The contract was new, but they tried to make it look old; the silk was deliberately made of old material, but the ink was new.

Although the ink stains were hastily aged, the ink itself was the latest trendy plain ink, which had a faint fragrance and was a top-quality ink that only noble families could afford.

Would a low-ranking clerk in a government office use such fine ink to write a contract for a servant?

Zhao Qiaoqiao looked at Jiutian from all angles, puzzled, and asked, "Princess, is there a problem with this contract?"

Jiutian scratched his little head and said, "I... I don't know many of the words on this."

Zhao Qiaoqiao immediately understood that Princess Longxiang was only five years old and had probably just started learning, so she really couldn't recognize that many characters yet.

"Princess, please put it away for now. Just know that this servant belongs to the princess."

Jiutian put the contract in his pocket, dropped the box of clay figurines, and said to Zhao Qiaoqiao, "I don't want these clay figurines anymore. You have Tanran. If I want something in the future, I can ask him to make it for me."

"No, Princess, these are all exquisite items. You can play with them."

"No, a gentleman does not take what others cherish."

Zhao Qiaoqiao: ......

As Cuiyu watched Princess Longxiang leave with Tanran, she whispered to Zhao Qiaoqiao, "Has the poison been cured?"

“Cuiyu, don’t underestimate this five-year-old child. She is very extraordinary.”

"What's wrong? Did she discover something?"

"She is extremely vigilant. Didn't you notice that while she's here with us, she neither eats nor drinks, and is even scheming about how to collect money and grain for His Majesty?"

“This servant sees through it. Who would ask for 500,000 shi of fine grain just by looking at her face? She’s so young, yet extremely cunning. But if the aphrodisiac isn’t neutralized, His Majesty might find out.”

"It's cured! I put the antidote on the little tiger clay figure. She touched it. I flicked a drop of water on her nose and watched her rub it."

Cuiyu looked at the box of clay figurines that Zhao Qiaoqiao had taken out, her expression complicated, and said, "Miss, what should we do with these clay figurines?"

"Destroy it immediately and replace it with a new box."

The clay figure in the box contains a poison that, if it comes into contact with the skin or is inhaled through the nostrils, will cause poisoning within three hours.

The symptoms of the poisoning are similar to those of high fever. In this hot weather, it's normal for children who are with the Northern Expeditionary Army to have high fevers because they can't eat or sleep well.

She is ill, and His Majesty will inevitably have to stay in Changjin City for several days.

If he dies, that would be best.

No other woman may be by His Majesty's side, not even a five-year-old.

Yin Jin'an stayed in Zejin City for most of the day. Zhao Song also delivered food to the entire army. After everyone had a hearty meal, they continued their march together with the local garrison.

The Liao army captured five cities. In the Battle of Blackwater City, the commander-in-chief Batel was killed by being cleaved in two. The Liao soldiers who escaped said that Yin Jin'an knew evil magic and could summon lightning. The Liao army had no chance of winning. The Liao soldiers in the other four cities were already preparing to flee.

However, in the rush, much of the food could not be taken away.

When the army arrived at Changjin City, the Liao army there had already fled in horse-drawn carts with their provisions.

Yin Jin'an originally planned to skip Changjin City and go directly to the next city, but Jiutian leaned against his chest and said uncomfortably, "Second Uncle, I don't feel well."

This is the first time I've been sick in nine days, if you don't count the times I was unconscious.

Yin Jin'an immediately ordered Yang Hanfeng to lead 500 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry into Changjin City, and ordered Gu Bahuang to lead troops to pursue and kill the Liao army and reclaim the grain.

Wearing a small tiger mask, Jiutian leaned against his chest. Before Yin Jin'an could dismount, she clutched her chest and said, "Second Uncle, I feel like throwing up."

Yin Jin'an quickly jumped off his horse, picked up Jiu Tian by the roadside, and Jiu Tian immediately vomited a lot.

After vomiting, his face turned yellow.

The prefect's family in Changjin City had already been killed by the Liao army. Yin Jin'an led his troops directly into the government office, threw out the rooms and bedding where the Liao generals had stayed, and replaced them with new sheets and blankets.

He vomited three times in a row over nine days.

Yin Jin'an immediately ordered the physician accompanying the army to treat Jiutian.

The army doctor examined her for a while, then frowned and said, "Both pulses are rapid, hot, and slippery; the dampness and stagnation at both joints are clearly moving, with the upper pulse greater than the lower one... The princess is exhausted, which indicates a high fever."

Yin Jin'an said, "Then take the medicine quickly."

The doctor wrote out a prescription, prepared the medicine, and brewed it. Yin Jin'an lifted the little tiger mask off Jiu Tian's face to make it easier for her to breathe.

Seeing that her face was slightly flushed, I took a handkerchief, dampened it with water, and gently wiped her forehead several times.

Jiutian mumbled in a daze, "Look at my face, five hundred thousand shi of fine grain."

"Alright, once you're better, your uncle will give you 500,000 shi of fine grain."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I wiped Jiutian's face, arms, and neck with a damp cloth over and over again.

With a furrowed brow, thinking about his experience in Zejin City, he called out "Jian Shu," and a dark figure appeared in a flash.

"Tell me about the princess's experiences in Zejin City."

Jian Shu was one of his bodyguards. Yin Jin'an had him follow Jiu Tian closely. After all, he was just a kid. Even if he had some skills, how could he compare to a cunning adult?

"So, she didn't eat or drink anything from the Zhao family?"

"Yes, the princess is very careful. She doesn't want any food, drink, or toys. She even refused the gold and silver jewelry that Madam Zhao offered her."

The appraiser reported what he saw truthfully.

Yin Jin'an was still uneasy. The more wealthy a family was, the more unsavory things they had to do. He didn't want Jiutian to be schemed against.

Despite the medicine given by the military doctor, Jiutian's condition did not improve at all. As the sun set, Jiutian's cheeks were flushed, his teeth were chattering, and he kept saying "cold."

Even in the sweltering summer heat, with blankets covering me, I still complained of being cold, though my body was clearly burning hot like a furnace.

"Do you even know how to treat illnesses?" Yin Jin'an glared angrily at the military doctor. "Why is she getting hotter and hotter? She's practically cooked!"

The doctor felt Jiutian's pulse and almost cried: "Both pulses are stagnant and rapid with heat, the upper pulse is stronger than the lower pulse, the rapid pulse is obvious in both cun positions, the left chi pulse is very hot, the right chi pulse is very hot... Psoralea corylifolia 4 qian, Scutellaria baicalensis 4 qian, Achyranthes bidentata 0.8 qian, Citrus aurantium 4 qian, Salvia miltiorrhiza 6 qian... Decocted in water and taken in ten doses."

Yin Jin'an waited for the medicine to be brewed and then fed it to Jiutian little by little.

At midnight, Jiutian murmured, "Uncle..."

His whole body convulsed, saliva slowly dripped from the corners of his mouth, his limbs drooped, and his head slumped down.

Yin Jin'an was heartbroken and cried out repeatedly, "Jiutian, wake up! Wake up now..."