1
In the Great Chu, there is a widely acknowledged fact: if one were to discuss which woman has the best fortune in the world, it would undoubtedly be Wei Qingping, the daughter of King Wei. The King Wei is one of the few princes of different surnames in Great Chu, stationed far away at the southwestern border, commanding a formidable army. In his youth, he was a dashing and charming young man, winning the hearts of many women.
Wei Qingping’s mother, Jiang Huarong, was the daughter of the master of the Baicao Pavilion and was known as the most beautiful woman in Great Chu, possessing extraordinary medical skills and attracting countless admirers. The two met while traversing the martial world, and subsequently, King Wei married Jiang Huarong as his primary wife. They had a son, Wei Guangchuan, followed by Wei Qingping. However, shortly after Wei Qingping’s birth, King Wei was caught in bed with another woman by Jiang Huarong. Heartbroken by the betrayal of the man she had devoted herself to, Jiang Huarong left a letter of divorce and returned to Baicao Pavilion, continuing her role as the young master of the pavilion.
Everyone expected King Wei to be furious with this woman, but to their surprise, he transformed into a devoted husband, pursuing her for over a decade. With a sense of regret and love for his wife, King Wei doted on their two children. Wei Qingping, their daughter, was recognized by Jiang Huarong as the heir to the Baicao Pavilion. She spent half of each year at the pavilion, and during each visit, King Wei would take the opportunity to see his wife, further indulging Wei Qingping. Anyone who witnessed their interactions would inevitably remark on his excessive pampering.
Wei Qingping not only enjoyed a noble lineage and extraordinary parental love but also thrived on her own merits. From a young age, she was exceptionally beautiful, gifted in medicine, and skilled in martial arts. It could be said that heaven had bestowed upon her all its favors, inciting envy in others.
However, perhaps due to the ease of her life, at the age of thirteen, Wei Qingping began to feel that her days were lacking in excitement. After discussing it with her parents, she embarked on a journey to wander the martial world. With her remarkable medical skills, she traveled far and wide, healing the sick and saving lives, earning the title of “Jade Bodhisattva” in the martial world. Approaching eighteen, she still had not considered marriage, becoming known as the “old maid.” Yet, with her exceptional background, even as an old maid, she had countless suitors. For someone with such an easy life, Wei Qingping found it rather uninteresting.
2
Her life began to feel more intriguing when she met Qin Shiyue. This encounter occurred on her way to Hexi, where she was entrusted to provide free medical consultations. At that time, her carriage had stopped, and her attendant had gone to fetch water, leaving her alone in the carriage to read. As she was engrossed in her book, someone suddenly burst into the carriage, a short knife pressed against her throat, coldly commanding, “Get down.”
Wei Qingping remained silent, observing the young man before her. He appeared to be in his early twenties, covered in blood, with a mixture of blood and dirt on his face, yet his eyes shone with an astonishing brightness. It was the first time in her life that she had been robbed, and she found it somewhat amusing. Complying with his command, she set her book aside and followed the young man out of the carriage, curious to see what he would do next.
Seeing that she offered no resistance, he relaxed and attempted to strike her neck heavily. Wei Qingping guessed he intended to knock her out, so she cooperatively “fainted,” collapsing onto the grass without a word.
Once he saw her unconscious, he turned back and dragged another person out from the nearby bushes. Wei Qingping quietly opened her eyes to observe this person. He was clearly at the end of his strength, barely holding on, while the person he was dragging had completely lost consciousness. Each step they took was a struggle, yet the young man did not give up, gritting his teeth as he pulled the other person toward the carriage.
Unable to watch any longer, Wei Qingping silently counted down in her mind: “Three, two, one…” Just as she finished her silent countdown, the young man could no longer hold on and collapsed.
Wei Qingping stood up, curious, and walked over to examine the injuries of the two. At that moment, her maid, Feng’er, returned with water. Upon seeing Wei Qingping crouched beside the two bloodied figures, she screamed, dropping the basin with a loud crash. Drawing her sword, she rushed in front of Wei Qingping, fiercely declaring, “Princess, I will protect you!”
Wei Qingping looked at her trembling maid and, after a moment of silence, could not help but reply, “I think it’s more urgent for you to fetch another basin of water; that is far more important.”
3
When Qin Shiyue woke up, his wounds had already been treated by Wei Qingping. She had brought him to an inn, and the first thing he did upon waking was instinctively reach for his sword. However, it was not there. He quickly got out of bed and rushed outside. Just as he stepped out of the inner room, he spotted Wei Qingping calmly sitting and sipping tea.
Qin Shiyue halted in his tracks, secretly clenching his fists as he scrutinized the woman before him. This woman was not simple.
“Awake?” Wei Qingping looked up at him, curiosity in her eyes. “You and your friend are both injured. Your wounds are quite strange; they don’t seem to be from a martial artist but rather from someone in the military. Especially your friend, who has been poisoned. Who are you? You’re not from the martial world, are you?”
Qin Shiyue remained silent, his gaze falling on the jade pendant hanging at Wei Qingping’s waist, which bore the character “Bai.”
Looking at her appearance, recalling how she had knocked him out earlier, and seeing the pendant, Qin Shiyue deduced that she must be the renowned “Jade Bodhisattva” of the martial world, Wei Qingping.
This time, Wei Yun had secretly violated the agreement with Zhao Yue to go to Hexi to buy horses, only to be ambushed by Zhao Yue’s men. This matter must not leak, and with Wei Qingping being the daughter of King Wei, her position was ambiguous. If they killed her directly… it would surely turn King Wei into an enemy. However, allowing her to live would ultimately pose a threat…
As Qin Shiyue pondered these thoughts, Wei Qingping noticed his silence and frowned, assuming he was like the other men who had been mesmerized by her beauty. Feeling somewhat displeased, she stood up and said, “Actually, even if you don’t speak, I can roughly guess. I saw your friend’s pendant…”
Her words caused Qin Shiyue’s expression to change. He made a quick decision; in that instant, as Wei Qingping spoke, he lunged at her, swiftly removing the black pearl-like earring from his ear and placing it in his mouth.
Seeing his charge, Wei Qingping’s expression changed dramatically. She drew a hidden blade from her sleeve and thrust it toward him. A normal person would have dodged such an attack, but this young man charged straight into her blade, blood splattering as he pressed her head down and kissed her fiercely, pushing a small, smooth, slightly cold object into her mouth with his tongue.
She widened her eyes, momentarily stunned. After pushing the object into her mouth, he pulled away without hesitation, breathing heavily as he said, “Mother and child Gu; if I die, you die; if I hurt, you hurt.”
Hearing this, Wei Qingping suddenly reacted, furious. She kicked Qin Shiyue away, who crashed into the screen. Then, she felt various pains emerging throughout her body.
The “Mother and Child Gu” from the Chen Kingdom meant that if the mother Gu was alive, the one who had the child Gu would also live. If the mother Gu died, the child Gu would die as well. The only way to resolve this was for the mother Gu to actively summon back the child Gu.
“Save my master, and I will summon back the child Gu,” Qin Shiyue gasped, clutching his wound. “Princess, this is an extraordinary time; I apologize.”
“You ungrateful wretch…” Wei Qingping trembled as she pointed her sword at Qin Shiyue. Overcome with pain and anger, she lost her composure for the first time, glaring at him as she shouted, “Just wait to die!”