Chapter 79: Borrowing a Knife. He Ruxi's mouth and nose were bleeding, and her eyes were rolled back...
Pei Ji was indeed very tired. He didn't even notice that He Zhiliao left him and went back in. He was still sleeping soundly.
He never brought the court's displeasure back home, and never let He Zhile know about things that would consume his emotions. When she learned that he had just returned, she probably immediately suppressed her emotions and came out to greet him.
He Zhiliao raised his hand to smooth away the wrinkles between his brows. He also blamed himself for being so focused on how to make He Ruxi pay the price lately that he neglected Pei Ji's emotions.
What the other party is enduring now is much more than what he has endured.
He Zhiliao took off her coat and lay down in his still open arms. It was not a difficult task as she just wanted to take a nap at another time.
He did not sleep soundly, and even felt that he had not slept for long before he woke up naturally. Pei Ji beside him was still sleeping. It was time for dinner, so something was obviously wrong.
"Harumi!"
He Zhiliao suddenly pushed open the door, his chest heaving violently, even sweat broke out on his forehead. After he roared, his throat became hoarse and uncomfortable.
Haru Jian quickly supported him, "What's wrong, Master?"
"Call,"
【Call the doctor! 】
Chun Jian subconsciously glanced inside the house, quickly helped him sit down, and then ran to the front yard and asked the doorman to call the palace doctor.
Perhaps because he had been overworked recently, Pei Ji, who was as strong as an ox, fell ill.
"Madam, don't panic. The young master is just a little tired. He will be fine after taking some medicine and having a good rest." The court doctor did not show any bad expression after examining the patient. After all, it was just a minor illness.
Qin Yurong felt a little relieved and chuckled, "He rarely gets sick like this. Even if he's sick, he's exhausted all day long. I'm afraid it will wear away his youthful spirit."
He Zhiliao nodded upon hearing this. He also liked Pei Ji's high-spirited look, but everything going on in the court now seemed to make him very unhappy.
When the court doctor heard her say this, he couldn't help but recall the last time he was almost driven away. He felt that the Fourth Master's youthful spirit could last for a long time. After so many years, the excuses to drive him away were just the same old clichés.
It's just a minor illness, just a few days of rest.
Qin Yurong glanced at Pei Ji, who was still in a coma, and waved her hand, saying, "Forget it, let the kitchen boil the medicine first. You haven't eaten yet, is the kitchen ready?"
There was never a need to gather around the table for meals at home, and this was even more so after Qi Guan came along. Qin Yurong felt uncomfortable every time she saw Qi Guan's burly appearance, so she simply chose to avoid looking.
"I did it." He Zhiliao responded in a hoarse voice.
He and Pei Ji were planning to have dinner after a short rest, but they didn't expect something like this to happen.
Qin Yurong nodded. "That's good. If you need anything else, come find me. He's in good health and will be fine. Don't worry about it."
He Zhiliao nodded repeatedly. He naturally knew that Pei Ji was in good health, but just tired. In addition, the court affairs were busy, and he was also feeling upset.
Normally, when Pei Ji was not at home, it would be fine for him to eat alone, but today he was there, and he still had to eat alone. He couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
He Zhiliao sat beside the bed with a bowl in his hand, drinking the sweet soup slowly, trying to use this childish way to wake up the still sleeping person and have a meal with him.
But, how is that possible?
He was asleep, not fainted from hunger.
He Zhiliao sighed slightly, holding the bowl and preparing to drink the sweet soup, but someone grabbed his wrist lightly. He lowered his eyes in shock and saw Pei Ji who had woken up at some point and was staring at him.
"Come on, I'm hungry."
Hearing the hoarse voice, He Zhiliao couldn't help laughing out loud. Although the laughter was intermittent, one could hear how happy he was.
He quickly helped Pei Ji up, gave him the remaining half bowl of sweet soup, and said with a smile: "The food is ready. Are you really woken up by hunger?"
Maybe it was because he drank some soup to fill his stomach, he felt much more energetic and looked like he was woken up by hunger.
Pei Ji nodded casually. There was nothing wrong with this harmless lie. He couldn't say that he was subconsciously afraid that He Zhiliao would worry, so he simply forced himself to wake up.
He Zhiliao quickly moved the small wooden table he had made earlier onto the bed and placed all the food on the table. The two of them sat facing each other and ate quietly.
"Zhengjun, the medicine in the kitchen is ready." Yanhua came in with the medicine. She thought Pei Ji was not awake yet, so her voice was very soft.
"Put it there." He Zhiliao said, "Drink it later."
Seeing that Pei Ji had woken up, Yanhua bowed politely and left obediently, and even closed the door considerately.
Pei Ji was sick because of physical fatigue. It was time for him to rest more. The medicine might help him sleep. He had just drunk it for a while when he felt sleepy, so sleepy that he fell asleep immediately.
He Zhiliao covered him with a quilt, called the servants in to clean the room, and then quietly went to the small hall to read and practice calligraphy.
His voice has improved a lot in recent days and he can speak fluently, but he still has some difficulty when he is anxious. In the end, he still needs an antidote to be completely cured.
He was thinking about Pei Ji, and naturally, Pei Ji's troubles as well. In comparison, He Ruxi here was easy to deal with, but the prince and Emperor An... he simply didn't know what to do.
The Pei family cannot rebel, otherwise it will play into the hands of those evil people.
Now all we can do is wait for the right opportunity. It would be best if Emperor An executed all the evil princes and then died himself, so that the throne would fall into the hands of the Ninth Prince. That would save a lot of trouble.
Thinking this way, he managed to comfort himself.
The most urgent thing is to resolve the mess on his side first and not give He Ruxi a chance to counterattack.
"Asarum."
"I'm here." Xixin pushed the door open and came in quietly. "What do you want, Lord Zheng?"
He Zhiliao smiled and said, "Go and help me with something."
Soon Xixin arrived at the Prince's Mansion with a lot of flashy items.
When Meng Wanxin first learned that Xixin was coming, she thought that He Zhiliao wanted to see her, but she didn't expect that he was here to give He Ruxi a gift, which made her alert in an instant.
Meng Wanxin didn't know what had happened between them. She only knew that they had a bad relationship when they were in the He family. She thought it was just a simple conflict of interest, and was afraid that He Zhiliao wanted to reconcile with He Ruxi, so she immediately detained Xixin.
"What does your Zhengjun mean by this?" Meng Wanxin took a sip of tea, her hands, beautifully embroidered, tapping the table lightly. "We have an agreement. Is he going to betray me?"
Xixin lowered her eyes, "I don't know what the Crown Princess means."
Meng Wanxin sneered, "Alright, even if you don't know what I mean, as your master's confidant, you should know what his actions mean. Why on earth would he give something to that lowly servant He Ruxi?"
Xixin pretended to understand and smiled, "So that's what the Crown Princess was talking about. Our Lord meant that, on the surface, they are still brother and sister, so we can't make things too awkward."
"Hmph! Your Lord knows who He Ruxi is better than I do. If you make friends with her and leave her for a counterattack in the future, I'm afraid even your Lord won't be able to escape with all his strength by then!" Meng Wanxin was really angry.
How could she not see what this behavior meant!
It's nothing more than seeing that He Ruxi is still alive, so he wants to make peace with her and get close to her again!
If this is true, it is equivalent to He Ruxi having the support of the Pei Mansion, an existence that even the prince has to give way to. How can she watch her have such a backer!
Xixin kept smiling, "What the Crown Princess said is true, but the Lord is kind-hearted. If I beg you a few more times, I'm sure you will forgive me one day."
Meng Wanxin sensed something was amiss, "What do you mean?"
"If the Crown Princess doesn't give her this opportunity, I think she will never be able to climb up the social ladder. And you also value the concubine. Naturally, you will have the final say in this mansion from now on. How can she not even enter the courtyard of a little concubine?" Xixin said as he stabbed her where it hurts.
The wife can't even enter the courtyard of the concubine. If this gets out, who wouldn't laugh out loud?
"She is taking this opportunity to be extra attentive to the prince. If something happens at this time, suspicion will inevitably fall on me. Do you want to harm me?" Meng Wanxin glanced at her sideways.
"You're joking, Crown Princess. If she hadn't been in trouble right now, how could she have been a hindrance to you?" Xixin bowed and said, "I have to go back and serve you, Lord Zheng. I'll take my leave now."
It was not until Xixin had been gone for a long time that Meng Wanxin realized the meaning of her words - as long as she calculated the time and didn't let anything happen to her at this time, it would naturally have nothing to do with her!
In the past, when she was in the Shangshu Mansion, her mother taught her that a wife should be tolerant and generous, and should show the aura of a wife. She should be kind when she should be kind, angry when she should be angry, and ruthless when she should be cruel!
So, she watched her husband having affairs outside for many years, and although she felt sad, she never let any of them get pregnant, so the Prince's Mansion could only have one legitimate son.
But He Ruxi's existence broke this balance. She received too much favor, even partial favoritism. How could she tolerate such a thing happening!
The maid was right, He Ruxi must die, even if not now!
"Go to the Shangshu Mansion and tell my mother that I want to..."
"I will go right away."
Xixin came back soon, and He Zhiliao had practiced writing calligraphy for a whole sheet of paper.
"Is it all right?"
"Don't worry, Lord Zheng. I waited until she made a move before leaving. Seeing the Crown Princess's maid leaving the house, I think she went to buy something." Xixin said.
He Zhiliao finished writing the last word and stared at the words on the paper with great satisfaction.
Yanhua smiled and said, "Zhengjun is now copying Fourth Master's handwriting more and more like him."
"Ask someone to keep an eye on her. If she really lets He Ruxi die slowly, that won't do." He Zhiliao snorted.
"I understand."
The Queen and the Crown Prince only knew how to cause trouble for them, and they also had to experience the feeling of powerlessness when trouble fell on their own heads.
He Zhiliao smiled and gestured to Yanhua to put the words away, then stood up and walked towards the inner room. Pei Ji was still sleeping soundly. Perhaps it was because it was too hot, as his forehead was covered with sweat. Sweating was a good thing.
Xixin said softly, "The palace doctor said that the master is fine, don't worry, Zhengjun."
He Zhiliao nodded slightly. He was not worried about Pei Ji at the moment, but was worried that he would have to deal with all those messy trivial matters after waking up, and also think about how to take revenge.
He really couldn't help with other things, but if he wanted to cause trouble in someone's backyard, he could still do it, and he could only help Pei Ji in this way.
He Ruxi was not punished to kneel immediately after returning to the Prince's Mansion. After all, the Queen wanted her to kneel in the ancestral hall after sunset, and she also specially sent a nanny to watch over her.
Of course, she knew about it when Xixin came to her house. She just accepted the gift and let Xixin go without even seeing her. There was a slap mark on her face. How could she want to see anyone!
In the evening, the nanny came into her yard and urged her. He Ruxi wanted to delay a little longer and wait for the prince to come back so that she could beg for mercy. Then she would not have to kneel anymore.
But the nanny kept urging her and even used the queen to pressure her. She had no choice but to kneel in the ancestral hall.
As soon as she knelt down, the maid came in with a bowl of soup.
"Madam, this is a tonic medicine made in the small kitchen. I was afraid that you couldn't bear it, so I asked me to bring it to you." The maid knelt in front of her and handed the medicine to her.
Since entering the mansion, He Ruxi has drunk too many kinds of soups and medicines, so she can naturally drink the bowl in front of her.
After drinking, he did not forget to wink at the maid, telling her that when the prince came back, she must let him come to save her.
Her thoughts were simple. She had the prince's leverage, and the other party would never let her fall into the hands of others easily. Even to do that kind of thing, he had to send the servants away and not allow anyone other than his confidants to know about it. Presumably, the Crown Princess didn't know about it either.
If I do it again with other women, I'm afraid it won't be as satisfying as with her.
After returning home, the prince did ask about He Ruxi's whereabouts, but to her surprise, the prince did not come to rescue her, and never mentioned her again.
He Ruxi knew that the prince might be in a good mood in the court today and had no anger that needed to be vented.
She knelt unwillingly, but the more she knelt, the more uncomfortable she felt, as if the blood in her body was boiling. The pain was so severe that she could not even kneel, and she curled up and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, the maid thought she was faking illness and glared at her coldly, "Madam, please don't act so pretentiously in front of me. Even if you faint here, I won't even blink!"
After she finished speaking, she found that He Ruxi was still curled up and didn't even have the strength to speak. She was a little suspicious at first, but gradually became nervous.
If something happened to this person under her nose, she would certainly not escape death!
"Someone! Someone! Call a doctor!"
The nanny couldn't help but scream. She stepped forward to take a look and saw that He Ruxi had dirty blood flowing out of her mouth and nose, and her eyes were rolling back. How could she not dare to call for help!
The shouting here alarmed everyone in the mansion, and the entire Prince's Mansion became lively in an instant. The first person to come over was Meng Wanxin. At first, she thought He Ruxi was pretending and wanted to teach her a lesson, but she was frightened when she came over.
She subconsciously grasped the hand of the maid beside her and asked in a low voice, "What on earth is going on? What kind of medicine did your mother give you?"
"It's what you wanted. I don't know why it happened like this..." The maid was her confidante, so she naturally knew what she was thinking. When she asked for help at the Shangshu Mansion, she also said that the effect would be slow. It shouldn't be like this!
He Ruxi's whole body was twitching, and dirty blood kept flowing out of her mouth and nose. Even though they called in a doctor from the city in the middle of the night, he couldn't figure out what the poison was.
"This is poisoning. I'm just a humble person with limited knowledge. I don't know what the poison is! I'm afraid he won't have much time left."
The prince sought treatment from several doctors, but they all gave the same answer: at this point, there was naturally nothing that could be done to save the patient.
He said no more, and didn't even bother to look at it again. He just walked away, and before leaving, he did not forget to remind Meng Wanxin to take care of the place.
He Ruxi was not dead yet, so he naturally could not just throw her away. Otherwise, if outsiders knew about it, it would cause a big disaster. What the prince really wanted him to deal with were the doctors in front of him.
"Since you are able to serve in the Prince's Mansion, there are some rules that you should know without further explanation." Meng Wanxin's voice was very soft, but it carried an undoubted threat and warning. If what happened today were to get out, these doctors would be the first to die.
Of course they knew it, so they kowtowed and made promises one by one, and finally left with the silver given by Meng Wanxin.
The nanny was already terrified. Meng Wanxin said, "Although I don't know how she was poisoned, you were the only one present when the incident happened. I have no choice but to detain you temporarily. I will inform my mother and then make further plans."
"Princess, please spare me! It's really not my fault!"
Meng Wanxin naturally knew that it wasn't her, but if it wasn't the old nanny who did it, then it must be her!
She frowned, "Oh? Then who do you think did it?"
.
"We all know who has done the wrong thing. This matter will not fall on the young master anyway." Chun Jian muttered as he combed He Zhiliao's hair. "She always bullied us like that in the past. Now she deserves her bad luck!"
Xixin had been sending people to keep an eye on the Prince's Mansion. Calculating the time, he thought the medicine should be taking effect, so he told He Zhi about it.
He Zhiliao smiled at the person in the mirror. Naturally, this matter would not be traced to him. After all, He Ruxi was punished to kneel during the day, and he specially sent someone to deliver a gift to express his concern.
Even if there is suspicion, the women in the prince's backyard should be the most suspected.
"Let's keep this a secret." He Zhiliao said softly.
"I know." Xixin replied quickly.
In the past, Pei Ji always had to wait for him, but today he fell asleep directly after taking the medicine, so they could talk to each other quietly.
After he had finished tidying up, he lay down to rest.
Have a good night's sleep.
He Zhiliao was awakened by the heat. He felt as if he was being roasted by a furnace, and even his mouth was a little dry. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw that he was being held tightly by Pei Ji, and both of their clothes were soaked with sweat.
"You really can sweat..." He said hoarsely as he tried to scratch Pei Ji's face, "You still have the nerve to say that the quilt was soaked by me, you bad guy..."
Before he could finish his words, Pei Ji grabbed his wrist.
The person who was tired and sick yesterday was particularly energetic when he opened his eyes today. His eyeballs were no longer slightly yellow like yesterday, and looked much cleaner.
"What are you mumbling about?" Pei Ji pinched his wrist and shook it, "You're always sweating profusely, and I can't even catch you."
Even though they had been married for a long time, He Zhiliao still felt shy when she heard him say such things. She lowered her head and gently bit his neck, looking very fierce.
Pei Ji held him in his arms and stood up, ordering the servants to prepare hot water for him to take a bath and change clothes. He was already so sweaty, so of course he had to take a shower.
The two of them still shared a somewhat cramped bathtub, which was crowded and made them stick together tightly, making them unable to resist wanting to do other things.
Pei Ji seemed to think so too. He Zhiliao noticed this and resolutely refused, "You are not in good health yet. You can't do that."
And it's daytime, no, no.
Pei Ji licked his chest and tried to explain to him, "My husband is strong and healthy, why can't he do it? If you can, then be good..."
He Zhiliao's ears suddenly felt like they were on fire, and his whole body turned red. He stood up abruptly, grabbed the overalls next to him and put them on, then stepped down on the wooden stool with his long legs.
Pei Ji saw all of his glory and felt a little unsatisfied.
But since his beloved child was unwilling, he could only suppress it and followed him up.
"Enter the palace?"
After getting dressed, Pei Ji waited on He Zhiliao. When he heard him ask, he refused without a second thought, "I'm very tired. I'd better take two days off."
"Hmm, cough." He Zhiliao frowned and cleared his throat. Although he could speak fluently now, his throat still often felt uncomfortable.
Pei Ji raised his hand and stroked his neck, his thumb gently touching the side of his neck. "I'm still trying my best to find the antidote. I will definitely make you recover. When the time comes, you can scold whoever you want!"
He Zhiliao smiled with his eyes curved, but he wanted to talk. How could he curse people all day long?
I went to bed early last night and got up early today.
When they had finished cleaning up, it was time for breakfast. The small kitchen had prepared a lot of food, all so that Pei Ji could have enough to eat.
I was sick yesterday, so I have to eat well today.
After eating and drinking, there is nothing else to do. Pei Ji claimed to be sick and did not go into the palace, so naturally he could not wander around outside. He Zhiliao did not mind. It was interesting to sit with him.
But He Zhiliao also had something on his mind, so he seemed a little absent-minded. Pei Ji saw his restlessness and thought he just wanted to go out for a stroll.
"How about I go out for a walk with you?" Pei Ji held his chin, forced him to look at him, and gently scratched his chin, with indulgence in his eyes.
Compared to He Zhiliao, being reprimanded for pretending to be sick was not a big deal.
He Zhiliao shook his head slightly, "You need to rest, cough."
Just as he had refused to go out, the gatekeeper from the front yard came to announce, "Zheng Jun, there's news from the Crown Prince's Mansion that He Shi is not well. We'd like you to go over and take a look."
Here it comes.
He Zhiliao stood up suddenly, his body shaking uncontrollably. Has he finally waited until this day?
As if realizing that he was a little too excited, he subconsciously looked at Pei Ji. The other's deep eyes stared at him intently, as if he had seen through his emotions.
"Go." Pei Ji said, "Go quickly and come back soon."
He Zhiliao looked at him silently and knew that he would suffer tonight. He knew that he could not hide it from the other party, but he chose to make trouble for himself.
But he still left quickly.
He couldn't wait to see He Ruxi's miserable condition and wanted to see her die with her eyes open.
When he arrived, Meng Wanxin only showed her face. It was not appropriate for her to get involved in this matter, otherwise it would be discovered that she was the one who did it sooner or later. So she simply handled the matter calmly and shed a few harmless tears.
He Ruxi's yard is very remote, but also very nice.
Chun Jian helped him in. There were only a few maids left in her courtyard. When they saw He Zhile coming, they retreated away without saying anything.
He Zhiliao coughed lightly, covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, and walked in. Only He Ruxi was lying on the bed, curled up like a dead insect.
"You, you're coughing..." Every time He Ruxi coughed, dirty blood flowed out of her mouth and nose, accompanied by a foul smell.
No wonder no one is serving.
He Zhiliao looked at her in silence for a long moment, then finally took away the handkerchief so she could see the smile on his face. He asked, "At this moment, can you still be so magnanimous as to not care about it?"
He still couldn't, so he came to laugh at her even after a long time.
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The author has something to say: Little Zhiliao: "I am very narrow-minded, so it is time for the princes to take their turn..." [Melts up][Melts up][Melts up]
Pei Gouzi: "I feel sick and weak today." [Angry][Angry][Angry]
(Maybe it’s because the temperature here has dropped to 10 degrees Celsius. I can’t imagine summer at all [burst into tears]. Everyone whose temperature has dropped, please keep warm [scatter flowers])
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