Chapter 4 The Seven-Day Itch.
Jiang Fushi lowered her head, looking timid.
Seeing this, Yuyao felt pleased and left with the porcelain box in her pocket.
Everything progressed as she had anticipated.
Yu Yao was arrogant by nature and regarded her as a thorn in her side.
If Yuyao noticed that Yuyao showed even the slightest liking for any object, she would try every means to snatch it away, even if she didn't want it at all.
Little did she know, the ointment was soaked with a colorless and odorless seven-day itch.
Just a little bit of it on the skin, and within half a day, the whole body will be unbearably itchy, but no matter what you do, you can't find the cause and just think it's a rash caused by the dryness of autumn.
We arrived at Fengyi Palace.
Yuyao rushed to the Empress's side, her voice aggrieved: "Mother, you have no idea how disgusting Yuhe is! Today, Father Emperor summoned her specifically. It was just an attack, nothing serious. The Prefect of the Capital and the Patrol Battalion could have investigated it. Why did Father Emperor have to personally intervene and summon her alone!"
The Empress sat upright on the phoenix couch, listening to her daughter's sobs, gently pulling Yuyao into her arms and stroking her hair.
"Alright, my son, you are as precious as gold and jade. Why get angry over such a lowly person? You'll only hurt yourself."
"She was lucky to survive. Two years ago, the poisoner failed to kill her, which instead gave her an excuse to move out of the palace."
Yu Yao is a key figure in the future political marriage, a fact known to both the court and the public.
But Yuhe's appearance changed her from being her only choice to one of her choices.
If the emperor were to arrange for Yuhe to marry in place of her for some benefit, or to betroth Yuhe to a more powerful force, it would undoubtedly be a devastating blow to the status of the empress and Yuyao.
Therefore, no matter what, Yuhe cannot be kept.
"Mother, is there really no way to deal with her?" Yuyao asked coquettishly, shaking the Empress's arm.
Last time I pushed her into the water, I thought she was going to die, but she was rescued in time and only fell ill.
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in the Empress's eyes, but a reassuring smile curved her lips.
"Don't worry, Mother has already made arrangements. Yuhe will not live past the Double Ninth Festival."
Back at the princess's residence.
Jiang Fushi pondered the attack repeatedly, her mind filled with doubts.
She was attacked on her way back to the capital. If the attackers wanted to kill her, it would have been easy, since she had fainted at the time.
But no, she is still alive.
What exactly happened back then?
For several days in a row, Jiang Fushi was troubled by this problem.
It was a sunny afternoon.
She drifted off to sleep on the soft couch by the window, her arms hanging limply at the edge, her fingertips still loosely clutching the pharmacopoeia she hadn't finished reading.
I originally intended to find out if there was an alternative formula that could detoxify without using dove feathers.
Little did she know, a pair of greedy eyes were lurking in the shadows, relentlessly scanning her slightly open blouse and exposed skin.
Cui Hongshou crouched silently in the shadow of the roof beam.
After all these years as an assassin, this is the first time I've ever been asked to provide protection.
And the object of her affections is such a delicate princess.
Although we can't really do anything to this beauty, it's quite an experience to look down on her and admire her closely like this.
Jiang Fushi, who was in her sleep, suddenly felt a strange palpitation.
She woke up with a start, her heart pounding like a drum.
Whether it was her imagination or not, these past few days, she felt as if a pair of eyes were watching her from the darkness.
"Perilla, indigo".
Upon hearing the sound, the two maids immediately responded softly from the outer room and quickly entered.
"What time is it now?"
"Your Highness, it's almost the end of the 5-7 PM." Qingdai glanced at the sky outside the window and replied respectfully.
Jiang Fushi rubbed her temples and got up from the bed.
The sky had darkened, and a cool breeze blew in through the cracks in the window, bringing a chill.
Zisu, being observant, quickly said upon seeing this, "Your Highness, it's getting windy. Let's go back to your room and get you a cloak so you don't catch a cold."
Just as Jiang Fushi reached the beaded curtain of the inner room, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Suddenly, I realized that a very thin black hair that I had deliberately tucked into the crack of the door had disappeared.
This was something she set up specifically to prevent anyone from sneaking into her bedchamber and doing anything shady.
The marks were fresh, suggesting they were vandalized during her nap.
Thinking of this, Jiang Fushi felt a chill, but her face remained calm. She quietly instructed the most composed Qingdai to whisper a few words to her.
Cui Hongshou was completely unaware that his whereabouts had been exposed.
He even adjusted the beam to a more comfortable peeping angle and began to fantasize about Jiang Fushi's graceful figure as she changed clothes.
Jiang Fushi pretended to trip over the threshold, letting out a low gasp. She leaned forward slightly and seemingly unintentionally swept a white jade porcelain vase with plum blossoms on it to the ground.
A sharp, piercing sound rang out in the quiet hall.
The sudden noise made Cui Hongshou on the beam pause, his breathing becoming heavier.
Jiang Fushi noticed the faint noise and immediately called out in the direction of the sound, "Who's there!"
At the same time, hurried and orderly footsteps could be heard outside the hall.
Qingdai, along with the guard commander Liu Zi and a team of brightly armored guards, strode over and instantly surrounded the entrance to the bedchamber.
Liu Zi gripped the hilt of his sword and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness! This humble general has come on orders. Are you well?"
"There's someone on the beam!" Jiang Fushi pointed to the shadows where Cui Hongshou was hiding.
Cui Hongshou was shocked, never expecting that his whereabouts would be discovered so easily.
He immediately sprang into action, intending to escape through the window.
Seeing a dark figure dart out from the shadows, Liu Zi immediately shouted, "Stop him!"
The guards instantly surrounded them.
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Fushi quietly took out her poisoned silver needles from a hidden pouch in her sleeve and shot them at the swiftly moving figure.
Cui Hongshou suddenly felt a numbness in his shoulder blade and knew something was wrong. He dared not stop for a moment, took a deep breath, shoved aside a guard who was blocking his way, jumped over the high wall and disappeared into the night. He shook off his pursuers and fled back to the back alley of Wuyou Tavern in a disheveled state.
The second floor of the tavern.
"I've searched everywhere, but I can't find the small gold-inlaid mirror you mentioned."
Yunniang glanced at Zhanxiao, who stood quietly by the window, exuding a cold aura.
“I’ve asked all the antique shops, goldsmiths, and black markets in the capital for you, and there really isn’t any.”
Two days ago, Zhan Xiao suddenly asked her for a favor.
They said a small item is missing and asked for help in finding it.
She secretly dispatched her intelligence network to thoroughly sift through the capital's distribution channels, but still found nothing.
Beneath the mask, Zhan Xiao's brows furrowed slightly.
That day in Misty Valley, he fought with the Crescent Moon Cult members, and then briefly entangled with the princess's carriage in a very small area.
If the mirror wasn't picked up by the princess or her servant, it should have ended up near the main road; there's absolutely no way it could have disappeared into thin air.
A heavy thud interrupted Zhan Xiao's thoughts.
Immediately afterwards, Cui Hongshou climbed in through the window, knelt on the ground clutching his shoulder, his clothes covered in scratches of varying sizes, and his face was pale.
Upon seeing this, Yunniang immediately frowned and came over to him: "What happened? Didn't you go to protect Princess Yuhe?"
Cui Hongshou looked up at Yunniang and was surprised to find Hanren there as well.
"I……"
Cui Hongshou's eyes darted around, avoiding Yunniang's gaze.
"I've been exposed. I followed the princess into the inner palace and somehow triggered some mechanism. A poisoned needle shot out from a hidden compartment! If I hadn't dodged quickly, I would have been done for."
Yunniang looked at him suspiciously, then sneered, "Cui Hongshou, are you kidding me? Could it be that you were lusting after the princess's beauty and acted carelessly, thus falling into her trap?"
Completely stung, Cui Hongshou's face turned pale, his lips trembled but he could not refute her.
Without any hesitation, Yunniang slapped him across the face.
"Who in the capital doesn't know that Princess Yuhe is frail and sickly? What kind of incredible traps could she possibly set up? It must be you, you lecherous scoundrel, who couldn't restrain yourself and revealed your whereabouts, alerting the guards in the manor, which is why you ended up like this!"
"Get out! You're good for nothing and good for nothing. Go to the punishment hall and receive your punishment."
"Yes, yes..." Cui Hongshou stood up shakily, bowed to Yunniang, and then secretly glanced at Zhanxiao before leaving the room.
Yunniang was still angry and sat down in the chair with a huff.
The mission to protect the princess was arranged by the master and could not be failed. Now, Cui Hongshou has not only failed the mission, but has also alerted the enemy.
Zhan Xiao, standing in the shadows with his arms crossed, felt a gaze that was both pleading and helpless.
"Cold Blade".
Yunniang softened her voice, personally poured Zhanxiao a cup of tea, and placed it in front of him: "Protecting the princess is the Lord's strict order, but that bastard Cui Hongshou messed things up. If something really happens to the princess, the Lord's wrath will be unbearable for this tavern and for me."
"I know it's not honorable to bring up the past. You've stayed in this tavern for so many years, risking your life for me; you've long since repaid any favors you owe me. Can you help me out this time?"
Zhan Xiao glanced at Yun Niang, who had unusually lowered her guard, but said nothing.
Yunniang's expression darkened slightly, as if she was recalling the past.
She met Han Ren four years ago when she encountered him severely injured on an official road in the northern desert.
Strictly speaking, it can't really be called a rescue.
Because at that time she only gave him a sip of water, and Han Ren endured it all by himself.
Around that time, Worry-Free Tavern received an extremely difficult large order, and Cold Blade urgently needed money, so they reached a cooperation agreement, which continues to this day.
"Hanren, I'm begging you this once." Yunniang said earnestly, filling his cup with wine and presenting it to him with both hands.
The air fell silent for a moment.
Zhan Xiao's gaze swept over the glass of wine, then returned to Yun Niang's pleading face, his voice icy: "This is the last time."
Princess's Residence.
Liu Zi knelt on one knee, looking ashamed, and said to Jiang Fushi, "Your Highness, this humble general is incompetent and failed to capture that audacious thief. Please punish me."
Jiang Fushi raised her hand slightly, gesturing for him to stand up. "This is not your fault. The thief was cunning and highly skilled. Get up."
The poison needles she used were made by her in the last two days. They were not very toxic; they would only cause numbness in the limbs for several hours, accompanied by excruciating pain.
It was originally meant for self-defense, but I never expected it to come in handy so soon.
"The most urgent task is to rebuild the defenses within the government compound, and we must not give any more opportunities to scoundrels."
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Then, after a slight hesitation, Liu Zi asked, "Your Highness, should this matter... be reported to the Capital Prefecture?"
After a moment's thought, Jiang Fushi gently shook her head: "The thieves' intentions are unclear, and they did not steal any property. If we make a big fuss and report it to the authorities, it will only make my princess's mansion seem like we are making a mountain out of a molehill and invite unnecessary criticism."
Moreover, the man was hiding in her bedroom, intending to spy on her while she changed clothes.
"If this matter gets out, no matter the reason, it will only damage my reputation. People will not investigate the thief's purpose, but will only make up some scandalous rumors."
"This subordinate understands!"
Liu Zi nodded in agreement, deeply appreciating the princess's thoughtful consideration.
"This humble general will keep this a secret, saying only that a wild cat darted in and startled Your Highness, and will not let a word of it leak out. As for the defenses of the manor, this humble general will immediately redeploy them, increase the number of sentries, and ensure that today's incident does not happen again!"
Jiang Fushi nodded slightly, rubbed her temples wearily, and waved for him to leave.
Another reason she didn't report it to the Jingzhao Prefecture was that she had just used a poisoned needle.
If questioned by someone with ulterior motives, she would find it difficult to give a convincing explanation and risk exposing her secret expertise in poisons.
Zisu and Qingdai stepped forward with calming tea, their faces still showing lingering panic.
"Your Highness has had a very unsettled time lately. First, you fell into the water, then you were attacked in the outskirts of the capital, and now you are being watched by thieves..." Zisu spoke frankly, her voice trembling with tears.
Seeing that Jiang Fushi looked tired, Qingdai took the initiative to step forward and massage her temples.
"Your Highness, how about we give you a calming herbal bath tonight to help you relax?"
The bright moon hangs high in the sky.
Zhanxiao stood quietly atop the upturned eaves, like a silhouette blending into the night.
His cold gaze pierced through the windowpane, watching the three of them, master and servant, every move they made.
The delicate and frail princess caused even the seasoned swordsman Cui Hongshou to stumble, suffering a strange poison and fleeing in a sorry state.
Even he almost fell victim to it.
With such unpredictable methods, is he really necessary to provide such protection?
However, these are not things he should care about.
He's an assassin, only responsible for completing missions, with no extra curiosity.
Zhan Xiao first held his breath and concealed himself in the shadow of the eaves, then surveyed the area.
It turned out that the guards who had been patrolling just moments before had all fainted on the ground for some unknown reason. The huge princess's residence suddenly became deathly silent, with only the sound of rummaging through chests and cabinets coming from the west side hall.
At the same time, a few wisps of white smoke seemed to float in the air.
Zhan Xiao's eyes sharpened.
It's sleeping gas!
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