Chapter 42.1
Zhao Heng calculated in her mind the amount of pastry Ruo Zhen had consumed, estimating that the time was about right. Previously, she had used a tiny amount, causing the Crown Prince to collapse immediately after ingestion. This time, although the dose was lighter, it was still sufficient.
Ruo Zhen's probing gaze remained fixed on Zhao Heng, the summer sunlight streaming through the densely packed branches of the Fengming Terrace, casting a sparse light that barely illuminated the room.
The beautiful figure fluctuating in the play of light and shadow appeared exceptionally alluring, making him itch with desire.
Moving closer, he reached out to embrace Zhao Heng, but she deftly turned away, evading his outstretched hand. Ruo Zhen noticed her starkly different resistance compared to before, his expression changing abruptly as he rushed to grab her wrist.
Zhao Heng pursed her lips, plucking a golden hairpin from her hair, tensely staring at him.
Ruo Zhen took two steps forward, suddenly feeling weak in his limbs, his head spinning, and his vision darkening, before collapsing to the ground.
Looking towards the door, Zhao Heng called out, "Lian Zhou."
Lianzhou heard the sound and immediately pushed open the door.
*
Ruo Zhen woke up in intense pain.
His head felt foggy as he slowly opened his eyes, attempting to stand up, only to realize he was tightly bound to the foot of the bed. The only thing he could move was his angry eyes.
Zhao Heng crouched in front of him, holding the sharp hairpin in her hand with blood dripping from its tip â his blood.
She gazed at him with a faint smile, the dimples on her cheeks giving her an innocent appearance. It was as if the person who had pierced Ruo Zhen's palm with the hairpin just moments ago was not her. She glanced at him, wiped the blood off the hairpin with a handkerchief, and gently placed it back in her hair.
"Does it hurt?" she asked, the pain slowly creeping in due to the effects of the drug.
He struggled to stand up, but Zhao Heng and Lian Zhou knew the strength of a barbarian, worried that loose restraints could be risky. They wrapped him several times with a rope and then tightly wrapped him from neck to waist with light gauze. Even a normal person would find it difficult to break free from the cocoon-like wrapping, let alone someone who had just been drugged.
Zhao Heng smiled at him with a curved lip. "Don't struggle. There are over ten layers of bindings â you won't be able to break free. Don't waste your energy."
Ruo Zhen felt a strong sense of unease, his eyes filled with endless anger. "What are you planning to do?"
"Wasn't Your Highness always looking for me?"
Ruo Zhen's fear intensified, his eyes flaming with rage. He couldn't believe he had fallen for her trap despite being cautious. "You drank from that cup, ate the pastry â why are you unaffected?"
"Who said there was poison in the drink and pastry?"
"No poison?"
"No," Zhao Heng shook her head. "There was no poison in the drink or pastry."
"Then how did you drug me?"
Zhao Heng shrugged. "There was no poison in the drink or pastry. The drug was in my hands. After I drank and ate, I discreetly smeared it on the edge of the cup and pastry. You saw me consume them, so you let your guard down, thinking everything was fine."
Ruo Zhen took a deep breath, realizing his carelessness.
Zhao Heng remained calm, retrieving a brown pill from her belt and forcefully gripping Ruo Zhen's mouth, pushing the pill under his tongue. When he tried to spit it out, she held his chin and lifted his head, running her index finger along his throat to ensure the pill went down.
This method was how the lame doctor used to force-feed her when she couldn't swallow the pills the lame doctor gave her.
It was painful, but effective.
The series of actions flowed smoothly, giving Ruo Zhen no time to react. By the time he realized what had happened, the pill was already in his stomach, with no possibility of being vomited out.
"What did you make me eat?!" Ruo Zhen, ignoring the burning pain in his throat, glared at Zhao Heng with resentment, gritting his teeth.
"It's poison." Zhao Heng said each word calmly, lowering her head in thought before coming up with a melodious name, "Hundred Days Wither. As the name suggests, if there's no antidote within a hundred days, you will wither away like a flower."
"You're insane!" Ruo Zhen's heart raced. He was only indulging in beauty and didn't want to lose his life over it. Unable to contain himself, he exclaimed, "You dare to kill me!"
Zhao Heng felt a bit tired from squatting, straightened her skirt, and pulled over a cushion to sit in front of Ruo Zhen.
"Scared, aren't you?" Zhaoheng lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes covering them, hiding her emotions, "I was scared during the time you were pestering me too. If you're so afraid of death, why did you provoke me?"
Ruo Zhen's face turned pale in shock. Zhao Heng appeared fragile, like a willow branch, yet her calm and shimmering eyes concealed a hidden cruelty, "If you kill me, you won't live either."
Zhao Heng continued, "I can tell them that on my way back, you offended me, and in self-defense, I accidentally killed you. After all, you'll be dead, with no evidence against me."
After speaking, she lit a match, the blue flame flickering in the wind.
"Alternatively, I could set a fire here. The flames would burn away all traces of you, making it more convenient than killing you." She gazed at Ruo Zhen, "So, how do you want to die?"
Ruo Zhen looked at her poker-faced expression and suddenly felt like she was a man-eating flower in the desert.
Beautiful as snow, delicate and graceful, she was a rare soft beauty in the desert.
But hidden within her were tiny, almost invisible thorns. If an unknowing traveler passed by her, enticed by her beauty to pluck her, those thorns would pierce the skin and seep into the bloodstream, causing unbearable pain.
Fear crept up Ruo Zhen's spine like a cold snake, freezing him inch by inch.
Zhao Heng glanced at him indifferently.
She didn't like killing, nor did she plan to kill him.
He was a crucial part of the grand plans of the Crown Prince. If something happened to him in the Eastern Garden, Yue Tribe would demand answers.
She couldn't do anything to hinder his lofty ambitions, at least not now.
Thinking this, she kept her calm, brushed her long hair behind her back, and without answering Ruo Zhen's question, she said, "Let me tell you my story, Your Highness."
Ruo Zhen's throat felt like it was on fire, his hands in excruciating pain, and the worst part was the fear of death that constantly pounded on his fragile mind.
Zhao Heng picked up a fan and gently fanned herself. Her slender, fair hands, pampered and delicate like spring bamboo shoots, casually held the fan, displaying grace and allure.
Her voice was as soft as the mist in the woods, "I'm not like the noble ladies you know from the Dongli Empire, I'm an orphan who had to fend for myself from a young age. I hunted in the mountains for survival, chased by wolf packs, caught fish in the river, bitten by poisonous snakes... I even became a test subject for a doctor just to have a meal."
"You probably don't know what a test subject is, right? A test subject is someone who tries out medicines for others. I had to ingest the poisonous medicines he made, as well as the antidotes... If you knew me back then, you would probably avoid looking at me. I was covered in sores, dripping with pus in the heat."
Aruo Zhen was caught off guard by her sudden confession, momentarily stunned.
"After entering the palace, a eunuch took a liking to me and wanted me to be his favorite concubine," Zhao Heng continued, ignoring his surprise, her demeanor still serene and calm, "Many of his favorites ended up dying mysteriously. I didn't want to die, so I lied to him, saying that my flesh could cure his chronic illness, and then fed him strips of my own flesh daily."
"Having experienced so many dangers, you're still here listening to my story, that in itself is a miracle," Zhao Heng said with a faint smile, her expression as clean as a lotus in a peaceful pond, "So... do you now realize the kind of ruthless person you've provoked?"
"In order to survive, I can be ruthless," Zhao Heng said as she removed a hairpin and thrust it towards Aruo Zhen's head. Ruo Zhen closed his eyes and shouted, "Ah!" Calling out for help, he curled up like a silkworm in its cocoon, hoping someone would pull this terrifying madwoman away.
The imagined pain never came, as he opened one eye to see the incredibly sharp golden hairpin brushing against his neck, piercing the gossamer beside him.
The icy tip of the hairpin touched his skin, sending shivers down his spine and goosebumps quickly rising all over his body.
Zhao Heng rose slightly, her face serious as she observed his fearful and cowering figure. Once again, she pulled out the hairpin and aimed it at him, ready to strike.
"I was wrong... please don't kill me... don't touch me," Ruo Zhen begged in fear, calling out to various people muffledly, "Father Khan, save me! Your Majesty, save me! Li Wenjian, Li Wenjian."
-Crackle-
The blade sliced through the fabric, making a ripping sound.
Ruo Zhen lowered his head anxiously, seeing the gossamer on his body torn into countless pieces.
"You're not going to kill me?" Ruo Zhen was shocked, quickly freeing himself from the constraints.
Zhao Heng paid him no mind.
"You're not afraid I'll kill you!" Ruo Zhen snarled through gritted teeth, glaring fiercely at Zhao Heng.
"I'm not afraid. Of course, you can kill me. But if you kill me, you won't have the antidote for Hundred Days Wither, and you'll die as well. I may have a worthless life, but you're the esteemed Prince of the Yue Tribe. Are you willing to sacrifice your power and riches to die with me?" Zhao Heng challenged.
Ruo Zhen trembled all over from pain and the effects of the medicine.
Tiles could clash against jade, but not always the other way around.
Zhao Heng was the tile, with nothing to lose except her own life, while Ruo Zhen was the jade, with the entire world at his fingertips.
He simply couldn't make the same sacrifice she could.
From the moment she made up her mind, she knew she would emerge victorious.
Ruo Zhen, his face a sickly shade of pale, looked at Zhao Heng in disbelief.
"Why didn't you just kill me then?"
"I could have killed you," Zhao Heng replied, "Just now, all it would have taken was a fire to quietly burn you to death here without leaving a trace. But once done, it would inevitably leave evidence. I didn't have time to plan a foolproof method, so I had to let you go for now. Rest assured, my intention was never to kill you from the start. As long as you behave, when the time comes to leave with Wei Wanyu, I will give you the antidote."
"Why should I trust you?!" Ruo Zhen stared at Zhao Heng with a fierce gaze.
Zhao Heng smiled, "Other than trust me, do you have any other choice?"