Chapter 303 - 301: Family (First Update)

Chapter 303: Chapter 301: Family (First Update)

Xu Jing said, "Doctor Yan, please speak."

Yan Ci took out two medicine jars from the pouch at her waist, one black and one white. She poured out a pill the size of a woman’s little fingernail from the black jar and handed it to Xu Jing, saying, "This is the poison I developed. If the antidote is not taken within three days, one will die bleeding from the seven orifices. The antidote is in this white jar.

I will leave this jar with my son. In this way, he will be the only one in the world with the antidote."

"If Miss Xu is willing to take this pill, I believe no one here will doubt Miss Xu anymore."

Cheng Xiao was suddenly shocked and exclaimed, "No..."

But Xu Jing directly took the pill from Yan Ci’s hand, smiled faintly, and said, "Fine, but I am willing to accept this unequal agreement not because of anything else, but because of my trust in Doctor Yan.

Because I trust Doctor Yan, I also choose to trust Mr. Cui and Lord Cui."

With that, she tilted her head back and swallowed the pill without hesitation.

Now, what else could the others say? Cui Han took the white jar from Yan Ci and suddenly turned to Xu Jing, bowing deeply, saying, "Miss Xu, rest assured, once we confirm your identity, I will be sure to deliver the antidote to you immediately. We have been disrespectful to you earlier, and I hope you won’t take it to heart."

Xu Jing’s attitude had already made them believe in her identity to seventy or eighty percent.

However, to be cautious, they could not make the final judgment yet.

Cheng Xiao was extremely anxious, angrily glaring at the Cui father and son, and said, "This poison will take effect in three days. We must act quickly. At this point, Lord Cui, will you openly tell us where exactly this is and how far it is from Lingzhou?"

Cui Han was now quite accommodating, looking at Cheng Xiao, and said, "Rest assured, this place is a valley in Nameless Mountain outside Lingzhou City. Due to the rugged and perilous terrain around it, it is difficult to be discovered. My grandfather, in his time, stumbled upon a small path that led here, revealing the valley’s existence.

Returning to Lingzhou City from here can take as little as half a day.

If Miss Xu isn’t afraid of exhaustion from the ongoing journey, we can set out now."

Despite his affection for his mother, hoping she could rest for a night before leaving, since Miss Xu was willing to entrust her life to him, they had to show some sincerity.

From what he understood of his mom, she would also choose to set out immediately.

Sure enough, Yan Ci nodded and said, "I’m ready to leave at any time. The departure time is up to Miss Xu to decide."

Beside them, Cui Shidu had a stern face, opened his mouth to say something, but Yan Ci immediately stated, "Miss Xu need not mind the attitudes of unrelated onlookers."

Cui Shidu: "..."

Xu Jing glanced amusingly at the resentful-looking Cui Shidu and said, "Li Yuan will take action in two days. Naturally, the sooner we act, the better. I think heading to Lingzhou City tonight is the best option."

"Alright!"

Yan Ci decisively nodded and said, "Han’er, the preparations for the journey are up to you."

Cui Han immediately clasped his fists in acceptance and turned to make preparations.

Cui Shidu: "..."

He really seemed to have become an uninterested spectator.

Up until their departure, Yan Ci didn’t spare Cui Shidu a glance, making him anxiously scratch his head, looking uncomfortably like a forty-something-year-old man whose love had been rejected, pitifully like a clueless boy.

Xu Jing and Yan Ci shared the same carriage, and only when it started moving did Xu Jing notice Yan Ci sneakily lifting the curtain to peek outside.

She couldn’t help but smile lightly and said, "Mu Qing was right. Doctor Yan indeed still cares about Mr. Cui."

Yan Ci was momentarily stunned, turned to glance at Xu Jing, her expression calm, "Whether I care or not, after entangling with him for decades, I even hid in the palace I disliked the most to avoid him, yet he still pursued me there. In truth, I’ve accepted that I’ll never get rid of this old fellow for the rest of my life."

Xu Jing looked at Yan Ci and said, "Doctor Yan’s heartache isn’t actually about Mr. Cui, but rather their Cui family’s Military Governor title, right?"

Back then, Cui Shidu deceived Yan Ci, and she was indeed very angry, but however one looked at it, Yan Ci still had feelings for Cui Shidu and wouldn’t be unwilling to forgive him for decades.

Yan Ci’s face suddenly turned mournful, her voice slightly somber, "It’s only today that I realized they carry so many burdens. In the past, due to my loathing for the Military Governor, I never wanted to understand or get close to them, believing wholeheartedly they wouldn’t surrender their power because they harbored rebellious thoughts against the court."

Little did I expect that once someone is in a certain position, many things are no longer within their control. Their concerns and situations were beyond my imagination.

Yan Ci paused, let out a long sigh, and said, "All these years, it’s today I found out how self-centered I’ve been living."

Xu Jing looked at her, couldn’t help but smile slightly and said, "Doctor Yan living so self-centered might be exactly what Mr. Cui and Lord Cui wished for. I can see that they never wanted to entangle you in this matter until the very last moment."

Maybe if Yan Ci didn’t wish to get too involved in their affairs, they would be happier.

Just like last night, when Xiao Yi earnestly tried to persuade her to leave Lingzhou first.

Xu Jing never doubted that if she was willing, Xiao Yi would be happy to protect her securely behind his back.

Seeing Cui Han father and son protect Yan Ci last night, she inexplicably thought of Xiao Yi and Xiao Huai’an.

Unknowingly, she realized she also had such family who would wholeheartedly care for her in this world.

As Xu Jing spoke, her mind drifted slightly.

She didn’t know whether Chunyang had delivered her safety letter to Xiao Yi.

But even if he received her letter, Xiao Yi would definitely be very worried.

She only hoped that her disappearance wouldn’t affect him too much, giving the enemy an opportunity.

Before dawn, they left the valley and onto the road to Lingzhou.

Xu Jing and Yan Ci were resting with their eyes closed in the carriage when suddenly, they heard the rapid approach of horse hooves behind them. Their convoy abruptly stopped as Cheng Xiao at the front, along with a general sent by Cui Han almost simultaneously, said in a deep voice, "What’s the matter in such a hurry?"

Soon, a slightly tense voice arose, "Reporting to Captain Zhong! Our scouts sent word that a group of night soldiers was seen in the village ahead, seeming like the tail end left by an army on the move!"

"What?!"

Captain Zhong’s voice involuntarily carried a hint of surprise, "Could it be that Li Yuan’s men have already reached Lingzhou this quickly?!"

"I don’t know, but those night soldiers held a military flag which was clearly the Military Governor’s usual Black Bottom White Tiger Flag. However, according to our scouts, their marching formation and way of acting were extremely unfamiliar, completely unlike the troops under the Military Governor!"

At this moment, it was clear!

It was probably Li Yuan making an early move!

Captain Zhong couldn’t help but exchange a glance with Cheng Xiao. They were just about to consult Xu Jing and Yan Ci on what to do next when Xu Jing had already helped Yan Ci off the carriage. She looked at the soldier who delivered the news and asked, "The village that the large group of troops passed through, how is it now?"