Chapter One Hundred One: Joe Bin Pities Jade

It had all happened in the summer of 2013.

Yu Wenlingxi laid Lian Yue flat upon the grass, and as he gazed at her sweet sleeping face, his heart was filled with guilt.

Yet if he had not done it this way, how could he have borne it?

Across the whole Nishang Continent, only three people could see through the method used to seal Lian Yue's memories: one was his master, and the other two were his younger brothers. He trusted them both.

When Lian Yue awoke, she would forget what had happened and would not notice anything strange about her body. This was truly the best solution for the moment.

For now, Yu Wenlingxi could only do this. Perhaps there would come a day when he would tell Lian Yue the truth himself, but not now. He did not have the courage to face the shattered, despairing emptiness that would follow her awakening.

So Yu Wenlingxi sat there, not moving, staring at Lian Yue without blinking, engraving her present image little by little into his heart.

The wound in his abdomen had split open again from the clash of internal force a moment ago, yet he did not notice at all. He let the blood flow, as though only then could he remain clear-minded.

At the foot of the sheer cliff, apart from the wind, the rain, the chirping insects, and the roars of beasts, there was only silence. The sole person moving against the current was Qiu Yifei, who kept swimming downstream without rest. Each time he heard a beast's roar, he would shiver and hurry beneath the surface.

In the Southern Peace Prince's Manor, Yue Lianyue's face was deathly pale, and tears brimmed in her dim, lifeless eyes.

The grief of losing her son had already taken more than half her life; now that she had accidentally heard of her younger sister's matter, the sorrow in her heart deepened all the more.

Xiangju twisted the handkerchief in her hands, standing beside the bed at a loss, her face full of worry.

The young servant kneeling on the floor outside the screen was trembling all over, utterly helpless. This time he had truly caused a disaster; once the prince came, the outcome awaiting him was already plain to see.

What one feared most was precisely what arrived. He only felt a gust of wind sweep past him; his eyes caught only a corner of a python-embroidered robe, and his heart went cold.

The newcomer was none other than Prince Qiao Bin of the Southern Peace, who had hurried back in great haste. He was still covered in travel dust, never expecting that in merely a few days' absence, such a thing would have happened.

Looking at the haggard Lianyue on the bed, Qiao Bin gently wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and said with concern, "Yuer, your body is in need of care now. You must not grieve yourself like this."

If he had not said that, it would have been one thing. But once he did, Lianyue's tears could no longer be restrained, and she began to sob, "How can you ask me not to be heartbroken? That was my full-blooded younger sister. Everyone in the empire knows about this now, and I alone was kept in the dark."

Her crying made Qiao Bin even more flustered, and he said with self-reproach, "It's all my fault. I should never have written that letter, nor mentioned that idea. But rest assured, the emperor has already ordered General Du to lead three thousand elite soldiers to assist my brother-in-law, and he has also issued a bounty hunt together with the five major powers. News has just come back confirming that Yue'er is still alive. Don't worry, she will be all right."

"Really?" A glimmer of light finally appeared in Lianyue's ashen eyes.

Qiao Bin hurriedly took out a letter from his chest and unfolded it. "This is Brother Lan Shui's own handwriting. I only received it yesterday and rushed back at once."

Lianyue read the letter in Qiao Bin's hands. Only then did her tears slowly subside. She looked at Qiao Bin intensely and questioned him, "This letter wasn't forged by you, was it?"

"Of course not," Qiao Bin said, a trace of embarrassment flashing across his face. "I forged one letter before, and you still remember it now?"

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has not taken her medicine today." Xiangju handed the still-warm bowl of medicine to the Southern Peace Prince.

Prince Qiao Bin took it, stirred it with a spoon, tested the temperature himself, and only then fed a spoonful to Lianyue's lips. Lianyue parted her pale lips slightly and drank down the full spoon.

Seeing that she was willing to drink, Qiao Bin finally relaxed. Knowing that the knot in her heart had loosened somewhat, he could not help but chide her, "Why won't you even drink your medicine? You're not allowed to do this again."

Lianyue drank the medicine he offered to her until it was gone, then gave him a gentle smile and nodded faintly. "I know."

In this way, spoonful by spoonful, she finished the medicine. She then spoke with Qiao Bin for a while about her longing for her eldest son. As the medicine took effect, her eyelids slowly grew heavy and fell shut.

Only when Qiao Bin was sure her breathing had become steady did he tuck the blanket around her and leave the room softly and quietly.

At his gesture, Xiangju and the young servant kneeling in the outer room also followed him out.

Seated on a stone bench in the courtyard, the tenderness that had just been on Qiao Bin's face vanished without a trace. His expression darkened as he said, displeased, "How did the Princess Consort come to know about this?"

Xiangju and the servant knelt at once.

Xiangju said, "This morning after the Princess Consort got up, she was in good spirits, so this servant accompanied her for a walk in the garden. We were just about to return when, passing the flower beds, we heard several servants whispering and discussing the matter of the Yue family's youngest young lady. This servant had intended to lead the Princess Consort away, but who knew the Princess Consort might have vaguely heard something? She immediately told me to bring those people over. The few of them, intimidated by her authority, stammered out the general outline of what had happened, and the Princess Consort fainted on the spot. After waking, she had me summon one of the servants and ask everything again."

Hearing this, Qiao Bin's expression grew even more grim. The moment this matter reached the Southern Peace Manor, he had already ordered the news sealed, precisely because he feared Yuer would learn of it. Very few in the manor knew of it. How had it spread so quickly?

Looking at the servant trembling beside him, Qiao Bin asked, "Which courtyard do you serve in?"

"This servant... this servant works odd jobs under Master Qu, the gardener."

Qiao Bin said impatiently, "Where did you hear this from?"

"Y- yesterday, this servant was arranging flowers and plants in the garden and happened to hear Madam Xi and Madam Lian speaking about it."

A cold smile flashed across Qiao Bin's face. It seemed the inner courtyard truly needed a thorough cleaning. "Come with this prince to the study and tell me the entire sequence in detail."

The servant hurriedly agreed.

Qiao Bin looked at Xiangju, who was still kneeling on the ground, and ordered, "Take good care of the Princess Consort. The moment she wakes, report to this prince immediately."

Xiangju bowed and answered, "Yes."

Only after the Southern Peace Prince's figure had disappeared from the courtyard did she rise and go back inside.

An hour later, Lianyue slowly awakened, only to find Qiao Bin lying beside her. The pain in her heart was little by little soothed by his tenderness. Her voice was still somewhat weak as she asked, "Why are you still here? Aren't you tired?"

"Not when I see you," Qiao Bin said softly, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. His tone was so gentle that one could almost drown in it.

Lianyue reached out and took his hand. "Have you already dealt with those two people?"

"Mm, I sent them away," Qiao Bin replied lightly, as though he had merely disposed of two servants.

"Why go to such lengths? They were gifts from the emperor. Just keep them. The inner courtyard does not lack the two of them."

"It's nothing. Imperial Brother won't mind." Qiao Bin comforted her. "Leaving a few in the inner courtyard is only for show. The unruly ones should be sent away; it saves the trouble of unnecessary gossip."

Hearing him say this, Lianyue thought again of her prematurely lost child, and her expression darkened. Suppressing the stabbing pain in her chest, she said softly, "Do as you think best."

Qiao Bin turned and pressed a deep kiss to her forehead, murmuring, "Yuer, I'm sorry."

With tears in her eyes, Lianyue said, "Silly fool. It was my own choice."

"I promise, once Father's birthday celebration is over this time, I will find a way to bring Ke'er back. From then on I will stay with you both and spend the rest of our days here in the Southern Peace Manor."

Lianyue knew his words were not entirely realistic, but hearing them still made her happy. She answered with a soft "Mm."

The husband and wife held each other like that, and before long Qiao Bin's breathing became even, a clear sign that he was exhausted and asleep. Lianyue remained in his arms, feeling the warmth beside her, and yet tears still slid down.

She had seen everything this man had done for her. He had already given up so much. As a prince of the Nishang Empire, he had his own hardships and his own difficulties.

Lianyue understood all of this very well. Even if his original motive for approaching her had not been pure, so what? His sincerity toward her was beyond doubt.

Lianyue closed her eyes in contentment and prayed in her heart: Yue'er, you must be safe.

Then she thought of the child she had never met and of the son still living in the Crown Prince's Manor. Silently, she resolved that from now on she would never again allow anyone the chance to harm her family. No matter who that person might be, if they had ever hurt her before, they would have to pay with blood.

From this moment on, Lianyue decided she would no longer hide her abilities, nor continue as a compliant and well-behaved Princess Consort of the Southern Peace.