Chapter 444 Nightmare
The sky was pitch black, and miasma filled the air.
Shang Ruyi walked aimlessly through the smoky place, feeling lost and confused, unable to see the horizon or find a path under her feet. All she could smell was a faint fragrance coming from somewhere.
It smells like sandalwood, and also like medicine.
She looked up, trying to find a way out, when she suddenly saw a blurry figure in front of her.
It was a tall man standing in the smoke, his white monk's robe soaked by the mist, as if he were about to turn into smoke and drift away with him.
He is—
Shang Ruyi's heart sank, but before he could think about it, a shadow suddenly appeared behind him.
It looked like a person, seemingly slender, yet suddenly becoming enormous, casting a shadow that almost completely enveloped Shang Ruyi. Upon seeing that shadow, Shang Ruyi immediately felt a tearing pain in her body, as if an invisible hand was ripping her soul apart, trying to snatch it away from her body.
it hurts……
it hurts!
"ah!"
She let out a low cry of pain, abruptly raising her head to meet a pair of eyes that, because of the veil covering her face, could only reveal worry.
"Young Madam, what's wrong?"
"...?!"
Shang Ruyi was panting heavily, her body covered in cold sweat. It took her a long time to recover from the chaotic dream and recognize that the person in front of her was Wo Xue.
She was kneeling in front of him, looking at him cautiously: "Did you have a nightmare?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi felt her heart pounding like thunder, and the pain was so intense that she had no strength to speak.
Nightmare...
It felt so real, yet it was such a terrifying nightmare.
Turning around again, she realized that she had been sitting by the bedside watching over Yuwen Ye. She had just fed him half a bowl of medicine, but somehow she fell asleep in the blink of an eye and even had a dream. Yuwen Ye, who was lying on the bed, still had a pale and ashen face, and his cheeks were flushed with an unusual blush from the low fever.
It's been three days already.
His low-grade fever persisted for three days, he vomited again, and his breath even started to have an unusual odor.
No matter how she and He Wenzhu treated him—burning moxa, administering medicine, and even risking bloodletting—there was no effective treatment, and all of these only delayed his recovery. He stopped waking up from the second day onwards, and remained in a coma. Because of this, she stayed by his bedside and barely slept for three days.
How could one fall asleep like that and then fall into such a nightmare?
Wo Xue asked softly, "Young Madam, you haven't slept for three days. Your body can't take it. Why don't you go and get some sleep?"
Shang Ruyi shook her head: "No need, I just slept."
Actually, she had just taken a nap.
Wo Xue had no choice but to remain silent and not want to persuade her further. She could only whisper, "Well, the kitchen has sent some food over. Would the young mistress like some?"
Shang Ruyi turned her head again and glanced at the outer room. There were indeed some bowls and plates on the table.
But the terrible dream she had just had had completely ruined her appetite.
Shang Ruyi sighed, slowly stood up, stretched her arms and legs that had gone numb from being weighed down, and then said, "I don't want to eat, you guys eat first."
He Wenzhu walked over from the side. After three days of turmoil, he looked much older and more haggard than when he arrived.
He said, "Then, young mistress, go out for some fresh air."
"..."
"After dinner, I'll be burning moxa for incense again."
This is what he has been doing every evening for the past three days, mainly for the few people in the room who are taking care of the general. The two of them are fine, but if the general's wife also falls ill, the Duke will probably take their lives.
Shang Ruyi did indeed feel that she needed to stretch her legs.
She glanced back at Yuwen Ye on the bed and said, "I'm going out for a walk. You all stay and watch over him. Call me immediately if anything happens."
"yes."
So, Shang Ruyi dusted off her clothes, pushed open the door, and went out.
Stepping out of the room filled with the smell of medicine, the fresh air outside invigorated her. Although she had barely slept for three days and was extremely exhausted, the dazzling golden-red light of the slowly setting sun made it difficult for her to open her eyes.
Shang Ruyi sighed softly.
She lowered her head and began to walk around the perimeter of the courtyard.
She had only taken a couple of steps when she heard footsteps outside, which immediately made her tense up again, even though she had relaxed a little.
Because of Yuwen Ye's illness and her order not to let anyone in to avoid being "disturbed," there was no one else in this courtyard. It was so quiet that even the wind could not be heard. The sudden sound of footsteps immediately alerted her. When she reached the courtyard gate, she saw a somewhat familiar, thin figure walking in front of her.
Upon seeing her, he immediately bowed and greeted her.
"Young Madam."
It's Nie Chong.
He remained the same as before, his face as pale as paper, his appearance gaunt, and he looked even more listless than he had been after three days without sleep. Although nothing had happened in the past few days, the news of the general's illness had already unsettled many in the army. They needed to appease everyone's emotions and also follow the sixteen-character military order that Yuwen Ye had given before he fell into a coma, keeping them extremely busy.
No wonder she looks so tired.
Shang Ruyi nodded and said, "You've come to call Shantong'er to dinner, haven't you?"
Nie Chong responded, but then added, "Yes, but there is one more thing I would like to report to the young mistress."
"Oh? What is it?"
Nie Chong said, "Young Madam, a group of people entered the city during the day today. They seemed to be from Daxing City."
"Daxing City?"
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi immediately perked up: "Who sent this person?"
"I don't know. Judging from the looks of it, it shouldn't be the Duke or someone appointed by the court. It seems like someone sent it privately."
"in private?"
"After entering the city, that man went to pay his respects to Lord Song Yu and General Ma Xu."
"What?"
Upon hearing these two names, Shang Ruyi's brows furrowed immediately. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Then, have Yin Changyue and Dai Junliang gone to inquire about it?"
Nie Chong shook his head: "They met in private, and the two officials were unaware of it."
Upon hearing this, Shang Ruyi sighed again.
Nie Chong added, "However, from a distance, I seemed to overhear some of their conversation—"
Shang Ruyi's eyes lit up.
Oh right, she almost forgot that Nie Chong has exceptional hearing! Even from so far away, he could hear the whispers of the children and the distant hoofbeats of soldiers.
She asked hurriedly, "What did they say?!"
Nie Chong said softly, "Because their camp is far from ours, and there is a drill ground in between where soldiers are training, I really couldn't hear them clearly."
"..."
"I only vaguely heard the words 'Young Master'."
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