"Changming! Go to where this arrow comes from! You go with him, Jingfei!" Meng Chen ordered as he rushed towards Zhang Ai and holding the girl close to him. Pan Zhiqiang chooses to chase after the attacker together with Qin Jingfei and Xiao Changming. Whoever did this might have been watching them for a while and choose that Zhang Ai need to be silenced. "Princess Zhang…" He called, looking at the princess who can only coughing blood. At this point, there's really nothing that he can do since the wounds is fatal.
Meng Chen could see that the poor princess is crying before she finally closed her eyes. Everything has become a mess now. "Can I assume that the one who did this is the enemy of your Emperor?" He asked while looking at Song Yun, who remained undisturbed.
All this time, he's only heard about the rumors that the Emperor's advisor is a very friendly man, but Meng Chen knew that Song Yun's smile is nothing but a mask.
"Whoever did this is indeed the enemy of Yingtai Empire, but I don't think killing the fallen princess have anything to do with this. When the First Concubine wakes up, we will know for sure about who did it."
Song Yun watched as the Western Emperor taking off a robe to cover the princess corpse. The princess knew the one who set these entire traps for Jin Qiu, and thus, got silenced. The aim is Jin Qiu, but no matter how hard he thinks, he still can't figure out anyone who will want to do all of this trouble.
"You are really a cold man despite looking so kind hearted." Meng Chen commented as he lifted Zhang Ai to his arms. "There's someone aiming for Zhengsheng, I can guarantee that. Though I don't know for what reason. Because when Princess Zhang approached him, it was because someone told her that Zhengsheng will love her and will treasure her, that he will help her recover her kingdom and helping her people. Her intention is pure though her attitude is bad. It annoy me that I can't protect her properly."
"If you're talking about failing, aren't you also failed to protect your Empire? Well..a part of it since it belonged to Yingtai now." Song Yun continued.
Though annoying, it was a fact. He got defeated in a war against Ren Zhengsheng and lost some part of his Empire.
His arrogance was what caused that loss, but he didn't regret it.
After waiting for a while, the group who went after the assassin came back with nothing.
The one who arrived first was Xiao Changming, followed by Qin Jingfei and Pan Zhiqiang. Whoever it is, the attacker was skilled enough to slip away from three martial master. The annoyed look could be seen on both Pan Zhiqiang and Qin Jingfei's face.
Song Yun approached Pan Zhiqiang. "Can I think that whoever did this is quite skilled until someone like you can't catch up, Zhiqiang?" He asked and the man's silence is enough for an answer. "It seems like we will have a lot of things to take care."
"I will step back from this matter for now, since it seems like this enemy is not aiming for me."
Everyone there looked at Meng Chen, who stand up while carrying Zhang Ai in his arms.
"And what are you planning to do with her body?" Song Yun asked as he watched the other man.
"Isn't it obvious? Wufan Kingdom might have fallen, but there are still people who love her as their princess, so I will take her back to Wufan." Meng Chen replied. "And since it has already come to this, I will also take my leave from this Empire. I was hoping that I can bring Jin Qiu to my side, but it's doesn't seem possible." He continued. "The next time we meet, it will be as enemy."
Both Song Yun and Pan Zhiqiang only watched as the three leaving the place. With their number, they can kill Meng Chen and his two followers, but the Emperor won't let them do something like that. The Emperor always want to defeat the enemy in a honest way since that will make things better in the future.
That was one of the reason they choose to follow the Emperor despite the man being cruel and cold hearted.
Pan Zhiqiang looked at the man standing beside him. "The nobles will definitely make a ruckuss." He commented. "One of the two strongest family leader in the Empire has been murdered, and Jin Qiu was seen with him. I wonder what will they ask of Jin Qiu at tomorrow's court meeting..." He let out a sigh before moving his gaze towards Zhou Huizhong's corpse.
"Isn't that why His Majesty leave me here? I will try to get as many evidence as possible since I got the feeling that Jin Qiu is also the victim here."
Pan Zhiqiang nodded his head and started to move the guards to scout around the area. The mastermind might not be here, but there might be something left that could become clue.
They need to find that.
❖
The main palace become quite hectic.
Around 30 minutes ago, everything was still fine, but then suddenly, the Emperor came while carrying the First Concubine who looked very pale. The palace healer got summoned, including the Imperial Healer, Kang Ying, that was away for study more medicine.
And after all the order to bring warm water, new clothes, and all kind of other things for the First Concubine, the situation at the palace became a bit more calm, though all the healer still waiting outside the Emperor's room. They're so afraid that if the Imperial Healer failed to cure the First Concubine, then they will lose their head.
"Just where did he drink something like this?" Kang Ying asked while checking the needle used to get some of Jin Qiu's blood. He stared at it and seemed to be thinking for a while.
"Is it poison?" Asked the Emperor, who sat beside the bed.
The young male shook his head before moving his gaze towards the Emperor. "No, this kind of drugs can't be classified as poison, but even so, the effect is quite similar with poison that it would make a person sleep for a really long time. Though no matter how many this drug is being used, it won't be able to kill."
"So it's just used as something like sedative."
"A sedative that will make a person sleeping like dead person. And as far as I knew, the one who have the recipe to make this kind of sedative is Jin Family. They're a military family, so they tend to take care the wounded alone and thus, they're making this sedative to lessen the pain of the wounded warrior. It can't be that he's planning something bad again this time…"
As soon as Kang Ying mentioned about Jin Family, Ren Zhengsheng's expression became darkened.
The reason why he hate Jin Family was because everything they do all this time always end up making him suffer. And the original Jin Qiu was no different. He knew everything about what the original Jin Qiu did behind his back. He was planning to make everyone in Jin Family suffer, but then what about the current Jin Qiu? This Jin Qiu have nothing to do with his revenge.
"I don't care whether it's poison or not." He started again, his hand holding Jin Qiu's cold hand. "You need to do something to make him open his eyes. He can't die here. And he can't fall into coma either."
Kang Ying looked at the Emperor.
Not much people knew about this matter, but he knew. He is one of the warlords after all, so he knew everything that happened between the Emperor and Jin Family, including the man's intention to marry Jin Qiu.
He let out a sigh and rummaging his bag for a moment before taking out a small bottle. He opened the cap and bringing it closer to Jin Qiu's mouth when his hand grabbed by the Emperor. "Your Majesty?" He tilted his head for a bit, but the Emperor just took the bottle from his hand.
The Emperor put whatever inside the bottle into his mouth and feeding it to Jin Qiu through his mouth, through kissing. If it's someone else who told him that the Emperor kissed Jin Qiu, Kang Ying would scoff. But now he saw it with his own two eyes.
Was it true? Was all the rumors about the Emperor who fell in love and treasuring Jin Qiu is really true? That the Emperor will punish anyone who try to harm Jin Qiu. That the Emperor will give whatever Jin Qiu want without second thought. Why though? As far as he know, the Emperor hates Jin Qiu.
"Your Majest-"
"I know what you want to say, but this Jin Qiu is not the one who stabbed me behind my back. This Jin Qiu is not that cunning Jin Qiu who will sacrifice everything in order to get what he want."
"What are you even talking about, Your Majesty?" Kang Ying looked confused.
"Remember that the palace library kept a book about dark sorcery involving soul? Someone stole that book and used whatever inside that book to summon the soul that is now living inside Jin Qiu's body. He's the victim and he has proved everything to me. We can't let anything to happen to him."
Hearing the short explanation about the different soul almost made Kang Ying shout in anger, thinking that the Emperor has been deceived or something like that. But once he recalled the attitude of Pan Zhiqiang, he stopped himself and looked at Jin Qiu. Once, a long time ago, he heard about a dark sorcery who can exchange one's soul with another one and he read a book like that in the palace library before, but again, something like that is a taboo.
"Why would the original Jin Qiu swap his soul with another soul?" Kang Ying finally asked. "If he know a way to swap soul, then surely he know about the risk that come with it. Without another empty body, his soul will perish."
Though before Kang Ying could hear any answer, Jin Qiu groaned and slowly opening his eyes. It took a while for the man's sight to focus again, so he don't really know who sat beside his bed and who's the person standing beside the bed.
He simply accepted the glass of water that was offered to him, drinking it and taking a deep breath. Though the sudden pain to his head caused him to drop the glass. Good thing that the person sitting beside him is quick to catch the glass before it fall.
Ren Zhengsheng moved aside while Kang Ying checked on Jin Qiu's pulse. "Usually, he wouldn't be able to wake up after drinking that much drugs, but perhaps the fact that the soul inside is different is what made him quite immune to it."
"What? Drugs..? No, wait. Where am I now?"
"At the palace. To be exact, inside my room."
Jin Qiu finally hear a voice that he recognize. He moved his gaze and looked at Ren Zhengsheng, who stood near the bed with his arms crossed. Beside him, there's a young male who's holding his hand, checking his pulse. His head hurt, but he want to know what exactly happen.
"How did I get back to the palace?" He asked. "I went to meet Zhou Huizhong and I heard about what he did to Luo Hai's son." He continued. "But after that, he..it turn out that he's working together with someone outside the Empire. He want to..."
"Zhou Huizhong is dead and you're found together with him, inside the bedroom of that cottage. Naked." Ren Zhengsheng said.
"That was-"
"I know. Kang Ying, you can leave for now. Prepare some medicine to lighten the pain."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Kang Ying bowed his head towards the Emperor and walked out of the room.
With no one but Ren Zhengsheng there, Jin Qiu felt much more relaxed.
He leaned back and taking another deep breath. "Zhou Huizhong knew about my situation and trapped me. He planned to capture me, but a girl named Chen Lihua came and killed him. She forced me to drink something and after that, I don't know what happen."
"Someone came to the palace and told me that you're having an affair with Zhou Huizhong. He was eagerly taking me to where you are and there, I found you naked with Zhou Huizhong."
"What? But he-"
"He's dead. Zhang Ai was there and holding the sword that I believe to be the weapon that kill Zhou Huizhong. Not only Zhang Ai, but Meng Chen was also there."
Jin Qiu was surprised to hear that Zhang Ai was there. As for Meng Chen, it seems like the man came because he's protecting Zhang Ai. Then what about Zhang Ai? Why would she come? What is her relationship with Chen Lihua?
"Jin Qiu." Ren Zhengsheng holds the other's chin and forced the man to look at him. "I've heard the report about everything you do today from Song Yun, is there nothing that you want to tell me? What are you talking about with Meng Chen's subordinate?"
Jin Qiu moved his face away from Ren Zhengsheng's hand. Should he answer that question? What would Ren Zhengsheng do when he know? Unconciously, Jin Qiu clicked his tongue. More question came to his mind, with no way to find the answer, except one. "If I tell you, what will you do? Will you go to him and kill him?"
"What do you take me as? I told you that I will assist you in finding a way for you to go back to your world. Just it won't be forever. Three months. If you still can't find the way home in three months, then you need to stay here as my concubine."
"Why are you so persistent about me?"
Ren Zhengsheng just shrugged his shoulder and filled the glass with more water. Jin Qiu was just stared from the bed though. If it's in the novel, then what happened would have become enough reason for Ren Zhengsheng to kill him, but here the man is taking care of him.
"Are you starting to fall in love with me?" Ren Zhengsheng asked when he noticed that Jin Qiu stared at him.
"Are you kidding me?" Jin Qiu frowned. "I was thinking about Chen Lihua. His soul is now living inside Chen Lihua, I mean…the original Jin Qiu. When she forced me to drink whatever it is, she said that you will definitely kill me and then she can continue her plan."
Ren Zhengsheng was about to give the water to Jin Qiu, but instead putting it on the table since the other man shook his head. "Try to explain everything to me. The more you hide things from me, the more I would want to confine you inside the palace and if I do that, I doubt that you will be able to find the way to go back to your world."
"Seriously...you're the worst."
"Usually I would hear that from my enemy."
Jin Qiu scoffed, but for some reason, he didn't hate it. After spending some time here, he knew that Ren Zhengsheng is not as bad as what the novel said. The man wouldn't kill without a reason. The only annoying thing is the fact that Ren Zhengsheng would constantly flirting with him. Falling in love is the one thing he can't do.
He have his dream life in the other world and if he fall in love, he would want to stay in this world.
"First, the person who followed Meng Chen, Xiao Changming, is someone who came from my world. Though unlike me, he came here with his body and learn everything from the beginning." Jin Qiu started. "He knew about the original Jin Qiu and it seems like he knew everything that the original Jin Qiu did to..you. He's..."Jin Qiu unable to bring himself to say it out loud.
Ren Zhengsheng never thought that there would come a day where he needs to explain about what happened to someone else like this.
"Meng Chen really did his work to spying on me and gathering information. Sure, I will explain it to you. Though young, Jin Qiu is undoubtely brilliant. His strength can be compared to mine. And his mind is as sharp as Song Yun. But due to his maternal family that is only a commoner, he have no bright future. His paternal family also abused him. In order to get acknowledged as a member of Jin Family, he did all kind of things, mostly bad things. One of the things he did was constructing the plan to kill my mother."
"You..know?"
"Of course I know. Do you think that all I can do is going to war and killing people?"
That's what Jin Qiu believe Ren Zhengsheng do all this time and that was why he choose to make the deal with the man before. The novel is wrong in a lot of aspect.
Ren Zhengsheng stared at Jin Qiu without saying anything more. He holds his hand out and placed it on Jin Qiu's forehead. The man struggling for a moment, but then he fell to sleep again. "Sorry that I forced you to sleep like this, but I think what you need the most now is sleep. Have a good rest, Qiu er." The man moved closer and placed a soft kiss on Jin Qiu's forehead before he walked out of the room.
❖
A few days passed since then. Jin Qiu told Shen Yue about all the information he got and thanks to that, Kang Ying managed to make a proper medicine to cure her son. Jin Qiu also found out that Kang Ying knew about the fact that he is someone who came from another world.
He doesn't care whether people know about his origin or not. It doesn't matter.
The thing that troubled him now is the fact that he got confined and there's really nothing he can do. He tried to sneak out before but Pan Zhiqiang stopped him. If not Pan Zhiqiang, then Song Yun would do that. He heard from the servants that a lot of nobles accuse him of murder and adultery. The news spread like wildfire, saying that he killed Zhou Huizhong so no one would find out about the sin he did with the young master of Zhou Family. The nobles want to remove him from the palace, but brilliantly, Song Yun revealed all the prove that the guilty one is Zhou Huizhong. Kidnapping the First Concubine, working with unknown enemy that will bring harm to the Empire, and harming the only heir of Luo Family, who also has imperial blood running through his veins. With those three crimes, Zhou Family has been demolished and the military power belonged to Zhou Family has been transferred to the Imperial Family, which means, Ren Zhengsheng got stronger now.
During Jin Qiu's confinement time, the famous Emperor's Warlords came to visit him one by one. To his surprise, it seems like even Xiang Ru has become one of the Emperor's Warlords, that was why the man can still live a luxurious life inside the palace.
"You make a really scary face, you know that?"
Jin Qiu turn around and saw a red haired man, together with a beautiful woman and a cute son. This is the second time Luo Hai visited him and the first time visiting together with his family.
"Luo Hai." Jin Qiu looked at Luo Hai then to the boy who's holding his mother's hand. "Is he your son? How is it? Did he get cured from that poison?"
"Yes. He received treatment from Kang Ying, so he will be fine in no time. I took him here so I can introduce him to you." Luo Hai said.
The boy, though young, is acting very polite. He resembled Shen Yue so much. Once Luo Hai introduced him to Jin Qiu, the boy bowed his head. "Greetings, Your Highness." Said the boy with wide big smile on his face. "I'm Luo Guozhi. Thank you for your help in my problem. When I grow up, I will definitely help you, Your Highness."
"No need. By the time you grow up, I would be-" Jin Qiu suddenly stop.
"You would be what?" Luo Hai asked.
"No. It's nothing." Jin Qiu replied and let out a sigh. He was thinking that by the time that boy grow up, he would no longer in this world. That's what he want to say, but why did he stop? Why did he suddenly think that he will end up staying in this world?
That was such a scary thought. As expected, he will need to do something to make him keep thinking about home. He lifted up the cup of tea and drinking it in one go, just as if he's drinking liquor. He takes a deep breath before he looked at Shen Yue who stared at him with a smile on her face.
"What is it?"
"Sometimes, I don't understand what people said about love since my marriage with Luo Hai is not out of love, but a political one." Shen Yue started, she followed Luo Hai and taking the seat in front Jin Qiu together with her son. "But looking at you and His Majesty, I started to think that love is truly a wonderful thing."
"Huh? How is that wonderful? Which part of my relationship with Zhengsheng that you think as wonderful?"
Shen Yue and Luo Hai looked to each other and they started to laugh. Jin Qiu can't believe that the couple in front of him married simply because of politic. They looked great together and it feels like they knew what each other thinking without even saying it.
"Well...when you're sick, His Majesty never come to do his work. He would spend his time taking care of you and making sure that every food that was prepared for you is a healthy one. Everyone was really shocked and even Luo Hai keep talking about it. Saying that His Majesty has fallen in love with you so hard." Shen Yue replied.
"He's doing something like that?"
Luo Hai nodded his head. "Yes. You can go see him at his working room. The document there has been pilled up like a mountain and Song Yun spend a really hard time just to drag him back to work."
Jin Qiu remember that Ren Zhengsheng always spend time inside the room during his recovery time. He didn't really think about it then, but who would have thought that the mighty Emperor is wasting his time to take care of someone he barely know.
"Well...since he spend his time to take care of me, I guess I should give him some kind of present. What do you think he would like?" Jin Qiu asked Luo Hai. Surely, the man would know more about the Emperor while he only know that the Emperor likes to go to war.
But before he could get an answer, a male servant hurriedly approached him with a very anxious expression. "Please forgive me, Your Highness." He bowed his head towards the three. "Your brother has been causing a ruckus at Zhong Palace. He demanded that he need to see the First Concubine right away. Should I inform His Majesty about this matter?"
"My brother? Jin Rong?" Jin Qiu raised an eyebrow, but slowly a smile formed on his face. It's a good thing that he feels bored now.
"He really have a guts to come here like that." Luo Hai commented. "What will you do?"
"I'm going to punch my punching bag to get rid of this boredom."
❖❖❖