Chapter 37 "I hate it most when others manipulate me like this..."
"The people in the shops along the street all said they saw the young master return around dusk..." Wu Liu went to inquire around and returned with a deeper worry on her brow. How could a perfectly healthy person just disappear on his way home?
"Princess, should we report this to the authorities?"
“No rush.” Feng Mian shook his head. “Shan Yi is always by his side. If they encounter bad guys, the two of them can always make some noise.”
They just disappeared so quietly. It's very likely they ran into someone they knew, or something urgent suddenly happened...
She suddenly remembered that when she woke up in the evening, fireflies chattered to her about the gossip they had heard that day, the most important of which was that the Yuan family next door was going to arrange a marriage for their third daughter, Yuan Jixue, that day.
Although Liu Ying's opinion of Yuan Jixue had changed slightly, she was still worried that one day she might end up in the prince's harem. When she heard that Yuan Jixue was about to get married, she was overjoyed.
However, the neighbors kept the news a secret. All she knew was that the Yuan family had chosen a wealthy son-in-law, and that Yuan Jixue would enjoy a life of luxury after marrying into the family. She was genuinely happy for her.
Now that Feng Mian thought about this matter, she suddenly felt that something was not quite right. If the son-in-law in the family was a fine young man, ordinary families would be happy to have all the neighbors come to congratulate them on their engagement. Why was the Yuan family keeping it a secret?
Could it be that this marriage wasn't actually going well, and Yuan Jixue escaped...?
"Liu Ying, go to the Yuan residence and ask if the Third Miss is at home. Invite her over. If the Yuan family refuses, come back directly."
"Yes, Princess, I'll go right away!"
Liu Ying turned and ran out. Feng Mian then instructed Wu Liu, "Go find the Luan Yi Guard and bring a dog."
A moment later, both Firefly and Mist Willow returned.
Liu Ying: "The Yuan family said that the Third Miss is ill. I see that their household is in a lot of turmoil right now, as if something has happened."
Feng Mian had already put on a light blue silk cloak to protect her from the wind, and wore a pair of soft satin embroidered shoes. She hurriedly led everyone out of the palace through a side gate, forbidding the servants from disturbing the princess.
She took out a small purse from her sleeve, and then took out an indigo sachet from the purse. The fabric was exactly the same as the sachet she had given to Baili Xunzhou during the day, obviously made from leftover scraps.
The greyhounds led by the Imperial Guards were long and slender, majestic and imposing, and were obediently crouching by the door.
Feng Mian held the small sachet to the greyhound's nose. "Good dog, sniff carefully and follow this scent."
The spices in the sachet were blended after consulting with the imperial physician; their scent lingered for three days wherever she went, making it ideal for tracking. She had originally intended it for the future, but she hadn't expected to need it so soon.
The night was quiet, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the streets. Only the lanterns under the eaves and a faint candlelight shone through the window of a house, and occasionally a few low barks of dogs could be heard from the corner of the alley.
The lanterns carried by the group illuminated their hurried yet slow steps, their shadows swaying and casting patterns on the wall. The greyhound's paws tapped softly on the flagstones.
Its ears perked up alertly, its nose pressed to the ground, pausing every now and then to sniff gently before continuing onward.
After turning through several winding alleyways, the surroundings became increasingly deserted, the lights gradually thinned out, and the narrow alleys were only wide enough for two people to walk side by side, with uneven blue brick surfaces.
Feng Mian suddenly felt that this place looked familiar, as if it was the alley she had followed when she mistakenly thought someone was following Yuan Jixue.
Upon reaching the end, the greyhound suddenly stopped, its eyes fixed intently on what lay ahead.
That day, Fengmian did not go any further. He did not know that to the right of the old woman He's house at the end of the alley, there was another deep alley, in which a small courtyard was half-hidden in the darkness. Candles could be seen burning inside the house, casting a tall figure on the window frame.
Baili Xunzhou forced himself to walk to the window, but suddenly his knees went weak as if a tendon had been pulled out, and he collapsed onto the old wooden stool, half-lying on the edge of the table.
His limbs were weak and powerless, cold sweat poured down his forehead, his eyes were bloodshot from suppressing the surging impulses within him, his breathing was disordered, and he gritted his teeth and said, "You planned this all along?"
"I didn't expect it to come to this..."
The girl's weak voice echoed in the empty room.
This is a simply decorated bedroom. There is a slightly worn medicine cabinet in front of one wall, and the rest is just a table, a chair and a bed.
The only table and chairs had been taken by Baili Xunzhou, and on that ordinary wooden bed, Yuan Jixue leaned softly against the corner pillar.
Her face was flushed an unnatural red, and her lips were bleeding from being bitten.
"If it weren't for today..."
If Madam Yuan hadn't taken it upon herself to invite Master Liu to her home today, and even drugged her tea in an attempt to make her lose her virginity to Master Liu and force her to agree to this marriage, how could she have ended up like this?
The thought of feeling a sudden tingling sensation in her hands and feet, an abnormal itching that crept up her spine, and the sight of Master Liu's greasy, old face when she turned around in a panic made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
The thought of being pinned down on the bed by his enormous body and being stared at with such lewd eyes makes me feel nauseous.
She struggled to grab the candlestick and smash it against him, knocking him unconscious. She then staggered out the back door.
What a coincidence, just by sheer coincidence, that I encountered Baili Xunzhou.
She clung to the hem of his robe as if it were the last straw, begging him not to make a sound and to quietly bring her here.
At this moment, she was extremely grateful that she had once wanted to escape the Yuan family mansion, so she secretly saved money and bought a secluded little courtyard outside.
She told Baili Xunzhou that she had been drugged, but there was a way to undo the drug, and she needed his and Shanyi's help to get some medicinal herbs.
They believed her, and while they were looking for medicine in the medicine cabinet, she lit the newly made Sangeng Daohe Hehuan incense.
The attack occurred very quickly at midnight. Yuan Jixue had increased the dosage when she first made the incense, so there was no time for the reaction to occur. Shan Yi fell to the ground, and Baili Xunzhou also began to move slowly.
He only then realized that Yuan Jixue had drugged him, but it was too late.
Yuan Jixue gave Shanyi a sleeping pill alone, threw him out of the room like a rolling stone, and then locked the doors and windows.
Even the most clueless fool would know what Yuan Jixue was up to.
Bai Lixun's boat overturned the incense holder, but the incense smoke lingered in the enclosed space and did not dissipate, rendering it useless.
"Give me the antidote, and I promise I won't hold you accountable." Baili Xunzhou felt dizzy, a metallic taste rising in his throat, his blood boiling and rushing to his lower abdomen, and the hot sweat beading on the back of his neck sticking his collar to his skin, each breath filled with scalding air.
"I...don't want to solve it."
Yuan Jixue was also in great discomfort. The fragrance of acacia in the air stimulated the drug that Madam Yuan had given her, making her throat dry and extremely thirsty, but her hands and feet were weak and she could not move.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and her face flushed from both the effects of the medicine and the shame of feeling like she was about to die.
She really didn't want to come to this, but she had nowhere else to go. She would rather lose all face and be hated and loathed by Baili Xunzhou than let this one piece of driftwood she could reach in this abyss that was almost drowning her.
"Even if I die, I will never touch you." Baili Xunzhou bit his tongue again, the taste of rust spreading in his mouth, the pain keeping him conscious.
Yuan Jixue gave a bitter smile. "Even if nothing happens, tomorrow morning, it's hard to say whether it's someone from the Yuan family or someone from the Prince's mansion who finds us first."
"Do you think I'm going to sit here and wait to die?"
The brief moment of clarity brought on by biting his tongue allowed Baili Xunzhou to pull out the dagger hidden in his sleeve. Without hesitation, he slashed a deep gash on his left hand. The stinging pain instantly cleared his mind and restored some of his strength.
He immediately staggered to his feet, stumbling and leaning against the wall as he walked towards the door. Halfway there, a feeling of dizziness struck him, and he slashed his arm with his other hand, blood dripping onto the floor.
"you……"
Just as Baili Xunzhou reached the door frame, the locked door was suddenly violently slammed open from the outside. In just a couple of seconds, the door was broken open, and a figure rushed in, accompanied by the fresh night breeze.
Feng Mian: "A hundred-mile-long boat?!"
Her eyes quickly scanned the room, ignoring Yuan Jixue who had closed her eyes in despair. Just as she was wondering where such a big person as Baili Xunzhou had gone, a tall figure softly collapsed towards her from the side.
Amidst gasps of surprise, Feng Mian staggered and caught Baili Xunzhou, who was tumbling towards her. She felt his body burning hot; his hot breath hit her neck, feeling no different from holding a red-hot coal against her neck.
With her heart pounding in her throat, Feng Mian gently patted Baili Xunzhou's back. Just as she was about to speak, his low, hoarse voice mumbled in her ear, "I'm fine. Let's go back to the manor."
The hand supporting Baili Xunzhou's left side suddenly felt a hot, sticky sensation. Feng Mian turned his head with difficulty and glanced at it. His pupils widened instantly. It was full of blood!
Taking a breath, Feng Mian quickly gave the order: "Someone, carry the young master back to the manor. Liu Ying, Wu Liu, you two stay and take care of him..."
She glanced at Yuan Jixue inside the room, omitted the formal address, and then said sternly, "Anyone who dares to utter a single word about what happened today will be dealt with according to military law!"
The crowd responded softly with "Yes." A member of the Imperial Guard stepped forward and carried Baili Xun's boat on his back. Liu Ying stood sullenly at the door, glaring at Yuan Jixue, and reluctantly followed Wu Liu into the house to open the windows and tidy up the room.
*
Steam filled the bathhouse as Baili Xunzhou soaked in a tub filled with medicinal herbs. The medicinal properties in his body were released along with the sweat that kept pouring out, and he let out a long, comfortable sigh.
His self-injured left hand was resting horizontally on the edge of the bathtub, beyond the small screen in front of the tub, where Feng Mian was applying medicine.
Feng Mian felt a phantom pain when she looked at the two hideous, deep wounds that revealed the bone. She grimaced and took a moment to recover before mentally preparing herself and carefully applying the medicine.
"You're really ruthless to yourself."
"I hate it when others manipulate me like this. How can I let her have her way?" Baili Xunzhou opened his eyes, his gaze icy.
Thinking of Yuan Jixue, Feng Mian sighed inwardly. Considering the chaos in the Yuan family, she could roughly guess what had happened.
Baili Xunzhou had been tricked, and she was filled with rage. She was naturally angry at first, but after calming down and thinking about it, she only felt a sense of desolation.
She could tell that Yuan Jixue was trying her best to protect her self-esteem, hiding the dirty secrets in her home as much as possible, refusing to let outsiders see even a trace of her embarrassment, and trying to test Baili Xunzhou's feelings and sow discord between her and Baili Xunzhou, all in a cautious and awkward manner.
They want to do something bad to advance their careers, but they can't bring themselves to do it.
Now that she's been forced to this point, Yuan Jixue's despair must be even greater.
"How is Shanyi?" Baili Xunzhou suppressed his anger and finally remembered the poor little servant, asking.
Shan Yi also startled Feng Mian. When she stepped into the courtyard, she saw him lying motionless by the door and almost thought he was dead.
"The imperial physician went to see him and said there was nothing serious. He told him to go to sleep and that he would be prescribed medicine tomorrow."
This matter should not be blown out of proportion, so Feng Mian only invited a physician to give Baili Xunzhou a medicinal bath before going to see Shan Yi.
The task of applying medicine to Baili Xunzhou's wounds then fell to Feng Mian.
While bandaging the wound on Baili Xunzhou's palm, Feng Mian still couldn't avoid asking the question: "How do you plan to handle this matter?"
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