TPGA - 77

Chapter 77: Spending the Night

By now, Yunyi understood the origin of the bloodstains on the walls. After a moment of thought, she said, “I remember the previous governor died of illness.”

“Precisely,” Li Shimin replied. “Whether it was truly karma or not, a month after those villagers perished, the governor who ordered the massacre began suffering from nightmares, growing increasingly frail. Eventually, he contracted a terrible illness—his body covered in festering sores, emitting an unbearable stench. The doctors were helpless; his symptoms mirrored those of the villagers he had killed. Fortunately, his illness wasn’t contagious. A month into his sickness, his concubines, daughters, and sons fled with their valuables. When he finally died, not a single family member remained by his side. His body lay unattended for days before being buried in a thin coffin. Later, when my father assumed the post of governor here and learned of his atrocities, he sighed deeply but could do nothing to bring back the dead. He arranged for monks to perform a grand ritual to appease the spirits and erected new tombstones. As for the true cause of their deaths, fearing public outrage, my father chose to continue concealing it. Thus, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know.”

Yunyi sighed sorrowfully. “He deserved his fate, but those innocent people—especially those who weren’t sick—are truly pitiable.”

Li Shimin suddenly asked, “Now that you know this place is haunted by death, are you afraid?”

Yunyi shook her head. “I’ve done nothing to harm them. Even if their spirits linger, I doubt they’d harm us. There’s nothing to fear.”

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, impressed. “You seem delicate and fragile, yet you possess such courage.”

Yunyi smiled faintly. “My father always said that if you live righteously, you needn’t fear midnight ghostly knocks.” Rising, she added, “Second Master, wait here for a moment. I’ll fetch the water pouch and provisions hanging on Qingyun. I recall there’s still some left.”

After Yunyi left, a shadow slipped in through the window. The cold wind blowing in dimmed the firelight momentarily. The figure approached Li Shimin, speaking in a low voice, “Second Master, how severe is your injury? Should I fetch a doctor?”

It was Duan Zhihong. Li Shimin waved him off. “No need. If we call a doctor now, won’t it reveal that you’ve been secretly following us?”

“But—” Before Duan Zhihong could finish, Li Shimin interrupted, “It’s just one night. I can endure. Hurry outside before she notices you.”

Though uneasy, Duan Zhihong had no choice but to retreat and keep watch from outside. After a while, Yunyi returned, carrying not only the items she mentioned but also a cracked earthenware pot. As she drew closer, Li Shimin noticed it contained several brightly colored mushrooms and asked curiously, “Where did these come from?”

“While fetching the things, I found this pot nearby along with some mushrooms. I thought we could make a mushroom soup, so I gathered them,” Yunyi explained as she poured the remaining water from the pouch into the pot.

Li Shimin’s expression turned odd. “You’re really planning to cook with these?”

“Yes. Does Second Master dislike mushrooms?” As she spoke, she placed the pot over the fire, but Li Shimin quickly removed it.

“It’s not that I dislike them—it’s just that eating these might leave us unable to return to the city alive. These are inedible.”

Confused, Yunyi asked, “Why? Are these mushrooms poisonous?”

“Exactly.” Li Shimin’s tone grew serious. “Any brightly colored mushroom is toxic. From what you’ve gathered here, poisoning us to death wouldn’t be difficult.”

Upon hearing this, Yunyi broke into a cold sweat and quickly dumped all the mushrooms outside. Having lived a life of luxury in the palace, where food and clothing were always provided without effort on her part, she had never needed to discern between edible and poisonous mushrooms. Thankfully, Li Shimin recognized them—otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Li Shimin’s gaze flickered as he asked, “Such basic knowledge—didn’t your parents teach you this?” For a village girl, foraging for wild vegetables and mushrooms was commonplace. It was odd that Meixue wouldn’t know such things unless… she wasn’t truly Meixue. His earlier suspicions, which had begun to fade, resurfaced because of this incident.

Yunyi inwardly cursed herself for being so careless and unnecessarily complicating matters by picking those mushrooms. Composing herself, she softly said, “I never had a mother.”

Li Shimin paused, startled. “Your mother… did she pass away?”

Yunyi shook her head and recounted Meixue’s fabricated backstory, forcing a tearful expression. “Though our family was poor, my father loved me deeply. Fearing danger, he never let me go up the mountain alone, so I truly didn’t know these mushrooms were poisonous. Please forgive me, Second Master.”

Li Shimin sighed sympathetically. “I see. Your circumstances are indeed pitiable. It’s rare to have such a loving father. In the future, you must honor and care for him well.”

“My father is my only family—I naturally will serve and care for him. Coming to work at the governor’s mansion was also to ease his burdens.” With that, she handed him the last remaining dry cake. “Second Master, please eat. I’ll fetch some snow to melt for water. As long as we don’t take the bottom layer of snow, it shouldn’t be too dirty.”

With one hand, Li Shimin broke the cake in half. “You should eat some too.” Before Yunyi could protest, he added firmly, “No refusing.”

Seeing no way out, Yunyi accepted the half-cake and murmured, “Thank you, Second Master.”

Not long after placing the pot over the fire, the snow inside melted. After waiting a little longer, bubbles began to rise with a soft “gurgle gurgle.” Lacking bowls or utensils from the house, they drank directly from the earthenware pot. The scalding water warmed their bodies, and though the half-cake wasn’t enough to fill them, it at least eased their hunger. Combined with the hot water, they no longer felt the pangs of starvation.

After finishing the hot water, they each found a spot to lie down and rest. Exhausted from the day’s journey, Li Shimin soon fell into a deep sleep despite the persistent pain in his shoulder.

In the dim glow of the dying fire, Yunyi slowly opened her eyes. The small room left barely three meters between her and Li Shimin, allowing her to clearly hear his steady breathing.

She rose silently, moving like a ghost to his side, coldly staring at his sleeping face. The dagger hidden in her sleeve was ready—just one strike, and Li Shimin’s life would end, avenging Mo Ping.

Such a perfect opportunity—if she let it slip away, it would truly be a waste. Surely… Mo Ping would want her revenge sooner rather than later.