Baoning was delighted and hurried to greet her: "Aunt Ming, you are here."

Pei Yuan also looked over.

A very neat woman was standing at the door. She was wearing a long green skirt and her hair was neatly done. Her red eyes were slanted, revealing a shrewd look. But she looked kind and didn't seem like a bad person.

Ming bowed to Pei Yuan, greeted him, and looked at his legs, but glanced at him and walked away, smiling and saying: "I came at the wrong time and disturbed your reunion, but Baoning rarely comes back, I miss you, so I came to see you. Now that I have seen you, I feel relieved and will not stay any longer. Please forgive me for my impoliteness, Fourth Prince."

She seemed to really intend to take a look and leave. After speaking, she smiled and looked at Pei Yuan, waiting for his reply.

Bao Ning was stunned: "You just arrived, why are you leaving?"

She stepped forward to persuade him to stay, begging him coquettishly: "Stay a little longer, have some tea before leaving, the Fourth Prince will be glad that you stayed."

Xu didn't understand, she looked at Pei Yuan carefully, and seeing that he didn't look unhappy, she felt relieved and followed him: "Yes, stay for a while, let's talk together."

Xu was beautiful and gentle, but she was born in an ordinary family. She had lived in this mansion for more than ten years, and the highest-ranking person she had met was her husband, Duke Rong. Pei Yuan was someone Xu had never dreamed of meeting before.

Although Pei Yuan was not as powerful as before, and was also her daughter's husband, in Xu's eyes, he was still unattainable, and just sitting there made her feel restrained.

What Xu was most afraid of was that Baoning would not live well, so she chose her words carefully in front of Pei Yuan, worrying that something she said would displease him and cause trouble for Baoning.

Pei Yuan made a gesture of invitation: "Please sit down."

Baoning and Xu both breathed a sigh of relief. Aunt Ming thanked him and sat down. No one spoke again, and the room was too quiet for a moment.

Xu looked around and saw that Baoning seemed to be hesitant to speak, while Aunt Ming just lowered her head to drink tea. She guessed in her heart that they might have something to discuss but were embarrassed to ask her to avoid it.

She understood Baoning. Baoning's various actions today were a little abnormal, and Aunt Ming was extremely smart. According to her personality, she would never come to the door so rashly as she did today.

The more Xu thought about it, the more she felt that there was something she didn't know. She tried to say, "I just remembered that the kitchen made some snacks this morning. They are still in the pot. I'll go get them."

Baoning was waiting for this opportunity. She sent Xu away first. She nodded and said, "Aunt, I still want to drink the sugar water you cooked. Can you make some for me?"

Xu was more certain of her guess. She smiled and nodded, and went out, taking the two maids who were serving in the room with her.

Baoning leaned over and grabbed Ming's hand, her tone faintly expectant: "Aunt, you have seen something, right?"

Ming said, "Baoning, I don't like to beat around the bush. Since you are here, I will tell you the truth. The fourth prince was poisoned, right?"

She said it, and Pei Yuan's eyes moved, and finally looked at her. His expression became more serious.

Bao Ning nodded: "Yes." Her palms were sweaty. "Aunt, I have seen this poison in the book you gave me. There is a recipe, right?"

Ming said: "But the book also says that no one has survived so far."

Bao Ning's heart sank.

"Fourth Prince, please extend your hand."

Ming's palm was facing up. Pei Yuan paused and put his right wrist in her hand. Ming pulled up her sleeves, and Bao Ning was shocked. She saw that a small blood-red dot appeared on Pei Yuan's wrist at some point. It was as big as a soybean, and was mixed with black silk inside. It was like a spider web, and it was very scary to look at it closely.

Ming's face was serious: "This poison is called Red Dan. It has a long-lasting medicinal power. It lives in poisonous snakes and rats. Under normal circumstances, people bitten will die within twelve hours, unless they cut flesh and bleed, and then seal the poison in a certain part of the body, so that they can survive. But if you are poisoned for the second time, it can't be sealed. If I'm not mistaken, the fourth prince was poisoned for the second time not long ago."

"The longevity of Red Dan is that the sealed poison will slowly spread throughout the body, and there will be marks on the wrist. It starts as a small dot, and then gradually grows larger, spreading to the entire arm, and then the trunk, the whole body. The person will become more and more weak and painful, and finally the whole body will turn red and be covered with black spider webs, and die."

"I came to you because I saw that red dot on the wrist of the Fourth Prince."

Baoning's face gradually turned pale, and she stared at Ming for a long time before she found her voice again: "Auntie, there is a prescription for the antidote, right?"

Ming sighed and shook her head slowly: "The prescription has been destroyed. There is no antidote in the world except in the hands of the poison maker."

Baoning swallowed hard, turned around and grabbed Pei Yuan's hand. Her nails scratched and dug at the red dot, and there was no sign of fading.

Baoning couldn't understand why it was like this. She came here happily, wanting to help Pei Yuan heal his leg, but how come she was sentenced to death in the blink of an eye?

Bao Ning felt dazed and her nose was sore. She looked up at Pei Yuan's expression. He still had a stern face, frowning, and used his thumb to wipe the corner of her eye: "Why are you crying? Don't cry."

Bao Ning touched her cheek, which was wet. Only then did she realize that she had cried. The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt. She sat there holding Pei Yuan's hand, tears falling.

"Forget it." Pei Yuan rubbed her face with his palm and teased her hoarsely, "It's too early to cry. You are not dead yet. Save your tears first. You will cry happily when the time comes. People will think that I married a virtuous wife who loves me. I will die with dignity, right?"

"What are you talking about..." Bao Ning pushed him angrily, but then thought of his gradually weakening body and that he might not live long. After pushing him, she regretted it and went to pull him.

Pei Yuan had thought about this result and it was half expected. He also found it hard to accept, but Bao Ning was here, so he couldn't have a breakdown or do anything out of line. Otherwise, Bao Ning would have lost control of her emotions, and there would be no one to rely on and comfort her.

To be honest, looking at Bao Ning, he still felt a little happy in his heart. After so many years, it was rare for someone to cry for him. It was no regret that someone would miss him after his death.

Aunt Ming looked troubled, as if she was extremely troubled. After thinking for a while, she said, "Baoning, don't cry. Things are not that bad. There is still a glimmer of hope."

Baoning turned around, tears in her eyes, and a look of joy on her face: "What method?"

Ming hesitated and said, "Two methods. The first is that I heard from my father that golden leeches can detoxify. That thing can suck poisonous blood, and when it is full, it will die. Moreover, the saliva of golden leeches is a good medicine for detoxification, so it should be useful."

Baoning's eyes lit up, and before she could speak, she heard Ming say, "But good and bad are interdependent. Leeches cannot completely detoxify. They also contain another kind of toxin in their bodies. When it enters the blood, it will cause pain in the joints and bones on rainy days, and life is worse than death."

Baoning asked hesitantly, "...what about the other method?"

Ming pursed her lips and said, "The only way is to have a blood transfusion. Replace all the poisonous blood and you will be able to live."

That's what she said, but where can she find someone who can do a blood transfusion? Only the first method is feasible.

Baoning looked at Pei Yuan, a little nervous. She didn't know what Pei Yuan was thinking. Death is painful, and life is painful. If she had to go through all this, how desperate she would be.

Fate seemed too unfair to Pei Yuan.

Ming sighed and said, "Baoning, my aunt is not well-trained, so I can only help you with this. You guys discuss it, and I'll go back first."

After that, she got up and left.

Baoning thanked her, walked her a few steps, and with a heavy heart, turned back to find Pei Yuan.

He turned the wheelchair and changed the direction. He went to the window and looked up at the clouds outside.

Baoning stood beside him, watched with him for a while, and asked in a low voice: "Is it beautiful?"

Pei Yuan said "hmm", tilted his head to look at her, and somehow, he suddenly laughed: "After that incident, I always thought that living as a useless person was no different from being dead, but now, I don't think so."

Baoning asked: "Why?"

Pei Yuan said: "When I'm alive, you are a married woman, and when I die, you will become a widow."

Baoning didn't know what expression to make. She should have wanted to laugh, but she couldn't. She just felt heavy and her eyes were sore. She raised her hand to wipe her tears and choked up, "Pei Yuan, I really don't think you are embarrassed or tired. We are a family. Just be well. We will be companions in the future. If you are in pain, I will massage you. When you are well, let's go to the night market to see the lanterns together."

Pei Yuan looked at her for a long time, nodded, and responded softly.

...

Baoning stayed in the mansion for a long time. Tao had never come to see her and didn't go to pay respects. She was happy and free. She accompanied Xu and Ji Yan to eat and talk. Around dusk, the two were going to leave.

Because Xu was beside her, Ji Yan didn't dare to be presumptuous. Even if she was dissatisfied with Pei Yuan, she could only hold it in. Except for facing Baoning, she rarely smiled.

The suburbs of Beijing were too far away. Even if they were reluctant to leave, they should go back after staying for half a day. Xu and Ji Yan saw them off.

The carriage stopped at the door. Xu held Bao Ning's hand with red eyes.

She guessed something from what happened during the day. She knew that Bao Ning and Pei Yuan were not doing well now, but the two children did not tell her directly, so she could do nothing.

Xu said, "Baoning, I don't have much ability and can't help you with anything else. There is only one reason. I have accompanied you for half my life and now I give it to you." Baoning

looked up. Xu smiled lovingly and touched her cheek. Her voice was gentle, "For many things in the world, good and bad are always interdependent. If you gain something, you will lose something. Sometimes you feel it is hard to endure. Don't give up. Hold on a little longer. People with good hearts will be blessed. If you get through that hurdle, good luck will be waiting for you in the future."

Baoning's nose was sour.

Xu said, "You guys go. It's getting dark and it's hard to go." She urged, Baoning and Pei Yuan got on the carriage, turned around and waved, and the carriage left.

Baoning was depressed all the way. Pei Yuan saw it and said nothing.

As they were about to leave the city gate, Pei Yuan suddenly asked, "Do you want to come back often?"

Bao Ning nodded.

Pei Yuan said, "I'll take you to a good place."