Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 158: Going Up the Mountain to Seek Medicine

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Going Up the Mountain to Seek Medicine

Shen Nanxing shook her head, "The Princess hasn’t awakened yet."

Although she and Ling Xiao didn’t meet often, as Hidden Guards of the Prince Residence, they had seen each other a few times.

This time, the Prince had assigned her and Ling Xiao together to protect the Princess, but with the current situation arising, Ling Xiao must also be feeling quite uncomfortable.

Shen Nanxing didn’t think much about it, assuming Ling Xiao was as loyal to the Princess as she was.

But in her haste, she didn’t see the fleeting murderous intent in Ling Xiao’s eyes.

Poisoned with her Soft Muscle Powder and still thinking of surviving?

It was purely wishful thinking.

Ling Xiao’s lips curled slightly, masking the proud look in his eyes, and as he entered, he was like a changed person, kneeling in front of Li Mingjue along with Shiqi.

Li Mingjue wasn’t in the mood to punish them, merely watching indifferently as they knelt there.

After Shiqi finished speaking, Li Mingjue then turned his head to look at the sobbing innkeeper, his tone icy, "Do you really not know who poisoned her?"

The innkeeper, already scared out of her wits on the way there, had realized she was out of her depth.

Looking splendid and protected by Hidden Guards, if he wasn’t someone from the capital city, where else could he be from?

But, regarding the poisoning, she truly had no knowledge.

The innkeeper had lost all her former coquettish demeanor, her face showing exhaustion, wiping away her tears as she spoke, "I hope the noble one discerns the truth; I truly do not know who the poisoner is!"

Saying this, tears came pouring out again.

Shen Xiheng frowned as he watched, but Zhou Hong had less patience. He directly drew his knife and held it in front of her, his voice cold, "If you do not hand over the person who administered the poison, I will not spare you with this knife!"

Terrified, the innkeeper fell to the ground, her expression pitiable, pleading for mercy, "Sir, spare my life! I haven’t shielded anyone; this matter of poisoning has nothing to do with me!"

Li Mingjue sat beside the bed, looking at Qi Yu’s pale face, feeling as if his heart was being cut with a knife.

He slightly closed his eyes and said to Shiqi, "Let her go."

"Prince!" Shiqi lifted his head, looking at him disapprovingly.

At this moment, with the poisoner still not found and no other clues available,

he believed that even if a thousand were wrongfully killed, not one who endangered the Princess should be spared.

Li Mingjue glanced at him, his tone dark, "Now, are you also not listening to your prince?"

"This subordinate dares not!" Shiqi apologized, stood up, and released the crying innkeeper who was on the verge of fainting.

Shen Nanxing and Ling Xiao also knelt on the ground, waiting for their judgment.

Li Mingjue glanced at them and said indifferently, "Upon returning to the capital city, you will receive your punishment yourselves."

"Yes." The two of them responded with a bow.

Li Mingjue stood up, addressing Shen Xiheng, "You and Commander Zhou head to Gusu first."

Shen Xiheng disagreed, objecting, "You are the Prince; the task of finding the medicine should be undertaken by Commander Zhou and me."

Zhou Hong also agreed, "Prince, please let your subordinates handle this matter."

There was no reason to let their masters face danger while he himself sought comfort.

Li Mingjue ignored them, turned around, and picked up Qi Yu, stating coldly, "My words are final. If you are unwilling, you can follow on your own."

Shen Xiheng and Zhou Hong exchanged glances, then went to their rooms to grab their packs and followed him.

The group rode hard all night, and by the next morning, they had arrived at the base of Qingyun Peak.

Shen Xiheng looked up at the towering Qingyun Peak, recalling some past events.

The origin of Qingyun Peak was significant; it was discovered unexpectedly by the former emperor during his conquests. After winning several battles here, it was named Qingyun, which means ’Ambition to Never Falter’.

This place, full of rugged peaks and steep ridges, is easy to defend and hard to attack, making it a good place to establish oneself.

It also happens to lie on the border between Jiangnan and Jiangbei, so one must pass through this area whether heading north or south, making it an extremely important strategic location in the entirety of Dazhao.

However, during the wars of those years, Qingyun Peak was forcibly occupied by a bandit leader named Shi Fuyou, who declared himself king of the mountain and marked Qingyun Peak as his territory.

Over the years, the court dispatched troops repeatedly in an attempt to retake Qingyun Peak.

But Qingyun Peak was a place of no return.

After many years of fighting, the official army sent by the court never gained any advantages; instead, many defected and greatly strengthened the bandits’ influence in Tuyun Village.

Seeing that it was impossible to defeat them through battle, the court could only resort to offering amnesty.

But Shi Fuyou, though appearing to be just a brawny brute, was very cunning. Knowing that the amnesty was just a temporary solution by the court, he firmly decided not to accept it, no matter what others said.

The imperial envoys dispatched by the court didn’t even get a glimpse of the village gate before being thrown down the mountain on the way there.

Thus, rumors about the fierce and uncompromising nature of Tuyun Village’s bandits spread.

Travelers trembled with fear every time they passed Qingyun Peak, worried about being captured by the bandits and turned into human dumplings.

Thinking of this, Shen Xiheng’s brow furrowed tightly.

The people of Tuyun Village deeply resented the court, and it was uncertain whether they would provide the antidote once they knew their identities.

But for now, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and head up the mountain.

Zhou Hong, who had been a soldier traveling with armies in his early years, knew about Qingyun Peak and stepped forward to brief Li Mingjue on the situation here.

After thinking for a moment, Li Mingjue said, "Then let’s not reveal our identities for now."

Zhou Hong nodded and discussed the matter of false identities with Shen Xiheng.

After thinking it over, Shen Xiheng said, "Let’s go with the fake identities we created on the ship."

No matter how formidable the people of Qingyun Peak are, they couldn’t possibly uncover their true identities in just a day or two.

As long as they obtained the antidote, everything else would be manageable.

Having decided this, they focused solely on making haste on their journey.

By midday, the group had arrived at the entrance of Tuyun Village.

Tuyun Village was located halfway up Qingyun Peak,

Li Mingjue, protecting the person in his arms, carefully dismounted and said to the guard in front of the village: "We are here to seek medicine from the village chief, please announce our arrival."

The guard glanced at them and, seeing they were dressed in plain clothes, did not hinder them any further and went inside to make the announcement,

After a while, a young woman of noble and serene demeanor, holding a sword, came out.

Upon seeing her, the guards immediately stood straight and said in unison, "Miss!"

Shi Zhou ignored these guards shirking their duties and, seeing the people standing outside, relaxed her furrowed brows slightly.

She was particular about appearances, favoring those who were beautiful.

Seeing the leader, with a face as handsome as jade and an air of dignity, she raised her eyebrows slightly, "Is it you who seek the medicine?"

Li Mingjue nodded and said, "Indeed."

Only then did Shi Zhou notice the woman in his arms, dressed in white, extremely pale yet not diminishing her beauty. Her hair fluttered in the wind, making her look like a perfect image of a sick beauty.

Her eyes moved slightly, and she asked, "Who is she to you?"

Li Mingjue looked down at the person in his arms, once radiant and still stunningly beautiful, heart-stoppingly so.

His eyes softened, and in a gentle voice, he said, "She is my wife."