Chapter 158

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

They made their way to the side hall, where Empress Rui knelt behind the main desk at the seat of honor, and pulled Shaowei down to kneel beside the desk — a scene that at first glance looked remarkably intimate.

Besides the two palace maids Empress Rui had brought, there were another two serving maids in the hall; judging by their attire, they were from the Rui household.

Shaowei knelt with eyes lowered and said, "Your Majesty, forgive me; this official has no method to cure Madam Huang."

"This Palace knows..." Empress Rui's originally soft, gentle voice was now hoarse to the extreme: "This Palace knows you are absolutely not the kind to stand by and let someone die."

"You are a child unlike anyone else." She looked at the quietly kneeling girl and said: "Ever since watching that ritual dance at the Shangsi Festival, this Palace knew you were different."

"In this drought disaster, you have rendered true great merit; thanks to your early warning to His Majesty in spring... others may not know, but this Palace is clear: the reason His Majesty agreed to the northern border generals' request to withdraw troops and negotiate peace after the Shangsi Festival was also to guard against a possible drought, lest military expenditures continue to drain the treasury, leaving it powerless to cope with the disaster, causing chaos both within and without."

"Furthermore, he had people dredge multiple long-abandoned canals in advance and made many preparations; though natural disasters cannot be avoided, being prepared is a hundred thousand times better than being caught off guard."

"The soldiers and generals have been able to rest and recuperate, better to cope with the disaster — all this is due to your merit in giving warning; you have indirectly saved countless lives, a truly deserving Great Witch God."

"Not to mention the Fifth Day of the Fifth Month Night Banquet — temporarily moving the banquet outside the pavilion averted a great catastrophe; even this Palace must accept this debt of gratitude from you."

Tears of emotion glistened in Empress Rui's eyes; when she finished speaking, she reached out again, grasped one of the girl's wrists, and placed it on the desk, holding it there.

Shaowei could not understand why Empress Rui was saying all this, but the summons today surely would not be merely for this verbal commendation.

As for these commendations, Shaowei felt not a shred of pride or self-moved emotion; she merely made use of every usable event — whether it benefited others in the process was not within her consideration.

"Saying all this is only so you know: this Palace truly likes you, respects you, and will not harm you..." Empress Rui clasped that hand on the desk tightly with both hands; Shaowei's heart was blank, only feeling the sweat in her palm increase.

Shaowei's vigilance deepened; she was about to speak and probe when she heard footsteps approaching — a servant saluted outside the hall, and soon someone stepped inside.

The newcomer was Rui Ze, wearing only a plain, thin robe; he first bowed with clasped hands toward his elder sister at the seat of honor: "Your Majesty."

Shaowei turned toward the newcomer and saluted: "This official greets the Grand Minister of Agriculture."

"No need for excessive courtesy." Rui Ze sat cross-legged behind the lower desk of his own accord, and said as he did so: "Come to think of it, this is the first time I've had the chance to speak properly with Tai Puzhe Jiang."

His attire, movements, and tone were all casual; with a wave of his hand as he sat, the serving maids in the hall withdrew at once, and without any preamble he asked directly: "The Fifth Day of the Fifth Month Night Banquet — Tai Puzhe summoned the gods and called down thunder; for such a great matter, why did you not inform Empress Dowager in advance? We could have prepared early as well."

He had originally intended to wait until the drought worsened, or until this Tai Puzhe had a "sensing," then discuss feasible countermeasures; who knew the other party would act alone on the spur of the moment, letting him miss this excellent opportunity to make political capital, and even letting Liu Qi steal all the limelight that night.

Facing Rui Ze's direct gaze, Shaowei answered without changing expression: "Replying to the Grand Minister of Agriculture: that night's action was prompted by sudden guidance from ghosts and spirits, a spontaneous response, not premeditated; therefore I could not report to Your Majesty in advance."

Rui Ze let out an "oh," slowly nodding: "So that's how it is."

Ever since sitting down, his gaze had not left the girl dressed in witchcraft attire with her hair in a hanging bun for a single instant.

"Tai Puzhe Jiang is favored by ghosts and spirits, a prodigy of the age. Though she has spiritual energy to spare, she is young and ignorant of worldly affairs." He said: "Tai Puzhe must know that even if you can communicate with ghosts and spirits, you are still a mundane mortal body; since you are in the human world, you ought to follow the rules of the human world and seek a future in the human world."

"What the Grand Minister of Agriculture says is very true." Shaowei lifted her eyes and asked: "I wonder what instructions the Minister of Agriculture has?"

Rui Ze laughed: "Now the whole world spreads rumors that the Immortal Master is the reincarnation of the Drought Demon ghost; what instructions could this official possibly have?"

"Let us set this matter aside for now." He appeared exceptionally magnanimous: "The days ahead are long; there will be many opportunities."

As his words fell, a serving maid entered with head bowed, holding a bowl of medicinal soup in both hands; she knelt and presented it to the Empress's desk, then silently saluted and withdrew, closing the hall door behind her.

An ice mirror stood in a corner of the hall, and together with the medicine bowl it gave off wisps of white vapor.

Shaowei watched the floating white vapor; the knuckles of her hands, resting again on her knees, turned faintly white.

The other party would hardly be stupid enough to poison her here, especially when she still had many uses.

So this trip was not to question or instruct her, but to make her guarantee all her future words and deeds.

He did not care about the excuses she gave; he only looked at the result — as long as she guaranteed it, once and for all, he was determined to turn her into a truly obedient dog that wags its tail and begs for mercy.

She clawed her way upward, yet remained an ant in the eyes of the next ruler's maternal clan; permitting her to become a house dog was merely a favor bestowed on her.

The next words were already predictable; Rui Ze cut straight to the chase: "Though this medicine is fierce, as long as you take the suppression medicine on time each month, it will not flare up without cause, and will not hinder the Tai Puzhe much."

In those years when he fell into the water and left home, he had been a horse slave, scraped a living among piles of corpses; he knew all too well that methods need not be clever but must be effective.

And this witch girl before him, who could only be called a child, had no kin, no weakness to exploit; then there was only one more direct way to control her.

"If the Tai Puzhe has sincerity, please drink this cup." The man's tone carried the condescension of disparate status: "Of course, the Tai Puzhe has the right to consider carefully."

"It is for the sake of the long term..." Empress Rui's voice was very low, her gaze pitying, repeating those words: "This Palace will not truly harm you."

Shaowei met those pitying eyes for a moment, then slowly lowered her lashes.

Beneath the calm exterior, flames of fierce resentment had already ignited; the other party had misjudged her fear — she did not care in the least about the long term, prospects, or who would become the next Emperor...

If she followed instinct, right now she should first snap the neck of the man feeding her the medicine, then take Empress Rui hostage, and together with the household slave who had followed in secret, turn this place upside down, then wander the ends of the earth.

Yet she had another fear, a fear like water, far more surging than prospects or safety, resisting against the instinctive flames of pride.

Water and fire cannot coexist; the two could only choose one. As she struggled to suppress them, her qi and blood surged; the bowl of medicinal soup before her eyes seemed to turn bright red, and in a flash it was as if she had returned to the scene on Tianlang Mountain when Qin Fu took her blood.

A hard bone who had known no fear since childhood — how could she be willing to be treated as livestock and bled? She should resist to the death, but Mother was in the other party's hands.

The same monthly flare-up — this curse was like a gangrene attached to the bone, finding its way to her door once again.

A hatred born of being cursed by fate welled up unbidden; the rebellious ferocity in her heart grew wildly; for an instant she only wanted to abandon everything and go on a killing spree — after all, it was never certain that Jiang Fu was truly still alive; at worst she would kill her way out of here, then go kill Chiyang; succeed or fail, what were the odds, she cared for nothing anymore — kill as far as she could, just so long as she was no longer bound by this stifling curse! Right or wrong, madness or folly, no one could blame her; let her see who dared to blame her!

But this thought that should have been unrestrained and cathartic, for some unknown reason, condensed in her heart into a single tear of unwillingness and reluctance, crashing down into her depths, causing that mass of watery fear to suddenly swell, overwhelming the instinctive flames in a single instant.

The answer had already appeared in her heart: only a choice that defied instinct could produce a clear contrast — it turned out that the man who rode the green ox had become just as important as Mother; at this critical juncture, the ever sharp-tongued Shaowei truly recognized for the first time that the one who had not given birth to her was Elder Sister, was Master, and had long since become another Mother.

A moment of blankness flashed in Shaowei's eyes; her tightly clenched fingers were smoothed open by an invisible force.

Myriad thoughts spanned only a few breaths; suddenly a voice that sounded as if it had endured long enough rang out: "Uncle, this is really improper!"

A youthful figure strode out from the inner chamber; Shaowei looked up — she had long sensed someone in the inner chamber, but did not know it was Liu Cheng.

Rui Ze frowned slightly and said: "Since Your Highness is awake, go take another look at your maternal grandmother."

Liu Cheng did not move: "Uncle, I do not agree to this matter."

Uncle had told him beforehand that this matter did not require him to step in; he only needed to listen and learn to discern in the inner chamber — but he never expected Uncle would actually employ such means!

Rui Huanghou looked at her son: "Cheng Er, quickly withdraw..."

Liu Cheng this time was exceptionally insistent: "Jiang Tai Zhu just now explained the whole story clearly, Uncle why must you use such—"

"Your Highness!" Rui Ze's voice sank, interrupting the youth's emotionally driven words.

Meeting Uncle's imposing gaze, Liu Cheng's face paled slightly. When Uncle and Mother reunited, he was still young in years. These years Uncle had taught and protected him much. Moreover Mother often mentioned that year when she fell into the water it was Uncle who risked his life to save Mother... Both relative and benefactor, for many years he had grown accustomed to obeying Uncle's every word. This was the first time in his life he had so contradicted Uncle.

Liu Cheng's eye corners reddened, he could only look at Mother: "Mother Empress, you should know what kind of person Jiang Tai Zhu is, truly should not force like this..."

Unable to see the outcome's soft words, unable to distinguish what kind of play these people were performing, Shaowei had long analyzed the pros and cons, lifted that medicine bowl and drank it all in one gulp.

She set down the medicine bowl, lowered her eyes: "Many thanks Grand Minister of Agriculture for lifting up and teaching."

Coming to the capital was her own choice. Everything has a price. She accepted it, but will definitely demand it back.

The young girl's surging desire for revenge hidden beneath calm, Rui Ze nodded appreciatively: "Good. From now on as long as my Rui Family has a single day, I will guarantee Jiang Tai Zhu's future career and glory."

Liu Cheng looked with shock and unease at that empty medicine bowl. Rui Ze's gaze also fell on the bowl's edge, tone much gentler, speaking to remind: "I know Jiang Tai Zhu understands medicine, but this poison is not ordinary. Still better not rashly test medicine, lest cleverness backfire. At that time even antidote may be hard to save."

Again with frank eyes he said: "Only because you and I have known each other a short time, this act is merely an expedient measure. After the overall situation settles, this official will certainly present the true antidote with both hands."

Hearing such words, the little Wu Nu whose life he held in his hand should only be grateful to tears, and no longer dare act willfully.

Shaowei saluted: "Yes, many thanks Si Nong."

Rui Ze gave a few more instructions. Shaowei agreed to all, then rose, saluted, and took leave.

Seeing that back figure withdraw out the hall door and go, Liu Cheng only then finally returned to his senses.

"Your Highness should not have come out." Rui Ze's tone held hidden reproach.

Liu Cheng looked at him: "Uncle acting like this, why did you not discuss with me beforehand!"

Rui Ze was slightly startled, looking at that youth who had actually moved to anger, said: "This girl's conduct is not controllable. Mere verbal agreement to serve is far from enough. She bears extraordinary ability. If she cannot be used by us, but becomes another's blade, that is a huge threat— I do this, isn't it for you and your mother's good!"

"Uncle these years everything you say is for my good, yet when have you ever asked my thoughts!" Liu Cheng blurted out, saying words he himself could hardly believe.

Rui Ze's face darkened. Rui Hou also stood up to dissuade. However Liu Cheng walked straight to Uncle's front, reached out demanding: "Trouble Uncle to hand over the antidote!"

Rui Ze sighed in anger: "Stop making trouble. How would I carry antidote on my person!"

Liu Cheng no longer cared for much. Ignoring Mother's voice, he bolted out the hall door.

"He this is..." Rui Ze stood up, pointed toward outside the hall, knitted brows looking at his sister.

Rui Huanghou's brows held gathered worry threads. She pursed lips, silent, only lowered eyes to look at that empty medicine bowl.

Liu Cheng ran all the way and caught up to Shaowei. He blocked the person, shouted at the guiding maidservant: "Withdraw!"

The maidservant startled, hurriedly retreated far.

"Jiang Tai Zhu... sorry. I beforehand did not know Uncle would do this!"

Liu Cheng's attitude anxious and ashamed, looking at the young girl before him still calm. She was calm to the point of seemingly not noticing she was being bullied. Lamp lights dim, dense tree shadows fell on her body, like a dark cage.

"Rest assured. I will definitely find a way to get the antidote from Uncle as soon as possible. When the time comes I will definitely deliver it to you to take first thing!" Liu Cheng anxiously promised, even raised hand to swear: "I swear to heaven, I will definitely get the antidote and give it to you!"

Shaowei quietly looked at him.

This person although one cannot see acting traces, also has another kind of indescribable falseness.

Why does he do this? For her? But why would it be for her?

Or is it that he is for himself, for that self unwilling to be controlled by Uncle any longer?

He seems through her to see the self who cannot help himself.

This feeling truly makes one disgusted.

She is not like him like this.

Shaowei had no heart to speak more with him. She is the one who suffered loss. Does she still have to come comfort his mood?

"Understood."

Shaowei expressionless left these three words, then lowered head, turned body, and left.

Liu Cheng stood in place, wanting to call her back again, but in the end had no reason.

Shaowei left Rui Fu. The coachman just started the carriage moving. Shaowei inside the carriage immediately circulated internal force, bent waist facing the bronze spittoon, vomited the medicine juice for a good while.

However it was already too late. This medicine once entering the abdomen had already spread. No matter what, impossible to force it all out. At most slightly alleviate a little.

Carriage jolted. Shaowei maintained the bent body lowered head posture. Single hand braced on carriage wall. Eye sockets from vomiting convulsions reddened. Spine also trembled slightly.

Zhan Zhan who had been sleeping in the carriage jumped claws in anxiety. Used one wing to pat Shaowei's arm: "Go to clinic! Go to clinic!"

"No, going to clinic useless... Zhan Zhan." Young girl's blood-red eye bottom was ungrindable stubbornness and anger. Her voice low: "Must kill through this mountain to succeed."

Coachman heard vomiting sounds and asked with concern. Shaowei straightened body, wiped away mouth corner medicine juice, only ordered coachman to continue hurrying on the road.

Family servants secretly following to near Rui Fu followed the carriage one before one after back to Jiang Zhai. Entering Ju Yuan, Shaowei not a word, directly sat down on courtyard cool mat. Family servant sent Xiao Yu to prepare water, alone asked Shaowei: "How?"

Seeing Shaowei cross-legged sitting lowered eyes not answering, family servant sat down across from her at the table, seriously asked again: "What happened?"

Shaowei finally muffled voice spoke: "I also got robbed by black shop."

Family servant startled: "What thing robbed?"

Shaowei: "Should be dignity ba."

Family servant stared wide eyes: "In the end what happened?"

Shaowei then explained the matter.

Always calm family servant nearly questioned her why she compromised. But words to mouth edge, reined in at cliff edge.

This child is the most unwilling to compromise person in this world. She certainly had all kinds of considerations and struggles. In the end just did not want at this critical juncture to make another enemy. Even if inviting any shred of gaze that would trigger trouble... Child for the sake of overall situation made such a great sacrifice. He reproaching further, would that not be unworthy of being a human servant?

But at this moment looking at the quietly lowered head child, numb as he was, heart bottom actually burned up a ball of anger never before had. This fire source nothing more straightforward and clear: own family child suffered grievance and was bullied.

Zhao Qie'an originally not a good person. At this moment restraining the impulse to right now infiltrate Rui Family and chop that person into pieces. Originally muffled hoarse voice even more raspy. Abruptly asked: "Rui He?"

Shaowei lifted eyelid: "Ze."

"Nodding, remembered."

Shaowei saw he actually reddened eyes. This was first time seeing tears in his eyes. Originally thought First Swordsman did not have this function.

Shaowei was startled, and subconsciously said: "What, do you intend to chop him into minced meat for topping tomorrow?"

The manservant: "Didn't intend to chop pieces that large."

Shaowei burst into laughter at those words; seeing she had at least smiled, the manservant also forced a grin, yet tears still glimmered in his eyes.

?? (Today is a long chapter, thank you everyone for the votes. Today's writing should be about love under choice; this book's main body is the word love, all kinds of feelings and love. Good night everyone.)