"Is that so? It seems you know Lin Jing quite well," Gesang Mei Duo retorted, her voice filled with defiance, striving to steady her emotions. "But even if you kill me, it will be in vain. Even if he finds General Ye, it will be useless!"
"How is it useless?" Ye Jiao inquired.
Gesturing subtly to her guards to keep their distance, Gesang Mei Duo waited for the right moment. Her voice trembled as she said, "Because General Ye has been poisoned, and only the medicine from our Tibetan embassy can cure it."
Gesang Mei Duo wasn't sure whether Ye Changgen was still alive, but since his body hadn't been found, there remained a glimmer of hope.
"Poisoned?" Ye Jiao's hand shook slightly as she held the dagger. Taking the chance, Gesang Mei Duo continued, "It's a deadly poison—ah—"
She suddenly screamed, causing the maid to collapse in fear, and the guards staggered backward, retreating several paces. This was because Ye Jiao had turned the blade and slashed deeply at Gesang Mei Duo's neck.
Blood surged from the girl's wound, and the pain, coupled with the shock, made Gesang Mei Duo tremble uncontrollably. She forgot to call for help and even lost the words she should have spoken. She had expected Ye Jiao to falter, to give her a chance to escape. But to her surprise, in a fit of rage, Ye Jiao had struck her.
"Stop wasting words!" Ye Jiao barked. "Get your people on board the ship!"
The guards watched Gesang Mei Duo closely, awaiting her orders.
Weak and dazed, Gesang Mei Duo could hardly summon the strength to speak. She tried to clutch at her wound but dared not move, forcing out the words, "You... board the ship."
The words came out in Tibetan, as if, in her shock, she had forgotten how to speak the elegant language of the Tang.
"So, it was you who poisoned my brother," Ye Jiao seethed, fury in her eyes. "He escorted you to the capital, and along the way, he even faced a pack of wolves, nearly dying. Our Tang people show kindness without expecting anything in return, but we will not tolerate such ingratitude. Today, I will tear you apart, one life for another!"
"Please..." Gesang Mei Duo, now partially regaining her senses, was filled with fear and sorrow. She pleaded, "I had no choice. More than anyone, I want him to live."
But in the face of country and duty, where is there room for personal ties? She had come here with the intention to sow chaos in the Tang court, to pit the princes against each other, to bathe the royal family in blood and cause countless heads to roll, with the scheming princes and ministers as the true pillars of the Tang dynasty.
"And the antidote?" Ye Jiao pressed.
Since he had been poisoned, the antidote was crucial.
Gesang Mei Duo lifted her gaze to the maid, her voice stiff as she instructed, "Give Miss Ye the antidote."
The maid quickly took the antidote from her sleeve but hesitated, shaking her head. "Your Highness, what if she takes the antidote and doesn't release us?"
"Place the antidote three zhang away," Gesang Mei Duo's mind began to clear, "I will board the ship, and Miss Ye can take the antidote."
"No!" Ye Jiao refused, "I will take you to find my brother. Once he has taken the antidote and is safe, we will settle things with you."
Who knew if the antidote she gave was genuine?
"Miss Ye, by doing this, you are jeopardizing the relations between our two nations." Gesang Mei Duo's wound continued to bleed, but she no longer seemed panicked. "I will not endure such humiliation. It would be better if you killed me now, and my people will kill you. Let us both perish here by the Yellow River."
"How can you guarantee the antidote is effective?" Ye Jiao asked, her voice stern. "Otherwise, why don't you take the poison yourself, and show me the cure?"
Clearly, Gesang Mei Duo would not test the poison herself. Her voice caught, and she spoke bitterly, "Because I truly don't want him to die. I love him. From the moment we traveled together to Chang'an, I have loved him."
A tear fell onto Ye Jiao's fingers, burning hot. The proud and aloof Tibetan princess wept.
"I will trust you this once," Ye Jiao declared, though her heart was unmoved. She simply didn't want to waste any more time. If she truly loved someone, even in the face of opposition, one shouldn't cause harm.
Before she went to fetch the antidote, Ye Jiao yanked off Gesang Mei Duo's golden collar. The collar, crafted from pure gold and adorned with various jewels, had five golden bells hanging symmetrically.
"This is evidence," Ye Jiao explained. "If my brother's poison isn't cured, I will use this as proof and petition the Emperor to punish Tibet severely."
Gesang Mei Duo hurried toward the ship, and Ye Jiao, with the antidote in hand, mounted her horse.
In the distance, Gesang Mei Duo's voice called out to stop her subordinates. "Do not shoot!" Ye Jiao glanced back, and from afar, she saw Gesang Mei Duo standing on the deck, one hand clutching her wound, her eyes dark with anger.
The guards had drawn their crossbows from their saddlebags, but Gesang Mei Duo raised her other hand, signaling them to stop.
Ye Jiao thought to herself that even if they did shoot, they wouldn't hit her. Her horse dashed into the narrow forest path, well beyond the range of ordinary crossbows.
The deck fell silent for a moment.
Who would have thought that after escaping Bai Fanxi, she would encounter Ye Jiao? The princess was injured, and she had lost a vial of the antidote.
"Your Highness, what shall we do next?" one of the guards asked.
"Do you miss home?" Gesang Mei Duo inquired, lifting her gaze to the sky.
The sky was overcast. Though it was morning, it was not bright, and it lacked the vast, deep blue and pure white of her homeland. There were no vibrant flowers swaying along the roadsides.
"Indeed, I do miss home," one of the guards replied, though no one dared speak further.
"Do not rush back," Gesang Mei Duo said, pressing her hand to her wound as she turned away with a faint smile. "Let us head north first and do one more thing for our home."
The guards stepped back and half-knelt, responding in unison, "As you command."
The Yellow River flowed swiftly, and the boat moved slowly against the current. Gesang Mei Duo stood at the bow, gazing westward. On the return journey, there would be no brave, heroic young man accompanying her to offer assistance.
"Forgive me..." she murmured to herself, her voice lost in the water as the boat's oars stirred the waves.
The sound of rushing water filled the air, soft winds caressed the surroundings, and birds occasionally flitted from the branches. The sky was brightening.
Qingfeng had gone to seek help, and Lin Jing had not been idle. He had cut vines and tied them to sturdy branches to create a stretcher, all while keeping an eye out for wolves. The howls of wolves echoed in the forest, but they were growing fainter.
"How does Ye Jiao know a wolf?" Li Ce asked curiously, sitting against a tree, catching his breath.
Ye Changgen had eaten the provisions Li Ce brought and drunk some hot water, gradually regaining a little strength. The campfire crackled as the scent of roasted meat wafted in the air. Ye Changgen sniffed the air, laughing.
"I don't know. But I did pat its belly, and it seemed like one I encountered before."
He recounted the story of escorting the Tibetan delegation to the capital, when they were attacked by wolves, and he had stitched up one of their bellies to save it.
Li Ce chuckled dryly.
The first light of dawn touched his forehead, and his cold, aloof face seemed to glow with a steely radiance. He slowly spoke, "A wolf knows how to repay kindness, but some people..."
Some people didn't care about the help you had given them, or how sincerely you treated them. They would use you without hesitation, frame you, and step on your body to climb higher.
Ye Changgen, lying flat, shook his head. "It's just a matter of serving one's own master."
A bitter feeling rose in his chest. It seemed that Gesang Mei Duo had stayed behind in the capital to sow discord in the Tang court. He cursed himself for realizing too late and failing to stop it in time.
Li Ce also shared the events that transpired in Jinzhou after Ye Changgen went missing. So much had happened, but it had only been three days.
When Ye Changgen heard the tale of the fake gold medallions, he couldn't help but laugh loudly, the pain in his wound causing him to gasp in pain.
Lin Jing carefully moved Ye Changgen onto the stretcher, stopping him from laughing.
"No more laughing," Lin Jing warned.
Ye Changgen glanced at Lin Jing, puzzled. "You speak with the tone of my second sister."
This comment made Li Ce laugh as well.
"I wonder how the capital is," Li Ce mused, concern in his voice.
He handed some roasted rabbit meat to Lin Jing, who didn't eat
.
"Any news from the capital yet?" Ye Changgen asked.
Lin Jing lowered his head slightly, his brows furrowing. "Not yet, but I suspect the situation isn't good."
Ye Changgen's eyes glinted coldly, his thoughts darting back to Gesang Mei Duo. Would she truly allow them to return safely? What if she wanted to end it all by involving both sides?
There would be no more turning back for her.