Personal care
The warm light of the lanterns in Changxin Palace was dazzling. The palace maids were in a hurry, decocting medicine and changing water according to the instructions of Imperial Physician Lu, with their teeth clenched tightly and not uttering a word.
When lives were at stake, the distinction between men and women was thrown aside. The man sitting by Pei Zhaoying's bedside was filled with murderous intent. He took over the right to investigate the matter from the emperor and did not act in a hurry.
Xiao Bo wrung out the sweat towel himself and wiped Pei Zhaoying's sweaty forehead, neck and palms.
He was not in a position to touch the more private parts, and he did not dare to leave her body. He pulled Jinping and asked Lu Yunqi and Qiluo to do it themselves.
The poison was highly toxic, and Lu Yunqi initially induced vomiting and detoxification, which forced out most of the poison. The remaining poison remained latent in the heart, meridians, and blood, and recurred several times.
Lu Yunqi kept muttering that if he could survive tonight, his life would be safe. The remaining poison must be slowly eliminated through diet, daily life, and sweating in the future, and there is no need to rush.
The wives of all the civil and military officials in the court were still detained in the side halls. If the matter was delayed any longer, chaos would break out. If anything happened to the wives of the ministers in Xiefang Palace, Pei Zhaoying would inevitably be blamed.
Qiluo was worried and watched Xiao Bo gently tuck in the quilt for Pei Zhaoying and feed her the thick medicine spoonful by spoonful, biting his mouth tightly and not saying a word.
Pei Zhaoying seemed to be in a coma, with no expression of fear on her face. Her eyelashes quietly cast a small dark shadow under her eyes. After sweating, her complexion looked better, but it was still frighteningly pale, as if she had just fallen into a long sleep.
Occasionally, her fingers outside the quilt would twitch and curl, her brows would be furrowed, and her breathing would be rapid and incoherent.
Xiao Bo held her hand, patted the back of her soft hand, and whispered to comfort her:
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. With me here, no evil spirits dare to invade. Don't be afraid, just sleep..."
He couldn't be sure whether Pei Zhaoying had taken his words to heart.
Pei Zhaoying had only experienced such patient and intimate coaxing and comfort when she was young, in her mother's arms.
When people are sick or in pain, the warmth deep in their hearts is always awakened. Xiao Bo's behavior coincided with the care of his mother in his memory, and Pei Zhaoying gradually regained her composure under his palm.
Qiluo stood there crying, blaming God for being unfair. Just before getting married, he made her prince suffer this unexpected life-and-death test. She really wanted to pull the murderer out of the side hall and cut him into pieces.
"Master Xiao Bo, let me be blunt. When I think of the murderer hiding in the side hall, sharing the same hall with me, my hair stands on end and I feel uneasy... Could you allow me to make medicine in front of Your Highness? That way I can keep an eye on Your Highness's situation at all times?"
Lu Yunqi was originally preparing and pounding medicine in the ear room. She was busy with her work non-stop, stretching her neck to look at the Palace Guards in heavy armor and holding sharp blades guarding the palace door outside the side hall. Under the cold moonlight, her mind worked actively, thinking that the vicious murderer who poisoned people in public was hiding among the female relatives.
What kind of madness could a man who could poison the most noble woman in the world in public in the imperial palace not commit? Lu Yunqi was terrified, his hands and feet cold. Even with the palace maids accompanying him and the guards in front of the palace on duty, he felt unsafe.
After much thought, only Xiao Bo, with his murderous intent, could scare away the villains and protect the peace in the area.
"Thank you for your hard work, Imperial Physician Lu. Please do as you please. This night is dangerous, and I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on His Highness with me. Don't worry, no one can stir up trouble under my nose."
Pei Zhaoying's temperature was slightly high, so Xiao Bo followed the doctor's advice and frequently changed the water and wiped away the sweat.
When he said this to Lu Yunqi, his face was expressionless. He skillfully and considerately dipped the sweat towel into cold water again, rubbed it and wrung it dry, looking like a virtuous and considerate young man in an ordinary family.
However, Lu Yunqi and Qiluo believed in him, and he would definitely do what he said. He became the backbone and amulet of the people above and below.
Lu Yunqi breathed a sigh of relief. He had heard Xiao Bo promise in front of the emperor that he would catch the murderer, but now he was taking his time and stayed by Pei Zhaoying's bedside, as if there was nothing else to worry about.
Xiao Bo quietly asked Qi Luo about the time and prepared to take the second dose of mild medicine on time. The patient swallowed and choked, coughed up some, and Xiao Bo wiped it quickly to prevent the medicine from getting on her cheek and pillow, making her sleep uncomfortable.
After finishing all this, Xiao Bo passed the message to the commander of the Palace Front Division:
"Commander, you may now send out the second group of ladies over the age of thirty. As usual, prepare carriages and horses to ensure they are connected to their families. Order this to be kept secret. Simply tell the public that His Highness was in a good mood and stayed a little longer to enjoy the music."
His patience seemed to have run out, and he threw the spoon back into the medicine bowl with a "Dingdong" sound.
The palace maids only secretly criticized Xiao Bo for not being interested in investigating the case and only caring about taking care of the patient. Ordinary people did not know that Xiao Bo was sharpening his knife and was ready to kill someone and destroy his heart.
Earlier, Xiao Bo had sent out the first batch of elderly ladies without any suspicion, including Old Lady Ye, to prevent the elderly from becoming physically exhausted in the palace and causing chaos in the court and the country.
The women gradually came to their senses and thought that the emperor would definitely send them out in batches and properly resettle them. However, from dusk to late at night, no order came. The soldiers guarding the palace gate were solemn and fierce, and they used real swords and guns to prevent anyone from stepping out of the palace.
The women in seclusion had never seen such a sign before, and they cried in panic for a while, holding their heads. Although clean food was sent in from outside, someone muttered, "The princess was poisoned, but the food was poisonous." This frightened everyone and they cried in panic, going hungry and refusing to eat even a piece of snack.
After women over 30 were allowed to leave the palace, only young ladies were left in the side halls. Without the restraints of married elders, they could speak and cry as they pleased.
A young lady from a loyal official family burst into tears:
"Why, why did everyone else leave, but they left us behind? Looking at the sky, the palace gates have been locked for a long time. There's nothing in this side hall, so we can only sit here doing nothing. Are they trying to trap us to death? If something happens to the eldest princess, are they going to bury us with her to vent their anger? At least let me send a message to my father and brother. My father and brother will save me..."
Her analysis was so logical that it startled everyone into crying. Someone chimed in, "Yeah, judging by the situation, they're not going to give us a chance to live."
Miss Sang was disturbed by the crying. When the trouble first started, she was close to Pei Zhaoying and was really scared out of her wits.
Her grandfather was the president of the Hanlin Academy, and was a life-saving charm for her. As a result, she was able to gradually calm down and think about the few words that Pei Zhaoying had said with all her strength.
No one dared to touch the food, except for the pretty girl in the bright yellow spring gown. She chewed a whole piece of jujube paste cake slowly, laughing so hard that her body shook with the sound of golden bells in her hair:
"Look at how scared you all are! Haha, how funny! You usually laugh at me, calling me a wild girl from the countryside, but how come you're even more flustered and confused than I am when things get tough? Let me tell you, while it's true that my brother rose from the bottom of the army, we're not cowards. In the face of big storms, we'll be more useful than you, the paper-made aristocrats!"
Xiao Caizhen wantonly made fun of the girls of the same age who were crying in pain. Miss Sang watched coldly and silently held a girl who was younger than her and crying inconsolably with a handkerchief in her arms, avoiding the strong and excessive fragrance of Xiao Caizhen.
Just when Xiao Caizhen's arrogance reached its peak, Miss Sang suddenly smiled at her and spoke softly:
"It's not like there's nothing here. There's a murderer—Her Royal Highness the Princess said before she fainted that the murderer is among us. Have you forgotten?"
"Xiao Caizhen, I think you are the murderer, right?"
Xiao Caizhen suddenly slammed the table and glared at him: "Sang Ningyun, you are slandering me!"
Sang Ningyun sneered:
"Everyone is afraid that the murderer has poisoned our food and drinks and killed us all. If you dare to touch the food and tea here, I think you are the murderer, so you will know which ones are poisonous and which ones are not."
"It's clearly you who are cowardly and have lost your composure. You're trying to save face by throwing dirty water on me. How shameless!"
"You are so brave, so brave that you can risk your life!" Sang Ningyun stood up, protecting the young sisters and retreating away from Xiao Caizhen.
Sang Ningyun is a model of a noble lady from an aristocratic family. Her every move and gesture is quite elegant. There are many sisters who are taken care of by her on weekdays. She took the lead in pointing the spearhead at Xiao Caizhen. The girls immediately covered their heads and ran away, each of them staying eight feet away from Xiao Caizhen, huddled together behind Sang Ningyun.
Everyone agreed that Xiao Caizhen's behavior was strange and she must be the murderer.
Xiao Caizhen's face turned red, and she stood up with a thud, knocking over the stool. She was unwilling to explain herself and was determined to roll up her sleeves and fight Sang Ningyun with fists.
"She's killing someone again! Xiao Caizhen is going to kill someone again! Adults, please catch her and save us!"
The noise of ghosts and wolves howling in the side hall was within Xiao Bo's expectations. He lowered his head and sneered, without saying a word.
There was a movement in the palm of his hand. When Xiao Bo was trying to judge whether Pei Zhaoying was trapped in a nightmare again, the person on the sickbed opened her eyes tiredly, as if her eyelids weighed a thousand pounds. She didn't even have the strength to speak, and moved her eyes to capture Xiao Bo's every move.
His eye sockets were swollen, and the scattered glare in his vision took a while to dissipate. Xiao Bo's anxiety about staying up late to take care of the patient was clearly evident.
After a long moment, Pei Zhaoying forced a smile. It was great that she had escaped death once again.
It’s nice to have someone by my side...
Xiao Bo smiled with her, trying his best to look pleasing, blocking the bloody storm and giving Pei Zhaoying a moment of peace.
He stared at her for a while, feeling a little confused. After a while of stalemate, he suddenly realized that he was still holding her hand at an inappropriate time. He hurriedly looked for something to do to calm his hands and turned his head away.
Lu Yunqi said that if he could wake up tonight and get through the difficult time, he would be fine as long as he took medicine regularly.
So Xiao Bo did not call Lu Yunqi, who was flipping through medical classics on the desk in front, to come and see him. They were together, blinking and smiling, and it was fine without saying anything.
Pei Zhaoying, on the other hand, gathered her strength and was not honest. She remembered the touch of those hands after she fainted and wanted to try again.
She regained consciousness, but lost her courage. In the end, Pei Zhaoying only grabbed Xiao Bo's bamboo-patterned cuffs:
"Hungry."
"You can't order a meal. Your spleen and stomach are weak, so you need to fast to eliminate the remaining toxins."
Pei Zhaoying pulled up his sleeves, and Xiao Bo's heart, burning with heat, sank. However, he pretended not to see it and calmly let himself be squeezed and flattened.
Pei Zhaoying pulled it in dissatisfaction, blinked, and thought about this mess.
Xiao Bo reported the previous and subsequent movements in a low voice. Unexpectedly, Pei Zhaoying blurted out:
"I think I heard someone call me 'Aying'."
"You heard wrong."
Xiao Bo lied calmly, refusing to admit that he was in a hurry and raised his elbow to make her still weak hand fall down, and then he put it safely into the quilt.
"I don't believe it."
With Xiao Bo around, no matter who bullies her, Xiao Bo will always have a way to fight back. Pei Zhaoying, having gained a little strength, wants to make trouble for him without any fear.
Xiao Bo restrained his smile and hurriedly told her the important business, sighing slightly:
"Your Highness, please be prepared. The murderer is among the women in that room. We may not be able to get the punishment we most desire."
"Then let her suffer a little first, and keep this debt in mind. I will pay it back slowly in the future."
Pei Zhaoying was not sentimental, nor was he limited to short-term gains and losses. The situation in the capital was delicate, and it was not easy to kill the wives of the first-rank officials without authorization, otherwise the situation would escalate and the dog would jump over the wall.
Xiao Bo kept people alive and tested human nature. Even if the details of the incident were not convenient to spread, he would use other people's mouths to destroy the murderer's reputation and add as much trouble as possible.
If the murderer is to be convicted, he will still deny it based solely on Lu Yunqi's diagnosis.
"Don't be sad or overthink it, and don't feel like I haven't gotten justice. The current situation is difficult, and we can't accomplish it overnight. We just need to maximize the benefits of this matter."
Pei Zhaoying took a deep breath and repeatedly told Xiao Bo to be at ease and not blame himself.
Although they have not exchanged the name of the murderer, they can already understand each other and show understanding and support for each other.
Xiao Bo was about to say something else when the eunuch outside the hall shouted, "The emperor is coming."
Before the ceremony even started, Pei Heng strode in hurriedly, skipped the formalities, nodded slightly to Pei Zhaoying, dismissed the bystanders, sat down and slammed the table, furious.
"How ridiculous! I've already ordered the Palace Guards to keep this secret, and yet word has somehow reached Xiao Yucheng! He claimed he was worried about my younger sister, and even stripped off his armor and dressed in plain clothes, requesting a nighttime audience outside the palace gates! Surely Xiao Yucheng's men are among my Palace Guards!"
Xiao Bo was not surprised:
"Yes, this incident is an opportunity. Afterwards, Your Majesty needs to severely discipline the Palace Guards and remove the thorns planted by Xiao and Cheng. As for his request for an audience at night, after this nighttime entry into the palace, he will probably be able to enter and exit the palace more freely and easily in the future. Your Majesty needs to hold him back, at least until dawn."
"You don't know. Although Xiao Yucheng himself isn't wearing a sword or armor, he keeps saying that my younger sister must have made a mistake in the palace for not returning home on time, and he's willing to apologize for her. But he's followed by the elite troops from the Western Suburbs Camp! If this incident becomes a raft to force his ambitions, and he completely breaks off relations with me and leads his troops to attack, won't my kingdom be overturned today?"
After being bullied by Chen Qingli, the Queen Mother was so anxious that she could not sleep and dragged Pei Heng along, crying and sobbing.
During this period, when she heard that Xiao and Cheng Ye were invited to the palace, she felt as if the sword of usurping power was at her neck. She was immediately frightened and had a high fever, and lost half her life.
The palace was in complete chaos, and Pei Heng was unable to handle it alone, and was exhausted both physically and mentally.
Pei Heng was filled with anger and fear as the Palace Guards and Yulin Army, the trusted royal family secretaries, were also infiltrated by Xiao and Cheng's men. The only people he could trust were Pei Zhaoying and her new husband, who rushed over without stopping and treated Pei Zhaoying more like his own sister.
Pei Zhaoying raised her eyebrows. She didn't expect Xiao Yucheng to care so much about his sister.
Xiao Bo didn't want to bother comforting Pei Heng and directly threw out the conclusion:
"Your Majesty, rest assured. Even if Xiao and Cheng have rebellious intentions, they wouldn't choose to do so in the palace today. This happened suddenly, and he has no backup plan. Even if he leads his troops into battle, there's no turning back. The noble ladies of the aristocratic families who have followed the dynasty through the ups and downs of life for over a hundred years are still in the palace. If Xiao and Cheng rebel, there will be people who will be sworn enemies with him and they will be irreconcilable."
"Rest assured? How can I be at ease when that ambitious man is staring at me?" Pei Heng impatiently wanted to pick up a cup and throw it to vent his anger, but he still had to rely on the two people closest to him. He quickly suppressed his confusion and said earnestly, "I know that Lord Xiao Bo is sincere to the Imperial Sister and loyal to the country. In this matter, I will obey Lord Xiao Bo completely."
At Pei Heng's earnest request, Xiao Bo issued the first order after Xiao and Cheng took action:
"Now, except for the county lady Xiao Caizhen, the other noble ladies can be released. Xiao and Cheng cannot be delayed in not seeing each other, but can be summoned after dawn."
Pei Zhaoying pulled the quilt up, leaving only her eyes exposed.
What annoyed her most was the way Pei Heng and his mother would affectionately force her to do things whenever they had something to do.
Xiao Bo helped her solve this problem, so she pretended to be weak and incapable of exertion after being poisoned. However, she had already been injured by this, and she felt sleepy and her eyelids were drooping.
"Don't cover yourself. Go to sleep. I'll go to the side hall to check. I'm sure you'll see me when you wake up."
In front of Pei Heng, Xiao Bo reached out and felt the temperature of her head, and his heart relaxed.
Pei Zhaoying knew that Pei Heng was watching closely and mistakenly thought that they were a loving couple. This matter was difficult to explain, so Pei Zhaoying quickly closed her eyes, thinking out of sight, out of mind.
After Xiao Bo left, Pei Zhaoying felt lonely and regretted not having stayed longer to talk to Xiao Bo. She was also angry that Pei Heng treated Xiao Bo like an object, so she lay on her side and slept with her back to him.
Qiluo took Xiao Bo's place, guarding Pei Zhaoying, staring at the side hall with hatred, waiting for the murderer to get his comeuppance.
"Why did you let them go and only leave me?" Xiao Caizhen won the fight and added two bloody marks on Sang Ningyun's face. Just when she was feeling proud, the guards at the gate politely sent the other women away and only blocked her steps with a long spear.
Sang Ningyun's hair was disheveled. She knelt down to express her gratitude and turned her head back to look at him with contempt.
No one answered Xiao Caizhen's question.
"Why are you doing this to me? My brother will not let you go! Your Majesty and the Queen Mother will not allow you to treat me like this!"
The bottomless silence could drive a person mad. Xiao Caizhen was so panicked that her voice broke. Without anyone to accompany her, she realized with a start that the deep palace separated her from her most trusted brother. How many innocent souls were buried here, unexplained...
"Xiao Caizhen, you are so stupid. Don't you really understand why it has come to this?"
Just as Xiao Caizhen was knocking on the door in despair, the door opened and a person she didn't want to see came in, although he had the same surname as her, Xiao.
She backed away as if she had seen a ghost seeking her life, until she stumbled and fell to the ground.
Xiao Bo looked down at him, with no intention of helping him up. He picked up a piece of paper with Lu Yunqi's judgment written on it and threw it down casually.
"How dare you mix something that counteracts the medicine the princess is taking with the perfume powder, and use it to poison her. How many heads do you have left?"
Xiao Caizhen grabbed the paper, glanced at it hastily, bit her lower lip to stop the urge to cry, and shouted tremblingly:
"What's the meaning of incompatibility? I don't know anything about it! I want to see my brother! My brother will clear my name! You—"
She wanted to call Xiao Bo an evil ghost, but she held back.
Because Xiao Bo is really an evil ghost.
She still remembers the time when she was almost drowned by Xiao Bo in her childhood...
Despite being in the dead of winter, she had been naughty and had poured oil on the path Xiao Bo had to pass, causing him to slip and fall into the icy water. But the next day, her beloved kite was pitifully discarded by the pond. She squatted down to pick it up, and at that moment, without anyone noticing, she was pushed into the water. There was no maid or servant in sight. She struggled and screamed. If her brother hadn't arrived in time, she would have drowned...
Xiao Caizhen wisely didn't mention it to anyone. While struggling, she saw a pair of cold eyes behind the withered flowers, but from then on they clung even more tightly to Xiao Yucheng.
"Dare to lie to me, huh?"
Xiao Bo didn't get angry but laughed instead.
Xiao Caizhen's teeth chattered as she avoided his gaze: "Xiao Bo, we are all members of the Xiao family. You can't be so cruel. How would I know the interactions between medicines..."
"You don't know, but Mrs. Chen, who served you growing up, knows, right? I'll go and capture Mrs. Chen and interrogate her." Xiao Bo knew that Xiao Caizhen didn't want to see him, so he moved closer to her and simply squatted down so that the person lying on the ground couldn't hide.
Xiao Caizhen's shoulders trembled, as if exhausted.
That was Mrs. Chen, who had watched her grow up since she was a child and was like a family member to her!
At this point, self-preservation was paramount, and Xiao Caizhen still stammered, "I don't know... I don't know anything..."
The first rays of daylight came in.
After stopping Xiao Bo from talking, he stood up regretfully, shook off his clothes, and continued to let the imperial guards guard him, preparing to fight a bloodless battle with Xiao Yucheng.
It was dawn and the palace gates were unlocked. Pei Heng could not find a reason to stop Xiao and Cheng from entering the palace.
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