After Rebirth, I Married my Archenemy - Chapter 77

In the blink of an eye, winter arrived in Chang’an, and the cold was so severe that water froze instantly.

Early in the morning, Qun Qing pushed open the window, only to feel her face go numb from the chill before quickly shutting it again. She layered herself with an underskirt, a padded jacket, and her official robes—three layers thick.

Inside her room, there was a gold basin filled with water mixed with gold powder, where paper petals were being soaked. She pulled out her hairpin and stirred the water, evenly dyeing the petals as the gold powder sparkled with her movements.

The aroma of stewed lamb wafted in from outside. Qun Cang, dragging his crippled leg, had already set their breakfast on the table. Seeing Qun Qing eating intently, he picked up a piece of lamb and placed it in her bowl.

Looking at the steaming piece of lamb in her bowl, Qun Qing was momentarily transported back to her childhood. Her grandfather, a stern and reticent man, would sometimes place his coarse hand on her head. When he thought her cheeks looked thin, he would add food to her bowl as a way of showing his care.

During her youth, Qun Qing didn’t particularly cherish her grandfather’s love. His strictness and constant restrictions often filled her with fear, and at times, she even felt resentment. But now, with only her left in this world, she could only fulfill her duties as his descendant.

With this thought, Qun Qing scooped two spoonfuls of lamb broth over her rice and ate the entire bowl one bite at a time.

She needed a strong and healthy body to accomplish the things she wanted to do.

After tidying up her bowl and chopsticks, Qun Qing said to Qun Cang, 

“I’m going to buy your medicine, Father.”

Qun Cang’s leg was afflicted with a chronic ulcer, and in recent days, Qun Qing had frequently carried a basket to buy medicine. Seeing that she was only going out for medicine, the guards from the Crown Prince’s residence stationed outside the house did not follow her into the Apothecary Pavillion.

Not long after, Qun Qing returned with her basket and began applying medicine to Qun Cang’s leg. Her thoughts drifted back to a few days ago.

She had gone to the Apothecary Pavillion to find Physician Li when the black dog kept in the backyard suddenly dashed into the main hall, growling and biting, scaring the patients into retreating.

This black dog, which Qun Qing used to feed frequently at the Apothecary Pavillion, was an elderly creature that struggled even to walk. She couldn’t understand how it suddenly broke free of its chain and turned so violent.

Qun Qing rushed forward and grabbed the dog by its ribs. Its eyes were wide, teeth bared in a snarl, and its bloodshot gaze made her feel an unsettling discomfort.

People around them formed a circle, watching as the young woman struck the dog’s neck with her palm. Only then did it collapse, still twitching in her arms, its eyes open and terrifying.

Feeling obligated to help Physician Li maintain order, Qun Qing carried the black dog to the backyard. Shortly after, Physician Li entered the backyard with a grim expression.

Looking at the dark liquid in a bowl, Qun Qing couldn’t help but ask, 

“Master, what did you feed it?”

Physician Li pulled up a chair, sat down heavily, and examined the dog’s neck with a solemn expression. 

“I gave it a Yu Fei Pill,” he said slowly.

After returning from Jiangnan, Physician Li had been busy researching the Yu Fei Pill.

“These past few days, I’ve been analyzing that box of pills—observing, identifying, smelling, tasting, even dissolving them in water, and search through medical texts. It’s an extremely warming substance. In small amounts, when mixed with alcohol, it can enhance bl00d circulation and boost vitality in humans,” he explained. “This dog was at death’s door this morning. Hoping to save it, I took a gamble and gave it half a pill. It seems the dose was too strong, which is why it’s acting like this.”

Recalling Lu Huating drinking a sip of Yu Fei wine, Qun Qing asked, 

“So, an overdose of Yu Fei Pills can cause someone to lose their senses?”

“The main ingredient of Yu Fei Pills should be tender leaves of unripe hemp from the Beirong Plateau,” Physician Li explained. “The fragrance is a blend of unripe hemp leaves and green tea. Hemp doesn’t grow in our lands; it’s a product of Beirong.”

“Beirong?”

“When I was young, I knew a traveling physician from Beirong. He told me about unripe hemp,” Physician Li said. “It’s said that Beirong warriors would harvest large quantities of hemp leaves before going into battle, grind them into powder, and make cakes from it. They could then fight with the ferocity of tigers and wolves. Thinking back, if consumed excessively, it would likely cause people to become aggressive, bloodthirsty, impervious to reason, and unafraid of death or injury.”

Impervious to reason, unafraid of death or injury…

As Qun Qing gazed at the twitching black dog in her arms, a chill ran through her. She finally realized what the dog reminded her of.

In her mind, an image emerged—a ferocious white horse smashing through the gates of Qingjing Temple, followed by Prince Yan, whose eyes glowed red beneath a ghostly mask.

Back then, she had presented her token and revealed her identity as Princess Bao’an of the previous dynasty. The imperial city had already fallen, and as a powerless princess, she should have been treated as a captive. Yet no matter how she pleaded for mercy, the other party remained unresponsive and pierced her through with a long sword.

Could the person who killed her have taken unripe hemp?

This thought struck her like a bolt of lightning, and Qun Qing abruptly raised her head. 

“Master, is there any way to determine if someone has consumed an excessive amount of unripe hemp?”

As Qun Qing carried her basket home, she pondered Physician Li’s words along the way.

—Unlike other stimulants, unripe hemp is extremely potent. Aside from causing bodily harm, it leaves traces in the body. Those consuming it for the first time may experience an intense reaction, such as facial flushing or hives, similar to an allergic response. If someone has taken it before, these symptoms wouldn’t appear.

—Yu Fei Pills contain only trace amounts of unripe hemp, so it’s not enough to cause visible hives. But if you’re willing to wait, I could try extracting it following the methods in the books. The liquid extracted from unripe hemp can adhere to gold, and I could apply it to a piece of gold foil…

In the medicine basket was the Yu Fei Pill.

With a careful hand, Qun Qing took the golden petals of the pill and gently adhered them one by one to the flowers of the golden comb. After observing it for a moment, she affixed it to her hairpin, completing the floral motif.

The mirror reflected her pale complexion. Her black hair was coiled into a bun, and the eight-treasure golden comb nestled neatly in place. She tilted her head slightly, the jewelry swaying lightly.

Qun Qing had not yet fully recovered her strength but dressed herself with care.

When she saw Qun Cang enter, leaning on the door frame, she asked as she adjusted her sleeves, 

“Father, do you know Prince Zhao?”

Qun Cang hesitated for a moment before responding with a sigh: 

“The world is vast, and imperial power is supreme. Even if Prince Zhao is flawed, he remains a prince. Although we reside in the same palace, our statuses are different. Thirty thousand civilians may have perished, but the life of a prince still holds significant importance.”

He slowly moved to the chair and continued, “Moreover, Li Pan was born with an illness, and his leg condition worsened because he saved the prince. As parents and siblings, they will always show more compassion towards children with disabilities. Xiaoqing, be cautious in the palace and don’t act impulsively.”

Qun Qing simply replied, “Hmm.”

As winter set in, early imperial court proceedings became increasingly challenging.

Zhang Jun, the Minister of Revenue, proposed during a discussion: 

“Regarding the Xuzhou silk case, Song Wen was a scholar with no business experience. How could he manage to take over almost all the local silk merchants’ property in just two years? There must be something mysterious behind this. He confessed his guilt, and the next day, he committed suicide in prison out of shame. Wasn’t the Dali Court too hasty in sentencing him?”

Li Pan responded: “Minister Zhang, have you reviewed the documents from previous years? The silk trade in Suzhou and Hangzhou has flourished, while the silk merchant in Xuzhou went out of business many years ago.”

The Minister of Criminal Affairs added, “The Dongyingfang has been confiscated, and confessions have been made. His suicide betrayed Lord Shen’s trust. Minister Zhang, there is no need to worry about it anymore.”

Zhang Jun persisted, “But, Your Excellency, he not only took over the silk merchants but also opened a gambling house, driven by a lack of money. However, His Royal Highness Prince Yan sent investigators to the suspect’s ancestral home. Neither the Shen family nor the Song family lived extravagantly. Song Wen had ties to the soldiers, and he sought a large sum of money for himself…”

Li Xuan’s expression turned grim. If these accusations continued, it would imply that he, the crown prince, was suspected of raising private soldiers.

Emperor Chenming opened his eyes and looked at the Crown Prince. Seeing that he appeared aggrieved, the emperor said, 

“Do not bring up such baseless matters again.”

Zhang Jun hurriedly bowed to apologize.

Emperor Chenming sighed, his gaze shifting away from Li Xuan’s face. He spoke to Li Huan in a gentle tone, 

“I have approved the ‘Dachen Code’ compiled by Sanlang and Advisor Lu. Is the punishment too severe?”

Li Huan responded, “Advisor Lu often reminds me that a country cannot be governed without laws, and no stability for the people without governance. Father and elder brother are benevolent rulers with sound judgment. But as for me, who is slow-witted, I fear acting recklessly as I once did. Thus, I must rely on rules to guide and discipline the people.”

The Emperor seemed to understand and said more gently, “You are thoughtful. Since Princess Yan is pregnant, you should stop traveling around and be responsible for implementing this code.”

Li Huan immediately knelt to express his gratitude.

Emperor Chenming sighed again in frustration. “After punishment, the Ministry of Defense is now short-staffed. The Ministry of Rites should start preparing early for the spring examinations; it’s time to bring in new talent.”

These words caused the ministers to tremble with fear. Upon leaving the court, Meng Guangshen overheard their murmurs:

“So many have been punished recently. His Majesty has been unwell and in low spirits lately.”

“Who can blame him? There’s been no good news recently. Minister Meng apprehended Cui Hao, but he died before they could uncover the whereabouts of the private treasury keys. The Cui family’s wealth is substantial, but it pales in comparison to what’s likely hidden in the treasury. Failing to find it is truly a pity.”

“This sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”

“How so?”

“Back during the downfall of the Lu family in the previous dynasty, wasn’t there a similar case?”

“What happened then?”

“When Emperor Chu Huang urgently needed funds to repair palaces and temples, he decided to confiscate the Lu family’s assets. During the inventory, a boy who hadn’t yet come of age escaped with the key to the family’s private treasury. Despite Emperor Chu Huang turning the land inside out, the boy was never found. Naturally, the whereabouts of the treasury remain a mystery.”

Meng Guangshen staggered slightly, his pupils constricting. The winter sun hung low over the eaves. As he raised his eyes to stare directly at it, he became acutely aware that he was still walking along the road out of the palace, where nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Clenching the jade tally in his hand, a thin layer of sweat formed on his forehead.

No one around him noticed his unusual behavior, and Meng Guangshen calmly greeted the passers-by.

“That strategist in Prince Yan’s household is something else. Seven or eight thick volumes of legal code—where did they find the time to compile them all?”

“Isn’t that the truth? In the past, such efforts might not have pleased His Majesty. But ever since the Siye Tower incident, His Majesty has seen the value of decisive and forceful measures. All this talk of benevolence was for the early days of his reign, when he needed to recuperate and consolidate. When it comes to getting things done, Prince Yan’s household wields a steel blade that is much more effective.”

“If the Eastern Palace continues to prioritize a path of gentle benevolence, will it lose His Majesty’s favor?”

“Is the Eastern Palace something you should be discussing? Watch your words!”

At the Chengan Gate, Meng Guangshen saw Lu Huating.

Lu Huating stood there with his usual calm demeanor, waiting for Li Huan, as always. Even dressed in plain clothes, the young scholar’s striking appearance seemed to transcend the coldness of winter.

Their gazes met, and Lu Huating’s dark eyes calmly returned his look. Meng Guangshen’s thoughts raced.

The incident in Siye Tower spiraled out of control, and now the thought of raising troops in Xuzhou emerged. Li Huan discovered issues in the autumn tax that others had overlooked, directly dismantling Shen Fu’s plans.

Each event, one after another, formed a clear line in Meng Guangshen’s mind, and he suddenly realized who had been orchestrating everything behind the scenes. But was it truly possible for someone as young and inexperienced as Lu Huating to achieve such foresight and control?

Suddenly, Meng Guangshen recalled something his son Meng Guanlou had once mentioned.

This son, now exiled to Songyang, had dreamed an absurd dream in which, in the fourth year of Shenglin, Lu Huating was appointed Prime Minister, while their family languished in prison.

Meng Guangshen withdrew his gaze and returned to his residence. Before even removing his outer garments, he wrote a letter and summoned a servant to deliver it to Meng Guanlou.

As the servant was about to leave, he called him back. 

“Also deliver a letter to Prince Zhao, asking him to keep an eye on Lu Huating.”

Meanwhile, Qun Qing arrived at the Shangyi Bureau, carrying a box to report for duty. Chief Attendant Zhu was busy organizing preparations for the investiture ceremony.

“Who among you is willing to deliver an invitation to Prince Zhao?”

Qun Qing glanced around, but the female officials surrounding her all looked down at the floor, remaining silent.

No one wanted to visit Prince Zhao’s palace, as his notorious behavior was both absurd and violent. The last time a female official went there, she stumbled upon him engaging in midday debauchery with his favored concubine, Lady Ruan, and even had a wine cup thrown at her.

Qun Qing stepped forward. “I’ll go.”

Chief Attendant Zhu gave her a look of approval, while the others whispered among themselves, “She was recommended by the Crown Prince. Naturally, Prince Zhao wouldn’t dare cause trouble for her, so she has nothing to fear.”

Carrying the tray, Qun Qing strode quickly through the corridor, leaving these voices behind.

Before she even entered the hall, she heard wailing.

The metallic scent of bl00d filled the air. Qun Qing held her breath as she saw the scene inside: a mother and daughter in foreign attire knelt trembling in the hall. The mother’s hands were tied behind her back, her body soaked in bl00d. The daughter clung to her, sobbing uncontrollably.

In an instant, she recalled the description of her grandfather’s corpse provided by Fangxie’s secret guard: kneeling, hands tied behind his back. As she took in the scene before her, her heart raced violently.

Prince Zhao, wearing a golden crown, wielded a whip in his hand. He was stripped down to his inner garments, sweating from the exertion of his blows. Noticing the pair’s refusal to beg for mercy, he sneered and said, 

“You are truly stubborn. Qilang, let me ask you one last time. Being an advisor in my palace is no worse than being with Sanlang. If you refuse, I have plenty of patience for stubborn people.”

Wine was on the table, and Lu Huating sat behind it, with four of Li Pan’s palace soldiers standing behind him. He lowered his eyes to the bl00d spots on his body, then raised them again and said, 

“My monthly salary is sufficient, and I will not serve others. If Your Highness is angry, you can confront me directly; why resort to threats?”

“The advisor is joking. You are an official, and if I touch you, I will be punished.” After being rejected, Li Pan turned to his favorite Concubine Ruan, who was standing behind him, and said, “I am in a bad mood. Who do you want to kill first?”

He pulled a dagger from his sleeve and placed it against the mother’s neck. Although Concubine Ruan was shocked, she lowered her head, pointed at the girl, and smiled, 

“Your Highness, kill this little one.”

Concubine Ruan knew that the daughter was in her prime and feared that Li Pan might whimsically favor this Xiban captive, causing her to lose his favor. Unexpectedly, the mother seemed to understand Concubine Ruan’s intention and pushed her neck forward, begging to exchange her life for her daughter’s.

Concubine Ruan covered her mouth as a splash of bl00d hit Li Pan’s feet.

Li Pan was momentarily startled, but the expression on the girl’s face soon disappeared. He smiled and placed the dagger against the girl’s neck, admiring her desperate look.

Qun Qing then entered, holding a plate, and interrupted him, 

“Your Highness Prince Zhao, this is the formal dress and ceremonial book for next month’s investiture ceremony.”

Li Pan stood up unhappily, recognizing Qun Qing as the maid beside the prince. His eyes narrowed as his gaze fell on the golden flower that was about to fall from her bun.

Qun Qing lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Lu Huating also noticed the flower hairpin on her temples. It was unusual for such a small hairpin to be worn by a female official.

Li Pan stared at Qun Qing, his tone sharp, “It’s a bit cold now. Official Qun, help me put this on and see if the dress fits well.”

Qun Qing unfolded the dress as instructed, and just in time to test Li Pan with the golden hairpin that concealed the raw hemp. As she approached him step by step, a smiling voice interrupted, 

“I’m afraid the female official of the Shangyi Bureau isn’t being very polite in her duties.”

Qun Qing paused, feeling a twinge of anxiety at Lu Huating’s interference. Her hand trembled, and the dress ended up wrapped around the Xiban girl. Li Pan’s face was filled with anger.

Qun Qing bowed, her expression calm, “As a female official of the Shangyi Bureau, it is my duty to remind Your Highness of proper etiquette. It is against palace rules to punish prisoners in the palace. Please let her go.”

Li Pan was displeased, and he looked at Lu Huating gloomily before addressing Qun Qing, 

“You fear someone will report you. This one is dirty, and I will order the Shangfu Bureau to clean her. There is another dress on the tray, please put it on for me.”

“Since the female official of the Shangyi Bureau can help people dress, she can also pour wine. Official Qun, please pour the wine,” Lu Huating said.

Thinking she was unlucky to encounter Lu Huating today, Qun Qing doubted things would go smoothly.

Qun Qing put down the dress and walked towards Lu Huating. He observed her. Qun Qing’s hair was in a high bun, and she wore a green crepe jacket with short sleeves. Her face was ruddy, looking completely different from when she had been leaning on the rack and gazing at him.

As she approached, he flicked his slender fingers, lightly knocking over the wine glass. The wine splashed onto her skirt. 

“Official Qun, you are being impolite. You may leave after delivering the items.”

Qun Qing looked at her skirt, said nothing, picked up the wine cup, raised her sleeves, and splashed it in his face.

Lu Huating tilted his head slightly, and the wine dripped from his white jade face and eyelashes. His thick black eyes stared at her intently.

Qun Qing returned his gaze and placed the wine cup down. 

“You don’t know how to behave.”

Behind him, Li Pan laughed out loud. Qun Qing’s humiliation of Lu Huating greatly pleased him, to the extent that he was willing to let Lu Huating go back to change clothes.

Qun Qing then walked over to Concubine Ruan, ignoring her nervous and fearful expression. She took out a jade box from her narrow sleeves, lowered her eyes, and said, 

“This is the first time I have seen Concubine Ruan. The Shangfu Bureau has newly made gold powder rouge. I requested a box and would like to add some color to you.”

Concubine Ruan, thinking she was apologizing for the earlier incident, relaxed her expression, glanced at Li Pan, and accepted it with satisfaction.

Lu Huating and Qun Qing left one after the other.

It wasn’t until Qun Qing arrived at Concubine Lü’s Caiye Palace to prepare for duty that she realized they were heading to the same place.

“Does the advisor not need to change clothes?” Qun Qing couldn’t help but ask.

Lu Huating did not respond, but wiped the wine off his face and went straight into Caiye Palace. Concubine Lü’s maids, Jinzi and Yinzi, were familiar with him and stopped Qun Qing.

Qun Qing waited quietly under the window with her suitcase. She looked out and saw Lu Huating and Concubine Lü sitting opposite each other, talking. He glanced out, and then Concubine Lü also looked at her with disgust.

It was normal for Concubine Lü to dislike her.

Not only had she personally supported Concubine Han and opposed Concubine Lü that day, but she was also now her teacher. Naturally, Concubine Lü didn’t want her to be favored and disliked her as a result.

After a while, Yinzi came out and greeted Qun Qing with a smile. 

“The Concubine is still speaking with Advisor Lu. I’ll welcome you first, as I have another task for you.”

Yinzi walked through the corridor and led Qun Qing to a storage room in the side hall. When the door opened, the sight of the jewels and gems amazed her. Incense burners, screens, and gold and jade boxes given by the Emperor filled the cabinets, making it look like there was plenty of everything.

Yinzi rummaged through the jewelry box and picked out two gold-studded hairpins. She turned and handed them to Qun Qing. 

“These are gifts from the Concubine to Official Qun.”

Qun Qing asked, “What do you need me to do?”

Yinzi replied, “The documents in the treasure cabinet include all the papers from this year for the Heads of each Palace Service. They’re all mixed up and will be handed over to the Heads at the end of the year. Since the Concubine can read and write, please sort them out.”

Qun Qing glanced at the treasure cabinet in the corner. After Yinzi finished speaking, she left Qun Qing alone in the storage room. Qun Qing took out a piece of paper, read it, and put the gold hairpin back.

It was too strange to leave her alone in the palace’s private storage room after just meeting for the first time.

Outside, Yinzi closed the door and laughed with Jinzi. 

“Isn’t it easy to drive out a female official? Let’s call a few more people in later and catch her red-handed. Not only will she be unable to stay in Caiye Palace, but she won’t be able to stay in the Palace Service either!”

Hearing rustling noises inside, the two stopped laughing and hurriedly leaned forward to look through the keyhole. Qun Qing had laid the documents on the ground one by one and started flipping through them. She wasn’t sorting the documents at all; she was blatantly searching through them.

Her behavior was completely unexpected. Jinzi’s face slowly turned pale. Ignoring Yinzi’s obstruction, she rushed in, breaking their plan. 

“Who allowed you to touch these documents? Put them down!”

Qun Qing had already found what she wanted. She was looking for the list of the autumn hunt and had also found a thin handwritten paper related to the military.

The autumn hunt was organized by Concubine Lü, and a spy from Southern Chu shot an arrow at the envoy. Only high-ranking officials in the court could attend the autumn hunt, and it was very likely that the “Heaven” was among them.

Although she had guessed who the “Heaven” who betrayed her in the Shanggong Bureau was, she still needed evidence to verify it.

Just as Qun Qing was about to examine it closely, Jinzi barged in. She hurriedly hid the list in a pile of documents. Qun Qing carefully observed Jinzi.

As a maid, Jinzi seemed more decent than Yinzi. Her bracelets and hairpins concealed wealth.

Qun Qing’s calm eyes made Jinzi feel guilty. She pulled Qun Qing, intending to accuse her of stealing to incriminate Concubine Lü. As they reached the door, they bumped into someone.

Because Lu Huating often rewarded Jinzi with silver, Jinzi trusted him greatly.

Lu Huating lowered his head slightly and entered the warehouse. His dark eyes squinted at Qun Qing’s face. 

“As an eighth-rank official, you only regulate the words and deeds of the ladies. It seems organizing the documents is not within your responsibility.”

Qun Qing looked up at him. “You are in charge of palace affairs. Is it within your responsibility to enter and leave the concubines’ palace?”

Lu Huating snatched the stack of documents from Qun Qing’s hand.

He looked into Qun Qing’s eyes, and Qun Qing looked at his hands. He flipped through them one by one. Her heart sank. As expected, Lu Huating accurately pulled out her list and slipped it into his sleeve. He put the rest back in place and smiled at Jinzi. 

“Take Official Qun to see the Concubine.”

📢 T/L Notes 📢

Hello, dear readers! 👋

I wanted to give you a quick update regarding the recent chapter pricing. You may have noticed that the latest chapters are priced at 13 fire coins instead of 12. This is due to the word count exceeding 3,500 words, which resulted in a slight price adjustment.

But don’t worry! Starting with the upcoming chapters, the fire coin price will go back down to 12 fire coins.

Additionally, I’ve made some adjustments to the translation for better clarity. Moving forward:

• • • • “Concubine Lu” will now be translated as “Concubine Lü” to distinguish between the Lu and Lü families, which are entirely separate.

• • • • For reference, the pronunciation of “Lü” is “Lyu” (to avoid confusion).

Thank you for your patience as I continue to improve the reading experience for everyone. Happy reading, and see you in the next chapter! 💕