Chapter 174: Wounding Her Heart (Part Two)

Xue Xue chose to pick up the holy medicine. Without glancing back at Consort Chenxi, who remained slumped on the ground in a state of desolate frenzy, she turned to Ji Wuqing and said, "Let's go." Since the holy medicine was already in hand, they had no reason to stay here any longer.

It was only after stepping outside that they realized just how perilous the situation within the Chenxi Palace had become. Numerous assassins had flooded the courtyard, engaging in fierce combat with the guards.

"Kill that one-eyed witch! Avenge His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"

These assassins appeared to have come well-prepared, and before long, the guards of the Chenxi Palace were struggling to hold their ground.

"Will Zuoqiu Liye's mother die?" Hiding in the shadows and watching the chaos unfold, Xue Xue could not help asking.

The assassins seemed to harbor a deep hatred for Zuoqiu Liye's mother—no, perhaps the hatred was directed at both mother and son. Viewed in this light, their past circumstances could not have been very pleasant; Zuoqiu Liye's mother's blind eyes were proof enough of that.

Consort Chenxi might have been a peculiar person—seemingly gentle on the surface, yet insidious and ruthless underneath—but she must have been a good mother. If she died, Zuoqiu Liye would surely grieve immensely...

"Perhaps we could capture her and use her as leverage against Zuoqiu Liye. Who knows, Zuoqiu Liye might immediately call a truce, surrender, and hand over the vast and beautiful territories of Wu." He seemed to harbor precisely this intention, though his tone remained somewhat frivolous.

"Or perhaps we can use her as leverage to ensure our safe departure from Qi'an." As for the unserious remarks Ziqing had made, she simply chose to ignore them.

"Mmm. Makes sense." Ji Wuqing nodded, appearing to agree with Xue Xue.

"Then shouldn't we go back now and..." Having won Ji Wuqing's agreement, Xue Xue felt a sudden surge of urgency. Seeing that the assassins were about to breach the bedchamber...

"Hush, Zuoqiu Liye is bringing his men." Ji Wuqing pulled her into his embrace unhurriedly, making no other move as his gaze fell upon the slaughter below.

Sure enough, looking up, Xue Xue saw a large detachment of guards rushing over to encircle the assassins, while Zuoqiu Liye strode into the Chenxi Palace with a hurried expression.

Regrettably, he seemed to have arrived a step too late. Several assassins had already forced their way into the bedchamber—

His mother's fate was likely grim.

For a moment, a wave of melancholy washed over her, and she wondered what expression Zuoqiu Liye would wear...

Before long, the assassins were subdued, and the bloody storm was quelled.

"Your Majesty, the Consort is not in the bedchamber!"

Hearing this, Zuoqiu Liye halted his anxious stride. His gaze slowly drifted toward the spot where Xue Xue and Ji Wuqing were concealed. Ji Wuqing had no intention of remaining hidden; he scooped Xue Xue into his arms and stepped out, standing atop the palace wall to look down at them from a lofty height.

"What a coincidence," he said with a mild smile, sounding like a greeting exchanged with an old friend.

Xue Xue was momentarily taken aback, failing to understand why they needed to reveal themselves.

Yet Ji Wuqing had already ignored her confusion, his deep, chilling gaze sweeping over the tragic carnage below.

"Ji Wuqing, where is my mother?" Zuoqiu Liye stood below, asking in a slightly out-of-control tone. His fox-like eyes seemed stained with the color of blood, carrying a hint of sinister gloom.

"This merely proves one thing: your incompetence, failing to protect even your own mother. Now you demand her back from Our throne instead? Don't you find that laughable?" In contrast to Zuoqiu Liye's agitation and anxiety, Ji Wuqing's casual and nonchalant demeanor was enough to make one itch with frustration.

Xue Xue was similarly baffled. Why on earth was Zuoqiu Liye demanding a person from them?

"My affairs do not require your judgment!"

"However, Consort Chenxi is indeed in Our hands. Strictly speaking, you ought to thank Us rather than question Us. If We had not intervened to save her, she would have long since perished as a ghost beneath the blade." With that, Qinghe and Lingyin stepped out, supporting a figure between them—and that person was none other than Consort Chenxi.

She seemed somewhat out of her senses, her disheveled hair obscuring her sightless eyes.

"Mother." Seeing Consort Chenxi, the gloomy aura enveloping Zuoqiu Liye finally receded somewhat. Yet his gaze toward Ji Wuqing remained intensely hostile. "Ji Wuqing, stop beating around the bush. State plainly what you wish to extort using my mother."

"It is very simple. Allow us to leave Qi'an safely. As for your mother—although she recently attempted to take Xue'er's life, We never slaughter the elderly, the weak, women, or children, nor do We wish to soil Our hands. Once we leave Qi'an, we will return her to you. After all, dragging a madwoman along our journey serves no purpose," Ji Wuqing said.

Hearing this, Zuoqiu Liye subconsciously glanced at Xue Xue, who was held in Ji Wuqing's arms. Seeing that she stood unharmed beside Ji Wuqing, he unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Consort Chenxi seemed to regain a shred of clarity. Raising her head to look at Zuoqiu Liye, she immediately began to shriek and wail.

"Liye, you cannot let them leave! They stole the holy medicine! You must take the holy medicine back! Never mind your mother, you must retrieve the holy medicine!" she screamed at Zuoqiu Liye, her emotions spiraling out of control.

Yet Zuoqiu Liye merely glanced at her before instructing Yunwu, "Order everyone to fall back and let Ji Wuqing and the others pass."

With his mother in their custody, he could not afford to risk her safety. Furthermore, Ji Wuqing's shadow guards had already infiltrated the Zuoqiu Palace; even without his mother as leverage, retaining them here would likely have been impossible.

Hearing this, Consort Chenxi screamed all the more frantically, behaving like a raving lunatic.

Unable to tolerate her continuous shrieking, Qinghe delivered a swift chop to the back of her neck, finally rendering her silent.

"Ah, right—when your mother mentioned the holy medicine just now, We almost forgot." Ji Wuqing retrieved the holy medicine from Xue Xue. Though unaware of his intentions, Xue Xue handed it over to him. However, Ji Wuqing's next action left her utterly incredulous—

He tossed the holy medicine with pinpoint accuracy right beside Zuoqiu Liye's feet, executing the gesture without a moment's hesitation.

"Returning the holy medicine to you."

"This was a promise I made to Xiao Xue. What business is it of yours?" Zuoqiu Liye glared at Ji Wuqing, his dark eyes ablaze with suppressed fury.

"Xue'er has no need to owe you any favors." Did Zuoqiu Liye really think his petty calculations went unnoticed?

Xue Xue felt a delayed reaction setting in, her mind spinning in chaos. A single sentence echoed relentlessly within her thoughts: *Ji Wuqing gave the holy medicine back to Zuoqiu Liye!*

It was not until the group had safely departed the Zuoqiu Palace that she finally voiced the turmoil in her head.

"Ji Wuqing, are you playing with me?" She came to a halt, glaring at Ji Wuqing and speaking in a cold voice.

Instantly, the trailing shadow guards retreated hundreds of paces, choosing to maintain their protection from afar.

"Xue'er..." Ji Wuqing softly murmured her name, reaching out to draw her into his embrace. Xue Xue shoved him away forcefully, fixing him with a gaze of chilling, terrifying composure.

"My mind is an absolute mess right now. Just what on earth are you thinking, Ji Wuqing? Why return the holy medicine to Zuoqiu Liye after we went through so much trouble to obtain it?" She tried her best to maintain calm and clarity, though her head felt heavy and dizzy.

"Will you allow your husband to explain? Give me a chance." Seeing her agitation, Ji Wuqing forcefully pulled her waist into his arms, his gentle voice carrying a strange, soothing power.

"Speak properly, stop hugging me!" Feeling vexed and irritated, she attempted to calm down, only to grow increasingly restless.

She thrashed her hands to bat him away, yet His Majesty possessed a thick skin, combining a tender imprisonment with irresistible dominance. Fearing she might injure herself, he reined in her wildly flailing hands.

"Have you ever considered why you attempted to persuade your husband to save Zuoqiu Liye's mother?" Holding her close in defiance of her struggles, he whispered near her ear. "Because Zuoqiu Liye's mother's words struck a chord, didn't they? Zuoqiu Liye has developed unusual feelings for you, and Xue'er, you aren't entirely unaware of it, are you? You simply choose not to acknowledge or face it..."

"That's not..."

"Listen to your husband until the end, hmm?" He held her tighter, leaning in close to whisper in her ear. "If not for that, given the chaotic situation in the Chenxi Palace when only the two of us were present, why would you try to convince your husband by using her as leverage? It wasn't really leverage at all, was it? You simply wanted to rescue her from the blades at that moment—even though she plotted against you and sought your life."

Perhaps Ziqing was right, yet not entirely right.

Besides, this could not have been his true objective either.

"You're changing the subject!" Xue Xue demanded angrily, trying once more to push him away.

"Am I wrong?" Ji Wuqing persisted stubbornly, refusing to let go.

"I admit I wanted to save Zuoqiu Liye's mother. But that wasn't out of any desire to protect Zuoqiu Liye, nor was it to repay some peculiar sentiment he holds for me. It was simply because we took the holy medicine, and without it, Zuoqiu Liye might lose his life—or worse, suffer the agony of losing his mother before perishing himself. That is why I wanted to use the holy medicine in exchange, as a trade to save Consort Chenxi."

Though she privately held a shred of forbearance toward Zuoqiu Liye, she would never have allowed Ziqing to risk his life for him.

Yet how could Ziqing have thought otherwise?

Did he truly believe she had fallen for Zuoqiu Liye?

"I'm sorry, Xue'er. Your husband was being petty." Seeing the glimmer of tears pooling in the depths of her eyes, Ji Wuqing panicked slightly. "I suppose jealousy made me speak foolishly and hurt you..."

He offered a self-deprecating chuckle.

Hearing this, Xue Xue averted her gaze, taking a deep, shuddering breath to prevent the tears brimming in her eyes from growing heavy and spilling over. She refused to let him see her looking this utterly wretched.

"First, explain the matter of the holy medicine to me!" She sniffled, managing to keep the moisture at bay.

"Because I didn't want you owing him any favors, Xue'er. Your husband is truly a very petty man."