Chapter 58 Disguised as we enter the palace, we go home.
A pebble flew from her hand. Before Wang Yan could even see the person's face clearly, she hurriedly leaned back to avoid it, but lost her balance and fell onto the bed. The pebble pierced through the bowl, instantly causing the warm medicine to gush out. A shard of porcelain shattered and pierced the palace maid's throat, drawing blood incessantly.
Wang Yan struggled to her feet, watching the figure rushing towards her gradually become clearer and then blurry, until tears welled up in her eyes. The person stopped five steps away, slowly walked towards her, and knelt tremblingly at her feet. Two lines of clear tears hung on his thin face; it was the first time she had ever seen him cry.
The clothes draped over his body fluttered down, and Wang Yan's knees slowly touched the ground. She cupped his face, wiped away the tears that rolled down again, and hugged the trembling man, whispering, "Let's go home."
Wang Yanxuan changed clothes with the palace maids, and from the moment he took her hand, Shen Minghuai held it tightly. The two had not gone far from the side courtyard when they were suddenly called back.
"Halt! Which palace are you from?"
Just as Wang Yan was about to turn around, Shen Minghuai tightened his grip again. She patted him gently twice to reassure him, and Shen Minghuai finally let go with difficulty.
“Sister, we are from Huarong Palace. We are here on the orders of Consort Shu to deliver something to the lady in that courtyard.”
Bai Lu got closer and saw clearly that the petite palace maid's face was deathly pale, as if she were seriously ill. She covered her nose and then turned her gaze to Shen Minghuai.
“Our Empress’s favorite handkerchief has been blown up to the roof of the palace. Go and get it down for her. She will surely reward you handsomely.”
Wang Yan agreed on behalf of Shen Minghuai, "Let's go together."
Bai Lu stopped her and took two steps back. "You wait here."
Wang Yan restrained Shen Minghuai, who was about to intervene, and told him to hurry back. Shen Minghuai could only follow the arrogant palace servant into a concubine's chambers. Amidst the exclamations of Consort Ding and a group of palace servants, he climbed a ladder to the roof, but found nothing. Consort Ding suggested that perhaps it had floated up a tree, so he searched every tree in the courtyard large enough to support a person, but still found nothing.
Shen Minghuai tried to leave several times but was stopped each time, his knuckles digging into his fist. Consort Ding ran over, pointed to the chair behind him, and before she could speak, she tripped over her skirt. Fortunately, she caught Shen Minghuai in time to prevent him from falling.
For some reason, Consort Ding suddenly grabbed him and wouldn't let go, her eyes shining like a wolf spotting its prey. Startled, Shen Minghuai broke free from her grasp, turned around, found a handkerchief, and without a moment's delay, headed straight for the palace gate. If he weren't afraid of being discovered, he would have run away.
"Come again next time!" Consort Ding waved her handkerchief at him.
Shen Minghuai turned out of the palace gate, and the road was deserted. The two guards in the side courtyard were also gone. Leaving the side courtyard, he hurried towards Linhua Gate, completely forgetting about palace etiquette. As he strode past Yiyao Palace, Yunxiang suddenly darted out and grabbed his sleeve.
"Xi'er, where are you going? Her Majesty is looking for you."
"Don't stop me—"
With red eyes, Shen Minghuai rushed into the palace. Seeing Wang Yan lying on the couch, the broken string prevented him from plunging into an abyss of despair. He hurriedly bowed to Consort Chen, lay down beside the couch, and took Wang Yan's hand in his palm.
Wang Yan slightly woke up and reached out to stroke his face. "I was too tired just now, so I slept for a while. I'm fine."
Shen Minghuai's large hand covered hers, and the scars on her arm suddenly came into view, magnifying menacingly before his eyes. Before his trembling fingers could even touch her, Wang Yan had already hidden her hand under the covers.
"An act of survival."
The four words, barely audible, pierced his ears and stung his heart. Only when Wang Yan got up to wipe away his tears did he realize he was crying again.
"How come you have more tears than me?" Wang Yan smiled and touched his hair. "Who dressed you up? You do look seven or eight parts similar."
Shen Minghuai gently pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her neck and shoulder, repeatedly saying, "Let's go home. Let's go home..."
Wang Yan snuggled closer to him, wrapped her arms around his back, and solemnly promised, "Okay."
That night, Wang Yan drank a bowl of Siwu Tang (a traditional Chinese medicine soup) before he was able to get out of bed and walk around. Before he even stepped out of the palace gate, he heard a young girl calling out into the palace. Just as he was about to turn back, he saw Consort Chen walking over.
"Child, why don't you sit down in the yard first?"
The visitor was Princess Xiangyang. She seemed to have rushed over, speaking breathlessly. The Emperor of Yue had fainted upon returning to the palace and remained unconscious; even Eunuch Gao was unaware of the cause. She had just gone to check on him, and Consort Shu was guarding the bedside. After Consort Chen quietly listened to her recount the news from outside, Princess Xiangyang remembered that it was Consort Chen who had summoned her tonight.
After a moment of gathering her emotions, Consort Chen earnestly explained the reason to Xiangyang. She had summoned her because she had a favor to ask. A palace maid was seriously ill, and since they couldn't summon the imperial physician, they had no choice but to ask Xiangyang to see if she could secretly smuggle her out of the palace.
Without hesitation, Xiangyang agreed. Consort Chen pulled her down to sit and then whispered a secret to her. This palace maid had a lover before entering the palace. Upon hearing that she was ill, he was extremely anxious and wanted to take her out of the palace to see a doctor.
“He’s quite the devoted man—could it be…?” Xiangyang Xuan was covered in the mouth by Consort Chen.
Not long after, the princess appeared before them alongside Consort Chen. Xiangyang's eyes widened, one hand covering her mouth, the other pointing at Shen Minghuai, glancing frequently at Consort Chen. Wang Yan and Shen Minghuai bowed to Xiangyang, and were quickly helped up by the little princess.
"No need for formalities." Xiangyang then solemnly promised Consort Chen, "Aunt, I'll help with this."
The next day, as dawn broke, a carriage sped away from the high wall. Sleet and snow fell, and the sound of hooves echoed within the city, shattering the woman's peaceful dream. The carriage tracks and horse tracks were scattered, new ones covering old ones, deep ones layered on top of shallow ones; it was unclear which tracks were heading out of the city and which were heading towards Jishengtang.
Wang Zhen and Shen Minghuai helped the dazed Wang Yan into the house, one on each side. Xu Ning'an seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
"That emperor is a... beast!" The last two words were uttered between his teeth, barely audible.
Zhu Yu hurriedly advised, "You can't say such things under the emperor's nose!"
Seeing that the snow was falling heavily outside and it was already broad daylight, Wang Zhen hurriedly entrusted Wang Yan to Xu Ning'an and the other man, and rushed back to the palace without stopping.
Shen Minghuai also had things to finish, so he looked at them a few more times with reluctance and instructed the two of them: "The fire in the stove must not go out, and add more blankets, because Aying is afraid of the cold."
In the blink of an eye, Xu Ning'an had already taken Wang Yan's pulse. While getting the acupuncture needles, she also instructed Zhu Yu to prepare Si Ni Tang (a traditional Chinese medicine formula).
"Two ounces of licorice root, one and a half ounces of dried ginger, one piece of aconite root, peeled and broken into eight pieces for raw use. Before I open the door, do not let anyone in."
Zhu Yu followed the order and left quickly. Xu Ning'an first applied needles to the Guanyuan and Qihai acupoints, then to the hands and feet, to harmonize Yin and Yang and unblock the meridians.
After the moxibustion was completed, Wang Yan's cold sweat gradually stopped, and his limbs were no longer as cold as before. After taking the decoction, Xu Ning'an crushed and heated cinnamon, dried ginger, and evodia, wrapped them in blue cloth, and applied them to his body. Only then was the person on the bed out of danger.
Wang Yan's consciousness gradually returned, and the outside world had changed. Night shook off daylight, and in the blink of an eye, the human world transformed into a fairyland. Although the room was very warm, only her palms were sweaty. When the man saw her open her eyes, his loosely clenched hand suddenly tightened.
When did you arrive?
Wang Yan was still somewhat weak. Although she hadn't been completely unconscious these past few days, she was too weak to get up whenever he came to see her, and would immediately fall into a deep sleep again. Xu Ning'an had been applying moxibustion to her for four days, and she was only feeling a little better today.
Shen Minghuai sat down on the edge of the couch, helped her up, and pulled her into his arms. He nuzzled her head and stroked her hand, his voice a little hoarse.
"I just got back not long ago."
Wang Yan found a comfortable position in his arms and leaned back, squeezing his hand in return. "How is it outside...?"
"Everything is fine at the Prince's residence; Princess Xiangyang was captured by the Imperial City Guard and brought back to the palace shortly after she fled the city for her arranged marriage, and has been confined for a month; Consort Chen and Prince Su were not involved."
These words, as light as snowflakes, were enough to soothe her heart. Wang Yan raised her head in his arms, looking directly into his deep eyes, "Then you—"
Shen Minghuai's kiss landed without warning, and compared to the fleeting kiss of the last time, this one seemed to carry the force of conquest. His broad hands pressed against her waist, not allowing her to retreat. After a long while, their moist, soft lips parted, their foreheads met, and they breathed softly, calming their emotions.
Shen Minghuai touched her lips with his thumb, his eyes still burning with desire, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, now that he's taken back his father's position as his husband, the Shen family is no longer a threat to him."
The moment his fingers touched her, Wang Yan trembled slightly. A blush spread across her cheeks, gradually growing hot. She grabbed his mischievous hand, "I will stay here and recover properly. I'll leave things outside to you. Please be very careful."
Shen Minghuai gently kissed her forehead again, "Everything will get better slowly."
The snow fell for three days before gradually stopping. Shen Minghuai would come to keep her company every night and leave before dawn. Li Changling, on the other hand, was quite idle. In just one day, he had completely integrated into Jishengtang, following Xu Ning'an and Zhu Yu to prepare and decoct medicine. He was almost ready to become an apprentice and start seeing patients.
Outside the window, the apricot tree's leaves had turned yellow and fallen, with snow still clinging to the branches; that golden hue was quickly buried in the winter sun. Wang Yan grew tired of looking at it and went to watch Li Changling grind medicine under the eaves. Whenever the topic of the outside world came up, he would always brush her off with a few words. These past few days, Wang Yan had been secretly observing their conversations, and finally pieced together the events of that day.
Li Changling was responsible for leading the Taoist priest away, while Shen Minghuai accompanied Prince Su into the palace, and Wang Zhen provided backup outside. After leaving the palace, Bai Baidao's men disrupted their tracks, making it a difficult journey to finally deliver her to Jishengtang. Now, she is a wanted criminal throughout the capital, and Wang Yan doesn't know what crime Emperor Yue has convicted her of. As long as it doesn't involve the Wang family, she won't care. However, Wang Zhen hasn't come back since rescuing her.
"What exactly is going on at the Prince's residence? Senior brother, please tell me the truth."
Li Changling paused in his grip on the medicine grinder, then continued pushing it forward. "No one's life is in danger. I'm still here."
"What do you mean by 'no danger to life'?" Wang Yan frowned, about to go and talk to him about it, but was pulled back by the person who came.
Shen Minghuai, wearing a white fur coat, stood behind her, rubbed his palms together to warm them, and then placed them over her hands. "Your hands are cold. Do you want to wear more?"
Wang Yan shook her head, looking at him stubbornly, "Tell me, what exactly is happening to the Wang Mansion?"
Shen Minghuai gently brushed away the stray hairs from her forehead. "Minister Wang holds the Emperor's secrets, so the Wang family will be fine."
Wang Yan froze on the spot, half believing and half doubting, "What secret is it?"
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Author's note: *The diagnosis and treatment section referenced "On Injury" and "The Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion".
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