traditional Chinese medicine
"Madam, Hong Shiliu has left the Prince's residence."
In the dimly lit Buddhist hall, a benevolent Guanyin statue was enshrined on the altar. The sound of the wooden fish stopped, and Yue Li knelt on a prayer cushion, her face, which was turned away from the door, was inscrutable. In the calmest and gentlest tone, she slowly asked, "What did you find out?"
The old woman glanced back outside, closed the door, and slowly said, "This is a very important matter."
Several matchmakers accompanied Hong Shiliu into the Prince Ye's mansion. The laughter and chatter from the courtyard could be heard outside the walls. After a few incense sticks' worth of time, the matchmakers came out in groups, their faces beaming with joy, their smiles wide open, and heavy money bags hanging from their belts, constantly dangling down.
"Only after asking did I learn that Wen Ruo has probably risen to the top in one step. The young prince has actually started to dismiss the harem for her sake. Isn't this a sign of wanting to dote on her exclusively?"
"Is that so?" She smiled slightly, a hint of coldness creeping into her expression as she looked at the Bodhisattva with amusement. "Little Five hasn't returned yet?"
"The Fifth Miss's patience has finally paid off. Young Master Fu sent word to invite her to reminisce. Master Fu also praised Young Master Fu's writing highly. When she passes the imperial examination, it will be a double celebration."
"Double happiness?"
Yue Li narrowed his cold eyes, a chilling glint in them. "Are you saying Feng'er is inferior to him?" The old woman immediately knelt down. "This old servant misspoke! The Fourth Young Master will surely pass the imperial examination."
Yue Li gripped the fish drum tightly, tilted his head back and laughed, "Bodhisattva, isn't this what fairness is all about!"
In the corridor, Sun Changfeng paced back and forth. "It's almost dark, why hasn't she come yet?" He pressed his ear against the door, his brows furrowed deeply, but there was still no response. He raised his voice again, "Miss Wen?"
"I hope he's not dead!"
Sun Changfeng's face turned pale. He disregarded all gentlemanly manners and hurriedly pushed open the door.
As soon as Qi Guanlan entered, he saw him hunched over and sneaking into the house. "Damn scholars, they're all shameless."
He immediately flew into a rage, quickly grabbed a wooden stick, and pushed the door open, yelling, "Pervert!"
"you?"
Sun Changfeng turned around, and a wooden stick struck his forehead. The next moment, his vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.
"You lecherous scoundrel!" Qi Guanlan seemed still not satisfied and kicked the bed a few more times before finally coming to the bedside.
"Wen Ruo!"
Qi Guanlan parted the brocade curtains. Wen Ruo was completely unaware of the commotion between the two of them. Her eyes were tightly closed, and even her eyelashes were fast asleep. He glanced at the teapot on the table, and after confirming that it was cold, he picked up the teacup and stood in front of the bed.
"I'm here to save you."
As darkness fell and the chill intensified, Wen Ruo suddenly opened her eyes, her chin trembling slightly from the unexpected cold. An incredulous expression crossed her face, as if she were asking, "What are you doing here?"
Her eyes were moist and bright, with a slight redness under them. Water droplets clung to her face, like a crabapple blossoming after the rain, revealing a rare fragility that made her all the more endearing.
Qi Guanlan looked away in a panic, took out a silk handkerchief and wiped her face. "Xiao Shunzi said you were assassinated. The man surnamed Fu sent someone to tell you that Sun Yueyou might be a threat to you. I sent people to follow her and caught the assassin by following the clues. That's when I found out that she took you away and sent you to Sun Changfeng. If I had come any later, you would have really become her sister-in-law."
Wen Ruo touched her collar, then stopped abruptly as her fingers brushed across her waist. Her incense ball was gone. A handkerchief was gently placed on her face, like a feather brushing across her skin, sending a ticklish sensation across her cheeks.
"I'll do it myself!"
As the tingling sensation subsided, Wen Ruo slowly turned her head while wiping herself, "I was drugged. Are the pigeons in the carriage alright?"
"Aren't you focusing on the wrong thing?" Qi Guanlan touched her forehead. "Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
cold!
Wen Ruo subconsciously shrugged, her brows furrowing slightly. "Are you feeling unwell?"
Qi Guanlan glanced at her awkwardly and said, "It's that kind of rapid breathing, hot body, and fast heartbeat."
"aphrodisiac?"
Wen Ruo understood what he meant and quickly shook her head.
Qi Guanlan breathed a sigh of relief.
Wen Ruo: "My incense ball is missing."
"I'll ask around for you when we interrogate Sun Yueyou tomorrow."
As soon as Wen Ruo's feet touched the ground, she almost collapsed. The drug had numbed her, and her limbs were somewhat unresponsive. Qi Guanlan quickly caught her, his strong, warm breath surrounding her, and the fragrance of orchids and sandalwood inescapably entered her body.
The unfamiliar breathing echoed in her ears, and Wen Ruo's head went blank. Her hands began to tremble imperceptibly.
No, that's not her voice.
Wen Ruo hurriedly pushed him away, bit her tongue hard, and suddenly woke up, her whole body burning up.
A glance outside revealed Sun Changfeng lying motionless on the ground, with several footprints on his body. It was obvious who the owner was. "He's not dead, is he?"
Qi Guanlan stared at her blankly, caught off guard by her sudden thought.
Before the uninvited joy had faded, disappointment and regret surged in, all rushing into her heart the instant she let go.
Before he could even refuse, they took root in his heart and spread throughout his body on their own; he couldn't deny them even if he wanted to.
Qi Guanlan lowered his eyes and replied casually, "How could I let him off so easily?"
As night fell and everything returned to calm, the beating in her chest became subtle yet rapid. A surge of heat swept through her body along her spine. Wen Ruo's expression changed, and she gritted her teeth again before staggering out the door.
There was a pond in the courtyard. She paused for a moment, then stepped barefoot onto the stones on the bank. She couldn't help but shiver as she walked step by step toward the center of the pond. Qi Guanlan grabbed her sleeve, "Are you crazy!"
Wen Ruo shook him off, "I feel terrible!"
Qi Guanlan then realized what had happened and cursed inwardly, "Damn it, Sun Yueyou really did drug you."
"I just need to calm down for a bit!"
"Wait for me!"
Qi Guanlan turned and left. He walked up to Sun Changfeng and kicked him again. He looked around and saw a bathtub inside. He quickly went to the well, drew a few buckets of water, and poured them in. "Go in. There's no wind in there."
The icy well water reached above her knees. Standing in the tub, Wen Ruo felt slightly better. The cloth bag on the chair lay haphazardly, out of place in the room. "Did Mr. Yi give this to you?"
Qi Guanlan was taken aback. "Oh, right, I forgot. Can you check if there's an antidote?"
The Snow Peak Pill can keep the dead from rotting for a hundred days. Wen Ruo picked one, but after only an incense stick's time, she wrapped herself tightly in the quilt and shivered from the cold.
Qi Guanlan pushed open the door. "My men are here. They've arrested Sun Changfeng. Let's go."
"No, I'm not leaving. Tell them to stay away. Send someone to deliver a letter to Yue Li in the name of the Fifth Miss, saying that she's staying at Tingyuxuan tonight."
"what you do?"
Wen Ruo's face, pale with coldness, was filled with resentment, her eyes sharp as knives. "I can't suffer like this for nothing. I want to see who's wronged me."
"Smack!"
Sun Changfeng opened his eyes, his face lighting up with joy. "You're awake?"
Qi Guanlan: "What are you pretending for?"
"What do you mean? Brother Qi, why did you come here? Did Yueyou tell you to come and pick up Miss Wen?"
"I thought she had been poisoned, but seeing Miss Wen standing in front of me unharmed, I was relieved."
Wen Ruo silently observed him, her worry genuine. Sun Changfeng moved his arm and noticed that he was bound hand and foot with strips of cloth. "Miss Wen, what is the meaning of this?"
Wen Ruo pinched herself secretly, her eyes red with tears, and said sadly, "I saw Miss Yueyou before I fainted. I never expected that she would harbor such resentment towards me and make fun of my innocence."
Sun Changfeng instinctively retorted, "You can't just say things like that."
Wen Ruo's expression darkened, and with tears welling in her eyes, she looked directly into Sun Changfeng's eyes and said, word by word, "I was on my way to Yan'an Temple to fulfill a vow, which is not on the way here. Someone sent the driver to block my way and kidnapped me."
Sun Changfeng stared blankly, muttering, "This is impossible."
"Caught red-handed, she's already confessed. You can't deny it." Qi Guanlan picked up the dagger, pointed it at him, and said in a deep voice, "Speak, are you an accomplice? Otherwise, why would she bring her to your house?"
"I see!"
Qi Guanlan suddenly realized, "No wonder she said she would treat everyone equally. Threatening me with Wen Ruo's head must have been your family's plan. You ruined her reputation, and once she entered your Sun family, she became your talisman."
"I think your Sun family has no desire to live."
Sun Changfeng's throat was so dry it hurt, and a metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. "No way!"
As dawn broke and the sun rose, the dew in the courtyard had not yet dried. Yue Li stood at the door and gently knocked a few times, "Changfeng!"
A scream came from inside, "Get out!"
Wen Ruo's voice trembled with tears, and a hint of joy rose in Yue Li's eyes. He clenched his fists tightly in his sleeves. "It's done!"
She composed herself, wiped away her secret joy, and immediately pushed open the door, looking at the large bed with a panicked expression.
Sun Changfeng, his clothes disheveled and barefoot, stood to one side. The moment he saw Yue Li, his face turned completely pale.
Thinking of Wen Ruozhong's aphrodisiac, his ashen face flushed crimson, looking even worse than pig liver. His lips pressed into a straight line, his expression complex and unsightly.
"Aren't you studying?"
"What exactly happened?!"
Clothes were scattered all over the floor. Yue Li picked up the dress from the ground. It was indeed the dress Wen Ruo had worn before leaving. For some reason, it was a bit of an eyesore. But thinking of the princess's mansion behind her, she hurriedly walked to the bedside and wanted to lift the brocade curtain.
Wen Ruo grabbed him tightly from inside, yelling, "Get out!"
"Changfeng, get out."
Only two people remained inside.
"What's done is done. Even if you are Hong Shiliu's daughter, I'll accept it."
"Dream on."
Wen Ruo said sternly, "Sun Changfeng drugged me and bullied me. I'm going to file a complaint with the Emperor."
Yue Li's face twisted for a moment, then a wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he arrogantly threatened, "You don't want your innocence anymore."
“What does my innocence matter to a homeless child like me? Just consider it a dog bite. Sun Changfeng, just wait to go to court. You raped a respectable woman knowingly and deliberately.”
"No!"
Yue Li was flustered for a moment but then calmed down. "I'll have Changfeng carry you in a sedan chair with eight bearers. I can also let bygones be bygones regarding your mother's matter."
Wen Ruo: "Don't even think about it. I will fight the Sun family to the death."
"Do you think you can walk out of here?" Yue Li sneered. "Don't be so stubborn. This marriage was arranged by your parents and the matchmaker. This mere pretense of severing ties won't fool anyone. Tell me, if I kneel down before Hong Shiliu, will I beg you to come here?"
"As expected, it was you who sent people to arrest me, and it was you who drugged me, Miss Yue. You were persecuted, yet you still resort to this trick to drag me down with you."
"Who told your mother to owe me this!"
"If I don't make a move, wouldn't I be letting the Prince Ye's mansion benefit?"
"How am I supposed to seek revenge on Hong Shiliu then? How dare I?"
Wen Ruo's face was as cold as ice. "The last person who wanted me to pave the way is still in jail waiting to be executed. Miss Yue, aren't you afraid that your son will follow in his footsteps?"
"You're in my hands." Yue Li chuckled sinisterly, her hands clasped in front of her as she declared confidently, "I only care about the outcome."
"Been taught a lesson."
“Miss Yue, it’s up to you whether you come with me to the government office or Sun Changfeng comes with me. I’ll just look at the result.”
Yue Li remained unmoved. "I'll go call Yueyou. Pack your things and come back to the Sun residence with me."
"A fool's dream."
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