The Salted Fish Has Gotten Over It Chapter 101

Chapter 101:

With thousands of troops charging forward, the situation instantly turned chaotic.

With reinforcements arriving, the advantage was lost. Su Feiyue, no longer calm, quickly returned to the palace.

Marquis Anping followed closely behind. Suddenly, a long arrow flew from a distance, shot by Jiang Qingliang, who was much further back and carrying Jiang Juan. The arrow struck Marquis Anping, knocking him off his horse!

Jiang Juan: “…”

That’s some impressive dynamic vision!

But he wasn’t surprised. After all, Jiang Qingliang’s archery skills were mentioned in the original plot, even capable of striking an enemy’s head in a sea of a million soldiers.

“Your Highness, I’ve retuned Brother Juan to you!”

Jiang Qingliang, itching to join the fight, pushed Jiang Juan forward. Jiang Juan was startled and immediately fell into a very familiar embrace.

A strong hand gripped his waist firmly. Jiang Juan, still wet, was completely covered by the other’s robe. He touched the hand at his waist and said, “Your Highness…”

Xue Fangli lowered his gaze, “In the future, must I keep you attached to me, never leaving my side?”

Jiang Juan, still feeling wronged, replied, “Is it my fault? I just went to cool off, and when I came back, I was locked up.”

Xue Fangli lowered his head, inhaling Jiang Juan’s sweet scent. His anger and restlessness slowly calmed down. He lifted Jiang Juan’s chin and kissed him fiercely.

Given the situation, the kiss was brief, but it was enough to bring Xue Fangli’s heart some peace.

Jiang Juan leaned in closer to Xue Fangli, nuzzling against him like a small animal. His unease finally dissipated in this moment.

Not long after, Jiang Sentao reported, “Your Highness, the rebels have all been subdued. Marquis Anping has been captured, but the Prince Consort has fled into the palace…”

“He’s taken the Emperor hostage!”

Xue Fangli nodded, dismounted, and helped Jiang Juan down as well.

Inside the main hall, Su Feiyue held a dagger to Emperor Hongxing’s neck.

“Drop your weapons! Take another step, and the Emperor dies!”

Despite being cornered, Su Feiyue’s demeanor was as composed as ever, his attire slightly disheveled but his posture unchanged.

To Xue Fangli, the Emperor’s life or death was inconsequential, but he couldn’t allow the Emperor to be killed just like that. He clicked his tongue lightly as Jiang Juan tugged at his sleeve.

Xue Fangli glanced over, seeing Jiang Juan’s disapproval. He had to reluctantly restrain himself a bit.

Their interaction did not go unnoticed by Su Feiyue. He smiled slightly, “Your Highness and the Crown Prince Consort truly share deep affection.”

Xue Fangli had no interest in exchanging words with him and simply said, “Prince Consort, you are a smart man. There is no escape for you now. Instead of wasting effort, you should surrender early.”

“Just now, Your Highness made me understand something,” Su Feiyue smiled, “Until the last moment, no one knows what will happen.”

Xue Fangli nodded, “Indeed.” Jiang Sentao and Gu Yunzhi, both friends of Su Feiyue, were pained to see him like this. Gu Yunzhi asked, “Brother Su, what is all this for?”

Jiang Sentao added, “Why go this far?”

Su Feiyue merely smiled, “I only wish to create a Peach Blossom Spring. What’s wrong with that?”

“Grother Gu aside, but you, Brother Jiang,” Su Feiyue shook his head, “The Emperor has treated your family this way, yet you bear no grudge. Truly—” “—a magnanimous heart.”

Jiang Sentao was stunned. That day, Su Feiyue had talked to him about Jiang Qingmei, and he hadn’t thought much of it. But now, recalling it, he sensed something amiss, “So that day, you were probing my attitude.”

Su Feiyue only smiled, “Too bad. The Crown Prince Consort has made His Highness change too much, and Brother Jiang loosened up. That’s why I say, guilt is insignificant.”

Jiang Qingmei’s matter was a permanent scar in Jiang Sentao’s heart. “If I had been in the capital then, I wouldn’t have let things turn out like this!”

Su Feiyue smiled again, but his expression changed in the next moment.

“Feiyue! Feiyue—!”

Xue Fuying hurried in, looking extremely haggard, “Why did you do this? Why?”

“Fuying…”

Su Feiyue called her softly, smiling, “I have my own ambitions too.”

“When I recited ‘The Peach Blossom Spring’ to you, didn’t you also like it very much?”

“But the person you’ve taken hostage is my brother!”

Su Feiyue apologized, “I’m sorry.”

Xue Fuying, tears streaming down her face, pleaded, “Don’t struggle anymore, surrender.”

Su Feiyue smiled gently, “What about my Peach Blossom Spring?”

“Think of me, why don’t you think of me.”

Xue Fuying sobbed uncontrollably.

“How did she get here?”

Xue Fangli frowned. The guard who had followed Xue Fuying whispered, “The Eldest Princess insisted on coming to persuade the Prince Consort upon hearing that he was cornered and had taken the Emperor hostage.”

Xue Fangli acknowledged with a sound, uninterested in the scene, but Xue Fuying’s continuous crying and Su Feiyue’s dagger pressing against the Emperor finally tested his patience, “Aunt, step back. No need to waste words with him.”

“Bring Marquis Anping up.”

Following his order, Marquis Anping was shoved into the hall, forced to the ground.

Having once been full of ambition, Marquis Anping now looked like he had rolled in the dirt, covered in dust, with an arrow still lodged in his shoulder, blood-stained and pale from pain, almost fainting.

Seeing Xue Fangli, Marquis Anping mustered his strength, “You bastard!”

Xue Fangli smiled faintly, motioning for a guard to hand him a long sword, “If I were you, I’d shut my mouth right now.”

Gripping the sword, Xue Fangli slowly approached Marquis Anping, tapping his face with the blade.

“I’m a bastard, and what are you?”

Xue Fangli continued, “No name of your own, no life of your own, hating for over twenty years, only to end up with nothing. Pathetic, isn’t it?”

Pathetic…

Marquis Anping closed his eyes tightly. The sword’s tapping wasn’t forceful but deeply humiliating. He gritted his teeth, “Kill me if you want, no need to humiliate me repeatedly!”

Xue Fangli sighed regretfully, “My wife is too strict; he forbids me from killing anyone.”

Marquis Anping: “You——“. He suddenly grunted in pain.

The arrow embedded in his shoulder was twisted slowly by Xue Fangli’s precise fingers. The pain was excruciating, causing Marquis Anping to break out in a cold sweat.

“Prince Consort, although your nephew is not your biological nephew and quite dim-witted, you have been very concerned for him, repeatedly pleading with me on his behalf. If that’s the case—” Xue Fangli continued coldly, “—if you do not release the Emperor, I will have to use your nephew as leverage.”

Su Feiyue remained indifferent, “Why would I care about his life or death?”

“Is that so?”

Xue Fangli smiled, clapping his hands lightly. Guards stepped forward at his command, and Xue Fangli said slowly, “Remove Marquis Anping’s eyes and sever his hands!”

Su Feiyue asked, “Your Highness, are you not afraid I’ll harm the Emperor?”

Xue Fangli’s smile remained, “Prince Consort, what do you think?”

As he finished speaking, he suddenly exerted force, pulling the arrow from Marquis Anping’s shoulder with a horrifying screech. Blood gushed from the wound as the guards forced Anping’s head back, holding him still for Xue Fangli’s blade.

Marquis Anping stared wide-eyed as the blade gleamed menacingly. The intense pain in his shoulder was overwhelming, and an enormous fear engulfed him. Unable to bear it any longer, he finally broke down.

“Uncle! Uncle—!”

“Uncle, save me!”

Su Feiyue’s grip on the dagger tightened. Despite his unchanging expression, his hand trembled slightly. Seeing this, Xue Fangli nodded to the guards.

The long sword was raised high, ready to strike— “Stop!”

Su Feiyue closed his eyes slowly, and with a clang, he dropped the dagger.

He had surrendered.

Jiang Juan breathed a sigh of relief.

Was it over now?

But things were far from finished.

Su Feiyue was subdued, and Gu Puwang seemed to have noticed something. He stepped forward, probing Su Feiyue’s face with his fingers before abruptly tearing off a mask!

“You… Qi Xiuran!?”

Jiang Sentao was astonished.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

Xue Fuying had somehow picked up the dagger, and with a loud thud, she plunged it into Emperor Hongxing’s heart!

“Brother, I hate you, I hate you so much!”

“It was you who killed my Feiyue—!”

Tears fell one by one as Xue Fuying’s face was splattered with blood. She cried, “My Feiyue, he was so good, he had so many ambitions, so many things he wanted to do…”

To this day, Xue Fuying remembered the piercing pain in her heart.

After the evidence was destroyed, Su Feiyue fell into a deep depression. One day, when Xue Fuying visited him again, Su Feiyue was refreshed, lying on a tree branch, reading a book.

In his dazed state, he seemed to have returned to the scholar of the past, but his demeanor had changed from the former arrogance to one of determination.

“Fuying, I’ve made up my mind.”

Su Feiyue sat up, smiling at her, “I can’t remain in despair any longer. I must cleanse the world and still marry Princess Shang. There are too many things I want to do. If it takes a day, a year, or even ten years, I have the time.”

At that moment, Xue Fuying looked up and softly agreed, “Alright.”

She thought, truly, he was her scholar.

He had the broadest heart in the world and grand ambitions. She would accompany him in all he wished to achieve.

That night, Su Feiyue and Xue Fuying talked about the Five Willow Gentleman and the beauty of the Peach Blossom Spring. They talked late into the night, Su Feiyue brimming with ambition and dreams.

But the next day, Xue Fuying received the tragic news.

— Su Feiyue was gravely injured.

Xue Fuying rushed over. Despite the presence of Jiangnan’s renowned physician, who was visiting, Su Feiyue’s condition was so severe that the physician only shook his head and suggested preparing for the worst.

Xue Fuying couldn’t understand.

Just the day before, he was well and talking about having all the time in the world. How had things come to this?

She was devastated, her heart aching. Su Feiyue was in so much pain that he could barely speak, his grip on her hand weakening. He wept, “Fuying, there are so many things I haven’t done.”

“Fuying, I don’t want to die.”

Su Feiyue kept calling her name, “Fuying, Fuying…”

Each call shattered Xue Fuying’s heart.

Despite her unwillingness and regret, Su Feiyue passed away, his eyes filled with tears. Xue Fuying trembled as she closed his eyes, his face stained with blood tears.

Here is the translation with a focus on capturing the essence of the original text in natural English:

—

Her Feiyue has too many grievances.

Her Feiyue has too many regrets.

For his grievances, she vowed to seek justice for him, and for his regrets, she promised to make amends.

Xue Fuying made up her mind.

Su Feiyue had died as a result of revenge.

The case had ended with Emperor Hongxing burning the evidence. The emperor’s indulgence was as obvious as could be, leading to Su Feiyue being avenged and losing his life in the process.

The revenge was carried out in utmost secrecy. Su Feiyue had died quietly and without fanfare. Xue Fuying arranged his posthumous affairs, burying him on Qiulu Mountain, and then turned her attention to someone saved by Bai Xuechao.

The man claimed his name was Qi Xiuran and that his wife had been captured by the emperor.

First Su Feiyue, then Xue Fuying—two consecutive events had shocked everyone.

Until Chief Steward Wang’s voice rang out, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty—!”

The hall descended into chaos.

The guards attempted to restrain Xue Fuying, but she still held a dagger, stabbing Emperor Hongxing repeatedly, almost as if she had gone mad. Her face was splattered with blood, making her look terrifying.

“It’s all your fault, all your fault!”

“Royal Brother, how many people have you harmed in your life!?”

The guards hurried to subdue her, but Xue Fuying continued to struggle. Soon, Xue Fuying’s hairpins fell from her disheveled hair, and Jiang Juan glanced down, finding them oddly familiar.

The hairpin was engraved with a small bird.

The pattern seemed somewhat recognizable.

Where had he seen it before?

Jiang Juan tried to recall.

In the final moments of her struggle, Xue Fuying ran out of strength. She lay on the ground with her hair in disarray, no longer the madwoman she had been earlier, slowly regaining her composure.

She had killed her royal brother.

She had avenged Feiyue.

The years of hatred and longing dissolved in that moment. Looking at her blood-stained hands, Xue Fuying was left with only bewilderment and emptiness.

What next?

What was she supposed to do now?

Peach Blossom Spring.

Yes, she still needed to create a Peach Blossom Spring for Feiyue.

“Eldest Princess, you really are…”

The face was torn off, revealing another person’s face. Su Feiyue was no longer Su Feiyue, and even the slowest person could immediately understand what was happening.

Jiang Sentao was still in shock that Qi Xiuran was alive, while Gu Yunzhi mournfully said, “Eldest Princess, you really are foolish!”

Xue Fuying slowly stood up, despite her disheveled appearance and messy hair, her back straight and her pride undiminished.

“Foolish? How could I be more foolish than my royal brother?”

Xue Fuying sighed with melancholy, “In the past, I ended the lives of those people one by one. It’s a pity that now, I have failed to fulfill Feiyue’s Peach Blossom Spring.”

When Gu Yunzhi visited the Eldest Princess’s residence, Xue Fuying had been crying so much that her appearance was haggard. But at this moment, she appeared resolute, her expression was fierce, and her eyes were exceptionally bright.

“You…”

Gu Yunzhi didn’t know what to say to her, so he just waved his sleeve and sighed, “Sigh!”

Jiang Juan, on the other hand, looked at Xue Fuying for a long time, and suddenly remembered something.

Oh, right.

Before leaving the Prince residence, Lan Ting had given him a small pouch and asked him to look inside.

Jiang Juan quickly took it out.

Inside the pouch was a token engraved with a small bird, covered with a layer of pearlescent shine.

Jiang Juan remembered it. It was a gift from Xue Congyun, referred to as a “clam sparrow.”

As he looked at it, Jiang Juan recalled a plot point.

In the original plot, the Prince Consort and Eldest Princess  disliked the protagonist shou and once troubled him. On the protagonist shou’s birthday, Xue Congyun had sent many treasures, including this clam sparrow.

However, in the book, the protagonist shou had referred to it as an “Oriole Token.”

Later, when the protagonist shou visited Xue Fuying, he wore this Oriole Token. For some reason, Xue Fuying had cried uncontrollably upon seeing it, and after asking for it from the protagonist shou, she finally accepted him.

Jiang Juan only remembered that Xue Congyun had sent something that resolved the protagonist shou’s difficulties and was a great help, but he did not know that this item had been with him from the beginning.

Was this Oriole Token important to the Eldest Princess?

Jiang Juan suddenly had a guess.

“Eldest Princess.”

Jiang Juan was about to step forward but was stopped by Xue Fangli. Jiang Juan looked back at him and shook his head, “It’s fine. I just want to ask her.”

He took out the Oriole Token, “Is this your token?”

Xue Fuying looked up, and upon seeing the token, she was stunned.

“Feiyue! Feiyue—!”

Indeed.

It was Su Feiyue’s old possession.

Jiang Juan held the Oriole Token, feeling quite uncomfortable.

At this moment, Xue Fuying’s previously firm demeanor finally broke. She stared blankly at the Oriole Token, tears mingling with the blood on her face. Xue Fuying no longer had the dignity of a royal daughter. She pleaded, “Please, give me that Oriole Token. I beg you.”

That year, Su Feiyue was entrusted with investigating a case. There was an item known as the “Clam Buddha” in the local area.

A Buddha figure was carved onto the token and placed inside a clam shell. After many years, the Buddha figure was covered with a pearlescent sheen, resembling a clam pearl.

Before setting out, Su Feiyue had personally carved a small oriole on the token, showing it to Xue Fuying. He smiled and said, “Fuying, in ten years, when this token has developed its luster, who knows what we will look like.”

Xue Fuying had only glared at him and said, “That’s not an oriole; it’s clearly a small sparrow!”

Years later, Xue Fuying had long forgotten about it until Jiang Juan took out this Oriole Token.

“Please, give it to me…”

Jiang Juan had no intention of making things difficult for her. He was prepared to give it to her. However, Xue Fuying’s reaction was so intense that the guards, fearing she might harm Jiang Juan, pushed her down. With a “thud,” she failed to catch the token, which fell to the ground.

It shattered.

Xue Fuying gasped.

“Feiyue…”

Xue Fuying stared blankly at the broken Oriole Token. She wanted to pick it up, but her hands were bound. Xue Fuying could only watch the token, unable to touch it at all.

After a long while, with tear-filled eyes, Xue Fuying said, “I just wanted to create a Peach Blossom Spring for him. In the end, I still couldn’t complete it for him.”

Jiang Juan said, “But this isn’t a Peach Blossom Spring. It’s just an outlet for your hatred.”

Xue Fuying was taken aback.

Jiang Juan, not daring to look directly, pointed out to Xue Fuying, “So many people have died outside. You wanted to create a Peach Blossom Spring for the Prince Consort, but you’re the one who caused the deaths of so many people.”

“The Prince Consort said he wanted to cleanse all injustice in the world, yet you indiscriminately killed innocents and created more injustice. Eldest Princess, he wouldn’t have wanted this kind of Peach Blossom Spring. This is a Peach Blossom Spring created from blood and hatred, not the peace and tranquility he desired.”

Jiang Juan spoke softly, “You’ve done… the thing he hated the most.”

Had she done the thing Feiyue hated the most?

Did Feiyue not want this kind of Peach Blossom Spring?

Xue Fuying stared blankly at the Oriole Token and recalled a past event.

In autumn, when the fragrance of osmanthus filled the air, Xue Fuying was sitting in a palanquin, while Su Feiyue walked alongside it.

Xue Fuying said, “Feiyue, how much is your monthly salary? Why are you going to deliver rice and grain to an old woman in South City today?”

Su Feiyue replied, “Her children and grandchildren don’t care for her. Recently, she broke her leg and can’t go to her stall. If I don’t deliver the rice, how will she live?”

Xue Fuying, somewhat indifferent, said, “She’s not your old grandmother. Why does it concern you?”

Su Feiyue smiled slightly, “If I see her, then it concerns me.”

Feiyue had a compassionate heart.

He wanted to help many people, but he helped only one person.

— Every person he saw.

Xue Fuying began to cry again, overwhelmed by sorrow, but no more tears came.

Jiang Juan sighed.

It seemed that, in the end, the person behind this plan should have been Xue Fuying, and Su Feiyue—no, even Qi Xiuran—was acting on her orders.

Su Feiyue was Qi Xiuran.

No wonder.

A person who spoke of cleansing and sweeping away all injustices would never harm the innocent.

Jiang Juan was lost in thought.

But—did his grandfather know?

Su Feiyue was not Su Feiyue.

Wait.

Last time Su Feiyue came to the prince residence to see his grandfather, it seemed his grandfather hadn’t met him at all?

What did he say?

— “Rest well. When you recover, I will take you there. Since you like the Prince Consort, you should….also like him.”

This “Su Feiyue” had never called him “teacher” from the beginning; he always referred to Bai Xuechao as “Mr.” Even when Jiang Juan first met him, that was how he referred to him.

— “Your grandfather saved me.”

It turned out everything had a trace to follow.

“What’s with the frown?”

Seeing Jiang Juan staring at Qi Xiuran for a long time, Xue Fangli held his chin, forcing him to look at himself.

“Just thinking…”

Jiang Juan didn’t know how to explain.

His emotions were simply complicated.

He asked curiously, “Your Highness, did you guess his identity? Otherwise, why would you use Marquis Anping to threaten him?”

Xue Fangli only said, “It’s just a guess.”

Jiang Juan looked at him and remarked, “Your Highness, you’re so clever.”

Xue Fangli’s expression remained indifferent, “I suppose.”

After praising him, Jiang Juan turned to greet Gu Puwang, not noticing that Xue Fangli, who had said “I suppose” in a flat tone, had a slight, pleased smile at the corners of his red lips.

However, it wasn’t long before he reverted to his usual bad-tempered and petty self. Xue Fangli reached out and pulled Jiang Juan back into his embrace, “Did you forget what I just told you?”

Jiang Juan said, “Huh? You said a lot. Which one specifically?”

Xue Fangli, “…”

He pinched the soft flesh on Jiang Juan’s face and, with a semblance of a smile, said, “To keep you close and never leave my side.”

If you love what Ciacia is doing, then consider showing your support by supporting a cup of tea for her at Kofi. If you can’t wait for the next release chapter, subscribe to advanced chapters membership on her Kofi to get access to up to 10 chapters!