Chapter 62 A gentle smile played on her lips.
After a long while, Yan Xuecui slowly came back to his senses, but his gaze remained fixed on her face, and his voice was deep and hoarse: "Does it hurt a lot?"
Chi Ying didn't want him to worry, so she shook her head and said, "It was a little bit there just now, but it's much better after applying the medicine."
Yan Xue gently stroked her fair forehead with his fingertips, where a thin layer of cold sweat still clung. This silly girl, still trying to deceive him, how could she not be in pain? Just now, when he was cleaning her wound, she was shivering all over, her tears soaking his clothes.
Yan Xuecui leaned down to look at her and said seriously, "If you encounter this situation again in the future, you are not allowed to stand in front of others casually."
Chi Ying said in a low voice, "I didn't think that much about it, and besides... you're not a stranger."
Yan Xuecui's heart was extremely tender; it seemed that she had unconsciously placed him in a very important place in her heart.
But his tone remained unquestionable: "I've said it before, I can protect myself, and I can handle today's situation. There's no need for you to put yourself in danger."
Chi Ying recalled that he had invited the imperial physician, perhaps because he had noticed something was wrong with this divine doctor early on. With Imperial Physician Lin present, firstly, they could test whether the divine doctor was truly well-versed in medical principles, and secondly, if any accidents occurred, they could treat him in time.
Recalling the terrifying scene just now, Chi Ying still felt lingering fear. "Although you can locate sounds, those silver needles were so thin that I was afraid you wouldn't have noticed them. They were also poisoned. Even just rubbing a little bit of skin required such a complicated process. If they had pierced your acupoints, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
Yan Xuecui rubbed the back of her head, wanting to tell her that she could see, but the words caught in her throat.
At today's banquet, Prince Qing and Emperor Yongcheng put on a show to force him to accept the diagnosis of the so-called "miracle doctor" and see if he had already regained his sight but was deliberately concealing the truth.
Prince Qing lacks both the brains and the courage, so someone must be instigating him from behind. Emperor Yongcheng has always been suspicious of his princes, so he naturally wouldn't tolerate him deceiving him. When he was blind, he was able to entrust him with important responsibilities, such as the Northern Garrison Command, which was tasked with cracking down on powerful officials. If his eye disease were to heal, he would probably be even more wary of him.
This matter should not be made public yet. If one person knows, it is as good as a hundred people knowing. Even if Ah Ying keeps her mouth shut, the changes in their relationship will eventually reveal themselves and cannot escape the eyes and ears of outsiders.
Now that we are surrounded by wolves, Emperor Yongcheng will not test us any further in the short term after today's events, so it is best to keep it a secret for now.
"I won't let anyone hurt me. I've survived so many years of danger and violence, so you don't need to worry about me."
He frowned, his tone turning serious: "On the contrary, you're powerless, no one is worth risking your life for, do you hear me?"
Chi Ying nodded obediently, "Okay, I won't."
She was indeed frightened today. In the instant she shielded him from the silver needles, she didn't have time to think and her body reacted instinctively. Looking back now, it was indeed too impulsive.
His skills were far better than she had imagined; they were unfathomable. With guards by his side, he could handle the situation even without her.
But what if she were to be pierced by a poisoned needle and lose her life, leaving her mother all alone?
The matter in the main hall was not yet over. Yan Xue ordered people to guard her. Before leaving, she looked at her for a moment and said, "Wait for me to come back."
He was still worried about her injury and added, "Tell me immediately if you feel unwell."
Chi Ying saw that he was still "staring" at her, his gaze was no different from usual, yet it seemed that... many subtle emotions were surging within it.
Was it because she shielded him from a hidden weapon?
Recalling his extremely gloomy expression when he saw her injured, filled with unprecedented anger and loss of composure, she realized that she had indeed worried him.
Chi Ying grasped his hand and squeezed it gently. "I know, Your Highness, please go quickly. Let's go home early later."
Her smile was gentle, like shimmering spring water under the warm sun. Yan Xuecui looked at her, her eyes also filled with a smile, "Okay."
Yan Xuecui walked out of the side hall with a bamboo cane in her hand. Her eyes had just been restored and were not yet used to the bright light under the corridor, so she simply closed them as she walked.
The head steward, Kang Fu, was waiting outside the door. When he saw him come out, he immediately stepped forward with a beaming smile and offered a helping hand: "Your Highness, how is the Princess Consort's injury?"
Yan Xuecui knew that the Emperor Yongcheng had sent someone to inquire, so he ignored him and only asked, "Has the trial in the main hall yielded results?"
Kang Fu had no choice but to truthfully reply, "His Highness Prince Qing said that it was His Highness Prince Xuan who recommended the divine physician to him."
Yan Xuecui gave a cold laugh.
Upon reaching the main hall, Yan Xuecui slowly lifted her eyelids, her gaze sweeping over Emperor Yongcheng, who was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe at the head of the table.
Two years later, just as Judge Lin had said, he was radiant and even more spirited than before. In the past few years, the princes had either died or been imprisoned, but he seemed to be enjoying a more and more cheerful life.
He stepped forward and bowed, his demeanor as composed as ever, exactly as it had been before the restoration of the Ming Dynasty.
Emperor Yongcheng was understandably embarrassed by what had just happened, and asked with concern, "Is the Princess Consort alright?"
Yan Xuecui said, "The silver needles are highly poisonous. We have already cut open the flesh to release the poisonous blood. We will have to wait and see how things go next."
As soon as he finished speaking, the concubines in the hall all turned pale. Just hearing those few words made them feel as if their flesh was being torn apart. How could Princess Zhao's delicate body withstand it?
Emperor Yongcheng's face darkened, and he threw the teacup in his hand at Prince Qing, who was kneeling in the hall. "Look what you've done!"
Prince Qing, covered in tea stains, dared not even flinch, and fearing the wrath of Prince Zhao, he hastily defended himself: "Fortunately, my sister-in-law was not harmed, and my seventh brother is also unharmed. I truly did not know that my brother, Prince Xuan, would intend to kill my seventh brother. I was confused..."
Emperor Yongcheng and everyone in the palace could understand Prince Xuan's motives. It was Prince Zhao who solved the case of Consort Li's confinement. Later, the Ning family and the Fu family had one after another, which was also due to the help of the Northern Garrison Command. How could Prince Xuan not hold a grudge?
Prince Qing tried to shift all the blame onto Prince Xuan, but Yan Xuecui curled her lips and said, "Your subject is unharmed, all because the Princess protected him with her own body. If that silver needle had pierced your acupoint, your subject would probably have died on the spot. The Princess was spared because she is very lucky."
His voice turned cold: "If the silver needles today had gone astray and injured the Emperor's body, then Prince Qing would be guilty of a capital crime."
These words indeed touched Emperor Yongcheng's sore spot. The chaos in the palace earlier had startled Emperor Yongcheng. How could anyone not be alarmed if a master of hidden weapons had infiltrated the palace!
Emperor Yongcheng said in a deep voice, "What you say is very true. The Fifth Prince cannot escape punishment. He will be fined for half a year and confined to his residence. After the truth is verified, he will be punished severely along with Prince Xuan!"
Prince Qing had no choice but to kowtow and admit his guilt.
Emperor Yongcheng looked at Yan Xuecui again, his tone softening: "The princess stepped forward, which is commendable. She may use all the rare medicinal herbs in the Imperial Pharmacy, and is granted special permission to enter and leave the palace in a carriage. In addition, she will be rewarded with one hundred taels of gold, ten bushels of pearls, and two manors."
After saying that, he covered his lips with his hand and coughed lightly: "You were also frightened today. I will severely punish the two of them and give you an explanation."
Yan Xuecui smiled faintly: "Thank you for your grace, Father Emperor."
The family banquet turned into such a mess that everyone lost their appetite for moon-viewing and returned to their respective palaces.
Yan Xue went to the side hall to fetch Chi Ying back to the mansion, where Princess Yu Xi was talking to her.
Upon seeing him arrive, Yu Xi prepared to get up and take her leave.
When Yan Xuecui casually asked about the Empress's recent condition, Princess Yuxi answered truthfully, "The Empress has been suffering from night terrors and insomnia lately, and even the tranquilizers haven't helped."
Yan Xuecui: "The Princess Consort is injured today and it is inconvenient for her to go to pay her respects. Please apologize to Her Majesty the Empress on my behalf and tell her that I will definitely visit Kunning Palace in person another day."
Princess Yu Xi nodded: "I will convey this to the Empress Dowager."
Yan Xue smiled and said, "Thank you."
Chi Ying stole a glance at him. She still didn't know what he planned to do with the Empress. Revealing the truth would not be easy, after all, she was the Empress, the head of the harem.
As she pondered this, she was suddenly met with those deep gray eyes, which startled her so much that she stumbled.
Yan Xuecui met her stunned gaze, a smile spreading across her lips as she reached out her hand: "Can you walk? Do you want me to carry you?"
Princess Yu Xi hadn't gone far when Chi Ying's cheeks flushed red, and she whispered, "I'll walk by myself."
His shoulder was almost immobile, and any slight movement caused him to gasp in pain. Fortunately, as soon as he stepped out of the palace gate, the carriage from the Prince Zhao's residence was already waiting outside, saving him the trouble of walking. Cheng Huai drove the carriage smoothly out of the imperial city without aggravating his injury.
But for some reason, this person wasn't sitting in the main seat today. Instead, he was sitting opposite her, his gaze vacant yet seemingly tangible, making her feel uneasy.
Chi Ying pursed her lips and awkwardly changed the subject: "I heard from the princess that the so-called divine physician was sent by Prince Xuan to assassinate you?"
Yan Xuecui then lowered her eyes and said, "Mm."
Chi Ying said, "He's already imprisoned in the mansion, yet he still wants to kill you. Father Emperor probably won't let this go this time."
Yan Xuecui looked up at her shoulder, her voice slightly deep: "Don't worry, he won't escape punishment this time."
He paused for a moment and said, "For your sake, I will not let him go either."
Chi Ying nodded, then, thinking he couldn't see it, added an "Mm".
Yan Xue Cui suddenly laughed.
Chi Ying was a little confused and looked at him blankly.
It was late at night when I returned home.
Chi Ying was injured, but she had been exposed to the smell of alcohol at the palace banquet, and the pain from her wound had caused her to break out in a cold sweat, so she still needed to take a bath.
Xiangqin was about to come up and help her up when Yan Xuecui looked at her stiff left arm and said gently, "Let me wash it for you."
Chi Ying stared at him in astonishment, her face instantly turning crimson.
He had helped her wash at the hot spring resort a few times, but as he washed her, what landed on her was no longer a towel, but his lips.
Chi Ying wanted to refuse his kindness, but Yan Xuecui didn't give her the chance. "Can Xiangqin carry you into the bath? If you accidentally get wet and slip, will she be able to help you?"
Xiangqin pursed her lips, unsure whether to say yes or no.
Chi Ying: "But you..."
He couldn't see it anyway, so wouldn't it be even more inconvenient for him to clean her up?
But he swallowed the words back and could only reply, "Okay."
He still knows his limits; he knows she's in pain, so he probably won't do anything reckless.
He was already quite adept at undressing her. Chi Ying was in pain from her wound and couldn't lift her arm, but he patiently helped her remove her clothes one by one, unlike before when he was in such a hurry.
Then he carried her into the bathtub, where Chi Ying rested her shoulders on the edge of the tub and immersed herself in the water.
Fortunately, he always followed her instructions, cleaning wherever she asked him to, and carefully feeling around to find what he couldn't see. At first, Chi Ying was a little unaccustomed to his seriousness, but gradually she let him clean her.
Since he couldn't see it anyway, and there wasn't a single part of her body that he hadn't kissed, she stopped being coy. She insisted on washing only the area between her legs herself, leaving the rest of her body to him.
Yan Xuecui gently wiped her skin, the towel dampening as it swept over her soft, white, and delicate skin inch by inch.
Previously, everything in front of me was blurry, and when I looked at her, it was as if there was a thick fog between me, and I could only see a hazy white and red. But now I can see her clearly.
His queen had fair and delicate skin, her face smooth and flawless, like solidified white jade, with almost no blemishes. Her skin was thin, and when moistened with warm water, it revealed a faint blush. This blush was neither too thick nor too thin, and it just rightly neutralized the coldness of the snow, like an apricot blossom just beginning to bloom in the warm spring sunshine, breathtakingly beautiful.
Seeing his slow movements, Chi Ying couldn't help but urge, "Your Highness, are you almost done washing?"
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Author's note: Let me see who's been spying on my wife [question mark]
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