His voice was weak, but he called out her name clearly.
The imperial physicians were already on standby and immediately placed the person in a carefully prepared quiet room. The diagnosis was more serious than expected: in addition to external injuries and poisoning, the most troublesome issues were memory confusion and occasional loss of consciousness caused by the head injury.
"It requires long-term recuperation, and you must avoid mental strain and emotional distress." The imperial physician bowed and reported, "In particular, you must avoid stimulation, otherwise there is a risk of madness."
Xiao Chengyu pursed his lips, his gaze resolute: "No matter what medicine is needed or what method is used, you must cure the prince consort."
For the first few days, Qi Mingxuan was mostly asleep. Occasionally, when he woke up, he would stare blankly at the top of the tent, as if trying to piece together fragmented memories.
That afternoon, as Xiao Chengyu was wiping his arm, he suddenly heard him ask softly, "Is that pot of green plum blossoms still in bloom?"
Her hand trembled, and she almost knocked over the basin of water—the plum blossoms were planted together on their wedding day and placed outside the study window.
“It’s still open,” she replied softly, suppressing her excitement. “It’s been doing exceptionally well this year, and I keep an eye on it for you every day.”
Qi Mingxuan smiled slightly, a hint of brilliance appearing in his eyes: "You always say it's delicate, but it's actually the easiest to raise... just remember..." Before he could finish speaking, he frowned and rubbed his forehead, his face showing pain.
"If you can't remember, then don't think about it," Xiao Chengyu quickly comforted him. "There's still a long way to go, take it slow."
However, the political landscape of the court is ever-changing and never waits for anyone. Three days later, an urgent report came from the border: although the Northern Barbarians had withdrawn their troops, several tribes along the border had suddenly rebelled, suspected to be instigated by remnants of their forces.
Xiao Chengyu had to spend two hours every day dealing with government affairs. One day, she was discussing strategies for suppressing the rebellion with the Ministry of War when a servant rushed in, panicked, to report: "The Imperial Son-in-Law... the Imperial Son-in-Law is missing!"
She rushed back, only to find Qi Mingxuan's couch empty. Just as she was panicking, she noticed the study door slightly ajar—Qi Mingxuan was sitting at his desk, staring intently at a border map.
"Mingxuan?" she called softly.
Qi Mingxuan raised his eyes, his gaze clear: "I'm thinking about the strangeness of these tribal rebellions." He pointed to the map with his fingertip, "You see, the rebellious tribes are all near the Black Wind Cliff area."
Xiao Chengyu's heart skipped a beat—Black Wind Cliff was the very place where he had fallen off the cliff years ago.
"you mean……"
“The remnants of the Shadow Pavilion are likely hiding in this area,” Qi Mingxuan analyzed. “They could be using the complex terrain to incite tribal rebellions and thus tie down the imperial forces.”
His words were clear and logical, exactly like the infallible Qi Mingxuan of the past. Xiao Chengyu was both surprised and delighted, but then he saw Qi Mingxuan's face suddenly turn pale and cold sweat bead on his forehead.
"What's wrong?" she asked hurriedly, helping him up.
"It's nothing," he forced a smile. "I'm just a little dizzy." Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed into her arms.
After examining the prince's pulse, the imperial physician sighed, "The prince consort's spirit is severely depleted; he needs rest. Such mentally taxing matters are best avoided..."
"No need." Qi Mingxuan had woken up at some point, his voice weak but firm. "As a court official, it is my duty to share the burdens of the country." He looked at Xiao Chengyu. "Let me help you, Yu'er. It's better than sleeping all day long."
Xiao Chengyu hesitated for a long time, but in the end she couldn't persuade him otherwise. So every day at 9 am, she would bring the memorials to his bedchamber and review them with him. Although Qi Mingxuan couldn't sit for long, he could often get to the heart of the matter in just a few words.
The two were discussing the reform of the canal transport system when they suddenly heard a commotion outside. It turned out that the Dali Temple was escorting prisoners and had startled the passing carriage.
Qi Mingxuan suddenly frowned: "The sound of those prisoner's shackles just now... something's not right."
"What's wrong with it?"
“Too heavy,” he murmured. “The shackles of the Dali Temple are specially made, with a crisp sound. The shackles just now sounded dull and heavy, like those used in the military.”
Xiao Chengyu immediately sent people to investigate, and sure enough, they found that the prisoner was an imposter! The real prisoner had already been switched, and if it weren't for Qi Mingxuan's quick thinking, the wanted criminal would have almost escaped.
When this news spread, no one in the court dared to underestimate the sickly imperial son-in-law anymore. Although Qi Mingxuan lived a secluded life, he gradually resumed his involvement in court affairs. However, his health was unpredictable; he would often fall asleep while talking, which was heartbreaking for everyone.
When Xiao Chengyu returned from the palace that day, he found him staring blankly at an unfinished game of chess. It was a game they used to play often, and it had been sitting there for three days.
"Have you figured out a solution?" she asked with a smile.
Qi Mingxuan looked up, a gentle smile in his eyes: "I remember how you used to cheat, and when you were about to lose, you would overturn the chessboard."
Xiao Chengyu's cheeks flushed slightly: "No way! It's clearly you..."
Before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed, and the chess piece in his hand clattered to the ground: "Those people... those people in iron shackles... I remember now!"
During his imprisonment, he had witnessed a group of assassins wearing special shackles passing messages between the Northern Barbarians and the remnants of the Shadow Pavilion. The sound of those shackles was exactly the same as what he had heard that day!
Following this clue, the secret guards traced the trail and uncovered a deeply entrenched spy network. Even more alarming, two of the members were servants of court officials.
"It seems the cleaning wasn't thorough enough," Xiao Chengyu said gravely.
Qi Mingxuan shook his head: "There's no need to alert them. Since they're out in the open, let's play along."
So he devised a brilliant plan: he deliberately leaked false information to lure the spies out. Sure enough, the spies sprang into action and were eventually captured in one fell swoop.
This remarkable comeback earned Qi Mingxuan the respect of the court officials. However, he also overworked himself, causing his old illness to relapse and resulting in a high fever that lasted for three days.
Xiao Chengyu stayed by her side day and night, never taking off her clothes. In the early morning of the fourth day, Qi Mingxuan finally woke up with a fever and saw her sleeping soundly by the bedside, with obvious dark circles under her eyes.
He gently stroked her hair, but she immediately woke up with a start: "Is something wrong?"
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