After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 62

Yang Fu’s expression froze.

In her mind, the image of Qun Qing riding a horse appeared—a scene she had loved most during her youthful days.

At the age of eleven, Qun Qing had already mastered horse riding. During polo matches, she shone brighter than Crown Prince Zhao. In playful games, she could outpace everyone to retrieve the flower ball alone.

Qun Qing galloped with a lantern in hand, her flowing robes billowing in the wind like an immortal descending to earth. She dismounted gracefully, her skirt falling gently into place, and said, 

“Princess, there’s no need for a marriage alliance.”

Never had she been like today, sitting atop a horse, unable to control the reins.

Why had it come to this?

In a flash, memories of that night at the Qingjing Temple struck like thunder, filling Yang Fu’s and Qun Qing’s minds alike.

When the city fell, the two of them hid in the temple. Shi Yuming, the temple’s guard, had an arrow lodged in his chest. Holding onto his last breath, he moved slowly to the door, leaning against it and using his body to hold it shut.

But the next moment, the door collapsed, pinning him underneath. A white horse broke through the door with its hooves raised high. Mounted atop the horse was a figure clad in blood-stained iron armor, wearing a bronze demon mask—a figure like a Shura from hell.

Li Huan had indeed been kind to her, but on that night, he had been unfamiliar and terrifying.

The white horse he rode bared its teeth, hooves striking fiercely. It trampled over Shi Yuming’s lifeless body through the shattered door. From that day on, horses became a sinister symbol in Qun Qing’s eyes.

Was it because of this? Yang Fu’s breath quickened, and a belated realization pierced her heart like a thorn, bringing waves of pain. She looked at that distant figure, and tears welled up in her eyes.

After Shi Yuming’s death, Qun Qing had never been able to ride a horse again.

Cold sweat drenched Qun Qing’s brow, trickling down her temples and soaking her eyelashes. Her eyes stung as she struggled to breathe, hearing only the frantic thumping of her own heartbeat. She had thought she could overcome it after all this time, but it turned out she couldn’t.

Fortunately, the second arrow had struck the horse’s neck earlier. Zheng Zhiyi’s horse had already weakened and slowed.

Qun Qing’s sweat-drenched fingers failed to curl. Her body was rigid as stone, unable to grip the horse’s sides. She knew she might crash into a tree or fall off at any moment, but the path ahead blurred, the surrounding cedar forest spinning in the wind.

At that moment, Lu Huating released his hand, and an arrow whizzed through the air.

The arrow brushed past Qun Qing’s neck and embedded itself in a tree trunk with a sharp sound, startling the horse to a halt. Then, two more arrows followed in quick succession, striking the horse’s forelegs. The horse neighed, its legs buckling as it fell forward. A tremendous force sent Qun Qing flying to the ground, but before she could land, someone caught her by the waist and pulled her onto another horse.

The person’s embrace was light yet warm, as if in jest. The wind rustled their clothes, and the scent of dried grass filled her nose. Qun Qing’s hand brushed against the hard leather belt at the person’s waist, which felt either searingly hot from the sun or chillingly cold—either way, it stung.

Realizing who it was, she immediately let go. Lu Huating, holding her loosely, tightened his arms quickly but couldn’t stop her from slipping. The two lost balance and tumbled off the horse together.

Dazed from the fall, Qun Qing momentarily forgot the pain due to sheer shock. She tried to sit up, but Lu Huating pressed her shoulder down with one hand, pinning her to the ground. He smirked, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes, and said, 

“I save milady, and this is how you repay me?”

Qun Qing grabbed his wrist in return, only for his hand to press down harder. She relented, gazing at him for a moment before blurting, 

“Did the advisor miss his shot?”

Between the cedars and the sky, Lu Huating’s dark eyes briefly showed confusion before he smiled again. 

“Yes, I missed.”

Qun Qing glanced at his arm, feeling disadvantaged while lying down, and struggled to adjust the cloth strip hidden in her sleeve. Just as Lu Huating was about to speak, he noticed red blotches spreading across Qun Qing’s face, quickly extending to her neck. Only her eyes remained fixed on him.

From the distance, Zheng Zhiyi, who had landed safely, sprinted over and was startled to see Qun Qing on the ground. 

“Lady Qing, your face…” She looked up at Lu Huating and immediately pushed him aside, exclaiming, “Get away! Don’t you see you’ve caused my maidservant to have an allergic reaction?”

“I’ve never heard of anyone being allergic to a person,” Zhu Su arrived just in time, incredulously glancing between Qun Qing and Lu Huating. “Advisor, did you really cause Lady Qing to break out in hives?”

One dared to accuse, and the other dared to believe.

Lu Huating cast a sidelong glance at Zhu Su, retreating silently into the shade of a tree before he could finish speaking.

At that moment, Li Xuan arrived with a dozen Jinwu guards. Supported as he dismounted, he strode over briskly. Seeing Lu Huating standing so quietly under the tree, he grew furious. 

“Why are you just standing there? Can’t you help her up?”

Scolding him, Li Xuan had no time to linger and turned toward Zheng Zhiyi and Qun Qing with a pale face.

Zhu Su, unable to defend himself, glanced at Lu Huating, who remained composed, seemingly lost in thought.

The wind rustled the leaves above, and Lu Huating recalled the fleeting moment he had held Qun Qing.

The experience was too brief and rushed. Unaccustomed to being so close to another person, he now felt as though he had embraced not a person, but a wisp of air or a passing cloud—something intangible. The cloud had slipped away instantly, leaving only a faint trace on his sleeve.

His musings were interrupted by the scene ahead.

Seeing Qun Qing lying on the ground, Li Xuan bent down, seemingly ready to lift her into his arms. His movements were so urgent that even Zheng Zhiyi gave him a sidelong glance.

Whatever Qun Qing said to push him away, Li Xuan straightened and stood aside with a tense expression. 

“Bring a light sedan chair immediately to escort the Crown Princess and Lady Qing back to the meditation chamber to rest.”

Left with no choice, Qun Qing accepted the gesture. As the light sedan chair passed by Lu Huating, she caught a glimpse of him standing beneath the parasol tree, their gazes meeting briefly across the distance.

His expression was calm, and his eyes seemed shrouded in a layer of mist. Her gaze shifted to the bow he was carrying, unable to discern what he was thinking.

Qun Qing lowered the curtain, knowing the matter wasn’t over yet.

The issue of killing Master Zengjia had inadvertently come to her attention. The spring vine seed’s sap could only repel the enemy temporarily. Once Lu Huating lay down and pondered deeply, he would find no peace. If she were in his shoes, she would certainly find a way to eliminate obstacles rather than do nothing.

Emperor Chenming and Concubine Lu were seated while Si Shou reported, 

“The Crown Princess’s horse is dead, but there’s foam in its nostrils—it seems it was drugged.”

Concubine Lu asked, “Who would be so vicious?”

“In the vicinity of the stables, this servant was seen acting suspiciously,” the guards dragged forward a young eunuch of seventeen or eighteen. The eunuch glanced at Yang Fu from a distance, seemingly making up his mind, then knelt and confessed:

“This servant is from the Luan Yi Pavilion, tending to flowers and plants. Princess Bao’an has been confined for a long time, and our wages have been withheld. This servant bore a grudge against the Crown Princess and thus poisoned the horse.”

Before he finished speaking, Emperor Chenming raised his hand, and the guards dragged the eunuch away, a clear signal for execution.

“Although it’s the servant’s fault, the supervisor’s poor management is also culpable. What if something had happened to the Crown Princess?” Li Pan said, “I believe Princess Bao’an should also be punished. Does Third Brother still insist on marrying her?”

Li Huan said, “If Princess Bao’an is at fault, Father can punish her. I will not plead for her, nor will I abandon her as Second Brother did.”

Hearing Li Huan’s words gave Emperor Chenming a headache. Concubine Lu quickly tried to mediate, saying, 

“Your Majesty, Third Son has a straightforward nature; his loyalty and sense of duty are commendable.”

“Princess Yan is busy in the palace—ask him if he’s loyal to her?” Emperor Chenming remarked.

Prince Zhao, Li Pan, smirked. He thought the concerns about Prince Yan were overly exaggerated. Li Huan’s defense of Princess Bao’an, despite risking the emperor’s anger, was enough to ruin him. Naturally, he was happy to add fuel to the fire.

“Father, isn’t it normal for noblemen to have multiple wives? If Third Brother is so passionate, why not let Princess Bao’an be his concubine?”

Li Xuan interjected, “Father, Princess Bao’an has influenced Concubine Han and even indulged eunuchs in attempting to harm the Crown Princess. My wife and I can overlook this, but keeping her in the palace may sadden Concubine Han. If she must become Third Brother’s concubine, perhaps she should stay at Xianyou Temple instead.”

Emperor Chenming decreed, “Princess Bao’an shall be stripped of her title and made a concubine of Prince Yan. Follow the Crown Prince’s suggestions for the rest. Third Son, are you satisfied now?”

To have the woman he cherished dismissed by others was a profound humiliation for any man. Li Huan clearly felt this way, clenching his fists as he looked at the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao. 

“Thank you, Father.”

Yang Fu bowed in gratitude, but her heart wasn’t as joyous as she had imagined. Instead, she felt a hollow unease. Though she had finally secured a status, she had lost her title as princess. From now on, no matter where she was, her survival depended solely on holding onto Li Huan’s heart.

After everyone left, Li Huan walked up to Lu Huating, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Lu Huating just said, “Congratulations.”

Jian Su wanted to follow, but Lu Huating waved him off and walked into the forest alone.

Knowing he wanted solitude, Jian Su trailed behind from a distance.

In the distance, voices echoed through the valley.

Lu Huating discerned the commotion and the clanging of weapons. The spies from Southern Chu had been rounded up the other day, so this noise… it sounded like someone interrogating spies overnight.

He hurried toward Concubine Lu’s meditation chamber.

The room was brightly lit. Seeing him, Concubine Lu stood up anxiously. 

“Have there been any leads on the spies?”

Lu Huating placed the arrow pulled from the old monk’s body on the table. 

“Each arrowhead is typically marked with a number during forging. This one has no number, suggesting it was privately crafted. Does anything come to mind, Your Grace?”

“Are you saying the trail is cold? I don’t forge weapons; how would I have any clues?” Concubine Lu said impatiently. “Prince Yan—he’s a man who chooses beauty over power. Advisor, I hope you’re not mistaken.”

“The Emperor is in his prime. Time is on our side. Surely, Your Grace wouldn’t lose patience over temporary circumstances.” Lu Huating smiled faintly. “I hear merchants always seek returns. If you regret aligning with Prince Yan’s faction, you can withdraw now. I’ve just collected a deposit for Marquis Lu’s land…”

Concubine Lu’s expression stiffened, her smile forced. 

“Are you accusing me of prioritizing profit over loyalty? Advisor Lu, you’ve misunderstood. How could I forget what Prince Yan’s house has given us? It’s just that the Crown Prince and Prince Zhao are gaining favor, and the Emperor is entranced by Concubine Han. I’m merely anxious about the situation.”

Lu Huating said evenly, “Your Grace’s late-night interrogation of the Southern Chu spies reflects your anxiety as well?”

Concubine Lu admitted frankly, “I don’t distrust you, Advisor. I simply wanted results sooner to avoid the Emperor doubting my competence.”

“Your Grace’s people are heavy-handed and risk extracting false confessions.”

“Who cares if it’s a false confession? As long as it gets results,” Concubine Lu retorted. “I do have one lead: the Crown Princess’s servant, Lady Qing, has left herself exposed. I’ve heard she’s quite a character, even giving you trouble. She helped elevate Concubine Han and fueled the downfall of Princess Bao’an. If those in high positions can’t be touched, shouldn’t those in low positions face some consequences? Must we endure this in silence?”

Lu Huating said nothing.