Chapter 152

When they arrived at the palace gate, under the watchful eyes of the public, Fan Changyu could not just get on the Xie family's carriage so openly.

She handed Xie Zheng, whose condition was getting worse and worse, to Xie Shiyi who came forward. Xie Shiyi saw at a glance that something was wrong with Xie Zheng and asked hurriedly, "General, what is the master doing..."

Time was running out, so Fan Changyu lowered his voice and ordered, "Take him back to Xie's house immediately, and send someone to get a doctor."

Fan Changyu wanted to pull her hand away, but Xie Zheng held her wrist tightly. The blood color in his eyes, which had faded a little, slowly returned, and under the light at the palace gate, he looked a little sinister at first glance.

Fan Changyu couldn't get rid of the man, so he dragged him onto the carriage and whispered to him at the entrance: "Let go first, I won't leave. I'll go and tell Xie Wu something and come back."

The one who entered the palace with Fan Changyu tonight was still Xie Wu, who had been with her through thick and thin ever since she was a sergeant.

Xie Zheng then let go of her hand and fell forward on the couch in the carriage. The roots of his hair were soaked with sweat and his pale face was stained with a light red. Under the soft shadows of the bamboo in the carriage, he looked breathtakingly gorgeous.

Fan Changyu made up his mind and lowered the curtain. After jumping off the carriage, he said to Xie Shiyi, "You go first."

Xie Shiyi also understood something vaguely, and did not dare to delay at all. He whipped the horse whip and drove away first.

Many court officials were leaving the palace at this time, and they all had different expressions when they saw this scene.

Tang Peiyi happened to catch up with them, and when he saw Fan Changyu, he called out, "General Fan, will you come back to the Imperial Court with me?"

Fan Changyu wanted to look for Xie Zheng again, but she was afraid that if she left with Tang Peiyi and the others, it would be difficult to get away. She was about to refuse, but He Xiuyun winked at her. Fan Changyu thought they wanted to discuss something with her, so she nodded again: "Okay."

The carriages of several people drove together towards the Jinzouyuan. When the court officials who came out from behind saw this, they did not dare to say anything.

Xie Wu had also seen Fan Changyu helping Xie Zheng out of the palace. As soon as Fan Changyu got on the carriage, he asked, "General, did something happen at the palace banquet?"

Fan Changyu's nerves were tense the whole night, and now her head was aching slightly. She pinched her brow and said, "It's a long story. You go back to the Jinzouyuan alone later and tell Madam and the others that I'm safe. I'll go to Xie's house."

After all, she was worried about Xie Zheng's condition.

Xie Wugang just said "OK" and suddenly said "yes".

Fan Changyu heard someone outside calling her "Sister Xian" and lifted the curtain to see that Tang Peiyi and his companions' carriage had stopped at a fork in the road.

He Xiuyun stuck his head out of the car window and said to Fan Changyu, "Sister Changyu, General Tang, Brother Wenchang and I want to go see the New Year's Eve Lantern Festival, so we won't go with you."

She called He Jingyuan "Uncle", and He Xiuyun always regarded himself as her brother in front of her.

Even though Fan Changyu was slow to react, he understood that Tang Peiyi and the others were trying to help him out.

If she jumped into the Taiye Lake to "save" Xie Zheng tonight, it would inevitably cause controversy among the court officials. If she left alone, people would always make wild speculations. If she left with them, she could at least shut up the gossips.

She was grateful, but now was not the time to say thank you, so she nodded and said, "Then brother, please go with General Tang. The New Year's Eve market in the capital is a grand spectacle. Once you are familiar with the place, you can bring me to see it again in the future."

He Xiuyun smiled and said "OK", then lowered the car curtain.

-

The north wind was blowing hard and cold, blowing fine snow all over the sky and making it dance on the streets filled with the smell of firecrackers and fireworks.

The sound of horse hooves and wheels rolling was particularly clear, and it seemed that a dark shadow was passing by. The candles in the carriage trembled slightly because of the cold wind blowing in through the window.

Fan Changyu helped Xie Zheng up, who was leaning on the couch, with his lips bitten and bleeding, and frowned: "How are you?"

Xie Zheng's breathing seemed to be on fire. After opening his bloodshot eyes and seeing who was coming, he raised his hand to press the back of her neck and sealed her lips with a kiss.

The effect of the cartilage powder in his body seemed to slowly dissipate. The force he pressed on the back of her neck was extremely strong, and the force between her lips and teeth was also fierce. Fan Changyu tilted her head back and was forced to endure it.

After a moment, the carriage stopped, and Xie Shiyi said outside with a stiff upper lip: "Master, we're here."

Fan Changyu leaned on Xie Zheng's chest, feeling a slight sting in her shoulders from his gnawing. She clenched the collar of Xie Zheng's shirt with her five fingers, a faint blush appeared on her face, and she pursed her lips to endure the strange feeling in her body caused by his kiss.

"The carriage will go in through the corner gate, so as not to alarm the others in the mansion."

Xie Zheng's eyes were unclear and his voice was hoarse and deep.

After receiving the order, Xie Shiyi quickly turned the horse around and drove the carriage to the corner gate. After showing the token, the servants of the Xie mansion opened the corner gate. The carriage entered the mansion almost silently and stopped in front of the main courtyard.

Xie Shiyi went to ask for the doctor who was stationed in the mansion. After Fan Changyu recovered a little, he helped Xie Zheng get out of the car.

As soon as she entered the room, Xie Zheng pressed her against the door. He kissed and bit her shoulders and neck randomly, his breathing was heavy and disordered, and his low and mellow voice was no longer clear: "Changyu, Ah Yu..."

The fragile neck flesh was gnawed by the sharp teeth, as if a string was tightened in the meridians under the skin. Even though Fan Changyu clenched his teeth, a slight shiver still spread from the neck to the fingertips.

There was a layer of water in her eyes. She didn't say a word. She just glared at Xie Zheng with pain and annoyance, and the precarious string in his brain was completely broken with a "click".

He tore a large hole in her intricately embroidered, high-quality court dress for a third-rank military officer, and just nodded and kissed her.

Fan Changyu leaned his back against the carved wooden door, sweat dripped from his chin, and the corners of his lips turned pale.

She pushed him and said, "Apply medicine to your wounds first."

Xie Zheng's breathing was very unstable. He raised his head and said okay, but as soon as he stood up, he vomited blood and fell down with a pale face.

Fan Changyu was startled and hurriedly supported him: "Xie Zheng, what's wrong with you?"

She moved the man to the couch and laid him down, calling out to Xie Shiyi to ask him to call a doctor quickly. Her half-wet court gown was torn by Xie Zheng and she couldn't face anyone. She ran to the box where Xie Zheng kept his clothes and wanted to pick up a set of his clothes to put on first. After putting on the long gown with arrow sleeves, she found that it fit her unexpectedly.

Fan Changyu was stunned for a moment, then he picked up several robes and tried them on, and found that they all fit him well.

It seems like he had prepared this box of clothes for her long ago?

Fan Changyu looked at the pale-faced person who had passed out on the couch, and his heart suddenly felt uneasy.

Xie Shiyi quickly brought the doctor over. After the doctor felt Xie Zheng's pulse, his brows were tightly furrowed.

Fan Changyu asked hurriedly: "Doctor, how is he?"

The doctor used a silver needle to prick another drop of blood from Xie Zheng's fingertip, and said with a very complicated expression: "My Lord, this is caused by the fierce fire in your heart. This fire originates from the gate of life, travels through the three burners, and accumulates in the liver and kidneys. It is so strong that it damages the internal organs and causes vomiting of blood. I can only relieve the pain for you by bleeding at the Shangyang point. It is only a temporary solution. If this fire is not relieved, I am afraid you will be in great danger..."

When Xie Shiyi sent the doctor back, he knelt down in front of Fan Changyu at the door. He lowered his head, as if he knew that what he was about to say was presumptuous, but he still choked and said, "Please, General, save the Marquis."

Fan Changyu sat on a stool, looking at Xie Zheng who was still not awake after being treated with acupuncture by the doctor, and said, "Get out."

Xie Shiyi kowtowed to her, closed the door and left.

Fan Changyu walked over and sat down in front of the couch. She leaned over and kissed Xie Zheng on the lips, then raised her head slightly and whispered to him, "You gave it to me as a gift."

…

The entire imperial city was bustling that night. The palace was brightly lit, and the 108 districts outside the city were also brightly lit. The laughter of children and the cries of vendors could be heard from several streets away.

As soon as midnight arrived, the Golden Temple in the city began to ring bells, one after another, long and distant, as if announcing to the world that the old year had passed and the new year was coming.

Thousands of fireworks were shot into the snowy night sky, and in an instant the sky was filled with dazzling colors. Neighbors also set off firecrackers to welcome the new year. The sound of "crackling" firecrackers was endless, and the place was very lively.

Fan Changyu lay on the white marble stone in the hot spring pool, her long hair wet and sticking to her cheeks, her whole body a pale pink. She had lost count of how many times she had watched fireworks, and now she was exhausted, as if she had just fought a big battle.

The man behind her hugged her tightly against her back and began to kiss her shoulders. Fan Changyu's shoulders unconsciously shrank inwards and she turned her head to ask him, "Has the drug's effect not worn off yet?"

Her cheeks were red, her hair was wet with sweat and stuck to her cheeks, her lips were swollen, and her bright eyes were misty.

His expression was still stubborn, but already revealing a hint of pity.

Xie Zheng looked at her, his eyes were deep and unfathomable, his Adam's apple slowly slid down, and he uttered a hoarse "hmm".

The water ripples, and Fan Changyu also let out a muffled groan.

She was already out of strength, so she simply lay down on the wall of the hot spring pool, using her arms as a pillow to endure it.

What she was thinking was that she must have been so busy since coming to Beijing that she neglected to practice martial arts. Didn't Xie Zheng get poisoned by cartilage powder? How could his physical strength be better than hers?

Starting tomorrow, I must practice martial arts diligently.

That night, some people also couldn't sleep all night.

After all the ministers attending the palace banquet had left the palace, an inconspicuous carriage drove out from Xihua Gate, its wheels pressing over the thick snow on the aisle, and headed straight for the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Compared to the city full of lights and decorations, the Prime Minister's Mansion remained solemn and gloomy. Even the row of red lanterns hung under the corridor did not add any festive atmosphere to the mansion. Instead, a sense of gloom was revealed in the frighteningly quiet night.

This time, due to the heavy snow and wind outside, Qi Sheng was finally led into Wei Yan's study.

He didn't even take off his hat. The fine snow on the brim of his hat was roasted by the charcoal fire in the house, leaving mottled wet marks, making him look like a stray dog.

Wei Yan sat behind a low stool. In this cold night, he was still wearing a thin cloth robe. His old but still muscular hand held a purple brush and wrote something at the desk with fast strokes, ignoring the emperor standing below.

Qi Sheng, however, didn't care anymore. Maybe it was because the snow on New Year's Eve was too cold, or because he was too scared after his plan was exposed tonight, but his voice was shaking as he spoke: "Prime Minister, save me, save me, Xie Zheng wants to kill the king!"

Wei Yan continued writing and asked without raising his eyes, "Why did he want to kill you?"

Qi Sheng glanced at Wei Yan and said, "He... he was investigating Sixteenth Brother's affairs and found out about a crazy maid in the cold palace who once served Concubine Jia Gui. That crazy maid said that the Prime Minister had an affair with the concubine!"

As soon as these words came out, the purple brush in Wei Yan's hand was broken. He slowly raised his eyes and looked at Qi Sheng with the same look as if he was looking at a dead person.

Qi Sheng was also frightened by that look. He originally planned to use the palace maid as a bargaining chip to threaten Wei Yan, but he immediately changed his words.

When he lied, he stared hard, making his eyes bulge out more obviously: "Xie Zheng wanted to find that palace maid to verify this matter. I was afraid that he would use this matter to deal with the Prime Minister, so I designed to put the serious crime of having an affair with concubines and committing adultery in the harem on Xie Zheng. The plan was already perfect, but I didn't expect that he would break the plan tonight..."

He even cried with snot and tears: "Xie Zheng has had ulterior motives for a long time. He will definitely kill me. I did all this for the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister must save me!"

Wei Yan put down the broken purple brush in his hand and said, "So, what did Your Majesty hear from that palace maid?"

This wave of voices was not surprising, but one could feel the murderous tone in every pore. Qi Sheng stopped crying and was stunned.

For a moment, he felt that the shadows of Xie Zheng and Wei Yan, the uncle and nephew, seemed to overlap.

The author has something to say:

Happy New Year's Eve, my dears! I'll give you red envelopes in the comments section~ Let's celebrate the New Year together, muah~