Chapter 228 In the end, all efforts were in vain.
Pei Zhi held her hand tightly, his eyes sincere: "Wan Ning, I have never doubted you. Asking you to cooperate with the investigation and temporarily sealing off the Heritage Hall were all to stabilize the situation."
"I'm afraid the Emperor will be misled by the censors and issue an order to arrest people directly. Then I won't be able to protect you. I'm sorry for putting you through this."
Seeing the sincerity and anxiety in his eyes, Ye Wanning's previous grievances and misunderstandings instantly vanished. For the first time, she reached out and hugged him tightly.
"Pei Zhi, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper with you and made you bear so much pressure alone."
Pei Zhi stiffened, then hugged her tightly in return. The cave was cold, but the two of them felt a warmth they had never experienced before as they embraced.
They could clearly feel each other's body temperature and heartbeat; their breaths mingled, and the air was thick with intimacy. There was no need to say "I like you"; they both knew that the other was irreplaceable in their hearts.
“Once the truth is found, I will petition the Emperor to lift your house arrest and clear the name of the Heritage Hall,” Pei Zhi said softly. “At that time, I want to give you a stable future.”
Ye Wanning leaned against his chest and nodded gently: "Okay."
During the palace's imperial concubine selection, An Ruowei was chosen. She came from a family of neutral officials, and while she appeared gentle and charming, she was actually ambitious and determined to rise to power through palace intrigue.
After entering the palace, Consort An quickly discovered that there was both tacit understanding and tension between Ye Wanning and Pei Zhi. She saw this as an opportunity to sow discord between the two and pave the way for her own future.
That day, Consort An "coincidentally" met Pei Zhi in the Imperial Garden and greeted him sweetly: "Lord Pei, I've noticed that Madam Ye has been so busy lately that she's neglecting you, hasn't she?"
Pei Zhi frowned slightly but remained silent.
Consort An added, "Madam Ye is truly an extraordinary woman, possessing superb medical skills and a deep concern for the people. However, she is so focused on her medical career that she may have forgotten about you."
"You have many affairs to attend to in the court, so you should have someone considerate to take care of you."
Pei Zhi's face darkened: "Your Highness, please rest assured, Wan Ning has her own career, and I fully support her. As for my family's affairs, Your Highness need not worry about them."
After saying that, he turned and left, not giving Consort An a chance to speak again.
Consort An watched his retreating figure, her eyes filled with hatred. One plan failed, so she devised another.
Not long after, she "coincidentally" met Ye Wanning again, and said in an ambiguous tone: "Madam Ye, you and Lord Pei are a match made in heaven."
"But Lord Pei is busy with court affairs and is surrounded by many powerful and influential figures. You must be careful."
Ye Wanning looked at her, wondering, "What does Consort An mean by that?"
Consort An smiled and said, "It doesn't mean anything. I just feel that Lord Pei prioritizes the court, and you may just be a pawn in his game."
"You've given so much for him, don't let it all end up being for nothing."
Ye Wanning's heart tightened suddenly. She didn't believe Consort An's words, but she couldn't help but waver.
Consort An noticed her wavering and said, "Madam Ye, think about it. Wasn't the last time Lord Pei and Prime Minister Wei met in secret for the sake of the court? You can't always believe what men say."
Ye Wanning's face turned cold: "Consort An, you don't need to worry about my affairs."
After saying that, she turned and left. But Consort An's words still left a knot in her heart.
A few days later, the emperor held a palace banquet. Consort An deliberately sat next to Pei Zhi, frequently offering him wine, and even "accidentally" spilled wine all over his face.
Then, she personally stepped forward to wipe Pei Zhi's face, her actions unusually intimate. This scene was witnessed by Ye Wanning.
Ye Wanning felt a pang of sadness. She knew Consort An was doing it on purpose, but she still couldn't help feeling bothered.
Pei Zhi quickly pushed Consort An away and wiped his face with his own handkerchief: "Consort An, please have some self-respect."
Consort An lowered her head in grievance, her eyes reddening: "Lord Pei, I didn't mean it, please don't be angry."
The emperor also witnessed this scene, and his expression darkened, but he said nothing.
After the palace banquet, Ye Wanning walked alone on the palace road, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
Pei Zhi caught up with her: "Wan Ning, let me explain, there really is nothing between me and Consort An."
"I know." Ye Wanning's tone was calm, but she couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes. "Lord Pei, it's getting dark, I'll go back now."
She turned and left without giving Pei Zhi a chance to explain.
Pei Zhi watched her retreating figure, feeling both helpless and heartbroken. He knew that Consort An's instigation had worked.
He wanted to explain, but he was afraid that he would only make things worse, so he could only watch helplessly as she was upset.
Ye Wanning, who distrusts Consort An, is torn between herself and Pei Zhi because of their "intimate" relationship.
The revised version of "Qing Nang Mi Yao" by Ye Wanning was more complete. It not only contained superb medical skills, but also contained many unique secret recipes, which were circulated among the people.
A few days ago, an envoy came from the Western Regions. He happened to learn about the contents of the "Qing Nang Mi Yao" (Secret Essentials of the Green Bag), and praised the medical skills in it highly, wanting to bring it back to the Western Regions for widespread dissemination.
Ye Wanning felt this was a good thing: "Medicine is inherently selfless. Helping more people get rid of diseases is the original intention of 'Qing Nang Mi Yao' and its ultimate goal."
But little did they know, this agreement would bring trouble.
Conservative officials jointly submitted a petition opposing the dissemination of the "Qing Nang Mi Yao" (Secret Essentials of the Green Bag): "Your Majesty! This is a confidential medical book of our dynasty, and its secret formulas are priceless!"
"If this gets out and is used by someone, the consequences will be unimaginable! Ye Wanning is betraying state secrets and greedily pursuing fame and fortune!"
The remaining forces of the Wei family also joined in the commotion, saying that Ye Wanning wanted to use the spread of medical classics to expand her influence in the Western Regions.
The emperor was perplexed and summoned Ye Wanning and Pei Zhi: "Tell me, what should we do about this?"
“Your Majesty, I believe that the art of medicine is inherently selfless,” Ye Wanning said firmly. “The ‘Secret Essentials of the Medical Manual’ is the culmination of my late mother’s life’s work, and she also wanted to use medical skills to benefit more people.”
"It's not about selling secrets, but about serving the country and its people!"
“Your Majesty, I think it’s not advisable!” Pei Zhi said. “The important secret formulas in the Qingnang Secret Essentials record unique treatments.”
"If it falls into the wrong hands, it could very well be used to harm our people. It would be better to filter out the core content first before deciding whether to disseminate it!"
Ye Wanning was somewhat disappointed that Pei Zhi would object: "Lord Pei, you are too cautious! The benefits of spreading the medical classics outweigh the drawbacks. How can you give up the opportunity to benefit others just because you are afraid of being used?"
"Wan Ning, it's not that I'm being overly cautious, but this matter is of utmost importance and we must be careful!" Pei Zhi said. "There are many factions in the Western Regions. How can we guarantee that they won't use the medical text for malicious purposes?"
“You’re worrying unnecessarily!” Ye Wanning retorted. “I believe most people are kind and want to get rid of their illness.”
"We cannot deprive more people of the opportunity to receive treatment because of the malice of a few!"
The two men argued in front of the emperor, each sticking to their own version of events and refusing to back down.
The emperor looked at them, also in a dilemma: "What you all say makes sense. Let me think about this matter again."
After the palace banquet, Ye Wanning and Pei Zhi left the palace together.
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