You Yuji furrowed her brows in her sleep. Even in her dreams, she was thinking about her mother, so she didn’t sleep deeply. Si Que glanced at her tear-streaked face and inserted a silver needle into the back of her neck to help her sleep more soundly. Only then did he pick her up.
Madam You’s room was simply furnished, without even a couch to sit on. Si Que sat down on the chair in front of the cabinet and placed You Yuji on his lap. She had changed into loose sleepwear today; the light purple nightgown had no layers of chest bindings underneath, just a close-fitting undergarment. Si Que untied the bothersome strap on her back and applied the needles to detoxify her for the last time.
He unwrapped the bandage on his left hand; the wound from last night showed no signs of healing. He lightly cut the wound again, and instead of using a cup to collect the blood, he pressed his palm against You Yuji’s lips, letting his blood drip directly into her mouth.
As the blood flowed, his complexion gradually turned pale.
Whether it was expelling the poison with internal energy on the first day or feeding her with his blood in the following two days, it was a great drain on his body.
But Si Que was not one to shirk responsibility.
He accepted the consequences willingly.
The one who makes the rules must abide by them.
Si Que dressed You Yuji and placed her back on the bed. Perhaps due to his experience in covering his tracks, he was highly skilled at restoring everything to its original state. Even the length of the tied strap on You Yuji’s undergarment was restored to its original state.
He left quietly, not disturbing anyone. Fifteen minutes after he left the You residence, the elderly gatekeeper awoke, rubbing his eyes and blaming himself for his incompetence. He poured himself another cup of tea to stay alert.
When Si Que arrived, the weather was still good, but it became windy after he left the You residence. The wind wasn’t strong but had a chill to it. Despite the cold seeping into him, his steps remained leisurely.
The night was deep, and all was silent. The stars and moon were absent, leaving everything in darkness.
As Si Que walked by the riverbank, the sound of the wind brushing the water’s surface was faint. Knowing he was being followed, he stopped and sat on the waist-high stone railing by the riverbank, patiently waiting. Even if no one had been following him, his weakness would have forced him to stop and rest.
Before long, Si Hua emerged from the shadows.
Si Hua, the second prince of the Si Kingdom and Si Que’s half-brother.
“Why did you come out of Prince Jinnan’s mansion?” Si Hua questioned in a low, anxious voice.
Si Que slightly raised the white veil of his hat and looked over.
It was too dark for Si Hua to see Si Que’s expression. He quickly walked towards Si Que and stopped three to five steps in front of him. In an even lower voice, he asked, “Did you get the item?”
“What item?” Si Que’s cool, magnetic voice was as calm as water.
“Didn’t you leave the mansion because you got the item? Do you realize what time it is and you’re still so nonchalant? We paid such a high price to send the Crown Prince out; this is our Si Kingdom’s all-or-nothing gamble!”
Si Que suddenly remembered that day.
It was Si Que who had found a way to get the Crown Prince out of the temporary palace. The old emperor, dreaming of restoring the kingdom, pinned his hopes on the Crown Prince, knowing he was too old and incompetent. Even though Si Que told the old emperor that the cost of doing so would be the imprisonment, enslavement, or even massacre of all the royal family members in the palace by the Chen Emperor, the old emperor still chose to believe in his Crown Prince.
Si Que’s lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile. He wondered if the old emperor, now in the death cell, still firmly believed in the Crown Prince’s ability to restore the kingdom. He wanted to see if the old emperor, waiting hopefully in the celestial prison, could witness his Crown Prince brother’s “achievements.”
Si Que snapped out of his thoughts and coldly looked at his second brother in front of him.
Si Hua took another step forward, using a coaxing tone: “Second Brother knows it was difficult for you to approach the Crown Prince of Chen disguised as a woman to deceive him. But our Si Kingdom’s treasure map must not fall into Chen’s hands. Ever since the night of the banquet, Chen Anzhi has been infatuated with you. A little bit of coaxing from you could certainly get the treasure map. Even if you can’t get it, destroying it would suffice. For the great cause of restoring the kingdom, Father and our clansmen endure humiliation in Chen’s death cell. If you can destroy that treasure map, it would be a heroic act even if you die…”
Due to certain reasons, Si Que had been cross-dressing as a woman since childhood and had now become Chen Anzhi’s concubine. It was easy for Chen Anzhi to discover his male identity. Even so, everyone hoped he would approach Chen Anzhi at Prince Jinnan’s mansion, using this slim chance to destroy the treasure map. Whether Si Que could escape unharmed was unimportant since he wouldn’t live long anyway.
Listening to Si Hua’s incessant chatter, Si Que slowly started to laugh.
Si Hua continued persuading him until he suddenly saw something flash in the darkness. Looking closely, he realized Si Que had tossed a copper coin high into the air.
Si Que raised his hand to catch the falling coin, pressing it against the back of his bandaged hand. He lifted his right hand and coldly glanced at the coin.
— Tails.
Si Que raised an eyebrow, retracted his gaze, and looked at Si Hua, saying, “I didn’t get the item, but I know where it is.”
“Where is it?” Si Hua asked urgently.
A cold wind blew by, making Si Que turn his head and cough lightly twice, a slight metallic taste in his throat.
“Second Brother, lean in.”
Another bout of coughing ensued, leaving spots of blood on the bandage on Si Que’s left hand.
Si Hua thought that the saying about Si Que not living past coming of age might be true. Seeing Si Que so weak, he quickly moved closer, bending down beside him.
Si Que took a moment, then leaned close to Si Hua’s ear and whispered, “You all believed me when I said the treasure map was in Chen Anzhi’s hands. And with this kind of thinking, you still dream of rebellion and restoring the kingdom?”
Si Hua was stunned. Just as he was about to straighten up, three long needles pierced his throat from the side of his neck. His eyes widened in shock. He tried to call out to his subordinates in the distance, but no sound came out. Using all his strength, he could only manage to utter two faint words.
Si Que listened carefully and recognized he was saying, “Beast.”
Si Que smiled with great interest.
“To think you only realize today that I am a beast, despite us growing up together as siblings. You died without grievance.” The smile on Si Que’s lips grew more radiant, eventually turning into low laughter, which then turned into intermittent coughing. He abruptly stopped laughing and coldly looked down at the fallen Si Hua.
Si Que sat quietly for a while as if nothing had happened. Once he regained some strength, he got up and left. However, he soon returned, holding a pure white autumn jasmine flower.
He had just found it by the roadside.
Si Que lightly inhaled the jasmine’s fragrance, then bent down and placed it on Si Hua’s chest. He revealed an innocent and obedient smile and said, “Sleep well, my second brother.”
Si Hua’s eyes remained wide open in death.
Si Que turned and walked away. As he moved further, Si Hua’s body slowly turned into a pool of blood, which then gradually evaporated into white smoke. Before long, even the blood was gone, leaving only the pure white jasmine lying by the riverbank, its petals trembling gently in the night breeze.
Everyone praised Princess Que of the Si Kingdom for her literary talent and exceptional musical skills. But only a few in the Si royal palace knew that he was a master of poisons. There was no poison he couldn’t concoct, no one he couldn’t kill. Everything around him was laced with poison. Even his own body was the greatest source of poison.
The You residence was not close to Prince Jinnan’s mansion, but Si Que walked slowly. After another thirty minutes, it began to rain. Even though it was just a light drizzle, the late autumn rain carried a chill.
Before long, Si Que heard a faint meowing from the roadside. Following the sound, he found a dying kitten in a pile of withered grass. It looked less than a month old, soaked in rain or muddy water, its fur color indiscernible. It mewed softly, both frightened and cold, its tiny body trembling continuously.
Beside it were the frozen corpses of several other kittens, but the mother cat was nowhere to be seen.
Si Que wiped the mud and water off the kitten with a snow-white handkerchief and then placed it in his arms to warm it. The kitten huddled and squirmed, dirtying his white robe with mud.
Si Que tugged at the white veil of his hat to shield the kitten from the slanting rain. As he walked, he gently pinched the kitten’s nape and said warmly, “Let’s see who lives longer.”
He named the kitten Baisui, meaning “long life.”
He could smile while ruthlessly killing his brother and also show compassion to a stray kitten.
Human hearts are complex, but the mind of a beast, not yet conscious, is pure.
—
When You Yuji woke up the next day, the corners of her eyes were red. Every time she cried, such marks would linger at the corners of her eyes for a long time. She finished handling the matters in her father’s study that she had left unfinished the previous night before reluctantly leaving her mother’s bedside to bid farewell to her younger brother.
You Yuji squatted in front of You Jiamu, straightening the folds in his lapel. She spoke softly, “Mother is bedridden now, and it will be hard on you.”
Thinking about her young brother having to take on the responsibilities of the head of the household made You Yuji feel both pained and sorrowful.
“Alright, I must go back now.” You Yuji stood up.
“Sis!” You Jiamu clenched his fists, “You all treat me like a child.”
You Yuji patted his head with a smile, “Jiamu is not a child; he is a little man.”
You Jiamu seemed to deflate suddenly, shaking his head.
“I’m a child, a child who can’t do many things. But…” He looked up at his sister with a determined expression, “But you are an adult. You might be able to do what I can’t. Even if I can’t help you, I don’t want to be a burden. If… I mean if… if you want to do something, go ahead and do it. Don’t worry about me.”
You Yuji was taken aback, carefully considering her brother’s roundabout words.
You Jiamu tugged at You Yuji’s sleeve, saying, “Sis, no matter what you do, I’m on your side. Even if everyone says your choice is wrong, if it’s your choice, I’ll say it’s right! Even if we die together, so be it!”
You Yuji understood.
After a long while, she smiled and slowly nodded.
Her brother had grown up faster than she had imagined, no longer the mischievous child who got into trouble and angered their parents.
On the way back, Chen Anzhi was very quiet, completely different from his troublesome behavior the previous day. He even poured tea for You Yuji.
You Yuji glanced at him in surprise.
Chen Anzhi lightly coughed and whispered, “Don’t cry anymore…”
You Yuji was momentarily stunned, then realized. Yesterday, by her mother’s side, every time she thought about the possibility of her mother joining her father in death at any moment, she couldn’t stop her tears.
Did Chen Anzhi misunderstand and think she was crying because of him?
You Yuji didn’t explain. She lowered her eyes and silently drank her tea. She thought about her brother’s recent words and once again contemplated her future with Chen Anzhi.
After a while, You Yuji asked the carriage to stop. Chen Anzhi looked at her in confusion, wanting to ask but seeing her get off the carriage without explaining, he scowled and crossed his arms, leaning against the carriage wall, not willing to ask.
You Yuji went to Wanfu Pharmacy.
She used to come here often to buy medicine for her mother, so the shopkeeper was familiar with her. However, this time she wasn’t buying medicine for her mother but a box of ointment for external injuries.
“This Silver Frost Ointment is excellent for treating external wounds, ensuring no scars will be left,” the shopkeeper introduced the best ointment with a smile.
You Yuji thought of Si Que’s injured hand and decided to buy the ointment for him as she passed by.
She vaguely remembered her father once saying that Princess Que had a very weak constitution and that her wounds were slow to heal compared to others. She wasn’t sure if this was true but thought that being reduced to a concubine and a slave, the princess likely faced many inconveniences. She didn’t know if the princess had access to effective medicines.
When the carriage reached a street near the mansion, Chen Anzhi stopped it. He got off the carriage and, instead of returning to the mansion, went somewhere else.
Lady Jing sighed, her face full of worry.
You Yuji, however, didn’t care where Chen Anzhi went. Upon returning to the mansion, she changed her clothes and took the Silver Frost Ointment to Yunxiao Courtyard.
