Chapter 48 Did I punish her too harshly?

Dao Yi stared into the sharp gaze and could only bite the bullet and say, "Yes, I developed a high fever on the night of the torture and it didn't subside until the evening of the next day."

“She only received twenty strokes of the cane, how could she possibly be in such a condition?” Xiao Shenjing simply did not believe it, or rather, he did not want to believe it.

In many people's minds, Yunxi is eccentric, rebellious, and rude.

She wasn't a delicate, pampered young lady from a prestigious family. She dared to do anything, was incredibly bold and fearless, and her rebellious and strong-willed nature almost made people forget that she was also a girl.

"At that time, the imperial physician said," Dao Yi thought for a moment, but the imperial physician's words were too complicated and obscure, and he had really forgotten them. After thinking for a long time, he could only squeeze out one sentence: "He said that she should be angry and suffer from a serious illness of heat entering the blood."

The north wind howled, and Xiao Shenjing gazed at the swirling snowflakes, remaining silent for a long time.

"Go and summon the imperial physician who treated her that day."

Xiao Shenjing was the imperial physician summoned to the East Warm Pavilion.

“Your Majesty, on that day, Miss Yunxi’s eyes were bloodshot, her temples had bulging veins, and her fingernails were cyanotic. This was a manifestation of liver qi stagnation and liver fire.”

Xiao Shenjing: "Go on."

"Because she was flogged during the day, I suspect that she suffered public humiliation and had nowhere to vent her grief and anger, which led to a critical condition of 'heat entering the blood'."

Xiao Shenjing remained silent.

In the deathly silence, the imperial physician could only continue, “Miss Yunxi’s high fever persisted until noon, burning like charcoal, with even brocade-like patterns appearing under her skin. At this point, the heat evil had already entered her body, causing her to become delirious and agitated. By three-quarters of an hour at noon, Miss Yunxi had become unconscious and speechless, covered in rashes and vomiting blood. During the time it took for me to prescribe medicine and have someone fetch it, Miss Yunxi’s vital energy was depleted along with her blood, her fever suddenly dropped, her limbs turned cold, and her pulse became weak and almost imperceptible.”

The pulse was faint and almost imperceptible.

In the warm chamber of the dead of winter, the charcoal crackled and popped in the bronze stove.

At that moment, Xiao Shenjing felt a sudden chill run through his body.

It was as if the snow and wind outside the window suddenly pierced through my heart.

The imperial physician below the steps continued to ramble on, "This pulse is extremely thin and weak, as if it could break at any moment. The yang energy is declining, and the qi and blood are exhausted; this is an extremely ominous sign."

Suddenly, a sharp north wind howled past the window, swirling snowflakes that pelted the crimson gauze.

An uncontrollable fit of coughing interrupted the imperial physician's words.

The imperial physician, who was prostrate on the ground, trembled and shut his mouth.

Fu Shun quickly handed over a cup of hot tea.

Finally suppressing his cough, Xiao Shenjing waved away the imperial physician amidst the swaying shadows of the glass lamp.

The young emperor's face was hidden in shadow. After a long pause, he slowly spoke, "Did I punish her too severely?"

“Your Majesty, you have been lenient enough.” Fu Shun shook his head. “Since ancient times, regicide has been a heinous crime that would result in the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan. Yet, Miss Yunxi was only punished with twenty strokes of the cane and sent to the laundry department. This is already an act of great imperial grace.”

Fu Shun glanced at Xiao Shenjing before continuing boldly, "She injured the future Empress, and even if she was in the right, she was still wrong. Even for the sake of the Empress's dignity, she should be punished. His Majesty has already done more than enough, and a mere twenty strokes of the cane was enough to make her so angry. Miss Yunxi is just too hot-tempered and impatient. She can't stand the slightest loss or humiliation."

Everyone knows that Yunxi is not suited for the complicated rules of the palace.

She is like a wildfire, and her actions are like a wild horse that has broken free of its reins, unrestrained in any way.

She wasn't even afraid of a fight to the death.

Such a sharp temperament, if not tempered, is not suitable for this magnificent Forbidden City.

If you force it, it will most likely result in both sides suffering losses.

Fu Shun didn't have the courage to say the rest.

Your Majesty seized this throne, and you are least afraid of being forced to take it.

He could seize the world and make countless people kneel at his feet, so what was so special about a mere orphaned girl from humble origins?

After all, wealth, honor, the power of life and death, and the ability to command the wind and rain—which of these wouldn't be something people would flock to?

And these were things that Emperor Xiao Shenjing could easily provide.

Xiao Shenjing lowered his thick eyelashes and remained silent, only waving Fu Shun away.

The memorials were piled up so high they seemed about to collapse.

Holding the imperial brush with its vermilion ink, Xiao Shenjing couldn't write a single word for a long time.

Instead, ink rolled off the tip of the brush and smudged the folded paper.

The weather is getting worse.

During the day, Yunxi would try to find a town or village to stay in while traveling.

After all, although she was disguised, she still didn't dare to rest at the post station, for fear of giving herself away.

She would rather live a life of hardship than be discovered.

The journey was going quite smoothly.

Yunxi thought things would go more smoothly once they entered the southwest region, but she never expected to encounter bandits several times along the way.

Fortunately, she and Xiao Bei were both skilled in martial arts, and because the previous groups of bandits were not a threat, Yun Xi easily dealt with them.

However, the group of people they encountered at Jianmen Pass were clearly not the same rabble as the previous groups.

More than a dozen people were dressed in ethnic minority clothing, and were quite robust, appearing to be well-trained.

"Young Master, should we take a detour?" Xiao Bei said in a low voice, lying in the grass.

"If we take a detour, how long will it take?" Yunxi asked, frowning.

Xiao Bei thought for a moment and said, "Going through Jianmen Pass is the shortest route. Even if we take the shortest route, it will still take at least another day to complete the journey."

Yunxi stared at the scene, not speaking immediately.

The man surrounded by bandits at this moment was probably a rich man's young master.

He happened to be wearing a moon-white Taoist robe, a pure white fox fur coat, and a golden longevity lock around his neck. His fair complexion and handsome appearance made him quite eye-catching.

He was good-looking, but he was a naive blockhead. Surrounded by more than a dozen bandits, he actually took out paper and pen and wanted to write an IOU to the group of bandits who had been living on the edge of a knife.

"My valiant warriors," I said, "it is freezing cold. Without these belongings, how could I and my servants have safely returned to Dali? Please allow me to write an IOU for five hundred taels of silver, which I will repay in full in the future."

The moment these words were uttered, the bandits burst into laughter.

One of them was looking at the man in the middle as if he were looking at some rare object.

Perhaps because he had never been ridiculed like this before, the rich young master's thin face turned red instantly.

He was so agitated that he wished he could hide somewhere, but seeing his servants being trampled underfoot by the bandits, he could only continue, "I said, if you brave men let me go, next year, I will definitely give you all the silver."

The burly man in the lead slung his knife over his shoulder and said, "Stop talking nonsense. What do you take us for?"

Someone nearby chuckled and said, "This young master is so fair-skinned, he's practically a woman. Third Master, why don't we take this young master back and make him our bandit husband?"

"How could you insult people like this?" The rich young master's face turned completely red with anger. He gripped the pen and paper in his hand and cursed, "You are simply talking nonsense! Your foul language is utterly hopeless!"

It's obvious he's never sworn at anyone.

He pointed for a long time, but couldn't bring himself to say anything unpleasant.

"Hahahaha," Yunxi couldn't take it anymore.

This person is really funny.

As the bandits laughed, they realized something was amiss.

They glanced at each other and gradually stopped laughing.

But the abrupt laughter still echoed through the woods.

The bandit leader immediately became wary and shouted, "Who's lurking around like that? Get out here!"

Xiao Bei shut her mouth, raised her hand, and walked out of the woods.

He was already tall, and with his heavy cloak and hands raised, he easily blocked the view behind him.

Seeing that he was alone and so cooperative, the bandits didn't take him seriously. "What are you laughing at? Are you tired of living?"

As Xiao Bei walked, he said, "Gentlemen, as a member of the rank and file, could you please let me pass?"

Just a few feet away from the group of bandits, the bandit leader suddenly shouted, "Halt! What's behind you?"

Just then, Yunxi suddenly darted out from behind Xiaobei, throwing several poison bullets at the bandits without hesitation.

She and Xiao Bei, with the antidote in their mouths, immediately covered their noses and rushed forward.

Suddenly, a pungent, fishy stench filled the air, and several bandits, caught off guard, screamed in pain.

I never expected the person who came would be even more ruthless than me.

The bandit leader brandished his broadsword and roared, "Quickly, capture them for me!"

Before he finished speaking, Yunxi's long sword was already aimed straight at the bandit leader's neck. "To catch the thief, you must first catch the king. Today, I'll use you as my practice subject."

Xiao Bei wielded his longsword with impenetrable skill, deflecting all the attacks from the others.

In an instant, amidst the clash of swords and the screams of agony, screams filled the air.

The scene became chaotic.

A few moments later, the scene ended with Yunxi's words, "Your boss has been captured by me, why don't you surrender immediately?"

Xiao Bei quickly tied up the group of bandits.

Some bandits, oblivious to the situation, shouted, "Our leader will definitely not let you get away with this!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yunxi punched him, breaking his nose. "Shut the hell up and I'll cut your head off!"

The bandit who was being beaten screamed, but before he could finish, Yunxi stuffed a lump of coarse cloth into his mouth.

The others were also frightened by her fierce behavior and fell silent like quails.

Their barbaric and rude behavior left Xiao Bei speechless.

Yunxi looks perfectly natural dressed as a man.

The poison was indiscriminate, and even the rich young master was poisoned, becoming somewhat delirious.

Leaning against the carriage, he forced himself to speak, "This strong man is from Dali, Yunnan Prefecture. My name is Ding Xian. If you release me, I will give you all the money you want. You can write an IOU."

He calmly parted his lips.

Yunxi found his nonsense annoying and shoved half of the antidote into his mouth.

Just as Ding Xian was about to spit it out, Yun Xi casually pressed his mouth shut and even raised his eyebrows to threaten, "If you dare to spit it out, I'll kill you right now."

Seeing his fair face flushed red, his eyes glaring angrily, he looked exactly like someone who dared not speak out against his anger.

This person really has a clear understanding of emotions.

Yunxi couldn't help but laugh out loud, and patted his shoulder casually, "Don't worry, little scholar, that's the antidote I gave you."

After distributing the antidote to Ding Xian's servants, Xiao Bei reminded them, "Young Master, this place is not safe to stay for long."

Since we were in the bandits' territory, leaving as soon as possible would minimize the danger.

Seeing Yunxi nod, Xiaobei urged, "Hurry up and leave here immediately, or you'll all die if you get caught by the bandits again."

Yunxi picked up the gold-backed iron knife from the ground, dragged it with one hand, and strolled leisurely toward the bandits who were trapped tightly.

Fearing that the commotion here would be too great, Xiao Bei quickly gagged them all, but the way they looked at Yun Xi was like looking at the King of Hell, and they all desperately shrank back.

Yunxi found the knife too heavy, so she simply carried it on her shoulder.

With one leg bent, he looked just like a ruthless mountain bandit.

"How many times can I kick all these heads of yours?"

The bandits were even more terrified.

However, Yunxi stared at them without saying a word for a long time.

The bandits became even more terrified as she sized them up.

Just when they thought they were doomed to have their heads chopped off, the King of Hell suddenly spoke.

"I know that most of those who become bandits in the mountains are people who can't survive. Times are tough, so I won't kill you today."

Upon hearing this, the bandits almost burst into tears.

"But remember this, my bottom line is that you can't take lives even if you're robbing money. Even if you do rob money, you must share the ill-gotten gains." Yunxi didn't believe that a few words from her could make these people give up their ways, but all she could do was try her best. "I will often pass by this road. When I hear that you have been killing innocent people, I will definitely wipe out your hideout and cut off your heads to play football."

She brandished the knife in her hand and threatened, "Did you hear me?"

The robber nodded hastily.

Yunxi was still worried, so before leaving, he threw down another sentence: "Being kind to others is making things easier for yourself; otherwise, you will all die at my hands today."

Fearing that more bandits would arrive, the group did not stop.

They traveled non-stop for dozens of miles before finally daring to stop.

Ding Xian had recovered his spirits by now and couldn't help but lift the curtain to look behind him.

To avoid any accidents, Yunxi and Xiaobei fell behind.

It was nearly dusk, and the sky was terribly dark.

Ding Xian saw that the man who was slightly shorter than her said something, and laughed as he spoke, even throwing his head back and laughing out loud.

Clean and fair-skinned, with a lively and expressive face.

It was dazzling and eye-catching, like the blazing sun tearing apart a corner of the world.

For some reason, Ding Xian's heart suddenly started pounding wildly.

He was startled and, feeling guilty, quickly lowered the curtain.

The other person is a man, so why would he like a man?

No no no

He did not have homosexual tendencies.

It's probably just that too many things happened today.

There weren't many houses along the way.

Just before nightfall, the group finally found a hunter's house.

After Yunxi finished feeding the horses, she noticed that the wealthy young man standing by the earthen wall kept glancing at her from time to time.

Sometimes when she saw him, he would immediately turn his head to the side, pretending that he hadn't looked at her.

Don't try to cover it up too obviously.

Yunxi was charmed by his cuteness, patted the trash in her hand, and strode towards him.

Ding Xian noticed Yun Xi walking towards him immediately.

His toes immediately wanted to move, but he managed to suppress them.

"Young scholar." Yun Xi raised his chin.

Ding Xian cupped his hands in greeting and said politely, "Brave warrior, my name is Ding Xian."

"Which one?" Yunxi asked.

"The 'envy' in 'I envy the mandarin ducks, not the immortals.'" Ding Xian coughed lightly.

"Oh," Yunxi looked him up and down, deliberately drawing out the tone.

"What's wrong?" Ding Xian's heart trembled under her gaze, but he forced himself to remain calm and asked.

"I didn't expect him to be such a romantic," Yunxi joked.

"It's just a name!" Ding Xian couldn't help but blush a little, but still clenched his fist and emphasized.

"Okay, okay, you're good-looking, so you get to decide." Yunxi nodded.

One sentence left Ding Xian speechless.

His handsome face instantly turned bright red.

"How can you speak like that?" he stammered.

"Isn't this a compliment?" Yunxi scratched her head.

Ding Xian was speechless and turned her face away.

Yunxi saved him not only because he was good-looking, but also because he was from Dali.

Her godmother lives in Dali and runs a restaurant called Hongxiuzhao.

Once she finds Xu Yuansi, she'll take him to meet her godmother.

She believed that her godmother must like Xu Yuansi.

After all, I've always had a good eye for talent.

Um

Except for Xiao Shenjing.

Yunxi frowned habitually whenever she thought of that name.

She took a breath and said gruffly, "If you want to go back to Dali, we can travel together for a few more days. But the end of the year is approaching, and the journey is not safe. I advise you to travel light so you can escape when the time comes."

This was the first time Yunxi had ever seen someone carry so many things when going out.

There were several mattresses, and the tea sets were all made of fine Ru ware.

They're so delicate it's almost annoying.

Ding Xian's blush faded, and he turned to Yun Xi, asking, "May I ask where this brave warrior is headed?"

“Rongcheng,” Yunxi said again, “you don’t have many men to deal with. I advise you to hire more guards, otherwise you’ll be like lambs to the slaughter.”

As if sensing Yunxi's disdain, Ding Xian couldn't wait to emphasize, "I am strong and healthy, not a defenseless sheep."

"Strong and robust," she drawled, looking him up and down, and asked, "Do you have a muscular physique?"

Ding Xian felt fuming under her scrutiny and wanted to bury himself in the ground. After a long while, he managed to stammer out, "Yes, yes."

When Yunxi saw his wife's appearance, he almost blurted out, "Look!"

This handsome scholar, who blushes easily, has a muscular physique, which is quite charming.

If Xiao Bei hadn't brought her a bowl of tea at that moment, she doesn't know what outrageous things she might have said.

As soon as she left, Ding Xian realized what she had said and her neck turned bright red.

I had to desperately tell myself that 'we're both men and it doesn't matter' to barely suppress it.

late at night.

The snow and wind from the north were falling even harder.

No matter how brightly the charcoal fire burned, it couldn't stop Xiao Shenjing's occasional coughs.

Fu Shun urged him three times before he finally put down the memorial.

It was now past midnight.

As I stepped out of the East Warm Pavilion, a sudden gust of wind swept across the corridor.

"From today onwards, reduce the amount of charcoal burning in the palace by half," Xiao Shenjing instructed after taking a few steps.

Fu Shun was taken aback.

"In the cold winter, all the palaces vied for charcoal, which then diminished."

“I will inform the Empress myself tomorrow,” Xiao Shenjing interrupted him.

Xiao Shenjing requested that the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture report the price of firewood and charcoal daily.

Winter has only just begun, yet prices are already five times higher than usual. At this rate, I wonder how many people will not survive this cold winter.

Tomorrow, he will open the Ever-Normal Granary and send 100,000 bundles of firewood to the capital to keep warm.

Only in this way can the soaring price of diesel be suppressed, allowing more people to weather the storm.

As the bedroom door slowly closed, Xiao Shenjing glanced at it subconsciously.

Yunxi dislikes the winters in the north.

With the heavy snow falling, you can only stay indoors; going anywhere will only leave you soaked in snow and wind.

The only thing she liked about winter was that she could have snowball fights.

The dragon bed had already been heated, and it was warm and cozy when Xiao Shenjing lay down inside.

So warm and comfortable, he thought he would fall asleep soon.

He tossed and turned for a long time before finally closing his eyes.

Then, he saw Yunxi's face.

On the snow-covered battlefield, there were severed limbs everywhere.

Amidst the wailing and splattering blood, he saw Yunxi standing on the enemy's city wall.

"Xiao Shenjing, surrender now and I'll release her." The Turkic Khan laughed wildly as he held a golden knife to Yun Xi's neck.

How could he agree to trade one man for the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers?

But Xiao Shenjing hadn't even had a chance to speak yet.

He saw Yunxi suddenly give him a faint smile.

At the moment he heard "Yunxi", his heart skipped a beat.

Yunxi resolutely ran into the sharp blade. In the blinding crimson light, she staggered a few steps, then leaped off the city wall.

"Yunxi"

Xiao Shenjing suddenly woke up.

His heart pounded wildly, and he gripped the mattress tightly with both hands.

The eunuch on night duty outside heard the commotion coming from inside and called out anxiously, "Your Majesty!"

They wanted to confirm the safety inside.

As his heart began to pound uncontrollably after losing weight, Xiao Shenjing suddenly became extremely angry.

"Someone come here!"

The eunuch hurriedly scrambled inside.

"Go and tell Gu Wenqian immediately to bring Yunxi back to me."