Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven't Arrived - Chapter 10

“I am fine; I am perfectly calm.”

Jiang Qionghua returned to the Prime Minister’s residence alone. As was her routine, she bathed in fragrant waters, closing her eyes as she sank into the swirling mists of steam. Once the exhaustion had begun to lift from her body, she instinctively called out for Ming Yishu to wash her hair.

“Yishu—”

The bath was vast, making the unanswered call sound exceptionally lonely.

Only after the words left her lips did Jiang Qionghua remember that Ji Zijun had taken Ming Yishu away today to treat her injuries; she likely wouldn’t return tonight.

For six years, Ming Yishu had never left her sight. This sudden absence was unsettling.

“Someone, go to Ji Zijun’s place and bring Ming Yishu back to the Prime Minister’s residence,” Jiang Qionghua commanded after stepping out of the bath, unwilling to let Ming Yishu spend the night elsewhere. “Go now, and return quickly.”

Bolu replied with some hesitation, “Prime Minister, Miss Ming has just been treated with medicine at Ji Zijun’s. She should be resting tonight. If the travel causes her wounds to reopen, all our efforts might be for naught.”

“It didn’t hit any vital spots; she isn’t that fragile.” Jiang Qionghua’s chronic headaches were acting up, making her irritable. Only Ming Yishu’s presence could suppress the fire in her heart, so she insisted on her return. “She cannot be away from me, and I will not let her stay out overnight.”

Jiang Qionghua loathed the feeling of losing control. She harbored secrets and feared that before she could destroy all evidence, Ming Yishu would discover the truth of what happened years ago. After all, there were many with ulterior motives, and those wishing to sabotage her lurked in the shadows, impossible to fully guard against.

Bolu did not dare disobey and hurried off to retrieve her.

While waiting, Jiang Qionghua went to her study. A secret guard arrived to report that they had found clues regarding the arson at the Imperial Prison a few days ago; a prisoner had supposedly witnessed the scene of the crime.

Jiang Qionghua kept her eyes downcast, her voice as still as deep water. “Pry his mouth open. He must confess exactly who started that fire. Whoever indirectly harmed my person… I will make them regret being alive.”

The guard further reported that following Yang Bofu’s death, several veteran officials were becoming restless and had begun plotting in the shadows.

In truth, Jiang Qionghua gained no advantage from killing Yang Bofu at that time; it even brought unnecessary trouble. Pushing those people to the brink risked a desperate, “fish-dies-and-net-splits” retaliation.

Jiang Qionghua had known this, yet she had still gone to the prison that night.

She blamed Ming Yishu for arguing with her over Yang Bofu that day. It had left her so restless she couldn’t sleep, leaving her no choice but to vent her frustrations at the prison.

The mere mention of the incident sparked her anger, but fortunately, Ming Yishu had later apologized in time and even shielded her from a falling timber. This had softened the tension between them.

“Investigate the arsonist thoroughly. I’ll give you a few hours—get the answers before dawn,” Jiang Qionghua could not bring herself to blame Ming Yishu, so she directed her fury toward her enemies. She added, “Since you’ve found a witness, don’t waste time. Use torture if necessary.”

When Ming Yishu woke up, her chest throbbed with a dull ache. This pain had followed her for many years, recurring every few days, but recently, the episodes had become increasingly frequent.

She propped herself up and realized Ji Zijun had brought her to a secret room. It was silent here; even the sounds of conversation outside were muffled.

Ming Yishu felt her way through the darkness. Turning a corner, she saw an entire wall covered densely with blades.

Even sheathed, the wall of weapons emitted a chilling, metallic glint in the dim room. For a moment, it made her skin crawl. These blades were of all kinds, mostly short swords about half an arm’s length. Some were battered while others were crude; clearly, they weren’t the collection of a connoisseur.

Not daring to linger, Ming Yishu quickened her pace toward the exit. The voices outside grew clearer, and she recognized Bolu’s voice.

“The Prime Minister has sent me to take Miss Ming back.” Bolu had been waiting for some time and could wait no longer. “The matter is urgent; the Prime Minister is waiting. Please hand her over quickly, or the Prime Minister will be displeased.”

Ji Zijun clearly didn’t want to let her go. She had offered various excuses, but seeing she could delay no further, she turned back to find Ming Yishu.

The door to the secret room opened from the outside. Ji Zijun entered alone, looking surprised to see Ming Yishu awake.

“The Prime Minister sent someone for you.”

Ming Yishu nodded, preparing to leave.

Ji Zijun stopped her, lowering her voice. “Someone in the prison saw you at the scene of the fire. The Prime Minister has taken that person for interrogation today. If you go back tonight, I fear you will face her wrath.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Since Ming Yishu had done it, she knew there would be consequences, yet she chose to trust Jiang Qionghua. “Auntie won’t truly punish me. Don’t worry.”

“Do not let her suspect you,” Ji Zijun cautioned, as she always did. “If she doubts you, tell her it was my doing. Do not take all the blame upon yourself.”

Ming Yishu did not respond.

It wasn’t a silent agreement. She simply didn’t promise.

As they parted, Ji Zijun noticed her furrowed brows and urged, “Do not take your heart ailment lightly. Do you have enough medicine? Take it on schedule and keep it with you at all times. Do not neglect yourself.”

Ming Yishu only had one bottle of medicine left. Though it would last for a while, she found it difficult to ask for more now that she knew the true extent of Ji Zijun’s medical prowess.

In the past, her teacher had never disclosed the origin of that medicine. She had assumed it was purchased from some medical clinic, never imagining that the woman had refined it with her own hands. Each batch must have taken a long time to prepare. Ming Yishu thought to herself that she would wait until her teacher was less busy before bringing it up again.

She truly hadn’t brought the medicine with her. Perhaps because of the succession of injuries she had sustained recently, the pain in her chest had been exceptionally severe during these latest episodes.

Ming Yishu returned to the residence quickly, heading straight to her own sleeping quarters to search for the stored medicine bottle.

At that same moment, Jiang Qionghua received the news.

—The arson at the Imperial Prison truly was connected to Ming Yishu.

Agitated, Jiang Qionghua hurled the book in her hand to the floor. “And to think I actually felt sorry for her injured arm that day… it turns out it was all a calculated act for my benefit.”

The secret guard asked in a state of trepidation, “Shall I eliminate—”

Jiang Qionghua grew even more irritated. “Shut up. Since when was it your place to speculate on my intentions?”

She pressed her fingers against her cheekbone while the knuckles of her other hand rapped against the tabletop. Her brow was knit tight in distress. After a long silence, she spoke: “I do not believe that prisoner’s words. A man on the verge of death actually dares to deceive me.”

Whether it was a deception or not, she had already made up her mind, yet the conclusion was one she was unwilling to face no matter what.

Jiang Qionghua added, “Handle the crime of deception as you see fit.”

The secret guard didn’t dare say another word and withdrew silently.

“Bolu, has Ming Yishu returned? Tell her to come see me.” Jiang Qionghua didn’t fly into a rage immediately after all. Remembering how the girl had blocked an arrow for her today, she still felt a flicker of touched emotion. Harboring a shred of hope, Jiang Qionghua changed her mind: “Never mind. She is still injured. I will go find her myself.”

Bolu was terrified and unsettled when he heard this news upon his return. He didn’t dare say much, only following Jiang Qionghua silently to find her.

“I won’t fall for it,” Jiang Qionghua muttered, her heart stifled with frustration as she walked. “Surely someone is restless and persistent, intentionally using these words to smear her and provoke me into doubting her.”

Bolu’s forehead was drenched in sweat; he dared neither to nod nor to disagree.

The Prime Minister was far too suspicious by nature. Having finally found someone she was willing to let her guard down for and trust, she absolutely could not stomach even a hint of betrayal.

All along the way, Jiang Qionghua tried to find excuses for Ming Yishu, weighing one reason after another:

“There are so many noble ladies in the capital; why would someone in a prison happen to recognize her?”

“The fire was so sudden and the situation so chaotic; it’s highly probable they misidentified her.”

“They are just a bunch of dim-sighted prisoners. Even if Ming Yishu stood before them now, they wouldn’t recognize her as the same person.”

Bolu, breaking into a cold sweat, took a risk to advise her: “Prime Minister, perhaps you should calm your mind before seeing Miss Ming.”

Jiang Qionghua might not have realized it herself, but Bolu saw it clearly: when their Prime Minister was truly enraged, she was capable of acts of extreme tyranny. If she didn’t rein in her fury in time, it would be disastrous if Ming Yishu were caught in the crossfire.

Inevitably, she would regret it later.

“I am fine. There isn’t a single thing wrong with me. I can hear what you’re implying—that I’m not being rational. I am perfectly rational.” Jiang Qionghua’s pace quickened, her tone turning harsh and her speech more rapid. “I am as calm as can be. I am going to ask her myself.”

Bolu knew she was already troubled tonight, and with this incident piled on top, there would likely be no peace for the rest of the night.

It would be best if the Prime Minister didn’t see anyone tonight; perhaps by the time she woke tomorrow, the matter could be resolved more easily.

“Prime Minister, Miss Ming is still carrying injuries. Why not wait until daybreak to see her?” Bolu continued to urge. “Have you forgotten? A few days ago, because things happened at night, you went to the prison and didn’t rest the entire night.”

Had her emotions not spiraled out of control, she wouldn’t have been so enraged as to truly harbor murderous intent toward Yang Bofu.

By the time Jiang Qionghua snapped out of her thoughts, she was already standing at the door to Ming Yishu’s quarters. She knew clearly that not seeing her tonight might prevent her from hurting the girl, but since she had already come this far, it was impossible to turn back.

“I…” She sighed, talking to herself. “Very well. I will only go in to see how her injuries are. We shall speak of today’s matters tomorrow.”

Support Waiting for You for a Long Time, But You Haven’t Arrived