Chapter 31

“You poisonous woman—! Our Gu family will never let you off, even as ghosts—!”

The inner attendant clutched his blood-soaked neck and screamed. It didn’t take long for the guards to pin him down, but even on his knees, his face draining of color by the second, he kept cursing, his crazed voice echoing across Shenwu Plaza.

“You poisonous woman—! My father never colluded with the enemy! It was you—! You framed us! You killed my family of one hundred and three—! It was you—!”

By the end, the inner attendant was almost shrieking. The heart-rending sound left everyone in the square too terrified to make a peep. The moment they heard the words “Gu family,” they all understood; but the Gu family should have been wiped out long ago. How could there still be any bloodline left?

Gu Xifeng had only one son who reached adulthood; this person must have been the eldest son, Gu Sheng.

Xie Tinglan remained seated in silence, her gaze still on Ye Rui. She saw Ri Xi feed her several pills and press the acupoints all over her body, but the bright red blood still continued to stream from the wound in her left shoulder, glaringly vivid.

Then she lifted her eyes to the frantic man whose official hat had been knocked loose, hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot. Slowly, she stood. Step by step, she walked up to the inner attendant, looked down at him from above, and curved her lips with an icy chill. “So it was a surviving member of the Gu family.”

Her merciless gaze was as venomous as a snake’s. She gave a cold snort. “Then now you can go down and keep your family company.”

As she spoke, she reached out and seized the attendant by the throat; her fingers tightened until the knuckles turned white. A great gush of blood poured from the severed major artery in his neck, quickly soaking through his gray inner attendant robe.

The two guards exchanged stunned looks. They dared not let go, and they dared not stop her either. Under Xie Tinglan’s dark, poisonous stare, they even held their breath.

The inner attendant glared at Xie Tinglan with bloodshot, splitting eyes; his face had gone red, veins bulging. He seemed to want to say something more, but only his purple lips trembled. In the end, he died with his eyes still open, unwilling.

Everyone watched this scene with cold dread in their hearts, especially beneath Xie Tinglan’s sinister gaze; all of them showed fear. Everyone knew Xie Tinglan never killed with her own hands. With a casual flick of the wolf-hair brush in her hand, she could send many people to their deaths.

The jinshi candidates in the plaza were so frightened they did not dare look at her again. They all lowered their heads and backed into the corners, terrified of being singled out by this bloodthirsty jackal.

As Xie Tinglan withdrew her hand, her gaze landed on Duke of Wei. The duke was so startled he took a step back, but quickly steadied himself and met her eyes without flinching.

“What happened?”

At that moment, Emperor Yuan came over with Helian Shaohua at his side. Helian Shaohua was speaking softly into his ear. The Emperor frowned at the inner attendant lying in a pool of blood and asked with concern, “Is Your Excellency injured?”

“By Your Majesty’s great fortune, this minister was not injured.”

Only then did Emperor Yuan notice Ye Rui lying in Ri Xi’s arms, gasping for breath. He said, “To think the Gu family’s surviving members are still alive, and even infiltrated the palace. This must be thoroughly investigated!”

His voice was thunderous, making sure everyone in the plaza heard him clearly.

“Summon the imperial physician at once; the physician must treat Your Excellency’s guard!”

After the Emperor spoke, Eunuch Zhaosheng was about to leave, but Xie Tinglan stopped him. “I thank Your Majesty for your grace, but it’s only a mere guard. There’s no need to trouble Your Majesty’s imperial physician; if used, I fear she may not be blessed enough to withstand it.”

With that, Xie Tinglan’s gaze swept over Helian Shaohua. Helian Shaohua’s red lips curved almost imperceptibly; then, as if she were about to faint, she sank into Emperor Yuan’s arms. “Your Majesty…”

Emperor Yuan steadied her firmly. Covering her temple, Helian Shaohua said, “Your Majesty, this concubine... feels unwell.”

Seeing Helian Shaohua’s pale face, Emperor Yuan’s composure instantly shattered. He no longer cared about propriety, and wrapped one arm around her waist. “I’ll go back with you to rest. Summon the imperial physician to Golden Phoenix Palace!”

He turned to Xie Tinglan, then looked again at the disaster that was Shenwu Plaza, and let out a long sigh. “Your Excellency, the situation here will be left to you.”

“This minister obeys.”

Xie Tinglan bent in salute, her pale hand still stained with fresh blood. Emperor Yuan’s eyelid twitched at the sight, and he immediately turned to leave, leaving Eunuch Zhaosheng behind to assist Xie Tinglan.

Xie Tinglan turned to look at Ye Rui. The woman’s eyes were half-closed, the light gone from them; no one knew whether she had fainted.

She clenched her teeth, the five fingers hidden inside her sleeve tightening hard. “Ri Xi, take her back for treatment.”

After saying this in a light, almost casual tone, Xie Tinglan took the handkerchief Eunuch Zhaosheng offered and wiped her hands over and over. Her gaze fell on the plaza. “Everyone, please sit. It was only a small interruption.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Tinglan once more lowered her eyes to the dead attendant and said coldly, “But as for the matter of the Gu bloodline still surviving, this prime minister will investigate it to the bottom. I will not allow lawless criminals to disregard the laws of Great Yan!”

By the time she turned around, Ri Xi had already carried Ye Rui away. Xie Tinglan flicked her sleeves and sat down as if nothing had happened, watching the guards drag the attendant off and leave a long streak of blood on the ground.

Seeing this, Eunuch Zhaosheng’s features tightened. He immediately gave the little eunuchs a look, and they hurried to fetch wet cloths to wipe the stone floor of Shenwu Plaza. The square still smelled of blood, but Xie Tinglan calmly took a sip of tea from her water pouch.

“Everyone—”

Xie Tinglan drew out her voice, and some of the timid candidates couldn’t help shrinking their necks when they heard it, their fear palpable.

She could make heads roll with just a few words; she could face an assassination attempt with complete composure; even drenched in blood, she did not change expression. Her eyes were more frightening than a venomous snake’s. How could these candidates, who had never seen Xie Tinglan’s methods, possibly bear it? Their bodies were trembling already.

“Today is the grand imperial examination; don’t let this matter spoil your mood. Here, this prime minister also advises all of you candidates—”

The plaza fell utterly silent. Xie Tinglan’s voice was not loud, yet it reached every ear.

“Whether or not you enter court as an official, do not take the wrong path. Once you choose wrongly, once you step wrongly, every step after that will be wrong too.”

When she finished, her gaze fell on the bloodstain that had not yet been wiped away; the warning in it was heavy, and the candidates were so frightened they held their breath.

Duke of Wei snorted and muttered, “What bad luck,” before saying nothing more.

Xie Tinglan said nothing else either, only waiting for the Grand Scholars to continue grading the exam papers. She looked at the flecks of blood remaining by her feet, her brow unconsciously furrowing again. Her hand around the water pouch tightened as she closed her eyes and slowly regulated her breathing.

Who was borrowing a blade to kill, when the wronged souls who should have been buried in the earth were seeking vengeance?

**

It felt like being gnawed through by pain to the very bone.

This was the first time Ye Rui had ever felt this kind of pain. In a dazed haze, she seemed to hear a few words, and her heart hurt even more.

Xie Tinglan, is your mouth made of poison or something?

Just before passing out, Ye Rui complained tearfully. Before she completely lost consciousness, she heard Hu Tu’s voice.

Hu Tu: [The side quest is complete. Strength +10. Your strength is now 50. Hey, hold on there, hey!]

Ye Rui felt herself sink into a broken, shattered dream. At times she was surrounded by darkness, hearing only Ri Xi speaking quietly to the other servants. At times she dreamed of her days in the modern world, planning games. And at times, she dreamed of Xie Tinglan sitting on the bed reading, sunlight spilling over her.

The dreams were fragmented, almost impossible to connect into a coherent line of logic, as though irregular shards could not be pieced into a complete picture.

Later, Ye Rui felt as though she had awakened once. Her eyelids were unbearably heavy, and she could barely open them. She only caught a blurry glimpse of Ri Xi beside her, saying something she couldn’t hear clearly.

The dagger had gone deep into her left shoulder. Any slight return of consciousness brought Ye Rui unbearable agony; pain and exhaustion surged over her, and her brain shut down once more.

She sank into sleep again. Before losing consciousness this time, she only heard Ri Xi speaking to someone else...

“The toxicity in her wound is being neutralized on its own.”

Ri Xi... poison? There was poison on that knife too? That made sense. That person had come to take lives. With Xie Tinglan’s body, that one strike really could have killed her.

That was good... so good...

I really must have owed you, you scummy woman, in my last life. Why did I have to rush over to block the blade...

“Of course it will neutralize on its own. That poison doesn’t do much damage to her.”

Neutralize on its own... what the hell?

Ye Rui still wanted to keep thinking, but she was too tired. She lost consciousness again. This time there were no dreams, only endless darkness.

When she woke again, she had no idea how many days had passed. The moment she opened her eyes, Ri Xi, who had been sleeping by the bedside, woke at once too. She sat up quickly and said with concern, “You’re finally awake.”

Rubbing her eyes, she immediately poured Ye Rui a cup of tea and gently helped her sit up.

Ye Rui took a few sips of the warm tea, then scrunched up her face hard. “It hurts...”

It hurts like hell!!

Her body had been reacting sluggishly just a moment ago, but now she could truly feel the flesh on her left shoulder being cut apart and torn; cold sweat sprang out instantly, and tears welled at the corners of her eyes. She suddenly thought of the pain Xie Tinglan must have felt when she took a blade and fractured bone. How did that person manage not to make a sound?

“Here, take a pill. It’s for pain relief.”

Ri Xi fed Ye Rui a pill. It was a little bittersweet, but not unpleasant, and Ye Rui tipped her head back and swallowed it.

Once Ye Rui had caught her breath and calmed down, Ri Xi told her about her injuries.

The dagger had gone in rather deep, but fortunately it had missed the bone and the major tendons. The wound had already been stitched up, which counted as luck amid misfortune. The Xie residence was not short of excellent healing medicine. As long as she rested properly and took her medicine, she should be much better within half a month.

Even after hearing this, Ye Rui still felt groggy, and a little hungry. When Ri Xi heard her say she was hungry, she immediately brought over some porridge and carefully fed her.

“How many days was I asleep?”

Ye Rui thought of those martial arts masters in TV dramas who would sleep for days after an internal injury and rest for months, terrified she might have missed something.

“Only one night. With me and Yinzheng here, it was fine. Don’t worry.”

Ye Rui gave an “Mm” and kept eating her porridge. She had a question she really wanted to ask, but when she thought of those cold words before she passed out; “only a mere guard,” “not blessed enough to withstand it,” and the way Xie Tinglan had lowered her eyes and looked at her coldly; her heart grew chilled.

Every time she thought of what Xie Tinglan had said, her heart cramped with pain, and even the wound hurt along with it. In any case, it just hurt a lot.

Hu Tu: [Take it easy, don’t shut down. If you shut down, I’ll shut down too. It’s too insecure.]

Ye Rui: [Why would you shut down too? Can’t I shut down while you stay awake and help me gather information?]

Hu Tu: [That function won’t unlock until you complete the next main quest... ah, right, I came to give you your main quest!]

Ye Rui: [You forgot until I reminded you?]

As she spoke with Hu Tu, Ye Rui’s pale face darkened with anger. Seeing this, Ri Xi couldn’t help sighing. “My lady... she has her reasons. When my lady returns, could you speak to her then?”

Ri Xi had been the one to hold Ye Rui at the time, and she knew that when Xie Tinglan said those things, Ye Rui had not yet lost consciousness. Normally, Ye Rui and Xie Tinglan got along very well, so hearing those words would inevitably wound her heart. Ri Xi understood why Xie Tinglan had spoken that way, but some things should not be explained through her own mouth.

Ye Rui did not answer Ri Xi, only changed the subject. “I’m still a little hungry. Is there more porridge?”

Seeing that Ye Rui still had a good appetite, Ri Xi relaxed quite a bit. “There is. I’ll go get some from the kitchen right now.”

With that, Ri Xi hurried out of Ye Rui’s room.

Hu Tu: [Fragile, helpless, but can eat.]

Ye Rui: [...You can eat more than I can.]

Hu Tu: [...]

Ye Rui: [What’s the task?]

Hu Tu gave a few “oh oh”s, looking exactly like it had just remembered after forgetting again. Ye Rui nearly rolled her eyes and fainted all over again.

Hu Tu: [Using the identity of a third-rank guard from the Xie residence, go and kill the person who rescued Gu Sheng. Swordsmanship level +1, up to intermediate. If you fail, strength will be deducted by 20.]

After hearing this, Ye Rui frowned deeply. Thinking back to everything that happened that day, and to the inner attendant’s repeated, tear-rending curses, her chest felt heavy and stifled.

He kept saying he was innocent, every word a cry of accusation. Their whole family had been implicated, all nine generations exterminated, and it had happened on his father’s birthday, blood staining the entire household.

Ye Rui: [Do you think... the Gu family really was innocent?]

Hu Tu answered only after a while: [I don’t know. Related data can’t be accessed. But whether the other side is innocent or not, this main quest has to be accepted no matter what.]

Hearing that, Ye Rui sighed.

Actually, by accident, Hu Tu had also said something that made sense. In this world, where were there really good people and bad people? Everyone was merely acting in their own interests, walking their own roads, eliminating whoever stood in their way.

Xie Tinglan was like that; after accepting the task, so was she.

Soon, Ri Xi returned with a bowl of hot porridge. Perhaps the painkiller had started working, because Ye Rui felt much better, and she ate faster too. After finishing the bowl, she finally asked about the imperial examinations.

Only then did Ri Xi tell her everything in detail. The zhuangyuan was one of Emperor Yuan’s people; the position that should have belonged to Xu Ruguan had been taken by a somewhat less talented candidate named Li Yin. The bangyan was a young woman named Zhuang Linglong, one of Xie Tinglan’s people; the tanhua was a scholar from humble origins named Lu Shuo, also one of Xie Tinglan’s people.

“Wait, you said Zhuang Linglong?”

Why did that name sound familiar to Ye Rui? It felt like she had heard it somewhere...

“Yes, you...”

Before Ri Xi could finish, Ye Rui let out an “Ah!” and said with a smile, “I bet she’d place high, and I put thirty taels on it. I remember the odds for second place were one to one hundred! Ah! I won three thousand taels!”

In her excitement, Ye Rui sat up straight, which pulled at the wound. Her face twisted instantly as she cried out in pain. Seeing that she was still quite spirited, Ri Xi couldn’t help laughing softly and patted her on the forehead. “You fool. If you won, then you won. Why get so excited?”

“No wonder Li Yun came to look for you this morning and said she had something important to hand over to you. It was probably those three thousand taels in silver notes.”

Hearing that Li Yun had already gone to collect the money for her, Ye Rui was even happier. Sure enough, Li Yun was reliable; everything she had said she would do, and everything she had done, she never forgot.

“Right now, you need to rest well. With the healing medicine helping you, you’ll recover quickly.”

Ye Rui nodded, and Ri Xi helped her lie back down. The moment she settled in bed, a question suddenly flashed through Ye Rui’s mind. She asked, “Ri Xi, when I was half-conscious, I heard you telling someone that the poison in my wound was neutralizing itself. What was that about?”

Ri Xi’s expression changed slightly, but then she smiled calmly. “You must have heard wrong. I fed you an antidote pill, so the poison in the wound was cleared away.”

Ri Xi gently tapped Ye Rui’s forehead again, told her to rest well, and then left. Maybe because Ye Rui had risked herself to save Xie Tinglan, Ri Xi’s attitude was better and gentler than before. Ye Rui naturally appreciated that; who wouldn’t like being spoiled?

But from Ri Xi’s words, she roughly gathered that Xie Tinglan had not returned home.

She... really isn’t worried about me?

Ye Rui glanced out the window. Today the sky was gray and overcast, with poor sunlight; it made people’s moods sink with it.

Xie Tinglan, if I hadn’t asked this time, would you have told me?

**

That night, in the central government district of the Capital City’s Six Ministries Street, the Ministry of Personnel offices were still brightly lit. In the main hall, Xie Tinglan finished the official documents under the waning candlelight.

“All of the Ministry of Personnel’s documents have been sorted. This minister should take her leave.”

Xie Tinglan arranged the documents neatly and brushed her sleeves aside, then looked toward the figure in the shadows. “Mm. Once Your Majesty returns, I will also be heading back.”

Helian Shaohua sat in the corner. She had come to the office district with the Emperor. Normally, women of the harem were not allowed to step into the office district, but she was the Empress, and also the Emperor’s most favored Empress. Coming to visit her former close female official, who was now the Prime Minister, was entirely reasonable.

“Today, you seem somewhat eager.”

Helian Shaohua curved her lips. With a lift of her little finger and ring finger, the golden phoenix-wing armor on her hand glittered as the other three fingers lifted the tea lid and gently blew across the hot tea inside. Normally Xie Tinglan worked very quickly, but today she was even faster; in just two hours, she had finished the official business the Emperor had given her for two whole days.

At this rate, it seemed she did not plan to come to the office district again tomorrow or the day after.

“Please don’t make fun of me, Your Majesty. I haven’t returned to the residence for a day already, so I only want to go back and rest early.”

With that, Xie Tinglan took the cloak from the screen and put it on. Watching her tie it up, Helian Shaohua gave a low laugh. “This palace knows why you are so eager to return home; just don’t let it interfere with affairs.”

“It won’t interfere.”

Xie Tinglan said this firmly.

“Mm.”

Helian Shaohua answered. As she lifted her hand, Shen Zhuiying had already brought it over for her to support.

“Go back quickly; don’t catch cold. You know your body...”

Xie Tinglan sighed and took the hand warmer. “This minister understands.”

Deep into the night, accompanied by Yin Yue, Xie Tinglan set out on the road back to the residence. Along the way, listening to the rattling of the carriage wheels, Xie Tinglan looked at the empty seat across from her and grew somewhat irritable.

“Go faster.”

“Yes—”

-----------------------

Author’s note: Little Ye: sobbing puppy, fragile, helpless, but can eat.

Prime Minister Xie: Faster. This prime minister is going home to see her wife!

[dog head][dog head]

Seeing the comments on the previous chapter, I’m relieved to know you’re all still reading [dog head]

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