070 Child snatching

Inside the room, Xiao Taozi was learning to identify medicinal herbs with Song Xi.

Little Peach was very interested in this. She even stopped eating her snacks and sat in Song Xi's lap, peeling off the dried herbs one by one and reciting them with great interest along with Song Xi.

Li Yang walked over with a smile: "Oh, who is this? Is he our little miracle doctor?"

Little Peach chuckled twice: "Little Peach is a little miracle doctor, and Sixth Uncle is a great miracle doctor."

“Mmm~,” Li Yang pinched Xiao Taozi’s nose: “Being a miracle doctor isn’t easy. It takes a lot of hard work. If you want to be a miracle doctor, you’ll have to work hard in the future.”

Little Peach's eyes lit up. She climbed down from Song Xi's arms, knelt down on the ground with a thud, and kowtowed three times, her voice clear and bright: "Master! Little Peach greets Master! Long live Master!"

These past two days, she's kept hearing Xiao Han call her "Master," and the etiquette she learned in the palace recently has left a deep impression on her. Overwhelmed with excitement, she blurted out everything that was on her mind without thinking.

Song Xi: "...Hahahaha."

He was about to speak when Li Yang interrupted him. She reached out to help Xiao Taozi up: "Get up quickly, your knees must be sore. Come and let your mother take a look."

Song Xi knew she was doing it on purpose.

But Little Peach stubbornly shook her head: "No, Little Peach wants to find her master."

Understanding Li Yang's concerns, Song Xi also advised, "I don't just take on disciples casually. First, I need to check if Xiao Taozi has any talent. Here, come over here first, and let me test you."

Little Peach immediately stood up and walked up to him: "How do I take the test?"

Song Xi placed the "Pharmacopoeia" in front of her: "Once you can recognize all the characters on this book and identify the herbs, your sixth uncle will take you as his last disciple, how about that?"

Little Peach only knew that Brother Xiaohan was Uncle Liu's disciple, but she didn't know what a closed-door disciple was, so she asked, "Then, between Little Peach and Brother Xiaohan, who is more powerful?"

"Of course, Little Peach is more powerful. She is the last disciple and can learn all of Sixth Uncle's skills."

"Then Little Peach will be our last disciple."

Li Yang bent down and picked up Xiao Taozi, placing her on her lap. She reached out to brush the dirt off Xiao Taozi's clothes and said, "From now on, Xiao Taozi must study hard to learn to read and try to recognize all the characters as soon as possible!"

Little Peach hugged the "Medicine Classic" and nodded emphatically: "Yes!"

She thought for a moment, then struggled to get off Li Yang's body: "I'm going to find Brother Xiao Han to learn to read!"

Her eyes darted around, clearly wanting to show off to Xiao Han. Li Yang let Xia He follow her and let Xiao Taozi go out.

Watching Song Xi see Xiao Taozi off, Li Yang explained, "Don't misunderstand, what I didn't want Xiao Taozi to become an apprentice was actually..."

Song Xi reached out to stop her, saying, "I know."

His involvement in helping the Fifth Prince ambush and kill the Princess Consort of Prince Yu on his way out of the capital might be discovered later. If it gets out and Xiao Taozi finds out, it will only make things difficult for her, as they have become master and disciple.

Anyway, he will leave Kyoto eventually. As time goes by, Little Peach will forget him and treat him as a stranger. That's better than having her beloved master as her mother's killer.

Remembering what Xia He had said earlier, Li Yang changed the subject and asked, "I heard you locked Yu Jin in the backyard?"

“Well, there are still some things she hasn’t made clear. Let’s not talk about this anymore. Yangyang, stretch out your hand,” Song Xi took out the pulse pillow, “Now that I have some ideas about the antidote, let me take your pulse again.”

Knowing he couldn't keep her around for long, he thought he should hurry and prepare the antidote as soon as possible. As for the turmeric, it was time. While Li Yang and Xiao Taozi were playing, Song Xi had Xiao Han brew the medicine and then pushed open the door to the woodshed.

Yu Jin was still bound hand and foot, her mouth gagged, lying listlessly on the ground, lifeless. When she saw Song Xi enter, she merely lifted her eyelids slightly before closing them again.

Song Xi walked behind her and bent down to untie the ropes on her wrists.

With her upper body free, Yu Jin didn't move; she remained in the same position, lying motionless.

Song Xi rubbed her fingertips and walked to the side: "Did you feel it?"

Tulip kept her eyes closed, as if she hadn't heard him.

Song Xi remained calm and repeated her words: "Can you feel it? Inside your belly, a little life is slowly sprouting."

Yu Jin slowly opened her eyes and smiled disdainfully: "I was lying to you. I'm not pregnant at all. How could I let myself get pregnant with that beast's child?"

Song Xi said, "Take your own pulse. It's time to tell now."

Yu Jin immediately understood that he had secretly checked her pulse while taking the opportunity to untie her ropes, and only said this after confirming it.

Xiao Han pushed open the door at the opportune moment, carrying a bowl of medicine that was still steaming: "Master."

Song Xi gestured for him to place the medicine in front of Yu Jin: "I remember you begged me to give you a bowl of medicine so you could abort the baby. Now I've thought it through. Here, it's still warm. Drink it."

Yu Jin looked straight at him, picked up the bowl of medicine and brought it to her lips.

The scalding hot medicine, through the porcelain bowl, transferred its heat to her fingers and to her lips. She flinched from the burn, her heart pounded, and her stomach seemed to react, giving a slight jolt.

She really felt it.

The child who shared the same heartbeat with her.

Yu Jin immediately let go, threw down the bowl in her hand, and clutched her stomach tightly with both hands, backing away against the wall.

The porcelain bowl shattered, and the soup inside spilled all over the floor.

Song Xi watched the dark medicine spread and calmly said, "Xiao Han, go and get another bowl."

Xiao Han responded and turned to leave.

Yu Jin's eyes gradually turned to terror, and she curled up into a ball: "Junior brother, no!"

Xiao Han quickly brought in the porcelain bowl again and placed it in front of Yu Jin once more.

Taking advantage of his inattention, Yu Jin stretched out her leg and kicked over the medicine bowl.

Song Xi remained calm: "Xiao Han, go and get another bowl."

"No! Junior brother, please don't!" Yu Jin squatted on the ground, not even having time to pull his legs back, pleading in a pitiful voice.

Xiao Han glanced at Song Xi, and seeing that he didn't react, she turned around and went out to get the medicine again.

"No!" Seeing him about to leave, Yu Jin turned from sitting to kneeling and faced Song Xi: "Junior brother, please, spare my child."

Song Xi looked at her coldly, his eyes devoid of emotion, as if he were looking at a stranger, and said as before, "Xiao Han, go."

"No, no, junior brother, please." Yu Jin crawled toward Song Xi, crying and pleading as she crawled: "That's my child, your nephew, please let him go. What do you want? I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything."

Song Xi retreated repeatedly, avoiding her hand, and looked down at Yu Jin, coldly saying, "The recipe."

***

When the Empress Dowager passed away, the whole country mourned. The Emperor was deeply saddened and repeatedly suspended court sessions.

During the period of national mourning, the emperor entrusted the handling of state affairs to the Fifth Prince.

Unexpectedly, the Fifth Prince, emboldened by the Emperor's favor, openly indulged in revelry with his concubines in the palace, and was caught red-handed by the Emperor. The Emperor was furious, stripped the Fifth Prince of his title, and imprisoned him in the palace indefinitely.

After listening to Yuan Chongjing's words, Li Yang asked, "Is there any possibility that he can make a comeback?"

Yuan Chongjing said, "Not necessarily. He's not so easily defeated."

This is also what Yuan Chongjing is most worried about. The Fifth Prince originally came from the Cold Palace and had nothing. Now that he has reached this point, he is not afraid of losing anything more. He will surely fight with all his might, and regardless of whether he succeeds or not, he will try to minimize the losses suffered by the Prince of Yu.

"And what about His Highness Prince Yu?" Li Yang asked. The Fifth Prince had endured so much for so many years; it was impossible for him to relax and indulge in pleasure so easily after gaining power. He must have been set up this time as well. In the capital now, no one but His Highness Prince Yu could have done something like this.

“Your Highness Prince Yu,” Yuan Chongjing paused, “according to the laws of the Great Qi, a prince with a fiefdom may not stay in the capital for more than half a month. Your Highness has already exceeded that period, but His Majesty has not mentioned it, and all the court officials seem not to have noticed, they are all speechless.”

"Didn't the Fifth Prince and his men mention it either?" Li Yang asked in confusion.

“How could that be?” Yuan Chongjing said, “It’s just that the memorials submitted seem to have all sunk into the sea.”

The Prince of Yu's power was not great enough to block the Emperor's memorial. Given this, everyone probably felt that the Emperor was giving a subtle hint.

After Yuan Chongjing finished speaking, he looked at Li Yang with a somewhat embarrassed expression, as if he had something to say but found it difficult to speak.

Li Yang noticed his unusual behavior and asked, "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"

Yuan Chongjing looked at her, and finally made up his mind to speak in a low voice: "It's about Xiao Taozi. His Highness mentioned it to me indirectly before, and I guess he means that he wants to take Xiao Taozi back after everything is stable."

Li Yang was stunned for a moment, then panicked a little: "Why? Didn't he... no, wasn't it already confirmed in the palace that Xiao Taozi is our daughter? What would it mean if he took her back?"

She knew she wasn't very confident in her words. After all, Xiao Taozi was Prince Yu's biological daughter, and besides, Prince Yu's future status would be much higher than this. Following him, regardless of status or anything else, would be better than living in the Yuan family mansion.

"It won't be that fast," Yuan Chongjing reassured her, seeing her agitation. "His Highness only has this intention; it won't be that fast. Besides, no one can say for sure what the specific situation will be at that time."

Li Yang lowered her head and rested it on Yuan Chongjing's shoulder, her voice filled with disappointment: "I'm just... just a little reluctant to part with it."

"I know, I know." Yuan Chongjing stroked her head. "Things are not yet certain. Yangyang, I'm telling you this in advance so you can be mentally prepared."

To avoid being caught off guard and panicked when faced with the situation, so that you have no other recourse but to panic.

Li Yang's eyes reddened slightly: "Yes, I will slowly nurture Xiao Taozi."

Yuan Chongjing reached out and hugged her: "I'm sorry, I should have considered these things back then." Giving away a child you've raised for five years to someone else is a blow to anyone. Especially since she has devoted herself to Xiao Taozi and has long regarded Xiao Taozi as her own child.

In fact, he was no different.

He swallowed the bitter taste in his throat: "It was my fault for not thinking things through."

Even though I was full of passion back then, I've become sentimental now, eroded by time.

Li Yang shook her head, slowly hugged him tighter, and cried softly in his arms.