Chapter 29 Proposing to Marry Her
Yilan Courtyard.
In the bedroom, wisps of smoke rose gently from the gilded incense burner. Under the candlelight and curtains, Dou Wenyi, after bathing and changing, sat quietly at her desk, perusing medical books.
Suddenly, Xie Mengyao's words popped into his mind again.
Gastrointestinal disease...
Compared to the poison he later suffered from, the "Heartbreak Poison" was nothing.
Dou Wenyi put down her book and took out a sky-blue jade bottle from the drawer under her desk. Inside was the Fragrant Sand Stomach Nourishing Pill that she had made for Xie Guidu.
Inside the box, there were also seven or eight of these sky-blue jade bottles.
In her past life, she loved him for seventeen years, and with the five years in this life, loving him seemed to have become a habit ingrained in her bones.
Today, when she suddenly heard that he was sick in Fanlou, she felt incredibly ridiculous that she couldn't help but worry.
Back then, she gave him everything, burning with all her love, and didn't he just as cruelly abandon her?
He even personally delivered himself to the barbarians.
She cannot be weak, she cannot be foolish, and she will not indulge in his deliberately feigned love like she did in her previous life!
Dou Wenyi counted the sky-blue jade bottles in the drawer again. Wait, why are two bottles missing?
"Who touched my things today?"
With a sharp shout, the two head maids and four junior maids of Yilan Courtyard entered the room, all too frightened to even breathe.
Cuizhi glanced at her and whispered, "This morning, Xie Shizi's personal guard, Moyu, came to ask for this Fragrant Sand Stomach Nourishing Pill. I took it upon myself not to give it to him, please forgive me, Miss. After that, I went out with you."
Bihe felt a chill run down her spine, as if the Fourth Sister had become a completely different person.
“Girl, I’ve been tending to the flowers and plants in the yard all day, and I haven’t seen anyone come into this house.”
Dou Wenyi casually tossed the azure jade bottle into the box. Seeing that they refused to admit it, she laughed, "These pills of mine may look the same, but some of them are poison. If someone dies from taking them, who among you will be responsible?"
The crowd looked at each other, discussing amongst themselves.
A young maidservant mustered her courage and replied, "Fourth Miss, we all serve in the outer room. I cleaned the bedroom in the morning. When I came in, Sister Cuizhi was helping you with your makeup. At other times, even if we wanted to enter the room, we didn't have the key. Besides, even if we wanted to steal something, we wouldn't steal medicine."
Only Cuizhi and Bihe had her key; the answer was obvious.
Dou Wenyi raised her hand to dismiss everyone, "Bihe, you stay."
Bihe knelt down with a thud, her forehead beaded with cold sweat, and cried earnestly, "Please forgive me, Miss! This morning, Moyu came looking for medicine but was refused by Cuizhi. After all, Young Master Xie is the future son-in-law, and I was worried that she might offend him terribly, putting you in a difficult position..."
Dou Wenyi squinted, recalling her past life.
The year after Bihe entered the Dingyuan Marquis's mansion with her, Xie Guidu, contrary to his usual behavior, insisted on driving her out of the mansion. He treated her coldly, but he never inquired about what happened in her courtyard.
At that time, she was puzzled. Later, after checking, she found out that Bihe had long harbored feelings for Xie Guidu and had repeatedly sought opportunities to seduce him!
Since her rebirth, her attitude towards Xie Guidu has undergone a tremendous change, which Cuizhi has seen. Has Bihe not noticed at all?
Under the guise of doing it for her own good, she was only burying her head in the sand; she simply wanted more opportunities to get closer to Xie Guidu.
Dou Wenyi lowered her eyes and sighed in disappointment, "Bihe, this is the last time! Go and accept your punishment."
Bihe expressed her deepest gratitude and went to accept her punishment.
Cuizhi entered through the curtain, and Dou Wenyi frowned slightly, instructing, "From now on, Bihe must not handle any of my personal affairs."
Cuizhi paused, then exclaimed in surprise, "Miss, Sister Bihe did make a mistake this time, but Miss, can't you give her a chance to make amends?"
"It depends on her."
Bihe and Cuizhi stayed with her at Yuqing Temple for four years, and she treated them with different affection, but that did not mean she liked others to betray her!
Bihe has already been given a chance. If she insists on being stubborn, don't blame her for not showing loyalty to her master.
——
On the day of Consort Tan's birthday, the celebrations were lively and bustling. Unexpectedly, a dancer attempted to assassinate the emperor. If Consort Xu hadn't taken the blow for the emperor, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Although the dancer died on the spot, the emperor was furious. All the dancers were thrown into the imperial prison, and more than a dozen people from the Imperial Household Department were executed.
For a time, people in the palace were filled with fear and unease, and everyone felt insecure.
Even the most favored Consort Tan was affected. Not only was her authority to manage the harem revoked, but she was also ordered to stay at home and reflect on her actions. On the other hand, Consort Zhang, who was away at Zizhu Mountain Villa for summer retreat, was hastily summoned back by an imperial edict and temporarily managed the harem along with Consort Xian.
Under a clear blue sky, the Chaohua Hall of the East Palace was filled with peace and tranquility.
"...Your Highness, the assassin's identity has been confirmed; he was indeed a spy sent by the Northern Barbarians."
"Those dancers were all selected by the Imperial Household Department. Consort Tan has been in charge of the harem for many years, how can she escape responsibility? She only got confined to her quarters after causing such a big mess? Should we have someone submit a memorial impeaching her?"
The Crown Prince's advisors and confidants discussed the matter animatedly, each expressing their own opinions.
“That’s not appropriate. The Emperor still has some lingering affection for her,” Lu Yuting said, raising an eyebrow.
Pei Siyan tapped a secret notebook lightly with his fingers, a faint smile playing on his lips. "There's really no need to act rashly. Let's call it a day. Everyone, disperse."
He was locked in a fierce battle with Prince Rui, but unexpectedly, Consort Tan was so unlucky that she was defeated by a spy from the Northern Di.
Unfortunately, Pei Siyan never believed in coincidence or luck.
Could it be that there are truly people in this world who can seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and who can glimpse the secrets of heaven?
The Northern Di people are ambitious and want to assassinate the emperor, causing internal strife in the Great Zhou Dynasty. To accomplish this, they must have bribed many powerful figures in the Great Zhou. Consort Tan controls the harem, and it's time for a major reshuffle.
It looks like there might be another war!
"Send a message to the Ministry of Justice, telling them to conduct the trial as they see fit, and not to involve innocent people."
Pei Siyan gave the order to Eunuch Anxi, paused, and then said, "Let Zhang Chengxian in!"
Zhang Chengxian entered the hall and sat down properly. He had already heard about what had happened in the palace, and the thought still made him feel lingering fear.
Pei Siyan pinched the bridge of his nose, his gaze full of scrutiny. "Was it you who suggested that Consort Shu go to Zizhu Manor?"
"Do you know that the seat Xu Zhaoyi is sitting in should have originally belonged to Consort Zhang? If she hadn't gone to Zizhu Manor, she would be the one lying on the bed now. I didn't realize you had such a knack for avoiding misfortune and seeking good fortune?"
"Tell me, what exactly happened?"
Zhang Chengxian met Pei Siyan's solemn gaze, his heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed hard. "Princess Yi'an is easily startled at night, so I suggested that my aunt take her to stay at the royal villa for a while..."
"Zhang Chengxian, is Princess Yi'an's problem something that just started yesterday?"
Pei Siyan's voice was calm as usual, but it was incredibly oppressive to Zhang Chengxian.
He felt a pang of panic and stammered, "It was Miss Dou who suggested it... My aunt helped her with the incident at the West Garden last time, and she was grateful and wanted to reciprocate, so she brought it up to me. She's a very skilled doctor... She wouldn't harm us, and look, she's helped us a lot!"
Pei Siyan was shocked and raised his voice, "You revealed Princess Yi'an's illness to her?"
"I didn't—" Zhang Chengxian blurted out, only realizing his mistake after he finished speaking.
Oops!
How did he let it slip?
He should have been wary of this man long ago; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable...
It seems he made a big mistake; did he betray Dou Wenyi?
Zhang Chengxian's heart was in his throat. He suddenly knelt down and performed a deep bow. "I wish to ask for Dou Wenyi's hand in marriage. I hope Your Highness will grant my request."
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