Chapter 112 "A-Zhuo..."
“A-Zhu…”
Feng Mian was nestled deep in the soft brocade quilt, her cheeks flushed red, her lips pale, and her eyes trembling uneasily beneath her eyelids as she murmured Baili Xunzhou's name in a daze.
A spark flew from the burning charcoal brazier, and Baili Xunzhou abruptly looked up, his blindfold fluttering even without wind. His fingertips massaged his throbbing temples, and Baili Xunzhou sighed silently.
He was confused; in his daze, he seemed to hear Mianmian's voice.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside the tent. Gu Chunwen, covered in snowflakes, lifted the curtain and entered. Her eyebrows and eyelashes were frosty. She said hastily, "The spies that the Luo family planted in Yunzhong County have all been quietly removed. I know who the Luo family wants to support as the new emperor."
On a simple wooden low table, two cups of hot tea, filled to the brim, steamed.
Gu Chunwen held a cup of hot tea in one hand to warm it, the snow that had fallen on her eyebrows and hair had melted, leaving only a damp mark.
"Your Highness, what are your plans?" His voice was slightly hoarse. He had ridden all the way here at breakneck speed, and his throat was both cold and sore. Fortunately, he had a cup of hot tea in his hand, and he took a couple of sips to warm his throat a little.
With his hands clenched into fists under the table, Baili Xunzhou took several deep breaths, barely managing to pull himself back to the edge of reason by the slight pain of his fingernails digging into his palms.
He tried his best to remain calm as he recounted, "The young marquis brought news from Qingyi that the eunuch who escorted the princess to the palace has a problem. If what you say is true, the princess may also be in danger."
Feng Mian had only been out of Yunzhong County for a few days when Luo Chi'er secretly left. However, he did not return to the capital, but instead led his men to ambush along the various roads leading to the capital. Qingyi worried that once she found Baili Xunzhou, she would have difficulty leaving, and Feng Mian would be in even greater danger entering the palace alone without protection. Therefore, she tried to deliver the message to Chu Jingqi.
Knowing that something was amiss in the capital, the Prince of Qin chose to remain silent, feigning illness and refusing to return. He also confined his family to his residence, forbidding them from leaving. Chu Jingqi then smashed down a side gate of the Prince's residence and escaped with Mo Song and two guards. On their way to find Baili Xunzhou, they happened to encounter Mi Tu.
"..." Even in the urgency of the situation, Gu Chunwen couldn't help but sigh, "Qingyi is really brave."
He actually dared to entrust such an important matter to Chu Jingqi. However, the young marquis was surprisingly reliable when it came to serious matters, which impressed him.
Baili Xunzhou tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, "Now that the Canglang and other tribes are helping to contain the Alna tribe, the Dingbei Army can free up its forces..."
Gu Chunwen immediately understood his meaning from his tone and said urgently, "If Your Highness leads troops into the capital now, even if it is true that you are purging the court of corrupt officials, it will still be seen as treason in the eyes of the people who do not know the truth. If that person in Shengjing strikes first and falsely accuses you of treason, then..."
His tone darkened along with his speculation, lamenting that Shengjing was far away and he had no solid evidence to prove his guilt. How could he possibly make the Dingbei Army strategist famous?
"They've colluded with the Northern Barbarians; what they want is the lives of my father, me, and countless soldiers of the Dingbei Army. What else is there to worry about?" Baili Xunzhou had made up his mind. His aura hardened, and he said in a deep voice, "But you're right. This time, we must march secretly, without alerting them. We need to make them think that my father and I are both tied down by the Northern Barbarians and unable to spare any attention. Only then will they relax their guard..."
Besides, Mianmian is also in the capital. His Majesty is so important to her; she must be fighting a desperate battle right now. He fears that if he arrives any later, something might happen to her…
The charcoal fire glowed with a scarlet light, and the grayish-white embers accumulated in a continuous stretch at the bottom of the basin.
The imperial physician, sweating profusely, was applying acupuncture to Feng Mian's hand. Every time she called out "A-Zhuo," his shoulders would tremble. Fortunately, his years of medical experience made his hands steady, and he inserted the needles firmly.
He wiped the sweat from his chin with his sleeve, wishing he could silence his child. "Your Highness, please stop shouting! The Crown Prince looks like he's about to kill someone!"
Behind the imperial physician, Chu Jingze coldly watched Feng Mian, who was delirious with fever. His hands trembled restrainedly beneath his drooping sleeves, his slender fingers as smooth as jade, as if they would shatter with the slightest force.
The eunuch quietly approached him and bowed respectfully: "Your Highness, the Crown Princess requests an audience."
"Please let her in."
As if he had finally found an excuse to leave, Chu Jingze turned around and left without saying a word.
The imperial physician breathed a sigh of relief, wiped away his sweat, and continued to diligently perform acupuncture.
Stepping over the stacked bookshelves used as a cover, Dylan entered the bedroom, just as a servant led him inside.
Chu Jingze resumed his usual gentle demeanor, softly helping the Crown Princess, who was bowing to him, to her feet. "Why have you come?"
As usual, Dylan was respectful but lacked warmth when chatting with Chu Jingze, saying, "Your Highness has been busy with state affairs and taking care of Father Emperor these past two days. How can your health take it? I have ordered someone to make Four Gentlemen Soup. Your Highness, please have some."
She beckoned and took a steaming soup bowl from the food box that Liuyue had handed her, placing it on the table. With that gesture, her gaze quickly swept around the room.
"You're so thoughtful." Chu Jingze walked to the table, scooped up a spoonful of soup and drank it, seemingly casually saying, "No wonder Xiaoman is so close to you, her sister-in-law."
Dylan smiled, her expression unchanged. "Speaking of which, I wonder how the princess's illness is? May I go and visit her?"
Chu Jingze's probing gaze swept over her for a moment, then he said calmly, "You caught a chill today and your fever has returned. Let's stay out late, lest you pass on your illness."
"As Your Highness wishes." Dylan seemed to be asking casually, and did not insist on visiting Feng Mian again. She just frowned with worry, "It's a pity that the princess is so weak. She has been sick for so many days, and her appetite has probably been ruined. Once she has recovered, Your Highness must let me know so that I can prepare some easily digestible food for her before visiting her."
Seeing that Chu Jingze agreed, Dilan did not linger and took her leave with Liuyue.
"Follow them and see," Chu Jingze instructed the eunuch beside him without even looking up.
The eunuch obeyed the order and quietly followed her out. He saw the Crown Princess leave the study, chatting and laughing with Liu Yue as they picked up some dry branches and leaves. They walked all the way to the Crown Princess's bedroom, and her words and actions were no different from usual. Then he turned back to return to Fuming.
The carved window lattice moved slightly, and Liu Yue withdrew her gaze from the outside. "Your Highness, the person has left."
Only Dylan and Liuyue were in the room. Dylan's expression changed at this moment. She sat down, leaning on the table, and said with certainty, "He must have hidden the person in the study."
Liu Yue finally couldn't help but speak up, "Your Highness, why should we make things difficult for His Highness the Crown Prince at this time? After all, the Princess is His Highness the Crown Prince's beloved younger sister, she won't be in any danger. You must protect yourself first!"
“Princess Zhaoning, who used to quarrel the most with Princess Qingping, is now coming to deliver a message asking us to save people. Why doesn’t she go herself?” Liuyue said, quite indignantly.
"Alright, who can that girl Zhaoning save?" Dylan shook her head. "The reason she managed to get the message to me was because Qingping gave her the idea. You'd better not make things difficult for her."
"Isn't she making things difficult for His Highness?" Liu Yue muttered to herself. Everyone cares about their own prince, and she couldn't bear to see her own Crown Princess go to such lengths and take such risks for someone else's sake.
His Highness the Crown Prince has committed so many treasonous acts, yet he still dares to harbor such thoughts towards Princess Qingping. If he discovers that the Crown Princess intends to take Princess Qingping away, do you think he will let her off the hook?
Suddenly, she felt a tap on the forehead. Dylan looked at her helplessly, her tone becoming serious. "Even if she doesn't come to me for help, if I knew what His Highness the Crown Prince had done, would I just stand by and do nothing? This is not a trivial matter. His Highness the Crown Prince plotted to usurp the throne and imprisoned the princess, both of which violate the laws of the land. For the sake of the people of this world, I must do something."
Liu Yue knew the Crown Princess's temperament; once she made up her mind, she wouldn't listen to anyone's advice except for the old lady of the house. Therefore, she only grumbled and didn't expect the Crown Princess to change her mind after hearing her complaints. At that moment, she could only sigh and nod, "This servant knows that Your Highness is chivalrous, but what can you do?"
After asking, she hurriedly added, "No matter what Your Highness is going to do, you must not abandon this servant!"
"Don't worry, we used to read comic books together when we were kids and talked about doing good deeds. How could I abandon you in something this big? You're the person I trust most in this Eastern Palace." Dylan patted Liuyue's shoulder heartily.
Liu Yue forced a smile. "So what do we do next? We rescued the princess, but where can we take her? His Majesty is currently unconscious, and in a few days, I'm afraid some court officials will petition for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne. The Crown Prince commands the Imperial Guards and has cultivated connections in court over the years, so we..."
As she spoke, the slightest smile on her face vanished. "Even if we tell the master about this, he can't help us at all..."
With so many things to sort out, even a brief attempt reveals a sense of utter confusion and endless problems.
“We can’t let him ascend the throne so soon. His Majesty has been unconscious for days, which must be due to the imperial physicians being ordered to tamper with things. The Crown Prince shouldn’t be so heartless as to poison His Majesty directly. As long as we find out the problem with the Imperial Hospital and find a way to wake His Majesty up, someone will be able to treat him.” Dylan pondered carefully. “But before that, we need to trip him up a bit and distract him.”
"What does Your Highness mean?"
"The Empress Dowager is still unaware of what her beloved grandson has done."
These things, right? As long as…
Suddenly, there were two knocks on the window.
Dylan suddenly turned around and shielded Liuyue behind him. The two of them glared at the window like cats with their fur standing on end.
Dylan: "Who is it?"
A low voice came from outside the window: "Your Highness, the Crown Princess, I am a close attendant of the Prince of Dingbei, and I am here on orders to protect the Princess."
Dilan and Liuyue exchanged a glance, their initial fear subsiding, but they remained somewhat wary. "Do you have a token?"
After a long silence outside the door, a bronze object was thrown in with a thud.
Dylan looked closely, then widened her eyes in astonishment. "You...you...come in here and pick these things up!"
The window was opened, and a figure glided in as nimbly as a fish. The moment she landed lightly, she picked up the item and put it back in her bosom. She then bowed with an air of composure and said, "Your subordinate, Qingyi, greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Seeing his skill, Dylan raised an eyebrow in delight. Having such a helper would save a lot of trouble.
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