After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 105

“Check her pulse,” Lu Huating said to the physician inside the carriage.

Qun Qing wanted to decline, but the physician cannot dare to disobey the command and had already placed his fingers on her wrist. She had no choice but to let it happen. Something came to mind, and she asked, 

“Can taking a pulse really tell whether someone has consummated a marriage?”

Lu Huating paused. The carriage went quiet for a moment before the physician gave a vague sigh. 

“My medical skills are lacking—I can’t tell. Perhaps a more skilled physician might be able to.” Then he added, “Madam has not sustained any serious injuries.”

Qun Qing said, “Then please tend to him first.”

The bandage around Lu Huating’s wrist was soaked through with bl00d. The strain from drawing the bow had torn open an old wound. The sight was rather shocking, but he didn’t seem to mind. He calmly unwrapped the wristband and even subtly pulled his hand away from the physician. 

“No need to trouble yourself.”

Just then, the voice of the physician’s apprentice called from another carriage: 

“Master, I can’t make sense of the princess consort’s pulse!”

The physician hastily saluted Lu Huating, seized the excuse, and took his medical case to the other carriage.

Qun Qing glanced over as Lu Huating poured water from a canteen to rinse his wound. Her mind wandered again, to the moment when her hand had been clasped in his.

She recalled what Princess Danyang had said—that Lu Huating might look courteous on the outside, but he was proud, aloof, and not one to mingle with women. Indeed, she had never seen him show interest in anyone. What had prompted him to do what he did?

If it were simply to restrain her out of urgency, that level of intimacy seemed absurd. But if it was to humiliate her—it wasn’t entirely impossible either. A seed of doubt floated in her heart like a bubble just beneath the water’s surface.

At that thought, she reached out and took Lu Huating’s fingers, then turned to grab a fresh bandage. 

“Let me.”

She didn’t know whether her hand was too cold or if she’d brushed the wound, but she felt Lu Huating flinch. As their fingers touched, sweat formed lightly on Qun Qing’s forehead. She quietly assessed her own reaction.

Lu Huating asked, “How long have you known that young physician?”

“You mean Fang Xie?” Qun Qing replied. “About a year now.”

She bandaged him carefully and gently, avoiding the wound entirely. But after several such careful touches, Lu Huating finally couldn’t help but lower his gaze to hers, curling his lips into a faint smile. “Is this how you treat that young physician at the clinic too, Madam?”

In just one year’s time, she’d become a gentle memory sweet enough to make even the young emperor of Southern Chu risk everything to bring her back.

Qun Qing hadn’t expected him to be so perceptive, and she feared her act would be seen through. Thankfully, her temperament was steady, and she answered calmly, 

“Fang Xie is obedient—unlike you, who likes interrogating people.”

Unexpectedly, Lu Huating suddenly gripped her hand tightly. The force was so great that Qun Qing was startled to see bl00d seep from his wrist again. She tried to pull her hand away, but Lu Huating used that same hand to cup her right cheek.

She felt dampness on the side of her face. Looking at the striking features in front of her, she saw that when Lu Huating stared intently at someone, his black eyes became dark and luminous. With a mocking tone, he said, 

“You are my wife—and my enemy. How could I possibly let you go?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he’d lost control and withdrew his hand. Bl00d now stained Qun Qing’s hand and cheek, making her look both disheveled and striking. Lu Huating gazed at her for a moment, then pulled a clean handkerchief from his sleeve and passed it to her.

Qun Qing, now thoroughly furious, took the cloth and wiped herself silently.

Jian Su lifted the carriage curtain. 

“Madam, how did you end up in the Southern Chu’s convoy? You don’t know, do you? The ones capturing Liu You and raiding the casino were tracking you all the way. If we’d been even a moment late, we wouldn’t have caught up!”

As he spoke, he took advantage of the brief stop to load the remaining luggage from the inn onto the carriage, clearly preparing for a quick departure.

Qun Qing lifted the curtain and gazed at the bustling crowd outside. She understood—if the young emperor and the Zen Master dared come to Yunzhou together, it couldn’t be just with the guards at their side. There must be more Southern Chu agents here. 

“What of Official Liu?”

Lu Huating leaned against the carriage wall. 

“He’s been caught. But the remnants haven’t been cleared out yet. This place isn’t safe.”

At that moment, the physician rushed over. 

“Reporting to the Advisor—the princess consort’s fetal position is unstable. I’m not skilled in obstetrics, but in this condition, she needs to return to Chang’an for treatment as soon as possible.”

Both of them moved to the other carriage to see Xiao Yunru.

Xiao Yunru said, “I’m fine. I can stay here with His Highness.”

“Why are you being stubborn? Qilang and I can handle things here. What can you do by staying?” Li Huan scolded. After barely a few words, he broke into a fit of coughing and suddenly spat bl00d. This frightened Zhu Su. He had been wounded by a Southern Chu hidden weapon; though the weapon had been removed, poison remained.

Lu Huating, seeing this, said coldly, “I told you not to ride into battle, didn’t I?”

Once on the battlefield, Li Huan’s bl00d always ran hot and uncontrollable. 

“I already went, what’s done is done. If I die, it’s on me,” he snapped.

“An unstable fetal position can be life-threatening. I ask that the princess consort return soon,” Qun Qing advised. “I can escort her back to the palace.”

Xiao Yunru said nothing more in protest.

Li Huan turned to look at her. Qun Qing had risked her life to save Xiao Yunru—that was beyond dispute. He looked at her for a long moment, straightened his posture, and cupped his hands in a solemn bow.

“My wife and child, I entrust to you, Madam Qing.”

Lu Huating said, “Jian Su, Zhu Su, you two go with Madam Qing in her carriage.”

Qun Qing turned to Lu Huating again. 

“How many men did Prince Yan’s residence bring?”

“Twelve.”

“Twelve only? Who knows how many Southern Chu agents are in Yunzhou? If chaos breaks out, how will we hold them off?”

In the evening breeze, Lu Huating gave her a light smile. 

“There’s no need to worry. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally go straight. You all head back first.”

They raced day and night toward Chang’an. Midway through, Xiao Yunru became unconscious from exhaustion and couldn’t be woken. Qun Qing was so worried she even forgot her usual motion sickness. Fortunately, they encountered only one volley of stray arrows during the journey. The ox-drawn carriage passed through the southern mists and headed straight for the palace gates.

Xiao Jingxing had already arrived with a palace physician and several handmaidens from Prince Yan’s residence, waiting by the roadside. He didn’t dare help Xiao Yunru directly but followed from a distance, his expression heavy with worry. 

“As soon as I received word from Seventh Young Master, I summoned the physician. She can begin treatment immediately—I hope it will be effective.”

Palace physicians were ranked, their sleeve color denoting status. Noting that the physician Xiao Jingxing brought wore white sleeves—indicating an apprentice—Qun Qing quietly asked, 

“We rushed back because Yunzhou had no skilled doctors. Why didn’t Lord Xiao request a top-tier palace physician with golden sleeves?”

Xiao Jingxing replied, “Lady, you may not know—of the three gold-sleeved physicians in the palace, all have been called to attend to His Majesty.”

“His Majesty is ill?” Qun Qing couldn’t help but ask.

Xiao Jingxing gave a slight nod. “After receiving Prince Yan’s report on the Yunzhou disaster relief, His Majesty’s chronic head pain was triggered. The Crown Prince has already been acting as regent for several days.”

Just reading the report had enraged the Emperor. Once the governor of Yunzhou was brought to justice, it would likely implicate the faction of Grand Chancellor Meng and could even entangle the Crown Prince. In such a situation, if she were Li Xuan, the most advantageous outcome would be to let Yunzhou fall into chaos. With Officer Liu dead and Prince Yan injured, the case would die quietly with no conclusion.

That thought made her heart tense again.

Xiao Jingxing asked, “Should we appeal to Her Majesty the Empress to assign a golden-sleeved physician to examine her?”

“Let’s not alarm Her Majesty for now,” Qun Qing replied, glancing toward the palace, where emerald-robed maids were hurriedly helping Xiao Yunru onto the couch.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something hidden about Xiao Yunru’s child. But since Yunru wasn’t willing to speak, she could only take one step at a time. She said to Xiao Jingxing, “If you trust me, help me quietly bring someone into the palace. My teacher, Physician Li, is a renowned doctor in the city. Let him examine the Princess Consort first.”

Just then, Xiao Yunru awoke and softly called, “Madam Qing…”

Qun Qing hurried to the bedside, only to see Cuiyu holding a wooden plaque bearing half a phoenix seal. Xiao Yunru, with disheveled hair, looked at her and said, 

“If I don’t make it through, I give this phoenix seal to you. You may act on my behalf in managing inner palace affairs.”

Seeing Qun Qing’s expression, Xiao Yunru took her hand and gave it a faint squeeze. 

“I know your actions always carry a degree of risk, and you fear being unable to bear the responsibility. That’s fine. If you have thirty percent confidence in succeeding, you must go forward. You have both courage and ability. And in this time of troubles, only by entrusting this to you can I feel at ease.”

With that, she fell asleep again under the effects of the medicine. Qun Qing clutched the phoenix seal tightly and bowed toward Xiao Yunru.

What Xiao Yunru said—”time of troubles”—was not without reason. In this life, Fang Xie had ascended the throne, and Southern Chu’s unrest had begun even earlier than in the previous life. Now Prince Yan is injured, and diplomatic negotiations overlapped with the succession struggle. The palace is filled with tension, and the outcome remained uncertain.

National unrest was Qun Qing’s nightmare. She had no wish to see war erupt between Southern Chu and Dacheng. If that happened, the negotiations with the western kingdoms would become even more critical. She didn’t rest and instructed Jian Su to take the yunjin brocade back to the Biquan Palace.

When the wooden crates were opened, the female officials from the Shangfu Bureau gathered around, touching the fabric with visible delight. 

“It’s dry yunjin brocade, and the quality is excellent—much better than the spoiled batch!”

Qun Qing asked, “In the past few days during the talks, did anyone view the brocade?”

Attendant Shen replied as she walked, “You wouldn’t believe it, but the envoy from Gaochang inspected the brocade patterns. He has a keen eye—he could even spot flaws in the pieces we had cleaned with feather brushes. Thankfully, His Highness the Crown Prince smoothed it over. But the envoy insisted the brocade be packed and sent to Gaochang for the royal family to test. Since you hadn’t returned, we had no choice but to grit our teeth and send it last night. Thank goodness you’re back!”

“Which one is the envoy’s carriage?”

The carriages of the envoys from Liuli and Gaochang stood ahead in varied styles. Shen pointed to a maroon one. Qun Qing gave Jian Su a look and strode forward to chat with the driver.

The Gaochang driver was a burly man. Seeing a fair and delicate lady approach and speak fluent Sanskrit, he was quickly captivated. Meanwhile, Jian Su had silently circled to the rear and swapped the brocade.

The driver was thoroughly charmed, and the watching palace maids all breathed sighs of relief and stifled their laughter.

Zhu Fuzhen stood by the roadside like a tall stalk of bamboo. Seeing what had transpired, her face flushed red. She bowed deeply and said, “I owe you an apology. I said it, and I must do it.”

Just then, a cool, clear voice rang out.

“Since Chief Attendant Zhu admits her error, we shall not pursue it further. The Inner Palace recognizes Lady Qun’s merits and promotes her one rank—to Fourth Grade Official. Let this be proclaimed to the Six Department of Palace Services. What do you all think?”

Qun Qing turned and saw Li Xuan emerging from the hall, arm in arm with Bao Shu. Everyone bowed in greeting.

Li Xuan looked even paler than before, his figure thinner, and his phoenix eyes sharp as blades. Shouxi had said he had been acting as regent by day and receiving envoys by night, wearing himself out. But he didn’t seem to notice himself—there was a faint smile on his face.

Seeing this, Bao Shu’s face darkened. Her gaze fell on Qun Qing like a blade. 

“I’ve been with His Highness this whole time and don’t expect recognition. But someone brings back a few bolts of brocade and gets promoted? That’s too easy. I object.”

Li Xuan gave her a light pat, as if placating her, but the look in his eyes was indifferent, and he had no intention of changing his mind. He looked toward Qun Qing and noticed she wasn’t showing any particular joy.

Seeing this Li Xuan, standing beside the finely adorned Bao Shu, Qun Qing found him unfamiliar. After a moment’s thought, she stepped forward and said, 

“Your Highness, I have a matter to report.”

T/L: Hi everyone! I’m back — thank you all for waiting so patiently. Updates will resume on schedule, and I hope you’re ready — we’re heading into the heart of the story now, where the tension only gets more intense!