Lady of Fortune, Jiao Niang

Chapter 82

Ye Jiao suddenly stood up, her lips trembling.

This horse was indeed the one that had pulled Qi Yun's carriage, but now only the horse had returned, with no carriage and no people.

Something had happened.

For Little Ginseng, she might not know things that ordinary people should know, but when it came to flowers, grass, insects, fish, birds, and beasts, few things escaped her knowledge.

Having spent a thousand years in the mountains, among all the animals Little Ginseng had seen, horses were the best at finding their way and the most honest.

They would never run back in panic on their own.

Husband had most likely met with trouble. Though she couldn't guess what exactly had happened, she certainly couldn't just sit here waiting. Moreover, in this weather, even if her husband just caught a chill or got caught in the wind, he'd be bedridden for days. No matter what, she wanted to go see.

Ye Jiao stood up, preparing to go out, but looking at Xu Bao in her arms who was still smacking his lips and looking at her, Little Ginseng steadied herself, then gently handed the baby to Little Su.

Usually soft and gentle in front of Qi Yun, she now bit her tongue to steady herself, then steadied herself some more, before instructing: "Go find Mother. Tell her I've gone to look for Husband. I'm worried about him and will go and return quickly. Ask her to help me look after Xu Bao."

Little Su had served Ye Jiao for a long time and could see the forced composure on her face. She hurriedly said: "Second Young Mistress, has something happened? If there's trouble, let Little Su go for you. The rain outside is so heavy..."

"Just help me take care of Xu Bao and that'll be helping me. I trust you the most. The coachman will take me there, nothing will happen." Ye Jiao smiled, patted Little Su's hair, then lowered her head to kiss Xu Bao's face. She then put on her cloak, had someone harness another carriage to the horse with the white mane, and quickly disappeared from Little Su's sight.

The distance from the courtyard to the tavern halfway up the mountain wasn't far. As Qi Yun had said, it was only a stick of incense's time to get there.

But this horse didn't stop in front of the tavern. Instead, it continued running forward with great strides.

The coachman was one the Qi family was accustomed to using. Seeing this, he was somewhat surprised and couldn't help turning back to ask: "Second Young Mistress, this..."

"Just follow it." Ye Jiao slightly lifted the curtain and said.

The coachman said nothing more, letting the horse pull the carriage.

Ye Jiao stuck her head out of the curtain and looked back.

The tavern's signboard had fallen, and inside was empty with no one, but there was a faint smell of blood in the air.

Ye Jiao's heart nearly jumped to her throat.

Soon, the carriage stopped outside a courtyard.

This looked like a mountain farmhouse, but looking from outside, the grass inside was waist-high. It should have been abandoned.

Looking further in, Ye Jiao recognized the carriage outside as the one that had brought Qi Yun.

Looking closer still, she recognized the face of the person standing at the door looking out. She immediately lifted the curtain and jumped down, not even bothering to take an umbrella, telling the coachman "wait outside" before running off.

Liu Rong had blood stains all over his body, with a sword cut on his thigh that was still bleeding.

His brow was tightly furrowed, his hand holding a long sword horizontally, his expression tense. When he saw clearly that the person running toward him was Ye Jiao, he was slightly stunned, as if he hadn't expected: "You're Commander Ye's sister? How are you the first to arrive..."

But Ye Jiao didn't care what he was surprised about. Once she reached the eaves and escaped the rain, she immediately pulled off her cloak and asked: "Where is my husband?"

Liu Rong heard this and said nothing, but stepped aside slightly.

What Ye Jiao saw first was Third Prince lying flat on a bed. His chest was already stained red over a large area. Though someone had bandaged him, looking at that blood stain, she knew the wound was extremely deep. Not dying on the spot was already fortunate.

But such a horrific sight stirred not a ripple in Little Ginseng's heart.

She was only urgently searching for her husband. Soon, turning her head, she saw Qi Yun in the room.

Second Young Master Qi's condition didn't look good. His face was pale, but with some unnatural redness. Ye Jiao moved closer and smelled a faint scent of blood, then saw the wound on Qi Yun's arm.

This wound was neither deep nor shallow, and it seemed to have stopped bleeding, but it made Ye Jiao's heart ache terribly.

The last time it hurt this much was when she'd slept in the man's arms all night and accidentally over-supplemented him, making this person lie in bed for quite a while before recovering. At that time, Qi Yun had a high fever, and Little Ginseng, who had been human for less than three days, was truly afraid that the husband who fed her water would die.

Back then, Ye Jiao feared losing the person closest to her after becoming human. Now, Ye Jiao was equally afraid of losing him, still the closest person to her.

Ye Jiao held her breath, crouching beside Qi Yun to touch his face, feeling waves of heat.

For some reason, though Qi Yun should have been unconscious, when Ye Jiao reached out to touch his face, he moved slightly, his lips parting softly, his voice low as a mosquito's buzz: "Jiao Niang..."

His palm was scorching, but Ye Jiao's face was ice-cold.

Touching her face, she couldn't tell if it was rainwater or tears for a moment.

Though tears were already streaming down her face, Ye Jiao's expression remained tense. She didn't dare cry or speak, as if afraid that any small sound might disturb Qi Yun.

But her movements were efficient. She took out a handkerchief to wipe Qi Yun's face, gently coaxing: "It's alright now, Husband. It's nothing serious. You'll be better soon."

Liu Rong felt heartsick watching, but he wasn't worried about Qi Yun's condition. In Liu Rong's view, Qi Yun had only suffered flesh wounds and would be fine with proper care. But his master had been pierced through the chest with a sword, his life or death unknown.

Looking at Chu Chengyun not far away, covering his heart and motionless, Liu Rong felt like crying but couldn't.

Today had originally been just a trip up the mountain to relax. Chu Chengyun had come here often before. Later, hearing that Qi Yun was also on the mountain, he had Liu Rong go invite him, planning to tell him about recent developments with Ye Ping Rong. But who could have expected they'd encounter assassination in broad daylight!

Chu Chengyun had been secretly plotted against before. From the capital to here, schemes surrounding him never stopped, which was why Prince Duan was so low-key and careful, not even alerting the local authorities.

They'd already had nearly a year of peaceful days. Who could have expected such a vicious attack right from the start?

Three assassins, each highly skilled in martial arts. Liu Rong and several shadow guards following Chu Chengyun fought desperately to protect him, but still let Chu Chengyun take a sword to the chest.

Even after taking the antidote pill, the wound was in such a critical location, in the chest, just millimeters from his heart. Surviving was almost impossible...

Now both men were injured and couldn't be moved easily. Liu Rong, having been on battlefields, knew very well that such serious injuries absolutely couldn't withstand the jolting of going down the mountain. Otherwise, instead of being killed by assassins, they'd die from the bumping first.

Qi Yun's attendant Tie Zi had gone down the mountain alone to call for help. Liu Rong's subordinate shadow guards were either dead or wounded. Including himself, there were only two left who could still move.

If the Third Prince really died...

Thinking of this, Liu Rong shuddered.

The identity of the assassins wasn't clear to him. It was probably just court struggles. His lord had such a good temper, with Prime Minister Meng as backing in court. If it weren't for those noble lords in the palace, others wouldn't be so determined to kill him.

Not only assassination, but also poisoned weapons, they truly wanted him dead.

But regardless of who did it, ultimately it was Liu Rong's failure to protect him. If Chu Chengyun really couldn't make it through, he might as well die with him rather than implicate his family.

For a moment, though the rain outside was gradually clearing, Liu Rong's head was covered with dark clouds.

But Ye Jiao paid him no attention. Feeling the weather outside gradually clearing, she held Qi Yun tightly, moving him to sit in a spot where sunlight could shine.

Then the woman crouched beside Qi Yun, gently embracing him and gripping his wrist tightly.

For someone else, this minor wound might not matter.

But on her husband, an injury plus high fever could take his life!

Ye Jiao wasn't unaware of Chu Chengyun lying half-dead nearby, but she didn't care about that person's life or death. She only cared about Qi Yun alone.

Holding Qi Yun tightly, Ye Jiao reached out and gently patted his face: "Husband, are you still awake?"

Responding to her was silence, no reply at all.

Ye Jiao stopped waiting, reaching into her bosom to touch the brocade pouch she kept close to her body. With a hook of her finger, she opened the oiled leather package inside, then pinched out a White Rainbow Fruit.

White Rainbow Fruit, formed by gathering spiritual energy, could pull someone back from death's door as long as they still had one breath left.

Ye Jiao's hands were shaking a little, unable to open the fruit for a moment. She placed it on the low table, pressed it with her fingertip, and the fruit cracked open.

There was no juice. Though it looked like a fresh, watery white fruit, when opened, the flesh inside was extremely firm.

Because Ye Jiao had forced it open, some small pieces of fruit flesh fell onto the table surface. Ye Jiao had no time to worry about that.

Peeling off the skin, she stuffed the large pieces of flesh into Qi Yun's mouth, then leaned over and pressed her mouth firmly against his, blowing air forcefully.

When Qi Yun's throat moved and he swallowed, Ye Jiao slumped to the side as if drained of strength.

She still held Qi Yun tightly, feeling his previously weak heartbeat become strong again, his burning skin gradually cooling, and though the wound on his arm couldn't heal quickly, it no longer looked so frightening. Only then did Ye Jiao truly breathe a sigh of relief.

Finally, she could let her tears fall freely.

Ye Jiao held Qi Yun tightly, leaning against his chest, her breathing difficult.

This was the second time Little Ginseng had cried. Even when giving birth to Xu Bao, Ye Jiao hadn't cried, but now she completely lost control, tears welling in her eyes.

It was only now that she vaguely understood what human tears really were.

Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, all would bring tears when emotions reached their peak.

And the only one who could make her cry was the person in her arms.

After all, her joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness all arose because of Qi Yun, just as her husband's every emotion was tied to her.

She cared about only this one person.

Feeling Qi Yun's breathing becoming warm again, Ye Jiao's lips curved slightly as she buried her face in the chest of her still-unconscious husband.

Fortunately... how wonderful...

But just then, Chu Chengyun suddenly fell silent.

He'd been making small sounds from pain or cold, but now there was suddenly no sound, immediately panicking Liu Rong.

He hurried over to kneel beside Chu Chengyun, reaching out with trembling hands to check his breathing. Then he stiffened, his voice shrill: "My lord!"

Ye Jiao was startled by his wailing, and Qi Yun in her arms unconsciously frowned.

Now that Qi Yun was no longer in mortal danger, Ye Jiao had the mind to look at Third Prince.

Seeing Liu Rong crying uncontrollably, Ye Jiao gently put down Qi Yun, arranged his cloak so her husband could lean more comfortably, then stood up and walked over to ask: "What's wrong?"

Liu Rong didn't speak, just cried, not knowing whether he was crying for Chu Chengyun or himself.

Getting no answer, Ye Jiao crouched down and gripped Chu Chengyun's wrist.

His breath was like a gossamer thread, his pulse intermittent, his heart meridians damaged.

In layman's terms, he was half-dead.

From the moment Ye Jiao entered, she hadn't cared about Chu Chengyun's life or death, her whole heart on Qi Yun. Now that Qi Yun was safe, she remembered there was still someone seriously injured here.

His identity, Ye Jiao had to sort out in her mind to understand clearly.

He was her big brother's master, Third Brother's sworn brother, Hui Niang's husband, and had opened a merchant caravan with her husband.

Hmm, with so many connections, he couldn't die.

Ye Jiao looked around, released Chu Chengyun's wrist, got up and went to the low table, reaching out to sweep the scattered fruit flesh scraps on the table into her palm.

Because she'd just cared for Qi Yun, her hands inevitably got some dirt on them, but she couldn't worry about cleanliness at a time like this.

Gathering it up, she ran to Chu Chengyun's side and said to Liu Rong: "Open his mouth."

Liu Rong was in the depths of grief and didn't hear Ye Jiao's words.

Seeing him motionless while her hands were occupied, Little Ginseng could only call again: "Hurry up, or he'll really die. It doesn't matter if he dies, but so many people still depend on him."

If Chu Chengyun were conscious at this moment, he would definitely argue.

This king is Prince Duan, the most noble there is. How did I become just some family's so-and-so in your mouth, as if I depend on others' relationships to survive!

But in Little Ginseng's heart, that's exactly what she thought.

No matter how noble this person was, so what? If not for Big Brother, Hui Niang, and Husband's relationships, she wouldn't even look.

Liu Rong finally reacted at this point.

Perhaps when people reach desperate straits, they have an even stronger desire to live. For Liu Rong, if Chu Chengyun lived, he lived. If Chu Chengyun died, he died. Not only would he have to die with him, but probably the entire Liu family would have to accompany Chu Chengyun in death.

Now that Ye Jiao said she could save him, he naturally scrambled up and reached out to open Chu Chengyun's mouth.

Chu Chengyun was already barely alive. His mouth opened with just a pinch.

Then Liu Rong watched wide-eyed as Ye Jiao stuffed a lump of blackish stuff from her hand into Chu Chengyun's mouth.

Liu Rong: ...Is she feeding my lord dirt?!

As if still worried it wasn't dirty enough, Ye Jiao specifically patted her hands clean, stuffing it all into Chu Chengyun's mouth with a serious expression.

Just as he was getting confused, Liu Rong suddenly felt Chu Chengyun's body tremble slightly. He quickly let go of the man's jaw. The next moment, he heard Chu Chengyun coughing continuously, followed by broken, gasping murmurs: "This grilled fish... why does it taste so earthy..."

Liu Rong: ...My lord, just how much do you love grilled fish!