Chapter 151 - 150: Intense Jealousy, Pei Jiang’s Whereabouts
Chapter 151: Chapter 150: Intense Jealousy, Pei Jiang’s Whereabouts
"..."
The private room fell into an instant silence.
Almost simultaneously, the smile vanished from Qingyuan’s face. Xie Qingshi abruptly looked up, his gaze sharply sweeping toward the incredibly innocent-looking Ning Liuyu.
Shi Changying picked up her chopsticks. "The medicine A Yu gave me tasted exactly as it did in the old days. I also thought about how I’d already run into the two of you, so I wondered if there could be an even greater coincidence. Anyway, it didn’t cost anything to try." She omitted the deeply crushing fact that Ning Liuyu had recognized her simply because she ate too many steamed buns. The Emperor could afford to lose anything—except her pride.
Qingyuan and Xie Qingshi were left utterly speechless. Neither of them had expected that they would unintentionally facilitate this reunion.
Ning Liuyu possessed a Seven-orifice Exquisite Heart. She instantly realized that both Qingyuan and Xie Qingshi had actively sought out Shi Changying. Tilting her head, she smiled sweetly. "I must thank Lord Qingyuan and Lord Xie. Without your strong support, even if I gave Your Majesty the medicine, Your Majesty wouldn’t have thought in that direction."
After all, being reborn in a later era was a truly unimaginable concept. If one hadn’t experienced it firsthand, no one would believe it.
Qingyuan smiled again, though his words were squeezed through gritted teeth. "Lord Ning is truly fortunate. I thought that by using the exact same name, Your Majesty would have noticed." In the end, only his formidable rival Hua Shao had discovered him. How did the saying go? The person who understands you best in the world is your enemy.
"Lord Qingyuan, just having the same name doesn’t mean much. When I was in school, every class had students who shared names with past emperors," Ning Liuyu countered unhurriedly. "Could it be that they’re all like us?"
Xie Qingshi clearly thought of Pei Xuan and twitched a brow. "Indeed. Having the same name doesn’t necessarily mean they’re one of our own."
Shi Changying nodded, taking those words to heart. After a moment of thought, she asked, "A Yu, I’ve read halfway through *The Great Wilderness Immortal Journey* over the past few days. It contains quite a bit of knowledge about medicinal herbs. Did you have a hand in this book?"
Qingyuan and Xie Qingshi’s expressions both turned solemn. Jealousy was one thing, but they knew business came first.
"Ah, Your Majesty noticed," Ning Liuyu said, slightly taken aback. "The mythological novel, *The Great Wilderness Immortal Journey*, was indeed written by us together under the guidance of Lord Pei Jiang."
Shi Changying’s gaze deepened. "Together?"
"Besides Lord Pei Jiang and me, there was also Lord Qian Qiu and Lord Xiao," Ning Liuyu whispered, her throat tightening.
The head of the Twelve Masters of Mingjing, proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and poetry—Master of Literature, Pei Jiang. Perfume making, tea brewing, wine distilling... the omnipotent Master of Art, Qian Qiu. Architectural design, sculpture, painting... the renowned artisan Xiao Chengyi, whose hands could craft anything. Coupled with Medicine Girl Ning Liuyu, these four beauties collaborated to write the mythological epic, *The Great Wilderness Immortal Journey*.
It was a pity that, although this book had survived through unimaginable hardships to be passed down, the names of its authors had been erased. Furthermore, the absence of the authors’ backgrounds and era led to endless debates over the true hidden storyline the book intended to portray.
Shi Changying’s heart trembled slightly. "Qian Qiu and Chengyi were involved too?"
"Lord Pei Jiang was skilled at writing fiction, so she took the lead. I was responsible for providing knowledge related to medicinal herbs and geography," Ning Liuyu said, tears glistening in her eyes. "Lord Qian Qiu was in charge of aspects like the tea arts, spices, and winemaking, while Lord Xiao handled the sculptural aesthetics and design. After all, we each excelled in different fields."
This had been Shi Changying’s original intention when establishing the Twelve Masters of Mingjing. Only when geniuses across various fields complemented one another could they forge the Taichu Golden Age.
Xie Qingshi fell silent for a moment before asking, "Does Lord Ning know of Lord Pei Jiang’s whereabouts? Historical records state that Lord Pei Jiang left Jianghuai, and because the Jianghuai Pei Family was annihilated, her remains were never found." He had promised Pei Xuan that he would keep an eye out for any traces of Pei Jiang.
"I... died much later than all of you." Ning Liuyu’s fingers tightened around her cup, her voice trembling slightly. "By the time I died, the Hong Clan had already taken control of Ningzhou and changed the state title to ’Jiang’."
Both Qingyuan and Xie Qingshi’s expressions shifted drastically. If they hadn’t arrived in this future era and read the history immortalized in text, they would never have known what happened after their deaths.
"The Twelve Masters of Mingjing were too renowned, especially Lord Pei Jiang. The Hong Clan was relentlessly hunting us. We hid everywhere we could, never sleeping soundly for a single day," Ning Liuyu said with a small, cold smile. "So, to the Hong Clan, I was a rebel." It was only natural for a rebel’s name to be erased.
Shi Changying’s gaze instantly turned as cold as snow. "You are not, A Yu."
"Once Jiuzhou fell into chaos, the Southern Region, Western Continent, and Northern Region couldn’t hold back either. They dispatched troops to burn, kill, and pillage. They took whatever treasures they could carry, and whatever they couldn’t, they smashed to pieces and took anyway." Ning Liuyu fell into her distant memories. "I had never seen such a Purgatory on earth. When Lord Pei Jiang came looking for me, she was covered in blood."
She still remembered the weather that day—it had been overcast, without a trace of the sun.
At that time, the Hong Clan was on the verge of reaching Ningzhou, where Mingjing was located. In just a few short years, the borderlands of Youzhou, Cangzhou, and Meizhou had fallen once again. Even though the court repeatedly declared they would absolutely never give up, Ning Liuyu felt deeply uneasy. The Wei Brothers and Sisters, celebrated as the Empire’s Twin Pillars, had already died in battle. Who else was left to keep Da Xuan safe? She locked herself in the Alchemy Room for days on end, wanting only to scrape together a few extra lifelines for the soldiers who were still alive.
Until Pei Jiang came to find her. Pei Jiang was slumped over her horse, dripping with blood and barely clinging to life. As the head of the Twelve Masters of Mingjing and Pei Xuan’s sister, Pei Jiang held a noble status. When had she ever been reduced to such a state? Shocked, Ning Liuyu immediately helped Nie Mingchu carry Pei Jiang into the room for treatment. Fortunately, Pei Jiang had only suffered flesh wounds and slowly regained consciousness not long after.
Lying in bed, Pei Jiang stared blankly for a long while before suddenly sitting up and gripping her hand. "Liuyu, the Hong Clan will be here soon. We must be prepared!"
Ning Liuyu was stunned.
"My brother... my brother is likely already gone. Yunzhou has fallen." As Pei Jiang spoke, tears rolled down her face. "I’m useless. I couldn’t help him. I don’t understand military strategy, nor do I know martial arts. I... I can only use the pen in my hand as a weapon."
Ning Liuyu’s heart gave a violent shudder. Yunzhou bordered Ningzhou. With Yunzhou lost, the invaders would march straight in without resistance. Mingjing was located at the very center of Jiuzhou. Although Ning Liuyu hadn’t gone to the front lines, intelligence on the war poured in from all directions, reaching her ears. First Meizhou, then Cangzhou, and later Youzhou... Later historical records also documented this. In that war, every single state in Jiuzhou fought against an entire nation. On that day, Jiuzhou fell, and ten thousand nations rose.