Chapter 23
After downing the cup of wine, the sweet fragrance of green plums filled the air, making one feel as if they were in springtime, surrounded by lush greenery. Shen Yao smacked her lips, thinking that if there was some kind of drug in the wine, it would be better for one person to pass out than for both of them to do so.
After finishing her drink, she winked at Wei Luo, then poured herself another bowl, stood up and said, "This bowl is for Brother Zhao. Thank you for stepping forward and saving us last night. In the future, if you need anything, I will definitely help you if I can."
Zhao Liang was slightly taken aback. Seeing that she had finished drinking, he also drank the wine in his bowl and replied, "Miss, you're too kind. Anyone who saw this would have helped."
Shen Yao smiled. At this moment, Zhao Niangzi also came over. She sat down below the group and poured some more wine into Shen Yao's bowl. "It's homemade plum wine. It's sweet. If you like it, please drink more."
Hearing that Wei Luo was ill, the Zhao couple did not urge him to drink alcohol. However, Madam Zhao was very hospitable and kept putting food into his bowl, saying, "Young master, eat more vegetables."
Given Wei Luo's cautious nature, he wouldn't touch the dishes at all. However, the host was very hospitable, and Shen Yao was afraid that Zhao Liang would notice something, so she directly snatched Wei Luo's bowl and put it in her own mouth, praising as she ate, "Madam Zhao, the dishes you cooked are really delicious."
She quickly shoveled the food out of her bowl, glanced at Wei Luo who was still in a daze, and quietly leaned close to his ear, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I've tested it, it's not poisonous, you can eat it without worry."
The woman smiled radiantly, her cheeks bulging from eating, her eyelashes fluttering like butterflies, every smile and gesture captivating.
Is this what it feels like to be protected?
Wei Luo was suddenly stunned, as if a cat was licking his heart with its soft tongue, causing waves of warmth to surge through his heart.
His hand holding the chopsticks remained still, and Shen Yao ignored him, continuing to drink and chat with the Zhao couple. The group exchanged toasts and soon became much more familiar with each other, and the atmosphere warmed up.
After a few bowls of wine, Shen Yao became bolder. She suddenly remembered that her mother-in-law was not there, so she asked her where she was.
"She's old, her health isn't good, and on top of that..."
Zhao Niangzi sighed and continued, "You don't know, my mother-in-law's family has a granddaughter who is in love with my uncle and they were supposed to get married this year. But then someone else took a fancy to her and forcibly took her away."
"Huh?" Shen Yao was taken aback. She couldn't help but ask, "What happened to that girl later?"
"Unable to bear the humiliation, she committed suicide." Her voice suddenly choked with sobs. "And my uncle was also wiped out by them."
Wei Luo raised an eyebrow and asked, "That uncle, is he the one who saved me last night?"
Madam Zhao nodded slightly, about to say something more, when Zhao Liang coughed loudly, interrupting her, "The guests are here, why are you saying these things?"
Zhao Niangzi glared at him, lowered her eyes, and looked down with a deep sadness in her eyes.
Wei Luo asked, "Why didn't you report it to the authorities?"
Zhao Liang sighed, "That person has a powerful background; no one dares to interfere, nor can they."
“But this is the capital, right under the emperor’s nose. Even if that person has connections everywhere, he can’t…” Shen Yao blinked and asked, “Madam Zhao, what is that person’s background?”
Lady Zhao looked at her husband, and seeing that he remained silent, she said, "He is from the Directorate of Ceremonial."
The Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs was the head of the twenty-four eunuch offices within the palace. Those who held this position were all highly influential and powerful, and no one dared to offend them.
Why would eunuchs need to find women?
As soon as Shen Yao asked the question, Wei Luo nudged her with his elbow. She looked over and saw him frowning, his eyes filled with warning.
When Zhao Niangzi saw this, she thought Shen Yao didn't understand, so she explained: "Although eunuchs can't have sex, the less they have, the more they want. There are plenty of cases where they forcibly abduct innocent women."
Shen Yao couldn't help but think of her mother-in-law, so lonely and helpless, with no one to turn to for justice. She also thought of the novel "Water Margin." The villains had been kind to her, and the evildoers were in the palace. Perhaps she could help them...
As she was lost in thought, Zhao Liang suddenly asked, "I see that you seem to have some difficulty with your leg, young master. There is a doctor in the village; would you like to go and take a look?"
Shen Yao immediately snapped out of her daze, her eyes lighting up as she nodded and replied, "His leg is frostbitten, can it be treated?"
Wei Luo also looked up at him, her eyes filled with expectation.
"It should be curable."
In any case, with hope in sight, the two of them were in high spirits.
Shen Yao was very happy and drank several more bowls with Zhao Liang. She still held the porcelain bowl and refused to let go. In the end, Wei Luo persuaded her to stop, "You are not allowed to drink anymore."
After breakfast, Zhao Niangzi went to fetch the doctor.
Wei Luo then pulled Shen Yao back into the room. He lay on the bed and picked up the book "Water Margin" to read again. Shen Yao, who was leaning on the table, asked curiously, "Wasn't the book burned?"
Wei Luo suddenly turned his face and said, "I brought it out last night."
"oh."
"Why did you drink so much?" Wei Luo saw her resting her chin on her arm, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes half-open and half-closed. He felt a pang of guilt, as if she were suffering for him.
"Plum wine is delicious."
Shen Yao lifted her eyelids and looked at him, saying, "Besides, if there really is something in that wine, you can escape with your life, right?"
Wei Luo couldn't help but laugh, "How am I supposed to walk with these legs? Don't do it again next time."
"Hmm?" Shen Yao sat up, asking in confusion, "What are you doing?"
Wei Luo glanced at her sideways, giving her a look that said, "You'll figure it out yourself," without saying a word. Shen Yao's eyes darted around, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her; she realized it was about drinking.
Wei Luo told her not to drink for him!
Shen Yao suddenly sprang up, taking several steps in one stride to reach Wei Luo. Looking at his fair face, she smiled and said, "Your Highness, are you moved?"
Her eyebrows were curved, and her eyes sparkled like twinkling stars in the sky. When she gazed at you, her eyes were full of deep affection.
Even Wei Luo had to admit that she was absolutely gorgeous! If she weren't Shen Yao, he would have fallen for her long ago.
With her chin slightly lifted by the book, Wei Luo quietly moved closer to her and chuckled, "Don't flatter yourself."
"Also, stay away from me."
Shen Yao: "..."
His Highness remained unchanged, offering no words of praise. Feeling awkward, Shen Yao sat back down after a few moments.
She brushed a stray hair from her forehead, poured herself a cup of tea, and asked, "Why were we not allowed to mention the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs earlier? You saw it today; the Zhao couple meant no harm. They're practically our saviors. You... we can help them out, can't we?"
Although the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs wields immense power, Wei Luo is the Crown Prince, and if he were to truly offer assistance, he wouldn't be without a chance of success. The question is, would he actually help?
Wei Luo lowered his eyes and remained silent. He already had enough trouble of his own, and he was powerless to protect himself, so how could he help others? Therefore, he did not want to get involved in this mess at all.
Shen Yao silently made up her mind that if she could really return to the palace, she would definitely help her mother-in-law get justice and bring the evildoers to justice.
Shen Yao's idea was exactly Zhao Liang's plan.
Some time ago, Prince Zhao Lian spent two thousand taels to hire someone to kill someone. He accepted the job, intending to use the money to bribe the palace eunuchs so that his second brother could enter the palace smoothly. However, Zhao Lian later regretted it and gave up killing Shen Yao. He only took five hundred taels as a deposit.
Five hundred taels of silver couldn't bribe the greedy eunuch, so he had to find another way. Perhaps even God was on his side, because yesterday at his mother-in-law's house, he saw the two people he had kidnapped and abandoned in the dilapidated temple.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck him. Shen Yao's aunt was a concubine, and if Shen Yao were willing to act as a go-between, his second brother entering the palace would be a matter of a single word from the concubine. Moreover, with the concubine as a powerful figure, his second brother would have a strong backer in the palace, making his revenge much easier.
The idea is good, but no one will help someone for no reason, unless it's to save their life.
So he and his brother staged a play: first, they set fire to the house, then used the opportunity to rescue Shen Yao, claiming to be her benefactors. They planned to ask for her help when their relationship became more familiar.
Based on his observations that morning, Shen Yao was not as barbaric and domineering as rumored; on the contrary, she was very gentle and kind. He thought that Shen Yao would not refuse this favor.
Footsteps suddenly echoed in the courtyard; it was Zhao Niangzi returning with the doctor.
Bang bang bang.
A few knocks sounded at the door, and Shen Yao opened it to find the doctor from yesterday had arrived. She then invited him inside.
The doctor carefully examined Wei Luo's knee wound, asked about his condition, and said, "Young master, your knee has blood stasis, so we need to clear the meridians and promote blood circulation first."
He opened his medicine box, took out silver needles, and began to identify and apply acupuncture to acupoints. After fixing the needles at several acupoints, he took out moxa sticks, lit them, took off Wei Luo's white socks, and used them to heat his feet.
"Doctor, when will my illness be cured?" Wei Luo asked, frowning.
The doctor looked up at him and said, "The wound has been exposed to cold, and the infection has worsened. He won't be able to walk for a while."
Seeing Wei Luo's dejected expression, he said, "If you want to walk faster, you need to do more moxibustion. How about this, before you go to bed tonight, you have someone..." He turned to look at Shen Yao and said, "I'll leave some moxa sticks, and you can fumigate him with moxa at night. That way he'll recover faster."
"Oh, but I~"
"Moxibustion is very simple. Come here, I'll teach you now."
The doctor handed the moxa stick to Shen Yao and instructed her on how to apply it, the intensity, and the distance. He also pointed to several acupoints near her knees, instructing her to apply the moxa stick to them before going to bed at night.
Shen Yao nodded and wrote them down one by one.
The acupuncture and moxibustion treatments were completed quickly. The doctor gave a few instructions and then handed over the auxiliary treatments to Shen Yao, saying that she would come back for acupuncture the next day.
After seeing the doctor off, Madam Zhao went about her business. Shen Yao closed the door and saw that Wei Luo had already put on his shoes and socks, so she asked, "How are you feeling, Your Highness? Does your knee still hurt?"
"Much better."
"I think this doctor is quite professional. Your Highness, please don't worry too much. Just stay here and recover. We'll return to the capital once you can walk again."
"Hmm." Wei Luo's voice was clear and crisp. He stood up and took a few steps. His right leg was noticeably stronger. He coughed a few times and then said, "If you don't want to do moxibustion, I won't force you."
Shen Yao turned around, slightly surprised, thinking he was afraid she wasn't professional enough, and explained, "I can do it. The doctor just taught me, so you don't need to worry."
She answered very readily, as if it were the most normal thing in the world. But for Wei Luo, his feet were a very private place. Apart from his personal attendants and doctors, no one else had ever touched his feet.
The thought of Shen Yao doing that kind of thing for him made him feel awkward, but if he didn't, he didn't know when his knee would heal, and there was also that annoying demon book...
Wei Luo sighed softly, then suddenly turned to look out the window. Snowflakes were falling again, covering the ground in a silvery white blanket. Several plum blossoms stood proudly in the courtyard, emitting a faint fragrance.
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