The Grand Princess of Qin’s Residence.
This place had once been the center of power, heavily guarded. Even after the Grand Princess became emperor and moved into the palace, no one dared let so much as a speck of dust settle on her former residence.
The moment Chi Wan stepped into the Princess’s Residence, a wave of familiarity washed over her.
It was like doing something and feeling as if you had done the exact same thing many years ago, down to the smallest detail.
Or watching a movie whose plot seemed familiar, even though the film had just been released.
Chi Wan felt that the path she was walking now was one she had walked before.
Every plant and tree in the Princess’s Residence felt familiar. It had to be said, the aesthetic of the Princess’s Residence was better than the imperial palace’s. It was not so magnificently opulent, possessing more of the artistic beauty of small bridges and flowing water.
To be precise, the imperial palace looked rich at a glance, while the Princess’s Residence was not only rich but also had cultural depth.
“Does it feel familiar?”
Yu Jiuzhou, who was walking beside Chi Wan, couldn’t help but ask.
She was desperate for Chi Wan to regain her memories, yet she knew she couldn’t rush it.
Chi Wan smiled and changed the subject. “Since I’ve been poisoned with a Gu-insect, isn’t there anything that can lure it out? Like how cats like dried fish, and dogs like big bones.”
It made sense. If the Gu-insect could be lured out, recovering her memories would be easy.
Yu Jiuzhou walked ahead and sat on the swing. “I’ve asked. There isn’t.”
“Alright.”
Chi Wan was a physician, but she didn’t know much about Gu; she had only heard of it.
Perhaps, when she had time, she should find someone who understood Gu to learn about her own condition. Would there be any side effects if the Gu-insect remained in her body?
Seeing Chi Wan’s slightly disappointed expression, Yu Jiuzhou couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. “Don’t worry, I’m here.”
“Thank you, then,” Chi Wan offered, her words sweet.
She feigned a yawn and asked, “Are we going back to the palace tonight?”
Yu Jiuzhou hadn’t considered this question. She asked in return, “Do you want to go back?”
“Either is fine.”
Chi Wan straightened her body. The wide python robe was truly tiring to wear. Besides, her fake identities were hidden inside her clothes.
Yu Jiuzhou studied her for a moment. “Tired?”
“A little.”
“Then go rest. If it gets late, we don’t have to go back.”
The group arrived at Yong’an Courtyard. She was led into a room, and Yu Jiuzhou followed her in. However, Yu Jiuzhou still had memorials to read, so she didn’t stay in the room with her.
“Rest well,” Yu Jiuzhou said before presumably heading toward the study.
Chi Wan closed the door to the room, quickly took off the python robe, and got into bed, letting down the bed curtains.
She took out her fake identities. There was a scholar, a merchant, a physician, a farmer, and a wandering knight.
Each identity came with a travel permit. This way, if she left the capital, she could switch identities every time she reached a new place.
A smile touched Chi Wan’s lips, but her heart was still hesitant.
After last night, and given Yu Jiuzhou’s attitude today, it seemed the other woman no longer intended to imprison her.
Although she was no longer imprisoned, her range of movement hadn’t increased. So far, she had only unlocked the Earl of Huai’an’s Residence and the Princess’s Residence, and the former was a one-time exploration site.
She didn’t know where else she would be allowed to go.
As for the fake identities in her hand, she needed to find a place to hide them.
They would definitely be discovered if she brought them back to the palace. Only by hiding them outside could she hope to keep them.
Chi Wan thought for a moment and decided to hide them somewhere in the Princess’s Residence. This room only had a bed and no suitable hiding places, so it had to be outside.
She got out of bed and leaned against the door to listen for a moment. There was no one outside.
She opened the door and slipped out, pushing open another door. It seemed to be a heated side room, which had a large window overlooking the courtyard wall of Yongning Courtyard.
In the corner of the wall stood a plum tree, not yet in bloom.
She scanned her surroundings. Going outside would surely alert the guards. In the end, she decided to hide the items inside the heated room.
As Chi Wan walked out of the room, she faintly heard Yu Jiuzhou saying something outside.
She could hear her own name from time to time. Seeing that they were talking about her, she moved closer to listen.
The speaker was Dong Ying, who was reporting, “Your Majesty, back then, Princess Lin’an accompanied the late Emperor to Jiangning. After the late Emperor was imprisoned by Yu Yichen, Princess Lin’an’s whereabouts became unknown. However, one of her subordinates, a man named Duan Shihui, is the junior brother of the Insect Valley’s master. This person has been serving Princess Lin’an for a long time.”
Yu Jiuzhou raised an eyebrow. “No wonder Duan Xi Wu couldn’t find Duan Shihui. So he was with my aunt.”
“Your Majesty, when His Highness the Prince conquered Jiangning, no trace of these people was found. Recently, however, rumors have been spreading in many places.”
As Dong Ying reported, Yu Jiuzhou seemed to grow interested. “What rumors?”
Dong Ying, like a reporting machine, continued in a steady tone, “When a Kun Ze rules Zhou, Zhou will fall.”
As if realizing her tone was inappropriate, Dong Ying added, “According to our investigation, this rumor is being spread by the Brahma Heaven Cult. Moreover, the cult has recruited a large number of followers in a very short time. There are few commoners; most are from the gentry and powerful clans.”
Yu Jiuzhou immediately understood why. The reforms benefited the common people. Thanks to the newspapers, most of them were not fooled. Seeing that better days were coming, why would they join a rebellion?
But the gentry and powerful clans knew the reforms were not in their favor. Rather than wait for their doom, they decided to act early.
“Is the leader of the Brahma Heaven Cult my aunt?”
Dong Ying nodded. “Although we have not found any trace of Princess Lin’an in the Brahma Heaven Cult, we have found Commandery Mistress Fu Qing. People there call her ‘Envoy,’ but the Brahma Heaven Cult has twelve Envoys.”
Twelve Envoys. Fu Qing was not the only one, which made it seem like she had little to do with the cult leader.
Although some said Princess Lin’an was dead, Yu Jiuzhou would not believe it until she saw a body.
“How many people have joined the Brahma Heaven Cult?”
Dong Ying shook her head. “We have identified some, and others are still under investigation. The capital has also been affected. His Highness the Prince was poisoned with a Gu, and our investigation shows it began in the capital. Initially, Duan Shihui, who serves Princess Lin’an, intended to use the Gu on Your Majesty. But Your Majesty was pregnant at the time, and it was His Highness who went to receive Princess Lin’an, so the Gu was used on His Highness instead.”
“But there are steps to administering the Gu. The first step is to cultivate something the Gu likes on the target’s body. The second step is to administer the poison. Otherwise, even if the Gu-insect is released, it cannot reach the designated person.”
“Yu Yichen was the one who released the Gu-insect. He pretended to spar with His Highness, but his real intention was to get the Gu-insect closer to His Highness, to prevent it from being discovered if it flew up. In fact, even if His Highness had not sparred with him, he would have pretended to fall and lunge at His Highness. Because His Highness’s body carried something the Gu-insect liked, as soon as it was released, it would have gone straight for His Highness.”
“What’s strange, however, is that the Gu prepared by Duan Shihui was one of the top three deadliest poisons. The victim would need to take an antidote once a month, or they would suffer excruciating pain. This was meant to force His Highness to obey their commands.”
Listening to Dong Ying’s account, Yu Jiuzhou clenched her sleeves. “In that case, I suppose I should thank Duan Jinxian.”
The Gu was the River of Oblivion, not a deadly poison.
What she hadn’t expected was that this conspiracy against her and Chi Wan had started so early. The methods were insidious and disgusting.
“How is the investigation of the case I assigned you?”
Dong Ying cupped her hands. “Reporting to Your Majesty, there are thirteen families in the capital related to the case, totaling one thousand seven hundred and sixty-four people.”
Yu Jiuzhou closed her eyes and tilted her head back, stretching her tired neck. “Kill them.”
“Yes!”
As Yu Jiuzhou’s single word, “kill,” fell, Chi Wan, who was listening nearby, felt her heart lurch.
Over seventeen hundred people, killed just like that?
She didn’t even know what case it was.
For the first time, Chi Wan experienced what it meant for imperial power to be supreme.
However, from their conversation, she had gathered several pieces of information.
【Brahma Heaven Cult】【Princess Lin’an】【Commandery Mistress Fu Qing】【Gu-insect】
She also understood that she was truly at the center of a conspiracy. This capital was really not a good place.
Even if it wasn’t to escape Yu Jiuzhou’s control, just facing so many plots and schemes every day was exhausting enough to kill a person.
She was by nature a lover of freedom. Otherwise, in her past life, she could have just settled down at a hospital, worked diligently, earned a professional title, and gradually become a renowned expert. That would have been nice.
Her so-called freedom was the ability to be the master of her own life, not the feeling of being controlled by others. That feeling was unbearable just to think about.
Being able to support herself through flexible work, competing everywhere to earn certificates, and building a good future for herself—who would want to clock in at a job, be managed by others, and have no freedom at all?
Of course, it was also because Chi Wan preferred researching ancient medicinal formulas over seeing patients in a clinic.
In any case, rather than being suppressed in the capital, surrounded by plots and schemes, wouldn’t it be better for her to find a place to live in anonymity?
No matter how she thought about it, her choice was not wrong.
So why did her heart feel so reluctant?
Moreover, from what Dong Ying said, the Gu-insect was originally intended for Yu Jiuzhou. It was only by a twist of fate that it ended up in her.
If she weren’t here, who would be there to shield Yu Jiuzhou?
At this thought, Chi Wan slapped her own head. What nonsense was she thinking? Yu Jiuzhou was the emperor; there were plenty of people willing to die for her.
Taking a step back, she had amnesia. The person who was with Yu Jiuzhou before was her, but now that she had amnesia, Yu Jiuzhou was a stranger to her.
No, she was a “bad emperor” who had imprisoned her the moment she woke up.
Under these circumstances, how could she even talk about feelings with Yu Jiuzhou? There was another thing she couldn’t accept.
Although it felt good, she didn’t like—especially didn’t like—being made to submit with pheromones without her consent.
Even if they were nominal partners, in reality, they had no relationship whatsoever.
The more she thought about it, the more a knot of frustration tightened in Chi Wan’s chest, making her wish she could leave the capital immediately.
Because she had so many reasons to leave, but not a single one to stay.
Chi Wan sat on the bed, her thoughts in turmoil.
She had thought of ten thousand reasons to leave, but not a single one to stay.
The door creaked open. Yu Jiuzhou saw her sitting on the edge of the bed and paused. “Are you rested?”
“Yes.”
Chi Wan replied. Perhaps feeling her attitude was a bit cold, she asked, “Are we going back to the palace?”
Yu Jiuzhou sat down beside her. “If you like it here, we can stay for a few more days.”
Staying for a few more days was, of course, a good thing. After all, it would be easier to leave from the Princess’s Residence.
But Chi Wan still said, “If you’re busy, we should go back to the palace.”
The ruler of a nation was surely busy, especially a newly enthroned emperor like Yu Jiuzhou who was also implementing reforms. She must be doubly busy.
And if they returned to the palace, her chances of leaving would become very slim.
Yu Jiuzhou smiled and leaned over to bite her neck. “It’s fine. If you like it, we’ll stay a few more days.”
Since she had said so, there was nothing more Chi Wan could say. She just nodded silently.
“Are you angry?” Yu Jiuzhou saw Chi Wan’s silent and withdrawn demeanor. She knew in her heart that, given Chi Wan’s personality, what she had done last night had indeed gone too far.
Chi Wan remained silent. Was she angry? Not as angry as she imagined. Was she not angry? That wasn’t it either.
Even if the other party had done it to cure the Gu, which was understandable, she could have been told why it was necessary beforehand.
Being told before it happened was different from being told after.
However, even if she had been told, given her personality, she wouldn’t have agreed.
Perhaps sensing her conflict, Yu Jiuzhou said softly, “It’s alright. You’ll get used to it after a few more times.”
“When you recover your memory, you won’t blame me.”
This sentence inexplicably ignited the anger in Chi Wan’s heart. What did that mean? Was this why Yu Jiuzhou was so fearless?
Anger flared in Chi Wan’s heart. “If I don’t recover my memory, does that mean I’ll blame you forever?”
Yu Jiuzhou’s gaze on Chi Wan turned cold, her pupils tinged with red. It wasn’t from wanting to cry, but from a look of intense focus, of possession, of obsession.
“You’re saying you’ll blame me forever?”
Chi Wan was at a loss for words. Before she could speak, Yu Jiuzhou’s scent washed over her, engulfing her once again.
Again!
Chi Wan had no room to refuse. Because her body had been marked by Yu Jiuzhou, and with the other woman in her Rain and Dew Period, the pheromones invaded her with double the intensity, gradually weakening her will to resist.
Weakening it until she was powerless to fight back.
They stayed at the Princess’s Residence for two days. For two whole days, Chi Wan was lost in Yu Jiuzhou’s pheromones, unable to extricate herself.
Yu Jiuzhou seemed to have gotten angry, no longer able to control the obsession in her heart, wanting only to devour her whole.
After two days, they left. During that time, Yu Jiuzhou never left the Princess’s Residence, so naturally, Chi Wan had no opportunity to leave either.
Back in the imperial palace, Chi Wan maintained a lukewarm attitude. She no longer asked about the past and did whatever she was supposed to do on schedule.
Unfortunately, her superficial obedience did not unlock any new locations. However, within the rear palaces, she was granted a small measure of freedom, though there were still a few specific places she couldn’t go.
In the imperial palace, Yu Jiuzhou did not use her pheromones to control her again.
Perhaps it was because her Rain and Dew Period had passed. Even if she released her pheromones, she might not be able to control Chi Wan’s body anymore, so she stopped.
One day, Yu Jiuzhou summoned the cabinet for a meeting and did not return to the rear palaces for a long time. It seemed something major had happened.
Chi Wan sat in a pavilion in the imperial garden, basking in the sun, her thoughts drifting far away.
If this continued, she didn’t know if her memory would ever recover, but she would certainly fall ill from being cooped up.
Every day, she walked around the same small area. Over the past few days, she had thoroughly explored the rear palaces.
But she had also lost hope. As long as she was in the imperial palace, within the sight of Xia Qu and the others, she could not escape.
No matter where she went, someone was always following her. She didn’t know if it was to protect her from being bullied or to prevent her from running away.
Finally, Yu Jiuzhou returned from the cabinet meeting. Seeing the idle Chi Wan and thinking of the disputes in court that day, she suddenly asked, “How about you attend court?”
“Attend court?” Chi Wan frowned. Wasn’t Yu Jiuzhou reluctant to let her amnesiac self interact with outsiders?
She was afraid someone might say something that would provoke her.
What she didn’t say was that her internal energy had already reached a profound level. It hadn’t been long, but her progress was truly fast.
If she could reach the level of great accomplishment, the height of the palace walls would be no obstacle.
Chi Wan was quite surprised at how quickly her internal energy was progressing, as if she had already reached this realm long ago.
Even if she hadn’t reached great accomplishment and was only at the profound level, as long as she found an opportunity, she could slip away immediately.
Yu Jiuzhou had been watching her for so long, why did she suddenly want her to attend court? If she said something in court and got herself an official post, she could leave the palace legitimately.
“All the civil and military officials want to see you.”
It had been three months since Chi Wan’s return, and she had only made one appearance at the Earl of Huai’an’s Residence. After entering the Princess’s Residence, she had not been seen again.
After her appearance at the Earl of Huai’an’s Residence, the court had been quiet for less than a month. Why had it started up again?
Yu Jiuzhou naturally knew why. Someone was instigating things from behind the scenes, and this person seemed to know that Chi Wan had been poisoned with a Gu.
Just as Chi Wan was about to speak, Yu Jiuzhou frowned and shook her head. “Forget it. Let’s go back to the Princess’s Residence. We’ll summon the cabinet members for a meeting there. It will also put a stop to the rumors. And it will be a good chance to relax.”
This was what it felt like to be given hope, only to have it snatched away.
Chi Wan was fuming. The difficulty of her escape could have been infinitely reduced, but now, it was back to the same level.
Moreover, she calculated the days. Yu Jiuzhou’s Rain and Dew Period should be in the next few days.
She admitted that when Yu Jiuzhou used her pheromones to control her, her blood boiled. She also admitted that familiar yet strange images always appeared in her mind.
She couldn’t indulge in this any longer. This time, she had to stay at the Princess’s Residence for a few more days and find the best opportunity to leave.
Just as she thought, as soon as they arrived at the Princess’s Residence, they no longer slept in separate rooms.
Chi Wan didn’t deny that Yu Jiuzhou was doing it to help her recover her memory. The method to cure the Gu was indeed like this.
After her internal energy reached a profound level, she could feel the presence of the Gu-insect when she circulated her energy.
The Gu-insect was located in her brain. If she tried to envelop it with her internal energy, the Gu-insect would resist and could potentially damage her cranial nerves.
But once her internal energy reached the level of great accomplishment, she would have no such worries. The Gu-insect would not be able to break through the internal energy of a master at that level.
She was currently at the profound level, and her cultivation speed was not slow. She had a feeling that it was very possible for her to reach the level of great accomplishment.
Before that, she could travel to some Daoist sacred sites to see if there were any methods to accelerate the growth of her internal energy.
She refused to believe that the insidious methods of a small country had no solution in Daoism.
A combination of Chinese medicine and Daoist techniques would surely be something a mere Gu-insect could not resist.
Once she recovered her memory and proved everything, she would return without hesitation.
When solving problems, apart from the college entrance exams where she followed the examiner’s line of thought, she had never followed anyone else’s methods. Otherwise, her research in ancient Chinese medicine would never have gained the recognition of so many people.
She had even performed a divination for herself. The journey would be smooth and without risk.
To Chi Wan’s surprise, when night fell, Yu Jiuzhou did nothing at all. The two of them lay together peacefully, as if they were strangers sharing a bed.
Even if Yu Jiuzhou wanted to use her pheromones to control her again, with her current level of internal energy, she could resist. She would not submit so easily again.
They just lay there. Just as Chi Wan was about to drift off to sleep, Yu Jiuzhou suddenly spoke. “I have invited the most famous physicians in Great Zhou to the capital. They are at the Princess’s Residence now. Tomorrow, they will diagnose you.”
No wonder she had suddenly decided to come to the Princess’s Residence. It seemed Yu Jiuzhou didn’t fully trust the words of the Insect Valley’s master. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust them, but that she wouldn’t put all her eggs in one basket.
Chi Wan didn’t reply. She just turned on her side, pretending to be asleep.
Yu Jiuzhou sadly lowered her eyes, holding her breath for a long while to stop her tears.
The night passed without a word.
Early in the morning, Chi Wan met the famous physicians of Great Zhou. They examined her one by one, then gathered to discuss.
Then, one of them said, “There is a solution. We need to use silver needles to force the Gu-insect to another location, then cut open the flesh with a knife and extract it.”
Yu Jiuzhou asked nervously, “Are you able to perform the acupuncture?”
The man shook his head. “This acupuncture technique requires coordination with internal energy, and it must be performed by someone who has reached the level of great accomplishment, like the Wudang Sect Leader or the Dragon Tiger Celestial Master.”
But of these two, one was old and had little time left, likely unable to reach the capital, while the other was elusive and could not be found.
Yu Jiuzhou immediately gave an order. “Go and invite the Wudang Sect Leader, and find the Dragon Tiger Celestial Master.”
Chi Wan, however, thought, If they won’t come to me, I will go to them.
This perfectly aligned with her idea of seeking a cure at a Daoist sanctuary.
The physician left behind his acupuncture chart. Chi Wan memorized it with a single glance. If the Wudang Sect Leader was unable to act, she could wait until her own internal energy reached great accomplishment and cure the Gu herself.
What she was curious about was why Yu Jiuzhou had stopped using her pheromones to help her cure the Gu. It couldn’t be that she was afraid of making her angry, could it?
With Yu Jiuzhou’s obsessive nature, she wouldn’t worry about something like that.
Chi Wan stole a glance at Yu Jiuzhou, and was then led to meet the cabinet members.
The meeting was not what she had imagined. She had thought she would be participating in discussions of state affairs.
But Yu Jiuzhou simply went in, announced a few things, and then led her away.
They came and went in a flash.
Chi Wan had thought she wouldn’t find a chance to leave during this trip to the Princess’s Residence either.
Who would have thought that Yu Jiuzhou would decide to stay at the Princess’s Residence for a few days? This meant she could slowly look for an opportunity.
Finally, on the third day at the Princess’s Residence, she found her chance.
Yu Jiuzhou had a court session today and had left early in the morning, taking a portion of the guards with her. The number of people in the courtyard had visibly decreased.
Besides, it was not yet light out, and the Princess’s Residence was still quiet. It was the perfect time for her to take her things and leave.
Having no money on her, Chi Wan could only tuck the jade belt from her waist and the golden crown from her head into her robes.
With these two items, she would not be short of money on her journey.
Chi Wan made up her mind. She casually broke off a tree branch, sharpened it into a hairpin to tie up her hair, and changed into a white straight-hemmed robe. Her waist was cinched with a dark blue cloth belt, and she tied up her sleeves with cloth strips. The scholar’s attire, when worn by her, made her look somewhat like a knight-errant.
She searched the room but found no suitable weapon. She would have to buy one after she got out.
After packing her things, she did not leave immediately. Instead, she stood in the room, gazing at her surroundings, as if wondering if she had forgotten something.
In reality, how could Chi Wan not feel reluctant to leave?
But she had to leave. She had to find her own memories herself.
This time, with her internal energy having reached a profound level, Chi Wan left the Princess’s Residence without alerting anyone. She waited outside for the city gates to open, applied some simple makeup, and blended in with the crowd leaving the city.
The moment she stepped out of the city gates, the feeling of reluctance in her heart grew even stronger. Forcing down the urge to turn back, she strode away from the capital.
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