Not long before, He Lan really did take that person back to the room and put him on the bed. He also found the antidote and tried to feed it to Qin Yu. But Qin Yu was probably unable to bear it, and refused to open his mouth at all, clenching his teeth tightly. After a lot of fussing, time was wasted.

Even after regaining his senses a little, Qin Yu curled up in discomfort. He could only make He Lan go out so that he could relieve himself.

He Lan agreed to go out, but Qin Yu had no time to keep an eye on him. Hearing movement near the door, he thought He Lan had gone out, not realizing that He Lan had only locked the door.

Soon, Qin Yu couldn’t take it anymore and began to do it himself. But he was very clumsy. After all, he usually had few desires, and his already disabled body was even more unsuited to it.

Suddenly, a shadow was cast down. “You’re such a fool, ah. Do you want to die of the pain?”

Qin Yu opened his eyes at once and looked over. He Lan’s eyes were so dark that they were bottomless, and the obvious intent there completely  betrayed him. Qin Yu’s heart palpitated, and he felt faintly afraid. They had experienced hardships on the island, together come life or death, and the atmosphere between them had long since changed.

During this period, He Lan had teased him many times. It wasn’t like Qin Yu didn’t understand the intent in the eyes that often looked at him, but for Qin Yu, He Lan was just following a man’s instincts. So, facing this situation and knowing how to be more comfortable, Qin Yu still suppressed the pain in his body and said: “Get out.”

But he had forgotten that He Lan was never obedient. The more he wanted something done, the more He Lan would do the opposite.

His mouth was blocked before he could shout it a second time.

The bed curtain slid down, and He Lan could be heard whispering: “I’ll help you without asking for anything in return.”

Qin Yu knew that he shouldn’t sink into depravity, and shouldn’t get close. Nothing good would come of it. Yet, he still lost control. He had something pressing on his heart, and suffered from the unknown pain. In the end, he could only fruitlessly blame it on lingering drug residue, unaware that the drug had been eliminated all at once. There was no need for further treatment at all, but he still allowed He Lan to gradually lose control over and over, as if both of them were possessed. It wasn’t until dawn the next day that he fell asleep in a daze.

Soon after, there seemed to be a knock at the door, and he heard Huo Fenglie say they needed to move.

He Lan asked for water to clean the two of them up, and then he was carried into the carriage.

On the carriage, Liu Zhenqing had just awoken when he saw He Lan come in with Qin Yu wrapped in a blanket.

Liu Zhenqing rubbed his eyes and looked at them. He couldn’t get back to their room last night, the inn was full, and they were afraid to go somewhere else and get split up. Huo Fenglie could only find a carriage and have Liu Zhenqing sleep in it.

Initially, Liu Zhenqing thought that the two people would come out soon once the drug was cured, and they moved places overnight. But now he looked at the morning light in a daze. Liu Zhenqing had been so sleepy that he passed out. He watched He Lan carefully hold Qin Yu and adjust his position to let him sleep more comfortably. And Qin Yu didn’t react at all. This was incredible for Qin Yu, a martial arts practitioner.

Liu Zhenqing racked his brains. This was obviously caused by the excessive use of something. He sucked in a breath in disbelief. Had the medicine not cured him? It would only turn out like this if there was no solution.

Confounded, Liu Zhenqing asked: “Did you not find the antidote?”

He Lan did did not conceal it, saying directly: “I found it. It was difficult to feed it to him, and it took a long time. In the end…..”

“Are you…..together?” Liu Zhenging burst out speaking.

He Lan was stunned for a moment, then coughed: “It’s not like that. It was just the effects of the medicine.”

For He Lan, that situation was more like setting his instincts free. On the island, he could only look but not eat, and they occasionally had to stick very close to hide themselves. It was truly torturous. He did not admit that he had taken advantage of another person’s plight, and only thought that he was good at seizing opportunities. Both of them were happy in the end, so why not? In any case, it wasn’t the first time.

If they were to talk about being together…..cough, cough…..this cold-blooded fellow needed to confess, ah. Anyway…..anyway, he had no objections. He was willing to take responsibility, but a certain someone was unwilling.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. It was all the drug’s fault, ah. Was this sort of excuse easy to use? He knew the science behind the medicine, and it was obvious that this guy He Lan couldn’t control himself…..he was simply shameless and immoral, doing whatever he wanted. It made a person envious…..

…..Okay, he was jealous. Look at them doing this and that when they weren’t even together, but that silly dog…..

Huo Fenglie suddenly opened the curtain and greeted them, and thoughtfully gave Liu Zhenqing a food box, which contained the breakfast Liu Zhenqing liked to eat recently.

As a result, when he looked up, he saw Liu Zhenqing looking at him with dissatisfaction.

“Do you want to eat something else?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head coldly, and Huo Fenglie went outside to work as the carriage driver.

Liu Zhenqing picked up a bun and ate it, as if substituting it for Huo Fenglie. Just waitI One day, I’ll use drugs and excuses to deal with you. Let’s see how far you can endure it!

Of course, Liu Zhenqing was only thinking this due to envy and resentment, and would not certainly not mess around for real.

He Lan also picked up something to eat. To be honest, meeting up so suddenly, he really didn’t know where to start, and the timing also wasn’t right. So, in the spirit of courtesy and reciprocity, or perhaps because of his inner vigilance against a love rival, he asked in turn: “What about you two? Without us getting in the way, have you grown closer?” He had always been optimistic about these two people. And now that Qin Yu could see Huo Fenglie again, he might still have some thoughts about him.

As a result, based on the discrepancy between their situations, this sentence was truly heartbreaking. “No.”

The driver outside seemed to let the carriage become unsteady.

“Ah? Why?”

“Probably because…..there are no drugs!” 

He Lan looked at Liu Zhenqing speechlessly, not sure whether he was mocking him or joking. Mostly likely he was joking. “Oh, by the way, I used that ointment of yours and I want to buy it. How much is it?”

It didn’t take much to figure out what he had used.

That was handed over by his master, and he had originally planned to keep it for himself…..

He Lan had used it and planned to buy the rest.

“Five hundred taels!”

He Lan was shocked on the spot: “So expensive, ah!”

“What, you’re reluctant to part with such a good thing?” Liu Zhenqing said, taking his anger out on him.

“Okay, five hundred taels is five hundred taels. I don’t have it with me now. I’ll take it into account and give it to you when we return to the capital.” He Lan said shamelessly: “Do you have any more? I want to buy a few more boxes.”

Liu Zhenqing: Shameless! He’s Er-gou’s good brother!

Can’t he give Er-gou some of his shameless qualities?!

The carriage soon arrived at Song Xingmu’s courtyard. Qin Yu also woke up at this time. As expected, the ointment had worked well and he wasn’t in much pain. Before, it was just that he was exhausted and had taken too many drugs, so he fell asleep in He Lan’s arms.

Although He Lan still wanted to carry Qin Yu out of the carriage, he was turned away by Qin Yu’s cold eyes.

Even though he was aware that others might know about their relationship, Qin Yu still maintained his distance when he was awake. After getting off the carriage, he said to Huo Fenglie: “Zhanyuan, I want to talk to you in private.”

Having heard about their past, Liu Zhenqing could pretty much guess that what Qin Yu was going to say must be related to the Dongchang.

But He Lan became angry when he heard this: “If there is something to discuss later, you should rest first. Zhanyuan still has to go see Captain Song. He had an accident last night, and we don’t know what happened.”

Qin Yu frowned and wanted to say something, but He Lan picked him up and said to the servant who came to greet the guests: “Give us a room!”

The servant quickly led the way.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie went to check on Yi Chuan first.

When they arrived, the smell of medicine was all throughout the room. Song Xingmu was sitting at the bedside, seemingly lost in thought, while Yi Chuan lay silently on the bed.

Hearing the noise, Song Xingmu turned around.

“How is he?” Liu Zhenqing asked, stepping forward.

Song Xingmu’s voice was a little hoarse, as if he hadn’t slept all night: “His life is safe. Fortunately, you’re here.”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to check his pulse, and also thought he would be fine.

Song Xingmu’s voice grew gradually colder. “The other party used smoke to deal with Yi Chuan, then used a poisoned dagger to strike him many times…..the poison has been cured now, but the blood loss was excessive. His body has been ravaged by the poison and his vitality consumed. I’m going to…..kill them!”

Liu Zhenqing turned to see Song Xingmu slowly raise his hand to pinch the glass earring in his ear, as if he was going to crush it with force. He understood Song Xingmu’s anger.

Liu Zhenqing recounted what he had heard the night before. It was certain that Zhao Haicheng had set the trap to intercept Yi Chuan.

“I think it’s because the military officer died, and Zhao Haicheng likely thinks Yi Chuan was the one who killed him. He doesn’t believe that it was his own group that silenced him. Getting rid of Yi Chuan is comparable to getting rid of a weapon in your hands, and also an opportunity for revenge. The enemies we’re facing now should be two groups of people. One is the rebels, and one is the island residents like Zhao Haicheng who have an unclear enmity. The rebels do not regard the island residents as their own and kill them at will, but the island residents are being foolishly used for their benefit.”

With Liu Zhenqing’s analysis, many things became clear.

And the key now was the location of the island. Song Xingmu stood up at once, knowing that the people who knew the island’s location were at his home.

They needed to go and talk to He Lan and Qin Yu.

But as soon as Song Xingmu got up, he heard the sound of Yi Chuan waking up. Song Xingmu was abruptly unable to raise his feet, and sat back down. He held Yi Chuan’s hand and said: “How are you?”

Yi Chuan awoke in a daze and saw that Song Xingmu was next to him, looking at him with eyes full of pain.

Yi Chuan quickly took his hand back and said: “Why are you looking at me with such a disgusting expression? I won’t die.”

The corners of Song Xingmu’s mouth twitched. He knew that this brat would be fine.

“You won’t die, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you injured so seriously. All the martial arts skills you learned were in vain.”

Yi Chuan scoffed, unresigned: “The other party is despicable.”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to ask: “Yi Chuan, why did you follow them at that time?”

Song Xingmu also asked when he heard this, “Right, ah. Didn’t I tell you not to mess around? You should have at least come back to inform us, ah.”

“I heard them plotting against you. I thought there was some sort of trickery, so I followed them.” Yi Chuan said: “It was only after I was ambushed that I realized those words were deliberately leading me to follow them step by step.”

Yi Chuan wore a somewhat vexed expression. Song Xingmu poked his head and said: “So foolish. You need to learn your lesson after this, or I’ll spank you!”

Yi Chuan instantly blushed, glaring at Song Xingmu. This was still the person at his side?

It wasn’t the first time Liu Zhenqing had heard this, and Huo Fenglie didn’t care much about the affairs of others, so they both remained tranquil. 

Yi Chuan calmed his breathing and said: “But when the governor was here, I heard him confirming the time with Zhao Haicheng, who said to leave in five days.”

The three of them were slightly surprised.

“Is it the governor leaving, or Zhao Haicheng?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Yi Chuan said: “The governor will leave and move elsewhere.”

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie instantly realized that there was a problem with the governor.

Song Xingmu was relieved now that Yi Chuan was awake, and the group of them went to He Lan and Qin Yu’s room.

As soon as they entered the courtyard, they witnessed He Lan being kicked out.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head, saying: “What a familiar scene.”

Huo Fenglie stepped forward to help He Lan up.

“What’s going on?” Song Xingmu asked in confusion.

“Those two are a couple who haven’t gotten together yet. They’re horseplaying,” Liu Zhenqing said directly.

“Don’t the Dongchang and the Jinyiwei not get along?” 

“In a sense, they are a match made in heaven,” said Liu Zhenqing.

Song Xingmu said with a smile: “Judging by your tone, are you envious?”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. It could be seen at a glance that they were good brothers.

The group of people stopped making trouble. After all, proper business was more important.

He Lan got straight to the point: “There are also remnants of the Three Kings among the rebels, and we’ve determined that the assassination plot in the capital was their doing. They did it in order to disrupt the Spring Plowing Ceremony, destroy the emperor’s reputation, and make people think that the origin of the emperor’s throne is unclear. They’ve gathered together to hide on the island, plotting rebellion. The money from several cases we’ve investigated ended up in their hands, not only to make weapons, but to make fire powder, and they also bribed some shopkeepers in the Liu Family Chamber of Commerce to transport it for them. There are also many dirty naval forces under Commander Song. The residents of the islands are pretty much mixed in with them, and they all intend to rebel and take over the country.”

Liu Zhenqing promptly asked the question he was most concerned about. “Are there any true clan members of the Yuan family within the Three Kings remnants?”

He Lan shook his head: “How could that be possible? The so-called leaders either followed the Three Kings in the past or are relatives of theirs. They just refuse to accept that their grand dreams are gone, so they continue to make trouble under the banner of clearing the names of the Three Kings. They allege that the emperor took the throne through shady means, and also admire them, so they unthinkingly follow them as if possessed. Even if they succeed, who will be the boss?”

“Such people should be unable to cooperate. Why do they gather together and make so much noise?” Song Xingmu asked in puzzlement.

Liu Zhenqing said: “Because there are many officials colluding with them, including the Minister of Revenue who died previously.”

“Right, so is the governor,” Song Xingmu realized.

Huo Fenglie looked at Qin Yu then, but Qin Yu maintained a cold face and said nothing. It seemed that he would only talk to Huo Fenglie in private.

“Where is the island?” Huo Fenglie asked directly.

Song Xingmu quickly laid out a map of the sea area.

He Lan and Qin Yu stepped forward to identify it, but were very much not familiar with the situation in the sea area. They only knew the rough location, and there were five small islands in that section.

He Lan said: “There’s no need to worry. I’ll go along when we send out troops, and I’ll recognize it when I see it. When the time comes, Lao Qin and I will identify it. It’s impossible to miss.”

However, Liu Zhenqing and Song Xingmu were familiar with these small islands. At that time, when they had just seized the 30,000 troops, they intended to purge the pirates. Because of the good location, they often stationed themselves on these islands, and got along with the residents. Now it had become a den of rebels.

The last question was the most critical.

“How did you two escape?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

When Liu Zhenqing asked this question, their expressions were not very good. There seemed to be some hidden peril.

So He Lan told them about their experience. The two of them had followed the weapons to the island, and although the island was not big, it was easy to find hiding places. However, in order to investigate the truth, they frequently had to take risks. They hid in a room when they were nearly discovered, but a person suddenly appeared in the room and knocked them unconscious.

“That person’s martial arts skills are very high. We couldn’t even react,” He Lan said. “When we woke up, we were on a slave-trading ship.”

Qin Yu nodded in agreement. “It is extremely odd. If it was the enemy, we would have long been dead, but they brought us out and we ended up being rescued by you. At first we thought it might be a trap, but even though we were poisoned, we observed carefully and found no traces of trickery.”

“So someone saved you?” Song Xingmu asked in surprise. “Who was it, ah?”

Both of them shook their heads. This situation really made them feel that there was no end to the trouble.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter Eighty-Eight << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety