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.