Chapter 173: Finally Achieved It

From this matter, it is evident that Li Ye has become muddled. The holy medicine is of paramount importance to both the Wu Kingdom and him; how could it ever be truly delivered into the hands of King Ji? Even if it were destroyed, it should not be handed over to the enemy, Consort Chenxi said, her words carrying a hint of ruthlessness.

She appeared petite and slender, so fragile that a breath of wind could snap her. Yet, the sharp and sinister glint in her eyes was not to be underestimated...

She truly knew about the holy medicine.

Xue Xue’s gaze shifted slightly, an urgent desire welling up within her to obtain a definitive answer from the consort's lips.

However, the present situation was extremely unfavorable for them. The surroundings were heavily guarded by formidable martial artists, and acting rashly would likely only invite disaster upon themselves.

"We shall wait here in the Chenxi Palace until a suitable opportunity arises," Xue Xue tilted her head, speaking softly to Ji Wuqing, who was leaning lightly against her.

Ji Wuqing seemed indifferent. He gently wrapped his arms around her waist, his palms protectively hovering near her abdomen. "I am afraid the opportunity has already arrived."

Resting his head on Xue Xue's shoulder, he seemed to be listening to some movement in the distance, a cunning calculation flickering within his deep eyes.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion erupted at the front of the palace grounds, accompanied by the faint sounds of fighting. Intermingled with the screams of palace maids, the scene descended into a degree of chaos. Indeed, the disturbance ahead drew the guards away from this area, and within a fraction of a moment, the perimeter guards had dispersed.

Truly a fortuitous moment.

Inside the bedchamber, Consort Chenxi and Nanny Sun were also startled by the commotion outside.

"Consort, please rest assured. With the guards sent by the Sovereign protecting us, those rebels can do nothing," Nanny Sun hurriedly reassured Consort Chenxi.

"I wonder whether to call them stubbornly loyal or simply brainless. Now that the Wu Kingdom is firmly in Li Ye's grasp and the former crown prince has become a thing of the past, these people are still willing to throw their lives away for him," Consort Chenxi sighed, paying little further attention to the commotion outside.

It seemed she had long since grown accustomed to such scenes...

"To a certain extent, their loyalty is rather admirable, is it not?" Xue Xue lifted the hem of her dress and walked openly into the bedchamber.

Faced with Nanny Sun’s astonished gaze, she remained completely calm.

"Could it be that you have colluded with those rebels to deal with our Consort?" Nanny Sun nervously stepped in front of Consort Chenxi, a trace of reproach on her kind face.

The Sovereign valued this blind woman so highly, yet she had actually allied herself with the enemies of the Wu Kingdom...

"Even if Xue Xue wished to enter this Chenxi Palace, she would have no need to collude with anyone," Xue Xue said calmly.

She appeared entirely unfazed by Nanny Sun's interrogation.

"Nanny Sun." Consort Chenxi had already reached out and gently pushed Nanny Sun aside, her unseeing eyes accurately locking onto Xue Xue. "You are clever, to have remained hidden within the Zuoqiu Palace all this time. Everyone assumed you had left the palace, yet we were hoisted by our own petard. Just as you are clever, you are also remarkably bold to dare appear before me."

"The Consort flatters me. The only reason Xue Xue remains in the Zuoqiu Palace is because she has a question she wishes to ask the Consort. I will not beat around the bush; I am very interested in the holy medicine the Consort spoke of." She walked slowly closer, staring directly into Consort Chenxi's unseeing eyes.

Lingering traces remained around those eyes—scars from burns that twisted and turned in a grotesque, hideous fashion around the sightless sockets.

They resembled a piece of rotten flesh that had been ripped open, dried up by the passage of time, leaving behind a permanent mark.

"The holy medicine? And why do you suppose I would tell you?" Consort Chenxi looked at her confident demeanor. "Or perhaps it is your helper who has given you this courage?" She glanced past Xue Xue to the slender figure leaning against the bedchamber doorway.

Though his features were obscured, a faint aura of hostility could be felt from afar.

"Do not be anxious, Consort. Let me think—the holy medicine must be right here in this bedchamber." She swept her gaze across the room, which possessed a luxurious yet desolate ambiance. The bedchamber was vast, exuding a sense of profound loneliness and melancholy.

Sure enough, upon hearing her words, Consort Chenxi's expression darkened slightly. However, she quickly regained her composure, casting a thoughtful look at Xue Xue.

This woman truly could not be underestimated; she had actually guessed it. Yet even if she had guessed the holy medicine's location, could she possibly know its exact hiding spot?

"It seems I guessed correctly." Xue Xue smiled, as though her deduction had been a lucky shot in the dark.

"Consort..." Nanny Sun looked between Xue Xue and the consort, her face a mask of vigilance.

Consort Chenxi said nothing, merely watching Xue Xue. It was not without reason that Zuoqiu Li Ye favored this woman; she indeed possessed a unique aura. Her expression remained tranquil, yet she could shock others with merely a word or two.

"Is the person standing at the door your husband?" Consort Chenxi composed herself and glanced at Ji Wuqing, who stood some distance away. "You should know this: Zuoqiu Li Ye is genuinely fond of you. For your sake, he did not hesitate to engage in a cold war with me, his own mother. Although he did not openly blame me, a subtle fissure has formed in our mother-son relationship because of this matter. No, to be precise, it is because of you... Therefore, I have a compelling reason to tell you what the holy medicine truly means to the Wu Kingdom and to Li Ye."

"Is the Consort attempting to sway me with emotion?" Xue Xue raised an eyebrow, unwilling to discuss Zuoqiu Li Ye's intentions toward her.

It would only cloud her judgment.

"You are afraid, Xue Xue." Consort Chenxi seemed to have caught her weakness, observing her with keen interest. "Are you afraid your husband will be angry, or are you afraid I have struck a chord in your heart? You are not entirely unfeeling toward Li Ye, are you? After all, my Li Ye is so exceptional. Though his temperament is hardly pleasing to women, it is precisely because he has developed special feelings for you that his preferential treatment of you is all the more precious. And it is for this very reason that your heart is in such turmoil."

A playful smile played on Consort Chenxi's lips; in this expression, she bore a distinct resemblance to Zuoqiu Li Ye.

Perhaps because Consort Chenxi had weathered many storms, a trace of Zuoqiu Li Ye's current demeanor could faintly be discerned between her brows. It seemed Zuoqiu Li Ye took after his mother.

"Perhaps what you say is true, but unfortunately, I am Xue Xue. I possess only one heart, and it will only ever beat for one person." Xue Xue shook her head, not to conceal anything, but stating the facts as they were. "Therefore, the Consort need not waste effort trying to probe what you call my inner thoughts. To me, it is merely a smokescreen you are using to conceal the location of the holy medicine."

"Very well, then I shall not beat around the bush either." Consort Chenxi was slightly surprised by Xue Xue's unyielding attitude, but then continued, "The holy medicine is indeed right here in this bedchamber. But do you truly intend to take it away? To take it and save your husband, when this belongs to the Wu Kingdom and is Li Ye's life-saving pill?"

Zuoqiu Li Ye's life-saving pill?

An expression of incomprehension crossed her face.

"This, too, is thanks to your husband. Li Ye sustained severe internal injuries and urgently needs the holy medicine to recuperate. However, this holy medicine is extremely precious; if two people were to consume it simultaneously, the medicinal effect might not reach the expected outcome."

Did she mean she had to choose between Zuoqiu Li Ye and Ziqing?

What use was such a multiple-choice question placed before her? To her, the answer was self-evident.

"You mean Zuoqiu Li Ye has already taken the holy medicine, and therefore..." Therefore, this holy medicine was completely useless to Ziqing?

"Regrettably, Li Ye's wish is to honor the promise he made to you." Consort Chenxi let out a helpless sigh. "Why not stay and spend the rest of your life accompanying Li Ye? Then I will hand this holy medicine over to you, for your husband."

Her words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, difficult to discern.

"Not to mention my husband would never agree, nor would I," Xue Xue said. "Besides, I know where the holy medicine is. It is right inside your dressing table mirror." There must be a hidden compartment within that dressing table...

In an instant, everyone's gaze seemed to focus on the dressing table mirror. Consort Chenxi bit her lip in vexation, never expecting that she would have guessed even this...

"It seems we cannot see eye to eye. But since you have guessed it, why bother saying so much to me? Are you stalling for time, or was it merely a wild guess?" She remained seated before the dressing table, her thin, almost withered fingers lightly tapping against the wooden surface.

"Even a wild guess requires time, does it not?"

In truth, it was a mixture of deduction and a lucky guess.

Her assumption that the holy medicine was in the Chenxi Palace was a wild deduction, because Consort Chenxi seemed to place great importance on the medicine and feared that Zuoqiu Li Ye would secretly give it to Ziqing. Thus, she would inevitably keep the medicine close at hand as a precaution. As for it being inside the dressing table mirror, that was indeed a blind guess...

"Hmph, I never expected to be outwitted by a little girl like you," Consort Chenxi sneered. "However, what more can I say? Since matters have come to this, you may take the holy medicine."

She spoke with apparent magnanimity, as though she had given up the struggle.

Yet, her other hand clenched tightly inside her sleeve, gripping a hairpin...

She looked at Xue Xue with a semblance of resignation, but suddenly exerted force with the hand hidden in her sleeve, clutching the hairpin as she lunged directly toward Xue Xue's heart—

However, Xue Xue, who stood before her, was suddenly swept aside by Ji Wuqing, causing Consort Chenxi to lose her balance and crash heavily onto the cold floor.

"Consort!" Nanny Sun hurried to shield her mistress, casting a wary glare at Xue Xue and Ji Wuqing.

Things having reached this juncture, she could only protect the consort to the death from their harm.

Xue Xue had been somewhat on guard against Consort Chenxi, though Ziqing's reaction had been swifter. She looked down at Consort Chenxi sprawled on the ground. The sharp hairpin had pierced through the consort's palm, and fresh blood flowed in a startling manner.

Yet the consort seemed entirely devoid of pain, a bizarre smile blooming on her face, making her unsightly eyes all the more chilling.

Xue Xue gazed at her indifferently, having already walked over to the dressing table. With a forceful push of her hand, the mirror shattered into pieces, revealing a small, exquisite box nestled within.

"Take it all and leave! My Li Ye's life is nearing its end, you might as well kill me too!" Consort Chenxi wailed from the floor in a half-mad state. "Ji Wuqing, you know very well what you did to my Li Ye! Without the holy medicine, what kind of consequences will Li Ye's body face—"

"Are you expecting me to feel pity for you, or for Zuoqiu Li Ye? History is written by the victors; it is as simple as that."