Shockwave
Xie Wuqi's words "Go back and take the medicine" did not cause much waves in Prince Jing's Mansion, but it was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, causing ripples in the hearts of a few people who knew the truth.
Xie Wuqi, though still frowning at the medicine delivered by Butler Yan, stopped slamming the bowl and drank it silently. The atmosphere in the east wing of Jinglan Courtyard seemed to ease slightly with the prince's slight compromise. However, everyone knew that this wasn't surrender, but more like... dormancy. A temporary recognition and exploitation of the unique abilities possessed by a particular being.
Xu Xianyue's pace of life remained unchanged. She still spent most of her time in the workshop, though her desk now contained several more profound tomes on medicine and poisons, which Lin Qingyan had managed to send her. Her understanding of the "burning heart" poison deepened, and her velvet flowers became increasingly intricate and intricate, incorporating ever more exotic materials. She even began experimenting with using different frequencies of fingertip rhythm to guide the vibrations of silk and metal wire, simulating a nearly silent "sound range," hoping to find the most effective soothing frequency band for the poison.
That day, she was putting the final touches on the shaping of a snow lotus made of ice silk and mixed with extremely fine silver threads. This was a new process she had figured out. Through a specific rhythm of finger movements, she was able to make the internal structure of the velvet flower strangely stable, making the soothing fluctuations it emitted more lasting and peaceful.
Wan Cui tiptoed in and whispered, "Miss, Imperial Physician Lin has sent word that he's found a rare manuscript from a previous dynasty that suggests a 'heart-burning' poison may have originated from the Southern Xinjiang witchcraft tradition. Its properties aren't purely scorching, but also carry a sinister, corrosive quality that specifically damages the soul. He needs to go to the Medicine King Temple outside the capital to review some secret records, so he might not be able to come to your house for the next few days."
Xu Xianyue's fingertips didn't stop as she simply responded. Southern Xinjiang witchcraft? Soul-destroying? This certainly matched Xie Wuqi's near-mad, violent state when the poison took effect. Lin Qingyan's research was indeed bringing her closer to the truth. However, the Medicine King Temple in the suburbs of Beijing... she vaguely remembered that it wasn't a place accessible to ordinary healers.
Before she could ponder further, her attention was quickly drawn to the nearly completed snow lotus at her fingertips. The lustrous white of ice silk intertwined with the cool shimmer of silver threads, petals layered one upon another. In the center, she had embedded a moonstone, the size of a grain of rice and of a warm hue. As her fingertips brushed the petals with a unique rhythm, the moonstone emitted a faint, breathlike, luminous halo.
Done.
Xu Xianyue sighed softly and placed the snow lotus velvet flower in a specially crafted brocade box. She could feel that the rhythm contained in this velvet flower was more stable and gentle than any of her previous works, bringing a refreshing coolness that cleansed her restlessness.
Perhaps, we should find an opportunity to let Xie Wuqi "try" the effect.
However, before she could find the right opportunity, a sudden storm, carrying the force of thunder, descended upon Prince Jing's Mansion.
In the evening, before it was completely dark, a group of men dressed in palace guard uniforms and wearing long swords at their waists, ignoring the guards of the palace, rushed straight into the outer courtyard of Jinglan Courtyard! The leader was a middle-aged eunuch with a white face and no beard, and a sinister look in his eyes. He held a glittering golden token in his hand.
"By order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" the eunuch's voice was shrill, especially harsh in the twilight. "Prince Jing, Xie Wuqi, has been wielding his own army, colluding with Southern Xinjiang, secretly raising private soldiers, and plotting illicitly! The Prince's Palace is hereby sealed off, and no one is allowed to enter or leave, pending investigation!"
The Crown Prince's order! Colluding with Southern Xinjiang! Plotting evil!
Every word was like a thunderclap, plunging the entire palace into silence, followed by uncontrollable panic!
Butler Yan rushed over upon hearing the news, his face pale as he tried to step forward and argue, "Eunuch Gao! This is Prince Jing's residence! The prince is still ill, how can we just rely on the Crown Prince's orders..."
"How dare you!" Eunuch Gao interrupted harshly, and the token in his hand almost poked Butler Yan in the face. "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is the regent, and the oral order is the decree! Do you dare to disobey?!" The guards behind him drew out half of their swords with a "swish", and the cold light shone.
The atmosphere suddenly became tense!
At this moment, Jingzhe appeared at the main door like a ghost. His face was as cold as iron, and the murderous aura around him almost solidified. His eyes swept across Eunuch Gao and others like a knife: "Your Highness, please rest. Anyone who trespasses will be killed."
His voice was not loud, but it carried a bloody murderous aura tempered in the sea of corpses and blood, causing the group of aggressive guards to involuntarily step back half a step.
Eunuch Gao's expression changed several times, but he forced himself to remain calm and said, "Guard Jingzhe, we are also following orders! His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has received a secret report, and the evidence is irrefutable! If His Royal Highness Prince Jing has nothing to hide, why should he fear an investigation?"
"Evidence?" Jingzhe sneered, "Show it out."
Eunuch Gao choked. He naturally had no real evidence. This was a tactic to test Xie Wuqi's strengths and weaknesses. If he could seize control of the palace, it would be the best. "The evidence is naturally in the hands of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince! All you need do is obey!"
The two sides are at a stalemate and conflict is imminent!
At this moment, Xu Xianyue, who was in the West Wing workshop, naturally heard the commotion outside. She walked to the window and looked through the crack at the aggressive guards and panic-stricken servants in the outer courtyard, her brows slightly furrowed.
The Crown Prince… had he finally lost his patience? He took advantage of Xie Wuqi's injuries, still afflicted by the poison, to launch an attack, accusing him of the most deadly crime of "colluding with Southern Xinjiang," intent on putting him to death.
Her mind raced. Xie Wuqi wasn't in the best of shape right now. If this group barged in and disturbed him, the consequences would be disastrous. And while Jingzhe was brave, two fists couldn't stand up to four. If a fight broke out, he'd be guilty of "disobeying an imperial order."
The situation must be stabilized.
Her eyes swept over the newly completed snow lotus flower on the workbench, and her eyes fixed.
At this moment, Gao Gonggong's increasingly shrill voice came from outside: "Jingzhe! If you don't get out of the way, don't blame me for being rude! Someone, come! Give me..."
"Eunuch Gao."
A cold and calm female voice suddenly interrupted Eunuch Gao.
Everyone was startled and looked in the direction of the sound.
Standing in the corridor of the west wing, a woman in plain clothes appeared. Dusk fell, and the soft glow of the lanterns cast a soft shadow over her, illuminating her beautiful face and tranquil eyes. In her hands, she held an open brocade box, a shimmering white light emanating from it, making her seem otherworldly.
It was Xu Xianyue.
Eunuch Gao narrowed his eyes and looked at her: "Who are you?" He naturally knew that there was a new princess in the mansion, but he asked this deliberately with contempt.
Xu Xianyue didn't answer his question. She simply held the brocade box and slowly walked down the steps toward the main house. Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, her posture elegant and calm, as if she were not standing before a guard with unsheathed swords, but her own courtyard.
"Stop!" Eunuch Gao shouted.
Xu Xianyue didn't stop, didn't even glance at him, and simply spoke lightly, her voice clearly reaching everyone's ears: "The prince's old wound has poisoned and he needs to rest. This is the 'Spirit-Calming Snow Lotus' given by the Queen Mother herself. It must be sent to the prince's room immediately to guard it. If your noise disturbs the prince and delays his recovery, causing the Queen Mother to blame him..." She paused, finally looking up at Eunuch Gao, her eyes as clear as ice, "Eunuch Gao, can you bear this?"
Queen Mother? Calming Snow Lotus?
Eunuch Gao's pupils shrank. Although the Empress Dowager wasn't Xie Wuqi's biological mother, she had always done a good job of appearing presentable. If there really was something bestowed upon her by the Emperor, it would be inappropriate for him to insist on blocking it. Furthermore, this woman possessed an extraordinary aura, and her words carried a certain authority that didn't seem fake.
He looked suspiciously at the brocade box in Xu Xianyue's hand. The shimmering white light was indeed unlike anything ordinary. He naturally didn't know it was the effect of the moonstone and the special weaving technique.
Xu Xianyue ignored him and walked straight towards the main room. Jingzhe watched her approach with a complicated look in his eyes, but he tacitly stepped aside to make way for her.
Eunuch Gao's expression shifted, and for a moment he wasn't sure whether to stop him. His purpose here was mainly to test the waters and create pressure, not to actually massacre the palace. If what this woman said was true, barging in and disturbing Xie Wuqi's recovery would be a difficult matter to explain to the Empress Dowager.
At the moment he hesitated, Xu Xianyue had already walked into the main room calmly with the brocade box in her hand, and gently closed the door with her backhand, isolating herself from all the noise and swordplay from the outside world.
Inside the door, the strong smell of medicine filled the air. Xie Wuqi leaned against the headboard, his face as pale as paper, his lips strikingly vibrant. His phoenix eyes gazed deeply at Xu Xianyue as she entered, a suppressed brutality and a hint of... indescribable inquiry swirling in them.
He obviously heard the noise outside and what she had just said.
Xu Xianyue walked to the bedside, placed the brocade box on the low table beside him, opened the lid, revealing the icy and translucent snow lotus flower inside that was glowing slightly.
"Your Highness," she said calmly, as if she hadn't been the one arguing with the eunuch outside, "it's time to use the medicine."
Xie Wuqi's gaze shifted from her face to the snow lotus. He could clearly sense a strange, cool, and peaceful aura emanating from the flower, like a trickle of water, quietly wetting his restless and burning meridians and soothing his soul, which was on the verge of losing control.
More obvious and more effective than any time before.
He raised his eyes and looked at Xu Xianyue again, his eyes as deep as the night.
"Xu Xianyue," he said in a low voice, "Do you know what the crime of falsely conveying the Empress Dowager's decree is?"
Xu Xianyue met his gaze, the corners of her lips curled slightly, her smile cold and proud: "Then please get well soon, Your Majesty. Otherwise, I'm afraid my crime of deceiving the emperor will be proven true."
Her eyes clearly said: Who am I using this as a banner? If you can't hold on, we're all doomed.
Xie Wuqi stared at her for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly, his voice hoarse but filled with genuine joy. He reached out, not to take the snow lotus, but to gently grasp Xu Xianyue's wrist, which was resting beside the brocade box.
His fingertips were cold, but his strength was undeniable.
"Okay," he said, the violence surging in his eyes gradually subsiding, transforming into something darker and more determined. "As you wish."
Outside the room, Eunuch Gao did not dare to force his way in. After a long stalemate, he retreated to the outside of the courtyard with his guards to "guard", under the pretext of "protecting the prince's safety".
A sudden storm was temporarily resolved by Xu Xianyue with his own strength, quick wit and that special velvet flower.
Inside and outside Jinglan Courtyard, the surface calm was temporarily restored.
But everyone knows that beneath this calm lies an even more turbulent undercurrent.
The prince has already drawn his sword.
The life and death of Prince Jing's Mansion may depend on the sickly prince in the room and this cold and aloof woman holding a velvet flower.
Xu Xianyue lowered her eyes and looked at Xie Wuqi's bony but cold hand that was still holding her wrist.
She knew that from the moment she walked out of the west wing holding the velvet flower, she would no longer be able to remain in peace.
She was completely at the center of this storm.
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