Chapter 34: So Adept at Scheming

Proofreader: Prof. Zhu Yuan

“I’m coming,” Murong answered. Then he raised his head and had another glance at Ruan Jiujiu. Ruan Jiujiu met his glance with a knowing wink, a smile lifting the corner of her mouth.

Murong was a little confused. Never had he had a feeling of chemistry with a girl. Although being sexually inexperienced, he was able to tell what Ruan Jiujiu wanted to imply: she remained safe and sound.

“Ning Chao, come in,” Beiming Xuan said in the same tone of voice.

Ning Chao had yet to recover himself enough to act calmly. He was shocked out of his wits. Beiming Xuan’s voice brought him back down to earth. He answered immediately: “I’m coming.”

After Murong and Ning Chao entered the study, Ruan Jiujiu turned to Zou Meng and said: “Fetch me something to eat and drink. Meat would be better. And I need some hot water to get myself cleaned up.”

“Okay.”

The lord didn’t call him in, and Zou Meng did not care about that. He started to do as Ruan Jiujiu commanded.

Murong and Ning Chao walked into the study. Beiming Xuan was sitting in the chair, wearing a detached expression. His eyes were dark with coldness. He wore black clothes, unapproachable as usual.

Murong didn’t see any difference in Beiming Xuan. Ning Chao, however, felt that Beiming Xuan was off form.

Man could use up his strength if he had sex with women. Beiming Xuan had just been detoxified, still in recovery phase.

My lord, you have to look after your health. You need to resist the urge until you fully recover.

“Ning Chao, what’s wrong with you?” Noticing that Ning Chao looked at him in a very strange way, he frowned. It seemed that Ning Chao was deep in distress.

“Nothing. I was…” Ning Chao thought he was not bold enough to speak frankly that he was wondering whether Beiming Xuan had used up his energy after having sex, nor did Beiming Xuan had the patience to figure out what Ning Chao wanted to say. He turned to Murong: “Are those poisoned soldiers feeling better?”

“The toxin has been eliminated. Those who were slightly poisoned will recover within one to two days. And those who were severely poisoned will recover in four to five days at most.” Murong said in earnest and added, “My lord, it turns out that Miss Ruan’s detoxifying measures truly work. Now is the time when we are in need of talents. You can take her in.”

Beiming Xuan gazed at Murong, making no reply.

Murong froze when he met Beiming Xuan’s eyes which were dark with some unfathomable emotion. After a while, he said resignedly: “I’m sorry for overstepping the line.”

He did harbor some selfish motives. For one thing, he wanted to learn more about Ruan Jiujiu’s uncommon and extraordinary medical skills. For another, he held some affection for Ruan Jiujiu. In other words, he shared the same feelings as hers.

Beiming Xuan valued talents. However, if he lost the opportunity to make use of the talented one, he would kill that person so that his adversaries would never benefit from that person. Murong was clearly aware of that, although he was only a medical man serving Beiming Xuan.

“There is no need to intercede on her behalf. She has offered to serve me.” Beiming Xuan smiled spuriously, curling up the corner of his mouth.

Ning Chao said to himself silently: “You have made use of her by having sex with her.”

“This little girl fancied herself smart. She wanted to make use of me for her own safety. Her wishful thinking aroused my interest. Ning Chao has discovered that she had some royal relations. This time, our adversary did not show up directly in the assassination attempt, so I’d better keep myself in the background too. Since she offered to stay, I would make use of her, and let’s see whether she was strong enough to play safe in the whirling vortex of social scenes,” Beiming Xuan said coldly. His cold manner made them feel suffocated.

Murong wanted to say something, but he knew he had better shut his mouth.

Ning Chao, however, expressed his doubt: “My lord, are you going to set Ruan Jiujiu in the limelight?” It implied that Ruan Jiujiu might not be experienced enough to work for Beiming Xuan.

“You have discovered that Princess Changle was one of the backstage manipulators in sending Ruan Jiujiu to the Yun Palace. Remember that Princess Changle was born of the Empress, the legal wife of the Emperor. Since my elder brother has given me such a great present, I would return the favor.” There was something sinister about Beiming Xuan’s voice. One would tremble with fear upon hearing his voice.

This time, Ning Chao also went silent. His face was filled with anger.

They had discovered that it was the Emperor of Tiansheng that plotted behind the scenes this assassination attempt in the Yun Palace.

Beiming Xuan had fought on many fronts for the national security of Tiansheng, with outstanding military exploits. The Emperor, however, just sat idle and enjoyed the fruits of Beiming Xuan’s labor. He viewed Beiming Xuan as a threat to his throne. It was so unscrupulous of the Emperor to have recalled Beiming Xuan and at the same time hatched the plot to assassinate him.

All Beiming Xuan’s guards were mad at this.

“My lord, the Emperor went so far as to intend to kill you! Who would have thought that he resorted to Wusi poison! I think we must fight back.” Ning Chao clenched his fists and voiced his stand, which was exactly all the other guards had in their mind.

Beming Xuan, however, smiled coldly and shook his head.

The time was not ripe for counter attack. Moreover, it seemed that things were not as simple as they appeared to be.

“Ning Chao, ask the intelligence staff to launch a fuller-scale investigation into Wusi poison.”

“You mean that there might be other people involved in this poisoning attempt.” Ning Chao immediately figured out what Beiming Xuan meant and said: “OK. I will arrange the investigation at once.” Then he hesitated for a moment and asked: “What about Miss Ruan?”

Actually, Ning Chao didn’t believe that Beiming Xuan would make use of Ruan Jiujiu, since Ruan Jiujiu had waited on him. Although incapable of showing tenderness towards women, Beiming Xuan should have had a better opinion of Ruan Jiujiu.

“Since the Emperor gave me the opportunity to have a rest, I will definitely enjoy my refreshing time before I return to the capital. Go and spread the news that I was attacked by an assassin, and had a narrow escape thanks to the timely treatment by an unidentified lady arriving unexpectedly. I believe that the Emperor will be thrown into confusion upon hearing the news. And he will concentrate all his efforts on searching for that ‘unidentified lady.’ If the news about me could fill the Emperor with dread, the entire Tiansheng is bound to fall into chaos.” Beiming Xuan paused with an unfathomable smile, “I am very curious as to how my brother would react to my great present.”

Beiming Xuan did not think the way as Ning Chao had assumed. He concentrated his mind on making full use of the girl who had just given him a massage. Ning Chao misinterpreted Ruan Jiujiu’s ambiguous words as having sex.

Ning Chao could say nothing more. The lord was so cruel to this little girl.

In doing so, the Tiansheng Emperor was bound to receive a great “present,” but Ruan Jiujiu would also be dragged into the trap.

My lord, nobody would be willing to marry you since you are so adept at scheming.

Ruan Jiujiu was completely unaware that she had been schemed against. She ate and drank to her heart’s content. And Zou Meng was once again astonished by her repulsive table manners. Then she took a hot bath and went to sleep with her mind at rest.

As Ruan Jiujiu was sound asleep, Ning Chao lost no time in releasing the news, following Beiming Xuan’s order.

Within half of a day, news spread across the entire capital that Beiming Xuan was attacked by an assassin in the Yun Palace. The assassin committed the horrible crime near the imperial palace of Tiansheng, in complete disregard of imperial authority, and even resorted to poison!

It was so unscrupulous and malicious of the assassin to attack Beiming Xuan, who commanded the respect of everyone. Upon hearing that, people in the Imperial City were enraged, from dignitaries to ordinary folks.