freenovelworld Chapter 1448 Begging
Chapter 1448 Begging
But if he doesn't understand, Lu Jingheng's life will be in danger. How can the young general of the Marquis of Zhanyi's mansion perish on this insidious medicine?
As the night passed, the doctor's medicine barely suppressed the effects on Lu Jingheng. Although he was still drowsy, he was no longer as agitated. However, his brows were still furrowed in pain, and he occasionally let out low groans, repeatedly saying, "Don't touch me, Su Ningshuang, get away!" Every word was filled with disgust and resistance.
Qin Lie stayed by the bedside all night without closing his eyes. His eyes were bloodshot, and his heart was filled with struggle and determination.
He had followed Lu Jingheng for many years and was grateful for his kindness. He had long regarded Lu Jingheng as his backbone. Now that the general was in dire straits, he could not sit idly by.
Zhan Miao is the general's beloved, but right now, only she can save the general's life. Even if the general will be furious and punish her afterward, he must try.
The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Qin Lie summoned his trusted confidants and instructed them to guard the post station and take good care of Lu Jingheng. Then, he mounted his horse alone and galloped towards the Zhanyi Marquis's residence.
He was covered in dust and dirt, his armor still stained with mud and blood from Black Abyss Mountain. When he arrived at the gate of the Marquis's mansion, he knelt down with a thud before the guards could announce his arrival. His forehead hit the bluestone slab heavily, making a dull thud.
The guards were all shocked and tried to help him up, but Qin Lie pushed them away: "Please inform Miss Zhan that Qin Lie requests an audience. He is willing to die to save the general!"
He knelt on the bluestone slabs of the Marquis's mansion, with the vermilion gate in front of him and the sidelong glances of servants and passersby behind him, but he paid no attention. He just kept kowtowing, his forehead soon bleeding and staining the bluestone slabs beneath him. His voice was hoarse but firm: "I beg to see the Princess, to save General Lu! I beg to see the Princess, to save General Lu!"
Zhan Miao was practicing calligraphy in his mansion when he heard Qin Lie kneeling and kowtowing outside the gate, begging for an audience, his head bleeding from the kowtow. Startled, he immediately put down his paper and brush and hurried to the mansion gate.
Seeing Qin Lie kneeling on the ground, his forehead dripping with blood, his armor disheveled, and his appearance wretched, her heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward: "Deputy General Qin, what happened? Where is General Lu?"
Upon seeing Zhan Miao emerge, Qin Lie's eyes instantly filled with tears. He kowtowed heavily, his voice choked with sobs, "Miss, please save the General! The General has fallen victim to Su Ningshuang's scheme in Black Abyss Mountain and has been drugged with a potent aphrodisiac. The doctor says that only physical intimacy with a woman can cure it; otherwise, the General's life will be in grave danger!"
Zhan Miao was struck dumb, staggered back a step, and his face turned ashen.
Although she was about to get engaged to him and loved him, she never imagined that she would be with him in this way.
She knew Lu Jingheng's pride, knew his disgust for Su Ningshuang, and knew that if he were sober, he would never want to see herself like this.
Seeing her hesitation, Qin Lie kowtowed again.
Blood streamed down his face as he pleaded, “Miss Zhan, the General’s loyalty to you is as clear as day. Now he is in dire straits, and only you can save him. Qin Lie knows that this matter has wronged the Princess, but if the General is gone, the border army will lose its leader, and the people will lose a great general! I beg the Princess, please remember the General’s kindness and help him!”
He knelt on the ground, kowtowing again and again. The bloodstains on the bluestone slab grew larger and larger, and the surrounding discussions grew louder and louder, but Zhan Miao paid no attention to them. In her mind, there were only Qin Lie's words and the image of Lu Jingheng whose life or death was unknown.
She clutched her sleeve, her heart churning with bitterness and struggle. On one side was the shyness and reserve of a young girl, and on the other was the life of her beloved, which was in imminent danger. What should she do?
Before the vermilion gates of the Marquis's mansion, Qin Lie's kowtow still echoed, and drops of blood fell onto the bluestone slabs, spreading into dazzling flowers.
Meanwhile, at the post station thirty miles away, Lu Jingheng was still struggling in a daze. The effects of the drug would occasionally flare up, burning his whole body. His hands gripped the bedsheets tightly, and he kept repeating Su Ningshuang's name, as well as the "A Miao" that was hidden in his heart and never spoken aloud.
Before the vermilion gates of the Marquis's mansion, Qin Lie's forehead was already a bloody mess, and the bloodstains on the bluestone slabs were layered upon layer, winding along the patterns of the slabs, painful to the eye.
The onlookers whispered among themselves, some praising Qin Lie's loyalty and bravery, some sympathizing with Zhan Miao's dilemma, and some even speculating about the fate of the General of the North's Mansion.
Zhan Miao stood on the steps, her fingertips clenching the brocade sleeve until they turned white and her knuckles blue. The girl's composure, like a thin layer of ice, shattered inch by inch in the face of the fact that her beloved's life or death was uncertain.
A sour taste stuck in her throat, making even breathing painful. She stared at Qin Lie's retreating figure, her lips moving slightly, but before she could utter a sound, she heard steady footsteps behind her, accompanied by a maid's respectful greeting: "Madam."
Zhan Miao turned around abruptly and saw Lin Yiwan rushing towards him.
"Mother." Zhan Miao's voice trembled, and the composure she had just maintained instantly collapsed.
Her eyes reddened as she murmured, "It's an unspeakable poison that Lu Jingheng has been given!"
Lin Yiwan raised her hand and gently patted her shoulder. The warmth of her palm was steady and strong, suppressing the panic in her heart.
She glanced at Qin Lie on the ground, then at the crowd of onlookers. Her voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority: "Captain Qin, please rise. Since General Lu is involved with my Marquis's mansion, my mansion will never stand idly by, nor will it have any reason to let him die."
As soon as he finished speaking, the maid beside him stepped forward to help Qin Lie up.
Qin Lie staggered to his feet, blood trickling down his cheek from his forehead. He bowed deeply to Lin Yiwan, his voice hoarse but firm: "Thank you, Madam! This humble general is willing to serve you, even at the cost of your life!"
"No need for formalities. Prepare the carriage, and bring my needle pouch and medicine box. Come with me to the post station thirty miles away." Lin Yiwan spoke succinctly, her gaze fixed on Zhan Miao.
Seeing the anxiety in her eyes, he added, "Ah Miao, you will come with me. Just remember, when we arrive at the post station, do not lose your composure. General Lu is currently suffering from a severe poison and should not be disturbed by others."
Zhan Miao nodded emphatically, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and followed Lin Yiwan into the carriage.
The carriage wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs, speeding along the road. Inside the carriage, Lin Yiwan opened the sandalwood needle pouch she carried with her. Inside were dozens of silver needles of varying lengths, with gilded ends that gleamed with a cold light.
She ran her fingertips over the silver needles and said to Zhan Miao beside her, "What Qin Lie said just now was that General Lu was poisoned with an aphrodisiac. This poison is very potent. When mixed with a sleeping potion, at first one will only feel dizzy, but then the effects of the drug will backfire, burning the heart and corroding the bones. If it goes on for another three hours, the poison will penetrate into the bone marrow, and even a great immortal would find it difficult to save him."
Zhan Miao's heart sank, and she gripped Lin Yiwan's sleeve with her fingertips: "Mother, is there any hope for Jing Heng?"
Lin Yiwan answered calmly, "No matter how potent the poison, there is always an antidote. However, the acupuncture treatment requires searching all thirty-six major acupoints on the body, and the practitioner must be completely focused. The slightest mistake will sever all of his meridians."