Chapter 10 The two were only a few feet apart…
The two walked together, the faint aroma of food floating in the air.
Jiang Fushi asked, "What's prepared for dinner tonight?"
Qingdai said, "Your Highness, the kitchen has prepared stewed perch, goose breast, ham and bamboo shoot soup, and several seasonal side dishes."
Upon reaching the hall, Jiang Fushi looked at Lou Bingling and said, "It's still early. You'll be eating alone at home anyway. Why don't you have dinner here before you leave and keep me company for a while?"
Lou Bingling smiled and said, "Okay."
The dishes were served one after another, each with its own unique color, aroma, and flavor. Jiang Fushi picked up a piece of stewed sea bass with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The fish was tender and the soup was rich and flavorful. She couldn't help but nod slightly.
Qingdai carefully served the two of them food, and Lou Bingling tasted a sip of the fresh bamboo shoot soup.
"It tastes good. The delicious flavor reminds me of the vegetarian food at Ci'an Temple, especially the bamboo shoots there, which are sweet, crisp and tender, with a unique flavor."
Ci'an Temple is located at the foot of Cuiyun Mountain on the outskirts of Beijing. It is an ancient temple with a thriving incense offering and a quiet and elegant environment.
Recalling the simple vegetarian meals she had eaten at a similar small temple when she went to collect herbs with her adoptive father in the mountains in previous years, Jiang Fushi said with emotion, "Hearing you say that really piques my interest."
Setting down her chopsticks, Lou Bingling smiled faintly and said, "Your Highness, are you considering trying it? If you wish, Bingling can accompany you. Consider it a way to relax and pray for good fortune."
Jiang Fushi's eyes flickered slightly.
On the way to Ci'an Temple, you will pass by the largest pharmacy in the capital. You can take this opportunity to collect some medicinal herbs to take back to your residence, and also see if there are any dove feathers that can be used to make the antidote for the mind-altering powder.
"Alright."
After dinner, Lou Bingling took her leave and returned home.
The trip is scheduled for two days from now.
Because of a series of recent 'accidents', Jiang Fushi decided to travel light.
Liu Zi suggested that they should only bring a small number of guards from the princess's residence and have them dress up as ordinary servants.
Meanwhile, the elite troops sent by Grand Commandant Lou disguised themselves as plainclothes spies and dispersed in advance into teahouses, taverns, and street corners along the travel route to conduct surveillance and guard duty.
Everything is ready.
After her bath, Jiang Fushi, dressed in a thin white silk nightgown, sat slumped on the chaise longue, gazing absently at the flickering candlelight.
Zisu was making the bed for her: "Your Highness, it's getting late, you should rest."
Jiang Fushi lay down on the bed as instructed, and seeing that Zisu was about to extinguish the lamp, she said, "Let's leave that little lamp on."
The cold moonlight was silent, pouring down like mercury onto the rows of glazed tiles of the princess's residence.
No one noticed that a man was standing quietly on the roof of the sleeping quarters.
The bright moonlight shone through Zhanxiao's tightly closed eyes, while the clear sound of the princess's heartbeat echoed from the bedchamber below.
At first, her heartbeat was steady and regular, as if she was gradually falling asleep. But gradually, her heartbeat became turbulent like the tide.
Zhan Xiao frowned slightly, and moved silently.
From the high rooftop to the courtyard outside the bedroom window, the dim light cast the princess's slender figure onto the window paper.
She didn't seem to be sleeping; instead, she was pacing around the room.
Jiang Fushi lit a specially made calming incense stick, and the two palace maids on night duty outside her immediately fell into a deeper sleep.
She had a very precise control over the dosage; this tiny amount wouldn't make them fall into a coma, it would just make them sleep more soundly.
Zhan Xiao kept a close eye on her every move. When he saw her release the sleeping gas, he subconsciously held his breath, his muscles tensed instantly, and his fingertips quietly pressed against the hilt of his sword.
After a moment, he realized that the smoke was not aimed at him and was not deadly. His tense nerves relaxed slightly, turning into a deeper sense of inquiry and doubt.
Jiang Fu walked to the bookshelf, skillfully opened a hidden compartment, took out a medicine box, weighed the herbs with a silver scale, and then moved it under the lamp, where she began to grind and mix them with practiced ease.
Zhan Xiao took in all of this, a slight shock passing through his heart, and his brows furrowed.
Jiang Fushi was completely unaware that a pair of eyes were watching her.
She was preparing the antidote for the mind-altering powder according to a prescription in a medical book.
After the medicinal herbs are initially ground and mixed, they are stored in a sealed jade porcelain bottle. This is prepared in advance. When the dove feather is found, it is added together for the final fusion and refining, and the antidote is ready.
Pounding herbs is hard work, and Jiang Fushi's forehead gradually became covered with a fine layer of sweat, and her breathing became slightly rapid.
Zhan Xiao saw it all; the clear and passionate breathing and heartbeat once again reached his ears.
The night was still and quiet, with only the rhythmic sound of pounding medicine breaking out.
By the time Jiang Fushi finally finished packaging the last batch of medicine powder, it was already past midnight.
She stood up and opened the window. The autumn wind that came in was cool and dispersed the sweat from her temples and the smell of medicine that filled the room.
In the thick darkness just a window away, Zhan Xiao stood in the shadows outside the window, sword in hand. The two were only a few feet apart, their breaths audible.
The princess's residence was completely silent.
Jiang Fushi leaned against the carved window sill, gazing at the lonely, cold moon on the horizon, revealing a weariness and bewilderment rarely seen by others.
Being born into the imperial family, she was not in control of her own destiny. In public, she carefully maintained her image as weak, submissive, and sickly, rarely revealing her true emotions.
Now, the world is silent, as if she were all alone.
Jiang Fushi casually picked up a piece of clothing from the clothes rack, pushed open the bedroom door, and stepped into the garden.
She strolled aimlessly along the cobblestone path, the night dew soaking the tips of her embroidered shoes. The chilly autumn air carried a sense of freedom.
How long has it been since she's been able to do whatever she wants?
One year? Two years?
No, it's been six years.
She lived cautiously for six years in this gilded cage of the imperial city.
In this place where danger lurks everywhere and traps lurk at every turn, they wear masks and barely survive.
Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder what her life would have been like if she hadn't been found back then.
Perhaps I could follow my adoptive father to practice medicine and become a free-spirited itinerant doctor, living a simple but fulfilling life.
Realizing that her thoughts had drifted too far and that all her hopes were in vain, Jiang Fushi smiled bitterly.
Remembering the gentle tunes her mother used to hum to her when she was a child, Jiang Fushi spun around lightly, stretched out her arms, and, with a faint melody from her memory, began a silent solo dance.
Her wide nightgown sleeves slipped down as she moved, revealing her fair arms.
A crisp sound of jade clashing rang out.
Zhan Xiao's eyes narrowed, and his right hand tensed instantly. Just as he was about to draw his sword, he realized that the princess's jade hairpin had come loose and fallen to the ground.
Bending down to pick up the hairpin, Jiang Fushi slowly straightened up. Just as she was about to re-tie her hair, a gust of wind swept through the treetops, and a withered branch that had been broken off by the wind fell straight down towards her!
Just at this critical moment, a cold, gust of wind suddenly shattered the withered branches in mid-air into dust, narrowly missing her.
Jiang Fushi felt a chill on her forehead and looked up in surprise.
A snowflake, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, gently brushed past her brow, slid down to the tip of her nose, and melted quickly at her body temperature, leaving only a faint, damp, cool trace.
Huh?
How can there be snowflakes?
Jiang Fushi blinked. The sky was clear, with no sign of snow.
She frowned in confusion, her fingertips unconsciously touching the damp coolness on the tip of her nose that was about to disappear.
Looks like winter is approaching...
They returned to their sleeping quarters.
Taking off her shoes, Jiang Fushi lay down on the bed fully clothed. A deep sense of exhaustion washed over her, and she fell asleep before even blowing out the candle.
On the day of departure for Ci'an Temple, Lou Bingling arrived early, her face showing some worry: "Your Highness, Bingling is suddenly feeling uneasy. Your Highness has encountered several accidents recently and is already in a precarious situation. Is it too risky to travel at this time? What if..."
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