Chapter 729: Chapter 729

He Yaqin’s heart skipped a beat, and she inwardly cursed, ’Damn it!’

The name Xiaxia was personally chosen by her when He Jinxia lay in her sickbed, no different from a living dead; no amount of calling could wake her, and she seemed on the brink of death. Hence, she named the servant Xiaxia, harboring the very mindset He Jinxia had mentioned.

But now, with so many people around, such thoughts couldn’t be revealed at all.

He Yaqin choked on sobs and wept, not continuing her explanation, only saying, "You misunderstand me, sister, you really misunderstand me..."

Many people still favored her fragile and pitiable demeanor; immediately, a young gentleman came to her defense, exclaiming:

"It has come to this, and you’ve barely escaped death from a great fire. Yaqin specially hired a doctor to treat you, caring for you unceasingly. How could you be so ungrateful and doubt her intentions?"

He Jinxia glanced at the crowd and scoffed coldly, her mind set on her own ideas.

She had planned to enter the Daoist Temple, avoiding the mess at the Red Building, but since Sheng Yan had also come, traveling from the harsh borderlands without complaint, tirelessly searching for news of her, how could she let down Sheng Yan’s devoted affection?

Sheng Yan, in the bitterly cold borderlands, was known for his integrity and likely had not saved much silver.

Not knowing when they could return to the modern era, now they must live their lives in ancient times where concerns such as firewood, rice, oil, salt, and all other matters couldn’t escape the consideration of money.

There’s an apt saying—without money, you can’t make a single step.

That they could be together was fortunate enough, and He Jinxia did not wish to burden Sheng Yan with the task of earning money while she did nothing.

In modern times, she had said she wanted to work hard to earn money, aspiring that one day she could provide for Sheng Yan, and that statement was not just idle talk!

Back in modern times, there was a vast gap in their professional lives, and she figured no matter how hard she worked, she couldn’t earn as much as Sheng Yan. But in ancient times, the roles were reversed.

As the former Oiran of the Red Building, she had access to many coveted secrets and numerous ways to make money.

At that moment, she publicly pressed He Yaqin into a dilemma, cornered and unable to advance or retreat, all as preparation for her future plans!

She sought to claim a fortune from the Red Building for Sheng Yan, for herself!

All that was hers, not a copper coin less!

Thousands of thoughts raced through her mind, yet in reality only a moment had passed. He Jinxia’s expression was resolute as she questioned pointedly in front of everyone, "Do you dare to swear an oath to the heavens?"

The clamorous noise abruptly ceased.

He Jinxia stared at He Yaqin, word by word she declared: "You claim you have never thought of harming me, but should I fall from grace, you would reap all the benefits.

You are my meticulously nurtured protégé, your skills and talents all stem from me. I’ve taught you so much about life, but never once have I taught you to harm others on purpose!

The intense pain of that raging fire burning on me, tormenting my heart!

You will never understand that pain, that desperation for death yet finding it unattainable, forced to watch as the flames consume your skin, speaking with difficulty, as if countless grains of ash have clogged your body, leaving you gasping for air."

He Jinxia surveyed the others present with a fierce glance, her voice firm: "With such deep-rooted hatred and grievance, how do you expect me to forget!"

The crowd fell silent once again, subdued by her commanding presence at this moment.

He Jinxia looked toward He Yaqin once more, her eyes brimming with cold severity, "I know you saved me only because you wanted the handwritten letter from the number one scholar of the Capital, Gu Lanzi."

The color drained from He Yaqin’s face as she hurriedly protested, "Impossible!"

But He Jinxia continued relentlessly, "That envelope contains a promise from Gu Lanzi. I’ve told you what that promise is before—you want to take my place, marry Gu Lanzi as his wife following that promise, yet—"

Her speech paused, then she said with scorn, "But no matter what, you won’t be able to find that handwritten letter, will you?"

"You will of course have to take good care of me and hope every day that I will wake up because only I know where that handwritten letter is. As long as I remain unconscious, you will never obtain what you desire!

Of course, you may think I’m suspecting an honest person of dishonest intentions. Therefore, I demand from you an oath!"

In ancient times, people believed that gods were watching from three feet above their heads—humans could be deceived, but heaven could not.

Swearing to heaven was, for some ancient people, the most solemn vow of a lifetime. Once sworn, it could not be violated without retribution befalling upon them.

The scene remained silent, before a commoner murmured softly, his voice somewhat loud in the quiet atmosphere.

"Indeed, there was such talk in the past that He Jinxia, with her Jinghong Dance, became famous throughout the world, earning high praise from the four great scholars of the Capital. Among them, the number one scholar, Young Master Lan, was especially fond of her, and it was said openly that he would take her as his wife, even giving her a gift!"

Once the chatter began, others joined in:

"I’ve heard about it too. It’s said that Young Master Lan wrote her a letter, and that letter was a promise to take her as his wife!"

"The four great scholars of the Capital all place great importance on their word. If the letter doesn’t explicitly mention He Jinxia’s name, then couldn’t He Yaqin use the letter to pull off a deception?"

"Exactly, with Young Master Lan absent and not seen in the Capital for several years, if she takes that letter to Jiangnan to find him, Young Master Lan might have no choice but to acknowledge it!"

He Yaqin’s face turned deathly pale, looking at He Jinxia in disbelief. She thought this person had truly lost her mind, revealing such private matters in public!

Didn’t she fear that some scheming individual would overhear and come knocking at her door, or at the Red Building’s door for trouble?

Young Master Lan was one of the Capital’s four great scholars, the first among them no less. Back then, countless daughters of noble families longed for him, but unfortunately had no way to get acquainted with Young Master Lan.

Now, in He Jinxia’s possession was a letter that could turn the tables. Even if Young Master Lan might not uphold the promise to marry her, just having the letter could be a way to make his acquaintance, paving the way for future dealings.

He Jinxia, noticing the reactions of the crowd, nodded to herself and demanded sternly from He Yaqin:

"Let me ask you, have you never harbored harmful intent toward me? Dare you swear to heaven and declare your oath? If you lie, may you never be with the one you love and suffer an ill fate forever!"

He Yaqin’s lips parted, her face flushing a bright red, complementing the red pomegranate pendant on her forehead.

She wanted to stand her ground, to swear boldly before everyone and throw a defiant look at He Jinxia, but...

He Yaqin’s heart lurched with fear that the oath might truly come to pass, and that she would never be able to be with her beloved!