Zheng Xiu did not feel much about the number of servants detained. For her, who was used to living in a small family, the yard was already full. Besides Minghui, Fen Ge and Baizhu, who were obviously trying their best to do their job well, everyone else seemed sloppy and undisciplined. She also did not want Princess Guihe to let anyone in again, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble.

When she was at home, she always felt that the days passed very quickly. She would get up in the morning to make breakfast, send her father and two children out, talk to Aunt Qian, Xue Zhi or grandpa and grandma, wash clothes, and then prepare lunch. After lunch, she would take a good nap, and it would be dark soon. After breakfast, the family gathered together and had a lively time. Zheng Yu and Xue Shao would tell her some interesting stories that happened in the school. It was getting late and it was time to wash up and get ready for bed.

But when she arrived at the Duke of Qing's Mansion in the capital, she found that the days were so long and even a little hard to bear.

After the initial excitement and curiosity, Xue Shao also began to become a little listless. Apart from playing with Ji Lei for a while every day, it seemed that he had nothing else to do. The Duke of Qing's Mansion was large and there were many places to explore, but no matter what he did, he was alone, and he always felt that those people looked at him strangely.

Over time, he no longer liked to go out to play, and only stayed in Hao Yetang, or accompanied Zheng Xiu to the small Buddhist temple for a while.

Fortunately, the old lady still welcomed Zheng Xiu's daily visits.

Zheng Xiu recited Buddhist scriptures, copied scriptures, and picked Buddhist rice with the old lady every day, and she felt much calmer.

A month passed like this, and it was almost the end of the last month of the lunar calendar.

One night, Xue Shao had a nightmare and woke up crying.

He no longer slept with Zheng Xiu, but slept in the gauze closet in her room. He cried like a kitten, but Zheng Xiu's voice was so soft that she soon heard it. She got out of bed, walked quickly to the gauze closet, and gently shook Xue Shao, who was still crying in his sleep.

Xue Shao was in a daze. When he saw her, he buried his head in her arms and cried, "Mom, I dreamed of my dad. Something happened to my dad..."

Zheng Xiu comforted him quickly, "No, you just dreamed. Dreams are always the opposite. It's okay, it's okay..." She patted his back gently. Xue

Shao sobbed for a while and soon fell asleep again.

Zheng Xiu was worried, so she sat by the bed and watched for a while. She waited until his breathing became even and he slept soundly, then she went back to her bed.

But that night, she couldn't fall asleep at all.

Xue Zhi had been missing for another month. Logically speaking, the transportation in the coastal areas of Jiangnan was convenient, so it shouldn't be difficult for him to ask someone to send a message or report his safety.

A month ago, Xue Zhi suddenly came back.

Zheng Xiu had just heard the news in the morning, when they heard that they were about to dock.

She and Xue Shao were overjoyed, waiting for Xue Zhi to return safely.

However, that afternoon, Xue Zhi did come back, but he was carried back by someone.

His upper body was naked, wrapped in gauze that had just been changed, and his face and lips were frighteningly pale.

The guards of the Duke of Qing's Mansion and the servants of Princess Guihe all entered the Haoye Hall, crowding into the room.

Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao watched the guards move Xue Zhi from the stretcher to the bed.

Not long after, Princess Guihe also came over from Changfeng Garden.

Xue Zhi had been sleeping and just woke up.

Seeing Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao, he raised his lips and smiled, "I'm back." His tone was very normal, as if he was not in danger outside, but just out for a walk.

Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao's eyes were already red.

Princess Guihe sat on the edge of the bed, frowned and said, "I told you to move to Changfeng Garden first, why didn't you listen? Haoye Hall is short of staff now, it will be more convenient for you to take care of me if you go to my place."

Xue Zhi shook his head with difficulty, then looked at Zheng Xiu with a smile in his eyes, "Axiu will take good care of me."

Princess Guihe no longer forced herself, and turned to Zheng Xiu and said, "Then Azhi will be in your care. If there is any inconvenience, just send someone to Changfeng Garden to tell you."

Zheng Xiu responded, "I know, thank you for your concern, sister-in-law."

Xue Zhi was not in a good mood either. He said a few words to Princess Guihe and closed his eyes again. Princess Guihe did not stay long, and told the servants of Haoye Hall to cheer up and serve well, then returned to Changfeng Garden.

Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao were able to approach. They did not know what happened to Xue Zhi outside, let alone where he was injured, and they did not dare to check for a while.

It was not a good thing to keep so many people crowded in the room, so Zheng Xiu asked the guards to go back first. The leading guard in black clothes said, "Madam, this is the medicine for the second master's injury. It is a prescription from Doctor Yu. The medicine in the bottle is for external application, and the other herbs are boiled in three bowls of water to make one bowl of water and taken. After you finish eating, the prince will naturally send more."

Zheng Xiu nodded and took note, and asked Minghui to put the medicine away.

"Big brother guard, where is the second master injured?"

The black-clothed guard said hurriedly, "Madam, please call me A Ping. I dare not call you 'big brother'. The second master was stabbed in the chest. Now he is not seriously injured, but the injury was very serious at the time, and he lost a lot of blood. He needs to rest well." After saying that, A Ping clasped his fists towards her, and led the others out of Haoye Hall and returned to the front yard.

After everyone left, Zheng Xiu asked Minghui to go to the small kitchen to boil medicine. She and Xue Shao continued to guard the bed.

A sword in the chest. It did sound easy, but Zheng Xiu and Xue Shao were both terrified. The bandage was on the left side of the chest. If it was a little higher up the atrium...

they didn't dare to think further.

Xue Zhi had been sleeping very soundly. After they had endured it for a while, Zheng Xiu went to the small kitchen, thinking of preparing some blood-replenishing and qi-invigorating meals for him.

The ingredients in the small kitchen were limited, and Zheng Xiu didn't think of what to make for a moment.

Bai Zhu went with her, guessed what she was thinking, and said, "I'm afraid the Second Master doesn't have much of an appetite right now. Madam, why don't you make a blood-replenishing Four-Red Porridge, which is easy to eat and can nourish the Second Master's qi and blood."

Zheng Xiu had never heard of this blood-replenishing Four-Red Porridge, so she asked her how to make it.

Bai Zhu said in an orderly manner: "The blood-replenishing four-red porridge is made by boiling together peanuts with skin, red beans, purple rice or black rice, red dates, and brown sugar. I'm not afraid of being laughed at by my wife, but it was originally eaten when my daughter came home for her period."

Zheng Xiu nodded and smiled: "It sounds good and simple. We have all these things in our kitchen, right?"

Bai Zhu said: "They are all prepared at ordinary times." As he spoke, he searched for several ingredients.

The process of making porridge was also simple. Zheng Xiu followed Bai Zhu to pick up the peanuts and red beans that were full, and then put the other things into the pot and cooked them in the morning.

Just after finishing, Xue Shao trotted to the small kitchen, "Mom, Dad is awake and is looking for you!"

"Yes, I'm coming." Zheng Xiu wiped her hands.

Bai Zhu said, "Madam, go quickly. I'll watch the fire here."

Zheng Xiu quickly walked out of the small kitchen and followed Xue Shao back to the house.

Xue Zhi had been helped to half sit up and leaned on the pillow. Seeing her coming, he couldn't help smiling.

Seeing this, Zheng Xiu said, "Just lie down, why are you sitting up?"

Xue Zhi smiled and said, "You've been lying down for long enough, your body is almost loose."

Hearing his dry voice, Zheng Xiu went to the table and brought him some water.

Xue Zhi didn't stretch out his hand, but took several sips from his hand.

Zheng Xiu wiped the corners of his mouth with a handkerchief, "You want more?"

Xue Zhi shook his head and said, "No. Don't be busy, sit down and talk to me."

Zheng Xiu put down the teacup, sat down on the edge of the bed again, and complained, "You know how to talk to us now? You've been away from home for two or three months, and there's no news at all. Don't you know that we are almost worried about you?"

"No news at all?" Xue Zhi raised his eyebrows. In the past two or three months, he first returned to the Duke of Qing's Mansion, and then followed the Crown Prince on his tour. He was indeed too busy to leave, but he did write two letters to Zheng Xiu. One was written to the Zheng family before he left, fearing that she would not be willing to take Xue Zhi to the capital. The other was sent back to the Duke of Qing's Mansion along with the family letters when he was in Jiangnan, fearing that Zheng Xiu would worry.

It is possible that the letters sent back to the town were intercepted by someone, but it is absolutely impossible for the family letters sent back to the Duke of Qing's Mansion to be lost. But after a change of mind, he understood what was going on...

He smiled apologetically, "I was too busy, Ah Xiu, please don't be angry with me. Otherwise, you can hit me a few times to vent your anger?"

He was so injured now, how could Zheng Xiu bear to do it, so she could only sigh and say, "You, just come back safely. If you don't come back, I really don't know how to live with Ah Shao." On the one hand, she was worried about his safety, and on the other hand, because the Duke of Qing's Mansion was like a canary cage, making her feel more and more depressed.

Xue Zhi looked at her with a little self-blame, "You have worked hard during this period."

Zheng Xiu asked again where he got this injury.

Xue Zhi did not want to elaborate, so he just said briefly: "After His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and I arrived in Jiangnan, we did find many tricky things. But His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is resourceful, and he has all of us to protect him, so we slowly found out a lot of things. We set out for Beijing ten days ago, but something went wrong on the way. We encountered an assassin, and I was accidentally stabbed by a sword. The assassins have all been captured, and the Crown Prince sent someone to send me back to Beijing to recuperate. He is still interrogating the assassins, and he should be back in a few days."

Zheng Xiu listened to what he said with his ear tilted. Although he spoke as calmly as possible, if someone with the Crown Prince's status could encounter assassins, one can imagine how dangerous it was.

After Xue Zhi finished speaking, seeing Zheng Xiu's increasingly solemn expression, he suddenly frowned and said "ouch".

Zheng Xiu hurriedly asked what was wrong.

Xue Zhi continued to frown and said, "I've been lying down for too long, and my stomach aches from hunger. I want to eat the food you cook."

Zheng Xiu side-glanced at him and spat at him, calling him a "stingy mouth". But she still stood up and went to the small kitchen to see how the porridge was cooking.

After Zheng Xiu left, Xue Zhi called Xue Shao to his side.

Xue Shao was afraid that his clumsy hands and feet would touch his father's wound, so he sat farther away.

Xue Zhi said with some amusement: "Your father is not a paper bandage, so he didn't feel any pain or itchiness." Then he looked down at the large white bandage on his chest, "This wound with a medical bandage is indeed a bit scary."

Xue Shao was also amused, and his little face was finally not full of solemnity.

"How have you and your mother been doing recently? Are you used to it?"

Xue Shao nodded, "Not bad. It's just that mother hasn't been sleeping well these days. She gets up before dawn to go to grandma to chant Buddhist scriptures."

"Your grandmother..." Xue Zhi hesitated, paused, and continued to ask, "Your grandmother didn't say anything to you, did she?"