Chapter 200

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Seeing her reaction, Liu Qi said at the right time: "If the name Shaowei cannot be called, I still know you have another name called Qing..."

"That one definitely won't do!" Shaowei hurriedly interrupted him, telling him to shut up.

Liu Qi obediently nodded: "Alright, then I'll only call you Shaowei."

Shaowei stared at him for a moment, then had no choice but to compromise, turning to evaluate his handwriting: "Your handwriting doesn't match you at all."

Liu Qi laughed with an "en," saying: "Or perhaps making up for what is lacking; it's just a pity it still hasn't been made complete."

Thinking of his fate in his previous life and his conduct in this one, Shaowei thought: this was far from being incomplete; it was simply counterproductive.

But Shaowei did not think the person before her was wrong; now that she could spare her mind to think carefully, she instead appreciated his posture of repaying grievances, advancing fearlessly, and even though he was in a sorry state, it was still satisfying.

His will had not changed in two lifetimes; if he truly were Situi, then he would no longer be Liu Situi. The one who was wrong was absolutely not him; the wrong was the result of the previous life.

Shaowei judged right and wrong, always following her own heart, regardless of other reasons and others' opinions; at this moment, right and wrong were clear in her heart. Her gaze fell on Liu Qi's shoulder, and she asked again with a serious expression: "You still haven't answered me—how exactly are your injuries?"

In his previous life, he was never summoned back to the Capital by the Emperor until his death; in this life, influenced by her, he returned to Chang'an early, but his old injuries never healed and new ones were added, to the point that they still hadn't recovered after so long; perhaps he should be renamed Liu Siyu.

"It's been five days of recuperation, with medicine changed morning and evening. Changshi strictly oversees all medicines and food; I'm recovering well, and most of the pain is gone," Liu Qi answered carefully, then added: "The remaining three or four tenths of pain are no less than the beating I took in the snow back then."

Shaowei was stunned for a moment before realizing what he was saying.

Earlier in Wuling Commandery, she denied leaving the writing, and naturally denied beating him; afterward, though she could sense he had suspicions, he was very cooperative and stopped questioning and investigating.

Now her original identity had been shown to the world, and her origin was clear, yet he did not ask why she had denied it before, but simply mentioned the old matter so naturally.

This person had a clever mind and a frank heart; Shaowei admitted she was not inferior to him, so she sat upright, straightened her back, and said frankly: "Who made you block my path back then?"

Liu Qi nodded as if accepting his fate: "This beating was not undeserved."

He was such an easy target for bullying; Shaowei paused, then instead explained: "That day I was in a terrible mood, eager to go down the mountain, and very afraid you would shout and alarm people."

Liu Qi said gently: "I know."

That night, he was pressed into the snow and suddenly saw the most bewildered, most sorrowful, and also sharpest pair of eyes in this world.

Not understanding the situation at the time, only now did he fully understand what exactly she had experienced that day.

She had gone through a difficult hunt and counter-kill, but was also separated from her mother.

At that time, her body was covered in much blood—some her own, and inevitably some from the people she had killed. She pressed him into the snow, and blood inevitably got on him too.

Those blood held extraordinary meaning of resistance; it turned out that even then, she had already been guiding him, with a shocking and resolute posture, cleaving a mark of self-forgiveness for him above that gloomy sky.

Hating that person and wanting revenge against that person—this matter he had never wavered on. But the teachings he received since childhood always prevented him from forgiving himself amidst fear and confusion.

How mysterious fate is; he seemed born to be attracted to her, drawn by her.

His heart's intent was already clear; at this moment, as if possessed by a ghost, he asked her: "Shaowei, you're not leaving, right?"

These words came suddenly; Shaowei subconsciously answered: "Of course I'm leaving."

She looked toward the door: "There's no rain tonight, the road is easy to walk. Jiang... my Master is still waiting for me to return."

Liu Qi was stunned for a moment, his ears suddenly heating up, and he explained: "... I mean Chang'an, Chang'an City—are you not leaving now?"

Shaowei made an "o" sound, looking at him: "Not leaving for the time being; there are matters unfinished, and accounts not yet settled."

She also frankly said: "Moreover, Mother is here. Today Mother took me to the market; I looked all along the way and only felt this place is no longer as bad as before."

Previously wanting to leave urgently was out of inner avoidance—afraid to see Mother, afraid to be drawn into the abyss of pain again. Now that the knot in her heart was untied, this place had become broad and lively, no longer the source of nightmares.

Having already recognized Mother, Jiang Fu still needed to heal his injuries. Liu Qi was injured for her sake and still looked like this at this moment—how could she have any reason to just leave?

She had many curious places she wanted to travel to, and would go eventually; but this place had become the existence of home. Leaving would no longer be leaving, but going out.

As for more distant and more detailed matters, Shaowei could not consider them for the time being. She had asked Jiang Fu yesterday: what exactly is the so-called Heavenly Secret supposed to do?

Jiang Fu answered her extremely at his own discretion: the Heavenly Secret does whatever it wants to do; only that which is not bound is the Heavenly Secret.

Shaowei was born rebellious; if forcibly framed, she would instead want to break free. Jiang Fu's words made her feel at ease, no longer resisting, but instead giving rise to her own thoughts.

A Ya served melons, fruits, and tea soup, along with a towel for washing hands. Shaowei wiped her hands clean, picked up a pear, and bit into it.

The jade pear was fresh and refreshing, making a light crisp sound when bitten. Liu Qi watched the person gnawing the fruit; in this short moment, the thoughts in his heart changed from 【She won't leave for the time being, truly a great blessing】 to 【Think of a way, follow closely behind her, let her stay a little longer, a little longer...】

Shaowei ate the pear and had Liu Qi tell her how he detected the process of Chiyang and Jiang Fu being switched. This was also one of the reasons she came here. Jiang Fu was already stable, and she wanted to know everything thoroughly and wrap it up cleanly.

Accompanied by the sound of biting the pear, Liu Qi recounted the process of his judgment in detail.

"First knowing that the so-called Golden Moss Immortal Grass born in JintingXianshan originally came from Tongshan; Chiyang has been using it for many years, so the people behind it are probably related to the Tong Kuang."

"Also knowing that Chiyang once searched the Jiujiang area several years ago. That place is only a few hundred li from the two major copper mines of Yuzhang and Danyang... and from Liang Guo, it only takes ten days north."

"Liang Guo's mineral products are mostly charcoal stone, not copper mines. But Liang Guo has the right to mint coins and can mobilize copper production from all under heaven..."

"At that time it was only a guess. After entering the palace to see Que'er and carefully questioning her, I suspected that the medicine she tried or its effect was on the brain and divine consciousness. Then, after getting an answer from the Needle Master, I learned that if the head is injured, it can also afflict the limbs and cause paralysis. Because I had the guess beforehand, I reasoned in reverse: a paralyzed person must have the possibility of recovering limb strength by treating the head's primordial spirit and marrow sea."

By this point, there were too many coincidences surrounding Liang Wang; guesses turned into true suspicion. But realizing that Chiyang might have been switched originated from those two white hairs.

Inferring from time, that hair did not come from Chiyang, meaning someone shared the same characteristics as Chiyang, and that person with the same characteristics was transferred and disappeared on the day of the sacrifice...

Combined with Chiyang's intent to force Shaowei to destroy herself all along, the answer was on the tip of the tongue. Time was urgent; even if not certain, it must be stopped.

"Thanks to that Older Sister, otherwise I wouldn't have noticed in time," Liu Qi finally said. "The rest of the credit is all from your accumulation of never giving up on investigating everything before. If given enough time, you could also find out."

"I also feel I could, but this is ultimately another matter," Shaowei said, wiping her fingers clean, looking up at Liu Qi. "You helped, so you helped—that's a fact."

After saying this, without caring about Liu Qi's reaction, she frowned and continued: "Only through this matter did I know that Liang Wang's roots in the Capital are so deep that even the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is his man."

On the day of the sacrifice, just as the incident at Lianqing Guan happened, He Pingchun led people to search outside. It was precisely that Vice Commander who had never shown any suspicious signs who took the opportunity to switch the person.

Afterward, Liu Qi noticed something, rode out of the city, and had He Pingchun urgently investigate this matter. He Pingchun acted swiftly and caught the Vice Commander who couldn't escape in time; this person is now being interrogated.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard is the Son of Heaven's blade. If He Pingchun gets into trouble, the position of Commander would fall into this person's hands. After this matter, the Emperor will surely be chilled and furious.

A so-called demonic Daoist Immortal Master who never involves himself in political affairs dragged Princess Yi Ming and the ruler of Liang Guo, the wealthiest state, into the matter; too much was involved, and there might well be other schemes. The Emperor ordered a thorough investigation, searching day and night without rest, uprooting Liang Guo's roots in the Capital.

Liu Qi was recuperating at his residence and no longer took part in the matter, but he told Shaowei frankly: "Among those investigating Prince Liang now are my informants. Once this is concluded, I will tell you all the results in detail."

Shaowei nodded, then suddenly asked him: "Do you suspect Prince Liang's crimes go beyond what is known now?"

After a moment, Liu Qi said: "If he harbors treasonous intentions to bring ruin to the state, then I wonder whether the forged letter evidence that slandered my maternal uncle for colluding with the Xiongnu back then also came from this man's hand."

He knew who the true culprit was, but the one who forged his maternal uncle's handwriting back then was also a great enemy; he had to investigate, had to take revenge.

Suspecting Prince Liang was merely a passing guess; over these years he had yet to find any solid evidence.

Shaowei understood, then suddenly realized something: "You practiced the calligraphy of various schools and wrote many fine styles—was it also to investigate this matter?"

Liu Qi looked at her and nodded slightly.

Shaowei fell silent for a while.

She had originally thought that whatever characters he wrote were extremely beautiful, but now understanding this deeper intention, she realized that whatever he did was for the sake of finding the culprit and taking revenge; he feared he had not relaxed for a single moment all these years.

"I will help you find all the enemies." Shaowei suddenly made a promise.

Before entering the Capital, she had said she would put her own matters first, and she had done so; he had also done the same. He had helped her so much along the way, and this last time he was even willing to sacrifice his life and future.

Meeting Liu Qi's stunned gaze, Shaowei said with a serious expression: "You helped me hunt beasts; I will also help you."

There were no great principles of right and wrong or grand schemes—only the simplest code of conduct.

Candlelight beside the case flickered, reflected in Liu Qi's eyes; also reflected in his gaze was the girl's face, with her favoritism and repayment that she took for granted. But she surely did not know that at this moment, a radiance of chivalrous righteousness surrounded her entire being, abundant and vibrant.

Favoritism and chivalrous righteousness were each precious; he could not say which one more captured his heart.

In short, she was generously giving the precious peace she had found for herself to him, who lacked it extremely.

She urged him to share with her the clues he had investigated over these years: "... just like when I told you about my matters before."

Shaowei questioned directly, Liu Qi held nothing back, and the candlelight listened quietly.

After finishing this long serious matter, Shaowei drank half a bowl of tea, rose to stretch her tendons and bones, casually looked around the room, and saw a bronze beast statue standing with head raised and hooves stepping. She asked curiously: "What beast is this? A deer?"

"A divine deer, an auspicious beast, bestowed by the Imperial Palace." Liu Qi replied.

Shaowei nodded, then looked out the window: "When I came just now, I saw a pine tree in your courtyard, different from other pines, with golden leaves and branches. What pine is that?"

"Golden Pine, also called Water Tree, from Runan." Liu Qi replied again.

Her spirit surged back to life; as curiosity about all things overflowed, things she had previously overlooked suddenly gained color. After "What beast?" and "What pine?", Shaowei pointed at a white jade bi placed on a wooden frame in the room and asked: "What jade is this?"

Liu Qi did not answer directly this time, but rose and walked over, blowing out the candle flame.

The room suddenly fell into dimness, but Shaowei's eyes were brightened; the warm, moist jade bi emitted a translucent radiance, making her involuntarily lean in to look closely.

"This is a night-luminous jade bi. It is said that in the past, the King of Chu sent a hundred carriages of envoys just to escort this item and present it to the King of Qin," Liu Qi said as he walked closer.

The jade bi glowed faintly, the room dim; the two leaned together to view the jade. In this small space illuminated by the jade bi, it seemed to become a world belonging only to the two of them.

Noticing that the gaze of the person beside her seemed to have strayed from the jade bi, Shaowei subconsciously turned her head; her hanging hair bun swayed with the movement and brushed against the youth's lip corner.

His eyes were pitch black and beautiful, appearing even clearer and deeper in the dimness. Suddenly seeing them, the two contrasted, and the jade bi seemed to become a counterfeit in an instant; the true jade light was only concealed within his eyes.

And at this moment his eyes flickered; his lip corner, touched by her hair bun, moved slightly. Then Shaowei looked at this person's sturdy chest, separated by only a layer of inner attire. Her hearing was sharp, and in this quiet she heard his heartbeat trembling, not normal.

Meeting the girl's dark, spirited eyes full of inquiry, Liu Qi hurriedly stood up straight, looked at the jade bi, no longer looked at her, and said: "If you like it... then take it back to view."

"I don't want it." Shaowei immediately refused, saying: "It suits you more; you keep it to look at."

Today she had walked from great liveliness to here; by comparison, she felt this place was too cold and quiet, and very much needed this treasure that could glow in the darkness to adorn it.

She had found her Mother, but his Mother could never be found again.

Because she realized this mid-sentence, she did not dare to boast extravagantly about her Mother.

Thinking of this, trying to adorn this place more, Shaowei took out an item from her sleeve: a small seven-hole clay Seek, with tiger patterns painted on the outside, which she had bought at the street market today.

Shaowei held it in her hand, demonstrating by blowing out a wu-wu ethereal sound.

The clay Seek was an instrument of court ritual music, but its original purpose was to lure prey. Liu Qi thought at this moment: although it was a former use, it still worked now.

"This is for you; blowing it is very lively." Shaowei stuffed the thing into Liu Qi's hands, then said: "I should go back; they are waiting for me at home."

Speaking, she suddenly said again: "I... my Immortal Master is very capable. Once your injury is better, I will take you to see her."

In saving Jiang Fu this time, Liu Qi also had a great share of the credit. Shaowei wanted to entrust Jiang Fu to treat Liu Qi's injured leg.

Liu Qi's mind was unsettled at this moment; he nodded in agreement without thinking further, only saying: "I will see you off."

"Unnecessary." Shaowei, whose heart was also somewhat unsettled, turned and walked away, saying as she went: "I walk very quickly; you just tend to your injury!"

She indeed walked very quickly; her light footsteps soon disappeared. Liu Qi held the tiger-shaped clay Seek in one hand, about to bring it to his lips to play, but thinking of something, his movement suddenly stopped, his face and ears all hot.

After a moment, he slowly raised his other hand; his fingertip lightly brushed the lips that Shaowei's hanging hair bun had swept over. When he reached the lip corner, he instead wiped out a hint of a smile.

Standing still for a long time, by the light of the jade bi, Liu Qi looked at the clay Seek in his hand and thought of a poem in the "Xiao Ya" that mentioned the clay Seek; among its words were indeed some that matched his current state of mind.

"Who is he? He is like a whirlwind. Why not come from the north? Why not come from the south? Only disturbing my heart..."

"You go in peace, yet do not rest; you hurry, yet do not grease your cart. When you come, how can I..."

The night wind brushed past; all sounds were hidden.

Shaowei stepped on the night wind, not stopping all the way, returning to Jiang Zhai. She tiptoed, but saw everyone in the residence fast asleep, with no one waiting for her all night.

Snorting softly, Shaowei returned to the room to undress and wash. Finally, when about to take down her hair bun, she ran to the mirror to look again and again, ultimately unwilling to remove it, and simply slept like that.

By the time dawn broke the next day, her hair bun was a complete mess. Shaowei, with disheveled and terrible hair, put on her clothes, grabbed a comb, and ran to Jiang Fu's room, sitting before Jiang Fu, who was drinking tea while sitting cross-legged on a cushion bed, asking Jiang Fu to comb her hair.

Jiang Fu was overjoyed. Shaowei, with sleepy eyes, said: "Now that you have recovered your strength, tell me the cause of the illness on your body that is the same as Chiyang's."

"Just say why you suddenly became kind enough to let me comb your hair. It turns out you want me to tell you a story to listen to."

Shaowei: "The illness is tormenting; why call it a story?"

"Because the cause and effect of this matter is long; it must be told slowly from many years ago..." Jiang Fu held the comb in his hand and indeed opened this past event with the tone of telling a story.

?? The sixth and seventh stanzas read the "Xiao Ya. He Ren Si" from the Book of Songs.

? Thank you everyone for the monthly tickets, rewards, and comments.

? (I went out to attend a banquet today; the round trip took over four hours, but I still stubbornly updated! 4600 characters, see you tomorrow everyone!)