However, this method is quite subtle. After all, a normal person wouldn't have a defense map engraved on their pillow and hidden in their bedroom.

She noticed a few very dense, straight lines that occasionally appeared on the pillow, which must have indicated the specific details of the military deployment, such as how many soldiers were defending the area and how much food and supplies were prepared.

At this moment, Yun Duoduo was absolutely certain that this was the defense map of Western Chu.

【Then pack this pillow and take it with you!】

Yun Duoduo put on the pillowcase and hugged the rectangular pillow to her chest.

However, this thing is quite large, and if we take it away, it will definitely be discovered.

What should we do?

Yun Duoduo was having a problem when she suddenly heard voices coming from the entrance of the palace.

The sound wasn't loud, but she could hear it clearly.

"Quickly prepare bathwater for me! I just came back from the hunting grounds, and it's so hot!"

Immediately following was a flurry of footsteps.

[Oh no, the crazy guy is back!]

Yun Duoduo was sweating profusely with anxiety and was about to run out when she tripped over the medicine box under her feet.

Oh, and the first-aid kit!

She hurriedly stuffed the pillow into the medicine box, picked up the medicine box and basket, tidied the bedding on the bed, and then climbed out of the window.

...

Xi Jing and the palace maids were unaware of the commotion at the innermost part of the bedchamber, as they were all busy serving Xi Jing.

What's that smell in this room?

As Xi Jing undressed, he asked, frowning. The strong medicinal smell made him feel nauseous.

"Your Majesty, it was Your Majesty who arranged the bedchamber for you, saying it was to provide you with medicinal fumigation to treat your cough."

The palace maid bowed her head as she helped Xi Jing into the bathtub while tidying up his clothes that had fallen to the ground.

In the back mountain, Xi Jing had a private bath, but he preferred to sleep and rest directly after soaking in the bath, so most of the time he would take a bath in his bedroom.

"Your Majesty..."

Upon hearing this, Xi Jing curled the corners of her lips into a smile.

"I didn't expect this little thing to be so good at winning people's hearts. In just a few days, you've all started calling her the Queen?" Xi Jing glanced sideways at the head palace maid who had spoken earlier.

"Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

The palace maid, clutching the clothes in her hands, knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"We servants have seen that the Ninth Princess serves Your Majesty with utmost care and has even cured your cough. Moreover, the news of Your Majesty's engagement to the Ninth Princess has spread throughout the palace. That's why we call her that."

Xi Jing smiled and said, "You can go now."

After hearing the palace maid's words, he curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

[I didn't expect the little thing to care so much about my health, even personally arranging the medicinal fumigation.]

Thinking this way, Xi Jing's mood inexplicably improved. The pungent and disgusting smell of medicine that she had smelled before didn't seem so bad anymore.

He closed his eyes, stepped into the bathtub, and soaked comfortably, inhaling the mingled scents of paintings and herbs.

...

Outside the city, Jin Jinzhi, accompanied by Military Advisor Cao and a group of men, sped through the woods.

Military Advisor Cao was in dire straits. In just a few days, he had traveled from the capital city of Nanyang to the Western Sea, and now he was speeding along an endless dirt road toward the capital of Western Chu.

His body felt like it was falling apart, and the dust flying up made it hard for him to open his eyes.

To be honest, their prince didn't have to take such responsibility for this matter. Even if something had happened to the princess in Western Chu, it would have been the fault of the guards and imperial guards of Fushuang Palace, and it had nothing to do with their prince.

[Your Highness, what's the rush?!]

[Every time the prince acts so recklessly, it's because of the Ninth Princess.]

[As a result, I'll have to risk my life too.]

Cao Canjun was extremely helpless. He felt that he was about to fall off his horse and was exhausted.

Jin Jinzhi's expression was cold and stern; the scars on his face seemed to ache even more when the wind blew on them.

The pain reminded him that Yun Duoduo was still in the Western Chu palace and was very likely to be forced to marry that bastard Xi Jing.

By then, it will be too late for anything.

"drive!"

Jin Jin was anxious and quickened her pace.

...

After Yun Duoduo climbed out of the window of Xijing Palace with her medicine box, she headed towards the back mountain.

She knew she couldn't go through the main gate of the palace, as it was guarded by the commander of Xijing's imperial guards and was heavily guarded. In contrast, the guards at the back of the mountain would be much less strict.

Because venomous snakes and bears often roam the back mountains, normal people wouldn't go there.

This time, Yun Duoduo didn't hunch over or hug the wall as she walked. Instead, she nodded generously to the eunuchs and maids who greeted her.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The eunuchs and palace maids greeted Yun Duoduo.

Yun Duoduo waved her hand with great poise: "Okay, go ahead and get busy!"

"Your Majesty."

"Hmm, Eunuch Zhang, what a coincidence! I just went to give His Majesty the medicinal fumigation!"

"May Your Majesty be well."

"Okay, I'll go gather some more herbs!"

As they talked, Yun Duoduo arrived at the back mountain. The guards at the back mountain bowed respectfully upon seeing Yun Duoduo and did not stop her.

Yun Duoduo waved the basket of dried herbs in her hand and said, "I wonder if the snow lotus on the back mountain has bloomed yet. I'll go and see. If there is snow lotus, the king's cough can be cured!"

The guards looked at the clouds and were deeply moved and impressed.

Your Majesty is truly blessed to have married such an approachable, beautiful, and highly skilled princess.

Yun Duoduo smiled all the way, and when she saw that there were no people around, she breathed a sigh of relief, stopped smiling, threw down the herb basket in her hand, slung the medicine box over her shoulder, and started running like crazy.

After running for a while, she was already panting and thirsty; carrying the medicine box for so long was really quite heavy.

She was a little lost and didn't know how to escape back to Nanyang from the back mountain, so she released a signal fire and marked the way, waiting for Zheng Ningxiang to find her.

...

After taking a bath, Xi Jing felt much more relaxed, and the muscle soreness he had felt when he returned from the hunting grounds had also disappeared.

He felt very comfortable smelling the medicinal fragrance in the bedroom.

The palace maids helped him change into clean and refreshing clothes, and he lay down on the bed, preparing to sleep.

After lying down, he felt that the pillow was too soft, so he ordered the palace maid serving him, "Bring me my wooden pillow."

I feel more at ease sleeping with a wooden pillow.

"A wooden pillow?" The palace maid frowned and looked at the bed, but she didn't see a second pillow.

"Huh? It was brought in then, and Da even helped with the fumigation afterwards."

Xi Jing then noticed that many dried herbs were sewn onto the four corners of the quilt. He picked up a corner of the quilt and smelled it; after a while, he got used to the herbal scent.