Chapter 164

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

The official who stepped forward hurriedly replied: "Your Highness the Sixth Prince, it is the Shrine Master Tai Zhu and the shaman who have come to drive away the plague."

Liu Qi stepped down from the high carriage, and the official bowed to support him, but caught only air, only to hear the other party say in a light voice: "It's her... then let this Tai Puzhe Jiang come see me."

The official hurriedly saluted and agreed: "Yes."

The other officials who had returned sighed in relief in secret; since they needed to make things difficult for that Tai Puzhe Jiang, they could no longer afford to make things difficult for them.

Liu Qi had a separate small courtyard in the yamen as his office and living quarters.

Deng Hu followed behind him, all the way back to the courtyard. As the chaotic gazes of the personnel disappeared, although Deng Hu could not see his master's expression, he felt that the back figure seemed to have been transformed, with every step shedding pitch-black sharp thorns, until in the end, only a clear and brilliant radiance illuminated by the setting sun remained.

That back figure stopped in the courtyard, raised a sleeve to sniff, and immediately said: "Prepare water."

Deng Hu agreed and strode toward the tea room, but halfway there, he noticed a gaze watching him from behind, and suddenly repented, turning instead to the bathing room.

After the water conservation order was issued, it was also implemented in the yamen; Liu Qi likewise led by example, using a fixed amount of water daily, and had long since changed bathing to wiping down.

But yesterday half a bucket of water had been left unused, so with this addition, they could just barely manage to wash their hair.

Shaowei arrived very quickly, because the official who delivered the message ran up to her drenched in sweat, saying several "urgent" words: "The Sixth Prince summons you; please, Tai Puzhe, come quickly to meet him, quickly."

Hearing this, Shaowei knew that Liu Qi's tyranny here was extreme.

Yu Si Wu dared not be at ease, fearing that the household fox would be bullied, and proposed to go together; Shaowei straightened her expression and persuaded her: "Since he wants to govern the disaster, he still needs me to contribute; I reckon he dare not be rude, and perhaps I will instead be able to grasp and control him."

Yu Si Wu's gaze was doubtful, but in the end she did not disobey her, only instructing that no matter what, she must not take action.

Daoist statecraft, the atmosphere was still relatively unrestrained; if it were ten years ago, the Emperor would still wrestle with his ministers; when the Former Emperor was on the throne, officials would beat each other over a single disagreement at the morning court, not to mention the old story of the Lord of Lu drawing his sword and damaging the hall pillars.

Yu Si Wu's concern was not without reason, after all, it was also said that the Sixth Prince had kicked several tables to pieces.

She told the household fox absolutely not to provoke the other party into taking action; if the situation was truly serious, run if you can run, after all, they still had the advantage in terms of legs and feet.

Shaowei, who had a great advantage in terms of legs and feet, came quickly, but unexpectedly that person was bathing, so she could only sit on the steps outside the hall to wait.

The official who led the way brought the person to the courtyard gate and then left; Shaowei had just stepped into the courtyard when Deng Hu, guarding outside the bathing room, hurriedly knocked on the door, reminding his master to hurry up.

Not long after, Liu Qi pushed the door and came out.

There was no time to change clothes again; he could only temporarily put on the moon-white thin shirt prepared in the bathing room, without a belt, the thin shirt loosely tied, but his whole person still appeared tall and long, a few strands of damp hair hanging down by his eyebrows; at first glance, he was exactly the clear-boned and elegant, refined and unrestrained, leisurely and casual person.

The gloomy expression of recent days of only cloudiness and no sunshine had long since disappeared; his eyebrows and eyes, hung with fine water droplets, held only a harmless smile.

Deng Hu glanced at him, silently moved his gaze away, and the traitorous guess in his heart grew stronger.

Over these years, the Prince had openly and secretly recruited usable people; he had seen all sorts of methods, but had never seen such a scene—anxious to bathe and treating someone with such good looks, even before seeing the person, his face already wore such a good expression.

He feared that besides recruiting extraordinary people, the Prince had other plots... but the Prince himself had said that Tai Puzhe Jiang had no intention of staying long in Chang'an; once she found the person, she would leave; the person she sought was the most important thing in her heart; regardless of male or female, they were to leave together and stay together for life.

Since Tai Puzhe Jiang had already made up her mind to leave with someone and stay together, the Prince acting this way—was it not a traitorous suspicion of digging into someone's wall corner?

Deng Hu's thoughts were in turmoil; he watched with wide eyes as his Prince limped toward the girl sitting on the steps.

The others had long been dismissed by Deng Hu; trustworthy hands guarded outside the courtyard; at least for this moment, the myriad crises outside did not need to be considered.

After the summer evening clouds dispersed, the sky would not darken quickly; the sky canopy would show faint blue and light purple; this color was Twilight Mountain Purple.

There were good colors in heaven and earth, and people also had good colors; Shaowei stood up from the steps, and Liu Qi smiled with his eyebrows and eyes as he said to her: "The Great Witch God has come."

"Mm." Shaowei looked at him, her words having meaning: "Come to kill you."

Liu Qi nodded slightly, extended his arm a little, raised his head, and exposed his most vulnerable neck to her, smiling: "Come kill me then."

As he spoke with his head raised, his Adam's apple moved; Shaowei's mind uncontrollably surfaced the scene of animals hunting on the mountain; if she truly wanted to kill him, at this moment no blade was needed—she could pounce and bite his throat.

This bloody thought surfaced, and first it made her feel a sudden inexplicable anxiety and palpitations; she hurriedly moved her gaze away, stopping this strange thought of not distinguishing between human and beast.

Liu Qi did not know if he sensed her thoughts; he made a soft "hiss" sound, raised his hand to touch his own neck: "There really is bloodlust."

Shaowei had already turned and went into the hall on her own: "... let's talk about serious business; think about how to kill you properly."

"Mm, we should discuss it properly." Liu Qi smiled and followed.

Zhan Zhan flew back and forth in the courtyard, as if patrolling, then came before Deng Hu, landed on the ground, and shook its wings.

Deng Hu, standing with arms crossed leaning against a pillar, looked at the small bird's constantly spreading snow-white beautiful wings, and suspiciously asked in a low voice: "Do you also feel that our master has the omen of displaying his tail feathers?"

Zhan Zhan tilted its head in confusion, its thin eyelids fluttering, and spoke, absorbing a new word: "Display tail feathers! Display tail feathers!"

Deng Hu's face stiffened; he had worked diligently for many years and had never thought there was a possibility of causing such trouble; his whole body, as if struck by electricity, suddenly raised his hand to drive the bird away, stopping it from continuing to speak, then rushed into the tea room, acting as if nothing had happened.

A gauze lamp was lit in the hall; Shaowei sat cross-legged by the table, unable to help but look toward the courtyard, vaguely hearing Zhan Zhan making strange cries, but not knowing what it was calling.

Liu Qi finished lighting the lamp, sat down opposite Shaowei, and asked while doing so: "Kill me—is it Rui Ze's order?"

Shaowei: "Mm. He sent someone to pass a secret order to me, telling me to pay attention to your every move after leaving the city. He has other people arranged to coordinate with me at any time, either assassinating or poisoning you; I don't need to do it myself, just need to create opportunities."

Liu Qi looked at her with an expression of surprise.

Shaowei found his gaze a bit strange and asked doubtfully: "What's wrong?"

Rui Ze wanting to kill him was not something of just one or two days or one or two times.

But Liu Qi said: "It's wrong."

He asked with a serious expression: "Why does Rui Ze suddenly trust you to this extent?"

This trust was not anything else, but rather trusting that she could be completely controlled; even though Rui Ze only gave her verbal orders and would not leave evidence that could expose her, being willing to let her become an informed participant and executor of the plan—this was no longer trust that could exist among ordinary partisans taking sides.

Seeing that Shaowei did not answer, Liu Qi unconsciously leaned forward slightly and asked again: "That day you went to the Rui Residence—what exactly happened?"

His shadow's outline fell upon her; Shaowei composed her expression and said: "... Naturally because I found a way to gain his trust."

Liu Qi: "By what means did you find a way?"

Shaowei could not get used to being questioned like this, and since the matter concerned her dignity and reverse scale, there was no reason to publicize it; at this moment she couldn't help but frown and counter-question: "Anyway, I've already gained his trust—does the method matter?"

"Of course it's important." Liu Qi blurted out.

Their eyes met, the atmosphere inexplicably stagnant; Shaowei pressed her lips into a straight line, her dark eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly at Liu Qi.

Deng Hu, who had just come outside the Hall Gate to deliver tea, saw this scene; his foot silently shifted to the side, and he quietly retreated first.

Inside the Hall, Liu Qi was somewhat dazed by Shaowei's gaze, and felt his tone had not been gentle enough; lowering his voice, he urged, "Tell me, are we not allies?"

Having said this, further hesitation would only be more awkward; Shaowei frowned, lowered her eyes, and spoke quickly: "He gave me a bowl of poison that needs monthly medicine to suppress; I drank it, that's all."

After answering thus, there was no sound of response for a while; Shaowei looked up, meeting Liu Qi's eyes; he remained silent, his emotions unclear.

"My body is robust beyond ordinary people by many times; even without an antidote, this poison cannot take my life." Shaowei took the initiative to say: "Rest assured, I will not let him threaten me into harming you."

"I know." Liu Qi's voice was very low.

He knew she would not harm him because of Rui Ze's coercion.

But he could not imagine that she would accept this coercion.

Rui Ze had once mingled in the markets and the martial world; once he gained power, he became especially superstitious about the power of authority; after Liu Cheng became Crown Prince, Rui Ze's manner grew increasingly arrogant; this arrogance of having everything at his fingertips made people lose patience day by day—at first Rui Ze hinted for Rui Hou to win over Hua Li, intending to use the drought matter to deal with him with talk of ghosts and spirits; however, Hua Li outwardly obeyed, but at the Five-Five Night Banquet asked heaven to draw thunder, indirectly letting Chiyang bear the suspicion of being an incarnation of Chi Ba.

Hua Li's action was uncontrollable, its boundaries unclear; Rui Ze could not tolerate it, and thereby further realized the extent of Hua Li's power's influence on politics; naturally he would conceive the thought of completely controlling her.

Without cause or kin, having no soft spot, only one life; then grasp this one life tightly.

With greedy motives, superstitious authority, an arrogant posture, and domineering means pressing upon, attempting to control a spiritual and transcendent divine object.

Still unable to control it, yet inevitably causing damage.

Liu Qi was not unfamiliar with Rui Ze's such poisoning methods; fighting and killing, back and forth, the other side regarded him as a political threat, he regarded the other side as a stumbling block actively coming to attack on his path forward; ultimately it had nothing to do with emotions, life and death, success and failure were merely a matter of ability and luck.

But at this moment, a stifled feeling in his heart would not dissipate; clearly when he himself had endured such things before, he would not have such emotional ups and downs.

Various thoughts arose in between; he looked at the person before him; in his mind ultimately only one voice remained clearest: Never let her experience such things again.

She did not like others taking on guarantees and promises for her; such empty promises need not be spoken; whoever had the thought should remember it themselves.

This strange silence made Shaowei's brow furrow slightly: "... You were the one who insisted on asking me, so why aren't you speaking?"

Liu Qi finally opened his mouth, asking: "After drinking this poison, does it hurt?"

Shaowei immediately answered: "No feeling at all."

Her expression did not seem feigned; her eyes finally regained a trace of dignified might; Liu Qi knew that what she was most frustrated by was her dignity; even if her body did not hurt, her dignity must have cracks.

This matter was something Rui Ze could do, but not something she should agree to; under calm compromise, it seemed like another kind of reckless, almost mad tension and urgency.

So just how important was that person? This crack that violated her nature and dignity, filled with pain and grievance, also showed her will growing strong in the struggle and choice; inevitably making the onlooker's heart flutter and yearn; besides envy, there was an inexplicable restlessness in the bottom of the heart.

Liu Qi suddenly realized that today, in this place, indeed someone had gone mad, but it seemed it was not her.

An unknown confusion in his heart; he could no longer meet her gaze, only moving his eyes away; just as he felt he did not know what to look at, a yellow-and-white flying shadow landed on the case table between the two.

Liu Qi looked at this savior; the bird spread its wings, and loudly said: "Open—"

"Your Highness, the tea is here!" Deng Hu carried a teapot into the Hall, his demeanor especially upright, his voice loud and powerful, interrupting the bird's words that seemed like a savior but actually brought disaster to the Hall.

The tea was medicinal tea; recently, all levels of the yamen drank this tea to prevent heatstroke and sickness.

Liu Qi felt he indeed needed it, and thus drank more than half a bowl.

Deng Hu retreated to the door threshold; he only heard that Jiang Jun say: "... This time I came, I also tricked holding the chips in hand; you and I will plan together. Someone wants me to kill you, and someone also wants to kill me; we must think carefully about how you and I can not die."

Deng Hu felt Jiang Jun spoke straightforwardly as before; then he heard that bird also follow and learn to speak: "Not die! Not die!"

The bird was thrown out by its owner; Deng Hu breathed a great sigh of relief; this bird's language warehouse was finally covered; in the future, remember never to speak freely in front of it again.

More than two hours later, Shaowei left Liu Qi's place.

Yu Si Wu was uneasy and had been waiting outside the courtyard for a long time; seeing Hua Li come out, completely intact, only her complexion was somewhat solemn; she hurried forward and quickly led the fox away.

Many officials came and went; seeing this scene, they all felt this Tai Puzhe must have been made things difficult for not lightly, and all needed someone to lead them away.

Not having walked far, he happened to meet Tang Jia returning from elsewhere; busy bringing people to clean up, busy to the point of being unable to disentangle himself; Tang Jia, who could never finish cleaning up, saw Hua Li; while bowing, he casually and smoothly smoothed things over with a speech: "If Sixth Prince has any rash offense, please ask Tai Puzhe Jiang Tai Zhu to forgive one or two; after all, it is all for the common people, for public affairs."

Hua Li doubted: "Who are you, sir?"

"... Tai Puzhe does not know this humble one, but this humble one has long known Tai Puzhe!" Tang Jia made another bow: "My name is Tang Jia, I am the Changshi by Sixth Prince's Side."

Hua Li had no expression: "Understood. Since you are a Changshi, you should also understand how to advise."

After speaking, he immediately left with Yu Si Wu.

Tang Jia answered "yes" with his mouth, raised his sleeve to wipe sweat, and sighed inwardly: "Unbearable, unbearable; nowadays young people, every one of them shows no trace of acting, completely natural; truly a divine skill."

"For public affairs, and endure one or two." Yu Si Wu also comforted in a low voice.

"Mm... public affairs." Shaowei repeated in agreement.

Besides official business, there was indeed one piece of public affairs to handle; whether as the Tai Puzhe of Yan Yan, or as Liu Qi's ally.

Arriving at the temporary residence, the meal was already prepared; a group of Wu Nu walked through the long corridor, about to place all Nuo Ritual objects into a separate chamber.

Seeing the Tai Puzhe, the Wu Nu stopped and bowed.

Passing before a Wu Nu holding a vermilion lacquered drum, Shaowei stopped, thoughtful, and lightly tapped the drum surface with her finger.

"—Boom!"

"—Boom boom!"

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the county and village commoners who had just risen suddenly heard drum sounds, not knowing from where they came.

?? Everyone(|3【▓▓】Good night.

? (The plot from now until the end of the month might be relatively tense; I will try my best to pull the plot forward, but updates these few days might not be stable; if everyone is anxious, you can save up chapters, and by the end of the month you can read them all at once.)