PCA Chapter 118

“Outrageous!” The officials surrounded Su Cen protectively. “Our Lord is an official appointed by His Majesty. What do you intend to do?!”

 

Song Fan smiled sincerely. “I just want to invite Lord Su for a meal. What are you doing? Do you also crave the food from our Marquis of Ding’an’s residence? Unfortunately…” He made a playful face at the crowd. “I don’t want to invite you.”

 

“Uncle Song,” Song Fan instructed the butler, “see the guests out.”

 

Soon, several servants from the Marquis’s residence, armed with sticks, surrounded Su Cen and the officials.

 

“What do you want?!” The officials drew their knives, ready for a fight.

 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Song Fan said with a half-raised eyebrow, smiling. “In our Marquis of Ding’an’s residence, we can kill without consequence.”

 

With a wave of his hand, the servants moved closer.

 

Su Cen pursed his lips and spoke. “You all leave first.”

 

“Lord!”

 

“He won’t do anything to me,” Su Cen stepped forward. “Go back and find Lord Zhang; he’ll know what to do.”

 

The officials bit their lips, knowing they were powerless here. Not only were these servants a threat, but Song Fan’s martial skills, which they had witnessed the previous night, could easily handle them all. Staying would only delay Su Cen’s rescue. They gritted their teeth. “Let’s go!”

 

Once everyone had left, Song Fan ordered the servants to close the main gate, declaring the residence closed to visitors for the day. He then smiled at Su Cen. “How does Lord Su know I wouldn’t do anything to you?”

 

Turning to Song Yi, who was still seated in the hall, he asked, “If I accidentally kill Lord Su, would the Iron Certificate protect me?”

 

Song Yi, unconcerned, got up to leave. “Do as you please.”

 

Song Fan turned back to Su Cen with a radiant smile. “So, Lord Su, what shall we play?”

 

Su Cen hadn’t expected that when Song Fan said he wanted to invite him for a meal, he actually meant it.

 

A full table of dishes was laid out, and Su Cen sat opposite Song Fan, who was enjoying the food with relish. Su Cen couldn’t figure out Song Fan’s intentions and remained composed.

 

“Lord Su, eat up. Are you afraid I’ll really kill you?” Song Fan looked up at Su Cen, his eyes full of innocence. “I was joking. How could I bear to harm someone as charming as Lord Su?”

 

After eating for a while and seeing Su Cen still hadn’t touched his chopsticks, Song Fan sighed and put down his own. “You’re hard to please. Since Lord Su doesn’t want to eat, let’s drink instead.”

 

Song Fan ordered several jars of wine to be brought in. He left his seat and approached Su Cen, casually sweeping several dishes off the table to make room for the wine.

 

Su Cen glanced at the dishes on the floor and couldn’t help but frown. The top layer of the dishes looked fine, but underneath was a sight to behold—hair, spoiled rice, and even maggots. Su Cen felt a wave of nausea, grateful he hadn’t touched his chopsticks earlier.

 

Song Fan also noticed the state of the dishes and angrily rebuked, “What’s wrong with these servants? How could they serve such things to Lord Su?”

 

He turned to Su Cen with a smile. “Lord Su, please don’t mind. I’ll discipline them later.” He grabbed two cups. “Let’s drink.”

 

Song Fan poured wine into both cups, but before bringing it to his lips, he paused, frowning and shaking his head. “Drinking like this is too boring. How about a drinking game?”

 

Seemingly struck by an idea, Song Fan left the room with a joyful expression.

 

While he was gone, Su Cen quietly switched the wine cups.

 

When Song Fan returned, he brought two dice cups and a die, which he casually placed in one of the cups after sweeping two more dishes off the table. “They say Lord Su has the eyes of a hawk. Today, I’ll test you. If you can guess which cup has the die, I’ll drink. If you guess wrong, you drink. How about it?”

 

Without waiting for Su Cen’s response, Song Fan began the game, switching the cups back and forth between his hands. The speed wasn’t too fast, and after a moment, he stopped, smiling at Su Cen. “Lord Su, please.”

 

Seeing Su Cen still sitting there, seemingly uninterested in playing along, Song Fan’s expression darkened. “I advise Lord Su not to refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.”

 

Su Cen knew he wasn’t a match for Song Fan in a physical confrontation. He had actually seen where the die was, but he wanted to stall for time. Now, with no choice, Su Cen pointed to the cup closer to him.

 

Song Fan opened the cup, and indeed, there was a die inside. He laughed lightly, not minding at all, and drank the wine in one gulp.

 

They played two more rounds, and Su Cen guessed correctly both times, making Song Fan drink three cups in a row. He couldn’t help but give a bitter smile. “Lord Su, you’re too good at this. No, no, I need to play for real now.”

 

The next round, the cups moved faster, and Su Cen almost lost track, but he still pointed to the cup closer to him, which was within his range of vision.

 

Song Fan suddenly smiled, and when he opened the cup, it was empty!

 

Su Cen’s pupils contracted sharply. Impossible, he had clearly seen the die in that cup!

 

Song Fan didn’t give him time to think, pushing the wine cup towards Su Cen. “Finally, it’s your turn.”

 

The wine was the same, and he had already switched the cups, so there shouldn’t be any problem. Su Cen didn’t dwell on it for long and drank the wine in one gulp.

 

The spicy taste hit his throat, stronger than usual, but otherwise, he felt nothing unusual.

 

“Great drinker!” Song Fan laughed heartily, then covered the dice cups again, shaking them vigorously.

 

For several rounds, Su Cen guessed wrong, even though he was sure he saw the die in the cup he pointed to. After being forced to drink several more cups, he realized Song Fan was cheating.

 

When the next round was about to start, Su Cen pointed to one cup, but before Song Fan could open it, Su Cen said, “I guess the die isn’t in there.”

 

Song Fan was taken aback, then laughed, his peach blossom eyes fixed on Su Cen. “Lord Su, that’s not how you play.”

 

“If I’m not mistaken, this one should be empty too.” Su Cen opened the other cup, and indeed, it was empty.

 

The real die had been in Song Fan’s hand all along.

 

“Lord Su is truly impressive,” Song Fan said, drinking his own cup in one go. “But since you’ve figured it out, it’s not fun anymore. How about… we play something else?”

 

Song Fan pulled out a dagger from behind him, embedding it between Su Cen’s fingers. The cold light of the blade reflected Song Fan’s poisonous smile. “Whoever loses next, cuts off a finger. Are you in?”

 

Su Cen’s face turned pale, sweat beading on his forehead.

 

This Song Fan was a madman, a life-threatening one. Dealing with madmen never ended well, and Su Cen knew this well. He pondered how to escape this situation.

 

After a moment, Su Cen didn’t flinch, picking up the dagger and gently pressing it against Song Fan’s chest. “That’s not fun. How about whoever loses, lets the other stab an inch into their heart? How about that?”

 

To play a game with a madman, one must be madder.

 

Song Fan frowned at the dagger against his chest. “That’s not good. Someone could die.”

 

“You have the Iron Certificate to protect you. If you die, I’ll pay with my life,” Su Cen smiled slightly. “If I die, naturally, someone will come for your life. It’s fair, isn’t it?”

 

Song Fan suddenly burst into laughter, taking the dagger from Su Cen and sheathing it. “I was joking, and you took it seriously. I’m starting to like you more and more.”

 

He refilled both their cups. “Come, Lord Su, let’s drink.”

 

When Qi Lin rushed over in a panic, the two were exchanging cups.

 

Upon hearing that Su Cen was being held, Zhang Jun immediately thought of seeking help from Li Shi. However, Prince Ning was still in the palace, and it would take time for him to leave. Zhang Jun couldn’t barge into the palace to take someone from the young Emperor, so in his urgency, he saw Qi Lin waiting outside the palace for Li Shi to finish court.

 

Zhang Jun quickly explained the situation to Qi Lin, who understood the gravity of the matter. He made a swift decision, leaving a guard at the palace gate to inform Prince Ning of the details once he was out of court, while he himself set off for the Marquis of Ding’an’s residence to retrieve Su Cen.

 

He had no other options, and no one there would give him face. He had to kick open the gates of the Marquis’s residence, fighting his way from the front hall to the back courtyard, where he finally saw the two men, each with a cup, drinking merrily.

 

Upon seeing Qi Lin, Su Cen immediately shook off his drunken demeanor, his eyes becoming exceptionally clear. He walked over to Qi Lin in a few steps.

 

“Are you okay?” Qi Lin asked.

 

Su Cen shook his head. Song Fan seemed genuinely drunk, lying on the table and still waving at Su Cen. “Lord Su, come on, let’s drink more…”

 

Ignoring him, Su Cen followed Qi Lin to leave. After taking just two steps, he suddenly felt a strange sensation rising from his limbs, and his legs gave out, causing him to collapse to the ground.

 

The last thing he saw was Song Fan, holding a wine cup, smiling at him with an inscrutable expression.

 

Li Shi had just left the palace when he received the news, his eyes darkening, freezing the air around him for ten miles, leaving no blade of grass.

 

By the time he returned to the Xingqing Palace, his intimidating aura was at its peak, and those around him didn’t dare to breathe.

 

Li Shi looked at the person lying on the bed, hands and feet tied to the head and foot of the bed, his deep robe soaked with cold sweat, sticking to his body. His hair was disheveled, covering his face, with veins bulging on his neck and forehead, looking as if he had just been pulled from water. His hands and feet had lost color and were still struggling unconsciously, leaving red marks from the ropes.

 

“What happened?” Li Shi asked.

 

“He’s been poisoned,” Qi Lin replied. “We haven’t seen this poison before. The symptoms are like being eaten alive by a hundred insects. We haven’t found an antidote yet.”

 

“Who poisoned him?”

 

“The young Marquis of Ding’an, Song Fan.”

 

Li Shi suppressed his anger. “Then what are you waiting for?”

 

Qi Lin swallowed nervously. “Lord, the Marquis of Ding’an has the Iron Certificate.”

 

Li Shi gave a cold smile. “A piece of broken iron can stop you?!”

 

Qi Lin, holding his sword, accepted the order without another word.

 

After Qi Lin left, Li Shi looked down at the person on the bed and instructed, “Untie him.”

 

The physician beside him, trembling, said, “If we untie him… he might hurt himself.”

 

Prince Ning glanced up sharply. “Untie him!”

 

The servants immediately scrambled to untie the ropes.

 

As soon as he was free, Su Cen curled into a ball, as if trying to crush himself to alleviate the sharp pain in his chest.

 

“Zixu,” Li Shi sat by the bed, pulling Su Cen into his arms. “Zixu, it will be okay.”

 

The person in his arms was trembling, a deep, uncontrollable shiver that seemed to come from his very bones, shaking with pain. Cold sweat continuously seeped from his pores, soon soaking his clothes.

 

Then, Li Shi saw blood slowly trickling from the corner of Su Cen’s lips.

 

Startled, Li Shi forcefully lifted Su Cen’s chin. “Zixu, open your mouth, don’t bite!”

 

Blood continued to flow, and in his urgency, Li Shi dislocated Su Cen’s jaw to prevent him from biting his tongue.

 

This was a technique often used on those who tried to commit suicide by poison, but he never thought he’d have to use it on one of his own.

 

Finally, the tightly clenched tongue relaxed, and a large amount of blood foam spilled from his mouth, instantly staining a large part of his chest red.

 

It was indeed a cruel poison, not immediately fatal but making one wish for death.

 

“Zixu, look at me.” Li Shi gently brushed the wet hair from Su Cen’s face, whispering in his ear. “Look at me.”

 

Whether he truly heard or not, Su Cen slowly opened his eyes, tears streaming down his face, mixing with the blood in his eyes, like weeping blood. Though he couldn’t speak, his eyes clearly conveyed his pain, his suffering, his desire to die.

 

Li Shi leaned down and kissed Su Cen’s sweat-drenched forehead. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here with you.”

 

 

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