Chapter 65 The Scheming Lady Qiu

“Hand over the antidote, and I can spare your life.” Yue Guanyi’s voice was cold, his eyes swirling with dark clouds.

The Miao region was most skilled in making poison gu, and their methods were all vicious, capable of torturing a living person until they wished for death. Unless the person who cast the gu was found, it was impossible to break it. He dared not imagine that such a thing, which could take Qiu Niang’s life at any moment, was now buried in her body, drawing nutrients from her, lying dormant and waiting to take her life at any time.

Jiang Si smiled weakly, the rouge at the corners of her lips becoming even more intense, like ripe berries oozing mature, rotting juice.

She knew Yue Guanyi was a complete madman. For so many years, he had used his male identity to sit in a position admired by thousands, simply because he was willing to go all out, cruel to others and even crueler to himself. Everyone in the capital trembled at the mention of his name, and no one knew his weakness.

Now that Yue Guanyi’s weakness had been discovered by him, how could he easily let it go?

Moreover, given Yue Guanyi’s personality, if he really handed over the antidote to him, he would become useless, and his fate would only be worse than before.

He wanted to break free from his fate, from the constraints of the King of Dian, to withdraw from power. He could only rely on Qiu Shuzhi.

He raised his incomparably beautiful face and sneered, “Your Highness, how about we make a deal?”

In the eighth month of the third year of Zhengde, during the royal hunt, Lady Jiang fell ill due to the unfamiliar environment and died suddenly. Consort Lan Xuezhao offended the emperor’s dignity and was banished to the cold palace.

In just one day, the situation changed drastically. The young emperor ordered an immediate return to the capital.

Qiu Shuzhi watched the grand procession. When they came, it was lively and magnificent, but after just a few days, it was shrouded in an atmosphere of impending storm.

Jiang Si’s corpse showed signs of cruel torture. She had become a discarded pawn of the King of Dian. As a lady, her death was so undignified.

She sighed, remembering Jiang Si’s bewitchingly charming eyes when she was alive, feeling deeply emotional.

With Jiang Si’s death, the court, or rather the Qin family, was completely at odds with the King of Dian. They were like water and fire, incompatible. Sooner or later, there would be a fierce battle, but it was hard to say who would win or lose.

The King of Dian was at the border, constantly at war with foreign tribes. His troops were experienced and valiant in battle. On the other hand, the court’s army had long been weakened under the indulgence of the Qin family. If a real fight broke out, it might even allow the King of Dian to make a swift entry and take control of the Central Plains.

Qiu Shuzhi touched the military tally at her waist, her eyes calm and determined.

In a flash, several days passed, and returning to the capital felt like a different world.

Qiu Qiushuang had been waiting eagerly at the door early on, and when he saw Qiu Shuzhi’s figure, he immediately rushed over.

Qiu Shuzhi, worried he might fall, quickly dismounted and supported him. “Be careful, don’t trip.”

Qiu Qiushuang gazed at her intently, cupping her face and carefully tracing it. After a while, he gestured, “You’ve lost weight.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled, “I haven’t lost weight, I’ve just become more fit.”

A servant chimed in from the side, “Master, you’re finally back. During this time you were away, the young master couldn’t eat or sleep well. He dreamed of your early return every night.”

Qiu Qiushuang shot the servant a coquettish glare, his face tinted with a light blush.

Qiu Shuzhi felt touched. All along, she had treated Qiu Qiushuang as family. This separation made her feel like a child returning to her parents’ embrace after toiling outside.

Qiu Qiushuang gestured worriedly, asking, “You won’t leave again now that you’re back, right?”

She smiled gently, holding his hand, “Don’t worry, I won’t leave anymore. I’ll stay by your side.”

Only then did Qiu Qiushuang feel relieved. Ever since Qiu Shuzhi had entered officialdom, her position had grown higher and higher, and their house had gotten bigger and bigger, but the time she could spend with him had become less and less. Every night, as he tossed and turned, guarding this empty big house, his heart was filled with an indescribable bitterness.

He truly wanted to return to their time in Jiangnan. Although life was poor then, Shu Zhi belonged to him alone. Unlike now, when rumors about her flew all over the capital, and he could only pretend not to know anything, while carefully guarding against the flirtatious men around her. His desire to possess her exclusively grew stronger and stronger; he only wanted her to look at him alone.

He swallowed the sourness in his heart and forced a smile as he led her into the mansion.

He had been busy in the kitchen since before dawn, preparing a full table of dishes: sugar-braised lotus seeds, almond milk pudding, crystal ginkgo, fallen leaf pipa shrimp, assorted tofu stew, lotus leaf phoenix meat, goldfish playing with lotus, crystal fresh squid, auspicious crane knot, wave-patterned aromatic fish, and creamy asparagus soup.

Qiu Shuzhi’s appetite was greatly stimulated. Indeed, with higher salary, the dishes had become much more abundant than before.

As she ate, she praised, “Cousin, your culinary skills have improved a lot. Whoever marries you in the future will be incredibly lucky.”

Qiu Qiushuang’s expression changed, and he silently put down his chopsticks.

He had practiced these culinary skills not for any other woman, but solely for Qiu Shuzhi. He couldn’t even imagine the scene of himself sharing a bed with another woman in the future. He had repeatedly expressed his feelings to her, but she always pretended not to know.

Qiu Qiushuang knew that he was disabled and not worthy of her. He had never dared to hope to be her primary husband. If her future husband didn’t mind, he would be content even as a secondary husband or concubine.

But she…

He lowered his head in disappointment, his gloomy eyes suddenly attracted by the jade pendant at her waist. The jade pendant she wore was a family heirloom left by her uncle and aunt, which she had carried since childhood. How had it suddenly been replaced by a red-in-snow jade?

He tremblingly took the jade pendant in his hand and gestured with difficulty, “Where’s your previous jade? Did you accidentally lose it?”

It would be good if it was lost. It must have been lost.

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Qiu Shuzhi put down her chopsticks and smiled, pursing her lips, “I gave it to someone.”

Qiu Qiushuang was suddenly stunned, as if struck by five thunderbolts. He couldn’t speak for a long time, the jade pendant in his hand so cold it almost froze him.

“Who is it? Is it your beloved?” His face was as pale as paper, like withered leaves fluttering in the desolate autumn wind.

She had found a beloved so quickly? He wondered which family’s son was so lucky to receive her favor.

She lowered her head and smiled, “You’ve met him before. It’s the Crown Prince.”

Qiu Qiushuang had never seen her like this.

All along, Qiu Qiushuang had been gentle as water, typical of men in a female-dominated country who consider women their whole world, always thinking of her first. He had never made such an agitated move before.

“Cousin, what’s wrong?”

“It can’t be!” Qiu Qiushuang took a deep breath and gestured, holding back his pounding heart.

Although he couldn’t speak, his determined expression couldn’t deceive anyone. His slender fingers were stiff and trembling, each finger gathering his anger, the tips turning white from tension.

It absolutely couldn’t be Yue Guanyi. How could it be him?

That kind of man, that kind of man who came out of the gutters of brothels, how could he be worthy of her!

Back then, he had managed to drive him away with great difficulty. Why did he always linger like a ghost, insisting on clinging to his Shu Zhi?

Qiu Shuzhi frowned slightly, asking in confusion, “Why?”

Without thinking, Qiu Qiushuang half-knelt before her, tightly grasping her hand, “Please don’t marry him, alright? He’s not worthy of you.”

Qiu Shuzhi seemed to understand something.

“Cousin, do you mean to say that His Highness has a humble background?”

Qiu Qiushuang’s heart choked for a moment. It wasn’t just that. Qiu Shuzhi might have forgotten that she had saved someone like Yue Guanyi when she was young, but he clearly remembered how crazy that man was then. His obsession with Qiu Shuzhi was almost to the point of madness.

Yue Guanyi’s current behavior in front of Qiu Shuzhi was far less than a ten-thousandth of what he was capable of. He was just an evil spirit wearing a painted skin.

Qiu Shuzhi held his hand and sighed softly, “Cousin, since you know about his background, you should also have heard why he ended up in a brothel. Falling into the world of courtesans wasn’t his wish. I truly like him.”

Qiu Qiushuang shook his head in disbelief. Qiu Shuzhi’s words didn’t shake his thoughts one bit. Instead, they made him despise Yue Guanyi even more.

As expected of a fox spirit trained in a brothel, he must have given Shu Zhi some kind of love potion to make her like this.

This kind of man who crawled out of the gutter was extremely skilled at pretending. Perhaps now Yue Guanyi would act submissive in front of her, but once he was married into the family, he would reveal his true face. He would use his power to trap Shu Zhi in the cage he had woven, making her his caged bird, singing only for him.

His Shu Zhi was destined to be a phoenix soaring in the nine heavens. How could she restrain her brilliance for a mere man?

No, he had to stop all this.

He bit his lower lip, drawing a drop of blood from the wound, a crimson patch.

“If he truly cares for you, then so be it. But if he’s just looking for an honest person to accept his filthy past, I absolutely won’t allow it.” He lowered his head, seemingly compromising.

Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly, “Don’t worry, cousin.”

The way Qiu Qiushuang spoke made it sound as if Yue Guanyi was some kind of courtesan looking for an honest person to take over, which she found somewhat amusing.

After the meal, she strolled in the garden. It had been so long since the young emperor had granted her this mansion, but this was the first time she had leisure to enjoy it, tending to flowers and plants, feeding the fish. The days were quite pleasant.

“Master, General Li Mian has come to visit in person,” the messenger boy reported.

Qiu Shuzhi smiled faintly. Since her return to the mansion, the messenger boy had been announcing visitors repeatedly. People from the Imperial Guard had come looking for her, but she had declined them all.

She didn’t expect Li Mian to become restless so quickly and come to her door on her own initiative.

“Please invite her in. I’ll receive her here.”

In the deep courtyard, the garden was quiet. A faint fragrance drifted on the breeze. Qiu Shuzhi stood alone on a small bridge, scattering fish food. Her swaying figure was reflected in the rippling clear pond. Koi carp in the pond fought over the scarce bait, one pressing on top of another, all wanting to reach the highest level to eat the most.

The hunt was over, and Li Mian was already impatient to take back the military tally from her hands.

In this turbulent situation, there were always more wolves than meat. The greater the power, the more stable the position. A fierce battle could break out at any time, and if she didn’t consolidate her power soon, she would eventually become fish food in someone else’s hands.

She had schemed for so long in the Imperial Guard, and the military tally she had finally obtained, how could she easily return it?

“Lord Qiu, you’ve made it so hard for me to find you,” Li Mian walked in wearing armor, her cold and sharp weapons out of place in the gentle southern garden. The sword at her waist carried a hint of killing intent.

Qiu Shuzhi put down the fish food, her smile faint, “After returning to the capital, this humble official has been staying in the mansion. If you wanted to find me, you could have come directly to my residence.”

Li Mian’s smile carried a chill, “It’s not easy to see you now. Since you went on that hunt, your temperament seems to have grown quite a bit upon your return.”

Qiu Shuzhi pretended not to hear the hint in her words, “Not at all. This humble official has always been unambitious and uncompetitive.”

Li Mian snorted coldly, “If you’re so unambitious and uncompetitive, you should return what belongs to others.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled, pursing her lips. A faint, gentle smile spread from the corners of her mouth, stunningly beautiful like the clear sky after rain, but her eyes were cold and stern, “This humble official doesn’t recall borrowing anything from anyone.”

“Qiu Shuzhi!” Li Mian angrily slammed the stone table, startling birds in the courtyard to sudden flight. “Who do you think you are? Do you think just because you went on one hunt, you can hold onto that military tally? What’s your background? I’ve managed the Imperial Guard for years. Aren’t you afraid that military tally will burn your hands?”

Qiu Shuzhi rested her chin on her hand, “Whether it burns or not, we’ll only know after trying.”

“Fine, you’re determined to turn against me, aren’t you?” Li Mian cursed loudly, “I really misjudged you. You’re indeed as others say, a scheming little person. Who do you think you are? You’re nothing but someone who got to where you are today by flattering and pleasing the Empress Dowager. You may look human, but you’re just a lowly thing serving with your looks.”

“Don’t think you can show off in front of me just because you caught an assassin during the hunt and made some achievements. So what if you’ve made achievements? Do you know who’s backing me? Even without the military tally, I’m still the master of the Imperial Guard. They still listen to me.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled calmly, the light from the pool reflecting in her eyes, shimmering. She was not affected by her words at all.

Since she entered the Imperial Guard and saw its state, she had been planning to seize power in her heart. Her unambitious and uncompetitive demeanor was all an act. If she truly didn’t want to compete, she wouldn’t have participated in the imperial examinations in the first place, let alone leave the secluded Hanlin Academy to embark on a path of blood and violence.

In chaotic times, not fighting for power meant death.

Moreover, if the Imperial Guard in its current state wasn’t rectified soon, it would eventually become completely useless. By then, forget about contending with the King of Dian, they might not even be able to withstand a civilian rebellion.

The court was tottering, noble families were dividing up power, and the King of Dian was eyeing the throne covetously. If chaos truly erupted, she, with her empty official title, would find it extremely difficult to even protect herself.

She had to forge an iron cavalry capable of sweeping across the Central Plains. Even if she couldn’t save everyone, she could at least protect her loved ones.

Of course she knew who was backing Li Mian.

How could she dare to scheme for the military tally without investigating thoroughly beforehand? Since she had the guts to covet it, she had the guts to bear the consequences.

She just hadn’t expected Li Mian’s mind to be so corroded by wine and lust, making it so easy to trick away the military tally. The easier it was, the less guilty she felt.

Scheming and deception were common in officialdom. Since ancient times, positions went to the capable, regardless of age or seniority. Call her cold-blooded and heartless, or scheming and cunning, she didn’t care. She wanted power.