On a path outside the capital city, a string of large flowered sedan chairs paraded along the road. The blaring suona, playing the tune of "Hundreds of Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix," mingled with the noisy chatter of the crowd. Deafening firecrackers filled the air with a white mist. Amid this joyous atmosphere, Lord Su, who had grown as plump as a ball and sat in the front sedan chair, couldn't stop smiling. His three wives beside him also beamed with delight, happier than when they themselves got married.
Su Ling, wearing a red cotton-padded jacket, poked her head into the sedan chair and whispered to Su Xiaoliu, "Miss, we're almost at the small slope. The new prime minister will come to greet you soon."
Su Xiaoliu didn't reply. Instead, she turned around, lifted the red bridal veil on her head, quickly rummaged through her bosom, and took out a delicate small porcelain bottle.
"I'm counting on you to help me today..." Su Xiaoliu murmured to herself as she stared at the small porcelain bottle. A smile spread across her face, and her almond-shaped eyes were brimming with pride.
This small porcelain bottle contained a poison she had painstakingly obtained. It had a nice name, "Red Flower Powder." As long as one put it in their mouth, they would enter a state of false death while still retaining consciousness. Even a doctor who didn't understand poisons wouldn't be able to detect it.
Su Xiaoliu pulled out the bottle stopper, popped a pill into her mouth and hid it under her tongue. She poured a few more into her palm, then put the veil back on and closed her eyes...
"Miss, I think I can see the new prime minister!" Su Ling said excitedly.
There was no response from the sedan chair for a long time. Su Ling looked into the sedan chair, frowned, and muttered, "What's going on? It's suddenly so quiet..."
The bridal sedan chair was set down after reaching a small slope. The suona still blared loudly. A white horse slowly stopped in front of the sedan chair.
Red silk ribbons trailed down from the white horse, and a soft tinkling of silver bells sounded. The man on the horse suddenly curved his lips, and his inky eyes sparkled like the spring light of a lifetime.
Lord Su beamed so widely that his eyes almost disappeared. He tucked his hands into his sleeves and said to his three wives beside him, "I told you, this time we've definitely found the right person."
The three wives stared blankly, nodding in agreement like chicks pecking at rice.
Su Ling turned around, and the next second, she stood there, stunned...
"I'm sorry I'm late, Father- and Mother-in-law. Please forgive me."
The man dismounted from the horse and walked up to Lord Su. Dressed in a charming red outfit, his beautiful face boasted a pair of jade-like eyes. Under his straight nose, his rosy diamond-shaped lips opened and closed as his gaze landed on the bridal sedan chair behind.
"It's okay, it's okay." Lord Su was beaming with pride. After a while, as if remembering something, he quickly turned around and said to the stunned Su Ling, "Quickly bring the miss out!"
Su Ling came to her senses and quickly nodded. "Oh, okay." She turned around, lifted the sedan chair curtain, and said, "Miss, the prime minister is here. Come out quickly!"
However, as soon as the curtain was lifted, Su Xiaoliu was seen lying straight down inside.
Su Ling's face paled. She quickly glanced back. The lord and his wives were still talking to the new prime minister, and no one had noticed this yet. She quickly turned back, carefully reached out her hand, and nudged Su Xiaoliu.
"Miss...?" she asked tentatively.
After a long while, there was no response.
Su Ling's face looked a bit grim. "Miss, don't scare me..." She pushed her harder, rolling her over. The bridal veil fell to one side, but the person still didn't move.
Su Xiaoliu's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly, then slowly relaxed.
Suddenly, a soft sound was heard, and a small porcelain bottle rolled to the ground.
Su Ling quickly reached out to pick up the porcelain bottle. Looking at Su Xiaoliu's hand, there was still a small black pill rolling there...
Su Ling suddenly stood up straight, rushed forward, and wailed, "Miss—"
On the other end, Lord Su and the others were startled by this wail. They turned around in confusion. The red-clad Situ Qianyue also looked in that direction upon hearing the sound...
They saw Su Ling turn around with tears streaming down her face. Looking at them, she wailed, "Miss... Miss is dead..."
Su Xiaoliu secretly rejoiced in her heart. She could finally escape this marriage.
Lord Su's eyes widened in shock. He repeated in disbelief, "Dead?" He staggered forward, muttering to himself, "Xiaoliu... don't scare Daddy..."
The three wives all looked terrified, looking weak and on the verge of collapse.
Situ Qianyue's gaze landed on the small porcelain bottle on the ground. His inky eyes flickered slightly. He curved his lips, took a few steps forward, and softly said, "If she committed suicide by taking poison, I happen to have a prescription that can bring the dead back to life. My master used to be a medical expert in the jianghu and knew many folk remedies."
Lord Su was only concerned about his daughter. Hearing this, he quickly said, "Son-in-law, hurry up and take a look."
This voice... Su Xiaoliu thought about it. It seemed familiar, but the tone was a bit strange.
No, that wasn't the point. What was he going to do?
The sound of footsteps grew closer and closer, and then suddenly stopped.
"Help her sit up first," came the pleasant voice.
Su Xiaoliu felt someone helping her sit up, and then came Lord Su's voice.
"What next?"
The pleasant voice continued, "I'll need to use this silver hairpin to draw a little blood from her wrist later. At the same time, could Father-in-law channel some inner energy into her?" Situ Qianyue pulled out the silver hairpin from his head and curved his rosy diamond-shaped lips.
Draw blood?
Su Xiaoliu's heart raced. Images of blood gushing from her wrist appeared in front of her eyes...
No, no. Father, please don't agree to him!
Su Xiaoliu repeated this in her heart.
"This... isn't it a bit too much?" Lord Su felt a bit reluctant when he heard about drawing blood. He looked up and asked, "Is there any other way?"
Father, you're so kind.
Su Xiaoliu breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yes," Situ Qianyue glanced at Su Xiaoliu. Under Lord Su's hopeful gaze, he slowly said, "First, use acupressure to suppress the spread of the toxin, then turn the person upside down and wait for the toxin to flow back."
"Let's just draw blood," Lord Su said without hesitation.
Su Xiaoliu felt as if a nerve in her brain had snapped. She was certain that this husband was deliberately trying to make things difficult for her. He must have seen through her act of faking death.
Forget it. Drawing a little blood won't kill anyone. She'd just keep pretending to be dead after he was done. Let's see who could outplay whom. As long as she didn't spit out the Red Flower Powder, she'd stay in a state of false death, and no one would be able to tell.
As Su Xiaoliu thought about it, she felt a bit more at ease and wasn't so nervous anymore.
Situ Qianyue let out a soft laugh and said, "Then I'll start."
"Wait a minute," the second wife hesitated and stopped him. She carefully asked, "Have you ever used this method to help others before?"
Situ Qianyue looked at the second wife. His eyes sparkled, and he curved his lips and said, "This is the first time."
Hearing this, Su Xiaoliu was stunned. Her mind went blank...
Was he deliberately trying to make things difficult for her?