Chapter 65: Not Many Years Left to Live

Cheng Xi looked at the Regent's wife's face for a long time without speaking.

The Regent's wife felt it was somewhat strange, reaching out to touch her face, "Is there something on my face?"

Cheng Xi shook her head, "The Princess Consort's body is frail and requires Spirit Essence to nourish it; why must you remain in Jindu?"

The Regent's wife's expression changed instantly, her gaze turning somewhat sharp, "You can tell?"

"Yes." Cheng Xi sighed softly, "The Princess Consort should know yourself; if you do not leave, you have only a few years left to live."

"Nonsense..."

"What do you mean by 'only a few years left to live'?"

Cheng Xi looked at the Regent who had suddenly strode out, not at all surprised; the moment she entered this place, she had sensed a faint aura hidden in the shadows.

She just hadn't expected it to be the Regent; she had thought it was Li Zhi'an.

Although a bit surprised, Cheng Xi still looked at the Regent, about to speak, when the Regent's wife grabbed her husband's hand, her eyes faintly carrying a plea, and covering her heart, she said, "I am feeling a bit unwell; let us return to the Wangfu first, alright?"

The Regent stared fixedly at his wife, for the first time not listening to her words; he gripped her hand tightly and turned to look at Cheng Xi again, "Tell me the truth, what exactly is going on?"

Cheng Xi spread her hands, "Resolve the matters between you husband and wife yourselves."

The Regent's complexion turned livid instantly; he looked at Cheng Xi and asked again, "How can she be cured?"

"Naturally, by returning to where you came from."

The Regent's face turned slightly pale, and this time he did not speak again.

Cheng Xi smiled at the two and turned to leave; before departing, she looked at the Regent's wife again, "An immortal body has its limits; you know that in your heart, don't you?"

"How do you know?" At this moment, the Regent's wife's gaze toward Cheng Xi was completely different.

This was the secret of their clan.

Cheng Xi smiled faintly, "I said just now, we are fated. The Princess Consort needs a Dingyuan Pearl to extend your life, is that not so?"

"Is one Dingyuan Pearl not enough?" The Regent looked at his wife and asked.

The Regent's wife squeezed out a smile, "It is..."

"Naturally, it is not." Cheng Xi interrupted the Regent's wife, "The lifespan of a mortal is less than a hundred years, and for a man of such martial prowess as the Prince, it should be around two hundred. One Dingyuan Pearl is barely enough to sustain two hundred years, but it is a pity that the Princess Consort's body is too weak, and the Dingyuan Pearl is depleted too heavily; now it can only last another two or three years."

"Cheng Xi!" The Regent's wife deepened her tone slightly, "Do not say any more; this is a matter between my husband and me, do not interfere!"

"If Cheng Xi had not told me the truth, how long were you planning to hide it from me?" The Regent was heartbroken; all these years he had been running about, just to find another Dingyuan Pearl.

Even if Cheng Xi hadn't said it, he had sensed that his wife's body was getting worse and worse, but he hadn't expected it to be this much worse than he had anticipated.

To think there were only two or three years of life left...

Back then, if it hadn't been to save him, his wife would not have become this frail.

"Since you can discover this point, is there a way to save her? Name your conditions, as long as you can save my wife."

Cheng Xi shook her head, "I must disappoint the Prince; Dingyuan Pearls are extremely rare, and I am powerless."

The Regent was deeply disappointed, but in an instant, he gathered his spirits again, "Cheng Xi, you are a clever person; since you brought this matter up, is there a way to extend my wife's life?"

"I said just now, the Princess Consort should return to where she came from."

The Regent took a deep breath, gritting his teeth in silence.

The Regent's wife looked at the faint self-reproach in her husband's eyes, turned to look at Cheng Xi, and shook her head, "I cannot go back; my homeland is already gone."

Cheng Xi had not expected such an answer; she stared fixedly at the Regent's wife, "I observe that the Princess Consort's physiognomy still holds a glimmer of vitality; there should still be a chance. It is just that I do not know where this glimmer of vitality will appear."

"There is still a glimmer of vitality?" The Regent's brow furrowed tightly; where was this vitality?

Cheng Xi had leaked a heavenly secret; on the way back, dark clouds covered the sky and heavy rain poured down. The carriage she was sitting in tripped halfway and overturned. She rolled out of the carriage, looked up at the sky, and silently gave it the middle finger.

As soon as the middle finger appeared, lightning split the sky and a thunderclap suddenly exploded; Cheng Xi silently retracted her middle finger.

When one's ability is insufficient, those who adapt to circumstances are the wise.

She fell ill upon returning to the Du Mansion and lay for two days before she could get out of bed.

As it turned out, on the day she recovered, a shocking piece of news suddenly arrived: the Regent had resigned from all his official posts, passed his title to his son, and taken his wife away to seek treatment.

Cheng Xi:...

She had seen decisive people, but never anyone as decisive as the Regent.

Truly a wise person.

Li Zhi'an had been so busy these past two days that his feet barely touched the ground; first his own father threw in the towel, then he inherited the title, and now, under the instruction of the Empress Dowager, many ministers in the Imperial Court had submitted memorials stating that since Li Zhi'an was already the Regent, the position of Head of the Tongtian Division was no longer suitable for him to hold.

Because of this matter, there was endless debate in the Imperial Court.

Before the Regent and his wife left, they came to bid farewell to Cheng Xi. Cheng Xi liked the Princess Consort, this beauty; not only was she beautiful enough to be a feast for the eyes, but the aura about her was truly comfortable.

"If the Princess Consort feels unwell on the road, take out a pill and swallow it to temporarily alleviate it." Cheng Xi handed over a palm-sized porcelain bottle, "However, this medicine is very difficult to refine; the Princess Consort should use it sparingly."

This bottle contained only ten pills.

She had even raided Lao Wutou's shop to force a sale, which had made Lao Wutou so angry he wanted to kick her out the door.

The Princess Consort's clear, spiritual eyes gazed at Cheng Xi, "Many thanks; I do not know if we will have any other fate in this life."

Cheng Xi played dumb, looking at the Princess Consort, "May you get what you wish for on this journey."

The smile on the Princess Consort's face slowly faded, and she turned to look at the horizon, "I will take your kind words."

However, it was probably impossible.

The Heavenly Witch Clan was bound by curses, and their sacred land had long since been destroyed; as far as she knew, she was the only one of her clan left alive in the world.

If one were to force a count, her son counted as half.

The Heavenly Witch Clan only recognized women as clanspeople, and the curses passed down through the generations were only inherited by women.

Sometimes she thought, fortunately she had given birth to a boy, so he did not have to endure such pain as she did.

But sometimes she would also feel a bit of annoyance; if it had been a girl, the Heavenly Witch Clan would have had a successor.

But, how could there be anything perfect in this world?

She never expected that the secret she had hidden for so many years would be seen through by Cheng Xi. The aura of fortune around this girl was shrouded in mist and could not be seen through; for someone the Heavenly Witch Clan could not see through, it was evident her origins were extraordinary.

Now that Cheng Xi had given her this bottle of medicine, she was even more certain that her guess was correct.

Sitting in the carriage, she looked at her husband and said softly, "A girl like Cheng Xi, if Zhian could marry her and bring her home, it would be his good fortune. It is a pity that, the way I see it, he does not look like he has such good fortune."

Li Jian gave a cold laugh, "The cabbage is growing right at his doorstep, and he doesn't even know how to nudge it into his own home; who can he blame for that?"

The Princess Consort spoke up for her son, "I talked to Cheng Xi about the marriage, and she had no such intention."

It was not that the son was not trying hard enough.

The disdain in Li Jian's eyes grew even thicker, "What girl from a good family would agree the moment he mentions marriage? It's just that he is incompetent!"

Back then, so many people liked Meiniang, yet he still managed to marry her and bring her home.

Just on this point alone, he was a disgrace to his father!