Qian Bai Mei paused, finally turning to look at her. “Why?”
“She’s afflicted with gu poison and overworked. Even if she can keep the child for now, she won’t make it to full term,” Yang Wanqing explained. “And even if the child is strong enough to reach full term, it will surely be stillborn.”
Qian Bai Mei’s expression tightened as he sat up. “Is there any way to cure her?”
Yang Wanqing frowned at him. “It’s someone else’s child. You still want to save it for her?”
Qian Bai Mei laughed coldly. “Whatever is in her belly is her child. As her master, I must protect it. If you have a solution, speak up. If not, you should leave.”
“Unless you can cure the gu poison in her body, there’s no solution,” Yang Wanqing gazed at him deeply. “I’ve never seen anyone more foolish than you.”
Impatiently rising, Qian Bai Mei leaped down and walked away without looking back.
“Where are you going?” Yang Wanqing hurriedly asked.
“Somewhere quieter.”
If she had no solution, what was the point of telling him all this? It would have been better to keep him in the dark.
While Taohua slept soundly, Shen Zaiye had already placed a list in Jiang Long Jue’s hands.
Long Jue frowned. “Why is the Prime Minister doing this?”
“Perhaps you should call me brother-in-law,” Shen Zaiye replied, looking at him. “Your sister obtained this for you. Use it well to cleanse the court quickly, then face the army outside the city. It will ease your sister’s mind.”
What was with this lecturing tone? Long Jue frowned. The man before him was Wei’s most formidable opponent. Could this be another trap?
He wasn’t skilled at these mind games and wanted to ask his sister, but she was asleep. As he hesitated, the door opened and Qian Bai Mei entered with a frown.
“Shen Zaiye,” he asked, “is Empress Lü with you?”
Shen Zaiye paused, glancing at Long Jue before nodding slightly. Without another word, Qian Bai Mei pulled him outside and said in a low voice, “Taohua’s poison must be cured for the child to be safe. Find a way to force information from Lü to see if she has an antidote.”
“I have it,” Shen Zaiye pulled out a prescription from his sleeve. “I got it from her last time but haven’t had a chance to give it to Taohua.”
Qian Bai Mei took the prescription with some doubt and examined it. “I’ll ask Doctor Xue about this. Take good care of her.”
Shen Zaiye raised an eyebrow and stopped him to ask, “You know she’s truly pregnant?”
“Yes,” Qian Bai Mei replied. “That’s why we need to find a cure quickly, or both mother and child will be in danger.”
Somewhat surprised, Shen Zaiye stepped closer and said, “You love her.”
It was a statement, not a question. Qian Bai Mei didn’t bother to deny it, knowing that men could understand each other’s thoughts clearly. There was no point in quibbling.
“So what if I do?”
“If you love her, are you taking this prescription to save both mother and child or just her?” Shen Zaiye asked.
Men are possessive. It’s one thing to see the woman you love marry someone else, but how could you bear to see her have another man’s child?
Qian Bai Mei glanced at him and smiled. “You’ve never truly loved someone.”
Shen Zaiye was stunned, then frowned. He was about to argue when Qian Bai Mei turned away.
“If the prescription works, I’ll ensure both mother and child are safe. You needn’t worry,” he said. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll find a way to save her, even at the cost of my life.”
Before Shen Zaiye could react, Qian Bai Mei’s silver hair swished as he walked away.
Coming to his senses, Prime Minister Shen’s face darkened. He stood at the door clenching his fists for a while before returning to the main hall.
When Jiang Taohua woke up, Long Jue told her about the list. She had just said “This can be trusted” when Shen Zaiye threw Long Jue out.
“It’s enough that you know it can be trusted,” he said. “Don’t let your sister think about everything. This will be your country, after all.”
Long Jue was surprised. “My country?”
Did this mean… he wasn’t going to attack Zhao? But Wei soldiers had been constantly trying to scale the city walls recently, causing panic in the court. Many believed the capital would eventually fall, and a third of the city’s residences were empty. Where was this coming from?
Before he could understand, the door closed in front of him. Long Jue frowned, stood for a moment, then left with the list in hand.
Taohua sat fuming in the main hall. Seeing Shen Zaiye return, she angrily said, “Is this your new tactic? Not letting me tell him what to do?”
“That’s a man’s concern,” Shen Zaiye replied. “You need to see your brother as a man. You can’t help him forever.”
But… Taohua was still worried. With Long Jue’s straightforward nature, how could he handle such matters?
However, events proved that Long Jue had grown considerably over the past year. He methodically purged the court according to the list, showing no mercy. For some difficult cases, he even asked Qian Bai Mei to intervene, resolving issues permanently.
Fresh blood was infused into Zhao’s corrupt court. Long Jue appointed based on merit, regardless of background, elevating many talented commoners to high positions. Although the gentry grumbled, the common people praised him endlessly. In just ten days, Zhao seemed to recover from a serious illness. The ruler and ministers worked well together, determined to send the Wei forces back.
During this time, Doctor Xue had been studying the prescription Shen Zaiye provided, but the final result was not good.
“It’s fake,” Doctor Xue said. “If she takes this medicine, it will likely trigger the gu poison in her body, causing a faster death.”
Qian Bai Mei and Shen Zaiye fell silent. Shen Zaiye was angry, but Qian Bai Mei’s eyes darkened completely.
“So there is no cure for the charm gu in this world,” he said. “Shen Zaiye, do you still want to waste time on war?”
“What do you mean?” Shen Zaiye frowned. “If Lü didn’t tell the truth, we can ask her again. She’s still being held in Wei’s military camp…”
“There is no cure for charm gu,” Qian Bai Mei said softly, lowering his gaze. “Empress Lü said this herself when I was about to kill her. It’s unlikely to be a lie. Taohua has less than three years to live. Do you still want to waste time with her on the battlefield?”
Shen Zaiye stiffened, looking at him in disbelief, his eyes filled with shock. “Impossible!”
(End of Chapter)