You Yuji had been anxiously waiting for news from the master of the Poison Pavilion these past few days, fearing that something might go wrong. Fortunately, two days ago, people from the Poison Pavilion had sought out her aide, Zhuo Wen, and arranged the time and place for their meeting.
“We’ve arrived,” Zhuo Wen said from outside as the carriage came to a stop.
Outside, it was bustling with noise and activity.
You Yuji pushed open the carriage window a bit and looked out, just in time to see an old man selling candied hawthorns pass by, a splash of red color.
Not far away on the opposite street, there was a small shop selling rice cakes. The young and beautiful shopkeeper was calling out to the passersby in a soft, delicate voice to buy the essential New Year’s rice cakes.
The atmosphere was full of New Year spirit.
The New Year in the Si Kingdom was entirely different from You Yuji’s homeland where she had lived for many years. As the saying goes, different regions have different customs. From her mother, she had heard that the New Year customs in Su Kingdom were another kind of lively.
Over there, Zhenxu had already gotten off the carriage and set the footstool. You Yuji withdrew her gaze, handed her hand to Zhenxu, and stepped down from the carriage.
She looked up at the tall, three-story Mao Fu Restaurant in front of her. Although You Yuji had never been to this Mao Fu Restaurant before, she had heard of it.
You Yuji didn’t expect the master of the Poison Pavilion to arrange the meeting in such a busy place. However, it was fine this way; she really didn’t want to go to the Poison Pavilion’s territory again, fearing she might see those spider-like poisonous insects again, or accidentally touch some poison…
Si Que had been standing in the private room on the third floor of Mao Fu Restaurant for a long time, looking out the window. From a distance, he saw You Yuji’s carriage approaching Mao Fu Restaurant, but from his angle, it soon disappeared from view.
Estimating that it was about time, he turned back to the table and drank the medicine in the glass cup on the table. He coughed lightly twice, and his voice became hoarse and dry again.
You Yuji stepped slowly up the wooden stairs. As she got closer, that awkward feeling she had been suppressing slowly resurfaced. Clearly, over this period, she had gradually forgotten.
Standing outside the door of the agreed-upon private room, You Yuji looked at the closed door in front of her, took a deep breath, and told herself that once she got the fake death drug from the master of the Poison Pavilion today, they would never meet again, and there would be no further entanglement. All those unavoidable embarrassments would be thoroughly buried in her memory and disappear.
Zhuo Wen stepped forward and knocked on the door. The door was quickly opened from the inside by a young, stern-faced girl. She glanced at You Yuji and silently stepped aside.
You Yuji had already seen the master of the Poison Pavilion sitting inside.
He was lazily sitting by the window, one ankle resting on the knee of the other leg, backlit so that the blood-red mask on his face appeared a bit gentler.
You Yuji glanced at the square table in front of the master of the Poison Pavilion. There was an empty glass cup on it, similar to the one she had seen last time at the Poison Pavilion. Next to the glass cup were two small porcelain bottles painted in a duck-egg blue color. Those… must be the fake death drugs!
You Yuji stepped into the private room.
Every private room in the Mao Fu Restaurant was filled with different, expensive incense fragrances, which was a distinctive feature of the place. However, as You Yuji stepped into the private room, the original scent was almost undetectable, completely masked by a strong medicinal smell.
The scent came from the master of the Poison Pavilion.
“Here is a banknote for twenty thousand taels of gold,” You Yuji placed a lacquered gold sandalwood box on the table in front of the master of the Poison Pavilion.
She glanced again at the two small porcelain bottles on the table.
“Eight hours after ingestion, the heartbeat will stop, and the body will turn cold, resembling death. Twelve hours later, the person will wake up.”
Listening to the master of the Poison Pavilion’s sinister, hoarse voice, You Yuji nodded and carefully picked up the two small porcelain bottles from the table.
“Thank you, Master,” You Yuji expressed her gratitude.
She did not wait for a response from the master of the Poison Pavilion.
That was just as well. You Yuji had no desire to have any further involvement with him, nor did she want to stay there any longer. After standing still for a moment, she spoke again, “Then I won’t disturb you any longer.”
Still, there was no response.
You Yuji turned and walked out. The moment she crossed the threshold, the heavy burden in her heart finally lifted. She looked down at the two small porcelain bottles in her hand and thought of Si Que’s fragile figure sitting alone in the dark last night.
Her delicate fingers tightened slightly, and You Yuji gripped the fake death drug firmly.
Cuiyu’s background was not good, and Chen Anzhi did not favor her much. Given Chen Anzhi’s willingness to trade Cuiyu for a horse, it would not be difficult for You Yuji to find a way to get her out of the residence.
Chunxing’s situation was more troublesome. Unlike Cuiyu, she was considered a proper concubine, and Chen Anzhi might not be willing to let her go easily. However, You Yuji was not sure if Chunxing wanted to leave Jinnan Prince’s residence.
Si Que’s situation was even more different. Not only was he the beloved person Chen Anzhi brought back despite displeasing the emperor, but he also had the status of a princess from a fallen country. It would be quite an effort to get him out of Jinnan Prince’s residence safely, and using the fake death drug was a very thorough method.
One of the two fake death drugs was prepared for Si Que. Before she left Jinnan Prince’s residence, she would use it on him. As for the other one, it was for unexpected needs.
Standing nearby, Tai Wu and a few others waited until they left, then immediately closed the door. Zhuo Wen was the last to leave. He glanced at Tai Wu and asked with a smile, “Where’s that girl with the sharp tongue from last time?”
Tai Wu didn’t even look at him and slammed the door shut with a “bang.”
Zhuo Wen was stunned and nearly had his face hit by the door. He rubbed his nose and muttered under his breath, “There’s not a single normal person in the Poison Pavilion,” and turned to follow You Yuji.
Tai Wu closed the door and returned to stand quietly by the door, like a statue.
Si Que looked at the glass cup on the table and touched his still sore throat.
After drinking that stuff, he had only said two sentences in total. What a loss.
Si Que stood up, walked to the window, and looked out. He calculated You Yuji’s walking speed, guessing that he would soon see her carriage.
Before You Yuji’s carriage came into view, Si Que casually observed the bustling street, noting a few disguised street vendors and passersby. While waiting for You Yuji, he easily spotted the unusual behavior of these individuals. Unexpectedly, they were still lingering outside. Who were they waiting for?
Soon, Si Que’s gaze shifted from these suspicious people to You Yuji’s carriage, which appeared in his sight. He watched as her carriage moved away, curiously guessing whether she was sitting upright or reclining inside. Was she heartbroken over the twenty thousand taels of gold?
Just as Si Que was about to look away, he saw those suspicious individuals mount horses and chase after You Yuji’s carriage.
Were they waiting for You Yuji all along?
Under his mask, Si Que’s expression suddenly turned grim.
—
Inside the carriage, You Yuji carefully put away the fake death drug she had been holding for a long time, contemplating future plans. She had everything planned out well. At most, within a month, she would leave Jinnan Prince’s residence. Before leaving, she would find a way to rescue the concubines who wished to start anew.
Of course, she must take Si Que with her.
She had already thought it through. After Si Que feigns death and leaves the residence, he would change back into men’s clothing. Given his limited time left, she naturally wanted to keep him by her side and take good care of him.
She hoped to get pregnant soon. She would return to the You family to take care of her mother and ensure a safe pregnancy. She would stay in Chenjing for at least another year, until the child was born and her mother’s health improved. Then, she would take her family back to Si’s land. Her grandparents were kind and would not refuse them. If living in her grandparents’ home proved inconvenient, she could always stay in one of her father’s many properties in Si’s land. She wondered if the old residence had been well-maintained by the servants…
She hoped Ah Que would still be alive by then…
A sudden, urgent sound of reins being pulled interrupted You Yuji’s thoughts. She steadied herself by holding onto the carriage wall.
“What happened?” You Yuji immediately asked.
“Madam, there are many mountain bandits!”
You Yuji frowned and peered outside through the half-open door that Zhenxu had retreated from.
Zhuo Wen had taken a shortcut that would lead through a large pine forest, saving more than half an hour compared to the main road. Mao Fu Restaurant was in a bustling area. The route from the residence to Mao Fu Restaurant was lively, except for this pine forest.
At that moment, a large group of bandits blocked the exit of the pine forest.
You Yuji immediately thought of Lin Yingying, who had been kidnapped by bandits. But the next moment, she carefully observed the bandits and quickly realized something was off. These individuals, with their straight backs, were not real bandits but were disguised as such.
Who? Who wanted to harm her?
You Yuji quickly thought it over but couldn’t guess. Her first thought was Fang Qingyi, but Fang Qingyi should be resting and taking care of her pregnancy. Fang Qingyi had twice tried to harm You Yuji, but if she acted so hastily and close to the New Year, it would be too easy to suspect her.
You Yuji inexplicably felt it couldn’t be Fang Qingyi.
Then who was it?
No answer.
Zhuo Wen, who had once followed You Yuji’s father on the battlefield, also noticed that these bandits were disguised.
“Madam?” Zhuo Wen gripped the hilt of his sword and looked back at You Yuji, waiting for her decision.
You Yuji frowned, unable to decide immediately. The main road wasn’t far ahead. If they charged through on fast horses, these people might not dare pursue them onto the main road. But if they did, casualties were inevitable.
“Today’s luck is good; the beautiful lady in the carriage is perfect to take back as the bandit chief’s wife!” the man pretending to be the bandit leader shouted. “I advise the young lady to come with us obediently, or don’t blame us for being rough! With that tender skin, losing your life isn’t worth it!”
Just as You Yuji was about to speak, a cold wind blew through the pine forest, creating a chaotic rustling sound among the branches. Then, a hoarse voice, as if baked by flames, sounded.
“Taking the beauty in the carriage back as the Poison Pavilion master’s wife isn’t a bad idea either.”
Hearing the familiar voice, You Yuji immediately turned, pushed open the carriage window, and looked back.
The master of the Poison Pavilion walked towards them step by step. The cold wind lifted the dirty, snow-covered leaves from the ground, which then slowly fell back, crushed under his feet.
The crowd blocking the pine forest entrance didn’t expect the Poison Pavilion master to appear. They exchanged glances filled with surprise and fear.
You Yuji watched as the master of the Poison Pavilion approached until he reached the carriage. She bit her lip and couldn’t help but ask, “Why is the master here…”
Si Que lifted his eyes to look at her, a slight smile curling his lips under the mask. He still spoke in a hoarse voice, “After earning twenty thousand taels of gold, safely escorting the madam home is an extra service.”
He paused and then added softly, “My guest.”
After speaking, he turned his face to look at the people blocking the path. A smile of excitement slowly appeared on his face behind the blood-red mask. So many people coming to him, allowing him to play with poison. He began to imagine the ways they could die, feeling a thrill of pleasure.
You Yuji was momentarily stunned, inexplicably finding the Poison Pavilion master’s eyes quite attractive and somewhat familiar. Perhaps his blood-red mask was too terrifying, and she had never seriously looked at him before. This was the first time she had truly looked at him.
Watching the Poison Pavilion master in his dark robes walk closer, the fake bandits blocking the pine forest became increasingly uneasy. The fake bandit leader immediately said, “Madam! We mean no harm! We just wish for you to meet our master! Our master instructed that not a single finger of yours should be harmed. If you don’t come with us, we sincerely invite you to meet our master!”
You Yuji’s thoughts were interrupted, and she immediately asked, “Who is your master?”
“Our master is…”
