The Great Exceeding Hexagram (Middle-Lower Section)

Chapter 28 The Great Exceeding Hexagram - Lower Middle Hexagram - The Street Official's Identity Card

The noble ladies had never encountered such a scene before, and they all avoided it.

Someone in the crowd said, "I've heard that Madam is skilled in divination. Why don't you cast a divination to predict whether the outcome will be good or bad?"

Rong Yan: ...? ? ?

The person is almost gone, yet they're still divining their fate.

"I think there's no need for divination anymore; this one glance is enough to tell it's ominous. If this continues, this place will become a site of murders."

Everyone: ...

Although what she said was true, it still sounded rather harsh...

Liu Yutang's expression and behavior were terrifying. Only Rong Yan rushed forward and knelt down. She pressed down on the convulsing Liu Yutang and pried open her lips.

Just now, she was the only one who confronted her. If something happens to Liu Yutang, she will be the first to be implicated.

"Quickly, go and fetch the imperial physician!"

Only then did Zhao Hong, the daughter of the Duke, realize what was happening. She turned to the palace maid and cried out, "Quickly, go and fetch someone!"

Rong Yan grabbed a stick from the grass and shoved it into Liu Yutang's mouth. Liu Yutang seemed to still be conscious and struggled desperately. The young lady next to her felt sorry for her, knowing that Liu Yutang had just ridiculed Rong Yan, so she thought that Rong Yan was taking revenge on her.

"You, madam, what are you doing? Stop it right now!"

Several people came out to persuade Rong Yan to stop, but Rong Yan ignored them all.

As Liu Yutang's strength waned, she was stabbed in the throat several times and suddenly began to vomit violently. Seeing that she had finally vomited, Rong Yan turned around and said, "Quickly prepare some sugar-salt water, sugar, salt, and hot water. I'll mix it, hurry!"

Everyone was in a hurry and surrounded the two of them. Rong Yan shouted again, "Don't crowd around here, it will make it even harder for her to breathe."

"Everyone, spread out a bit." The Duchess called out as she turned around. She glanced at Rong Yan, whose makeup was delicate and whose sleeves were stained with Liu Yutang's vomit, but she showed no sign of disgust.

Everyone then realized that she was not taking the opportunity to retaliate, but was trying to save someone.

Rong Yan glanced back at the food on the banquet table, then picked out some sea grapes, made them into a sauce, mixed it with grass juice, salt, and sugar. "Everyone, please help me get this down her throat."

"You know medicine? What's wrong with her?"

Liu Yutang was exhausted from being tossed and turned over. Rong Yan thoughtfully found her some clothes and tied them around her waist so that no one would notice that she had lost control of her bladder due to the inducing ejaculation.

Madam Xin snorted coldly, "Madam, you were the only one who spoke with her just now. I noticed that your conversation didn't seem pleasant. You might be the one who did it..."

"You can't say that about her. If she were the one who harmed the person, why would we save her first?"

"The worst thing is when someone is too cunning, and they cry tears of joy..."

Rong Yan knew early on that someone was trying to cause trouble, and replied quickly and cleverly, "This person was poisoned by pufferfish. Did I prepare it for her, or did I force her to eat it?"

"Pufferfish poison?! But we've all eaten pufferfish meat before and we're fine."

"That's because the dish she ate not only contained pufferfish slices but also innards and eyes, all of which are highly poisonous."

Pufferfish poison contains neurotoxins, and judging from the fact that she ingested a small amount, inducing vomiting and diarrhea should be enough to resolve the issue.

Xin Niangzi never expected that a country woman would recognize pufferfish poison, and dared not say anything more.

Rong Yan was able to induce vomiting by using a soup made with incompatible foods, and the sugar-salt water was to prevent her from becoming dehydrated and to replenish her electrolytes.

Just then, the imperial physician arrived. Upon looking into her eyes, he asked, "What did you eat?"

Rong Yan replied, "The pufferfish's internal organs have been treated with vomiting and diarrhea inducing vomiting, and we've also given them some sugar-salt water."

Upon hearing this, Physician Liu took Liu Yutang's pulse and then examined Rong Yan. He nodded very approvingly, "Thanks to this lady's proper handling, she is now out of danger. I will just prescribe some more medicine. This young lady reacted so quickly; her life was saved thanks to her."

Upon hearing this, everyone realized that the situation had truly been extremely dangerous, and Liu Yutang was on the verge of death. If it weren't for Rong Yan, he would probably be dead.

Only then did everyone begin to feel fear. The royal chef would never make such a basic mistake. And because the nameplates were messed up, everyone just sat down randomly. If they had been unlucky, they might have been the ones lying on the ground!

Rong Yan glanced calmly at the nameplate that had been taken away at some point, and noticed that the food on the table had also been cleared away in the chaos.

She knew then that this was a premeditated scheme. The near-fatal incident, with no one coming to investigate, made Rong Yan suddenly feel that the atmosphere in the palace had become murky, and even the flowers before her seemed to lose their luster.

She remembered Xie Chengzhi's words when he left, and took the opportunity to go out.

Zhao Hong had been keeping an eye on her the whole time, and after she left, he inquired about her from the other young ladies.

"Her? I heard she was raised in a Taoist temple and does know divination, but I don't know how capable she is."

The duke's daughter nodded slightly. "Do you know where that Taoist temple is?"

"I haven't inquired about that in detail."

At the same time, the poems written by the noble ladies were sent to Consort Rong, and the events that took place at the banquet were reported in detail.

Consort Rong frowned slightly. "This Lady Rong is more intelligent than I imagined. Jin Nu is becoming increasingly audacious. She even dared to make a move at a banquet like the Hundred Flowers Banquet. Who contacted her?"

"Daughter of Magistrate Xin".

"Let's find an excuse and resolve this after we leave the palace."

After saying that, she lowered her eyes as if nothing had happened and looked at the scroll beside her, murmuring: "Spring river willows green fairy cave, new rain on the bank lychee red. The world's fairy fruits are as skillful as a game, crimson gauze dress seen in the ice palace."

"What a wonderful depiction of a crimson gauze dress in an ice palace! Such a freehand style is truly masterful."

I thought she was just a piece of beautiful glass, but who would have thought she was actually a rare piece of Lantian jade.

Such talent is indeed a match for Xie Chengzhi.

"Did the Prince of Yan see anyone?"

A high-ranking eunuch in a crimson robe replied in a shrill voice, "Your Majesty, we saw them. They should have dispersed by now."

"Very well, then find an opportunity to send the person back to the young master. Remember, send him back unharmed."

"yes."

*

The banquet for a hundred flowers had just ended when a senior eunuch came to lead her out of the palace.

When they reached the high pavilion with its vermilion walls, the chief eunuch said, "Madam, please wait here for a moment. The eldest son will be here soon."

"Thank you for your trouble, sir." After saying that, Rong Yan handed him the loose silver from her sleeve. He smiled obsequiously and accepted it half-heartedly.

Just as the eunuch had said, Rong Yan had only been waiting for a short while when Xie Chengzhi and his entourage came toward them.

Rong Yan dared not look closely and hurriedly lowered her head to stand under the palace wall. The chaotic footsteps grew closer and closer. She had just raised her head slightly when she saw that Xie Chengzhi's face was somewhat pale.

In addition, there was another person standing next to Xie Chengzhi.

The man's dark green clothes were very gorgeous, and a silver hairpin was stuck in his crown, which was quite peculiar. His eyes were also staring intently at her with a slightly profound look.

This person has a refined and elegant appearance, but the way they look at people makes one feel uncomfortable.

After making eye contact with him, Rong Yan immediately looked away.

"Daoheng, your wife is indeed beautiful and intelligent, gentle and charming."

Xie Chengzhi's expression was very cold. He didn't say anything, but simply cupped his hands and said some polite words in a low voice.

Rong Yan also bowed in greeting. As soon as the two turned around, they heard the Prince of Yan chuckle behind them, "The eldest daughter-in-law's lyrics are also excellent."

Rong Yan: ?!

This person already knew about her writing lyrics only an hour ago!

Just as she was about to turn around to look at the Prince of Yan, her wrist tightened. It was Xie Chengzhi who took her hand and pulled her forward quickly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that his right leg was soaked with blood, which had even seeped onto his shoes!

Regardless of the extent of the injury, the blood loss alone is enough to cause serious injury.

"Husband, did the Prince of Yan hurt you?" Rong Yan tried to lift his robe to look as soon as he got into the carriage, but was stopped by his wrist.

He didn't let her move. He lifted his robe himself, tore it into strips with his fingertips, and used the strips to stop the bleeding by stabbing them into his thigh.

Xie Chengzhi had lost a lot of blood and looked very pale. He simply told her, "Don't make a fuss."

Seeing his fingers clenched so tightly in pain that they turned white, she had initially thought Xie Chengzhi would offer some explanation, but she had overestimated his temperament.

Rong Yan sighed. Since he wouldn't say, she would ask him.

She asked calmly and confidently, "Summoning me to the palace is a pretext; you are his real target?"

If she wasn't mistaken, the Hundred Flowers Banquet and Consort Rong were merely pretexts for the Prince of Yan to summon Xie Chengzhi.

Xie Chengzhi did not reply.

It seems she guessed right.

"But... I once heard Fang's mother mention that he and you have always been on good terms?"

Xie Chengzhi slightly parted his lips, as if he wanted to say something, when suddenly there was a jolt, and Rong Yan, who was sitting opposite him, pounced on him without any warning.

Rong Yan felt a sharp pain in the tip of his nose, and at the same time, his waist tightened, and he was pulled into his arms.

The air was filled with his faint scent of incense. Just then, the coachman's voice rang out from behind the curtain, "Young Master, Young Madam, I'm so sorry. I didn't notice the crack in the ground earlier. Are you injured?"

Xie Chengzhi's cool voice softened after a moment, and he said, "It's alright, just be careful."

Rong Yan was slightly surprised. Since she entered the manor, apart from the time he punished Granny Li on her behalf, he had never seen him make things difficult for any servants.

There were previous rumors that he was also capricious and had killed many people in the compound.

She looked up at him and only when she was so close did she realize that his eyelashes were actually quite long.

He gently pushed her away, saying, "Sit still."

She then noticed that her wrist was pressing on his injured leg. Panicked, she ignored his struggles and lifted his robe to check. Sure enough, he was bleeding again.

Rong Yan's face darkened, and he ordered in a deep voice towards the outside, "Let's go back to the manor quickly."

In the pale purple sky, layers of cotton wool seemed to have been torn apart, scattering across a vast expanse. As the last rays of the setting sun shone upon the earth, Rong Yan and Xie Chengzhi returned to Qu Shen Courtyard in a carriage from the manor.

Xie Cheng got out of the car without any wobbling, but his face didn't look too good.

Rong Yan went to help him up, but he subtly avoided her.

Even with her legs like this, she wasn't allowed to support herself. Did she have to keep going even in this condition?

Seeing that blood was seeping from the soles of his shoes, Rong Yan realized that no normal person would let him be so willful, so he insisted on supporting his right arm, hoping that he would use the support instead of straining his legs.

This time, Xie Chengzhi did not refuse.

Back in the courtyard, Huali and Yuling quickly came out of the small house in the courtyard to greet them.

"Huali, bring in two basins of hot water, and then bring in the medicine box. Don't make a sound. Go and inform Madam Hou that the eldest son and I are too tired to eat dinner. We will go to pay our respects to her tomorrow morning and inform her of what happened in the palace. Yuling, tell the cook to make me a pot of congee with just a little salt. Starting tomorrow, the eldest son and I will have blackfish congee for breakfast. If Madam Du or Third Uncle comes, don't stop them."

Huali felt uneasy when she heard that she needed a medicine box, but she quickly calmed down, nodded silently to Rong Yan, and then followed his instructions to bring in what she wanted.

Yu Ling reacted quickly and immediately ran towards the kitchen.

Upon returning to the manor, Xie Chengzhi was unwilling to make a fuss and even refused to invite a doctor, leaving Rong Yan with no choice but to come in person.

She cut open the legs of his shirt and trousers and found that most of the blood had congealed.

She carefully used hot water to gently wipe him clean, washing away the congealed blood clots bit by bit. The water in the copper basin turned red, and by the light of the room, it was clear that it was a knife wound.

A long gash was just above his knee, with flesh torn open. Just like the bursting sausage she had seen in her past life, her stomach churned instantly. Suppressing her discomfort, she mustered her strength and applied some hemostatic medicine and anti-inflammatory powder to his wound.

Such a deep wound would require stitches in modern times.

Looking at the bloody and mangled area, she felt uneasy, and her back was constantly cold and sweaty even in the cold night.

Right on his knee, there was a long scar that wound from his thigh down to his calf. The scar had grown over, and a patch of white flesh had risen up.

Xie Chengzhi took the gauze from her hand and covered his wound, saying softly, "Go and rest for a while."

Rong Yan pulled the gauze scarf back with a strong grip on his wrist and shook his head, "No need, I'll do it. Why are you showing off?"

Xie Chengzhi suddenly fell silent, seemingly because Rong Yan's words were quite impolite.

She wrapped the bandage around his wound again and again, then loosened it again, afraid that it would be too tight and not allow air to pass through. She had never done this before and didn't know if her technique was correct.

As she worked, she asked him in a low voice, "Why are you hurting yourself?"

Xie Chengzhi's breathing became lighter, and then he slowly exhaled, "You actually noticed?"

"The wound is thick at the bottom and narrow at the top. If it were inflicted by someone else, it would be like a mirror, and the wound should be reversed. This wound is clearly caused by you cutting yourself with a knife."

"You are very thoughtful, that's right, it was my own fault that I hurt myself."

Rong Yan didn't ask any further questions. If he wanted to say something, he would have already done so. After spending so much time together, she seemed to have come to understand him somewhat.

The water in both bronze basins was stained red, and even the air in the room smelled of blood.

After Rong Yan treated his wounds, she carefully lit incense and opened both wooden windows in the room.

Fearing that he might catch a cold, she had Yu Ling bring two more basins of charcoal into the house.

As night fell, the room became somewhat dim. Only two lamps had been lit, and when she turned around to light another one, she found Xie Chengzhi asleep on the bed.

This seemed to be the first time she had seen his sleeping face so closely.

His face was still a bit ashen, and his lips were a little pale. He had no appetite for the lightly salted porridge the cook had made, and she had only eaten a few bites before she couldn't eat anymore.

Thinking that she could go to the kitchen to cook some more astragalus and angelica porridge for him, she gently pushed open the door and instructed Chunzhi, who was guarding outside the door, "Have Wang Mama cook some astragalus porridge, and just put in a piece of angelica about one or two fingers long."

She brought the small stove used for the spring banquet into the house, set up a small iron mesh on the stove, and simmered porridge. The sweet aroma of medicinal herbs filled the air.

She gazed at the oily sheen of the clay pot lid under the candlelight, still pondering the events of the day.

The figure on the bed stirred. She got up and went over to him. Seeing that he was awake, she asked, "Are you hungry? I had someone cook some porridge. Have some first."

After saying that, she ladled out a small bowl and handed it to him.

Xie Chengzhi's lips were a little dry. He looked at the bowl of warm porridge in his palm without saying anything. He picked up the spoon, took a spoonful, and put it in his mouth. He seemed to taste something different, but he didn't ask. He slowly finished the porridge, one spoonful after another.

After finishing his drink, he lay back down and quickly fell asleep again.

Getting more sleep is good; it helps you recover your strength faster and your wounds heal more quickly.

She glanced at him a few times before remembering the box that Consort Rong had given her as a reward in the palace.

The box felt heavy in her hands, likely due to the weight of the mahogany. She slowly opened it, and inside there was only a piece of paper and a letter.

What is this?

Upon picking it up, I discovered it was a Taoist temple identification plaque approved by the local street office!

The street official made things difficult for her in every way, refusing to approve her application. Li Fu had gone there five times, even putting on airs of authority, but still couldn't get a clear answer. They kept passing the buck and wouldn't approve it.

Unexpectedly, this identity token was now delivered to her by Consort Rong!

Consort Rong not only knew about the vegetarian hall she was going to open, but she also knew that she couldn't get a street official's badge.

Knowing that the street office was making things difficult for them, they actually stepped in to help her solve a major problem.

Today, she not only did not make things difficult for herself, but even bestowed upon her the identity token of Hebai Temple. What exactly is she trying to do?

She silently touched the identity token in her hand, and there was also a letter. She unfolded it and gasped.