Chapter 259

After hearing Xi Ze’s words, Old Madam Qi immediately nodded.

“Azhou’s health has been managed by you all this time, so you’re the most suitable person to look after him.”

Then, afraid Aman might misunderstand, she added, “Miss Aman, I’d feel completely at ease with you caring for Azhou. However, if you stay alone with him, it could harm your reputation. How about having Xi Ze keep watch with you?”

Aman had never considered the issue of propriety between men and women.

For one thing, the customs in southern Xinjiang were relatively open, and it was common for men and women to be alone together.

For another, she and Xi Ze had traveled together for nearly two months and often spent the night outdoors together.

It was only after Old Madam Qi mentioned her “reputation” that Aman realized she should follow the local customs.

She nodded. “Old Madam is right. Men and women are different, so it would indeed be more appropriate for Xi Ze and me to watch over Brother Qi together.”

In any case, she was only keeping watch over Brother Qi to apologize to him.

Seeing that Aman had agreed, Old Madam Qi smiled. “Then it’s settled.”

Afterward, she asked Ye Chutang, “Tang’er, where will you sleep tonight?”

“I’ll ask Lord Han later whether his people can make room for another guest.”

“All right. If they can’t, Zhou’er’s father can share a room with Young Master Sun. You can sleep with me.”

Ye Chutang didn’t dare sleep with Old Madam Qi, afraid that the older woman might notice her pregnancy.

But she didn’t refuse outright.

“All right. I’ll ask Lord Han first.”

After Ye Chutang went to find Han Chong, Old Madam Qi turned to Aman.

“Miss Aman, why don’t you bathe in my room first, then go keep watch over Azhou?”

She wanted to have a talk with Aman and persuade her not to set her heart on her son.

Zhou’er would have only one wife—Tang’er!

Aman had no idea what Old Madam Qi was thinking and nodded in agreement.

“All right. Thank you for your trouble, Old Madam.”

After Old Madam Qi led Aman away, Ye Chutang also managed to get a room from Han Chong.

The room was in the rear courtyard, right next to Qi Qingyu’s room.

It only needed a fresh set of sheets and bedding.

As she prepared to go upstairs to fetch her luggage, Xi Ze asked, “Madam, you’re not really planning to match Aman with the Master, are you?”

Ye Chutang looked at Xi Ze coldly, a smile on her face that did not reach her eyes.

Xi Ze’s scalp prickled under her stare, and he began to panic.

Why were Madam’s eyes even more frightening than the Master’s?

He tugged at his stiff lips. “Madam, don’t look at me like that. It’s terrifying.”

Ye Chutang withdrew her gaze and answered his earlier question.

“I’m a woman of my word. Since I promised Aman, I’ll naturally keep my promise. Not only do I intend to match them—I hope she succeeds.

“You tell Qi Yanzhou that since he doesn’t consider me one of his own, I won’t consider him one of mine from now on either.

“Also, Aman was cast out of her clan for detoxifying him. She has no one to rely on now, so he should take better care of her.”

With that, she went upstairs to retrieve her luggage.

Xi Ze knew Ye Chutang was referring to the fact that Qi Yanzhou had deliberately kept the truth from her: Aman had arrived in Jizhou City long ago but refused to detoxify him, using marriage to a secondary wife as leverage against him.

He felt that once the Master woke up, he would be in serious trouble.

But why was Xi Ze secretly looking forward to the spectacle?

Hahahaha…

Someone could finally put the Master in his place!

Ye Chutang came downstairs with her bundle and saw Xi Ze grinning mischievously. She eyed him suspiciously.

“What did you think of that has you so happy?”

Xi Ze gave an embarrassed cough.

“I’m just happy that the Master survived and was cured of the poison.”

Ye Chutang knew Xi Ze wasn’t telling the truth.

But whether the man was happy or not had nothing to do with her, so she didn’t ask any further.

By the time she reached the rear courtyard, Han Chong had already had someone replace the bedding and sheets in her room.

There were even blocks of ice in the corner to cool the room.

“Madam Qi, this room isn’t as fine as the top-grade rooms, so it’s a little crude. Is there anything else you need?”

Ye Chutang wasn’t fussy about her living arrangements. As long as there was water and a bed, she was satisfied.

“The room is perfectly fine. Go get some rest.”

“There’s hot water in the kitchen.”

After reminding her of that, Han Chong left Ye Chutang’s room.

The moment he was gone, Qi Qingyu arrived at the door carrying a plate of fruit and knocked.

“Sister-in-law, may I speak with you?”

Ye Chutang guessed what Qi Qingyu wanted to discuss and invited her in.

Qi Qingyu placed the fruit on the table.

“Sister-in-law, the fruit has already been washed. You can eat it right away.”

“Thank you, Sister.”

“We’re family. Don’t mention it.”

Qi Qingyu took Ye Chutang’s hand and led her to sit at the table. Then she asked, “Sister-in-law, did something happen between you and Azhou because of that witch doctor named Aman?”

Ye Chutang had no intention of pretending everything was fine.

She nodded. “Yes. I don’t want to discuss the specifics. You can ask Qi Yanzhou after he wakes up.”

Seeing that Ye Chutang didn’t want to talk about it, Qi Qingyu did not press her.

She stood up. “All right. You’ve worked hard. Get some rest.”

Ye Chutang was exhausted and sleepy. After taking a quick bath, she climbed into bed and went to sleep.

Meanwhile…

Old Master Qi was downstairs in the main hall, playing with his two grandchildren.

Aman was bathing in Old Madam Qi’s room.

Separated by a folding screen, Old Madam Qi asked, “Miss Aman, what do you plan to do from now on?”

Without hesitation, Aman replied, “I’ll follow Brother Qi. Wherever he goes, I’ll go too.”

“You saved Azhou. He should take care of you for the rest of your life.”

Those words sent Aman into ecstasy. She nearly leaped out of the bathtub.

“Old Madam, why don’t you decide…”

Before she could finish, Old Madam Qi quickly cut her off.

“All right, I’ll decide. From now on, you’ll be my adopted daughter—and Azhou’s younger sister!”

Aman: “…”

She wanted to be Brother Qi’s wife, not his younger sister!

“Old Madam, I…”

Aman was interrupted again.

“Miss Aman, Zhou’er already has the person who suits him best by his side. If you insist on forcing the matter, you’ll only end up hurting both others and yourself.”

“I know. But I still want to fight for him.”

Seeing that Aman had made up her mind, Old Madam Qi knew there was no point in trying to stop her and decided to let her be.

“All right. No matter when you finally change your mind, the position of the Qi family’s adopted daughter will always be waiting for you.”

She believed that her son and daughter-in-law would overcome this crisis and emerge with an even stronger relationship.

Old Madam Qi’s words touched Aman.

“All right. Thank you, Old Madam.”

She was no longer in the mood to bathe and soon rose from the tub, changing into another set of southern Xinjiang clothes.

During the journey north, she had dressed in ordinary rough-hemp clothing to avoid having the emperor’s people discover her identity.

It was only after arriving in Jizhou City that she changed into the distinctive clothing of southern Xinjiang.

She wanted to meet Brother Qi looking as beautiful as possible.

Hearing the crisp, pleasant sound of silver bells, Old Madam Qi said, “Miss Aman, Azhou needs peace and quiet while he recuperates. Won’t all that jingling disturb him?”

Aman froze as she fastened the bells around her ankles.

She had been thinking only about looking beautiful and had completely forgotten that the bells might disturb Brother Qi!

“Thank you for reminding me, Old Madam. I’ll take them off right away.”

Aman removed every ornament on her body that could make a sound, except for the longevity lock hanging against her chest.

She lightly tapped the silver lock with her index finger.

The silver bell tassel hanging beneath it gave a soft ring.

Soon, the sound disappeared.

The poisonous creature inside the longevity lock had filled the hollow space within the bell. No matter how much it was shaken, it could no longer make a sound.

After Aman finished getting ready, Old Madam Qi said, “Miss Aman, would you keep me company for a chat?”

She wanted to learn more about the girl, then think of a way to make her give up on Zhou’er.

Aman naturally had no reason to refuse the mother of Qi Yanzhou.

“Of course.”

They chatted for a full hour.

It was only when Old Master Qi grew sleepy and returned to his room to rest that their conversation finally ended.

When Aman entered Qi Yanzhou’s room, Xi Ze had already changed into clean clothes and was keeping watch by the bed.

Seeing Aman come in, Xi Ze handed her a cushion he had prepared.

“The stool is too hard. This will be more comfortable.”

Aman took the cushion casually and placed it on the round stool.

She walked to the bedside and felt Qi Yanzhou’s pulse.

His pulse was faint and shallow, so weak that it was almost impossible to detect. His skin was cold as well.

Xi Ze had already checked Qi Yanzhou’s pulse and knew that he was so weak he seemed liable to die at any moment.

Seeing Aman’s brows draw together, he reassured her, “Master has already made it through the most dangerous stage. He’ll be fine.”

Aman tucked Qi Yanzhou’s arm back beneath the quilt, her eyes filled with remorse.

“That’s right. Brother Qi will be fine!”

“Aman, you haven’t had a proper rest during your entire journey north. Why don’t you lie down on the couch in the outer room for a while? I’ll keep watch over Master.”

Keeping watch at night was only necessary to replace the ginseng slices in Qi Yanzhou’s mouth at regular intervals and replenish his vitality.

There was no need for both of them to exhaust themselves here.

Aman shook her head and sat down on the round stool.

“If I hadn’t been so selfish and willful, Brother Qi’s condition wouldn’t have become this serious. I have to stay here and watch over him. I’ll wait until he wakes up and then apologize to him.”

The first news she had received was that Qi Yanzhou would suffer the poison’s effects two days later.

Yet after she arrived in Jizhou City and asked him to marry her as his equal wife, the time of his poisoning suddenly became today.

She had thought that Qi Yanzhou was using the poison to force her to compromise.

It was only after Ye Chutang came looking for her that she realized she had been wrong.

Xi Ze sighed as he looked at Aman, who was consumed by guilt.

“This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. I deliberately didn’t tell you that Master’s poisoning would occur earlier than expected.”

He had been worried that Aman would become too anxious and push herself too hard on the journey, so he had kept it from her.

After all, he was certain they would reach Jizhou City before the poison took effect.

But after they arrived, Aman suddenly made a demand that Qi Yanzhou could not accept.

Master would rather die than yield, while Aman refused to believe that he would truly be poisoned today. The two of them remained locked in a stalemate until Ye Chutang appeared.

Fortunately, Ye Chutang had been vigilant. She had secretly followed Nan Xiao and found Aman.

Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable!

At the thought of this, Xi Ze asked Aman, “Why didn’t you tell us that you’d been removed from your clan registry?”

They had all thought that Aman had merely been invited to save someone. None of them had expected that leaving Southern Xinjiang would cost her so much.

“I thought marrying Brother Qi would be easy. And as long as I could save him, I was willing to pay any price.”

“But Master and Madam have very deep feelings for each other. Do you still want to marry him?”

“Yes. I love Brother Qi, and I want to marry him. Even if…” She paused, then forced out the words, “Even if it means becoming his concubine.”

The words “becoming his concubine” came with great difficulty.

When Aman had left Southern Xinjiang, she had not known that Qi Yanzhou was already married. She had only felt sorry that he would have to suffer the hardships of exile.

Later, she learned that he had taken a wife, but also discovered that the marriage had been arranged by the Emperor and that he had been forced into it.

By the time she reached Jizhou City, however, she understood that he had agreed to the marriage because he had married the woman he wanted.

Even so, she still wanted to try—at the very least, she did not want to leave herself with regrets.

Seeing how determined Aman was, Xi Ze could say nothing more.

The two fell silent, making the room seem especially quiet. The chirping of insects drifted in through the window.

Every hour, Xi Ze checked Qi Yanzhou’s pulse and replaced the slice of century-old ginseng in his mouth.

At one point, he also fed him a Rejuvenation Pill to replenish his vitality.

By the time dawn broke, Qi Yanzhou still showed no sign of waking.

Fortunately, his pulse had grown considerably stronger and was beating steadily. This meant that he had survived the crisis and now only needed proper rest and recuperation.

Aman stayed on watch until around the Hour of the Tiger. Unable to fight off her exhaustion any longer, she fell asleep with her head on the table.

The sound of the door opening woke her.

Her eyes were not even fully open before she looked toward the bed.

“How is Brother Qi? Has he woken up?”

Xi Ze rose and saluted Old Madam Qi before replying, “Master hasn’t woken yet, but his condition is no longer dangerous. After resting for a while, he should make a full recovery.”

Old ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‍Madam Qi placed the breakfast she had brought on the table.

“You’ve both kept watch all night. You’ve worked hard. Eat something, then go rest.”

Aman had eaten quite a bit the night before and had also slept for two hours, so she was neither tired nor hungry.

She rubbed her eyes. “Old Madam, I’ve already rested. From now on, let me watch over Brother Qi while Xi Ze goes to rest.”

Old Madam Qi certainly did not dare let her son be alone with Aman.

“All right. We’ll watch over Zhou’er together. You two eat something first.”

Xi Ze and Aman went downstairs to wash their faces.

When they returned to the room for breakfast, they discovered that Qi Yanzhou had already woken up.

“Mother, where’s Atang?”

The first thing he said was to ask about Ye Chutang, his eyes filled with anxiety.

Hearing her son’s weak voice, Old Madam Qi’s eyes immediately reddened.

“Tang’er exhausted herself while removing the poison from you yesterday. She’s resting in a room in the back courtyard on the first floor. She’ll come see you once she wakes up.”

Hearing this, Xi Ze rubbed his nose.

The Madam probably wouldn’t come see Master.

“Zhou’er, are you hungry? Shall I help you sit up and drink some congee?”

Qi Yanzhou was still utterly weak. He wanted to move, but could not.

With considerable effort, he shook his head. “No. I’m not eating. I’ll sleep a little longer.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he closed his eyes and sank into a deep sleep.

Old Madam Qi had Xi Ze check Qi Yanzhou’s pulse. Only after confirming that he had merely fallen asleep did she relax.

“Old Madam, Master is far too weak. The more he sleeps, the sooner he’ll recover.”

“I know. I’m just worried he’ll go hungry if he doesn’t eat anything.”

Xi Ze placed another slice of ginseng in Qi Yanzhou’s mouth.

“Don’t worry, Old Madam. Master will be able to eat when he wakes again.”

“All right. Hurry and eat something, then go rest. Don’t wear yourself out.”

Xi Ze had little appetite. He drank a little congee before going to Nan Xiao’s room to catch up on sleep.

Nan Xiao had not left the inn since arriving there the previous day.

Han Chong had arranged a room on the second floor for him and Xi Ze.

Nan Xiao asked Xi Ze about Qi Yanzhou’s condition.

After Xi Ze finished explaining, he relayed the message Ye Chutang had asked him to pass on the night before.

“I don’t know when I’ll wake up. If Master wakes first, you’ll have to pass Madam’s words on to him.”

Seeing the gleeful, expectant look on Xi Ze’s face, as though he were waiting for a show, Nan Xiao flicked him on the forehead.

“Madam won’t let Master off, and Master won’t let you off either!”

Xi Ze rubbed his reddened forehead and grinned shamelessly.

“Being punished alongside Master is my honor.”

“I’ll pass that along to Master too.”

At that, Xi Ze panicked. He sprang off the bed and latched onto Nan Xiao’s back, locking an arm around his throat.

“Are we even brothers?”

Nan Xiao easily threw Xi Ze off and looked at him with disdain.

“Practice your martial arts more. You’re too weak.”

Xi Ze returned to the bed and lay down, completely unconcerned.

“If the two of us fought to the death, you’d definitely be the one to die.”

“You can’t poison me unless you get close, but I can kill you without getting close.”

After saying this, Nan Xiao left the room and went to the back courtyard to find Ye Chutang.

Ye Chutang had gone to bed early the night before and woken up at daybreak.

After breakfast, she returned to her room and continued lying there like a corpse.

Just as she was drifting in and out of sleep, someone knocked on the door.

“Madam, it’s me, Nan Xiao.”

After being disturbed, Ye Chutang felt rather irritable, and her tone was sharp.

“No matter what it is, wait until lunch to tell me.”

Nan Xiao was turned away at the door, unable to get the explanation he had intended to offer for Qi Yanzhou out.

But he knew very well that even if Ye Chutang learned that his master had concealed Aman’s demand for marriage because he cared about her, she still would not forgive him easily.

Because a deception made with good intentions was still a deception.

He sighed inwardly and went to Qi Yanzhou’s room.

Old Madam Qi and Aman were afraid of disturbing Qi Yanzhou’s rest, so neither of them spoke.

The two of them simply stared at each other.

After Nan Xiao arrived, Old Madam Qi instructed him to replace the ginseng slice in Qi Yanzhou’s mouth at regular intervals.

Then, using both persuasion and pressure, she took Aman away.

Qi Yanzhou woke shortly before noon.

His stomach was growling loudly; hunger had roused him from sleep.

Nan Xiao, who had been keeping watch beside the bed, immediately asked, “Master, what would you like to eat? I’ll go buy it right away.”

Qi Yanzhou spat out the ginseng slice. His voice was hoarse.

“Help me sit up.”

His body was still extremely weak, but he was in much better condition than when he had first regained consciousness.

Nan Xiao helped Qi Yanzhou sit up, let him lean against the headboard, and stuffed a soft cushion behind his back.

Qi Yanzhou looked around. When he did not see Ye Chutang, a trace of concern flashed through his eyes.

He looked at Nan Xiao and asked, “Who found Aman? Why did she agree to remove the gu poison from me?”

He already had the answer in his heart. He simply wanted to know the details.

Nan Xiao recounted in detail what had happened after Ye Chutang followed him and found Aman.

He also relayed the message Ye Chutang had sent through Xi Ze.

After listening, Qi Yanzhou raised a hand and rubbed his throbbing temples.

“She really said she wanted to match Aman and me together? And that she wouldn’t consider me one of her own anymore?”

Nan Xiao nodded firmly.

“Although I didn’t hear Madam say it with my own ears, Xi Ze would never dare to make up such a thing. Besides, when Madam persuaded Miss Aman to remove the gu poison from you, that was exactly what she used as her argument.”

Of course, Ye Chutang had relied even more heavily on psychological tactics.

Qi Yanzhou struggled to throw off the covers. “Help me go see Atang.”

Nan Xiao hurriedly pressed a hand against his shoulder.

“Master, you’re still weak. You shouldn’t be walking around.”

“I have to see Atang. I need to explain everything and let her vent her anger. The longer this drags on, the harder it will be to untangle this knot.”

Hearing that, Nan Xiao could no longer stop him.

“Master, forgive me.”

With that, he scooped Qi Yanzhou up around the waist and quickly carried him downstairs, heading to the rear courtyard to find Ye Chutang.

Ye Chutang had woken up an hour earlier.

Bored, she had taken a book about gu poison from her spatial dimension and begun reading.

When she heard the heavy, hurried footsteps approaching, she immediately returned the book to her space and began eating the fruit Qi Qingyu had given her the night before.

Soon, a knock sounded at the door.

“Madam, Master has come to see you.”

Ye Chutang’s hand paused as she bit into her pear.

After hesitating for a moment, she said, “I’m not seeing him.”

That man needed to understand just how serious the consequences of deceiving her were. Otherwise, there would only be a next time.

Qi Yanzhou’s weak voice came from outside.

“Atang, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have kept it from you. You can hit me or scold me, but please don’t ignore me.”

Hearing the pitiful note in his voice, Ye Chutang did not respond.

Qi Yanzhou grew completely flustered. “Atang, I… cough, cough…”

He had spoken too quickly, and because his body was so weak, air had gone down the wrong way and into his lungs. He began coughing uncontrollably.

Seeing his face turn pale from coughing, Nan Xiao was deeply worried.

“Master, why don’t you wait until you’re feeling better before coming to apologize to Madam?”

Qi Yanzhou covered his mouth as he coughed and gently shook his head.

“If I… cough, cough… can’t see Atang, I won’t be able to… cough, cough… rest and recover properly.”

Ye Chutang knew Qi Yanzhou was using a suffering act to gain sympathy.

But she couldn’t simply stand by and do nothing.

She had gone to great lengths to drag him back from the gates of death. She couldn’t let death snatch him away again.

“Come in.”

When Qi Yanzhou heard Ye Chutang relent, the tight knot in his chest loosened slightly, but his nerves remained taut.

He pushed open the closed door and immediately looked toward Ye Chutang.

She was sitting by the table, holding a half-eaten pear and gazing at him without joy or anger.

Seeing Qi Yanzhou being carried in a bridal carry, Ye Chutang almost broke character.

She deliberately put on an angry expression. “I worked so hard to save your life, and now you’re running around recklessly? Do you not want to live anymore?”

Nan Xiao set Qi Yanzhou down on a round stool, then immediately turned and left.

He even thoughtfully closed the door behind him, preserving his master’s dignity.

Once the door was shut, the room grew dimmer.

Qi Yanzhou’s entire body was devoid of strength. After barely holding himself upright for a few breaths, his body began to slide downward against his will.

Ye Chutang knew he truly couldn’t hold himself up; he wasn’t pretending.

Suppressing the urge to help him onto the bed, she spoke coldly, “If you don’t have the strength to talk, then leave.”

Qi Yanzhou collapsed forward onto the table from exhaustion and looked at Ye Chutang with deep remorse.

“Atang, compared to dying, I’m more afraid of making you angry. I’m even more afraid of losing you.”

Ye Chutang remained unmoved and continued eating her pear.

“I was wrong. I shouldn’t have hidden the matter of Aman making demands of me.”

After saying this, Qi Yanzhou raised his hand and swore an oath.

“If I ever conceal anything from Atang again, or wrong her in any way, may Heaven strike me with lightning, and may I die a horrible death!”

Though he had barely any strength left, he spoke the oath with unwavering force.

Outside the room, Aman had come to see Qi Yanzhou.

When she heard his oath, she lowered the hand she had raised to knock.

With a gloomy expression, she turned around and walked away with heavy steps.

After the sound of her footsteps faded, Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow at Qi Yanzhou.

“You chose the timing for that oath rather well.”

With Qi Yanzhou’s martial arts, he must have noticed Aman’s arrival long ago.

That oath had accomplished two things at once!

Qi Yanzhou lowered his hand and gazed at Ye Chutang with deep affection.

“Atang, I didn’t choose the timing. But the oath was sincere.”

When he raised his hand, he hadn’t known Aman would come.

But he had indeed heard her footsteps afterward.

Ye Chutang believed that Qi Yanzhou was telling the truth, and her attitude softened slightly.

“I’ll believe you for now. But until you resolve your situation with Aman, you’re still an outsider to me.”

Seeing that Ye Chutang had relented, Qi Yanzhou hurriedly nodded and promised, “Atang, don’t worry. I’ll make proper arrangements for Aman and ensure that both you and she are satisfied.”

He had no idea that Aman would be expelled from the witch-doctor clan for coming to remove the gu poison from him.

If he had known, he would have arranged for a substitute to be exiled and gone with Ye Chutang to the southern frontier to deal with the poison himself.

Unfortunately, money could not buy foresight.

Fortunately, things had not yet reached the point of no return.