Chapter 65 Bathing

Each drop of water seeped into the burning throat, bringing a moment of relief.

Empty all the water in the teacup.

Xie Jinglan's fingertips gently stroked the water marks at the corners of her lips.

Unable to hold back, he lowered his head and placed a very light kiss on the corner of her lips.

As soon as their lips touched the corner of her lips, Wen Ning's neck subconsciously shrank into her collar.

"Don't do this, what if there's an epidemic..."

The man didn't move away, his nose still rubbing against her temples, his voice mixed with his breathing falling into her ears, "Don't be afraid, the doctor said you are just too tired."

Her slender fingers hooked a strand of scattered hair, twisting it around her fingertips and twisting it slowly. Her voice was as soft as if soaked in water. "Even if there really is an epidemic, I will get infected with it together with you."

Wen Ning glanced at him angrily, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the quilt, "Is everyone... feeling better?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she lowered her eyelashes, as if she was afraid of hearing a bad answer.

Looking at those peach blossom eyes still covered with a layer of fatigue, and the corners of the eyes filled with fear and expectation, the man's heart suddenly softened and ached.

"Well, everything is getting better, thanks to you."

She saved the people of Yuezhou and stopped the raging epidemic, but she herself was exhausted like a reed whose strength had been drained by the strong wind.

Wen Ning's brows, which had just relaxed, furrowed slightly again. "By the way, where's Master? Calculating the date, it's about time."

Xie Jinglan's fingertips paused at her temples, but he quickly concealed the complexity.

"It was raining heavily in the capital, and he was not feeling well, so he was delayed for two days."

Wen Ning nodded, and although she was still a little worried, she didn't ask any further questions.

I saw that the corners of her eyes were still tired, and her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow in the candlelight.

The man calmly adjusted his sitting position so that she could lean on his shoulder more comfortably.

When the person in his arms' breathing gradually became long and even, he carefully lifted the back of her neck and placed her back on the pillow, then tucked in the corner of the quilt.

After leaving the inner room, he stopped at the corridor and whispered to the maid guarding the outer room, "Tell the kitchen to simmer ginseng soup. If the girl wakes up and wants to drink it, please bring it in any time."

The maid agreed.

Only then did he walk towards the study in the moonlight along the corridor.

…

In the study, Xie Jinglan looked at the message sent by the secret guard and couldn't help but clench the paper.

Zhang Zhenghe, a minister at the Imperial Hospital, was given poisoned wine by the emperor nineteen years ago because of his adultery with Concubine Lu.

At that time, he was an excellent doctor and had just cured the emperor's headache. He was in the emperor's good favor, but he encountered a sudden change.

On the second night after Zhang Zhenghe's death, Concubine Lu hanged herself in the cold palace.

Xie Jinglan raised his hand and pressed his eyebrows.

This kind of thing happens in every dynasty.

It is not surprising that the imperial physicians go in and out of the harem to take the concubines' pulses, while the concubines are lonely in their boudoirs and have dirty affairs with each other in secret.

Let’s look at Cai Huichun again.

He claimed to be a traveling doctor who made a living from traveling around the country and said that he broke his leg while collecting herbs.

There is no way to verify his origins. He has no sect or school, no roots or friends.

The two people seem to have nothing to do with each other.

However, the secret paper presented by the secret guard clearly recorded in the old files of the Ministry of Punishment that when Zhang Zhenghe was on trial, a leg bone in his left shin was pulled out while he was still alive.

When he first met the old doctor, he noticed that his left leg was slightly turned outward and his knee was unnaturally crooked.

The posture did not look like the healing of a broken leg, but rather like a deformity caused by years of compensation for a missing joint.

He couldn't help but wonder whether these two people were the same person.

But how could a person who was given poisoned wine escape from the palace?

The poisoned wine bestowed by the emperor was always personally inspected by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and only after it was poured down the throat would it be considered as a report.

Even if he was proficient in medicine and could escape by faking his own death, the palace gates were heavily guarded and the body had to be verified by the three officials before leaving the forbidden garden.

How could he do that?

Unless, before that, someone took care of all this for him.

Xie Jinglan weighed the options calmly.

Even if they are the same person, even if Cai Huichun has a secret that cannot be revealed, and even secretly makes drugs.

As long as he doesn't endanger Ning'er, she can turn a blind eye.

Thinking of this, Xie Jinglan raised his hand and called Qingfeng.

"Make sure Mr. Cai is settled properly and build him a sturdy wheelchair. When Ning'er feels better, bring her to see him."

…

After four or five days of recuperation, Wen Ning's complexion finally improved.

It just so happens that I have my period these days, and my body feels very sticky.

After finally getting clean, he couldn't stand it any longer and hurriedly asked someone to help him prepare water for a bath.

These days, Xie Jinglan has been busy with the final stages of the epidemic.

Those with mild symptoms have all been given medicine and taken home, and patients under observation have also been moved out of their temporary huts.

Unfortunately, there were still countless trivial matters to deal with, such as checking account books, counting medicinal materials, and arranging the care of the bereaved children...

He went out under the stars and returned under the moon every day, but he still did not forget to come and see her at night.

Xie Jinglan went to the government office to discuss matters again today, and Wen Ning originally thought that he would not be back at this time.

She assured someone to prepare water and sent the two maids out.

There were no maids in this courtyard originally. Since the day Wen Ning came in, Xie Jinglan asked someone to find two reliable maids. These two were the ones who had been following him these days.

One is called Wanqing and the other is called Yunxiu, and both of them are very well-behaved.

Wanqing is lively and nimble.

Yunxiu is more calm and composed.

During the epidemic, we were able to survive thanks to the help of these two people.

Wen Ning was not used to being served while bathing. With someone watching her, she felt uncomfortable as if her whole body had nowhere to rest.

Now that I'm feeling better, I don't want to trouble others.

Wen Ning looked in the bronze mirror, casually took out a plain silver hairpin, and loosely tied her long hair behind her head.

The loose hair hanging on the side of her fair neck adds a touch of lazy beauty.

She stood up and walked towards the screen. Just as her fingertips were unbuttoning her dress, she heard the sound of the door hinge.

Xie Jinglan happened to come back earlier than usual today.

The man's eyes swept over her half-undone clothes, from the open neckline to her waist.

His eyes suddenly darkened, and he walked straight over and asked, "Why don't you ask someone to help you take a bath?"

“No, no need…”

Wen Ning's face flushed slightly, not wanting him to stay here. "I can do it myself. My Lord, you have been tired for many days. Go and rest."

"You just finished your period, and your body is still weak," he said, and picked her up horizontally, "How can you not let someone serve you at this time?"

How come he even knew about her menstrual period in the past few days? Wen Ning's ears couldn't help but turn red.

"No need to trouble you, Lord. Let Wanqing and Yunxiu come."

She placed her fingertips on his chest and pushed gently.

Seeing her cheeks flushed, Xie Jinglan curled his lips into a smile, his warm breath brushing behind her ears, "Let me do it. Ning'er, believe it or not, I can serve you better than them..."

The man strode behind the screen, placed her steadily next to the bathtub, and began to strip off her clothes.

Her fingertips fell on the buttons, and she twisted them lightly one by one without haste, and the white jade buttons popped open one by one.

The collar of the middle garment slid down loosely, revealing a slender shoulder and neck line.

He held the back of my neck, and the warm touch went all the way down my spine.