Chapter 34. Zhan Xiao collapsed in the snow. ...

After the tea party ended, Jiang Fushi left Yaoguang Hall.

Suddenly, a few icy snowflakes drifted in through the sedan curtain. She lifted a corner of the curtain and saw fine snow falling from the sky. At first, it was just a few scattered snowflakes, but it quickly turned into a heavy snowfall, landing on the vermilion palace walls and the bluestone road, instantly covering the world with a thin layer of white.

As they passed through the covered walkway in the Imperial Garden, Jiang Fushi was struck by the sight of red plum blossoms against the snow outside the walkway and ordered the sedan chair bearers to stop.

She walked through the thin layer of snow to the veranda, reaching out to catch a falling snowflake. The cool touch on her fingertips eased her tense nerves. Occasionally, a snowflake would land in her hair, but she wasn't annoyed. Instead, she bent down, made a small snowball, tossed it gently, and caught it again. Seeing Qingdai and the other two looking at her with a mixture of tension and helplessness, she mischievously threw the snowball at them.

Rongrong laughed and dodged first. The snowball hit the pillar and splashed up fine snow. Jiang Fushi smiled and made a new snowball. Qingdai and Zisu each found a pillar for cover and threw small snowflakes at her from time to time. Laughter filled the corridor, and everyone was having a great time.

Jiang Fushi rolled another snowball into a larger one, and caught a glimpse of Zhan Xiao standing not far away.

He had arrived unnoticed and was standing quietly in the snow, waiting. So I had a wicked idea and wanted to sneak up behind him and throw the bomb.

But as soon as he took two steps closer, he suddenly swayed, his face contorted in pain, his sword-wielding hand pressed against his chest, his head drooping slightly, and his breathing becoming increasingly labored.

Jiang Fushi immediately stopped smiling, her heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward to ask, "What's wrong?"

But Zhan Xiao abruptly turned to avoid her gaze, his once straight back now slightly hunched, his voice hoarse: "Old wound... it's nothing. Please, Your Highness... stay away."

Before he could finish speaking, he staggered back, his dark clothes leaving a messy trail on the snow, before being swallowed up by the swirling snow.

Jiang Fushi stood there, staring in the direction he had disappeared. The almost inhuman paleness and pain on his face just now were definitely not from an ordinary old wound.

A moment later, she lifted her skirt and chased after him without hesitation.

"Zhanxiao? Zhanxiao?" She called anxiously, following the messy footprints on the snow, and finally found him in a sheltered corner of a rockery.

Zhan Xiao was kneeling in the snow, his sword lying to the side. He pressed his hands tightly to his chest, trembling uncontrollably as he curled up on the ground. His forehead was covered with bulging veins, his lips were frozen purple, and even his breathing was intermittent.

"What happened to you? What kind of injury is so serious?" Jiang Fushi was extremely anxious. She was about to reach out to help him when Zhan Xiao pushed her away. His hand was as cold as ice, but his strength was astonishing.

"Don't touch me..."

Before the echo had even faded, Jiang Fushi watched as his figure suddenly swayed, a muffled groan escaped his throat, his calm, deep eyes suddenly lost focus, and then his head lolled to the side, and he collapsed onto the snow.

She quickly knelt down and placed her fingers on his wrist pulse.

This investigation revealed something even more shocking.

An ordinary person's pulse is smooth, strong, and regular, but his pulse is like it's covered in ice, so weak it's almost gone, and it's intermittent, like a candle flickering in the wind.

This is a sign that the oil is running out and the lamp is burning out, and the end is near!

How could this be?

What exactly did he go through? How could he have such a pulse?

Without time to think too much, Jiang Fushi quickly called Qingdai and Zisu, asking them to find someone to help Zhanxiao up and send him back to the princess's residence in a carriage. Along the way, she specifically instructed them to wrap him tightly in a thick blanket so that he wouldn't get the slightest bit of cold.

Upon returning to the princess's residence, she instructed Rongrong to prepare boiling water, slices of ginseng, and plum blossom needles.

Then, they had someone place Zhan Xiao on a soft couch in the warm pavilion, and burned the silver charcoal in the room until it was burning brightly to ensure it was as warm as spring. Then, they took out a three-inch-long gold needle, heated it over the fire, and inserted it firmly into his condensation acupoint. They then had Rongrong bring some mashed ginger paste mixed with strong liquor to make a medicinal paste, and applied it thickly to the key acupoints on his limbs.

By the time I finished all this, the moon was high in the sky, past midnight.

Jiang Fushi raised her hand and used the corner of her sleeve to wipe away the fine beads of sweat on her forehead, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Her method could only temporarily protect his heart and dispel some of the cold from his body, making him feel more comfortable, but it could not cure the disease.

After all, she had never seen such a strange pulse before. The cold poison had penetrated deep into the bone marrow, and even silver needles could not detect its source.

Logically speaking, with the heart meridian damaged to this extent by cold stagnation, let alone practicing martial arts, an ordinary person would have difficulty even standing up and would already be bedridden.

But his martial arts skills are so high...

There's no point in speculating now; we can only wait for him to wake up and ask him for clarification.

She turned and summoned two attentive and composed maids, carefully instructing them on the timing of changing the medicinal mud and the key points of observation. She then glanced back at the pale face of the person on the bed, confirming that there was no immediate danger, before gathering her sleeves and leaving.

...

When Zhan Xiao woke up, the first thing he did was to sense his surroundings. When he realized that this was not the simple room where he usually lived, he immediately became alert, grabbed his sword, and with a flash of cold light, the tip of the sword was already pressed against the neck of the maid who was adding firewood to the charcoal fire.

"M-My lord..." The maid was so frightened that her face turned pale, and the fire tongs in her hand clattered to the ground. Her voice trembled as she said, "His Highness sent me to take care of you."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Xiao paused slightly in his sword-wielding hand.

He closed his eyes, recalling the last scene before he fainted, and sheathed his sword. The maid hurriedly picked up the fire tongs, clutched her neck, and took a step back in shock.

How long did I sleep?

The maid answered cautiously, "It's been almost six hours, and it's already late Shen Shi (3-5 PM)."

"Your Highness...where are you?"

"Your Highness was watching the snow in the front yard this morning, and just now someone came to ask if you were awake yet."

Zhan Xiao's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded silently. Then, he nimbly got out of bed, quickly put on his dark-colored guard uniform, and put his sword back at his waist.

Over the years, I have suffered from the cold marrow erosion countless times, and each time I have endured the excruciating pain alone. I have never experienced anything like this before. When I woke up, the chill had completely disappeared, and a comforting warmth remained in my heart, as if I had been gently pulled back to the human world from the edge of hell.

He had consulted many doctors before, from itinerant physicians to renowned doctors, but none of them could explain the root cause of this cold poison, let alone find a way to alleviate it.

Following the maid's directions, they arrived at the front courtyard and indeed saw the princess squatting in the snow building a snowman, intently shaping a hairpin for it.

He stood under an old plum tree, its gnarled branches casting shadows, watching quietly as the princess, draped in a bright red felt cloak, her cheeks flushed slightly from the cold amidst the swirling snowflakes. Her breath condensed into fine frost on her eyelashes, which she then shook off with a blink.

He composed himself and walked towards her.

"Your Highness."

A deep call made Jiang Fushi turn her head.

"You're awake. How are you feeling? Have you gotten any better?"

"I'm much better now. Thank you for your trouble in treating me, Your Highness."

Jiang Fushi walked to the stone bench beside her, brushed away the thin layer of snow, sat down, and waved for the maids to leave. For a moment, only the two of them remained in the front courtyard, the snow falling silently.

"What exactly is the cause of the coldness in your body?" she asked bluntly, her clear gaze falling on him.

Zhan Xiao lowered his eyes to avoid her gaze, his tone indifferent: "It's just an old ailment left over from when I was traveling the world in my early years and was accidentally poisoned by an extremely cold poison."

Jiang Fushi looked at him and gently shook her head.

“It’s not poisoning,” she said with certainty, “or at least not entirely. Your pulse… feels like a frozen wasteland, devoid of any life force.”

She paused, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of urgency, "Do you know yourself that this is... a sign that your time is near?"

Zhan Xiao lowered his eyes and remained silent for a moment.

"Know."

Jiang Fushi blinked in surprise.

How could he be so calm?

Taking a deep breath, she continued, "I can see that you suffered a very serious injury that damaged the very foundation of your heart meridian. This cold energy took advantage of that injury and has been eroding you year by year. It is a miracle that you have survived to this day."

Zhan Xiao remained silent, as if acquiescing.

Seeing his unyielding and indifferent attitude towards life and death, Jiang Fushi felt a surge of anger and her tone became harsher: "Even if I search through medical books and try every method, I can only temporarily suppress the cold in your body. I can't completely eradicate it. Don't you care about your own life at all?"

Zhan Xiao listened without showing any sadness or joy, as if he had expected what she said.

“I am a lowly person, and it is already a blessing that I have lived these many more years. I dare not hope for a full recovery. Your Highness need not worry about me.”

"You!" Jiang Fushi felt a lump in her throat. She met his deep, unfathomable eyes, and the words of rebuke she was about to say were swallowed back down.

“Alright,” she stood up and brushed the snow off her cloak. “You should rest well. You don’t need to be on duty for a while. I will have someone send you the medicine you need on time.”

"...Thank you, Your Highness."

...

Since returning from the tea party that day, Lou Bingling noticed a slight stinging pain in her arms and calves while taking a bath that evening. Looking in the mirror, she saw several extremely fine red cracks that had appeared out of nowhere on her snow-white skin, as if they had been strangled by invisible threads. At first, they felt like silk threads and she didn't pay much attention to them.

The next day, the wound had widened on its own, with grayish-white edges and faint blood beads seeping out, which was alarming to look at.

Grand Commandant Lou was heartbroken for his daughter and quickly summoned the imperial physician, causing chaos in the mansion.

The Imperial Medical Bureau dispatched two senior physicians for a consultation. After a careful examination, they diagnosed it as a rare case of blood deficiency and wind-dryness, and prescribed some formulas to replenish qi and blood, and to astringe and stop bleeding.

However, by the third day, the wounds not only failed to improve, but instead spread, increased in number, and deepened, like cracks in parched land.

Lou Bingling lay weakly on the bed. Even though the wound was tightly wrapped in thick gauze, dark red bloodstains continued to seep out, slowly soaking into the plain brocade quilt.

By the fourth day, Lou Bingling was barely breathing, her face was ashen, and she was in excruciating pain all over her body. Her consciousness was sometimes clear and sometimes blurred, and she felt as if her breath was hanging in her throat, as if it would be taken away at any moment.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly remembered that Princess Yuhe had given her a red sachet containing a resurrection pill.

I remember the princess solemnly saying that this medicine could be taken when one's life was hanging by a thread, and could forcefully bring back one's last breath.

"Quickly..." she struggled to prop herself up and called to the maid, "Bihe, help me get that red sachet from the small sandalwood box at the bottom of the dressing case..."

Bihe dared not delay and quickly found the inconspicuous sachet, holding it to the bedside with trembling hands.

Lou Bingling gestured to her with her eyes to open the sachet and pour out the longan-sized, dark-colored pill inside.

Almost unable to wait for Bihe to bring the water, Lou Bingling used her last bit of strength to tilt her head back and swallow the pill.

The pill, carrying a strange, refreshing herbal scent, slid down her throat. Just before losing consciousness completely, she used her last breath to say, "Go...go to the Princess's residence...quickly...find His Highness..."

When Jiang Fushi arrived, the servants of the Lou family were already waiting at the gate. When they saw her carriage stop, they quickly stepped forward to lead the way, and she was almost directly ushered into the inner courtyard.

As soon as I entered the inner courtyard through the moon gate, I saw Grand Commandant Lou pacing back and forth in the corridor, his hair mostly white. His once dignified face was now filled with unconcealed sadness and anxiety, and his eyes were red.

Upon seeing her, Grand Commandant Lou grasped at a lifeline and rushed forward, disregarding the formalities between ruler and subject. He bowed deeply to Jiang Fushi, his voice trembling, "Your Highness Yuhe! You've finally arrived! My daughter Bingling... she can't hold on much longer!"

Jiang Fushi offered a helping hand, her brows furrowed: "No need for formalities. Why are you in such a hurry, Bingling? What has happened?"

Grand Commandant Lou quickly recounted in detail how his daughter had suddenly developed a strange illness, how her wounds had mysteriously widened, and how the imperial physicians were helpless in the past few days, his voice choked with suppressed sobs.

"Your Highness, my daughter... before she lost consciousness, with her last breath, she called out to Your Highness!"

Jiang Fushi's heart sank, a sense of foreboding gripping her. She immediately disregarded all formalities, lifting her skirt and hurrying towards her boudoir.

Upon entering, a strong stench of blood mixed with the smell of medicine assaulted the senses. At a glance, Lou Bingling, her face deathly pale and wrapped in layers of blood-stained gauze, practically a blood-soaked figure, was on the hospital bed.

Suddenly, a wave of bitterness surged up from her heart, reddening Jiang Fushi's eyes. She choked back tears as she approached the bedside, staring at her in disbelief: "Bingling! Bingling!"

"What exactly happened? We were fine when we met at the tea party a few days ago, how did things turn out like this in just a few days?"

Lou Bingling's eyes were tightly closed, her breath was faint, and she could not answer. Her pulse was so weak that it was almost undetectable, so Jiang Fushi had no choice but to reach for her neck.

Her pulse was weak and disordered, with a strange sense of stagnation. Although it was quite strange, she had seen similar records in medical books in her early years and quickly understood the reason.

This person has been bewitched.

If it weren't for the resurrection pill she gave me, which forcibly kept my heart meridian alive, I'm afraid it would be too late to save me now.

She turned to Rongrong and instructed her, "Go back to the manor immediately and retrieve my gold needle pouch, the ebony box in the cabinet, and the muscle-regenerating powder that was prepared nine times through steaming and drying last time. Be quick!"

Then, she turned to Grand Commandant Lou, who looked anxious, and said, "Uncle Lou, in times of emergency, we must act swiftly. Please send someone to find three things immediately: first, aged strong liquor that is at least ten years old; second, clear, rootless water that has never touched the ground; and third, find a heartwood that has been struck by lightning and is at least fifty years old, grind it into powder, and bring it back!"

Although he didn't know what the princess wanted to do with these seemingly unrelated items, it concerned his daughter's life and death. Seeing the unprecedented solemnity and anxiety on the princess's face, Grand Commandant Lou hurriedly bowed and replied, "I will handle it personally." He then turned around and arranged for manpower, not daring to delay for even a moment.

As soon as Grand Commandant Lou left, Jiang Fushi quickly walked to the bedside and carefully lifted the gauze on Lou Bingling's arm.

The original hairline crack had widened to half a finger's width, with an eerie bluish-black tinge at the edges. Blood was still slowly seeping out, and tiny silver threads could be vaguely seen wriggling deep within the crack, which were the Gu worms of the Silk Vine Gu gnawing at the flesh.

She frowned and reached out to check Lou Bingling's body temperature, only to find it ice-cold, clearly indicating that the Gu poison had begun to invade her body.

Fortunately, in less than half an incense stick's time, Rongrong returned with her medicine box, and Grand Commandant Lou also hurriedly entered with the items he had found. Jiang Fushi immediately had Bihe help Lou Bingling sit up, placing a soft pillow behind her back, and then had Rongrong wipe the silver needles with aged strong liquor.

She opened the ebony box, took out the three longest gold needles, dipped them in some of the ground insect repellent herbal powder in the box, and then quickly inserted them into Lou Bingling's "Lingtai Xue" and "Zhiyang Xue" points on her back and "Neiguan Xue" point on her wrist.

The moment the golden needle entered her acupoint, Lou Bingling let out a soft groan, her tightly closed eyelids trembled slightly, and the silver threads at the opening noticeably slowed their movement.

"Rongrong, take some clear, rootless water, mix it with a spoonful of powder from a lightning-struck tree heart, and give it to Bingling."

As Jiang Fushi spoke, she rotated the golden needles, feeling the changes in the pulse under the acupoints.

The heartwood struck by lightning can suppress the ferocity of the Gu worms, while the rootless water can guide the Gu poison to the surface of the body, preventing the Gu worms from continuing to gnaw at the heart meridian.

Rongrong quickly did as she was told, carefully feeding the medicine into Lou Bingling's mouth.

In a short while, Lou Bingling's complexion regained some color, and the bleeding from the cracks decreased. Seeing this, Jiang Fushi immediately took out the Shengji Powder, carefully applied it to all the cracks, and then gently wrapped them with clean gauze.

After doing all this, Jiang Fushi relaxed her tense mind. Her body swayed slightly, and she had to use her hands to support herself on the edge of the bed to stand up. Her back was already soaked with cold sweat.

He checked Lou Bingling's pulse; although it was still weak, the sluggish, sinister feeling had disappeared and was returning to a stable state.

Outside the door, Grand Commandant Lou was anxiously waiting, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his ear pressed against the door to listen for any sound. Suddenly, he heard the door open and rushed over in a few quick steps.

"Your Highness, my daughter...?"

Jiang Fushi said, "His life is no longer in danger, but he needs to rest quietly. I will stay here for the next three days. Uncle Lou only needs to have people prepare fresh rootless water and strong liquor every day. Do not let outsiders into the inner courtyard, lest they disturb the Gu worms and cause them to retaliate."

Upon hearing this, Grand Commandant Lou's tense shoulders instantly relaxed, his eyes reddened again, and he raised his hand to wipe the moisture from the corner of his eyes, bowing deeply to her: "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life. The Lou family will never forget your great kindness!"

Jiang Fushi slightly turned aside to avoid the full curtsy and said in a low voice, "Uncle, may I speak with you in private?"

The two moved to a quiet study next door. Jiang Fushi spoke first, her expression grave.

"I know you have many questions in your mind, such as why I know medical skills that even the Imperial Hospital does not know, and how I can recognize this strange illness."

That's right, Grand Commandant Lou did indeed have doubts.

Although the royal princess knew some basic pharmacology, she could never be proficient in the art of dispelling poison. Just as she was about to ask, she heard her say:

"Yuhe was able to return to the palace entirely thanks to the Grand Commandant who, against all odds, spoke privately to the Emperor out of old friendship, arguing against the opinions of others and pointing out the disadvantages of the imperial daughter being left to wander among the common people and the benefits of finding her bloodline. I have always kept this kindness in my heart and have never forgotten it."

Grand Commandant Lou bowed and said, “Your Highness is too kind. You are of royal blood, and it is my duty to find the imperial princess. Moreover, His Majesty and I were once comrades-in-arms. How could I allow Your Highness to wander outside? What happened back then is not worth mentioning.”

Jiang Fushi waved her hand: "I'm not telling you this to ask for favors." She shook her head and frowned, "I just want you to keep today's events a secret and not spread the word that I know medicine. Over the years, the Empress and Yuyao have been pressing us hard in the palace. If they find out about this, I'm afraid... Bingling's misfortune today will be Yuhe's misfortune tomorrow."

Grand Commandant Lou, a seasoned official who had weathered many storms in the bureaucracy, instantly understood the danger involved. His expression hardened, and he solemnly promised, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will strictly order everyone in the mansion to keep quiet today, and not a single word will leak out!"

Jiang Fushi nodded, then steered the conversation back to the core issue: "In my judgment, Bingling is not ill, but rather has been poisoned with the 'Silk Gu.' This Gu is insidious and originates from Miao territory, rarely seen in the Central Plains, and ordinary doctors have no way of identifying it."

Grand Commandant Lou was horrified, his face drained of color: "Miao poison? My Lou family has never had any connection with Miao. Who is so vicious as to want to do this to my daughter?"

Jiang Fushi frowned. She couldn't figure out how Lou Bingling had offended the Miao people. She sighed helplessly, "For now, we can only investigate Bingling's recent interactions to see if there's anything suspicious."

Grand Commandant Lou shared the same thought, and he nodded solemnly: "Your Highness is absolutely right. This humble subject will investigate immediately and will certainly find the person harboring malicious intentions!"

...

Inside Yaoguang Palace, the charcoal fire burned brightly, filling the room with warmth. Yuyao was lounging on the chaise longue, having Hongying peel glistening grapes while listening to her trusted spies report in hushed tones.

"What? You mean, everything at the Princess's residence has been back to normal lately?" Yu Yao sat up abruptly, her voice rising in disbelief and anger.

"Your Highness, I have been following your instructions and have been keeping a close watch on the Princess's residence every day. I have confirmed that the Princess's residence is peaceful inside and out and there is no sign of her seeking medical treatment. On the contrary, there has been a lot of carriages and horses at the residence of Grand Commandant Lou recently. His daughter seems to be seriously ill, and even Princess Yuhe has personally gone to visit her several times."

Yu Yao frowned and said fiercely to Wu Yin beside her, "Didn't you pat your chest and guarantee to me that the 'Silk Vine Gu' would be foolproof and would definitely torture that bitch to death? How come she's still alive and kicking, without a single problem?"

Wu Yin quickly stepped forward to explain, "Your Highness, please calm down! The 'Silk Vine Gu' is a secret technique of our clan, extremely insidious. Anyone afflicted by the Gu will die within seven days from body rupture and blood loss, with absolutely no chance of survival. Unless... unless a master can cure this Gu."

The scout, who had been kneeling with his head bowed, cautiously added, "Your Highness, although Princess Yuhe is unharmed, I heard that the Grand Commandant's daughter is indeed ill with strange symptoms. The Lou family has invited imperial physicians for several days, but they all seem to be helpless."

Yu Yao was taken aback.

Speaking of that tea party, Yuhe's seat was next to Lou Bingling's. Now that Yuhe is alright, could it be...?