Chapter 5 Did you drug me?
Ye Lanzhou made up her mind and sat down on the ground in a huff. Now it was Xie Chengyan's turn to be dumbfounded. This man had really strange ideas. He just couldn't stand her taking advantage of others' misfortune and wanted to make some trouble with her, but she shut him up by sitting down.
"The antidote is missing an ingredient. I'm afraid it's not available in the capital."
"What medicine?"
"The red blood vine grown in Nanyang. Gelsemium elegans is a Nanyang medicine, so the best effect is achieved with the red blood vine grown in Nanyang. However, few people in the capital have been poisoned by Gelsemium elegans, so..." Ye Lanzhou paused, staring at Xie Chengyan's expression, "I need to go to Nanyang."
Doesn't that make you think he wants to run away?
But she really just went to Nanyang to get medicine, and that was absolutely true.
"My antidote is in the hands of the prince, so—"
"Okay." Xie Chengyan interrupted Ye Lanzhou's explanation. Ye Lanzhou did not expect that Xie Chengyan would agree so readily.
"But the sacrificial ceremony has to end tomorrow. By then, everyone in the palace will be at Guangfu Temple. While there are few people outside the palace, I will send someone to escort you out."
It sounded like Xie Chengyan trusted her quite a bit. She couldn't help but wonder, what if she really escaped while leaving the palace?
Xie Chengyan, with his eyes covered by a brocade belt, seemed to see through her thoughts. He picked up the sword beside him, turned the sword around, and placed the hilt on Ye Lanzhou's fair neck, where there were traces of white silk left on the night the queen forced her to be buried alive with him.
He pushed hard on the scar, and the pain made Ye Lanzhou speechless, but facing Xie Chengyan's gloomy face, she didn't dare to dodge and just endured it.
"I know that Noble Lady Ye is still thinking about escaping, but before you do, you should carefully consider whether you have the capital to escape. From the moment you made the deal with me, you have been a party to the game. Since you have entrusted your life to me, I must make this move wisely."
He loosened his grip on the sword, which allowed Ye Lanzhou to breathe a sigh of relief.
On the day of the ceremony, Ye Lanzhou, as the widow of the late emperor, naturally had to go, as did Concubine Xu and Crown Prince Xie Xun. Xie Xun was the only male in this generation of the royal family, and it was difficult for an eight-year-old child to kneel in front of the mourning hall for so long.
Inside the hall, the smoke from the incense and candles condensed into a white mist. Concubine Xu knelt on a gilded cushion, her eyes fixed on the compassionate eyes of the Buddha. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Ye Lanzhou beside her, who was silently worshipping with a look of deep sincerity.
Everyone stood up, and Concubine Xu spoke: "The late emperor liked to listen to the Ksitigarbha Sutra. Why don't you recite it a few more times for the dragon fetus in your womb to show your filial piety?"
Before Xie Xun ascended the throne, Concubine Xu had already started acting like the empress dowager.
This was simply to prove that Ye Lanzhou was inferior to her. It would be Xun'er who would ascend the throne in two days, so what if she had a dragon fetus in her belly? After all, wouldn't they be raised in the palace and then sent to garrison outside the capital?
Xie Chengyan, who was at the front, heard the subtle movement behind him, but did not say anything and did not even turn his head.
Ye Lanzhou seemed to have taken the "Earth Store Sutra" presented by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, cleared his throat, and actually began to read aloud.
Why are you obedient now?
Weren't you very arrogant when you rebelled against the queen before?
Everyone left, leaving only Ye Lanzhou kneeling in front of the late emperor's spirit and reciting the "Earth Store Sutra" until the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs couldn't stand it anymore. Fearing that something might happen to Ye Lanzhou, they quickly found someone to replace Ye Lanzhou after he finished reciting for the fifth time.
Because she had been kneeling for too long, her legs were numb. When He Qiumao sent someone to replace her, she struggled a few times but couldn't get up. Then she could only smile awkwardly: "Master He, can you do me a favor? I've been kneeling for too long and can't get up. Can you help me up?"
He Qiumao clearly saw the embarrassment in Ye Lanzhou's eyes, and hurried over, saying, "Your Majesty, please don't say that in the future. You are the master, and if you need anything from me, just ask."
When he was about to put his hand on Ye Lanzhou, he said again: "My lady, I'm sorry for the offense."
Ye Lanzhou stood up with the help of He Qiumao, but she felt a little uncomfortable with his kindness.
Who doesn't know that the head of the Imperial Household Department has immense power? He Qiumao climbed to this position before he was even thirty, which shows how shrewd he is. It's understandable that such a person would show favor to Xie Chengyan.
But it doesn't make sense to show kindness to Ye Lanzhou, the widow of the late emperor.
While thinking about this, she left the mourning hall. After all, she really didn't want to read those things anymore.
The residence arranged for her by the Ministry of Internal Affairs was a house near the back mountain. It was a temple and not necessarily very exquisite, but fortunately the house was quiet and suitable for someone who was pregnant.
As soon as Ye Lanzhou entered the room, she saw Xie Chengyan inside. She knew that he was going to send her out of Guangfu Temple. Now she understood why He Qiumao had been so kind to her just now.
Xie Chengyan had saved her before, and probably just now he ordered He Qiumao to take his place, but He Qiumao didn't know there was a deal between the two, and thought Xie Chengyan was interested in her.
She looked inside. The light in the room was dim. Xie Chengyan had rarely taken off the brocade strip in front of him. His dark eyes were bottomless as he stared coldly at Ye Lanzhou who walked in.
What a beautiful pair of eyes, it's a pity that we don't see them often.
She slowly walked up to Xie Chengyan and bowed respectfully. Then she poured him a cup of tea, and when she pushed it towards him, her nails scraped against the rim. "The Gelsemium elegans poison must have taken effect, right? How's the prince's craftsman?"
Xie Chengyan lowered his eyes and took the tea handed to him by Ye Lanzhou. "As you said, the pharmacy in Shenjiying can't be at peace for a moment now."
He looked up at Ye Lanzhou and said, "You must go to Nanyang tonight and bring Chixue Teng back."
Ye Lanzhou nodded obediently, which made Xie Chengyan feel a little confused. In the past, something would happen every time he saw her, so he was not used to such quietness.
Just as he was thinking about it, he suddenly felt that the room was getting hotter and hotter, but then he realized that something was wrong. It was already late autumn and night, and there was no heater in the room. He should feel cold.
The teacup was still in his hand when he suddenly reacted and shattered it, sending ceramic shards flying all over the floor, along with the remaining half cup of tea.
He grabbed Ye Lanzhou's neck, and with just a little more force he would have broken her neck.
"You drugged this king?"
Ye Lanzhou felt difficulty breathing, his face pale, and he struggled to squeeze out a sentence from his throat: "It's all for self-protection, Your Highness, please forgive me."
She made the Chunxiao Powder herself, and it is much more effective than ordinary ones.
This is also Xie Chengyan's own fault. Who gave her the right to enter and exit Shang Pharmacy freely?
Seeing Xie Chengyan's flushed face, blood color appeared on her originally pale face, and the hand that was pinching her neck gradually became hot.
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