宮殿 Gōngdiàn×The Palace

CHAPTER 31

As the night dragged on, I found myself crushing the grass concealed within the cloth, transforming it into a dense, gooey substance. With meticulous precision, I managed to extract a few precious drops and swiftly blended them into the jar of wine resting in my chamber. My sole objective was to erase any hint of evidence. Although the quantity I obtained was inadequate to end his life, it possessed enough potency to inflict severe illness upon anyone audacious enough to consume it. Perhaps a week of incapacitating sickness would provide me the much-needed respite to devise a solution to my predicament.

That night, Lu Chang dong entered my quarters as usual, but my nerves were getting the best of me. I played the role of sitting quietly, waiting for the inevitable. Meixiang had already mixed the drop of poison into the wine, although it wouldn't kill him. With the amount I had put in, it would render him immobile for at least a week.

"So, Bai, what will it be today?" he asked as he poured himself a drink from the pitcher in the corner. I observed him from the corner of my eyes, waiting with baited breath for him to take a sip. And so he did, walking towards me. Just as he approached, I watched as he bent over, clutching his stomach. That's when I leaped from the stone platform, watching him collapse to the ground.

"What have you done?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"It won't kill you," I said.

"Get in here!" he shouted.

Two of his watchmen entered and saw him lying on the floor in pain.

"Chief, what has happened?" they asked in panic.

"Just get me to my room and send for the healer." They hoisted him up in a state of panic, but just before they left with the panting Changdong, he commanded, "Stop. Don't let him set foot out of this place, and bring that wine. Something was in it," he said before passing out. Two men rushed in, grabbing me. I struggled against their strength before being struck in the face. The other man followed, and I was led out into the courtyard, where I was forced to the ground, and my hands were tied behind my back.

I spent the entire night on the floor. As the night wore on, Startled by the noise outside, I leaped out of bed. These past few nights, my sleep had been restless ever since I had was caught poisoning Chang dong. I constantly felt on edge, fearing that someone would come to bring judgment for my actions at any moment. As I glanced around the dark room, my eyes followed the faint light in the hallway, sensing the presence of someone nearby, although they remained invisible to me. "Who's there?" I whispered, my heart pounding.

I noticed a movement within the shadows and immediately assumed a defensive stance, unwilling to take any chances.

"We need to leave now if we want a head start before daylight." a voice emerged from the darkness.

"Who are you?" I asked cautiously, my distrust evident.

"I have only two words for you. his majesty." the voice whispered. The mention of that man caused a wave of emotion to wash over me, leaving me momentarily speechless. When I finally found my voice, it came out hoarse and uncertain.

"H-how?" I stammered, both uncertain of myself and the visitor.

"We don't have time for questions. Put on your shoes and let's get a move on."

Without thinking, I slipped my feet into my shoes, disregarding the fact that my attire was ill-suited for the weather outside. I followed closely behind the man, who had emerged from the shadows. Together, we hurried down the cave, until he suddenly stopped and handed me a sword.

"You will need this if we are caught. By no means should you stop. Make your way to Ling Village and ask for the chieftain. He will know what to do from there." he instructed.

I accepted the sword, clinging to it tightly as we continued our journey. In the distance, light could be seen, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. We concealed ourselves, waiting until the figures drew closer. Once they were within range, the man swiftly attacked, swiftly killing one of the guards. I caught a glimpse of the person accompanying the fallen guard, frozen in shock at the sight of the lifeless body before her.

"Let's go." the man said to me, urging us to continue.

"I want to take her with us," I insisted.

"We can't. I only planned for you. Adding another person will only complicate things."

"I am taking her with us," I repeated, determined. This declaration caused the man to sigh in resignation.

"Come, we need to move," he replied, grabbing the stunned Meixiang. Together, we made our way out of the cave, the biting cold forgotten in the urgency of our escape. Hastily, we descended down the rocky terrain and sprinted towards the safety of the forest. While I managed to keep up with the man, Meixiang struggled to keep pace. When she crouched down, unable to continue, I stopped and walked back to her.

"Are you okay?" I asked, glancing back at the man behind me. "We can't rest here, we need to keep moving."

"We are going to get caught, and when we do. You and I are dead." she murmured, her fear evident. "Why did you bring me, Bai?" she questioned, her voice filled with confusion and worry.

I knew I didn't have time to assuage her fears; we needed to put as much distance between us and the pursuing forces before we found ourselves facing an entire army. The man reappeared, interrupting our conversation.

"We don't have time for this. Get it together or stay here." he warned. "I was only here for him anyways, and if you get in the way of that, I won't hesitate to get rid of you."

"No one is getting rid of anyone." I declared firmly, even though I suspected Mu Yang had instructed the man to do whatever it took.

"Let's just keep moving. We should reach the village by morning, and we need to be on our way to the capital by afternoon." The man turned away from us and began walking, and I helped Meixiang to her feet before following behind him.