Chapter Forty-One: The Little Princess of the Jiang Dynasty

Jiang Jiu, Jiang Ling, and Jiang Sheng squeezed into the cramped little room. The others, unable to fit inside because of the limited space, were all left outside in the courtyard, crowding around the windows and door, craning their necks to look in.

“Princess, look! My mother’s fingernails, teeth, and even her complexion have all returned to normal!” Jiang Jiu was stunned; just moments ago, everything had seemed dire, and now, in such a short time, her mother had miraculously recovered!

Jiang Sheng took her mother's wrist to check her pulse. “Congratulations, your mother’s pulse is very steady now. What miraculous remedy did you just give her?”

“So, my mother is better now? Is she? Princess, is she?” The child’s voice trembled with hope.

Jiang Jiu gently reassured him, “Yes, your mother is back to normal. But you need to tell us what you gave her just now, so we can help save the others.”

The child scratched the back of his head. “The princess wanted to take me outside, but I wanted to stay with my mother. Then, when she tried to pull me away, I accidentally… cut the princess’s hand with a knife. I’m sorry,” he said, tucking his hands behind his back, his face full of remorse. He hadn’t meant to hurt anyone—he’d just wanted to protect his mother.

Jiang Jiu ruffled his tangled hair gently and held out her hand. “See?”

Her skin was smooth and unblemished; there was no trace of the wound on either hand.

“Princess, your hand?!”

Jiang Jiu smiled softly, offering comfort that eased the child’s heart. He continued to recount what had happened:

“As soon as you left, there were a few loud shouts outside. My mother suddenly opened her eyes and stared at me. She tore off the ropes…”

…Her hands locked around the child’s throat.

“Mother! It’s me, Xiaojing! Don’t you recognize me? Cough… Mother!” At that moment, he still clutched the knife that had just cut Jiang Jiu, blood still staining the blade.

It seemed that hearing his name brought a flicker of awareness back to her. “Xiaojing, quickly, use the knife—kill me!” she pleaded.

Xiaojing sobbed so hard he could barely breathe. He gripped the knife tightly but couldn’t bring himself to do it—it was the mother who had given him life.

“Hurry, Xiaojing!” she urged.

But outside, the howls grew louder, and his mother’s last vestiges of sanity snapped. Instinctively, as her teeth closed in on his arm, he plunged the knife into her back.

Xiaojing froze, staring at his mother as she grew still, tears streaming down his cheeks…

…

“At first, I thought I’d killed my mother with my own hands. I tried to lift her onto the bed, but I couldn’t. Then suddenly, a white light shone from her back, and she started breathing again—she came back to life! That’s what happened.”

The three adults stood frozen in shock. The white light from her back, then a return to normal—it couldn’t be that simply killing the walking corpse would restore her. The only thing Xiaojing’s mother was exposed to besides the knife was Jiang Jiu’s blood.

Therefore, Jiang Jiu’s blood might be able to cure the poisoning. Of course, this needed further testing—what if their first suspicion was correct?

“Water… water…” came a weak voice—Xiaojing’s mother was awake.

Jiang Sheng produced a gourd of mountain spring water, the kind cultivators often drank to clear their minds, and helped her drink.

As she opened her eyes and saw the room full of people, there was a moment of confusion. “Who are you all?”

Xiaojing quickly answered, “Mother, this is Princess Jiu!”

Hearing her identity, Xiaojing’s mother tried to kneel, but Jiang Jiu caught her. “Please rest. You’ve just recovered; your body is still weak.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” she said, then suddenly remembered she’d been bitten and worried she might have hurt someone.

Jiang Jiu understood her concern. “You didn’t hurt anyone. You’re safe now. We’d like to take you and—um, what’s your name, child?”

She realized she still didn’t know the boy’s name.

“Princess, my name is Xiaojing, as in ‘beautiful scenery’!”

“Very well. We’d like to take you and Xiaojing back to the palace, to keep you safe from the chaos.”

There was no doubt about Xiaojing, but…

“Don’t worry, Xiaojing’s mother,” Jiang Sheng assured her. “I’ve checked your pulse—you’re no longer in any danger, and there’s no trace of poison left in your body.”

Jiang Jiu trusted Jiang Sheng’s medical skills—after all, according to the information she’d gathered, he was a hidden genius, famous as a divine healer, though he liked to call himself a “herb doctor.”

Jiang Jiu took Xiaojing and his mother out of the room, while Jiang Sheng ordered his junior to lure the walking corpses toward them.

Guided by her little helper, Jiang Jiu led the way through alleys and shortcuts. After reaching the palace, they escorted two more groups of survivors back in quick succession.

Once night had fallen, Jiang Jiu and Jiang Sheng captured a walking corpse and tied it up in the palace dungeon.

Jiang Jiu made a small cut on her palm, letting the blood drip. Jiang Che turned his face away as he caught nearly half a bowl of it.

The walking corpse seemed dazed. Smelling fresh blood, it didn’t even need to be fed—it gulped down the blood on its own. Gradually, it grew still.

Now, all they could do was wait.

Just as Xiaojing described, a white light suddenly burst from the walking corpse’s body. Its fingernails and teeth fell out; its lips and face slowly regained their natural color.

Jiang Sheng checked its pulse and looked at the others. “The pulse is normal!”

After a while, the person regained consciousness and raised her head. Only then did Jiang Jiu recognize her—it was Xiaocui, Shen Yueru’s personal maid.

She tried to speak, but only unintelligible sounds came out.

Jiang Jiu frowned. “Xiaocui, your voice…”

Xiaocui pointed to her throat and waved her hands.

[Little Helper, what happened to Xiaocui’s voice?]

[Before Shen Yueru was imprisoned, she tried to send Xiaocui out of the city. But Shen Zhao’s men cut out her tongue—probably the day before Shen Zhao rebelled. Xiaocui tried to find Shen Yueru, but before she could, she was infected.]

If Shen Yueru’s spirit was watching from above, she would surely be glad that Xiaocui had tried to find her.

Jiang Jiu untied the silver threads binding Xiaocui. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect Yueru…”

She led Xiaocui alone to the Pear Blossom Hall, where she had brought Shen Yueru the day before.

Now Shen Yueru lay on the bed where she and Jiang Jiu had once slept together.

Xiaocui looked at Shen Yueru’s tightly closed eyes and tried to make some sounds, but only sobs came out, tears pouring down like rain.

“Yueru, Xiaocui is here. We all miss you so much.”

In a flurry, Xiaocui pulled a hairpin from her clothes. She tried to say something, then placed the hairpin in Shen Yueru’s hand—but Shen Yueru no longer had the strength to hold it.

The hairpin slipped from her palm, landing on the floor with a crisp sound. Xiaocui collapsed beside her, weeping like a heartbroken child.

Shen Yueru, can you see us? How could you leave us so irresponsibly?

In the distance, the stars shimmered faintly across the sky, like the splendid yet unfulfilled life that was Shen Yueru’s.