After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 63
In the dead of night, Qun Qing couldn’t sleep and heard a commotion in the distance.
Soon, the door of the meditation room was pounded on loudly. Qun Qing got up, dressed herself, and Zheng Zhiyi was also awakened.
“What’s all this noise about in the middle of the night?” she grumbled.
A Jinwu Guard responded from outside,
“Reporting to the Crown Princess, Concubine Lu is interrogating a spy and learned that there are two ancient thousand-year-old trees at Xianyou Temple, both with hollow trunks. The spy was using one of these tree hollows to hide messages…”
“Keep it brief,” Zheng Zhiyi interrupted.
“Among those present on the road, only Miss Qing approached one of the trees. She is requested to answer a few questions.”
“This is preposterous!” Zheng Zhiyi was about to start scolding when the Jinwu Guard brusquely interjected,
“Concubine Lu has issued orders. Please cooperate, Crown Princess.”
Zheng Zhiyi noticed that Qun Qing had already put on her shoes and held her back.
“Shall I go wake the Crown Prince?”
“It’s late. There’s no need to disturb His Highness. If I’m not back within an hour, then you can notify him,” Qun Qing said, pulling the door open.
Qun Qing was always decisive, so Zheng Zhiyi had no choice but to give in, instructing a maid to drape a cloak over her shoulders.
As soon as Qun Qing left, another cloaked woman, carrying the chill of the night, slipped into the meditation room. Zheng Zhiyi thought Qun Qing had returned, but when the woman removed her hood, Zheng Zhiyi was startled.
“Why is it you?”
The woman, with sweet features and a seductive beauty mark beneath her eye, was none other than Bao Shu.
“This subordinate, Meng Bao Shu, apologizes for the late disturbance, but I have something urgent to report to the Crown Princess.”
This person had previously used her connections with Princess Bao’an to bully others, leaving Zheng Zhiyi unimpressed. She waved her off.
“What business makes you skulk around in the dead of night? Can’t it wait until morning? Get out. Come back when Miss Qing returns.”
Bao Shu knelt and refused to leave. “It’s related to Miss Qing and concerns Your Highness’s interests. Please hear me out before deciding.”
Late at night, the cold wind howled.
Qun Qing followed the Jinwu Guard into the valley. As they reached a fork in the path and were about to descend, they were stopped by a figure in the middle of the road.
Zhusu stepped forward and saluted.
“The advisor has said that Miss Qing is to answer the questions. Please ask Concubine Lu for her understanding.”
The Jinwu Guards exchanged glances but knew Concubine Lu was closely connected to Prince Yan’s residence. They must have made prior arrangements. After some negotiation, they descended into the valley. Zhusu walked a few steps, then turned and said,
“What are you looking at, Miss Qing? Why not hurry along?”
Qun Qing gazed at the lights gathered in the valley, then looked ahead at the narrow path snaking up the mountain, shadows of trees swaying in the dark.
She remarked, “Concubine Lu and the others must be in the valley.”
Concubine Lu was merely a consort in the imperial harem, limited in her experience—Qun Qing was confident she could handle her. But Lu Huating was a different matter entirely.
Zhusu replied, “The advisor said the valley is a dead end, while the path above leads to life.”
This was clearly forcing her to go up.
A cold sweat broke out on Qun Qing’s back.
“Is Advisor Lu up there?”
The desolate shadows of the mountain loomed. If someone wanted to make her disappear without a trace, they wouldn’t even need to show their face—this way, they wouldn’t have to feel guilty.
Zhusu seemed to admire Qun Qing. For a woman, her wariness surpassed even that of the secret guards.
“Why ask that?”
Qun Qing said, “Only by meeting Advisor Lu can I find a way out.”
Immediately, a voice as cold as jade descended from above.
“If you want to see me, why do you waste time?”
A figure with broad shoulders and a narrow waist appeared on the mountain, holding a lantern. His robes billowed lightly in the breeze. Lu Huating lowered his eyes to look at her, a playful smirk on his lips.
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid I’ll kill you?”
Strangely, the moment she saw him, the tension in Qun Qing’s heart dissipated.
Lu Huating wasn’t as ruthless and indifferent as she had just imagined.
This subtle discrepancy was like his embrace on horseback—a drop of warm water rippling through a cold pond.
But in her tense state, Qun Qing couldn’t appreciate the ripples.
A meeting meant there was something to discuss. As long as they could talk, they could negotiate.
Qun Qing approached. Lu Huating’s dark eyes, tinged with amusement, narrowed slightly. Her lips were pale, and a fine sheen of sweat had formed on her forehead—she was genuinely afraid.
For some reason, her guardedness and fear didn’t amuse Lu Huating; instead, it left a thorn in his throat. He said evenly,
“Come in and warm yourself by the fire, Lady Qing.”
The mountain cave was cold and damp, so a fire burned within. Lu Huating casually stirred the flames with a branch as he sat down, his movements unhurried.
Qun Qing hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Years ago, about the incident with Master Zengjia… He struck first, didn’t he?”
She noticed Lu Huating’s hand pause briefly, his fingers illuminated by the firelight, their elegance striking.
“Does that matter?”
“If you killed a revered monk without provocation, it would be a grave crime. But the advisor seems quite sensitive about this incident. Truly ruthless people don’t think they’re wrong. Only those who regret or feel conflicted harbor such unresolved grievances.”
Qun Qing continued, “If he struck first and you were merely defending yourself, it was a desperate act for survival in difficult times. I wouldn’t use this against you.”
“You think you know me well?” Lu Huating looked up at her, his gaze like embers of a great fire, leaving behind scorched remains. “You pretend to be kindhearted, but you never hesitate when it counts.”
Qun Qing said, “I have principles. If I said no, it means no.”
“You think I invited you here for the matter of Zenjia the monk?”
If not that, then what?
Lu Huating chuckled. “I fear dark and narrow places and wanted you, my lady, to keep me company.”
Qun Qing felt as if the heat from the fire was making her break out in a sweat.
“I’ve already told the advisor what I had to say. Before leaving, I instructed the Crown Prince that if I didn’t return within an hour, he should come looking for me,” Qun Qing said as she stood, gathering her robes.
Unexpectedly, Lu Huating also stood, using his folding fan to press against Qun Qing’s neck, pinning her against the cold stone wall. Choking under the sudden pressure, Qun Qing paused for a moment, then calmed herself.
“My lady, are you no longer allergic to me?” Lu Huating’s gaze was sharp as a blade, wandering over her fair face.
Her composed demeanor unsettled him. Frustrated by days of her evasiveness, he finally had her under his control, giving him a sense of relief.
Qun Qing’s long lashes quivered as she tried to provoke his fear.
“I’ve learned some medicine. Your fear of dark, narrow places is likely a mental ailment. Could it be that you were confined in such a place before?”
But Lu Huating remained still, his gaze falling on the hidden clasp on her collar beneath the fan.
Suddenly, he reached out and tore it off.
The chill against her neck made Qun Qing freeze entirely. The force of his hand pressed her artery against the fan, making her head feel flushed with blood.
The crimson clasp fell into Lu Huating’s palm. Staring at it, he felt the surging emotions of the past few days inexplicably ebb away.
He then clenched his fist, about to crush the clasp, when Qun Qing urgently said,
“Don’t crush it!”
“Why not?” Lu Huating paused, his brows furrowing as he stared at her. “Is it because there’s poison inside? Crushing it could kill someone?”
Qun Qing’s eyes flickered in surprise. Lu Huating’s fan slid upward, lifting her chin abruptly. His gaze, filled with resentment, fixated on her reddening cheeks.
“Registrar Qun, the hatred between us remains unresolved. If you think you can slip away easily, think again.”
The long-forgotten name struck Qun Qing like a thunderclap, her eyes shifting subtly.
Lu Huating knew she, too, had been reborn and was holding onto the grudge of her death.
But it wasn’t her fault. Since the heavens had granted her a second life, there was no reason to give it up. No one could take it from her.
She asked, “What do you plan to do for revenge?”
Lu Huating smiled. “Make it so you can neither live nor die.”
“Isn’t that just the feeling caused by Xiangsi Yin?” Qun Qing replied. “Advisor, if you speak to me properly, I can tell you how to cure it.”
She happened to have an antidote in her sleeve.
But Lu Huating remained unmoved.
“After so many years, even a parasitic curse becomes something one can live with. There’s no rush to remove it. Besides, you once told me that only the one who created the curse can undo it,” Lu Huating said softly. “Now, I’m more interested in knowing who gave you the Xiangsi Yin and why you sought them out—a relative or a lover?”
Not wanting to implicate her mother, Qun Qing stayed silent, but the mention of a lover irritated her.
“I made that up to fool you.”
“So it was a lover,” Lu Huating continued. “The Ministry of Rites’ Lin Yujia is said to be both talented and handsome. You must have been childhood sweethearts to have arranged a marriage. Where does he rank among your lovers?”
“Lin Yujia is considered talented and handsome?” Qun Qing raised her lashes and scrutinized Lu Huating’s face as if puzzled. “I think the advisor surpasses him.”
Since he could humiliate her, she could humiliate him in return.
The two locked eyes in the dim firelight, their breaths seeming to pause for a moment. Lu Huating then gazed at her and said,
“Lin Yujia claimed he had a marriage agreement with you. I’ve investigated. The Lin family and the Qun family have no connection, and you were sent to the palace as a servant in your youth. There’s no way such a marriage could have been arranged. You’re not Qun Qing.”
“My lady, you entered the palace under someone else’s identity and face. What is your purpose?”
He was investigating her! Qun Qing’s lashes trembled.
“A childhood engagement, a verbal promise—did you really take Lin Yujia’s words seriously?”
Lu Huating affirmed, “A former noble of Chu, a servant to the princess—your deep hatred and fear of Sanlang, to the extent of wanting to kill him in both lifetimes, cannot be simply for someone else’s sake. On the night Chang’an fell, you were at the Qingjing Temple. I personally laid to rest the 32 corpses from that temple.”
His gaze fell to her earlobe. “Behind your ear is a cinnabar mark I made myself. Tell me, how did you return from the dead?”
It felt as though her disguise had been peeled away, exposing her to the bone. Qun Qing stared at him coldly.
“What do you mean by saying all this, Advisor?”
“If I told you that the person who murdered people at Qingjing Temple that night wasn’t Li Huan, would you believe me?” Lu Huating asked.
Qun Qing froze.
She suddenly felt a surge of irritation.
It was already difficult enough for her to suppress her desire for revenge against Li Huan, but now another suspect had emerged. If she left the palace soon and never uncovered the truth, it would remain like a thorn buried deep in her heart.
Moreover, there was another possibility—Lu Huating, adept at manipulating people’s minds, might have fabricated this to confuse her, especially if he was acting to protect his master.
Despite the risks of exposing her identity, she couldn’t hold back and asked,
“If it wasn’t Li Huan, then who was it? Prince Zhao has a limp and is short in stature. The Crown Prince matches the physique, but he can’t even ride a horse. Was it Ying Su?”
“It wasn’t Ying Su.” Seeing her apparent ignorance of the situation, Lu Huating’s eyes briefly reflected disappointment. “So you really were in the temple that night.”
“Whether I’m Qun Qing or not is just as groundless as your claims,” Qun Qing replied. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you said today.”
“You don’t believe me?” Lu Huating asked, looking at her.
Qun Qing suddenly reached into the sleeve of his right arm, rummaging through a pouch, and pulled out a cloth-wrapped bundle of osmanthus candies. Lu Huating’s expression immediately changed, his eyes turning icy.
“The candies you gave me last time—those poorly stitched cloth wrappers weren’t something given away at restaurants. When I asked Ah Jiang, she told me they were the kind of treats southern mothers made for their children. You joined the court as an official, but I’ve observed your careful maneuvering. It doesn’t seem like you’re aiming for power—you’re seeking revenge against the Meng family, aren’t you?”
Qun Qing’s eyes gleamed with fire as she opened her palm to reveal a goat-head sachet.
“You and I both have paths to walk, ones we must tread ourselves to confirm the truth. Would you be swayed by mere words from others?”
Lu Huating stared at the sachet in her palm for a long moment before smiling faintly.
“I wouldn’t.”
Even the fire seemed to grow quieter.
Qun Qing steadied her emotions. “Let me go, or you’ll alarm the Prince.”
At the mention of Li Xuan, the storm in Lu Huating’s heart surged once more, though he merely said,
“Listen.”
Qun Qing heard a familiar voice calling softly from outside,
“Liu niang? Liu niang?”
Lin Yuji was pacing outside, keeping his voice low. Instantly, Qun Qing felt her blood rush to her head.
“Do you hear that?” Lu Huating asked. “Your fiancé has arrived.”
“I didn’t invite him.”
“I did,” Lu Huating said, producing a note from his sleeve.
Qun Qing glanced at the note. The handwriting and format were nearly identical to her own, imitated to perfection. Her mind reeled.
“In Southern Chu, letters are wrapped in wax pellets and delivered by trained skylarks. I wrote one on your behalf, and Lin Yuji came as expected.” Lu Huating looked at her coldly. “You rely on the lack of evidence, but now the evidence has arrived. I don’t play games without a clear outcome, and my patience is wearing thin.”
Qun Qing’s heart sank.
If he decided to arrest her today and use torture to extract the cure for Xiangsi Yin, it wasn’t just plausible—it was his most straightforward option.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I want you to choose between me and the Crown Prince,” Lu Huating replied.
Qun Qing frowned.
“What happens if I choose you? And if I choose the Crown Prince?”
“If you choose me, I’ll go out now and apprehend Lin Yuji, ensuring the evidence stays in my hands and doesn’t reach others,” Lu Huating said. “If you choose the Crown Prince, I’ll hand both you and Lin Yuji over to Concubine Lu. The Crown Prince isn’t a capable leader. If you insist on following him, you’ll die at my hands sooner or later. Better to end it now.”
Qun Qing stayed silent for a long time.
It wasn’t truly a choice. There was only one path—to choose him and give him the leverage he sought.
But what puzzled her was why Lu Huating, after going to such lengths, always seemed to hold back at the last moment. If it were her, she wouldn’t hesitate to lock her enemy away under such circumstances.
Unless… this was like a cat playing with a mouse, letting it escape repeatedly for its own amusement.
The thought stirred tumultuous emotions within her, and she couldn’t contain herself. She looked up at him, her eyes shining.
“Do you enjoy toying with others?”
At her words, Lu Huating curved his lips into a smile. His dark eyes glinted as he pressed his fan against her pale neck with faint force, watching her struggle.
“No one struggles more beautifully than you.”
Qun Qing seized the fan.
Her slender fingers clenched it tightly, yanking it from his hand and throwing it into the fire.
“Neither,” Qun Qing said impassively. “I choose myself.”
Lu Huating stared at the smoldering remnants in the fire, his expression unreadable. After a moment, he said in surprise,
“How do you choose yourself? I’d like to see.”
“Step back,” Qun Qing ordered.
Lu Huating retreated two steps. She pushed him back two more, until he was completely hidden in the shadows and could no longer hear the voices outside. Then, she walked out.