Isolated town in northern border region

When Xiao Lie opened his eyes, he saw a thatched roof.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the grass stems, casting dappled patterns of light on the coarse cloth quilt, like scattered pieces of gold.

A faint herbal scent filled the air, mixed with the aroma of earth and hay.

A series of muffled thuds came from outside, like some heavy object rhythmically hitting the ground, once, twice, three times.

He tried moving his fingers, and he could move them.

I tried raising my arm; it felt a little numb, but I could still move it.

The burning sensation in my chest that had been there for three days was gone, and my heartbeat was steady, but the feeling of weakness was still there. I guess I'll need to rest for a while.

Just as he was about to sit up, the door was pushed open.

Bisu walked in carrying a basin of water, with a towel draped over her shoulder.

He was holding a piece of dry food in his other hand, and it looked like he had just run over from the stove. There were fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

When she saw Xiao Lie staring at her with his eyes open, she froze as if she had been frozen in place. The basin of water in her hand wobbled, splashing a few drops of water onto the muddy ground.

"Thump."

The wooden basin was slammed heavily onto the ground.

Then she pounced on him, threw herself on top of him, hugged his neck, and started wailing.

The sobs were muffled yet loud, releasing all the worries and fears of the past few days in one breath.

Xiao Lie was almost knocked unconscious by her lunge, but the force stuck in his throat turned into a short, soft laugh.

"Be gentle... My chest still hurts... I can't muster any strength."

Bisu seemed not to hear him, and cried so hard that she hiccuped, her tears and snot covering his shoulder.

She was calling out incoherently.

"Your Highness... this servant thought... this servant thought it was for you..."

The rest of the words were drowned out by the crying.

"Wow!"

"From now on, this servant will stay by Your Highness's side and won't go anywhere else!"

Xiao Lie patted her back, like comforting a frightened cat.

"Alright, alright, I'm awake now, aren't I?"

"Crying like a baby, how will she ever get married?"

Bisu lifted her head from his shoulder, her eyes red and swollen like two ripe apricots, and asked while sniffling.

"Then I won't marry! I won't marry anyone!"

"Bisu will follow you, whether in life or death!"

Bisu sniffled and secretly wiped her snot on Xiao Lie's clothes with her little hand.

"Ugh~ How old are you? Still so sloppy!"

Xiao Lie deliberately feigned disgust, which lessened Bi Su's worries, leaving only the secret joy of their reunion.

"Your Highness! Don't laugh at me!"

"Okay, I won't make fun of you. Get up, you're feeling really depressed."

Bisu wrinkled her nose, her little face turning red.

"Your Highness... what was the message you asked Xu De to convey?"

Xiao Lie paused for a moment, then grinned, a smile that carried a hint of guilt and a touch of joking.

"Words? What words?"

"I can't remember... maybe I should remind him to leave me a few jars of good wine."

Bisu stared at him for a while without asking any questions. She just lowered her head to wring out the towel, but her hand paused for a moment, as if she had gently put something down.

Xiao Lie looked around.

"Where is this place?"

Bisu answered while wringing out the towel.

"This place is called Panlong Valley."

"Uncle Tie Gong said that this is the headquarters of the Panlong Guard, and they have lived here for almost ten years."

She came over with a basin of water and placed a towel on Xiao Lie's forehead.

"Your poisoning is severe. Uncle Tie Gong gave you a medicine called... 'Bing Yong San'."

"Miss Muyun said this medicine would make people stupid, but Uncle Tiegong said you already took the antidote..."

Xiao Lie's gaze sharpened slightly.

Soldiers scattered?

Antidote?

He recalled the burly men in leather armor he had seen in the mountains of Qingzhou. They were controlled by drugs, unaware of pain or fear, like a group of silent war machines.

The drug that those strong men took was probably "Bingyong San".

Tie Gong said he had "already taken the antidote," which means that he had been drugged by mistake...

Either Xu De had made some kind of preparation on him, enabling him to withstand the control of "Bingyongsan"...

It shouldn't be Xu De. Although that kid has good medical skills, he's not the kind of person who can predict the future.

Then there's only... the poison of a broken heart!

Is it...

The poison of heart collapse is not a poison, but an antidote!

Thinking of this, Xiao Lie recalled what Xiao Xiong and the others had said when Xiao Yu was poisoned...

Before his death, the late emperor seemed tireless and full of energy.

This is exactly the same as when he was at Wolf Gaze Mountain!

The cause and effect involved were like a tangled mess of yarn, and he couldn't figure it out for the time being.

As he was thinking, he heard a series of unhurried footsteps outside the door.

A middle-aged scholar in white robes walked in. He was thin, with a kind face, and was holding a folding fan, like a schoolteacher visiting from the neighborhood.

He saw Xiao Lie wake up and nodded slightly.

"The prince has woken up."

Xiao Lie looked at his face, his tone calm.

"And who is this gentleman?"

The scholar in white smiled slightly.

"Mo Shu, Deputy Commander of the Panlong Guard."

With Bi Su's help, Xiao Lie leaned against the headboard, his gaze towards Mo Shu filled with resentment.

"The plague in Qingzhou was orchestrated by you."

Mo Shu did not deny it.

"Yes."

He paused.

"My original intention was to fight for the survival of the Panlong Guard."

"Xiao Mu's secret guards are spread throughout the various prefectures and counties of the Great Chu. If the eastern part of Qingzhou is not turned into a dead zone, the Panlong Guard's horse farms and pastures will be discovered sooner or later."

"A few lives were sacrificed to give the Panlong Guard ten years of respite... I've calculated this very clearly."

Xiao Lie didn't get angry, or even frown. He just listened quietly to him finish speaking, and then asked a question.

"Your accounts with the Panlong Guard of Qingzhou have been settled."

"What about the people's accounts?"

Mo Shu was slightly taken aback, then lowered her head.

"I am not here today to argue with Your Highness about right and wrong."

"I'm here to discuss cooperation."

He took out a palm-sized porcelain bottle from his sleeve and placed it on the low table next to Xiao Lie's pillow.

"An improved version of Bingyongsan".

"After taking it, it can turn a person into an absolutely loyal puppet, who feels no pain and is unafraid of death."

"I have already used it to improve the soldiers of the Panlong Guard."

"If Your Highness is willing to accept the Panlong Guard and raise an army from the northern frontier to overthrow Xiao Mu..."

He paused.

"All those involved in the Qingzhou plague, including myself, can be handed over to Your Highness for disposal."

"The witnesses and evidence are all there. If Your Highness wants to give the people of Qingzhou an explanation, then I will give Your Highness an explanation."

Xiao Lie slowly closed his eyes, his voice as cold as a knife.

"Human lives at stake!"

"Is this just a transaction for you?"

Mo Shu nodded slightly.

"The world is in turmoil, with numerous kingdoms vying for power. What about the common people?"

"They're just some consumables..."

"Even if they don't die from the plague, how long can they live?"

"Your Highness fought against the powerful families in Yongzhou for the sake of the people, but there are so many powerful families in the world. Could it really be solved by simply sweeping through Yongzhou?"

"The royal family is, after all, the greatest aristocratic family!"

"In this world, letting them die of the plague is a kind of relief for me."

"You think you're even human?!"

Xiao Lie braced himself on the bed and was about to get up and kill Mo Shu on the spot!

But the next second, he went limp like a noodle.

He felt numb all over, as if he were being pricked by thousands of tiny needles at the same time, and he felt weak and sore with the slightest exertion.

He tried to clench his fist, but his fingers only curled halfway before he could no longer exert any force.

Mo Shu gently closed the folding fan.

"Your Highness need not exert yourself. I have used silver needles and medicine to seal your meridians, so you cannot exert force for the time being."

"If Your Highness struggles forcefully, you may injure yourself."

Xiao Lie glared at him through gritted teeth.

"There is absolutely no way I'll cooperate with a beast like you!"

"Your Highness is quite like the late Emperor..."

Mo Shu remained silent for a while.

"Three days."

"I will give Your Highness three days to consider."

"If Your Highness is unwilling to cooperate in three days, then my medicine will have to be used on Your Highness."

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then turned and left the hut.

The door was gently closed.

The room fell silent. Xiao Lie sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the small porcelain vase on the table, which gleamed warmly in the sunlight.

Bisu stood to the side, her lips moving slightly.

"Your Highness, Bisu will stay by your side through thick and thin!"

Outside the door, the rhythmic thuds continued, one after another.

Xiao Lie reached out, picked up the porcelain bottle, and looked at it against the light. Inside was a grayish-white powder.

He put the porcelain bottle back on the table without opening it.

"Silly girl, do you think I'm so easily killed?"