Four days into the journey, everything had gone smoothly. It was on the very day Ziqing’s group boarded the tower ship to travel upstream along the Poison Water River that they finally encountered one of Nanzhao’s famous sudden squalls!
The sky, which had been clear and cloudless just moments before, suddenly filled with churning winds, and before long, dark clouds gathered thick overhead!
Ziqing sat in the ship’s cabin, staring blankly at the darkening sky, while Shiliang and Guxi, both disguised as Nanzhao servants, busied themselves alongside the genuine Nanzhao attendants, tidying things away!
This was the largest ship, following just behind the small guide-boat at the very front of the fleet. The tower ship stood three stories tall, housing the Prince of Nanzhao, the four foreign delegations, and the three great clans.
Each party had its own private cabin, staffed with a designated number of attendants.
The Poison Water River ran quite long, and traveling upstream against the current naturally required considerable time. Should a storm hit, the fleet would need to dock along the shore, lest they lose more ground than they gained.
“Hey, what are you thinking about!” A hand suddenly waved in front of her face — Ziqing didn’t even need to look to know it was Yelu Qianqian. She’d started to regret saving this girl; for someone like Ziqing, who preferred quiet, this girl was genuinely exhausting.
She ignored her, still gazing silently at the sky, lost in thought.
“Hey, are you thinking about Prince Yao?” Yelu Qianqian asked.
Only then did Ziqing look down and answer flatly, “No.”
“Then what are you thinking about?” Yelu Qianqian pressed at once. Knowing that Situ Haonan had only agreed to accompany her because of his promise to Prince Yao, Yelu Qianqian found she no longer disliked this woman at all — in fact, she’d started to like her.
“You don’t need to know. Don’t bother me,” Ziqing said bluntly. Yelu Qianqian, already used to this, plopped down beside her anyway, lowering her voice. “This river water is so poisonous — it’s pitch black, you can’t even see any water grass, let alone fish! What do you think is causing this poison, anyway?”
As for the poison in the river, Ziqing had already examined the Poison Water carefully herself. She couldn’t quite identify what kind of toxin it was — it seemed to be some sort of poison that had reacted with the river’s water quality, causing widespread contamination across a vast area.
Seeing that Ziqing didn’t respond, Yelu Qianqian scooted even closer, lowering her voice further. “Hey, be careful, alright? Your skirt’s so narrow you can barely move — don’t stray too far from the cabin. Watch out for Chu Feiyan trying something against you!”
The moment those words left her mouth, a deafening crack of thunder boomed overhead, followed instantly by a terrifying flash of lightning. Yelu Qianqian instantly threw her arms around Ziqing, her face drained of all color, shrieking repeatedly in fright.
More thunder followed in rapid succession, several bolts of lightning illuminating the earth as bright as day.
“Ah… so scary! Ah…”
Yelu Qianqian kept shrieking, clinging tightly to Ziqing’s neck, burying herself into her with all her strength!
Ziqing endured it at first, but as breathing grew increasingly difficult, she finally shoved the girl away roughly, snapping, “Get away from me!”
Yelu Qianqian was genuinely terrified, and paying no mind to Ziqing’s harsh tone, she clutched her head and scrambled hurriedly into the cabin, disappearing somewhere out of sight!
Ziqing kept her expression stern as she watched, but then, unexpectedly, burst out laughing despite herself. Noticing Guxi and Shiliang glancing over curiously, she quickly composed herself again and turned back to look out of the cabin.
Outside, the rain was now pouring down in sheets, the sound of it a chaotic roar.
It was, indeed, just a passing squall — sudden and fierce, but quick to clear. Before long, the rain stopped and the sky cleared, the air fresh and clean.
Only then did Yelu Qianqian cautiously creep back over, sighing, “That storm passed so fast!”
“Why do you think Chu Feiyan would try to harm me?” Ziqing asked, unusually taking the initiative.
“Because the whole of Longyuan knows she’s in love with Prince Yao! But Prince Yao loves you — so of course she must hate you. Jealous, resentful hate! And since she’s got such a spiteful heart, she’s bound to try something against you!” Yelu Qianqian said with complete seriousness.
Ziqing snorted coldly. “Beiyue loving me is Beiyue’s business. Why would she resent me for it?”
“Of course she would! If Situ Haonan ever fell for you, I’d hate you to the bone too!” Yelu Qianqian said, staring straight at Ziqing with dead seriousness.
For some reason, Ziqing found herself instinctively looking away from those clear, unwavering eyes — when had she ever avoided anyone’s direct gaze before?
Yelu Qianqian, not noticing anything odd about her, suddenly declared loudly, “Han Ziqing, let’s be friends!”
She stared straight into Ziqing’s eyes, her innocent, pretty face lit up with excitement and anticipation — she’d spent days agonizing over this decision! She never made friends casually!
Yet Ziqing still looked away. “Princess Qianqian, don’t joke around. Situ Haonan’s at the stern of the ship.”
Yelu Qianqian’s smile froze for a moment, but she pressed on earnestly. “I’m not here for him today. I’m here for you. I mean it, Han Ziqing — let’s be good friends!”
Ziqing couldn’t help but laugh. Did this girl still think they were children? Claiming to be best friends today, only to fall out in a huff tomorrow, then holding hands again the day after, back to being friends once more?
Xuanyuan Lige was proof enough of that lesson. Friends? Between two nations, how could there ever be true friendship?
“What are you laughing at?” Yelu Qianqian asked anxiously.
“Princess Qianqian, if that’s all you came for, please go. I’m not in the mood,” Ziqing said, immediately rising to leave.
Yelu Qianqian grabbed her arm at once. “You still haven’t answered my question!”
“I don’t want to,” Ziqing said bluntly.
“Why not!” Princess Qianqian’s eyes welled up with tears instantly. So many people had tried to curry favor with her throughout her life — this was the first time she had ever tried to make a friend on her own initiative!
A flicker of complicated emotion crossed Ziqing’s eyes, but in the end she still spoke coldly. “Let go!”
The two of them argued back and forth, neither noticing that a servant in the cabin had been watching them for some time, hand already resting on a hidden switch embedded in the wall.
“Han Ziqing, don’t you dare take my kindness for granted!” Yelu Qianqian said angrily.
“Stop flattering yourself. Let go,” Ziqing said, wanting no part of this. It was destined to end in hurt — once was already enough.
“You!” Yelu Qianqian’s voice cracked hoarse. She wrenched her hand away furiously. “Hmph, you’re the one flattering yourself!”
And yet, having said that, she still didn’t leave. Ziqing, so accustomed to coldness, found she couldn’t quite bring herself to say anything truly cruel — and, to her own surprise, felt a faint ache in her chest over it.
She paused for a moment, then finally strode forward — but just as she took a step, her foot suddenly broke straight through the deck planking, plunging downward, her whole body following it down!
Ziqing’s heart lurched in alarm — the hole tore open with unstoppable momentum, spreading rapidly, and even the spots where she pressed her hands down began collapsing along with it!
Yelu Qianqian froze, instinctively stumbling back, then just as instinctively dropped hard to her knees, one hand gripping the doorframe, the other grabbing for Ziqing’s hand, the tears she’d been holding back bursting out as she screamed at the top of her lungs, “Help! Someone, help! Save her!”
Still reeling with shock, Ziqing felt with terrifying clarity that most of her body was already submerged in the poisoned water — and this poison was deadly!
“Help! Someone, quick! Hurry!”
The guards in the cabin arrived swiftly, and Guxi and Shiliang, rushing over from a distance, joined forces to finally haul Ziqing back up!
By the time Ziqing lay collapsed on the deck, drenched from head to toe on one side, nearly the entire ship had gathered around her!
Ziqing let out a great heaving breath — but the moment her eyes met Situ Haonan’s horrified gaze, she drew in a sharp gasp, suddenly remembering something crucial. She was immune to all poison!