Chapter 16: Forget about the ginger soup, I’m going to die anyway…
A dim light had been turned on in the house. Shen Zhiwei rubbed his eyes, closed the door, took off his wet fox fur coat and put it on the stove to dry.
Touch the wall of the bowl with your fingertips and the temperature is just right.
She sat on the couch, picked up the bowl, held her breath and drank the bitter medicine in one gulp. The strong bitterness and nauseating fragrance spread from the tip of her tongue, burning all the way to the bottom of her stomach.
She suppressed the urge to vomit.
I rummaged through the package but found no candied fruit, only the dried meat that Jingshu had stuffed in before she left.
Dried meat was also good. Shen Zhiwei spread out the oil paper package on the table, took a piece and put it in his mouth and chewed it slowly. It was salty, slightly hard, and had some numbing taste from the peppercorns.
Just as the tension between his brows relaxed like a satisfied cat, he heard very light knocks on the window frame, three short and one long.
"Come in." Shen Zhiwei was already a little sleepy and slowly sat up a little straighter.
Seventeen slid into the room silently, kneeling on one knee and saying, "Sir."
"Have you checked it out?" Shen Zhiwei raised her hand to signal him to stand up, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the edge of the couch. She frowned and threw a piece of duck breast into his mouth. "There's no one else here, why are you kneeling?"
The secret guard bit the greasy duck breast, puffed his cheeks twice, and swallowed it. He stood up straight, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
"I've found out. The woman's name is Lin Chuyu, she's seventeen years old, and she's from the capital. Her father, Lin Wenyuan, is currently the Prince's tutor." He lowered his eyes and poured Shen Zhiwei a cup of cold tea.
"Her mother, Wang, is from Huai'an and has indeed come to visit relatives. The news that her grandmother is seriously ill is true. Miss Lin left the house today to watch the lanterns without any servants. She was in danger and has been safely returned to her uncle's residence... This dried meat is too choking, young master, please drink some water to smooth it out."
"Prince's Grand Tutor..." Shen Zhiwei was half awake, her eyes darkening slightly, her fingers slowly tightening around the teacup. Lin Wenyuan, Crown Prince Xiao Lingjun's mentor, a leader of the Qingliu School, highly respected. His daughter bore a striking resemblance to him.
coincide?
Shen Zhiwei never believed in coincidences.
She put down the teacup, walked to the desk, spread out the plain paper, ground the ink and picked up the pen.
"Your Highness, I wish you the best of health."
The ink color spreads under the lamplight, and the handwriting is always neat and elegant.
"The case of corruption involving the Jianghuai River workers has been clarified. The principal offender, Zhou Maonian, and his accomplices have been apprehended. The stolen money, account books, and evidence have all been sealed and are awaiting transport back to Beijing. Details are enclosed in a secret memorial, and I humbly await Your Highness's judgment."
The pen tip hovers for a moment.
"There is another matter that I would like to report to Your Highness."
The brush strokes turn and the ink color becomes darker.
"I happened upon a woman at the Huai'an Lantern Festival. Her name is Lin Chuyu, seventeen years old, the daughter of Lord Lin Wenyuan. Her appearance is eighty to ninety percent similar to mine, almost indistinguishable from the real person. This is a strange matter, and I dare not take it upon myself to report it to Your Highness. If Your Highness already knows about this, or has other hidden motives, I will remain silent and pretend I have not seen it. I respectfully submit this."
She folded the letter carefully, sealed it in an envelope, and handed it to Seventeen.
"Send it back to the East Palace immediately and hand it over to His Highness personally. If His Highness asks, report it truthfully. If His Highness... does not ask, there is no need to say any more."
"Yes," Seventeen put the letter carefully into the secret pocket of his chest, his movements neat and clear, then raised his eyes to look at her, "Master, go to bed early."
Shen Zhiwei said nothing, only gently waved his hand. Seventeen left as silently as he had come, without even a trace of wind.
She didn't know how Xiao Lingjun would respond, or whether he would respond at all.
If he had known this already, or even if this was his move, she wouldn't think they would end up testing each other.
If he didn't know, then there would be another chilling coincidence in the world.
There was no need to delve into it, she just needed to do what she was supposed to do. As the person was about to die, Shen Zhiwei didn't intend to think too much.
The rain fell all night and did not stop at dawn. The downpour turned into dense drizzle, shrouding the entire Huai'an city in a gray mist.
When Shen Zhiwei woke up, her chest felt suffocated and she coughed for a long time before she could breathe again. She got up, put on her clothes, opened the door, and was hit by the damp and cold air.
"Master Shen!" Xie Mingxu's clear laughter echoed from the other end of the corridor. He had changed into a brocade robe that looked like the color of a rain-soaked sky, which made his lips and teeth look even more rosy.
He walked over with an exquisite food box in his hand and entered the house with a familiar air. "I knew you were an early riser. The crab roe soup dumplings from Chengdong Wangji, paired with freshly ground almond tea, are perfect for warming the stomach and moistening the lungs."
The lid of the food box was opened, and hot steam mixed with the aroma of crab meat and pastries filled the air.
Shen Zhiwei had no appetite, but looking at Xie Mingxu's sparkling eyes, he nodded: "Thank you, Prince."
The two sat down at a small table in the porch. The soup was paper-thin and juicy, and the almond tea was warm and slightly sweet. Shen Zhiwei ate slowly while Xie Mingxu rambled on about the day's plans.
It was nothing more than going to a few newly confiscated residences of criminal officials to count the stolen goods, and then going to the riverbank to see the progress of the repairs. Now that the case was closed, it was time for them to go back and report.
As he was speaking, the rain outside the inn suddenly picked up speed. Bean-sized raindrops clattered against the green tiles, and dark clouds gathered in the sky, turning it as dark as ink.
Shen Zhiwei sighed and put down her chopsticks. Her joints had been aching since early morning. She thought the rain would continue, but she didn't expect it to be so heavy.
"This rain is unbelievable," Xie Mingxu stopped laughing, frowned slightly, and walked to the edge of the corridor to look out. "From the noise, there must have been a flash flood upstream, and the river is rising rapidly. The official ships we came here on have a shallow draft and I'm afraid they can't withstand the wind and waves."
He turned and looked at Shen Zhiwei: "Master Shen, I'm afraid we can't go by water. If the rain keeps falling like this, the canal will probably overflow its banks."
The waterway blockage was unexpected, but also understandable. The spring floods in the Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers are unpredictable, and the riverbanks have just undergone major repairs, leaving them unstable. If there are continuous heavy rains...
"Your Highness is right," Shen Zhiwei's voice was a little weak in the rain. She coughed twice, "We can't take risks on the official ship. We should take the land route instead and set off immediately. As for the Third Prince..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Wangqing's door opened.
Xiao Wangqing was sitting in a wheelchair, pushed out by a eunuch. He had obviously heard the conversation, and his face looked even paler in the dim light.
“Master Shen, the waterway is cut off and the riverbank is unstable. Once it collapses, the consequences will be disastrous. We can go by land, although the road is bumpy… My leg injury is fine and I can walk.”
Xie Mingxu raised his eyebrows when he heard this, and was about to say something when Shen Zhiwei raised his hand to stop him.
"Okay," she stared at Xiao Wangqing for a moment, then turned to Xie Mingxu and said, "Prince, please arrange carriages and horses as soon as possible, and prepare enough dry food and medicinal materials, especially... more ginseng slices and pain-relieving powder. We will set off immediately."
The only sounds between heaven and earth seemed to be the gurgling of water and the dull rumble of thunder. Inside the posthouse, there was a flurry of activity as carriages and horses were harnessed and packages were hastily loaded onto the carriages.
The post road was muddy, the wheels rolled over deep ruts, the body of the car shook violently, and every bump seemed to shake people's bones apart.
Although the rain has stopped for a while, the heavy rain for several days has turned the official road into a muddy pond, making it extremely difficult for vehicles and horses to travel.
Shen Zhiwei, wrapped in a thick black fox fur coat, curled up on a cushion in the corner of the carriage, her face paler than the gray sky outside. She closed her eyes, her brow slightly furrowed, and every bump in the road caused her fingertips resting on her knees to tremble slightly. Xiao Wangqing sat across from her, his injured leg carefully propped up with a soft pillow, still aching slightly under the thick medical bandage. He frowned as he watched Shen Zhiwei coughing in silence.
Xie Mingxu followed the carriage on horseback. Even through the curtain, one could hear his powerful shouts as he directed the guards and coachman to move forward with difficulty in the mud.
"The post station ahead! Everyone, hurry up! If you can get there before dark, I'll treat everyone to some hot wine!"
The post station stood alone beside the official road, a few sluggish lanterns swaying beneath the eaves, their dim glow barely illuminating the twilight. The postmaster had already received the news and was waiting at the door with a few postmen. When they saw the carriage stop, they hurried over to greet it.
"Hot water and hot food are ready! Please get off the car and rest!"
Shen Zhiwei was personally helped out of the car by Xie Mingxu. Her steps were unsteady and her body swayed slightly when she landed. Xie Mingxu quickly grabbed her shoulder.
"Master Xiao Shen, be careful. The ground is very slippery."
The force coming from his shoulder was so great that Shen Zhiwei felt like his arm was about to be taken off by him. He nodded with amusement and broke free from his hand to steady himself: "It's okay."
Xiao Wangqing was helped out of the carriage by the eunuchs. The road was muddy and even the wheelchair could hardly move. He leaned on an ebony cane, supported by the door frame, and moved step by step into the lobby of the post station.
There were several braziers burning in the lobby, which dispelled some of the chill, but the humidity was still heavy. There were a few simple hot dishes and a large pot of steaming broth on the table.
Shen Zhiwei had no appetite and only managed to drink a few sips of soup before claiming to be tired. The postman led him to the upper room on the second floor. Xie Mingxu was worried and wanted to follow him in to take a look, but Shen Zhiwei stopped him at the door with a sentence: "The prince should rest early."
Xiao Wangqing's room was right next to Shen Zhiwei's. The door was thin and the sound insulation was not good. The sound of the door opening and the slight groan coming from next door could clearly penetrate into her ears.
But Shen Zhiwei didn't care about others. She drank the medicine, put the bowl of medicine on the small table beside her, and prepared to go to bed with her clothes on.
In a daze, there was a gentle knock on the door.
Shen Bandu, who had just woken up from sleepiness, suppressed his anger and asked, "Who?"
There was silence outside the door for a moment.
"...It's me." Xiao Wangqing's voice came through the door, low and hoarse, mixed in the sound of the dripping rain, almost inaudible.
"If you have something to say, just say it."
"I just heard you coughing badly," Xiao Wangqing paused, as if weighing his words. "The post station is simple and the air is too humid. I... asked the cook to make some ginger soup and bring it to you."
Shen Zhiwei's gaze fell on the narrow slit under the door, where a slightly hunched figure was reflected. She was silent for a moment before saying, "Come in."
The door was pushed open a crack, and Xiao Wangqing came in sideways, holding a small bowl. His injured leg seemed to make him stand unsteadily, and his body swayed slightly.
He walked to the bedside and handed over the porcelain bowl in his hand, which contained steaming ginger soup.
"Thank you, Third Prince." Shen Zhiwei took the bowl, lowered her eyes to look at the brown soup in the bowl, and took a sip. After drinking the warm ginger soup, she felt that the coldness in her body had dissipated a lot, and her complexion also looked a little better.
The room in the inn was small, and the nauseatingly strong sweet smell of the medicine had not yet dissipated. Now it was mixed with the spiciness of the ginger soup, forming an even more strange and unpleasant smell.
Shen Zhiwei slowly drank the ginger soup and wanted to hand him the empty bowl, but was shocked to find that Xiao Wangqing's face had become even paler than before, even his lips had lost their color, and the veins on his hand that was holding the window pillar were bulging, and blood was faintly visible between his fingers.
...?
"Third Prince," Shen Zhiwei frowned, stood up and waved his five fingers in front of his eyes, "Are you okay?"
Xiao Wangqing snapped back to his senses. Shen Zhiwei could see the bloodshot in his eyes. His Adam's apple rolled, and his voice was tense: "...Nothing. I just... stood for a long time, and it agitated an old injury."
He quickly lowered his eyelids, avoiding Shen Zhiwei's inquiring gaze, took the empty bowl and turned to leave. When he went out, he almost tripped over his left foot and fell to the ground.
“Mr. Shen… have a good rest.”
Shen Zhiwei stared at the lightly closed door in silence, hesitating for a moment. It seemed like something very important, but chasing after him to ask was not very realistic.
Xiao Wangqing is not the kind of person who would tell the truth under torture.
Shen Zhiwei had a headache, so he lay down and pulled the quilt to cover half of his face, trying to concentrate on thinking, but his mind became more dizzy as his body warmed up.
Forget it, I'm going to die anyway.
Why think so much?
The author has something to say:
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The relationship between His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Xiao Shen is not just that of a ruler and his subject.
They have been together since childhood, and have known each other, stayed together and depended on each other since then.
How could there be a rift in my heart?
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