Something Happened

In the inner courtyard of Du'an Pharmacy, Changsun sat by the bed, looking at Qing Ling, who had yet to awaken. A faint sorrow flashed across her beautiful face. Qing Ling had been raised by her own hand, and after she entered the palace, Qing Ling was the only person she could still speak freely with.

The imperial household was the most heartless of all. Intrigue, schemes, and calculations were everywhere in the palace. She had long been stretched beyond her limits, worn to the bone. Thus, Qing Ling, still not yet twenty, had silently shouldered the affairs great and small of Weiyang Palace alongside her for seven years without change.

Knock, knock.

A knock sounded outside the room. Changsun came back to herself and said softly, "The door isn't locked. Come in."

"Empress Dowager, I'm back."

A familiar voice rang in her ears. Changsun turned around, completely ignoring Ning Chen's smug grin, and instead looked at Marquis Taiping beside him.

"Elder Brother."

Changsun's eyes froze for a moment, and rare excitement rose within them as she spoke.

"Wuyou, you have suffered."

Looking at his younger sister, still beautiful yet now carrying the traces of time, Marquis Taiping was filled with emotion and sighed softly.

At the side, the smile on Ning Chen's face was dazzling. He tried hard to widen his eyes. See that? It was all thanks to me. Praise me. Hurry up and praise me.

Unfortunately, Changsun was too excited. And once excited, she forgot the man who had rendered great service. Marquis Taiping had no intention of acknowledging Ning Chen at all. Thus, the great contributor was ruthlessly forgotten at the side.

"Ning Chen."

Fortunately, Changsun was no ordinary person. After her brief excitement, she quickly steadied herself, glanced at Ning Chen beside her, and spoke.

"Huh?" Joy appeared on Ning Chen's face. She had finally remembered the great contributor. He promptly stood ramrod straight, as if to say, Go ahead, praise me. I'm listening.

"You should step outside first. I have something to discuss with Marquis Taiping."

"..."

Ning Chen ran off in tears, his heart shattered like crumbled tofu.

"This child is not bad."

After weighing the matter for a while, Marquis Taiping ultimately decided to remind Changsun. Quick-witted, bold, yet still able to keep a level head—he was a fine sapling. If properly nurtured, he would surely become someone capable of standing on his own.

Changsun looked at him in surprise. There were very few people who could earn such praise from her elder brother; they could be counted on one hand.

Marquis Taiping briefly recounted what had happened that day. Changsun listened and secretly nodded. Such quick wits were indeed uncommon. Even as she admired him, she could not help lamenting her nephew's lack of promise.

"Yun Xuan is still young. Punishing him is enough; do not let this harm the affection between father and son." For some reason, Changsun deliberately stopped mentioning Ning Chen and changed the subject.

Marquis Taiping nodded. "I have my own judgment on this matter. Wuyou, why exactly did you leave the palace this time? You even placed yourself in such great danger. That does not fit your usual meticulous way of handling matters."

"I had no choice." Changsun sighed softly. "Elder Brother must have heard that the northern border is in danger. The Northern Mongol Royal Court is no longer what it once was. The Xia Emperor's wish to send troops has been obstructed by Heaven's Will. Now, only Father, who commands the northwest, can secretly provide reinforcements."

"I had heard some rumors, but I never expected the Northern Mongol Royal Court to become such a grave threat." Marquis Taiping's thoughts grew heavy. What had once been a land of barbarians had now become a thorn in Great Xia's back. It was truly unexpected.

"Most of the court still sees the Northern Mongol Royal Court as it was ten years ago, so they do not take it seriously. Alas, Heaven's Will toys with men. The Xia Emperor had finally pushed through all opposition and decided to send troops, only for a sudden accident to disrupt everything."

Changsun's heart was also incomparably heavy. No one knew what price Great Xia would have to pay if this opportunity were missed, but without question, that price would be unbearable.

The Northern Mongol Royal Court had sharpened its weapons and fed its horses in recent years; its intentions had long been plain for all to see. The troops along Great Xia's northern frontier could no longer withstand the greatly strengthened Mongol cavalry. Sending troops could not be delayed for a moment.

"At the root of it all, the existence of the Eternal Night Divine Cult is the greatest source of disaster. This organization, which has existed for thousands of years, holds the faith of the realm in its grasp. Its influence is truly terrifying."

Marquis Taiping was no fool, so naturally he could guess why the Xia Emperor would not send troops. Great Xia was strong, but not strong enough to make an enemy of the whole world. Calamity warnings had descended from the heavens, and war was breaking out everywhere. To send troops now would undoubtedly give the Eternal Night Divine Cult the best pretext to incite the realm to attack Great Xia.

Most frightening of all, this was likely only the beginning. The Northern Mongol Royal Court and the Eternal Night Divine Cult had tied down too much of Great Xia's attention, leaving it unable to look elsewhere. Some forces that had once submitted beneath Great Xia's military might would very likely surface one after another.

Great Xia, which had ruled the Central Plains for a thousand years, had been invincible for too long. Without question, it had long become the target of all arrows. Those stirring in the shadows were merely waiting for an opportunity.

The Central Plains was prosperous and rich, like a slab of fat meat that everyone wanted to bite into. Great Xia's powerful military currently kept them in check, and no one dared be the first bird to stick out its head. But should a great tide of the realm attacking Great Xia arise, those forces lurking in the dark would surely bare their long-hidden fangs.

"Wuyou, I will send you back to the palace first."

Time was pressing. Marquis Taiping made his decision at once and delayed no longer. The sooner reinforcements reached the north, the sooner Great Xia's crisis could be eased. There was little time left; not the slightest hesitation could be allowed.

Half an hour later, a carriage was waiting in the courtyard. As labor, Ning Chen naturally had the responsibility of carrying Qing Ling into it.

"Old Shopkeeper, don't forget to go to Lingyan Pavilion tomorrow to pay back the tea money. Once I get my salary, I'll pay you back." Before leaving, Ning Chen was still reluctant to go and rambled on for quite some time. Only when he noticed Changsun's expression had turned unpleasant did he unwillingly follow her back to the palace.

By the time Changsun and Ning Chen returned to the imperial palace, the sky was black beyond black. Marquis Taiping could not conveniently enter the palace, so he left after escorting Changsun to the palace gates.

"What is going on?"

After entering the palace, both Changsun and Ning Chen noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere. Imperial guards hurried back and forth, as though something major had happened again.

"What happened?" Changsun had Ning Chen stop an imperial guard commander and asked.

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, someone broke into the Imperial Study at night. His Majesty was furious and ordered the entire palace searched," the imperial guard commander replied respectfully.

Ning Chen was startled by this, and anxiety surged in his heart.

"Ning Chen, take Qing Ling back first. I need to go to the Heavenly Edict Hall." Changsun stepped down from the carriage and immediately gave the order.

"Yes." Ning Chen lowered his head, avoiding Changsun's notice. A trace of worry flashed through his eyes. That foolish woman, don't do anything foolish.

After Changsun left, Ning Chen hurried toward Weiyang Palace with Qing Ling. In his urgency, he did not even hear the soft moan that rose from inside the carriage.

After returning to Weiyang Palace, Ning Chen carried Qing Ling back into her room, then immediately rushed toward his own residence. He did not notice that behind him, a pair of bright eyes silently opened, watching his retreating figure thoughtfully without saying a word.

"Mu Chengxue."

As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw that beautiful figure collapsed beside the bed, her clothes stained with blood. Ning Chen's expression changed dramatically. He quickly shut the door and carried her onto the bed.

Seeing blood from Mu Chengxue's right shoulder staining half her clothes red and her breath faint and drifting, Ning Chen no longer had any concern for the distinction between men and women. With a ripping sound, he tore open the cloth around her shoulder, only to see that the sword wound had pierced through her right shoulder. There were no other injuries.

Ning Chen was frantic, his heart even more so. The wound from that sword was clearly not fatal, yet Mu Chengxue was grievously injured and unconscious. But he knew no medicine and had no idea what her true injury was.

"Medicine, right, medicine."

Ning Chen remembered the life-saving medicine Mu Chengxue had given him. Now, he could only hope she had left herself one pill. Gritting his teeth, he could no longer care about anything else and began searching her body with both hands.

"Nothing?"

At that moment, Ning Chen's face went pale, utterly at a loss.

What should he do? What should he do? For the first time, Ning Chen felt so powerless.

"I have to find a way out of the palace."

After thinking for a moment, Ning Chen hardened his heart and stopped hesitating. He picked up Mu Chengxue and headed outside. Fortunately, he had returned in a carriage, which could serve as excellent cover.

Many imperial guards had seen him when he entered the palace earlier. Leaving now might be the best time.

He did not know what the outcome of leaving would be, but if he did not leave now, Mu Chengxue would certainly die. He was no noble man, but neither was he a coward.

He had promised Mu Chengxue that he would take her out, and he would definitely keep that promise.

Bang!

Just then, the door burst open with a bang. Ning Chen halted, and his body gave a violent shudder.

"Big Sister Qing Ling."

The familiar slender figure before him made Ning Chen relax slightly. Fortunately, it was not a palace guard. But the next moment, his body tensed again.

He had nearly forgotten. Qing Ling was Changsun's most loyal person, making her even more dangerous than the imperial guards.

"Why are you here?"

Ning Chen thought it over and did not believe he had revealed any flaw. Moreover, Qing Ling had been unconscious the entire time, so it was even less likely she had noticed anything.

"You are not a careless person. How could you fail to notice that I had awakened? The only explanation is that something is weighing on your mind."

Qing Ling's face was still pale. Blocking the doorway, she spoke coldly.

"Is she the person who entered the palace to assassinate someone? Ning Chen, you have disappointed me too much."

Qing Ling glanced at the woman in Ning Chen's arms, and her gaze gradually turned cold. She had never expected that the assassin all the palace guards had searched for in vain would be hidden in Weiyang Palace. She had truly been too careless.

Ning Chen sighed deeply. Knowing that further explanation was useless, he stepped back two paces and pulled a rope by the bed. At once, the door slammed shut and a rope net fell silently.

Qing Ling sensed something was wrong and tried to evade it, but her chest tightened and her breath caught. Her steps slowed by half a beat, and the falling net caught her squarely.

Ning Chen had never imagined that the mechanism he had set up would one day be used on Qing Ling. Fortunately, Qing Ling had only just awakened and even moving was difficult for her. Otherwise, this small mechanism would have been of little use.

"Big Sister Qing Ling, I'm sorry."

Ning Chen set Mu Chengxue down, then stepped forward to bind Qing Ling's hands and feet and gag her. He then removed the rope net and carried her onto the bed.

"Whether you believe it or not, Big Sister Qing Ling, I have never intended any harm toward you or the Empress Dowager. I happened to encounter Mu Chengxue on the night I entered the palace. She helped me, so I must save her. I promised her this. I cannot and will not break my word."

Ning Chen tucked a thin blanket over Qing Ling and rambled on. He knew that once he left, they might never have another chance to meet. He had only been in this world for a few short days, yet Qing Ling was the one who had treated him best. He did not want to conceal things from her, but he was even less willing to deceive her.

After doing all this, Ning Chen picked up Mu Chengxue and headed outside. Before leaving, he turned back for one final look. Their gazes met, and he broke into a dazzling grin.

"One last thing. There's something I've always wanted to say but never dared to. Big Sister Qing Ling, you're so fierce—who would dare marry you in the future?"

The door closed and Ning Chen left. On the bed, Qing Ling stared fixedly at the door, her tense body gradually relaxing.

She did not know whether what she had done was right or wrong. But she knew she did not regret it. Not today, nor would she in the future.

He was still so foolish. Why had he not considered how she could possibly be caught by such a simple rope net? She had not dodged it, but that did not mean she could not break free.

Fortunately, he was still so foolish...