After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 73
Qun Qing had yet to react when the folding screen behind her resounded like a drum being struck, echoing with a loud bang, bang.
Physician Li cried out in alarm, “Liu Niang! Liu Niang!”
Wen Su and Jian Su hurriedly stopped him, one on each side. Jian Su exclaimed,
“Elder, the two of them have important matters to discuss!”
Wen Su chimed in, “The two are well-acquainted, their relationship is quite affectionate!”
Their words overlapped in confusion. Physician Li abruptly understood, let go of his hand, and muttered after a long while,
“He’s quite good-looking, though a bit lacking in propriety.”
Within the screen, Qun Qing found herself enveloped in Lu Huating’s shadow and his presence. She looked up slightly and saw him intently listening to the movements outside the screen.
She realized her mistake: she was a spy from Southern Chu, and her master was very likely the leader of the Southern Chu spies.
Lu Huating, afflicted by Xiangsi Yin, could never allow this vulnerability to be exposed to Southern Chu spies. Naturally, he wouldn’t let Physician Li check his pulse.
As expected, once Physician Li had left, Lu Huating lowered his gaze to Qun Qing.
“You’ve already apprenticed under Physician Li, so you must know how to take a pulse. Why not check mine?”
Qun Qing quickly waved her hands. “My medical skills are terrible.”
Without a word, Lu Huating rolled up his wide sleeve, revealing a pale wrist adorned with a sandalwood bead bracelet, and extended it toward her.
She hesitated but had no choice. Gently pushing aside the beads, she placed her fingers on his wrist. As soon as her fingers brushed over a faint scar on his wrist, she instinctively pulled her hand away.
The closeness, the mingling of their breaths carrying the faint scent of yellow vanilla, and the coolness of his skin beneath her fingers left her feeling as though she’d been lightly scorched.
She felt for a while, and indeed, except for a slight pulse, she could not tell anything abnormal, “It feels normal.”
Lu Huating chuckled softly. “Having survived the troublesome poison of Xiangsi Yin, do you think a mere drink could harm me?”
Qun Qing asked, “What did you notice?”
“Fragrant, slightly sweet. It warms the body and lifts the mood after drinking,” Lu Huating replied. “If I’m correct, it’s related to Hanshi Powder, only much subtler.”
Song Wen had first inflated the price of Yu Fei Pills, marketing them as miracle elixirs, and then tricked silk merchants into regularly drinking Yu Fei Wine. It was a trap ordinary people would struggle to resist.
“I share the same opinion as Advisor,” Qun Qing said. Sensing the silence behind the screen, she added, “Since you won’t let Physician Li take your pulse, Advisor should rest early.”
She moved to slightly open the screen, but suddenly a hand reached out from behind and closed it with a firm click.
“Do you not understand why I had Wen Su arrange for you to share a room with me earlier? It was entirely for your reputation,” Lu Huating said.
Qun Qing realized he was holding her accountable for deceiving Wen Su and slipping away.
“I didn’t expect Advisor to go to such lengths.”
“Since Wen Su can’t keep an eye on you, from now on, I’ll do it myself,” Lu Huating stated. As she turned, he tilted his head and gave her a cool, mocking smile. “Didn’t you say you could sleep anywhere?”
“This small pavilion is well-equipped with washbasins and toiletries. Feel free to use them,” he added, brushing past her sleeve as he stepped into the inner room.
Under her veiled hat, Qun Qing was speechless.
To her, it was true—she could sleep anywhere. Reputation mattered far less than survival.
Besides, Lu Huating keeping her in his quarters served two purposes: to trouble her and to ensure she didn’t succumb to poison in the middle of the night.
Behind the intricately embroidered screen that divided the room, she found a neat washing area. Three golden basins filled with clean water sat on a carved wooden shelf, alongside towels, soapwort, and fragrant soap. A wooden box held a fresh willow twig for cleaning teeth, its faint green scent lingering in the air.
She glanced at the basins, unsure which one Lu Huating used. The room was so pristine it felt untouched. Choosing one at random, she took a plain cloth from her sleeve, dipped it in the water, and cleaned her face and hands.
When she returned, she noticed there was only one bed in the inner room. Without hesitation, she settled into a round-backed chair.
Lu Huating cast her a glance. With her veiled hat still on, she sat upright and unmoving, resembling a ghost from a story.
He looked away, as if she weren’t there, and walked to the washing area. A short while later, he emerged, his hair damp and fragrant. His formal hairpiece was undone, and the loose strands curled slightly at the temples, accentuating his sharp, striking features.
Qun Qing was surprised to notice that, like her, he used only soapwort to wash his hair. Before she could dwell on it, Lu Huating seated himself on the bed, glanced at her, and began unfastening his leather belt. He folded it neatly and placed it under the pillow.
Still, Qun Qing didn’t move.
Lu Huating finally stood, retrieved a roll of bamboo matting from the corner, and spread it on the floor. He grabbed a round pillow from the bed and tossed it onto the mat. With a casual motion, he unfolded a screen and placed it between the bed and the mat.
Moonlight filtered through the golden carp patterns on the screen, creating a soft, translucent barrier between them.
Qun Qing glanced at the makeshift mat.
How could anyone sleep on that? There wasn’t even a quilt.
Lu Huating lay down without complaint. Through the screen, he saw her shadow, cast by the flickering candlelight. A faint, cold smile touched his lips. If her shadow lingered all night, at least it would be company of some sort.
But before long, the candlelight was snuffed out, plunging the room into darkness.
Lu Huating had just closed his eyes when he heard the faint rustle of the folding screen being moved. Opening his eyes, he saw a figure carrying a blanket and heading toward the wooden couch.
Qun Qing climbed onto the wooden couch. She hadn’t slept on a proper bed in so long that lying on something soft left her back aching and her breath labored. Dampness or cold would only worsen her condition. Motionless, she lay there like the dead, her heartbeat the only sound in the silent room.
For a moment, the room remained still. Then, she heard a soft cough.
Lu Huating sat up on the bed, holding his blanket as he leaned back slightly, his eyes fixed on her.
Qun Qing shifted her head slightly, her back still to him. The light from the lamp faintly illuminated her pale neck, so thin it seemed as fragile as paper. Beneath the delicate skin, the faint pulse of flowing bl00d was just visible.
Leaning against the wall, Lu Huating spoke in a low voice, tinged with teasing indifference.
“What thoughts go through someone’s mind when they lie there like that?”
Qun Qing was momentarily caught off guard by his question and didn’t reply.
Lu Huating’s gaze swept over her briefly before he closed his eyes.
After a long silence, Qun Qing broke the stillness.
Qun Qing asked, “Did Second Young Master Yan consult you before raiding Dongyingfang?”
After a moment of silence, Lu Huating’s composed voice came from behind the screen: “I sent him a letter requesting his assistance.”
“Since Song Wen has the backing of the Ministry of War, there’s bound to be a response in court.”
Lu Huating eventually replied, “You should focus on Wang Xiang.”
A pause ensued before he added, “I heard from Wen Su that you plan to undergo bone-setting in the next few days. When will it happen?”
Qun Qing brushed her fingers over her swollen, aching face.
“In the next two days. The exact timing depends on Master Li’s judgment.”
Lu Huating remarked, “It could be risky to forcibly restore someone’s appearance. If Wang Xiang catches up before it’s done, it’ll be too late. Why not just return to your original appearance?”
“No. Most of the palace slaves from the past would recognize me,” Qun Qing replied. “Besides, entering the palace now means either becoming a slave or passing the women’s imperial examination. The former means suppression; the latter takes time. Princess Yan once promised me an eighth-rank position as Shangfu manager. I passed the exam, and I want to reclaim it—as Qun Qing.”
After a long silence, Lu Huating asked, “Do you trust the prince not to kill you?”
Qun Qing replied calmly, “Didn’t they say the palace register on the prince’s desk has freshly added pages with my portrait? That he flew into a rage and ordered my capture upon seeing it?
“I’ve calmed down these past days and thought it through carefully: I’ve seen the palace register’s portraits before—they’re crude at best. One can barely tell male from female, let alone identify individuals. The register in Qun Qing has never been tampered with. The one on the prince’s desk must be a forgery, planted by the ‘Heaven’ faction in the palace to force the prince into killing me.”
She paused before continuing, “The prince is proud and aloof. If I were a fake, it would mean he had made a mistake—a mistake he wouldn’t want to admit. The fact that he didn’t order my immediate execution but instead summoned me back gives me a slim chance, maybe 10%. For anything beyond that, I’ll leave it to the Advisor to handle.”
Having finished, Qun Qing waited for Lu Huating’s response. He finally said, half-jokingly, “Instead of making me run circles for you, why not abandon the prince’s ship and come to Prince Yan’s estate? I’d help you wholeheartedly.”
Qun Qing was silent for a long time before replying, “Lord Lu, even if the ship is sinking and others are abandoning it, sometimes you must tie yourself to the bow, waiting for the wind to fill the sails…”
“I’d rather jump into the water,” Lu Huating interjected, catching her meaning before she finished.
The two were too much alike. Their cooperation relied on exchange, not blind trust. Swimming offered a chance, but entrusting everything to another was too passive—and too dangerous.
Moreover, the mystery surrounding Qingjing Temple remained unresolved. Trusting him entirely, given the hatred tied to her closest family, was impossible.
No further sound came from Lu Huating, and Qun Qing realized she’d forgotten to ask something.
After deliberating, she finally broke the silence: “…Do you need an extra quilt?”
Lu Huating tugged at the coat draped over him and replied coldly, “Tell the waiter to fetch one tomorrow.”
The rain pounded the river relentlessly through the night. At dawn, Xiao Jingxing rode up to the inn, dripping wet. He dismounted, removed his raincoat, and stepped inside.
In the hall, the three secret guards and Yang Li were sipping sweet wine from bowls, accompanied by a few side dishes. Xiao Jingxing frowned and barked, “You’re still eating?”
Dust-covered and dark-eyed, his face bore the exhaustion of an all-nighter, his damp hair clinging to his forehead. Zhu Su glanced at him and asked,
“What’s wrong, Lord Xiao? Did you catch him?”
Without answering, Xiao Jingxing bounded up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. He knocked hurriedly on a door.
“Lu Qilang!”
Before Wen Su could intervene, the door swung open under the force of his knocks. Xiao Jingxing froze mid-step, retreating half a step as though he had just seen a ghost in broad daylight. Inside Lu Huating’s pavilion, a woman was squatting next to him, holding his wrist.
“You’re just in time,” Qun Qing said calmly, still feeling Lu Huating’s pulse. “See if he’s dead.”
“Lady Qing?” Xiao Jingxing recognized her voice and hesitated before brushing off the water droplets clinging to his clothes. He adjusted his disheveled hair, walked into the room, and squatted beside Lu Huating. With the back of his hand, he mercilessly patted Lu Huating’s face. “Wake up.”
Xiao Jingxing turned to Qun Qing apologetically.
“Lady, please excuse him. He’s always like this.” Then he shook Lu Huating’s shoulder roughly. “Something’s happened.”
Lu Huating’s eyes fluttered open. His dark gaze lingered on Xiao Jingxing for a moment before shifting to Qun Qing.
Qun Qing had withdrawn her hand and turned slightly away, her expression obscured. She realized she had forgotten that Lu Huating never woke up before breakfast. No wonder she couldn’t rouse him—it was far too early.
“Lady Qing, you’re not still worried about the Yufei wine, are you?” Lu Huating glanced at his wrist, stood up, and donned his coat. He gave Qun Qing a faint smile. “I feel fine. The headache has even eased.”
The smile quickly faded. “What happened?”
Xiao Jingxing got straight to the point. “Last night, we raided Dongyingfang, but it somehow alarmed the governor of Xuzhou. He sent hundreds of guards, arrested Song Wen, and took him to the governor’s mansion. They’re accusing us of overstepping our authority and insist that Xuzhou should handle the matter first. They refuse to let us take him directly to Chang’an.”
Lu Huating remained composed. “Local officials shielding one another is no surprise. Song Wen is the Ministry of War’s son-in-law—naturally, some won’t want him sent to Chang’an. Lord Xiao, we didn’t bring enough people.”
Before Xiao Jingxing could reply, Zhu Su rushed upstairs to report,
“Advisor, Wang Xiang is heading to Xuzhou. We can’t linger there for long.”
Qun Qing’s fingers tightened within her sleeves. Earlier that morning, as she prepared for bone-setting, she had caught a glimpse of a strange and unfamiliar face in the mirror—her own. Physician Li had said the process would take a full day, followed by several days of rest.
Lu Huating said, “We’ll have to stall him.”
Zhu Su looked anxious. “He’s carrying a decree for the prince. His Majesty isn’t joking. Even a single day’s delay could be considered a crime. We can’t hold him off.”
A cold voice came from under the eaves. “What if Wang Xiang can’t leave on his own?”
Zhu Su froze, sweat beading on his forehead. He turned nervously to Lu Huating. “Miss Qing, this is not a joke.”
Qun Qing pressed on. “Does he have any hidden illnesses or weaknesses?”
Lu Huating looked at Xiao Jingxing. “Erlang, you and Wang Xiang passed the imperial examination in the same year. You traveled together in Chang’an. What do you know about his weaknesses?”
Xiao Jingxing frowned. “He’s a military candidate and a soldier of the Eastern Palace. The man can kill a cow with one punch. What hidden illness could he possibly have?” He paused, then added begrudgingly, “The only thing I’ve ever noticed is nasal sinusitis. When we took the spring imperial examination, I remember hearing him sniffling. That’s it.”