Chapter 31
◎Locked in bed for three days and three nights◎
Xie Yutang had a very long dream.
In her dream, Lin Tan said to her, "Tangtang, I will treat you well, you have to believe me," and then turned around and stabbed the dagger into her chest.
Flames engulfed the entire palace, the Empress's phoenix crown fell to the ground, and there were panicked footsteps and palace servants' cries everywhere.
She felt like she was suffocating, gasping for breath, struggling to open her eyes, and what she saw was the white tent ceiling of the military camp.
"Miss, you're awake!"
Woyu's surprised face loomed in front of her. "Huaijin, quickly give me the handkerchief. Miss is sweating a lot."
"Keep your voice down, what kind of behavior is this?" Huaijin wrung out the handkerchief in warm water, brought over the teacup, and gently wiped the sweat from Xie Yutang's temples.
Xie Yutang downed a cup of warm tea, his voice still a little hoarse: "How long have I been asleep?"
"I thought you would ask Prince Su first."
Seeing Xie Yutang remain silent, Huaijin glared at Woyu, took the empty teacup from the young lady's hand, and said, "You've been asleep for two whole days. Imperial Physician Liu only took your pulse this morning. I'll go and call him over right away."
When news of the garrison in Yingkou stealing military equipment reached the capital, the emperor was furious.
The Imperial Censor, acting on imperial orders, left the capital overnight and traveled day and night to arrive, not forgetting to bring along the Imperial Physician and Huai Jin Wo Yu. The Prefect and Governor were naturally not worthy of the Emperor's special attention, and it goes without saying who it was for.
Xie Yutang had already made great contributions, so it was not surprising that he was richly rewarded. What was surprising was the emperor's intention. The entire officialdom of Dayan was once again firmly convinced that Princess Ning'an was the emperor's precious darling.
Imperial Physician Liu took Xie Yutang's pulse and inquired about his condition, concluding that he was out of danger and only needed to rest and recuperate.
He was fed rare and precious tonics from the capital every day as if they were free, to the point that he had little appetite after waking up.
Huaijin instructed the kitchen to prepare some congee and side dishes. Xie Yutang originally wanted to have them removed, but after glancing at them, she changed her mind. The congee was soft, sticky, and sweet, and it suited her taste quite well.
kitchen.
Su Lu washed the cooking utensils he had used, poured flour into a basin, and began kneading the dough.
He changed into a narrow-sleeved Hu-style robe, the sleeves rolled up along his forearms to reveal smooth lines, and the bridge of his nose and the peaks of his lips were outlined in light and shadow under the lamp.
Song Zhen stared at it for a while, then clicked his tongue and said, "Some people waited by the bedside for two days but the person didn't wake up. They were called away by the censor for a question and the person woke up. And that's not all. They rushed back home and didn't even have time to enter the house before coming back to wash their hands and cook. Tell me, what kind of treasure is the Muqing Prince's Mansion that could raise such a virtuous and well-bred young lady like you?"
These words were spoken in a sarcastic tone, but Su Lu did not react. In fact, apart from matters related to Xie Yutang, he rarely showed his emotions. When he was not smiling or speaking, he was very cold, like the cold snow on a mountain peak, which no one could bear. To put it bluntly, he exuded a faint sense of death.
But the first time Song Zhen met him was when he carried Xie Yutang back to the camp. The first impression was so shocking that he concluded that this young master Su was definitely not as cold as he seemed on the surface.
Sure enough, this young master Su soon gave him a second shock.
All items in Yingkou were seized and registered one by one, since they were to be presented to the Emperor for his approval, and no one dared to be careless.
Su Lu had just finished channeling his internal energy into Xie Yutang, and his face was as white as a sheet of paper. Yet, he brazenly barged into the hall and opened a wooden box with a seal on it.
In front of the Imperial Censor, he picked up a sword from inside and said that it was a gift from Xie Yutang, and that he had come to take it. Not a single person dared to stop him.
Song Zhen felt that beneath this person's seemingly calm demeanor of death, he was actually quite insane.
After making congee and side dishes, Song Zhen then prepared dessert. He couldn't help but feel a little envious of Xie Yutang.
Princess Ning'an had been awake for almost half an hour, and no one had come to ask her anything, which showed that she didn't care about him at all.
Song Zhen thought for a moment: "So you're planning to take a roundabout approach and win her over through her stomach first?"
Su Lu glanced at him, a seemingly ordinary glance, but Song Zhen inexplicably felt a chill.
Be careful what you say.
Song Zhen watched as he ground a priceless Blood Spirit Mushroom into powder and added it to the dough. Only then did he belatedly realize the reason for the man's displeasure. His eyes widened: "You wouldn't... have never even considered being with her, would you?"
Moreover, this person probably doesn't even intend to reveal their true feelings.
Song Zhen was shocked and puzzled: ...What's the point of this?
A sudden chill ran down his neck as the unsheathed sword pressed against him. Su Lu said in a low voice, "I'll say it one last time, Lord Song, be careful with your words, lest you tarnish His Highness's reputation."
Anyone else would have been scared into submission long ago, but Song Zhen laughed: "Come on, brother, reputation? The whole military camp is abuzz with the news that your prince locked you in bed for three days and three nights."
"..."
"Now everyone knows that the young master of our Muqing Prince's Mansion is Princess Ning'an's concubine." Song Zhen curled his right hand and stamped a mark on his forehead from a distance. "You've been branded, understand?"
*
Seeing that Xie Yutang's complexion had improved considerably after finishing a bowl of congee, Woyu dared to speak up: "Miss, could it be that Prince Su... has been mistreated?"
Xie Yutang paused, his brows furrowing: "Is that so?"
“I don’t know. Yesterday, when Prince Su treated your injuries, I saw a red mark around his right wrist. The skin was all rubbed raw. It looked terrible. I asked him, but he wouldn’t say anything. Miss, do you know anything about this?”
Xie Yutang: "..."
“Who would dare to mistreat Prince Su?” Huai Jin said. “When that man surnamed Wei gave his statement, he said that Prince Su had been with Miss these past few days and hadn’t left the house.”
"He hasn't even left the house?" Wo Yu pondered. "A man and a woman alone in a room, with no one else around, shouldn't it be impossible for Prince Su to have been abused? So, his injuries..."
Huaijin said, "It's not like we're alone together, there's a cat too."
"Oh right." Woyu suddenly realized, "So it was a cat that scratched it?"
Huaijin nodded: "It must have been a cat scratch."
Xie Yutang finally understood; the two of them were acting in unison, on purpose.
She didn't bother to respond at all. Only when a servant lifted the curtain and came in did the two of them quiet down. The servant said that the Imperial Censor had heard that His Highness had woken up and had come to inquire after her. He was currently waiting in the front hall.
While it was ostensibly a greeting, it was actually about the case. After all, Xie Yutang was the one who discovered the weapons, and as the absolute hero and protagonist of the case, her testimony was crucial.
Huai Jin Wo Yu had already recounted all the details of the case to Xie Yutang. Before Song Zhen called for reinforcements, he wrote a secret letter to the emperor, reporting that Wei and Cui had stolen military equipment. When the news reached the capital, the court was in an uproar. The emperor was so angry that he smashed his teacup and ordered the censor-in-chief Tan Ping to thoroughly investigate the case.
Tan Ping.
Xie Yutang narrowed his eyes.
"Your Highness—is Your Highness well?"
This greeting was full of vigor and deep affection, overflowing with a subject's loyalty, concern, and respect, his sincere heart shining as brightly as the sun and moon.
Huai Jin paused, Wo Yu's lips twitched, and Xie Yutang sighed inwardly that it was still the same old story, but on the surface, she still had to exchange pleasantries with him politely.
The two acted out their intentions tacitly for a while, and then Tan Ping finally slowly revealed his true purpose:
"Your Highness, who do you think is behind this?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Yutang knew that Tan Ping had not found any evidence that the Northern Rong were directly involved.
Wei Xianxi and Cui Hu were both captured and temporarily imprisoned in Yingkou Prison, awaiting their return to the capital. However, Qiu Ran Ke, representing the Northern Rong, escaped in the chaos. He wore a mask, and no one knew his true identity. Even Xie Yutang could not determine his exact relationship with the Northern Rong.
As for the ships and support for the military equipment transport, as long as Wei and Cui aren't stupid, they wouldn't openly arrange for the Hu people to take over directly. Now, hearing Tan Ping's question, it further confirms Xie Yutang's speculation.
This matter involves the two kingdoms of Da Yan and Bei Rong, with various factions vying for power. Cui Wei and his companion are merely two pawns brought into the open. Xie Yutang, not wanting to alert the enemy, probed with Tan Ping before ending the "visit."
Song Zhen was watching Su Lu make the desserts and his mouth was watering, but he couldn't get a single bite. He was trying to steal from Su Lu by using both soft and hard tactics when Huai Jin stood at the door, knocked, greeted the two of them, and said with a smile, "Young Master Su, Miss invites you to come over."
It goes without saying who the young lady is.
Song Zhen immediately stood at attention, looking obedient, and winked at Su Lu.
Su Lu carefully arranged the pine nut and lily pastries on a plate, put them in a food box, and handed them to Huai Jin: "Please give these to the master. I will go there after I have washed up."
Huai Jin glanced at the food box but didn't take it: "Your Highness, please deliver it yourself."
Su Lu knew her good intentions but didn't point them out. He just smiled and said, "It tastes best when it's hot."
Song Zhen sighed heavily.
After washing up, Su Lu changed out of his narrow-sleeved Hu-style clothes and into a snow-white long robe. His dark hair was loosely tied behind his head with a white jade hairpin, and he let his long hair fall down. He had no other decorations, which made him completely different from the young masters in the capital who liked to wear brocade clothes and gold and silver.
But it was precisely his simple attire that accentuated his strikingly handsome face.
A vixen.
A source of trouble.
Male Daji.
Xie Yutang couldn't help but chuckle as she recalled everyone's comments about the appearance of this young master Su.
Su Lu knocked on the door with great restraint, and only entered after receiving her permission. His gaze was respectfully lowered until it stopped half a foot in front of her.
He lifted his robe, knelt down, and didn't glance around.
They were extremely respectful and obedient.
Xie Yutang felt as if something had gently scratched the tip of her heart.
She was deliberately ignoring him.
Three days of inseparable companionship, the internal energy exchanged in the hot spring water, the life-or-death struggle against pursuers, his reminder to the bearded man to dodge an arrow, and... the hidden past he had kept from him.
For once, Xie Yutang was at a loss as to how to deal with this person.
When she didn't see him, he waited quietly, preparing congee and side dishes for her, and desserts for her. When she did see him, she would simply send someone to fetch him, and he would wash up, change his clothes, and come to see her.
He could be summoned at will and dismissed at will; even a dog would bark at him, yet he never complained.
Xie Yutang sighed inwardly.
If someone can put on such a show, she'll accept it.
The door closed behind them, and the candlelight flickered between the two people, one sitting and one kneeling, so quiet that they could hear the wind.
Xie Yutang closed the folding fan between her fingers and used the handle to lift the boy's chin: "I was thinking that your mother, who was born to a Hu dancer, must have been a great beauty."
Su Lu's long, drooping eyelashes trembled slightly, but she remained silent.
He really understands things immediately.
Xie Yutang cut to the chase: "Why did the Bearded Stranger behave that way when he saw you?"
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