her eyes, she found Lu Huating listening quietly to her words.
“Put away the sword and let us go,” Qun Qing’s face turned slightly pale. “I have some information to exchange.”
“What information?” Lu Huating slightly withdrew the blade.
“A secret report,” Qun Qing said. “His Highness has a confidential report about you. If you waste time here, you might find yourself facing impeachment before the banquet even ends.”
Suddenly, there was a knocking sound from behind. The two of them were startled. The knocking was rapid but rhythmic, as if there was a pattern to it.
Qun Qing used her hand to move the blade away. Lu Huating turned and left the room.
Jian Su emerged from the night. “Master, we can’t stay any longer! Someone from the Eastern Palace has followed us. Look, it took me a lot of effort to shake him off.”
He pointed to where a young eunuch was holding a lantern, wandering in the dark passageway.
“Why did you shake them off?” Lu Huating asked, puzzled.
Jian Su was even more confused.
Lu Huating said, “They aren’t here for me.”
“Even so, we shouldn’t stay!” Jian Su pulled him. “His Majesty is already here. What if the first thing he does is deal with His Highness? The princess asked for you to return at once!”
Lu Huating picked up a stone, weighed it, and tossed it at the young eunuch’s feet, catching his attention. Then he patted the astonished Jian Su. “You stay here. I’ll head back.”
Inside the hall, Su Run, disregarding his numb hands and feet, urged Qun Qing to leave:
“The Emperor has arrived! If you get implicated, I’d be risking my life a thousand times over.”
“You can’t go back like this,” Qun Qing grabbed him. Though he dressed like the other household officials, he hadn’t applied heavy makeup, which was why she recognized him from a distance.
She lifted Su Run’s face, using her finger to wipe her lipstick off and apply it to his eyelids.
Su Run looked troubled, wanting to dodge.
With an impassive expression, Qun Qing raised his chin and said,
“Do you know what I hate most about you scholars? Your excessive pride. If someone criticizes you, you act like it’s the end of the world. You have a respiratory condition, so you need to broaden your mind; if you think you can’t stand wearing a bit of makeup, remember how I knelt before my noble lord in the palace!”
Su Run was taken aback. He finally discovered her rare flaw.
She was fierce.
Su Run’s mother and sister were gentle women, so when Qun Qing spoke sharply, he could only comply, unable to utter a word.
“Don’t you know why the princess specifically allowed you to skip the makeup?” Qun Qing asked. “You didn’t enter the hall just now; Meng Guanlou was drinking inside.”
Upon hearing ‘Meng Guanlou,’ Su Run’s face went pale as he realized:
“They deliberately sent me in front of Meng Guanlou… But what does Lord Lu want to do? Does he want to accuse Meng Guanlou at the banquet? That’s impossible for me.”
“Did he give you any instructions beforehand?” Qun Qing asked.
Su Run shook his head.
Qun Qing continued, “If His Highness wants you to accuse Meng Guanlou, he should have instructed you properly—had you prepare a statement and follow the right protocols. How is this banquet a suitable place for such an accusation? Even if you tell the truth, it would be reckless!”
“I can’t figure out what he’s planning for now,” Qun Qing paused, “It might be related to Princess Danyang.”
Su Run looked puzzled.
“Princess Danyang has troops stationed in Taiyuan,” Qun Qing explained briefly. “If she were to get involved in the succession struggle, it would be significant for either side. However, Princess Danyang does not engage in court disputes. She once had feelings for Meng Guanlou but suddenly broke off the engagement recently, causing quite a stir. Do you think Meng Guanlou would be happy to see you by her side?”
Su Run replied, “He would be scared, thinking that the princess is collecting evidence against him and deciding to turn against her without mercy. This way, he could use me to draw the princess to the Yan Prince!”
He had never realized he was just a pawn in Lu Huating’s hands, having so many uses. Cold sweat dripped down him, and as he tried to speak, he felt a sense of humiliation choke him.
“What’s wrong? I haven’t even asked how you are with Princess Danyang,” Qun Qing, who dreaded tears, felt flustered and quietly asked, “You haven’t… lost your virtue, have you?”
“Miss!” Su Run blushed and retorted, “Princess Danyang isn’t that reckless. I just regret going to Lu Changshi that day with gifts; he said he’d find me a good position.”
Mentioning this, Qun Qing felt a wave of guilt. After all, it was her guidance. She turned to comfort Su Run: “People like that are unpredictable…”
It was strange; Qun Qing did not understand why Lu Huating was making things so difficult for Su Run.
“Who exactly is Chouzi?” she asked.
Finally recalling the important matter, Su Run said,
“Miss, you need to be careful; Lord Lu not only wants to find you but also wants to kill you!”
Qun Qing’s eyelashes trembled, and she momentarily failed to react.
Rows of candlelight stood in a line, and amidst the halo, the surrounding curtains were torn apart by the soft sword, leaving them in tatters. Above, the white jade Guanyin gazed down gently, looking over the world through the haze.
“Lord Lu told his attendants a story; Chouzi is a character in the story. One day, Chouzi dreamed that he would be killed by someone many years later,” Su Run explained.
“If I’m not mistaken, he means that in the dream, you are the one destined to kill him, so he ordered his subordinates to find you first and kill you!”
The surroundings were so quiet that the distant chirping of crickets could be heard.
Qun Qing felt as if she had been struck by lightning. That was the only sensation coursing through her at this moment!
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