Chapter 88 Antidote
Just like last time, he fell into a coma and did not wake up. The imperial physician was summoned, and acupuncture and medicine were administered, but there was no effect.
"The poison has spread throughout the wife's body. We need to find an antidote as soon as possible. If we delay any longer, I'm afraid..."
Baozhu: "Does the Imperial Hospital still not have any heart-protecting herbs? I'll go to the palace and beg the Empress Dowager to help me think of a solution."
The imperial physician said, "This is an extremely rare poison, one that ordinary people have never seen before, let alone know of an antidote. No one in the palace needs this kind of herb, so where can we find it in such a short time?"
Baozhu: ...
Chu Zhuoan: "Given the relationship between my sister and the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager should know about my sister's situation. If she could help, she would have done so long ago."
Baozhu: "Then who else can we ask for help? Are we just going to stand by and watch the young lady die?"
The room was completely silent; no one spoke.
Baozhu suddenly remembered that Ji Jinghe had also been poisoned, so she thought of going to find him, just in case Ji Jinghe was also waiting to die at home.
Just as he was about to speak, news came from the other side of the mansion gate that Pei Chengyu had arrived.
Chu Zhuoan went to greet him, but returned shortly afterward, with Pei Chengyu in tow.
Baozhu was surprised and quickly reached out to lower the bed curtains, only to hear Chu Zhuoan's voice stopping her.
"Young Master Pei has brought the antidote; my sister is saved."
Pei Chengyu did not hand the medicine in his bosom directly to Baozhu. Instead, he had the imperial physician examine and confirm it before giving it to Yu'an.
The imperial physician exclaimed with delight, "Young Marquis, where did you get this? If only you could share some with Ji..."
"Oh, what I mean is that the dosage of this medicine seems to be only enough for my wife."
The detoxification process must be thorough; if even a little bit remains, it will eventually lead to the disaster we are in now.
"My lady's bad luck has turned into good fortune. After taking the medicine, she should wake up before dark today," the imperial physician congratulated her.
Pei Chengyu looked at the pale face buried in the quilt, opened his mouth, and hesitated to say what he wanted to say when Chu Zhuoan beside him said, "Thank you for your help, Young Marquis Pei. My sister was suffering from the poison. If it weren't for your help, we really wouldn't know what to do."
He was about to explain when Baozhu spoke again.
"Young Master, please stay here for a meal. I reckon the young lady will wake up soon after you finish eating, and she will definitely thank you properly."
He wanted to refuse, but Chu Zhuo'an said the same thing, and he also wanted to see if Yu'an was safe, so he agreed. Yu'an was weak and woke up a little later, just when Pei Chengyu couldn't wait any longer and was about to leave.
When Baozhu said that Pei Chengyu had brought the medicine, she was grateful.
Pei Chengyu saved her life.
"Thank you, you've helped me again. I don't know how to repay your kindness this time," she said in a hoarse voice.
Pei Chengyu: "It was just a small favor, why are you so grateful?"
Yu An pursed her lips and forced a weak smile. "Of course, I asked someone to find the medicine for me for several months, and it was you who found it. I also heard that the medicine grows in the harsh lands of the Northern Frontier and is extremely rare. Isn't that something I should thank you for?"
Pei Chengyu forced a stiff smile, "It's nothing..."
Yu An: "Who did you ask to find it? I not only want to thank you, but also the person who found the medicine."
Pei Chengyu paused for a moment, then said, "As long as you're doing well, don't worry about it too much."
He was always so polite and always so helpful to her.
"I should still thank you, that's the rule. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, I will do my best to help if I can."
Pei Chengyu twitched the corner of his mouth, unsure of what to say.
He opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "...Okay, I'll remember that. Do you know where Ji Jinghe has been all this time?"
Yu An was puzzled. She knew that the two of them were mortal enemies, so why was he asking her about this?
She shook her head. "I don't know. Do you know?"
Pei Chengyu: "I don't know either. I just heard that he left the capital without permission. I just want to ask where he went, risking his life. After all... he's not a reckless person."
Yu An didn't think much of it and casually said, "He's not a reckless person, but he can be foolish sometimes. When he comes back, he'll be drowned in the spittle of the court. Once he loses favor, his future is probably over."
Pei Chengyu remained silent, feeling as if a gaping hole had been torn in his heart, with wind constantly rushing in, leaving him with an indescribable feeling.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Yu An wanted to get up to see him off, but he stopped her.
Pei Chengyu nodded slightly and left.
With a huge weight lifted from her heart and the thought that her life was safe, Yu An felt a sudden release of pent-up emotions.
The thing that had worried her for months was finally resolved. During this time, while lying in bed, she even thought of her last words.
Baozhu entered the room, humming a tune happily, and brought out the cooked porridge. "Miss, you are truly blessed. This is called surviving a great calamity; you are sure to have good fortune in the future."
"At first I thought I could rely on the old man, but he took the medicine himself and didn't even care about the girl. He's really unreliable. In critical moments, we still have to rely on the young marquis."
Yu An forced a smile, and when she recalled Pei Chengyu's actions just now, a strange feeling arose in her heart, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.
Two months have passed and Ji Jinghe still hasn't returned. If it weren't for the matter he discussed privately with the Emperor, he would truly want to end his official career.
Baozhu: "How do you plan to thank the young marquis this time, young lady? Or should I give you something to make..."
"No, thank you."
Yu-an answered decisively, "I won't send him those things anymore. We'll talk about it later. I'll try my best to give him whatever he wants."
Baozhu pouted, "Then I was quick. Just now, when the young master went out, I gave him the pair of shoes that you made for your husband."
Yu An scolded her for being too opinionated and not listening to her.
Baozhu smiled and fed her a spoonful of porridge, easily changing the subject.
With the antidote, her illness healed quickly, and with the meticulous care of the imperial physician and Baozhu, Yu'an's health was fully restored in just one month.
Having just passed the mourning period, he took his first martial arts exam.
Yu An accompanied Chu Zhuo An.
Yu An got out of the car and mingled in the crowd, craning her neck to look at Chu Zhuo'an waiting in the distance, her heart pounding with nervousness.
Baozhu: "Young master, you've practiced so hard for so long, you'll definitely pass."
Yu An doesn't seek to stand out; she just hopes to get by.
Just as they were thinking about it, they heard the sound of a servant shooing them away from behind. The two of them, mistress and servant, moved a few steps and it took them a while to realize that the carriage that had come was from Xu Jingshu and her mother.
Xu Jingshu's belly was already noticeably protruding, and as her pregnancy progressed, her movements became increasingly slow.
Looking up, Yu An nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
She thought that Xu Jingshu wouldn't approach her since Xu's mother was there, but to her surprise, Xu Jingshu took the initiative to talk to her.
"You came with your brother?"
Yu An nodded. "And you?"
"The Lu family."
She replied casually.
Yu An understood; Lu Yunshu also had a younger brother, and he was calculating that it was time for him to take the exam.
Since they couldn't get into the martial arts examination venue, they could only wait outside. Yu'an wandered around nearby for a while, and after waiting in the carriage for a while, she heard students leaving the examination hall, so she went out to wait.
She stood at the front of the car, not near the entrance of the examination hall. The surroundings were noisy and chaotic, and she always felt a gaze secretly watching her. Relying on her intuition, she looked and recognized a familiar figure, which made her hold her breath.
Ji Jinghe is back.
A black cloak with gold lettering covered his entire body, and a folded-brimmed hat, perhaps due to the dim light or because he had lost a lot of weight, obscured most of his face, making it impossible to see his features.
She was aloof, efficient, and exuded a chilling aura that made her impossible to ignore, even when hidden deep within a crowd.
He's lost weight, so much weight...
If she hadn't been so familiar with that figure, she would never have recognized him.
In an instant, that deep gaze fell upon her, as if it could suck her in in a moment, and she subconsciously turned her head to avoid it.
People who haven't seen each other for three months feel like they've been separated by a lifetime. Not only are they distant, but there's also a sense of awkwardness that's hard to put into words.
Ji Jinghe and Xu Jingshu stood side by side, looking like old friends catching up.
Because of the carriage parked at the entrance, Baozhu pulled her to another open space.
Yu An put aside her thoughts and began to carefully search for Chu Zhuo'an.
Yu Guangzhong and Xu Jingshu twisted their ankles and almost fell to the ground. Ji Jinghe, who was standing next to them, not only did not help them up, but also stepped aside to avoid them.
Xu Jingshu was heavily pregnant; if it weren't for the quick reflexes of the maidservant beside her, she would have been in serious trouble today.
Xu's mother offered a helping hand and complained, "How could you be so careless? No one around could even help you up, let alone take care of you."
These words, seemingly directed at Xu Jingshu's maid, were actually a veiled attack on Ji Jinghe.
Now that he has been dismissed from his post and has not been reinstated by the emperor for a long time, Xu's mother has nothing to care about him anymore.
As a former teacher's wife, I should speak my mind without holding grudges.
Xu Jingshu couldn't bear to listen anymore. "Mother, it was my own fault for not standing properly."
Xu's mother glanced at him and said coldly, "Jinghe, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but now that you're back, you should be thinking of solutions. You can't just stay at home all the time, wasting the skills your teacher taught you, and burying your talents."
Ji Jinghe seemed not to understand the hidden meaning in her words and calmly replied, "I know."
Xu Jingshu: "Mother, it's cold outside. You are an elder and it's not appropriate for you to wait outside. Why don't you wait in the carriage for a while? I'll call you when the people come out."
Xu's mother gave her a deep look, her eyes unspoken, and then walked away.
Don't take what your mother said to heart.
Ji Jinghe: ...
Xu Jingshu looked away. "Since you're worried about her family, why don't you just go and find them directly? They're right next door."
The man hesitated for a moment, then said, "I know."
Despite his worries, he was no longer the emperor's favorite minister or the revered Censor-in-Chief. Even if he was worried, he couldn't do anything to help. He could only watch from afar like today.
Xu Jingshu: "Where have you been all this time?"
Ji Jinghe: "No comment."
Xu Jingshu: ...
"That's true. You didn't even tell her, let alone me." She paused, then asked the question that had been weighing on her mind for a long time, "What about your senior brother? Is he alright?"
"Senior brother is doing very well. Everyone envies his carefree life on Mount Jiuwan."
Not only was he carefree and wealthy, but he was also famous. Who wouldn't envy his life?
"He knows me..."
"I know. There's nothing your senior brother doesn't know about. Now that you're married, it's only proper for him not to interfere. He also doesn't want to get entangled with you and involve others."
For Ji Jinghe, it involved Yu An; for Xu Jingshu, it involved Lu Yunshu.
She is now not only a married woman, but also a future mother, so it's best to end things promptly.
This was not only Cui Hu's idea, but also Ji Jinghe's.
A bitter taste welled up in her heart, and a lump formed in her throat, causing her pain. Xu Jingshu gritted her teeth and only wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes when she saw Ji Jinghe leave.
Inside the carriage, Lu Yunshu, who had taken in everything, clenched her hands tightly, which were hidden under her sleeves, but her face remained completely expressionless.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com