Chapter 88: The Dancer is Captured

The last time they met, it was over tea and philosophical discussion; today, their meeting was already fraught with hostility, like swords drawn and bows bent. Although neither spoke it aloud, both understood perfectly well.

“What brings Lord Wu here today?” he asked, though the answer was clear.

“I heard that Her Majesty the Blood Empress has fallen ill again. I came specifically to inquire after her health.” Zuo Qiu Liye seemed to be in excellent spirits. His beguiling, fox-like eyes shimmered with an unusual brilliance, and his lips, flushed crimson and moistened by tea, appeared even more otherworldly.

To inquire after her health?

Ji Wu Qing smiled, his deep gaze glinting with cold starlight. He said nothing, waiting for Zuo Qiu Liye to lay his cards on the table. Unless things were made clear, their conversation could not continue meaningfully.

“Rumors are swirling throughout the Ji Kingdom. It must be quite a headache for Your Majesty, and a calamity for the Blood Empress. The situation is dire, but I happen to have a solution,” Zuo Qiu Liye said slowly, projecting an air of confidence and control.

“I doubt the affairs of the Ji Kingdom require your concern,” Ji Wu Qing replied with a faint smile, his eyes cold and indifferent.

“I had thought Your Majesty’s feelings for the Blood Empress ran deep, but even now, are you truly unwavering? Poor Blood Empress, tormented by venom until she’s barely human—who knows if she blames or hates you in her heart?” He glanced at Ji Wu Qing’s calm expression, a hint of smugness flashing across his beautiful face.

Though he didn’t believe in imperial love, judging by how much Ji Wu Qing valued Xiao Xue, he ought to be anxious at heart. So, he decided to use a strong dose—leaving Ji Wu Qing no retreat.

He wanted to see whether Ji Wu Qing’s feelings for Xiao Xue were sincere or merely a performance.

Ji Wu Qing calmly adjusted his cloud-patterned sleeves, his manner oddly reminiscent of Xue Xue herself. The half-smile on his face was unsettling, as if nothing he did next would be out of the ordinary.

“Your Majesty knows well that although the Blood Tears won’t take the Empress’s life, they’ll leave her in unbearable agony—a torture beyond human endurance. Now, with rumors spreading, it does her no good. Since I’ve accomplished this much, I might as well go a step further to achieve my aims.” Zuo Qiu Liye’s words were now openly threatening.

“What grand talk,” Ji Wu Qing chuckled instead of scowling, looking up with a restored air of gentle refinement.

Yet in the next instant, his folding fan snapped open with a flick, its thin, black edge aimed straight at Zuo Qiu Liye’s throat. The sharp arc of the fan was only a hair’s breadth from his neck. “Have you forgotten, Lord Wu, that threats are the last thing I tolerate? And taking your life would be a matter of a moment.”

He looked at him coolly, a faint, mocking smile on his lips.

A pity, though—he couldn’t kill him. If he did, there would be no cure for his child’s venom.

Sensing the chill of the fan’s edge, Zuo Qiu Liye flashed a wicked grin. “It seems Your Majesty would like a spar?”

No sooner had he spoken than he lunged at Ji Wu Qing, twisting his body aside to evade the fan’s deadly arc.

They exchanged blows in a flurry, the fan slicing through the air and scattering the snow piled nearby, flakes falling onto their robes. Zuo Qiu Liye held his own, sending razor-sharp, leaf-shaped projectiles flying from his palm, embedding them into the snow and shattering the tranquil mound.

The commotion drew the palace guards, but seeing two monarchs sparring, they retreated to a safe distance.

No flashing blades or drawn swords were needed; the sheer force of their duel cowed everyone present. There was no murderous intent—only an aura more intimidating than killing rage.

Each move was swift and clean, aimed at the vital points yet always held back at the last moment. With a rip, the black fan sliced through the brocade of Zuo Qiu Liye’s robe, leaving a long gash in the splendid garment.

Zuo Qiu Liye frowned as he glanced at his torn sleeve, a shadow flickering in his eyes.

In that split second of distraction, the fan’s black edge was once again poised at his throat, its sharpness threatening to draw blood at any moment. Their battle had reached a standstill, frozen in this deadly tableau.

“You’ve lost.”

“So what if I have?”

“Lord Wu, will you choose life or death?” The dark eyes were earnest. “Do you really think I’d let you go? From the moment you set your sights on my blood child, I could no longer overlook your presence.”

“So Your Majesty truly intends to kill me?” Zuo Qiu Liye showed no fear.

“Your methods are indeed clever. You used the people of Xiliang as a cover, but the venom was actually placed in Anxue Palace by order of the Empress Dowager. The Xiliang incident merely served as a trigger for the Blood Tears. With Gongshen Ling’er’s manipulation, the Blood Tears found their way into my child’s body, all to threaten me.”

“You’re right,” Zuo Qiu Liye replied unhurriedly, a smug smile in his narrow phoenix eyes. “But the Blood Tears have now fused with the Empress’s body. They can’t be removed so easily. Surely you know that only the Grand Elder of Wu Kingdom has the means to cure such a venom.”

He still held a trump card, though Ji Wu Qing’s actions had angered him.

No matter—once Xiao Xue was back by his side, he would pay Ji Wu Qing back for today’s slight.

“That’s not certain. You play your hand well, Lord Wu, but are you so sure I care that much for the Queen? She is, after all, my consort—why should I let you take her back to Wu Kingdom? What face would I have then, if the world laughed at me for it?” Ji Wu Qing laughed, as though mocking his presumption. “Perhaps it would be better for me if the Queen simply died of illness.”

Hearing these ambiguous words, Zuo Qiu Liye’s face darkened, a shadow passing over his features.

He wasn’t sure whether his anger was provoked by Ji Wu Qing’s insolence or his apparent indifference toward Xiao Xue.

“Whether I’m being presumptuous depends on Your Majesty’s final decision.” Even with the deadly fan still pressed to his throat, Zuo Qiu Liye wore a chillingly gentle smile.

Ji Wu Qing smiled as well, like sunlight in spring—yet it brought no warmth at all.

“Guards, seize Zuo Qiu Liye!” At his command, hidden guards swept in from the shadows.

Zuo Qiu Liye’s expression changed. “Is this your way of treating a guest, or do you intend to incite war between our nations?”

“You are mistaken. It was you who struck first,” Ji Wu Qing raised an eyebrow, his face unreadable. “Rest assured, word has already spread that the Wu King attempted to assassinate me. There is ample reason to detain you. I advise you to surrender—otherwise, this will spiral beyond my control.”

“So you would provoke war between our two countries?” Zuo Qiu Liye’s eyes flashed; he had not expected Ji Wu Qing to go so far.

Conflict between the nations was inevitable. Ji Wu Qing had only accelerated the process. If he continued to endure, he would lose all dignity as ruler of Ji.

“No, if war comes, it is you who started it. You colluded with the Empress Dowager to assassinate me. I merely took precautions. Now that your schemes have been exposed, the responsibility for war lies with Wu, not Ji.” Since Zuo Qiu Liye’s target was his child, Ji Wu Qing decided to strike first, branding him as an assassin.

“Truly a masterstroke, Your Majesty—even counting your own Queen in your calculations.” Not a trace of panic crossed Zuo Qiu Liye’s face.

“She is my Queen,” Ji Wu Qing insisted.

On that point alone, he had already won.

Outside the palace, the guest residence hosting envoys and monarchs from various countries was surrounded by guards, and word spread that the Wu King had attempted to kill Ji Wu Qing. Rumor had it that Lord Wu had suddenly attacked, but thanks to Ji Wu Qing’s martial prowess, he had subdued his opponent after a fierce struggle and now had him imprisoned.

But Lord Wu was still the ruler of Wu Kingdom, and this matter concerned the harmony between the two nations.

“They say Lord Wu has always been a cruel sovereign, a bloodthirsty demon—this time, Ji Kingdom must not let him off.”

“Indeed! To think he tried to kill our king, and right here on our own soil.”

“So brazen! After all the fine feasts we offered—let’s see how they get out of this…”

The townsfolk crowded around the guesthouse, gossiping heatedly. Some, fired up with anger, even wanted to storm the compound and attack the people of Wu. The gravity of the situation shocked the entire realm—two noble monarchs, rulers of great nations, now embroiled in open strife.

Inside the guesthouse, the snow in the courtyard had been trampled by the constant passage of guards, turning the once-pure drifts into muddy slush, their silver brilliance lost.

“How could this happen? This is clearly a scheme by Ji Kingdom. How could His Majesty have acted so rashly?” Fei Yi stood by, indignant. Though she feared her lord, she knew full well that with his intelligence and skill, he would never attempt an assassination.

“Young mistress, what do we do now? Are we just to sit and wait for death?” Qing Shu asked anxiously. Fortunately, her steady temperament kept her from panicking like Fei Yi.

Meanwhile, Gongshen Ling’er sat quietly in her purple robes, her face veiled in black. She gazed down at the flute in her hands, her eyes cool and contemplative.

“He’s done this—I can’t tell if it’s for the blind empress, or if it was all a countermeasure from the start.” She seemed to be talking to herself, her voice so soft that Fei Yi and Qing Shu leaned in to listen.

The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with confusion. What was their mistress talking about?

“It seems we have overestimated her importance in Ji Wu Qing’s heart.”

End of chapter.