Accompanied by crackling sounds, colorful fireworks rose and fell in the quiet night sky not far away, like celestial maidens scattering flowers.
Yi Shangyun quietly looked up at the night sky before her, gazing intently, lost in thought. The fireworks were beautiful, but she felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
Shopkeeper Xue, standing beside him, smiled faintly as he examined Yun's face, which was covered by a pure white veil.
Half a day after the fireworks disappeared, Yi Shangyun suddenly came to her senses and realized that the carriage was not heading into the city, but towards the northern suburbs. She had always thought that the reclusive master would be waiting for her at the Hundred Herbs Hall in the city.
So she turned around abruptly and asked Manager Xue in confusion, "Manager Xue, isn't that reclusive master at Baicaotang? Where are we going now? This doesn't seem to be the way to Baicaotang."
Shopkeeper Xue smiled mysteriously and shook his head, saying, "This reclusive master naturally dislikes the hustle and bustle of the city. It's already quite an achievement to meet him at Baicaotang. And to be able to keep him in the northern suburbs of Xiqin for a while is already something to be thankful for. Oh... this must be the master's intention. He must have his reasons. Don't worry, Miss."
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun frowned slightly, looking suspicious. But after thinking about it carefully, she felt that Manager Xue and her father knew each other quite well, so he shouldn't be a bad person. Besides, he was someone Yi Junhao trusted, so he certainly wouldn't do anything to harm her. A businessman is always more shrewd and thoughtful than she is.
So, I gradually calmed down and waited to see the true face of this reclusive master. I wondered who he really was.
Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of toasts, three rounds of wine had already been served. Inside Yong'an Palace, the atmosphere remained one of peace and prosperity, with people enjoying wine and conversation.
At this moment, Emperor Jing and Xuanyuan Han were huddled together, discussing some important state affairs, and no one else could offer any assistance. The matter they were discussing must have been extremely important, so naturally no one dared to disturb them.
Suddenly, Cheng Liang walked around to Xuan Yuanhan's side and whispered something in his ear. Then, Xuan Yuanhan and Emperor Jing bowed to each other as if to take their leave.
When Mei Xiyuan saw this, she quickly raised her eyebrows and looked at him expectantly, wondering what had happened.
Then, Emperor Jing nodded slightly, and Xuan Yuanhan hurriedly got up and strode out.
Mei Xiyuan also hurriedly got up, but when she looked up in the blink of an eye, Xuan Yuanhan had already disappeared.
"Princess Qin, there's no need to worry. The Prince of Qin probably has important business to attend to. You can stay in the palace without worry. If it gets too late, you can stay in my palace tonight. I'd like to have a good talk with you," the Empress Dowager said, seeing her uneasy expression.
Since the Empress Dowager had spoken, Mei Xiyuan could not refuse. After all, as a new member of the royal family, it would be inappropriate for her to leave early on her first time attending such an important family banquet. So she had no choice but to sit down again, but her mind was no longer there.
As soon as Xuanyuan Han and Cheng Liang left the palace, they hurriedly rode their horses towards the northern suburbs, because they had just received a message from the secret guards that Yi Shangyun had been picked up from the Yi residence by Manager Xue of Baicaotang.
Before long, the two of them caught up and were now following the carriage in the distance.
"Your Highness, it's the New Year, where exactly is that Young Master Yi taking Miss Yi? What does he want to do?" Cheng Liang had a bad feeling.
Xuan Yuanhan, however, kept his eyes fixed on the carriage in front of him. He suddenly realized that it all seemed to be arranged by Yi Junhao. In fact, the people in the carriage knew that they were being followed, or rather, they were being deliberately led astray.
His intuition told him that Yi Junhao was trustworthy, but he didn't know why he still sent people to guard the Yi residence, and he never expected to be led by the nose by them and even follow them.
Deep down, it wasn't just because of his domineering feelings towards Yi Shangyun, but also because he didn't want anyone to approach her under any pretext.
After a long while, he said quietly to Cheng Liang beside him, "He should have already prepared the medicine; she should take it tonight."
"Tonight? That means Miss Yi's leg ailment will be cured soon! That's wonderful!" Cheng Liang was very excited and pulled hard on the reins he was holding tightly.
But upon closer reflection, something seemed amiss, so he asked, "If this is for medical treatment, why did they send Manager Xue to bring Miss Yi to this desolate outskirts? There's not a soul in sight."
Xuanyuan Han, of course, did not know the reason, so he remained silent, and Cheng Liang did not ask any more questions, but quietly followed.
After the carriage reached the northern suburbs, it turned several more bends until no human habitation or buildings could be seen anymore. Then, at the foot of a quiet, solitary hill on the western side of the northern suburbs, the carriage suddenly stopped.
Yi Shangyun asked anxiously, "Manager Xue, have we arrived?"
Shopkeeper Xue smiled and nodded in agreement, "We've arrived. After you get off the carriage, Miss, walk along this mountain road for another three hundred meters. There is a clearing where the hermit is waiting. He doesn't like to be disturbed when he's treating patients, so we'll have to ask you to go there alone. The carriage will be parked here until you're fully recovered."
Yi Shangyun thought to herself, "These reclusive masters are all the same, pretending to be mysterious. I wonder what their medical skills are really like?" However, since she was already here, she was determined to see him and see what extraordinary skills he had that made him dare to make such a boastful claim that he could cure her severe cold poison.
As she pondered, she made up her mind, stood up, lifted her cloak, and nimbly jumped off the carriage. Manager Xue then instructed the young coachman to hand her a four-cornered lantern with red plum blossoms printed on it.
"Thank you," Yi Shangyun smiled, took the gift, thanked him, and then turned to walk along the only path in front of her.
The desolate countryside at night added to the chill. The solitary mountain wasn't high, but the gusts of cold wind still made her face show a hint of displeasure.
Suddenly, a gust of wind made her gasp. Looking up, she was struck by the unusually large and round moon hanging high in the night sky, larger and farther away than the full moon she usually saw at the Bright Moon Pavilion, yet closer to her. The sky was dotted with countless stars, twinkling like the eyes of many innocent and mischievous children, blinking at her. A smile instantly spread across her face.
At this moment, the capital of Western Qin was far, far away from her sight. She could only vaguely see the bright red lanterns that were lit in every household during the New Year, which were also the ever-burning lanterns that every household had to light tonight. But now, they were just small red dots that appeared and disappeared in her eyes, adding another beautiful scene to the dark and silent night.
These tiny points of light echoed the stars in the sky, creating a beautiful scene where heaven and earth celebrated together.
She almost thought she hadn't come to the hospital for treatment, but rather to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Suddenly, she murmured to herself, "It is said that winter is the best time to watch meteor showers. This place is so open and quiet now. If I could see a meteor shower streak across the winter night sky, that would be perfect."
After saying that, she pursed her lips and smiled, then shook her head, as if realizing that she had become so greedy without her noticing.
So he put aside his daydreams and continued on his way.
"Manager Xue said that the reclusive master is waiting on a flat, open area about 300 meters away. It looks like we've arrived soon, but where is this master?" After walking for a while, she was delighted to see a wide-open, extremely spacious flat area in front of her. She hurriedly walked to the side of it, raised the red plum four-cornered lantern in her hand to illuminate her vision, and carefully searched around while saying this.
Just then, a pair of large hands suddenly reached out from behind her in the pitch-black night and gently covered her beautiful phoenix eyes.
"Who?!" Although she trusted Manager Xue completely, and the person behind her was most likely the reclusive master Manager Xue had mentioned, she was still uneasy and frightened at this late hour in the middle of nowhere.
She hurriedly reached out a hand to touch the large hand that was currently covering her eyes, and realized that it was a man's hand with distinct knuckles, smooth and delicate, as if it belonged to a young man who had lived a life of luxury and ease. But when she sniffed carefully, she found that he also exuded a faint scent of perfume. Hmm... I never expected him to be such a sophisticated person...
Just as she was about to continue exploring and guessing, the man suddenly released her hand. She immediately turned around sharply, her eyes wide with surprise, and exclaimed, "Third Young Master, it's you?"
Yi Junhao, dressed in a festive red outfit, stared intently at the girl he longed for, his long, narrow, and alluring peach blossom eyes as warm as a spring breeze.
After a moment, she seemed to realize something and said, "Could it be that the reclusive master that Manager Xue mentioned is actually the Third Young Master?"
Yi Junhao didn't answer her question immediately, but instead gently said to her, "Girl, long time no see."
Yi Shangyun pouted, puzzled, and said, "What? Didn't we just see each other three days ago? How can it be like we haven't seen each other for a long time?"
Yi Junhao didn't take it seriously. He just stared into Yi Shangyun's eyes and continued to speak softly to her, "For Third Brother, a day without seeing my girl feels like a lifetime. It's more than just a long time."
Upon hearing this, Yi Shangyun lowered her head in embarrassment, a blush spreading across her face beneath her thin, white veil.
Yi Junhao seemed to notice Yi Shangyun's unusual expression, and hurriedly took out a small porcelain bottle from his body and handed it to her.
Yi Shangyun, who had just come to her senses, reached out and took it, looking into his eyes and asking, "What is this?"
Yi Junhao smiled and said leisurely, "This is a miraculous medicine left behind by the reclusive doctor I met by chance. It can cure the cold poison in your body. The doctor had urgent business to attend to and had to leave in a hurry. I happened to be at Baicaotang at the time, so he asked me to bring this medicine here. I was afraid you would come to nothing, so I rushed over. Luckily, I made it in time. Take it quickly, and I guarantee that when you wake up tomorrow morning, you will be completely recovered. Your legs will no longer feel sore and painful, as if you have been reborn."
Yi Shangyun pouted and asked doubtfully, "Does Third Young Master also believe that this medicine is really that miraculous?"
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