jdhmnovel Chapter 115 The Female General Who Did Not Love Makeup (20)
Chapter 115 The Female General Who Did Not Love Makeup (20)
Hearing this, Zhou Ying felt even more heartbroken. "Tell your mother the truth, where did you get that bowl of medicine from?"
"A wandering monk gave it to me!"
"Did he give you an antidote for this poison?"
"No! He told me when he gave it to me that there is no antidote for this potent medicine!"
After Xia Wei managed to say those words, he felt a metallic taste in his throat and immediately spat them out.
This sight terrified Zhou Ying. She hurriedly tried to call a doctor, but Xia Wei stopped her.
"Mother, it's no use! The doctor can't save me. I knew it from the moment she forced poison into my throat!"
"My son, how could you be so foolish! You should have been more discreet about this!"
Even now, Zhou Ying still feels that Xia Wei did nothing wrong; she just feels sorry for him for not being thorough enough in his work, which led Xia Mingwei to discover the truth.
Xia Wei lay on the bed, crying, "Mother, I'm in this half-dead state because of that bitch! We can't let her get away with this, Mother, you must avenge me!"
Xia Wei finally made that request to Zhou Ying.
Zhou Ying nodded repeatedly with tears in her eyes. She held Xia Wei's hand and said, "You should get well first. I'll do whatever you say!"
Xia Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief after receiving the promise. He felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders and lay back down on the bed.
His eyes were fixed on the bed curtains, his mind preoccupied. He knew that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this would likely be his life forever.
Although he was the one who started the bad idea, he still couldn't bear the consequences.
He thought that since he had already gone this far, he would make sure that Xia Mingwei, the culprit, would not get away with it.
But as Zhou Ying said, this plan cannot be rushed; it must be carried out slowly.
After a long pause, Xia Wei finally spoke, "Mother, I've been unconscious for so many days, please tell me about the situation outside!"
It would have been better if this matter hadn't been brought up, because as soon as this upsetting thing was mentioned, Zhou Ying felt like she was filled with anger.
"You missed a good opportunity to change your identity last time. At the victory celebration banquet, that wretched girl already revealed her true identity!"
Having said that, Zhou Ying wished she had never given birth to this wretched daughter.
Why can't she think about her brother's feelings? Giving this honor to her brother would be the best way to get the benefits! Why is a girl so stubborn?
They should restore her status and let Xia Wei uphold the family's reputation. Having a brother of high status would ensure a good marriage for her in the future!
But now, she has ruined all of that.
"So it seems everyone already knows she's a woman! Bringing up the idea of changing her identity back will only make her a laughingstock!"
"Now that your identities are out in the open, everyone in the capital knows that I sent her to the battlefield for you! These past two days, I've heard people cursing me everywhere I go! Think about it, when have I ever suffered like this before!"
Overwhelmed with emotion, Zhou Ying even shed a few tears.
She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief and continued, "If you don't wake up soon, I really don't know what I'll do!"
"Mother, after our identities were exposed, did the Emperor say anything?"
Seeing that the conversation was about to veer off course again, Xia Wei felt it necessary to interrupt Zhou Ying's irrelevant remarks and steered the topic back on track.
Zhou Ying sighed, "The Emperor didn't blame her at all! He even promoted her to an official position in the Ministry of Works, making an exception for her!"
At this point, Zhou Ying was unsure whether to be happy that the emperor hadn't punished their family, or angry that Xia Mingwei had received this reward.
"She's a woman, and she's received such a reward. If she were a man, she probably would have received even more!" Xia Wei said, coughing as he spoke.
If the emperor heard this, he'd probably roll his eyes. His interest in Xia Mingwei was entirely due to her abilities and skills, and had absolutely nothing to do with whether she was a man or a woman!
If he were just a man, would it be worth him going to such lengths to win people's hearts? He's not stupid; the money in the national treasury doesn't grow on trees, and he can't just spend it however he wants.
It's only because of talented young people like Xia Mingwei that he deserves his respect. After all, his empire still relies on people like her!
After learning the situation, Xia Wei fell silent for a long time.
Previously, his desertion and Xia Mingwei's entry into the military camp as a woman were both considered weaknesses for both of them. But now that Xia Mingwei has brought this fact to light, he is at a loss for what to do.
It seems that the methods we thought of before are no longer applicable, and we have to look for new ones!
During the few days they discussed and deliberated, Xia Mingwei enjoyed a few peaceful days.
But she knew that something was definitely amiss. Even though Zhou Ying and Xia Wei hadn't been causing trouble these past few days, they were definitely up to something! Who knew what underhanded methods they were planning to use against Xia Mingwei!
As the saying goes, the night before the storm is often calm.
She understood this principle well, so she put in her best effort and planned to deal with it properly.
She worked at the Ministry of Works during the day and pondered things at night, hoping to achieve something. Soon, a whole host of novel inventions emerged.
The Emperor was overjoyed by such efficiency. This Xia Mingwei had clearly lived up to his expectations. His efforts to overcome all opposition and grant her an official position to serve the country had not been in vain!
Now, let's see who dares to say that he was blinded by Xia Mingwei's beauty and was a useless, incompetent ruler! You must know that he was determined to become an emperor for all ages!
This situation was something even the old fogies in the court hadn't anticipated. After all, she had achieved in a few months what others had accomplished in several years—who would believe it if word got out!
They had previously expressed reservations about Xia Mingwei's female identity, but now that she had achieved so much, they had no choice but to swallow their words. After all, in this imperial court, strength was the deciding factor!
This situation only made Zhou Ying and Xia Wei more anxious. After all, the higher Xia Mingwei climbed, the harder she became to control! Once she reached a position of power and influence, a place they would all have to look up to, it would be much more difficult to take revenge on her!
Perhaps Xia Mingwei doesn't even need to lift a finger; she only needs to open her eyes, and plenty of people will be willing to get rid of Zhou Ying and Xia Wei, those two troublesome people, for her!
After all, who would want to put danger in front of them every day, given that their mother and brother are always looking out for their lives?
Adhering to the principle that "every man for himself," the two decided to take action against Xia Mingwei as soon as possible.