I Was Sold to My Mortal Enemy (Double Transmigrations) - Chapter 69

Shi Mo and Bai Jingxiao stayed with Xiao Liu for five days before returning to Xiangshan Village. After the firearms warehouse was blown up, Xie Yu sent Qin Yue to bring a dozen craftsmen to rebuild it.

Baili Qing originally thought that Liu Ling could still be of some use, but he didn’t expect to sacrifice her life in vain. After they withdrew their troops, Dayu didn’t hold on. Although they could take a breather, it was still a tense situation. They always felt like a sword was hanging over their heads.

After the Xirong and the Nanyi were defeated, Pei Xing in Xizhou integrated the territory of Xirong into Rongcheng. Things were mostly sorted out, and he clearly explained all the affairs, entrusting the remaining matters to Zhao Hong.

Xie Yu sent an envoy to Beidi to seek peace. Following Pei Xing’s strategy, they established several schools in Beidi’s territory to educate people with Dayu’s knowledge. Simultaneously, a group of troops was stationed in Beidi’s territory to encourage those willing to immigrate to Dayu, offering ten years of tax exemptions. Many Beidi people who were struggling signed up for the opportunity.

Baili Qing couldn’t sleep well for several days and nights upon hearing this news. However, attacking Dayu without looking at their own strength would be like striking an egg against a stone. After careful consideration, the only viable path was to seek peace. To show their sincerity, Baili Qing personally traveled to Nanzhou City to meet Pei Zhengchen.

To his surprise, Pei Zhengchen had no intention of seeking peace. Instead, he arrested Baili Qing and sent 3,000 troops to mercilessly slaughter all the Nanyi royal soldiers. This made Baili Qing so enraged that he even vomited blood, condemning Pei Zhengchen as despicable and shameless.

Pei Zhengchen kicked him and sneered, “Despicable? I’m afraid I can’t match your despicability. You initiated a war with the intent of dividing our nation, causing the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Nanzhou, and then sought peace. Such a cheap offer won’t be entertained. From now on, the people of Nanyi will serve my Dayu as slaves and maids for generations to come.”

Pei Zhengchen took ruthless measures, sparing no relatives of the Nanyi royal family, and the remaining people became official slaves.

He ordered Dayu citizens to settle in Nanyi, offering them tax exemptions and corvee relief for twenty years. These generous benefits attracted numerous people, leading to a massive migration to Nanyi.

People who were willing to come were organized into groups for resettlement, with villages renamed. Renovation efforts began to repair the particularly damaged houses, making them habitable.

For those who could afford it and wanted to live in the capital, houses were available for purchase at prices much lower than in Dayu. News of these opportunities attracted businessmen, and the houses sold quickly.

Later, the imperial court transferred officials to manage the newly established Yicheng, formerly the capital of Nanyi. Construction and administrative matters were delegated to the new officials.

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An accident happened when Pei Zhengchen deployed troops to transfer Nanyi slaves to various counties. Qin Yue led a team as supports to attend to their needs, particularly the ill among them.

One of the children was gravely unwell, and Qin Yue brought the child into the shelter. Unexpectedly, the child pulled out a concealed dagger and stabbed Qin Yue twice, causing considerable deep wound on his stomach.

Qin Yue returned the child to the slave quarters. However, the following day, he developed severe symptoms, including a headache, nausea, and loss of appetite. The wound on his abdomen continued to throb. It became apparent that he had been poisoned. When attempts were made to locate the child, they found the child had taken their own life.

Qin Yue was uncertain which poison they used, and by the third day, he had a high fever and fell into a coma. Fearing the worst, others hurried to Xiangshan County to request guidance and send messengers to Xie Yu.

Zhou Yan and Song Ning, deeply concerned for Qin Yue, used all the Huiming Pills they had. After hearing the bad news, Shi Mo provided all the remaining pills from Pei Xing’s collection and rushed them to the county.

Once he arrived at the hospital, Shi Mo found Qin Yue unconscious on a small bed. His abdominal wound had become infected, oozing pus and blood. In a hurry Shi Mo presented the medicines to a doctor at the clinic.

The doctor, after seeing the medicines that Shi Mo had brought, became enthusiastic. They prepared a decoction by combining the four great pills and used red blood powder to make an ointment.

After cleaning the pus and blood on Qin Yue’s body, the medical team applied fresh ointment and administered a new dose of medicine. Within two hours of taking the medicine, his condition significantly improved, and his fever subsided.

Shi Mo sighed with relief but was suddenly struck by the sight of a red butterfly-shaped birthmark on Qin Yue’s chest. His eyes widened in shock, and he stood frozen in place. Onlookers noticed something was amiss and called out to him.

Shi Mo snapped back to reality, took a few steps forward, and knelt down to examine the birthmark on Qin Yue’s chest closely. While Shi Yi and the others were too young to remember, Shi Mo vividly recalled his father teasing Xiao He about being a butterfly in a past life and even showing him the butterfly birthmark on his chest.

He couldn’t have remembered such an important detail incorrectly. When Xiao He was lost, his father had grieved for days on end. As time passed and the search proved fruitless, he gradually given up and moved on with life.

These memories overwhelmed Shi Mo, and he couldn’t help but shed tears. Song Ning and Zhou Yan assumed his tears were due to Qin Yue’s injury and didn’t think much of it.

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After several days of waiting, Xie Yu and Pei Xing arrived in Xiangshan County together.

Shi Mo called Shi Yi aside, shared his theory, and informed him about the discovery of the birthmark.

Shi Yi was overwhelmed with excitement and immediately rushed to Qin Yue without hesitation. He removed Qin Yue’s clothes and, upon spotting the red butterfly birthmark on his chest, stood frozen in disbelief, his hands trembling with emotion.

It was beyond their expectations that the long-lost second brother had been with them all these years, yet they had never realized.

Qin Yue, who had just woken up, was bewildered by Shi Yi’s convulsions. He thought that despite being married for over a decade, this shuanger hadn’t matured and was still acting like a child.

Qin Yue was about to speak when a sudden fit of coughing overcame him.

Shi Yi quickly patted his back and exclaimed, “Second brother, be careful.”

Qin Yue froze and gazed at Shi Yi, asking, “What did you just call me?”

“Second brother. You are my long-lost second brother,” Shi Yi explained excitedly, “My eldest brother told me that our second brother also has the red butterfly birthmark on his chest, and the location is exactly the same.”

Qin Yue fell into silence. Shi Yi had more to say, but Pei Xing, who had been eavesdropping at the door for some time, pulled him away.

Xie Yu entered the room, saw Qin Yue deep in thought, and sat down beside him, gently wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief. He had overheard the conversation and, seeing that Qin Yue wasn’t ready to speak, he chose not to press him.

“When you’re feeling better, I’ll take you back to the palace for your recovery.” Xie Yu told him.

Qin Yue did not reject Xie Yu’s idea and began asking unrelated questions. “Was Your Majesty happy when you found your lost brother?”

“Of course, I was overjoyed. But why do you insist on calling me ‘Your Majesty’? That’s so unfamiliar,” Xie Yu replied with a smile. “Don’t think too much for now. Just focus on getting better.”

Qin Yue had been very young when he got lost, with fragmented memories of wandering with an old beggar. His next clear memory was Xie Yu rescuing him.

Back then, his sole aspiration was to become stronger so he could protect Xie Yu. He hadn’t considered the possibility of having other relatives, assuming they were long gone. The sudden reappearance of his brothers left him feeling bewildered.

Others could sense his discomfort, and Shi Mo and the rest refrained from pressuring him to acknowledge his newly discovered relatives. They shared the news with Shi Wu, who had accompanied Xiao Liu to Xiangshan County.

As soon as Xiao Liu arrived and seeing Shi Yi, Xiao Liu enthusiastically hugged him.

Shi Yi pinched Xiao Liu’s cheek and asked, “Do you like your fourth brother?”

Blushing, Xiao Liu whispered, “Fourth brother is very good to me.”

Seeing this, Shi Yi was relieved, the young couple indeed had a strong bond. Shi Wu, in turn, was cautious but relieved upon seeing Shi Yi’s positive response.

Shi Wu had always thought of Xiao Liu since they were separated. Now that they were reunited, he held Xiao Liu protectively in his palm and taking care of his every needs.

Shi Yi, feeling at ease, watched them with satisfaction. But it was Shi Wu’s cautious nature that occasionally gave him a headache.

Xiao Liu blushed and whispered something in Shi Yi’s ear, causing Shi Yi’s heart to race.

“Wait a minute, Xiao Liu! You’re only eighteen. You’re too young for this. Let’s go.” Shi Yi exclaimed as he hurried them to the hospital.

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After learning of the news, the onlookers offered their blessings with warm smiles.

Shi Wu couldn’t help but notice his third brother’s weird smile, reminded him of the cruel general who tormented him back then.