Hearing Jun Beichen’s words, Prince Baxian was struck with sudden fury, snapping, “How dare you speak to this prince this way! Who do you think you are!”
Prince Baxian held evidence of Jun Beichen’s past collusion with Xichu and Xijing—he could have him charged at any moment.
If it weren’t for Jun Beiyue’s forgiveness and support, Jun Beichen would long ago have lost any standing to speak in the palace!
Seeing Prince Baxian’s anger, Jun Beichen had to force down his own rage, though he roared, “What exactly did Han Ziqing ever do to offend you all, that you treat her this way!”
“What nonsense are you spouting!” Prince Baxian roared back.
“Did I say anything wrong? The western frontier was won by her hand! If there’s no merit, there’s at least hard-won effort—have you people no conscience left?” Jun Beichen was determined to go all out tonight, resolved to seek justice for Han Ziqing no matter what.
Though there had been much friction between them in the past, he genuinely admired that sister-in-law from the bottom of his heart.
Yet Prince Baxian’s face darkened. “Second Prince, this is not a place where you can shout however you please. Leave at once, or don’t blame me for being rude.”
“I want to see Jun Beiyue, I want to ask him—why, why does he not trust Han Ziqing, who personally sought out this Prince Baxian on his behalf!”
Hearing this, Prince Baxian finally lost all patience and roared, “Guards! Drag the Second Prince out and give him thirty strokes of the rod!”
This was the imperial palace, not the battlefield.
Here, Jun Beichen was at most an imperial prince—Prince Baxian was the master here!
Jun Beichen’s forehead bulged with veins as he struggled fiercely, and even as he was dragged to the door, he kept cursing without pause.
Prince Baxian ignored him, striding furiously toward the study.
He admitted he had once greatly admired Han Ziqing—he himself had been persuaded out of reclusion by her. But that was then, and this was now.
Han Ziqing’s lineage, her bloodline, was an absolute insult to the Da Zhou royal house.
And this time too, it was because of her—otherwise how could Jun Beiyue possibly have been wounded so gravely? Otherwise the peace conference would already have been held, and Da Zhou would already have secured control over Longyuan!
Everything was because of Han Ziqing!
Prince Baxian gave no thought to all the good Ziqing had done before—whether toward Jun Beiyue or toward Da Zhou. He only thought of her lineage, only thought of the peace conference matter.
For someone truly loved and cherished from the heart, even a hundred wrongs could be forgiven for a single act of kindness—that one good deed would be remembered forever, treasured.
But for someone not truly loved from the heart, even a hundred good deeds could be forgotten the moment one bad deed was committed—that single bad deed would be the only thing remembered forever.
Unfortunately, in Prince Baxian’s heart, Ziqing belonged to the latter category.
That he hadn’t secretly ordered her hunted down and killed was already something—how could he possibly go looking for her?
After Prince Baxian left, Imperial Physician Gu finally stepped out from the side, his old eyes gleaming with sharp resentment he could barely conceal, much like Prince Baxian’s own.
Where Prince Baxian was concerned with bloodline, with matters of state, with the world at large—in Imperial Physician Gu’s eyes, all he cared about was Han Ziqing’s origins.
Ever since he’d learned about the Gu-cultivation matter, he had never once let go of this knot in his heart.
He didn’t want Prince Yao to be tied down by this woman for the rest of his life.
He glared resentfully in the direction Jun Beichen had disappeared, mulling over what could be done to ensure Han Ziqing never returned.
Just then, a young medicine apprentice came hurrying over. “Master, that woman has woken up.”
“Who?” Imperial Physician Gu asked, puzzled.
“The woman who was rescued along with the prince—didn’t you have us treat her?” the apprentice explained.
Only then did Imperial Physician Gu recall—it was Bai Mengmeng.
Back when Jun Beiyue was being sent back to the capital, the Xijing royal family had sent Bai Mengmeng along too, asking if anyone recognized her.
Imperial Physician Gu had immediately recognized her as General Baihu’s adopted daughter, Bai Mengmeng, but hadn’t known what to do with her, and so had simply brought her back along with them.
After returning to the palace, he’d been so preoccupied with Jun Beiyue’s condition that he hadn’t paid her much mind, merely handing her off to the apprentices at the Imperial Physicians’ Bureau.
Imperial Physician Gu only knew that Bai Mengmeng had been brought along by Jun Beichen; he had no idea why she’d been at Mingsha Mountain.
“Go report it to the Second Prince,” Imperial Physician Gu said, waving his hand as he turned to leave—Bai Mengmeng was, after all, someone from the military; he didn’t care to trouble himself with her.
But he hadn’t taken more than a few steps before he stopped short, hastily calling the apprentice back. “Wait!”
What exactly had happened in that tornado at Mingsha Mountain? Why had Jun Beiyue and Situ Haonan been wounded so badly? No one knew—all three present had been unconscious. Now that Bai Mengmeng had woken…
Of course he had to question her thoroughly!
With this thought, Imperial Physician Gu immediately had the apprentice lead the way, telling no one, and hurried toward the Imperial Physicians’ Bureau.
Though Bai Mengmeng’s injuries weren’t as severe as Jun Beiyue’s or Situ Haonan’s, they were far from minor.
Her injuries were all internal, caused by holding her breath too long buried in the sand—had she not been treated by physicians in Xijing, she likely wouldn’t have survived.
Since being brought to the Imperial Physicians’ Bureau, no one had looked after her—she’d been left entirely in the young apprentice’s care.
Jun Beichen was far too busy to think of her, and as for General Baihu, he’d grown thoroughly disheartened by the choices Bai Mengmeng had made, simply leaving her to whatever disposition the Eastern Qin Empress saw fit.
If the apprentice hadn’t happened to report it, Imperial Physician Gu wouldn’t have remembered her at all.
Bai Mengmeng had been placed in the cheapest little room in the Bureau. She had only just woken, her whole body weak, unable to move, as though she might lose her breath at any moment.
She didn’t even know where she was, didn’t know why she wasn’t dead, had no idea what had happened.
The door creaked open. Imperial Physician Gu had the apprentice wait outside and entered alone.
Bai Mengmeng couldn’t move at all—her internal injuries were severe; the slightest wrong move could jar her organs and cause agonizing pain.
Yet the moment she saw Imperial Physician Gu, she was startled, her dull eyes suddenly brightening.
She certainly knew who Imperial Physician Gu was—the physician Jun Beiyue trusted most, the most skilled physician in the entire Da Zhou palace.
Why was he here?
Where was this place? Could it be that Imperial Physician Gu had saved her? How was that possible?
Imperial Physician Gu could see the shock in Bai Mengmeng’s eyes. Expressionless, he pulled up a chair and sat beside her, saying flatly, “Miss Bai, I’m glad you survived.”
“It was you… you saved me?” Bai Mengmeng asked, incredulous, instinctively sensing this old man hadn’t come for anything good.
“You could say that. Only, I’m the one who can save you—and the one who can kill you.” Imperial Physician Gu paused, then added, “Miss Bai understands, I trust.”
Bai Mengmeng stared at him, her face growing worse and worse, until finally she asked, word by word, “Could it be… that Jun Beiyue isn’t dead?”
At this, Imperial Physician Gu’s fists clenched involuntarily—he wanted nothing more than to lunge forward and strangle the answer out of her. But he held back; he could see at a glance how weak she was right now.
“Miss Bai, you seem to know a great deal. If you tell me exactly what happened, perhaps I’ll consider saving you,” Imperial Physician Gu said coldly.