After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 67
“However, Zen Master only summoned Your Highness to return. If he learns that you intentionally delayed and brought along Lady Qing, who knows if he’ll be angry…” the slightly older man said.
“Then we’ll see if he truly wants me to return and force Crown Prince Zhao’s palace,” Fang Xie replied. “Are you all obeying my mother or the Zen Master?”
Qun Qing felt a chill run through her entire body as she listened, but the men fell silent.
Fang Xie continued, “Don’t wake my Sister.”
In the silence, a cool sensation landed on Qun Qing’s brow. She had a habit of frowning unconsciously when nervous. Fang Xie’s fingertips tapped lightly on her forehead, seemingly lost in thought.
Qun Qing’s body tensed, but she pretended to remain unresponsive. Fang Xie’s hand, like a curious child playing with a toy, slid down from her brow along the bridge of her nose, landing on her porcelain-white cheek. Then she felt him lean closer, his breath brushing against her as if examining her face intently.
His hand slipped under the quilt, attempting to grasp hers. With her palms clammy with sweat and fearful of being exposed, Qun Qing flipped her hand at the moment he tried to grab hers, firmly clutching his wrist instead.
Fang Xie jolted upright like a startled cat.
Qun Qing opened her eyes, though they seemed unfocused. Her eyelashes trembled slightly before she closed them again, feigning weariness.Â
“Is there water?” she asked.
The water pouch was nearly empty.Â
Fang Xie said, “I’ll prepare some hot water for you, Sister.”
He glanced back at her, but Qun Qing had already turned over to lie on her side. Only then did he leave the room.
Qun Qing opened her eyes, staring at the endless moonlight outside the window. Her head felt heavy, but her thoughts were clear. Fang Xie’s words earlier chilled her heart. Qun Qing wrapped herself tightly in the quilt, her body warming up, but the sense of isolation and helplessness lingered.
This ship was not heading toward Jiangnan Road; it was bound directly for Southern Chu.
The realization filled her with urgency.
She could not return to Southern Chu.
She had no family or friends there, and Crown Prince Zhao was practically her enemy.
Moreover, as a spy, even if Fang Xie bore no ill intent toward her, the Zen Master would never let her go so easily.
When Fang Xie returned, Qun Qing sipped the hot water he brought and lay back down. Seeing her resting, Fang Xie seemed relieved.
There were at least a dozen workers on the ship, but controlling them hinted that the Southern Chu faction wasn’t limited to the two men she had overheard. There might even be someone lurking in the shadows of this very room. It was late at night, and with the ship adrift on a vast river, she could only wait until morning to plan her escape.
Qun Qing closed her eyes, the scent of snow-petaled flowers lingering in the air, calming her thoughts. A good rest was essential to muster strength.
Morning sunlight illuminated the memorial reports spread out before him.
In Mingde Hall, Li Xuan was attending to state affairs. A young eunuch entered to report, “Your Highness, this is a report from Shangfu Bureau. Regarding the fire during the Buddha relic Ceremony, it was found that someone colluded with Chief Lin from the bureau. Chu Dianyi has been dismissed and arrested, but she framed Lady Qing for the incident…”
The elderly eunuch attending nearby glared at the younger one.Â
“What nonsense about Lady Qing? There’s no such person in the palace!”
Despite knowing Li Xuan’s sensitivity to this matter, the younger eunuch still brought it up.
Li Xuan looked thinner than a few days ago. He showed no reaction, merely glancing indifferently at the eunuch and signaling for him to place the report on the table.
With the Buddha relic enshrined in Zhaixing Tower and the envoys from Liuli Kingdom returning overseas, Da Chen was finally back on track. Reforms and state affairs came one after another, leaving no room for him to relax.
Throughout the day, countless advisors entered and exited Mingde Hall, making it seem no different from before. Yet late at night, while reviewing memorials, Li Xuan would occasionally glance at the empty space along the wall, as though Qun Qing were still standing there, uttering sharp words to provoke him.
The elder eunuch was right. What Li Xuan couldn’t let go of wasn’t just her departure but that a mere maid had manipulated the emperor’s intentions, escaped his control, and continued to occupy his thoughts even after leaving.
The young eunuch continued, “Additionally, Directress Gu has been dismissed from the palace, and Zhu Fuzhen, the former deputy, has taken her place. During her inspection, Directress Zhu discovered Lady Qing’s…”
He faltered, slapping his own mouth in panic. “The maid from Qingxuan Pavilion had earlier reported the potential fire hazard with the ceremonial robes before the ceremony, but Directress Gu failed to address it.”
Li Xuan set down his brush.
He had harbored suspicions about the matter. Hearing someone else recount it only made it seem stranger.
If she had planned to leave the palace during the ceremony, she should have been terrified of any mishap. Yet, instead of informing him of such a significant risk, she bypassed him entirely and reported it to Shangfu Bureau.
As he moved the finished memorials aside, his gaze turned cold and sharp.
The last item presented to him was a thin sheet of paper. It bore a rough portrait of a palace maid with a few brushstrokes that seemed to deliberately strike at his emotions. Beside it was the name “Qun Qing.”
“What is this?” he snapped, throwing down his brush in anger. “Who brought this to me? Summon Shouxi immediately!”
Shouxi quickly entered, trembling as he lowered his head. “Your Highness, this was sent by Shangfu Bureau. It’s the palace records.”
“Palace records? Didn’t she take hers when she left?” Li Xuan asked, puzzled.
“Your Highness, palace records are issued in duplicate. Lady Qing kept one copy, and the palace retains another,” Shouxi explained.
Li Xuan’s confusion deepened. He couldn’t understand why Shangfu Bureau would send him this document. Noticing Shouxi’s pale complexion and visible cold sweat, Li Xuan pressed, “What’s the matter? Speak!”
Shouxi mustered his courage and replied, “Your Highness, Shangfu Bureau reported that Lady Qing’s palace records are fake. The paper is not the type used for official records, and the seal details are crudely forged. It was counterfeited.”
“Fake?” Li Xuan stared at the record bearing the girl’s name and likeness, momentarily speechless. “What does this mean?”
“The record includes her portrait. If it’s a forgery, it could mean Lady Qing isn’t actually Qun Qing. Perhaps someone else took her place. Or even worse…” Shouxi hesitated, stammering, “I dare not say…”
Li Xuan’s face turned icy, his complexion darkening.
It could mean she was a spy from Southern Chu, infiltrating the palace, deceiving him into granting her trust and even access to his seal, before escaping back to Southern Chu.
Faced with such a possibility, how could he let her slip away?
“Summon Advisor Wang Xiang immediately!” His trembling fingers betrayed his fury.
At this moment, the cargo ship glided through the mist.
When Qun Qing woke from a drunken stupor, it was already noon. Fang Xie had risen, and no one was guarding her. If not for her vivid memories of the previous night, she might have thought it all a nightmare.
Her mind was much clearer now. She lifted the oiled cloth and walked out slowly. Outside, the drizzle created a dim light in the ship’s cabin. The workers who had been playing cards through the night now lay silently in their bunks, an eerie stillness hanging over the scene.
Feigning ignorance, Qun Qing moved through the area. “Excuse me, where’s the kitchen?”
The men didn’t respond, but two of them pointed outside.
She quickly made her way to the indicated area.
The food for the helpers on the boat was mainly dry food. The food and sundries were stored together messily in the kitchen. A helper boy of twelve or thirteen was scraping the scales of a fish. When he saw her approaching, he looked at her timidly and awkwardly.
Qun Qing’s eyes paused under the cabinet full of sundries.
There was a wooden ferry stuck underneath, which should be the spare vessel on the boat.
“Little brother, do you know where our destination is?” she asked inconspicuously.
She didn’t expect the boy to answer, but he said:Â
“It rained yesterday and the boat was slow. We are almost at Jiannan Road. The hill outside is the mountain of Jiannan Road.”
As he said that, he took the fish to wash it. When he turned around, Qun Qing picked up the knife he used to scrape the scales, wiped the fish scales off the blade with a shawl, and quickly put it into his sleeve.
The boy caught a glimpse of her actions, stopped moving, but said nothing.
“Sister.” Fang Xie’s worried voice came from behind, and he hurried over, “Why are you here? I’ve been looking for you for a long time. You are the only female member on the boat, so we’d better stay together.”
Qun Qing paused, turned around, and smiled: “I had a good rest last night, and I don’t feel like vomiting today. Why did you get up so early?”
When she smiled, her eyebrows and eyes were lively, like the melting of ice in spring, which made Fang Xie a little dazed. But seeing her standing in the kitchen for no reason, he still felt uneasy and pulled her back.
Qun Qing said: “Don’t worry, you have been eating dry food for the past two days, and I’m afraid you won’t be full. I see there are fish on this boat, buy one from the little brother and grill it.”
As she said that, she left a handful of silver.
Fang Xie was startled and said to the young man: “Then please grill this fish for us.”
The two of them supported each other and returned to the bed. The grilled fish was soon served. It was much cruder than what was made in the wine shop, but it was indeed more fragrant than dry food.
 Qun Qing put the meat from the belly of the fish into his bowl. Fang Xie’s eyes were filled with unconcealed joy:Â
“Sister, we haven’t eaten together for a long time. When we get to Jiangnan Road, I’ll treat you to something better.”
He was still lying to her.
Qun Qing looked into Fang Xie’s dark eyes. A day ago, she still thought he was her relative, her brother. Today, she couldn’t see through the truth behind this look. She had strong emotions surging in her chest.
She said, “I remember you said that you were recuperating in the temple before you became Physician Li’s disciple. It’s been so long, why haven’t I ever heard you mention your family?”
Fang Xie’s eyes froze for a moment, as he swallowed the fish meat:Â
“Why are you asking this? Sister, you’re my family, aren’t you?”
“The bond between you and me isn’t as close as the one between our biological parents. Where are your grandfather and mother from?” Qun Qing asked indifferently.
Fang Xie’s face was fair and delicate, like a porcelain doll. His eyes were obviously gloomy at this moment, and Qun Qing could see some similarities between him and Yang Fu:Â
“My grandparents didn’t want me when I was a child, so I was raised in the temple. My relationship with them is not as close as that between me and my sister.”
Qun Qing said: “But we have only been together for a year.”
Fang Xie suddenly slammed his chopsticks on the table. He stared at her for a long time, his eyes dark as ink, with some pain:Â
“Sister, have you forgotten that I saved your life by feeding you medicine, mouthful by mouthful? You forgot how, when we walked the streets, you chased away the dogs for me, sewed clothes for me at night, and boiled medicine for me during the day. Why won’t you stay with me after entering the palace?”
“That year, when I was recuperating outside the palace, I truly treated you as my younger brother.” Qun Qing’s eyes, filled with both grievance and heat, narrowed with anger as she forced a smile. “But why did you lie to me? In what capacity do you want me to stay by your side— as a slave? A concubine?”
“You really heard it.” Fang Xie’s eyes darkened, his expression becoming blank as he remained still. “I only returned to Southern Chu to report. I was supposed to accompany you to Jiangnan Road. You don’t trust me, and you insist on exposing it. Sister, this is Southern Chu’s ship—you can’t get off once you’ve boarded.”
Before he could finish, a sudden cough forced him to spit out a mouthful of black blood. The sharp pain in his abdomen caused him to bend over and collapse onto the table. He glanced up, seeing the unfinished grilled fish and Qun Qing sitting across from him. Fang Xie touched the black blood on his finger, his face pale and eyes bloodshot as he met Qun Qing’s gaze.
“This is Zimu Zhuanhun Pill, Sister. You ground the pill into powder and forced me to take it.”
He clutched his abdomen, drenched in sweat.
“Your Highness!” The sudden turn of events prompted the two hidden guards to rush forward, with two more arriving from a distance. However, Qun Qing’s movements were faster than theirs. She swiftly positioned herself behind Fang Xie, placing a short knife at his neck, halting everyone in their tracks.
Surrounded by several armed guards, Qun Qing spoke firmly:Â
“Let the ferry go, and let us board.”