CHAPTER 229: CHAPTER 229: ANTIDOTE 2

Even though he loved Fengyu, if he were truly confined to a wheelchair, becoming a cripple, frustrated and unfulfilled—over the long years of life, would resentment or hatred eventually take root? No one could say for certain. He knew it was an accident, that Fengyu never intended harm—but his broken leg was, after all, because of her. If it hadn’t been for the leg injury, the poisoning wouldn’t have happened.

As Fengyu watched him sitting in the wheelchair, would she feel guilt, regret, sorrow? Would he be able to face her pitying gaze with equanimity? Their hearts connected, yet he had never once told Fengyu about the true extent of his leg injury, nor had he revealed that he would be crippled if the poison couldn’t be neutralized.

Now, the unexpected twist of fate—Fengyu had found the antidote.

In the vast workings of destiny, it seemed inevitable.

It began with Fengyu, and it would end with Fengyu.

Xie Xun stared at the antidote in his palm, his eyes reddened. The heavens had not treated him poorly; they had truly granted him hope.

"How long until I’m fully healed after taking the medicine?"

"Half a month."

Xie Xun carefully stored the antidote away. "Understood."

He paused, then said faintly, "Do not alter the medical report for the Emperor and the Crown Prince."

Zhang Lingzheng’s smile faded; he nodded slightly. "Rest assured, I know what to do."

"Does Second Brother have an antidote for his poison?" Xie Xun asked. "Do both poisons originate from the Beiman?"

"Though they share the same origin, they’re not identical," Zhang Lingzheng said softly. "The Emperor and the Cabinet have sent people inquiring about the Second Young Master’s eyes."

Xie Xun sneered. They couldn’t wait for Second Brother to go blind, hoping the reforms would stall as much as possible—ideally until Big Brother had returned to Ningzhou, leaving the iron cavalry no longer in the Capital to exert pressure.

"Your leg poison dragged on for two years before finally turning around; there’s no guarantee Second Young Master’s eyes won’t have hope too," Zhang Lingzheng said. "There’s a renowned poison master in the Twelve Prefectures; perhaps he can find a cure. My grandfather suggests the Second Young Master go there to seek him out."

"I understand." Xie Xun replied. "After Dugu Jing leaves the Capital, Second Brother will also head to the Twelve Prefectures."

To ensure the smooth implementation of reforms, only five thousand iron cavalry were retained in the Capital, while the rest of the army returned home to reunite with their families. This was a compromise reached between Marquis Zhenbei, the aristocracy, and the imperial power after a tug-of-war over the reforms’ execution.

The return of thirty thousand troops to the Capital had already unsettled Emperor Jianming greatly. Armies returning home weren’t supposed to bring such substantial forces into the Capital. By reducing the number, the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion also fulfilled the wishes of the aristocracy and Emperor Jianming, demonstrating their sincerity in troop reduction.

With calm in the Capital, the day soon arrived for the departure of the Beiman delegation. The Crown Prince, representing the Yanyang Royal Family, accompanied Dugu Jing and his entourage to the city gates. Xie Zhang and Xie Xun watched from the city walls as the Beiman procession gradually disappeared into the distance.

Princess Huazhen’s convoy followed at the rear of the Beiman delegation. Initially, Princess Huazhen had hoped Xie Xun would escort her to Ningzhou, but Xie Xun declined, citing the flare-up of his leg injury. This time, Prince Kang led three thousand soldiers to escort her to the Beiman. The convoy of the Princess was even more grand and magnificent than that of the Beiman. Ultimately, the Emperor chose Mr. Wu’s legitimate daughter, Wu Changhuan, as a concubine to accompany Princess Huazhen in her marriage to the Beiman.

Thirty palace maids traveled along, accompanied by over one hundred guards, with an opulent dowry that generously honored the Beiman.

After leaving the city, Princess Huazhen wept uncontrollably. Even though the Crown Prince had promised to bring her back to the Capital in a few years, Princess Huazhen felt that once she headed to the distant Beiman, it might be impossible to ever return to her homeland. She lifted the curtain of her carriage and looked back at the city gate, catching sight of Xie Xun on the city wall. Seeing him, her hatred boiled.

Xie Xun... Xie Xun...

For the rest of her life, she would live bathed in bitterness.

No!

She refused to resign. Though her future was uncertain and fraught with humiliation, she was determined to grit her teeth and survive. She prayed that one day, when the Crown Prince ascended the throne and the Marquis Mansion weakened, her day of vengeance would come.

With the Beiman delegation gone, the negotiations had concluded successfully, leaving the Capital in harmony. Fengyu, however, remained tense, fearing that Dugu Jing might stir up trouble before departing. Unexpectedly, everything was peaceful. The five thousand iron cavalry would leave the Capital alongside Dugu Jing, heading back to Ningzhou. With their departure, calm would fully return to the Capital.

The relationship between the Feng Family and the Marquis Mansion was unique. Recently, Feng Shu, Fengyu, and Feng Ling had all stayed behind closed doors. Even though invitation cards for social gatherings among Capital’s young ladies arrived, the Feng Family declined them all. Fengyu hadn’t heard of any major disturbances either.

A quiet, uneventful life was a blessing.

On the night of Dugu Jing’s departure, Fengyu felt faintly unsettled. She and Xie Xun had worried about potential trouble for the Marquis Mansion, but everything had gone smoothly. Just as she was about to go to bed, a whistle sounded from outside the window. Fengyu arched her brows slightly and leaned out the window, only for a shadow to sweep close and for a man’s lips to press firmly against hers.

She pushed against his chest as Xie Xun kissed her fiercely, only letting go after satisfying his appetite.

"Why are you here?" Fengyu struggled to fend off his ardent advances, worried about being seen by Qiuxiang and Chunlu, especially here in her plum garden.

The two maids, perceptive as ever, had long discreetly disappeared. Bracing his hands against the windowsill, Xie Xun couldn’t resist announcing the good news to her. "The medicine you picked up the other day—it’s my antidote."

The words replayed in her mind, and Fengyu’s joy was boundless. She looked at his leg. "Really?"

Xie Xun nodded firmly. Fengyu stepped out, eager to examine his leg. Xie Xun chuckled lightly. "I’ve already taken the antidote; it’ll take half a month for the poison to be fully neutralized. You won’t see changes right now."

"Is it really an antidote?"

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Elated, Fengyu felt Xie Xun’s silence about his poison had always been tacit. Once, Nuanyang had accidentally let slip that if an antidote wasn’t found within the next year or so, his leg would be doomed entirely.

Back then, Fengyu hadn’t yet fallen for Xie Xun. She only felt immense guilt; after all, his leg injury was because of her. That guilt had driven her countless times to send him provisions—to please him in whatever ways she could, to offer compensation in some way.

Otherwise, why hoard so many supplies?

She had even considered compensating Xie Xun with money. A young general, once brimming with promise and dreams of the battlefield, reduced to a cripple because of her—no amount of gold could ever make up for it. For Fengyu, money was her most treasured possession, yet she could think of nothing else to offer.

After falling for Xie Xun, though, she had vowed that even if his leg were ruined, she would look after him for life without hesitation—never despising or abandoning him.

But deep down, she had hoped his leg would recover.

It wasn’t that she feared caring for him; she simply wanted Xie Xun to remain the spirited young general he had been—to prevent his leg injury from dragging him down. She hoped his life would be filled with triumphs and smooth paths, untouched by relentless setbacks.

Thank the heavens—her prayers had been answered.

"This is the first time I’ve been grateful to Dugu Jing." Carrying the antidote with him—it was divine providence that she happened to pick it up. If not, Xie Xun would still be enduring the torment of poison.

The two sat side by side on the steps of the garden. Xie Xun’s heart was equally conflicted. The poison might not have been placed by Dugu Jing, but by fate’s curious hand, the antidote had ended up with him.

"What good is him carrying the antidote? If you hadn’t picked it up by chance, the poison would still remain unresolved."

"How did you get poisoned back then?"

Xie Xun’s expression stiffened slightly. "After returning from the battlefield, a military doctor treated my injuries. The herbal poultice applied to my fractured bones was highly toxic. I endured agonizing pain day and night, thinking it was due to the fracture, but I later discovered it was the poison. By that time, it was too late to act."

"Was it the military doctor colluding with the Beiman, targeting you?"

"No!" Xie Xun frowned lightly. "Someone in the army had colluded with the Beiman and poisoned the medicine chests. Second Brother identified the traitor, but before the investigation could progress, the perpetrator committed suicide to avoid punishment, cutting off all leads."

"I can’t understand. Yanyang and the Beiman have fought battles for years, our hatred as deep as the ocean. So many among us have died on the battlefield—how could anyone collude with the Beiman?" Fengyu was indignant, her heart heavy.

Not mine, not my kind—the heart differs. Even animals understand loyalty to their kin—human hearts are infinitely harder to fathom.

"Dear, don’t be upset!" Xie Xun stroked her head softly. "It’s not worth it."

Fengyu shook her head. "I’m not angry, just baffled."

Xie Xun’s visit to Fengyu tonight wasn’t merely to share the joyful news; he had come to bid her farewell. The Kyoto Capital Guard Office had an assignment requiring his presence in Lian City. After Dugu Jing’s departure from the Capital, Xie Xun initially had two days off and had promised to take Fengyu on an outing. Now, with last-minute duties calling him away, he feared he’d miss their plan. Xie Xun remained tight-lipped about the task’s nature, and Fengyu didn’t pry either.

She wasn’t in a rush for an outing anyway—there’d be plenty of chances once he returned.