Jing Zhongyue could not help but knit her brows. She could not believe Yun Zhonghe's words.
Yun Zhonghe said, "Also, I am not going to hide it from you. I might be the one who's forced to do that."
Jing Zhongyue became even more shocked. Ning Qing would force you into her bed?
Yun Zhonghe said, "Master, do you think Ning Qing is a saint?"
"No."
Yun Zhonghe continued, saying, "It is very likely that the man who seduced Ning Que and got her to betray Ning Qing is from the Mo Clan from the City of Washed Jade. Wouldn't they be thoroughly offending Ning Qing if they did something like that?"
"Yes."
Yun Zhonghe went on. "Yet Ning Qing insists on her stance and continues to attack the Valley of Torn Gust in her report. However, what do you think the report looks like in the eyes of the City of Washed Jade and the City of Autumn Waters?" he asked.
Jing Zhongyue said, "The exact opposite."
Yun Zhonghe continued, saying, "That's right, the exact opposite. They will feel that the report will be unfavorable to the City of Autumn Waters and be biased toward the City of Torn Gust. That is because they had offended Ning Qing. That is because the people from the City of Torn Gust had saved Ning Qing's life and helped her oust a traitor."
That was absolute.
People in positions of power were always paranoid. This was especially so after they offended someone. They would think of that person as extremely vile and that the person would do anything to exact revenge on them.
Thus, the City of Autumn Waters or the City of Washed Jade would definitely feel that the report would be unfavorable for them.
Since that was the case, they would not be able to prosecute the Valley of Torn Gust just based on that report alone.
Ning Qing was exceptional. She maintained her stance even after she encountered such a situation. She was determined to attack the Valley of Torn Gust in her report. She was determined to summon the members of the Baronage Alliance to prosecute the Valley of Torn Gust.
However, the City of Autumn Waters and the City of Washed Jade did not know this. They had not seen the report.
Yun Zhonghe said, "Master, what do you think the City of Washed Jade and the City of Autumn Waters will do? Will they be willing to sit there and await death?"
Jing Zhongyue said, "No, they will retaliate and destroy all of this."
"Yes. If that's the case, we will have our chance," Yun Zhongyue said. "The widow, Ning Qing, would rather die than change her stance. Her being unwilling to edit the report is not for fairness or justice, but for her reputation. Her reputation is her weak point. If a person were to ruin her reputation, that person would become her true mortal enemy."
Jing Zhongyue said, "I understand your plan now."
Then, Yun Zhonghe slowly explained his plan.
Jing Zhongyue was momentarily dazed.
The plan was too strange, too… perverted.
"You, you truly can accomplish that?" Jing Zhongyue asked in disbelief.
Yun Zhonghe replied, "Of course, there's nothing I can't accomplish."
Jing Zhongyue said, "Then you are truly perverted."
"Anyway, as long as I enter the castle and meet Ning Qing once again, we will be able to succeed with our plan," Yun Zhonghe said with a smile.
Jing Zhongyue asked, "How should we cooperate with your plan?"
Yun Zhonghe answered, "First, you have to be happy. You have to look extremely confident, as though you have the image of asparagus in your heart[1]. You have to make everyone feel as though Ning Qing's report is completely biased toward us."
"Alright, no problem," Jing Zhongyue said. She then waved her petite hand.
Yun Zhonghe was sent flying. He flew a few inches backward before he fell to the ground. He nearly injured his butt.
"I'll pull out all your teeth if you use idioms wrong in the future," Jing Zhongyue calmly threatened.
Yun Zhonghe crawled up from the ground.
The Goddess of the Moon sure was violent. She attacked people without warning.
Yun Zhonghe said, "Second, I need these herbs as well as a few delicate resources. You have to prepare them for me."
Yun Zhonghe then took out a piece of paper. He whipped out a brush from his robes and wrote a detailed list.
Jing Zhongyue grabbed the piece of paper to have a look, then took a brush and crossed out five of the herbs and resources.
That was because the first word of the name of every item made the sentence 'I love Jing Zhongyue.'
This woman sure was sharp. She managed to see through Yun Zhonghe's ulterior motive at a glance.
"Wait a while. I'll procure these items for you in a day," Jing Zhongyue said. Then he immediately walked out of the tent.
***
For the rest of the day, Yun Zhonghe examined the medicine. He was not creating the medicine but was instead analyzing them. He focused his attention on a psychedelic.
This was the poison arrow that the widow, Ning Qing, had used to defeat Ning Que. The drug was overbearing. It was able to turn a person completely numb within a short amount of time.
The next day, Yun Zhonghe quickly formulated a prescription for Ning Qing to replenish the iron, calcium, and zinc in her body.
I usually skip through boring content like this.
***
Due to the situation that happened two days ago, many forces moved in secret within Ning Qing's castle.
A rumor arose within the investigation team that said that a person from the City of Autumn Waters had poisoned Lady Ning Qing and wanted to plant the blame on the Valley of Torn Gust. However, the ploy had been seen through by Yun AoTian from the Valley of Torn Gust.
Furthermore, Yun AoTian had saved Lady Ning Qing's life.
The rumor also said that Lady Ning Qing was furious and decided to edit the investigation report to be completely biased toward the Valley of Torn Gust to thank Yun AoTian for saving her life. She was going to claim that the City of Autumn Waters and the City of Washed Jade were the ones responsible for the war and suggest that the Baronage Alliance prosecute the two cities.
For this reason, many officials from the investigation team went to question Ning Qing.
Ning Qing's reaction was extremely prideful. She ignored all of the officials.
Even though she knew that she had not changed the report, the report still suggested that the Baronage Alliance should go all out in their prosecution of the Valley of Torn Gust.
However, a bold life required no explanations.
The final deadline would be up in a day. Ning Qing would publicly release this report and hand it over to the Baronage Alliance.
When that time came, all of the rumors would stop.
The reputation of Ning Qing would not be damaged.
***
Evening.
Yun Zhonghe entered the castle and met Ning Qing again, as promised.
Of course, he had taken a shower this time. However, his hair was still a mess, and he was still wearing his ragged clothes. He still looked old and ugly.
Yun Zhonghe was slightly shocked when he saw Ning Qing once again.
That was because… She had not seemed to change at all.
She was still wearing the same clothes, had the same hairstyle, and was sitting in the same position as when he had left two days ago. Everything in the room was the same.
"Did you not change your clothes?" Yun Zhonghe asked.
Ning Qing said, "I change my clothes twice a day. My clothes are all of the same design. I had 20 of them made."
She was too pretentious. She cared too much about her image.
Then, Yun Zhonghe proceeded to check Ning Qing's body.
She did look better today. There should not be too much of the poison left in her body.
However, there was still the metallic stench of blood, although it had become faint.
Your menstrual period was too long, wasn't it?
Are you on your period for two weeks every month? That's too pitiful.
"Did you consume the prescription I gave you?" Yun Zhonghe questioned.
"Yes, it is very effective," Ning Qing said.
Yun Zhonghe said, "What about your sleep?"
Ning Qing answered, "I still sleep very poorly, but I am used to it."
Yun Zhonghe said, "I concocted a new prescription for you. I guarantee that you will be sound asleep after you consume it."
"Is that so? That's great," Ning Qing said.
Yun Zhonghe then continued, saying, "This is another prescription I made for you. I can replenish the nutrients your body lacks and stop your hair loss."
"Alright," Ning Qing said.
Yun Zhonghe placed a bottle in front of Ning Qing and said, "This is a medicine specially formulated to aid your sleep. I can guarantee that it has good results. Do you want to try it?"
What do you mean? Are you going to knock the widow, Ning Qing, out?
"Thank you, I will try it," Ning Qing said.
Ning Qing's attitude was very cold throughout the interaction. She was unapproachable.
Yun Zhonghe wanted to speak but held his tongue. "As for that report, is it possible…"
Without waiting for Yun Zhonghe to finish, Ning Qing immediately said, "Impossible."
She then immediately picked up her cup of tea and said, "I'm not going to hold you here any longer; please leave."
She forced Yun Zhonghe to leave. She did not give him any hope, nor did she give him any room to work with.
Yun Zhonghe said, "Lady Ning Qing, why do you still look so cold and merciless, even now?"
Ning Qing said, "Our paths are different, and it is not suitable for us to work together. Please leave. Let us not meet again in the future."
Yun Zhonghe was unwilling to stand up. He stubbornly remained in the room.
Ning Qing's voice turned cold as she said, "I'll only look down on you even more if you act like this. If you do not leave, someone will come and chase you away."
Yun Zhonghe raised both his arms as he said, "Alright, I'll leave, I'll leave!"
Then, Yun Zhonghe once again left the castle dejectedly. However, he stuffed a pill into his mouth before he left.
He was worried and thus stuffed another pill deep into his nostril.
***
Yun Zhonghe looked especially furtive when he was leaving the castle. He instinctively hugged his chest as if he was hiding something important.
That fit with the rumors even more.
Two days ago, Yun Zhonghe had saved Lady Ning Qing's life and exposed the City of Autumn Waters' scheme of harming Lady Ning Qing.
Thus, Lady Ning Qing had edited the report. She had invited Yun Zhonghe over to get a copy of the new report for Jing Zhongyue to read, as well as to reward Yun Zhonghe's contributions.
Thus…
When Yun Zhonghe had stepped through the gates of the castle.
"Thud!"
He was gently hit on the back of his head. His vision turned to black as he immediately fainted.
A black figure immediately picked Yun Zhonghe up and vanished without a trace.
This black figure was toned yet slender. It was a woman.
***
In a secret room.
The black figure searched Yun Zhonghe but did not find anything.
Finally, she found a piece of paper within a slit in the sole of Yun Zhonghe's shoe.
Something that was hidden that well must be extremely important.
However, she saw that the paper was blank after she flipped it open to have a look. There was nothing written in the paper.
However, this black-robed woman was very experienced. She gently heated the blank piece of paper over a flame, and words immediately appeared.
It was indeed Lady Ning Qing's handwriting. They were identical.
This was a copy of the report.
This report pinned all of the responsibility of the battle on the heads of the City of Autumn Waters. It claimed that the City of Autumn Waters had invaded the Valley of Torn Gust.
It also exposed the schemes of the City of Washed Jade's Mo Clan in the war.
In this report, the Valley of Torn Gust was completely innocent.
The report also strongly suggested that the Baronage Alliance strongly prosecute the City of Autumn Waters and the City of Washed Jade.
The black-robed figure let out a sinister laugh after she read the report.
***
"Lord, the wretch Ning Qing has indeed edited her report to be completely biased toward the City of Torn Gust. What should we do?"
The man said, "Is there a way to make her change it again?"
"Impossible, she's extremely stubborn. She would rather die than to change her stance."
The man said, "Then… destroy her. Make the report worthless. Also, make the Valley of Torn Gust suffer a double loss after trying to trick us. Destroy them completely."
"Yes!" The black-robed figure said, "What should I do?"
The man said, "It is easy. Doesn't Ning Qing care most about her reputation? Isn't she a pure saint? Stuff a man in her bed, a naked man, a man from the Valley of Torn Gust. Then bring along the rest of the members of the investigation team and catch her in the act. Her reputation will be ruined when she's caught in the act. When that time comes, the report will naturally be destroyed. The Valley of Torn Gust will have committed an even more heinous crime for such a despicable action."
The black-robed figure said, "This Yun AoTian is both old and ugly."
The man said, "Wouldn't this make Ning Qing seem even more perverted? We'll use him. Strip off his clothes and stuff him into Ning Qing's bed. We'll catch her in the act an hour later. This way, she will not be able to clear her name even if she jumps into the River Tian. Then, neuter him and turn him into a eunuch before executing him in public."
"Yes," The black-robed figure said, "I'll work on it now."
***
[1] There's a Chinese idiom that translates literally to having an image of bamboo in your heart to describe someone who is extremely confident. Yun Zhonghe uses the idiom incorrectly here.