89. Poison
◎Is it really a cold?◎
Chapter 89
The next morning, Jiang Qiuye woke to an empty bed beside her. Ji Ci must have gone to court long ago. She touched the cold bed, stretched out her hands, and only then did she feel the pain of having been run over.
Fortunately, she reconciled with him, and her heart was as bright as the spring sunshine outside the house.
After finishing breakfast in the dining hall, he suddenly saw a few peaches on the table. He reached out and took them, and said with some surprise, "Where did the peaches come from when it's not this month now?"
Mingyue stepped forward and said with a smile, "Princess, these were sent from the palace these past two days. These peaches used to ripen in the middle of summer, but I never expected the peaches in Concubine Shu's palace to ripen so early. I heard she found them delicious, so she gave some to all the princes and nobles."
"Princess, would you like to eat some peaches? I will peel them for you right away."
"Wait." Jiang Qiuye looked at the peaches in his hand, as if thinking of something, "Send all the peaches in the mansion to the kitchen and prepare them for me to use later."
"Yes, Princess."
Mingyue blushed and smiled, teasing, "Is the princess planning to do something for the prince?"
Jiang Qiuye gave her a coquettish look, then stood up and walked towards the courtyard. She and Mingyue picked a few baskets of peach blossoms in the courtyard, then went into the small kitchen.
Recalling the recipe, I tried again after failing once, and finally made a dish of spring water fruit.
The fruit is pink, crystal clear, shimmering with a soft glow, smooth and soft. Inside the fruit is a peach blossom, about to bloom, topped with a sprinkle of pale yellow osmanthus crumbs.
Mingyue was stunned and swallowed, "The princess can make such a dessert?"
"Hmm." She put the fruit away and put it in the box. She looked at the time outside and saw that it was almost noon. "Spring water is rising, and peach trees and glass fruits are blooming."
She was just about to put the lid on the lunch box and take it to Ji Ci when her vision went dark. She stumbled two steps and immediately put her hands on the kitchen counter. She shook her head and regained some consciousness. Then, a familiar pain in her spine spread throughout her body, and her skin began to burn.
Jiang Qiuye took a long time to calm down before she realized that her mind had been full of ways to please Ji Ci these days, and she hadn't noticed that a month had passed since the last time, and the poison had begun to take effect.
Mingyue looked at Jiang Qiuye and saw that she seemed to be in a bad state. She asked worriedly, "Princess? Is Princess okay? Do you need me to go to the palace to call the imperial physician?"
Her eyelids couldn't stop twitching. She raised her hand and pressed her forehead, saying, "No need. I just didn't get enough rest last night."
Mingyue was stunned, remembering that she was waiting in front of the study door yesterday. Her face turned red and her heart beat fast. She lowered her head and fell silent.
Jiang Qiuye covered his head, frowned, and returned to the dormitory. He lay down on the bed and relaxed anxiously.
The last time I heard from Jinhong, she said that the new undercover agent was called Wang Fu, and after Zhang Yi's death, he took her place at Jingshan Academy. After lying down for a while, she felt that she could move a little, so she stood up and went out alone.
The temperature wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold either, yet her body felt like it was burning. She walked faster and faster, then broke into a run. There was a buzzing in her ears; the poison had taken effect, leaving her with no internal energy and dulling her senses.
When she arrived at Jingshan Academy, she hid in the backyard, waiting for Wang Fu to appear.
A moment later, Wang Fu came to Jiang Qiuye with a smile on his face and bowed to her. "Lady Qiuye, I wonder what kind of information you brought today?"
This man had a square face and straight eyebrows. Although he was respectful to her, his eyes revealed some hostility.
Jiang Qiuye lowered his head, his eyes darkening as he spoke in a low voice, "Although I've gained your trust, intelligence isn't easy to come by. I'm still searching. Give me this month's antidote first."
Wang Fuxiao looked at her, pondering for a moment before saying solemnly, "Master Qiuye, after all this time, you've gotten nothing except the list of five spies. You don't have the city defense map, and you haven't even found Benzhi. The Pavilion Master asks, what have you been doing all this time? This mission truly hasn't demonstrated even a fraction of your abilities."
Jiang Qiuye's eyelids twitched, and he said calmly, "You all know how difficult Ji Ci is. If Yan Wu is so capable, why don't you send someone else?"
Wang Fu scratched his cheek and shrugged, saying, "Master Qiuye, it's useless for you to be angry with me. It was the Pavilion Master's decision not to give you the antidote, and I had no choice. Don't worry, sir. As long as you can provide any useful information, we will immediately provide the antidote. The Pavilion Master also said that his promise is still there. If you can't hold on any longer, just return to Feiyan Pavilion. He welcomes you with open arms."
"unless......"
He paused, and a foreboding premonition crossed Jiang Qiuye's mind.
"...Unless, Master Qiuye completely betrays Feiyan Pavilion and Li State. The Pavilion Master said..."
He leaned over and leaned close to her ear. His voice came out like a ghost, as if strangling her throat. "He doesn't mind the fact that Lord Qiuye killed King Zhuojun, but this won't happen again."
As soon as he finished speaking, he withdrew, no longer paying attention to Jiang Qiuye who was standing there in a daze, and bowed as he retreated.
Jiang Qiuye's face looked a little grim. Thinking of Jinhong who had left, he actually revealed the matter of King Zhuo Jun.
This damn stupid girl, maybe I shouldn't have let her go in the first place.
The sky was a bit gloomy today, and a light drizzle soon began to fall, so some street vendors packed up their stalls and left.
Walking on the street, she suddenly seemed to sense something unusual behind her, so she stopped and turned to look around.
Street vendors, parents holding their children, and an old woman lying in a rocking chair.
Her eyes darkened, and she finally just found a medicine shop, bought some heat-reducing herbs, and went home.
She wasn't sure if she was just being overly sensitive or suspicious. If someone was really following her, who could it be? Could it be Ji Ci? Or Feiyan Pavilion?
She was now extremely reluctant to trade Ji Ci's information for the antidote. She had already lied to him relentlessly, so was he going to betray her again? It seemed she wouldn't be able to leave the palace for the next few days. She could only endure it for a while and stay out of the spotlight.
As for the antidote, she would think of another way.
She endured the burning sensation and returned to the palace. She took the herbs she bought into the kitchen and quickly made a very cold medicine. After taking it, she went back to bed and fell asleep.
It was almost dark when Ji Ci finally finished his day's work and headed back to the palace. After getting on the carriage, he pulled out a book and began flipping through it. Only after Tian Qu had also boarded did the carriage slowly return to the palace.
"What did she do today?" Ji Ci asked while flipping through the book.
Tian Qu lowered his head and said, "The princess stayed in the mansion all morning until she suddenly left in the afternoon. She first went to Jingshan Academy and met someone. After leaving, she went to a pharmacy, bought some herbs, and then went straight back to the palace."
He secretly sent four waves of secret guards to monitor her. There were already many secret guards in the palace, and she didn't know that these people's tasks had long since changed from guarding the palace to monitoring herself.
They reported Jiang Qiuye's every move to him at all times. After all, she was a Silver Ghost of Feiyan Pavilion who could destroy Dajin at any time. Since he kept her by his side, he had to be more careful in everything he did.
Now, he dared not underestimate this hypocritical woman anymore.
"Meet someone? Who did you meet?" He frowned and looked up, not knowing what he was thinking.
"This man's name is Wang Fu, and his hometown is Bianjin, Li State. After investigation, it was discovered that he was a classmate of Zhang Yi, who committed suicide. However, our people were afraid of being discovered by the princess, so they didn't dare to get too close, so we didn't hear their conversation."
"Have you checked the pharmacy?"
"We've checked. The princess bought some cold-natured medicines like honeysuckle after entering the store, then left without speaking to anyone. After our investigation, we can confirm that the pharmacy is innocent."
"I understand. Let's go." Ji Ci closed the book, raised his hand to press his temples, then closed his eyes and dozed off against the wall of the car.
Tian Qu responded, then lifted the carriage curtain and sat outside with the coachman. He reached out to catch the drizzling rain, his heart trembling. He had never imagined that the seemingly harmless princess was actually a spy from Feiyan Pavilion.
From the time he received the prince's order until now, he still hasn't been able to react.
When Ji Ci returned to the palace, it was just dinner time. He did not see Jiang Qiuye waiting for him at the palace gate as usual, and he felt a little suspicious.
She slept soundly in the dormitory. The pain and heat that penetrated deep into her bones made her feel powerless. She didn't wake up until Mingyue called her many times.
"Princess? The prince has returned home. Is the princess okay? Do you really not need a royal physician?" Mingyue looked at her with some concern.
Jiang Qiuye shook his head, sat up and took a few minutes to calm down before saying, "It's okay. I'm just too tired. I'll just need more rest. Don't talk too much to the prince."
"Yes." Mingyue helped her up from the bed, changed her into a moon-white silk dress, and tidied it up casually.
Hearing the noise coming from Guihong Courtyard, she took a deep breath, suppressed her anger, adjusted her expression, then opened the dormitory door and walked towards Ji Ci who was entering the hospital.
"My husband is back. I was a little tired today and overslept. I didn't come to the door to greet you. I hope my husband won't blame Ye'er."
She smiled sweetly and walked forward, but she didn't rush over to hug him or hold his hand like she used to. She was worried that he would notice the heat and abnormality radiating from her skin.
Ji Ci just looked at her, without touching her as he wished, and said with a soft smile: "It's okay, just sleep when you're tired."
"Well, are you hungry, my dear? Would you like to have a meal with Ye'er?"
"good."
The two of them entered the dining hall together, and the servants served the large table with dishes. Jiang Qiuye had a poor appetite and didn't eat much. Seeing Ji Ci also put down his chopsticks before finishing a bowl of rice.
She handed over the handkerchief and asked suspiciously, "My husband, do you have a poor appetite today?"
He gently wiped the corner of his lips and smiled at her, "I'm too busy with official duties, and there are a lot of documents piled up. I'm just worried."
"You don't eat much either."
Jiang Qiuye paused for a moment before speaking, "I was a little hungry this afternoon, so I couldn't help but eat something first."
"Yeah." Ji Ci waved his hand, asking the servants to clear away the remaining food on the table. Then he looked at her again and asked her indifferently, "What did you do today?"
She thought he was looking for a topic to chat with her, and she was happy. Suddenly, she remembered that she had not given him the Chunshuisheng she had made during the day, so she asked Mingyue to get it from the kitchen.
After receiving it, she placed it on the food table, opened the food box, and pushed the beautiful pink fruit towards Ji Ci. She smiled and said, "I didn't expect that Concubine Shu would actually give me peaches. I made them into this Taoyao Liuli fruit. Would you like to try it, my husband?"
Ji Ci looked at the spring water, which indeed aroused his appetite. As he scooped it out with a spoon, he asked casually, "Thank you for your help. Besides making this fruit, did you not make anything else?"
Jiang Qiuye pursed her lips, thinking that even the servants must have known about her absence, so she said, "Well, I went out for a while in the afternoon, but didn't do much. I just wandered around Shengjing and bought some medicinal herbs to bring back home."
Ji Ci paused the spoon on his lips, raised his eyes to look at her innocent face, smiled slightly, turned the spoon, and handed it to Jiang Qiuye's lips, "Thank you for your hard work today, Ye'er. No wonder you look so tired after sleeping for so long. Ye'er, eat first."
Jiang Qiuye lowered her eyes and looked at the transparent fruit flesh on the spoon. She felt a little happy in her heart. She looked at him with her peach blossom eyes raised, lowered her head and swallowed the piece of fruit flesh.
It is cool, sweet and elastic, and it is worthy of being made by myself.
"Husband, eat quickly too."
"Okay." Ji Ci reached out and rubbed the top of her head, then lowered his head and ate all of the Chun Shui Sheng, leaving nothing behind.
It is indeed delicious, sweet but not greasy, worthy of her craftsmanship.
At night, Jiang Qiuye lingered in the bathroom for a long time. She didn't use the hot water, but only used the cold water beside to rinse herself. When she quietly poked her head out, she found that Ji Ci had already fallen asleep from exhaustion.
She breathed a sigh of relief, at least it wouldn't be so easy to discover her abnormality.
Unlike the last winter when the poison broke out, the temperature is rising sharply even at night. The poison rises more violently when it comes into contact with this temperature in the body.
She stumbled slightly, accidentally bumping into the gilded basin beside her, making a noise. Her heart trembled, and she immediately looked towards the bed, only to see that he was still sleeping, seemingly unaware of the noise.
She tiptoed over, blew out the candle, and then climbed onto the side of the bed, away from him, trying to fall asleep.
Even at night, she felt a slight sense of oppression. She dared not toss and turn, unable to fall asleep. The pain of the ants, like a burning fire, radiated through every inch of her skin, reaching her fingertips and scalp.
Unable to bear it any longer, she endured the pain without crying out, opened her eyes, and glanced sideways at him, who was still sleeping soundly. She gently lifted the covers and stood up, then climbed out of bed, left the dormitory, closed the door, and ran straight to the small kitchen.
Ji Ci hadn't actually fallen asleep yet, and when she closed the door, he opened his eyes. He looked at the empty room, then finally got up, casually put on a coat, and quietly went out.
It was late at night and all around was silent, with only the small kitchen lighted.
Confused, he headed for the small kitchen. He peeked in and saw Jiang Qiuye, lightly dressed, cooking something that looked like medicine. The honeysuckle on the table must have been the medicine she'd bought earlier that day.
Jiang Qiuye didn't notice the figure at the door, but just shook his legs and rubbed his arms anxiously.
After a while, she poured the cooked medicine into the bowl. When she was about to turn around and drink it, Ji Ci's voice suddenly rang out, "What are you doing?"
She was startled and her hand shook, and the bowl in her hand fell to the ground and shattered into pieces.
She looked up at Ji Ci who was approaching, and suddenly she could not find an excuse to be so sneaky at this moment. She looked down at the broken porcelain bowl on the ground, and her heart was burning even more unbearable.
Seeing that she seemed to want to squat down to pick up the fragments, he frowned and immediately stepped forward to grab her wrist and pull her away, "Let the servants do it."
But the warmth of his palm froze him. He looked at her dazed face and asked, "Why is it so hot? You have a fever."
Jiang Qiuye's mind was still lingering on the moment he had discovered her. Her head was growing increasingly dizzy, and she turned to look at him with a worried look. Feeling him raise a large hand and cover her forehead, she shuddered. The cool touch made her feel a little better, and she tried to move in that direction.
"I'll send for the doctor."
Ji Ci put down his hand and was about to turn around, but was grabbed by Jiang Qiuye.
She licked her dry lips and shook her head at him, saying, "No need, my husband. It's already midnight. Besides, I just have a cold and a fever. Have you forgotten that I understand pharmacology? I can make some medicine myself and I'll be fine after taking it."
He felt even more anxious when he saw Jiang Qiuye, who was shaking and seemed unable to even stand steadily.
Did you really catch a cold?
A gust of hot wind blew in from outside the house. Jiang Qiuye's vision became increasingly blurred, her bones ached, and she suddenly felt her stomach churning. She thought to herself that something was wrong and wanted to escape immediately.
But before he could move, he spat out a mouthful of blood, which splashed onto the clothes in front of him and then onto his cheek.
"Ye'er--" Ji Ci was horrified, his pupils contracted in an instant, his heart suddenly sank to the bottom, he immediately stepped forward to support her who seemed to have fainted, his face turning pale and blue.
He picked him up, walked out of the small kitchen, and shouted "Someone come here". The entire Guihong Courtyard was instantly brightly lit. The servants only had time to put on their coats and go out. Before they could fully open their eyes, they saw Prince Qi holding the princess who had vomited blood. Everyone was in a mess like birds and beasts.
Ji Ci carried the person back to the bedroom and immediately asked someone to call the imperial physician.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
