In this world, where there’s poison, there should be an antidote. How could it be that there’s no cure for the gu poison, leaving Jiang Taohua with only three years to live? This person must be deceiving him!
Qian Baimei closed his eyes and smiled bitterly. “Only I knew about this. Now that I’ve told you, I feel somewhat relieved.”
Finally, he wasn’t the only one trapped in this endless despair.
Shen Zaiye’s face gradually paled, but his eyes remained exceptionally determined. He looked at Qian Baimei and said, “You’re lying to me, trying to make me withdraw my troops.”
“Whether you believe it or not is up to you,” Qian Baimei replied. “If she stays here, I can spend more time with her. Why wouldn’t I want that?”
Frowning, Shen Zaiye sneered and turned to leave. “The Great Wei’s army doesn’t retreat so easily, especially not for a single woman. I’ll pretend I never heard what you said today. Farewell!”
This man… Qian Baimei scoffed. His words claimed disbelief, but his face betrayed him. If he truly didn’t believe, why were his eyes so red?
His disciple had accidentally encountered this man, and it seemed not as tragic as he had imagined. However… their fate in this life might only last these three years.
Taohua was lying on a soft couch, stroking her belly. She found it miraculous that there was truly a child inside. Wasn’t it said that pregnancy was almost impossible for her? Yet she had won this one-in-ten-thousand chance. Heaven truly favored her.
Shen Zaiye pushed open the door and walked to her side, his expression normal. Taohua looked at him and asked, “How did it go?”
“That medicine…” Shen Zaiye said casually, “was fake. I’m about to send someone back to continue interrogating Empress Lü.”
Frowning slightly, Taohua looked out the window, silent for a moment before smiling. “My lord, I don’t think Empress Lü will ever tell the truth.”
“Why?”
“The Crown Princess died horribly at my master’s hands, the Emperor is bedridden and unable to speak, and her faction in court has been completely wiped out. She has nothing left,” Taohua said softly. “Given Empress Lü’s nature, she likely wants to destroy everything, including me.”
Shen Zaiye stiffened, his pupils contracting as he turned and rushed out.
How could she destroy everything? Three years was already too short. If Empress Lü died, who would make the remaining life-extending antidote? The recipe she gave was fake!
“My lord?” Surprised by his sudden departure, Taohua chased him to the door, only to see him using qinggong to leap across the palace roofs.
She wasn’t really surprised. From the day she entered Zhao, she had prepared for the possibility that Empress Lü would cut off her path to survival. But she had to come, no matter what. What was the point of living a life in hiding?
However, she wondered if her remaining antidote would last long enough for her to give birth to the child in her womb.
Shen Zaiye rode his horse at breakneck speed, bursting through the gates of Zhao’s capital. The Zhao soldiers chased him for a long distance, but they had never seen a horse run so fast. No matter how hard they pursued, they gradually lost sight of him.
Xu Yangui was sitting absentmindedly at the entrance of the tent where Empress Lü was imprisoned when he suddenly saw a cloud of dust approaching in the distance, followed by the sound of a neighing horse.
“You finally remembered to come back?” Xu Yangui frowned upon seeing Shen Zaiye. “You were gone for far too long!”
Ignoring him, Shen Zaiye rushed into the tent, only to find the cage holding Empress Lü empty.
“Where is she?” he turned and roared.
Startled, Xu Yangui stepped back and said, “A few days ago, news came that many Zhao officials had been dismissed. Empress Lü went mad and started ramming herself against the cage. She eventually died from the impacts… By the time I discovered it, her body was already cold. Since we had the medicine recipe, I had her buried.”
Red-eyed, Shen Zaiye felt a sharp pain in his chest. He steadied himself against a nearby object, gasping for breath before saying, “The recipe she gave was fake.”
Fake? Xu Yangui was stunned, taking a while to react. “If the recipe is fake, what about Jiang Taohua?”
Shen Zaiye punched the prison cart, shattering a corner of the massive wooden structure. He stumbled backward, utterly exhausted.
“My lord!” Zhan Lu rushed to support him, frowning. “Please take care of yourself. There are still many things waiting for you to do.”
Many things? Shen Zaiye laughed hoarsely, turning his head to spit out a mouthful of blood.
The bright red color terrified the two men beside him, leaving them momentarily unsure how to react.
Half-kneeling on the ground, Shen Zaiye laughed harder and harder. “Yes, I still have many things to do. I must watch His Majesty unify these three kingdoms and take over the entire world.”
But why did he feel so desperate? It was as if he had been thrown into a deep, dry well, with the only light source above covered by thick wooden planks. The whole world was pitch black, without any way out.
How long could Jiang Taohua’s remaining antidote last? He dared not think about it, dared not calculate. He would rather this was all a dream. When he woke up, Jiang Taohua would be fine, able to climb trees for many more years and bear many children.
“Shen Zaiye…” Xu Yangui looked at him with great concern, wanting to console him but not knowing where to begin.
He always said Jiang Taohua meant nothing to him, but look at him now. It was as if his heart had been carved out. How could that be called nothing? He had placed her in the deepest part of his heart. He didn’t realize it when it was still, but once stirred, the pain pierced through his very core.
Heaven was truly cruel to him. After so many years of never falling for a woman, he finally met one who gave him her true heart, only for her to be destined for a short life. Indeed, those who can calculate everything in the world will never have a completely fulfilling life.
Mu Wuxia received news of Shen Zaiye’s return and hurried to his tent, only to find him lying in bed, his face as pale as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.
“What happened?” Mu Wuxia looked at him, puzzled. “Did Elder Sister Jiang take revenge on you?”
Chuckling softly, Shen Zaiye said hoarsely, “She did indeed take her revenge on me.”
Revenge for the poison he once gave her, a revenge that left him powerless to retaliate.
Mu Wuxia frowned. Hearing his voice, he felt a pain in his own heart. This feeling was unbearable.
“Your Majesty, I have a request,” Shen Zaiye looked at the person beside him. “Everyone else, please leave.”
Zhan Lu and Xu Yangui hesitated before going to stand guard outside the tent. Mu Wuxia raised an eyebrow. These two were Shen Zaiye’s most trusted confidants, yet even they had to leave. What could this be about?
“Speak,” Mu Wuxia said.
“Please allow the vanguard to attack the city,” Shen Zaiye said. “Put all the elite troops in the vanguard and attack Zhao’s main gate.”
Mu Wuxia paused briefly, frowning. “I’ve said before, I won’t attack Zhao.”
“This is for her good,” Shen Zaiye said. “If Your Majesty trusts this humble servant, please do as I say.”
(End of Chapter)