Chapter 12 Chestnuts
In the days that followed, Ye Xunyang strictly managed Lou Jin's diet and daily routine.
He supervised Lou Jin to ensure he took his medicine and ate his meals on time every day, without fail.
And on a fine afternoon, he took Lou Jin for a leisurely stroll in the garden of the Prince's Mansion, ostensibly to stretch his muscles and absorb yang energy.
Lou Jin let him do as he pleased, and most of the time he just silently cooperated.
He found that when Ye Xunyang was around making a ruckus, the pain in his body would indeed lessen considerably, and even his spirits would improve.
Ye Xunyang also managed the Wangfu's accounts and such in a very professional manner.
Although he was impatient with trivial matters, he was clear-headed and fair in important matters. With the help of the steward, the palace not only did not cause any trouble, but was even more orderly than before.
At first, the servants were somewhat hesitant and suspicious of the princess, but seeing that she was fair in her dealings and kind to her subordinates, and that the prince was clearly very indulgent, they gradually put aside their thoughts and focused on doing their jobs well.
Ye Xunyang didn't stay in the mansion all day. He would occasionally return to the general's mansion to visit his mother, or go to the training grounds in the suburbs of Beijing to ride horses and shoot arrows to stretch his muscles.
Every time he came back, he would bring Lou Jin some novel street food and tell him about his experiences outside.
Lou Jin, confined to his sickbed and the Prince's mansion, found his vivid and lively descriptions quite interesting.
That evening, Ye Xunyang brought back a bag of freshly roasted chestnuts from outside and excitedly ran to the study in the main courtyard.
"Your Highness, try this! It's hot, fragrant, and sweet!" He peeled a golden chestnut and handed it to Lou Jin.
Lou Jin looked at his fingers, which were slightly red from being burned by the chestnut shell, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the chestnut, putting it in his mouth.
The sweet and soft texture melts on the tongue, it's really good.
"How is it?" Ye Xunyang asked eagerly.
"It's acceptable," Lou Jin said calmly, but Ye Xunyang immediately beamed with joy, as if he had received a great compliment.
"I told you it would be delicious!" Ye Xunyang said as he started peeling chestnuts himself.
"I went to the training ground today and met an old bodyguard. He said his family's ancestral muscle-relaxing oil is particularly effective. I'll get some for you to try later..."
In the candlelight, Ye Xunyang's cheeks glowed with a healthy rosy hue, his eyes were bright, and his mouth was constantly talking.
Lou Jin watched him quietly, the strange feeling in his heart becoming clearer and clearer.
He seems... to have gotten used to having this person around.
"Your Highness?"
Ye Xunyang noticed that Lou Jin was lost in thought, so he waved his hand in front of his eyes.
"What are you thinking about? Are you tired?"
Lou Jin snapped out of his reverie and coughed lightly twice, covering his mouth: "It's alright. It's getting late, and you've had a long day. Go back and rest early."
Ye Xunyang glanced at the water clock; it was indeed getting late.
He patted the chestnut crumbs off his hands, stood up, and said, "Alright, Your Highness, you should go to bed early too. Don't read anymore; it's too taxing on your mind."
He walked to the door, then remembered something and turned back, saying, "Oh right, I've arranged for someone to inquire about a doctor who has returned from traveling in the southern borderlands tomorrow. He's said to have some unique skills, so maybe he can help."
Lou Jin nodded: "Be careful."
"Okay!" Ye Xunyang waved and left, closing the door behind him.
The study returned to silence, with only the faint sweet aroma of chestnuts lingering in the air.
Lou Jin turned his wheelchair to the window, gazed at the sparse stars in the night sky, and after a long while, let out a barely audible sigh.
Ye Xunyang had just returned to his room and finished washing up when he felt inexplicably uneasy. He felt that Lou Jin's coughing sounded more suppressed than usual that evening.
He hesitated for a moment, then put on his coat and decided to go back to the main courtyard for another look.
Just as they reached the main courtyard gate, they heard a violent coughing fit coming from inside, followed by Wang Quan's terrified whisper: "Your Highness! Blood... he's vomiting blood!"
Ye Xunyang's heart sank, and he immediately pushed open the door and rushed in.
Lou Jin was slumped beside the wheelchair, with dark red bloodstains splattered on the ground. His face was ashen, and there were still glaring bloodstains on his lips. He was barely breathing.
"Your Highness!" Ye Xunyang stepped forward in one swift motion, disregarding everything else, and bent down to pick up Lou Jin in his arms.
The weight in his hands was so light it startled him. He carefully placed the person on the bed, and it was ice-cold to the touch.
"Quickly! Summon the imperial physician!" Ye Xunyang roared at Wang Quan, his voice trembling.
Wang Quan suddenly realized what was happening and scrambled out to call for help.
Ye Xunyang wrung out a damp towel and carefully wiped away the bloodstains from Lou Jin's lips. Seeing Lou Jin's pained expression with his eyes tightly closed and brows furrowed, Ye Xunyang felt extremely distressed.
She was perfectly fine this afternoon, how could she suddenly...?
The physician rushed over with his medicine box, and his expression immediately turned serious upon seeing Lou Jin's condition.
He quickly stepped forward to take Lou Jin's pulse, pressing his fingers against Lou Jin's wrist. After a moment, his expression changed drastically: "Your Highness, this pulse... is a sign of poisoning!"
"Poisoned?" Ye Xunyang and Wang Quan exclaimed in unison, both shocked.
"How is that possible? The prince's diet and medicine today have been strictly as usual, and have been tested for poison by others!" Wang Quan said urgently, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
"Investigate! Investigate everything the Prince has come into contact with today—his food, tea, medicine, even incense and clothing." Ye Xunyang forced himself to calm down and ordered in a deep voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.
Wang Quan immediately accepted the order and led his trusted men to thoroughly search the main courtyard, turning it inside out.
Soon, the results came back: everything the prince used today was the same as usual, and the person who tested the poison showed no discomfort.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly froze. If everything the prince had come into contact with was fine, then where did the poison come from?
Just then, a dark figure appeared silently in the corner of the room like a ghost; it was none other than the secret guard Shan Lan.
His cold gaze swept across the scene, finally settling on Ye Xunyang, and he reminded him in a flat tone: "Your Highness had some roasted chestnuts that the Princess brought back after dinner tonight."
As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes were immediately focused on Ye Xunyang.
Ye Xunyang was taken aback at first, then a sense of absurdity overwhelmed him, and he blurted out: "Chestnuts? I ate those chestnuts too. If they were poisonous, how come I'm fine?"
He found it utterly absurd. He had watched a street vendor roast chestnuts on the spot, and he had eaten several himself because he was greedy. He thought they were delicious, so he brought them back for Lou Jin to try. How could it be considered poisoning Lou Jin?
Wang Quan hesitated. After spending so much time together, he really didn't want to believe that this straightforward princess would do such a thing.
But Shan Lan didn't care about any of that. He only obeyed Lou Jin, and any existence that posed a threat to his master had to be eliminated.
A flash of cold light appeared, and Shan Lan's short sword was already drawn. The cold, sharp blade was instantly placed against Ye Xunyang's neck, exuding a chilling killing intent.
"Speak! Who is behind this?"
Ye Xunyang was stunned at first, then a surge of anger rushed to his head.
He kindly brought back food, yet he was slandered like this. Ye Xunyang has always been upright and honest, and has never suffered such injustice.
"Order you my foot!"
Ye Xunyang roared angrily, not caring about anything else at the moment. He suddenly leaned back to avoid the blade, and at the same time, his hand moved like lightning to parry Shan Lan's wrist holding the knife.
Although he was caught off guard, his instincts from years of martial arts training remained, and he immediately began to fight Shan Lan in the not-so-spacious inner room.
Fists and kicks flew, tables and chairs overturned, and the sound of porcelain shattering was incessant.
Ye Xunyang's martial arts style was fierce and powerful, while Shan Lan's was unpredictable and ruthless. The two fought fiercely and were evenly matched.
Wang Quan and the physician watched in horror, but were unable to get close at all.
"Stop...cough cough...Shanlan...stop..."
Amidst the chaos, Lou Jin's faint yet clear voice came from the bed.
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