Chapter 89 Chapter 89 Have you always had a poisonous insect in your body...
The room suddenly became so quiet that one could hear the sound of a silver needle falling to the ground.
When Cui and Wang walked in and saw Yuan Wangshu kneeling on the ground, they immediately understood that she was apologizing to Xie Tingyu.
Oddly enough, since Yuan Wangshu delivered the Ni Lin Dan the night Xie Tingyu was seriously injured, he hasn't set foot in Xie Garden since. Yuan Sanlang, however, has been visiting frequently for consultation. Cui Yuanying sent someone to inquire, only to discover that Yuan Wangshu has been training in archery at the martial arts field outside the city. While he hasn't been visiting, he's been sending healing tonics daily. Yesterday, he even had her husband personally visit Xie Tingyu to inquire about his condition.
You can see that he cares a lot.
Cui Yuanying was already furious with Yuan Wangshu over Cen Xiu's accusations, even resentment from a childhood beating she'd given him had flooded back, leading her to pin him to the ground and teach him a lesson. But seeing Yuan Wangshu come forward today to apologize, she felt her trip had paid off.
She winked at Xie Tingyu and mouthed three times, "I want to see! I want to see! I want to see!" At the same time, she hooked her arm to stop Wang Lanzhi from retreating, lowering her voice, "Why are you leaving? How can you resist not seeing the excitement? You're not allowed to leave!"
Xie Tingyu took the teacup from the bedside and said, "You've come just in time. Please be a witness for me and Wangshu's mother."
"What witness?!" Cui Yuanying's eyes lit up, and he immediately pushed Wang Lanzhi down to sit. "Xie Er said this himself! I was about to leave, but since you want to be a witness, I'll stay reluctantly."
Taking a sip of tea, Xie Tingyu spoke slowly, "Mother Wangshu has just sworn that if I ever go on another expedition, she will bravely fight for me." He sighed, "With such good help, I feel much more at ease in the future."
Yuan Wangshu, who had been feeling awkward because of Cui and Wang's presence, felt his embarrassment fade after hearing this. He coughed solemnly a few times, "Xie Er is right. I've come today precisely to discuss the expedition. Since the Xianbei have dared to send spies, a major battle is inevitable. Since Xie Er saved me during the bandit suppression, I will repay his kindness and serve as a vanguard."
Just a few words cleverly resolved the embarrassment of asking for forgiveness.
Xie Tingyu turned to Cui and Wang and said, "Look, I have another great general under my command. I am really amazing."
Cui Yuanying curled her lips, "Ah? That's it? Xie Er, can you ask Yuan Wangshu to repeat what we said before we came in? I really want to hear it."
Wang Lanzhi shook his head helplessly. "We're here to visit Tingyu. Please don't cause trouble." He turned to Yuan Wangshu and said, "Don't go back on your words. When we go to conquer the Xianbei, you must keep your promise."
"I never brag."
While speaking, Yuan Wangshu couldn't help but glance at Xie Tingyu who was whispering with Cui Yuanying. He rubbed his knees which were sore from kneeling and coughed lightly a few times, finally attracting his attention.
"Hey! Yuan Wangshu is still kneeling." Cui Yuanying nudged Xie Tingyu with his elbow.
"We were so engrossed in the conversation just now. Mother Wangshu, please get up quickly."
Yuan Wangshu rubbed his knees and stood up. He sat down with Wang Lanzhi and talked about the recent training of the new army. Wang Lanzhi said calmly, "Although we don't know when the war with the Xianbei will begin, as long as we seize the opportunity and have the chance to launch an attack, we must not retreat."
Xie Tingyu stared at Wang Lanzhi for a long while, then smiled and said, "As expected of someone from the iron-blooded Wang Family Army."
Cui Yuanying scoffed lightly, her tone filled with impatience. "I say, Xie Er finally woke up, can you not talk about such heavy topics? Can't we talk about something light and fun?"
As he spoke, he turned the conversation to the subsequent autumn hunt. At the banquet for the noble ladies, Cui Yuanying looked at Xie Tingyu with regret, "I'm afraid your injury will take until winter to heal. You are destined to miss it."
"What's so regrettable about this? Even if Xie Tingyu didn't participate in the autumn hunt, everyone in Jiankang City knows that she is unparalleled in riding and shooting." Yuan Wangshu scolded coldly, "But you, don't embarrass yourself by being last again."
"Yuan Wangshu, are you done yet?" Cui Yuanying rolled up his sleeves and was about to pounce, but was hurriedly stopped by Wang Lanzhi.
After a while of arguing, the few people left.
News of Xie Tingyu's reawakening spread throughout Jiankang, along with the news that Grand Tutor Xie had barged into the Yu family in Yingchuan with a sword. Even more gifts poured into Changhaoyuan than before his coma. There was South China Sea pearl powder, presented by the son of the Lu family of Fanyang, said to heal scars and regenerate new flesh. There was also red blood ginseng, presented by the young master of the Li family of Zhaojun, said to replenish one's qi and blood, restoring one's health.
Of course, some of them were sent by Wang Shi of Langya.
Wang Qiwu carefully removed a bowl of medicinal food from a carved food box. "Sister Tingyu, you must not take your recovery lightly." He gently stirred the soup with a spoon and ladled it into a small celadon bowl. Codonopsis pilosula, wolfberry, and other medicinal herbs floated in the lingering steam.
He gently pushed the bowl towards Xie Tingyu's desk, resting his hands on his chin as he said, "This soup is made with old pigeons, and it's perfect for nourishing qi and blood. I've been simmering it over the stove for three hours."
"Thank you very much."
Xie Tingyu took the soup bowl, took a sip with the spoon, tested the temperature and taste with the tip of his tongue, and then drank it slowly, spoonful by spoonful.
Wang Qiwu was startled when he saw Xie Tingyu's action, then laughed and said, "Sister Tingyu's action reminds me of Sister Wang Xuanji who once stayed in the garden."
Xie Tingyu paused for a moment, then asked vaguely, "What?"
"She always tastes her soup first to make sure it's palatable before continuing." Wang Qiwu's eyes curved. "You two really have the same habit."
Xie Tingyu thought to himself, how come I don’t know that I have this habit?
At this time, Yuan Fuxue came to Changhaoyuan with a medicine box as usual, took off his shoes, put on only plain white cloth socks, and walked towards the inner room with ease.
Because Xie Tingyu was recovering from his injuries, the window was only slightly ajar, covered with a bamboo curtain. A few candles were lit in the room, and as the flames flickered, a graceful figure quietly emerged from behind the screen, its shadow slanting across Xie Tingyu's face.
Accompanied by the scent of cool sandalwood, Yuan Fuxue sat down next to Xie Tingyu and took out a pulse pillow, silver needles, and other items from the medicine box. He looked up at Xie Tingyu's slightly surprised gaze, and raised the corners of his lips slightly, "It's time to take your pulse. Give me your hand."
"No, Yuan Lang, how come you are so punctual every day?"
Xie Tingyu smacked his lips a few times, the feeling of being pricked by needles on his arm truly unpleasant. His acupuncture points were numb and sore, so he suggested, "Ask your mother how much the consultation fee is. I'll pay double. Then you can come sit here for a while and pretend to trick her into giving you a pass..."
Yuan Fuxue raised his eyes and glanced at Xie Tingyu, who immediately fell silent and stretched out his arm obediently. "I volunteered, I volunteered, I really volunteered."
"Thank you, Grand Minister, for entrusting me with such an important task. How dare Fuxue treat it carelessly? I hope Madam Tingyu will be more careful in her words and actions in the future."
Go ahead and say it. Yuan Fuxue pressed the pulse lightly with three fingers. He felt a steady beat under his fingers, which gradually matched the frequency of his own heartbeat.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
It's hard to tell whose heartbeat is louder.
Yuan Fuxue silently withdrew his hand and glanced at Xie Tingyu again. She was resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought as she gazed at the scene inside and outside the room. The candlelight cast a soft shadow on her profile. He took out the silver needle and slowly inserted it along the acupoint.
"Wow, that's amazing."
Wang Qiwu watched intently from the side.
Halfway through her acupuncture session, Xie Tingyu was silently counting to the 150th stroke when she suddenly saw the edge of a calamus-purple robe pass behind the screen. The figure calmly removed their shoes and strode into the inner room, their robe brushing the ground silently with each step, like a lotus.
Wang Qiwu turned his head and called softly, "Your Highness the Emperor."
He blinked, watching Ji Lian naturally sit down next to Xie Tingyu, feeling strange. Every time Yuan Fuxue started acupuncture, Di Qing would appear on time, as if the two of them had an agreement to always meet at the Changhao Courtyard at the same time.
What a coincidence, what a coincidence, what a coincidence.
Ji Lian placed the red sandalwood food box on the small table and took out two plates of medicinal snacks. "This was specially made by Xun'er in the small kitchen. It contains angelica and astragalus. It's a good medicine for your wounds." With her slender fingers, she pushed a plate of snacks to the side of her pulse pillow and said word by word, "This is a gift from Xun'er. Don't waste it."
The pastry that exuded a medicinal aroma attracted Wang Qiwu's eager eyes. "Your Highness, I want to eat it too."
Seeing Ji Lian nod slightly, Wang Qiwu reached out and picked up a piece of cake, eating it in small bites.
Yuan Fuxue's eyes were fixed intently as he applied acupuncture, focused solely on the acupuncture points on Xie Tingyu's forearm. Ji Lian, in turn, paid close attention to each insertion, his chin resting on one hand as he watched the silver needle rise and fall. Every time the needle tip pierced his skin, his eyelashes would subconsciously flutter, and his brows would furrow unknowingly.
Xie Tingyu's eyes lingered on Ji Lian's expression, and he completely forgot about the numbness in the acupuncture points on his forearm.
Seeing Yuan Fuxue putting away the silver needles one by one and about to check the gauze between Xie Tingyu's palms, Ji Lian said softly, "I'll get the scissors."
He leaned over to retrieve a pair of scissors from the medicine box, but due to the angle, he could only hold the sharp end. Unnoticed, a small red mark appeared on his fingertip, followed by a few drops of blood oozing from the tiny gap.
Without saying a word, Xie Tingyu directly held Ji Lian's palm under the gaze of the three gentlemen.
In an instant, three pairs of eyes focused like nails on the folded hands.
Even Wang Qiwu, who was eating snacks, stopped chewing and stood there with his cheeks puffed out.
"Let go."
Ji Lian only felt the skin being touched was burning, not to mention the two pairs of eyes glued to the place where they were holding each other.
He urged in a low voice, "Xie Tingyu, let go. Others, others..." Feeling Xie Tingyu's fingertips gently pressing on his palm, "Others are watching."
Xie Tingyu pretended not to hear and insisted on holding his hand and taking out a handkerchief to wipe away the blood.
Another drop of blood seeped out. Xie Tingyu examined it carefully and couldn't help but wonder, "How come there are gold threads in your Highness's blood?"
He spread out his index finger, and saw a strange golden thread entwined within the blood bead. Ji Lian tried to pull his hand away but failed. Xie Tingyu pressed his handkerchief against the tip of his finger and turned to ask Yuan Fuxue, "Yuan Lang, have you ever seen anything like this?"
"Speaking of which."
Yuan Fuxue placed the silver needle wrapped in silk cloth into the medicine box and took out a piece of unrolled paper. Although it was not fully unfolded, it was clearly covered with dense handwriting. "Last time I saw Your Highness's blood and gold threads, I felt something was amiss. After searching through medical books, I finally found some clues."
"Your Highness." Yuan Fuxue raised his eyes and looked at Ji Lian seriously, "Have you been harboring a poisonous insect in your body without realizing it?"
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