Chapter 573.2: State of Affairs, Goal, Holy Treasure
Li Hong Yuan’s brows also furrowed along with, waiting for Gong Jiu to finish, “What’s wrong?”
“Replying to w.a.n.gye, there’s nothing different from before about w.a.n.gfei’s body, but after repeatedly taking the pulse today, this subordinate realized a problem. w.a.n.gfei having gotten affected by the sleep gu, this is a fact that can be confirmed. Sun Yi Lin had let Fu Rong remove the sleep gu on w.a.n.gfei, and take w.a.n.gfei away from White Dragon Temple. Reasonably speaking, regardless of what kind of gu, and whether it’s drawing out of the body, or dying and disappearing inside the host body, traces of the gu having existed before will all preserve inside the host body for about three months. However, judging from w.a.n.gfei’s situation, there isn’t any traces of gu having existed before in her body.”
Jing Wan sat upright a little, and Li Hong Yuan’s face also revealed a somewhat serious look, “Go have Fu Rong brought over.”
Originally, Jing Wan was preparing to deal with Fu Rong and Sun Yi Lin after returning to the capital. As for what she will do, she’ll decide when time comes. But, looking at it now, Fu Rong perhaps will have other uses. If she’d wanted to harm Jing Wan, then her behavior from the start was just off.
When Jing Wan saw Fu Rong, she was actually a bit surprised. How to put it, Fu Rong was much better than she’d thought, just her complexion appearing a bit bad, but not like having suffered torture.
“This servant greets w.a.n.gye and w.a.n.gfei.” Still viewing herself as Jing Wan’s servant girl, not forgetting her role.
“Fu Rong, what method did you use to remove the sleep gu in me? Also, previously, I had indeed been planted with the subst.i.tute gu, right?” Seeing Fu Rong with her head and eyes lowered, “Fu Rong, you really don’t plan on saying a bit of something?”
Fu Rong, after a moment of silence, slightly lifted her head, directly meeting Jing Wan’s gaze. This was already overstepping. Ever since fully learning the rules and etiquette, this was her first time ‘making this kind of mistake’. Fu Rong briefly and concisely explained her own background, and those bitter and sad matter, she all concealed, “………….It was that Head Minister of Rites, Sir Su[1], when still acting as the Inspector-General, that preserved this servant’s purity. He’s not someone from Qi Yuan, but rather someone from Former Wei, his status even quite high. They clearly gave this servant such a tragic fate, yet still want this servant to serve them, based on what? Even if this servant is of low birth, it’s still for better or worse a human life, no? So some things, naturally need to return.”
Well, Jing Wan seemingly made out Fu Rong’s meaning, and that was just, because those people dictated her fate, she was angry and unwilling to accept, even thinking of wanting to retaliate. However, she ultimately was just a feeble woman, even of the slave cla.s.s, so didn’t have that ability. Thus, she just borrowed power, naturally just borrowing Jin Qinw.a.n.g’s power.
That’s why, she docilely accepted the mission those people gave her, poisoning Jing Wan with gu. Inherently, it wasn’t for the sake of harming Jing Wan, but rather trying to enrage Li Hong Yuan. She believed that Li Hong Yuan in the end certainly will be able to investigate onto Former Wei. When time comes, Former Wei more or less will all pay a price. The price that a country will pay, no matter how small, it will still far surpa.s.s her own grudge. Even though it might still be unable to make the true culprit suffer anything, but at least she can slightly have some consolation.
Never mind Jing Wan, even Li Hong Yuan’s gaze towards Fu Rong all somewhat changed a little.
Really couldn’t tell that Fu Rong actually had such a personality. Her fierce and resolute heart ultimately never got grinded down, unwilling to accept her fate no matter what. She appeared docile and harmless, but once something exceeded her bottom line, then she will just secretly brandish her sharp claws, plotting little by little using her wisdom and talent. And in reality, coming to this step now, Fu Rong wanting to borrow Li Hong Yuan’s power to sort out Former Wei, this goal, has already been achieved. Even though, even if she doesn’t do anything, Li Hong Yuan still won’t let off Former Wei, but whether she did something or not, the nature of it was different. Furthermore, she even both accurately and ruthlessly stepped on Li Hong Yuan’s weakness.
Li Hong Yuan lightly chuckled. Women like Fu Rong existed everywhere. He has never taken them seriously before, yet at present, he nevertheless got ruthlessly made use of. This kind of experience sure was quite novel.
Jing Wan glanced at him. She was able to read out the dangers from within. Regardless of how he was in front of her, he still possessed absolute pride. In his eyes, Fu Rong was just like an ant. Getting messed with by an ant, it would be strange for him to be content inside.
Just, right now, this wasn’t the focus.
“Fu Rong, what’s with the sleep gu and subst.i.tute gu?”
“Replying to w.a.n.gfei, this matter actually need to start from this servant’s mother’s true ident.i.ty. They all thought that this servant’s mother was an ordinary woman. This bit although isn’t wrong, it’s also not completely correct. This servant’s mother is actually someone from Southern Qi, from the Baiyi clan……..”
TN: All
Speaking to here, Jing Wan didn’t know what kind of expression to make.
“In one’s childhood, father was frequently absent all year round, so practically accompanied by mother’s side everyday. At that time, she told this servant many things, repeatedly saying. Perhaps one didn’t understand at the time, but repeating over and over again, even if one didn’t want to remember, it was all difficult. Regarding her birth, she actually said rather little of, vaguely recalling that she seemingly was the Baiyi clan’s clan leader’s daughter. In addition to having very high talent in raising gu, she was once preselected as the saintess. However, unknown as to what happened afterwards, she was forced to leave her home, ending up in Former Wei, having her life and death controlled by others. Since then, she just no longer raised gu, unknown as to whether it was because she was unable to raise anymore, or because of some other reason, causing her to deathly refuse raising. And regarding the Baiyi clan’s gu, she had told this servant everything. Just, she only explained the signs of being affected by gu, as well as how to remove it. As for how to raise, she never mentioned a word of. On her ‘deathbed’, she gave this servant a bead, a bead that can cure all poisons and dissolve all gu. It’s said to be the sacred treasure the Baiyi clan has pa.s.sed down for a thousand years. Because of it, the sleep gu and subst.i.tute gu in w.a.n.gfei’s body got resolved, and also because of it, back in the manor, this servant was thus able to steal those drugs from Doctor Gong’s courtyard.”
“Have the bead offered up and this prince can spare your life.”
Fu Rong fell silent, lowering her eyes, sweeping past the buddhist beads on Jing Wan’s wrist.
Li Hong Yuan coldly sneered, “Not giving? Once you die, this prince will eventually be able to find, take her down.”
“Wait.” Jing Wan pressed Li Hong Yuan’s hand. She remembered that Fu Rong had previously said some rather meaningful words towards her. Recalling now, “Fu Rong, that bead, is it on me? Ever since you removed the gu for me, you just never took back?”
“w.a.n.gfei’s kindness, one has no way of repaying. For someone like this servant, there isn’t any use holding it.” This was Fu Rong indirectly admitting it.
“But, where did you put it? Right now, I don’t even have an embroidered pouch on me.” After all this time, for there to be an extra thing on her, it was impossible to not detect. Because of confusion, she slightly lowered her head, and afterwards, her gaze suddenly paused on the buddhist beads. This was the only beads on her, but the problem was, was it possible? Jing Wan reached out, touching one by one.
“The bead is relatively peculiar, able to change its appearance within a certain extent. As long as similar in size, then it will just change into the appearance of the beads closest to it.”
That’s why, in this string of buddhist beads, an outsider had actually long snuck in? Jing Wan’s expression was a bit wooden. This was bugs defying the heavens, and beads coming to life?
The bugs’ effect can still forcibly be explained as the bug having things in its body that targeted the human nervous system or hormones.
But this bead? Could it be that there even exist certain things inside it similar to that of a chameleon? But a chameleon, that was a living creature, a living being!
Even if its existence was already not scientific, when encountering things that defied science, Jing Wan still needed some time to go accept.
Li Hong Yuan held Jing Wan’s wrist, his level of acceptance much higher than Jing Wan’s. This kind of good thing, no matter what method he used, he would all try to obtain for Jing Wan. Now that it was already on Jing Wan, he further wasn’t polite. However, since it was for Jing Wan, then naturally need to ensure that it was absolutely safe. As such, Li Hong Yuan directly had the buddhist beads taken down, giving to Gong Jiu.
Needless for Li Hong Yuan to instruct, Gong Jiu just understood his meaning.
The poisons on Gong Jiu weren’t few, and in the house that Ruan Fang Fei previously stayed in, he also found quite a few gu, so to want to verify its effect was very simple. As for its safety, actually, during this period of time, Jing Wan has continuously carried on her, yet her body didn’t have any anomalies. This was already very good proof. If detrimental, even if extremely minor, over this period of time, there more or less would be signs. And if it needs several years for the harmful effects to appear, then even Li Hong Yuan probably won’t wait that long either. No matter how suspicious or paranoid, it still won’t be to that level. To not wear or use, it would just cause a possible treasure to be buried in dust.
The results of the examination was quite obvious. As soon as those gu bugs touched the buddhist beads, they just instantly turned into smoke, disappearing without a trace. And letting the rabbit carry the buddhist beads, while Gong Jiu used various kinds of poison on it, either sprinkling on its body or directly feeding it, using poison that could easily kill over a thousand people, the rabbit still lively jumped around.
Hearing naturally wasn’t as shocking as directly seeing. This bead sure enough was a good thing.
“Do you know the extent of this bead’s power?” Li Hong Yuan asked Fu Rong.
“w.a.n.gye, please forgive, this servant doesn’t know.” Ever since obtaining it from her mother’s hand, she just never had the opportunity to verify. Perhaps it had helped her before, for example like for poison and whatnot. After all, she probably once got in the way of the other sisters, but all the troubles just got unknowingly resolved, so she naturally had no way of knowing.
“w.a.n.gye, this subordinate actually know a little.” Gong Jiu stated.
Towards Gong Jiu lately having some memories suddenly appear from time to time, Li Hong Yuan was also already used to.
“The Baiyi clan’s sacred treasure indeed has this kind of effect. Towards gu, directly touching will just be like what we saw just now, and if not directly touching, then need some time, at most three days. Wearing the sacred treasure, gu bugs for the most part won’t be able to enter the body. Even if something were to happen, it also won’t affect the host body. Just like any poison, its greatest effective range is roughly ten feet.”
As the absolute bane of gu, yet also revered as a sacred treasure, it really was quite strange.
[1] The same Sir Su from the Jiangnan arc, the one that later got promoted to the Head Minister of Rites position after transferring back to the capital. He’s also the one involved in Yu Zhong Qing’s family ma.s.sacre. Currently, he’s working under Rui Qinw.a.n.g, although I can’t remember if he also has family ties with the Su family as well since he has the same surname.
T/N: Fu Rong’s backstory is partly told through her own pov in chapter 563.