The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 129: Stirring Up Trouble (5)

"You seem eager to make Princess Qingwan your sister-in-law?" Rongjing asked instead of answering her question.

"Well, I'm just being realistic! Besides, if it does happen, she'd be marrying my brother, not me. Whoever ends up as my sister-in-law isn't really my concern," Yun Qianyue replied indifferently.

"I'm also unsure why the Heir didn't resolve it. It's well-known that the princess has admired him for years, and while he's shown resistance, he's never outright rejected her. With his life on the line, I, too, thought he would resolve it with her. But I admit I underestimated your brother." Rongjing's voice was calm. "When he arrived at the princess's quarters, he found she wasn't truly unconscious but was splashing herself with cold water, nearly unclothed and half-conscious. He noticed she, too, had fallen under the effects of the aphrodisiac."

"And then?" Yun Qianyue asked.

"The princess was still somewhat lucid when he arrived, and naturally, she was delighted to see him. The Heir asked her if she wanted someone else. She said no, she only wanted him. He told her that he would not give her what she wanted, nor would he seek anyone else for himself. Thus, they both waited for death together," Rongjing said.

Yun Qianyue was surprised by her brother's unwavering resolve. She had known him to be somewhat rigid but hadn't realized he was so strict about it. Or was he so uninterested in the princess that he'd rather face death? She couldn't help but respect him for it. She asked, "So what happened? Did they die?"

"I waited a while, and seeing he was firm in his resolve to face death, I had no choice but to give each of them one of my last two Tianshan Snow Lotus pills. Its cold properties can counter the heat of the aphrodisiac," Rongjing replied.

"I thought you said there was no cure for the aphrodisiac? So, the Tianshan Snow Lotus pills work? Then give me one!" With a sudden surge of energy, Yun Qianyue grasped Rongjing's arm. "Hurry up and give it to me!"

"I only had three Tianshan Snow Lotus pills when I arrived at Lingtai Temple. One I already gave you, and the remaining two I used to save the Heir and the princess. The Tianshan Snow Lotus is exceedingly rare—only two plants have been found in the past few centuries. One went to Master Lingyin, who divided it a decade ago to save the Heir and the Prince of Nanliang. The other plant, which I happened upon by chance, I crafted into pills. Now, I have none left. This remedy is almost impossible to find in the world." Rongjing's voice was as unhurried as ever, even as he gave this long explanation.

Yun Qianyue felt deflated and released his arm, venting her anger, "You could've just saved my brother! Why waste the other one on that Princess Qingwan? Let her die!"

"If I saved only your brother and let the princess die under his care, do you think your brother could live with himself, knowing he could've saved her? It would've been a waste of the pill," Rongjing replied calmly.

Realizing he was right, Yun Qianyue's anger faded. She was left feeling helpless. "When I fainted in the carriage the other day, why did you give me such a precious pill? If you'd saved it, it would've come in handy now."

"Your body contains two conflicting streams of powerful energy, which were on the verge of clashing. If I hadn't given you that Snow Lotus pill then, you wouldn't be feeling the smooth fusion of those energies now—you would have died in an explosion of energy long before today. There'd be no 'today' to worry about," Rongjing replied, raising an eyebrow.

"So that's why. No wonder my dantian has felt much better these past two days!" Yun Qianyue sighed and complained, "So, I'm really doomed? This is just my luck!"

Rongjing remained silent.

"How did you find me?" she asked after a moment.

"After I saved your brother and Princess Qingwan, I came to check on you, just in case. But by the time I arrived, I saw you, Miss Qin, and the Crown Prince falling together. I had no choice but to follow after you," he explained.

"Good thing you came. You saved me from that annoying Ye Tianqing," she remarked.

Rongjing said nothing in response.

"How is it taking so long? Is this tunnel endless? If we fall from this height, won't we be smashed to bits? Looks like we won't even have to wait for the aphrodisiac to kill me—I'll be dead from the fall first," Yun Qianyue muttered, suddenly realizing they had been falling for quite a while.

"We aren't exactly falling straight down; it's a sloped, smooth pathway. My feet have been touching the ground all along, but I'm holding you up, so you haven't felt it. Since you can't hear or see anything in this darkness, you naturally think we're falling," Rongjing explained with a hint of resignation.

"Oh, so it sounds like we might actually survive this fall," Yun Qianyue said.

"Not necessarily. There seem to be mechanisms set up here. If we're not careful and trigger one of them, we may very well die before the aphrodisiac has a chance to kill you," Rongjing replied, shaking his head.

"This is a tragic fate." Yun Qianyue thought about the mechanisms; she'd once studied them with a master and was somewhat intrigued. But her interest was soon overtaken by the increasing discomfort, and she simply groaned, "Three words: I am miserable!" She clenched her teeth and went silent.

Rongjing also fell quiet.

After a while, he broke the silence. "We're reaching the end—brace yourself!"

Yun Qianyue forced herself to focus. Her eyes, having adjusted to the darkness, could now vaguely make out their surroundings. Just as Rongjing said, they were in a narrow, smooth-walled passage.

Before she could take a closer look, Rongjing spun them around, stepping on something that clicked. Suddenly, a powerful force hit them, and she felt her head spin as her body was abruptly rotated one hundred and eighty degrees. Rongjing's grip around her waist tightened, and they ended up in a tight embrace as they were propelled in a single direction.

Yun Qianyue felt as if they were tumbling downward. She heard Rongjing grunt, likely from hitting something along the way. But enveloped in his arms, she remained unscathed. She felt a warm gratitude towards him; even this heartless man knew how to protect a woman at crucial moments.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they heard a mechanical clank, as if a door had opened. The force propelled them through the opening, and after a few more rolls, they finally came to a stop.