Chapter 269 Taking a Concubine
Yun Jiaoyue recalled his obsession and obsession with Yun Zhaoxue in the later part of his previous life, and how he did not hesitate to use her son as a threat to forcibly lock her up by his side. A strong sense of crisis welled up in her heart.
"Your Highness, who is this young lady?"
Before Zhao Xuan could answer, the woman stepped forward and bowed to Yun Jiaoyue, saying, "You must be Madam? Yingxue greets Madam."
Yun Jiaoyue was so jealous that she turned her head away and ignored her.
They are now facing numerous crises, having to deal with the imperial court and an unknown future.
How could he still be in the mood to take a concubine?
He's only focused on indulging in pleasure and neglecting his greater cause. How can he possibly ascend to that throne? Can he even become empress?
Yingxue secretly observed her, and when she saw her like this, a dark glint flashed in her lowered eyes.
Yun Jiaoyue bit her lip and gave Zhao Xuan a reproachful look.
Zhao Xuan knew she was jealous, so he pulled her aside and whispered, "Her name is similar to the person in my dream; they both have the character 'snow' in their names."
He had already concluded that the person in his dream was not Yun Jiaoyue.
Last night, I met Su Yingxue at Qingyue Tower. When I saw her being bullied and harassed by the other girls, she used her beauty to get a customer's help to fight back.
He valued the ambition and cunning in her eyes.
Her face and figure overlapped with the one in my dream; they must be the same person.
It's a waste of talent for someone like that to stay in a small place like Qingyue Tower.
We should make the most of this life.
He cultivated her into one of his own, sent her to Jiangnan to maneuver, infiltrate the rebel army or gather information from those powerful and influential people, paving the way for his future trip to Jiangnan.
"Your Highness intends to..." train her as a pawn?
Zhao Xuan grasped her hand, patted the back of it, and smiled slightly. "No one understands me better than Yue'er."
Yun Jiaoyue bowed slightly in apology, "It turns out that I misunderstood Your Highness. I apologize to Your Highness."
She was so confused; she actually misunderstood that His Highness was only concerned with romantic love.
She wasn't a confidante, just a pawn.
As a princess, she should be more magnanimous and take the initiative to cultivate and train her to become His Highness's assistant.
In an instant, he changed his tune, calling Yingxue "little sister" this and "little sister" that.
Liu Yiyi and Su Wanwan peeked out and saw what was happening, finding it unbelievable.
Su Wanwan said, "Has she lost her mind? She doesn't seem to mind the woman His Highness brought back at all?"
"She must be outmatched by us and wants to find an ally, so it's two against two."
Liu Yiyi said, "When have we ever been able to compete with her? His Highness dotes on her and loves her, but he doesn't even glance at us."
Su Wanwan, “…”
She grabbed Liu Yiyi's arm and shook it, "Yiyi, whose side are you on?"
Liu Yiyi said, "I'm just telling the truth, Wanwan, why don't you apologize to His Highness?"
Su Wanwan pouted, "Admit a mistake? Why should I admit a mistake? What did I do wrong?"
“You were wrong to talk back to His Highness that day. He has ignored us for the past few days, and the servants don’t respect us either.”
Liu Yiyi has always been law-abiding and was taught from a young age that a woman's husband is her heaven, and wives and concubines cannot talk back to their husbands, otherwise they will be sent back to their parents' home.
“I don’t accept it. He stood by and did nothing when I was dying, and when I wanted to seek justice for myself, he sided with that woman. If I still have feelings for him, then I’m being pathetic. I won’t, never again.”
Su Wanwan is straightforward and honest; once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it.
Liu Yiyi stopped trying to persuade them. If they made things worse and angered Zhao Xuan and Yun Jiaoyue, they would be the ones who suffered.
Su Wanwan urgently needed to urinate and, leaning on her crutch, went to the restroom. At the corner, she accidentally bumped into someone. "Ah!"
The other person instinctively reached out and grabbed her waist, pulling her up with a strong force.
Su Wanwan was afraid of falling, so she held his shoulders tightly with both hands.
With their combined strength, Su Wanwan crashed into his chest.
She couldn't see the man's face clearly, but she could feel his strong masculine presence. His hand was wrapped around her waist, and she felt taken advantage of. She struggled frantically and pounded on his chest, yelling, "What kind of lecher is this? Let go, let go..."
Zhao Jiu protested his innocence, "Do you think I wanted to take advantage of you? You have a leg injury. If I let go, you would fall. You stood up on your own, and then I let go."
When Su Wanwan saw it was him, she grabbed his arm. "It's you! Why didn't you say so sooner? I thought it was someone else. Don't say anything yet, my leg hurts and I can't stand steadily. I dropped my crutches..."
She couldn't put weight on her injured foot; she was practically bearing weight on one foot without any support, or she would fall.
Zhao Jiu supported her with one hand, bent down slightly, picked up the cane, and handed it to her. "Take this, and stand still..."
After helping her stand properly, Zhao Jiu took a step and left.
Su Wanwan grabbed him again, "Wait, where are you going later?"
She's so bored.
Liu Yiyi was busy embroidering handkerchiefs, purses, shoes, and clothes to give to Zhao Xuan as a birthday gift next month, so she didn't have time to chat with her.
Her leg was injured again, so she couldn't go anywhere. She wanted to find someone to talk to, but apart from Zhao Jiu, she wasn't very familiar with anyone else.
Zhao Jiu was in a hurry to leave, so he quickly said, "Brother Liao asked me to rent a carriage so we can go pick up the divine doctor and he can come over to detoxify everyone."
"A miracle doctor? You're going to find a miracle doctor?" When Su Wanwan heard that he was going to pick up a miracle doctor, she hopped on one leg in front of him, but lost her balance and bumped into his arms.
Zhao Jiu reached out and grabbed her arm, helping her to stand firm. "My dear aunt, men and women shouldn't touch each other. We need to keep our distance. I don't want people to misunderstand that we're in a relationship."
Su Wanwan gripped his arm tightly. "Oh, I'm not afraid, what are you, a man, afraid of? Is the 'miracle doctor' the legendary Dr. Hua who can heal the dead and bring flesh back to life?"
"Yes, it's Doctor Hua."
"When he comes, could you ask him to take a look at my feet? My feet are so swollen, and my knee has a big lump that has turned bluish-purple. Every step I take is excruciatingly painful. Ordinary doctors can't cure it at all, and the more they treat it, the more painful it gets. If I use the miracle doctor's Black Jade Broken Heart Plaster, I will recover quickly."
"Well... I can't make that decision either."
“I don’t know the miracle doctor either. When you pick him up, try to get close to him and then say some good things about me to him. That way, it will be much easier for me to find him later.”
Zhao Jiu felt that their relationship wasn't that good yet, mainly because Brother Liao said he should keep his distance from other people's wives and concubines.
He dared not agree. "The miracle doctor is kind-hearted and saves people. Talk to him nicely and show him your sincerity. Maybe it will work. Give it a try."
"You bumped into me and took advantage of me. You have to help me! I'm dragging my broken leg on the road. Without a carriage, I can't walk on one leg at all. I'll die. But I don't want to die. Zhao Jiu, please."
Su Wanwan clasped her hands together, pouted, her eyes drooped, and her whole face was full of grievances, making her look pitiful.
Zhao Jiu softened, ignoring Lao Liao's warning, and readily agreed, "Okay, I'll try my best. I have to go now."
"Go ahead, go ahead." Su Wanwan's pitiful expression faded, replaced by a smile as she waved slightly.
This guy is really funny. Unlike other guards, he's not fierce at all and is easily swayed by emotions.
Zhao Jiu prepared a carriage and went with Lao Liao to pick up the person.
Xiao Mingshu had been bored at the inn these past few days, so she asked Hua Murong for medical advice. She used to enjoy reading medical books and tinkering with herbs.
She reflected on herself. She didn't know martial arts and had no special skills. Her only strengths were that she could cook a few dishes and had a beautiful appearance. But one day her appearance would fade and she would lose her beauty. She couldn't cook as well as a professional chef.
She talked to Yun Zhaoxue.
Yun Zhaoxue told her to learn and study whatever interests her, that it would take three years to get into the industry and five years to become an expert, and then a few more years to improve. As long as she wasn't too stupid, she could become a leader in the industry.
She couldn't say what she was interested in, so Yun Zhaoxue suggested that she try more things and learn them to find out what she was interested in.
She wanted to try studying medicine, not wanting to waste such a valuable resource as a miracle doctor, and hoping to have the opportunity to become an apprentice at a medical clinic for practical learning in the future.
The three of them boarded the carriage driven by Zhao Jiu and arrived at the manor. A large crowd was standing at the entrance of the manor. When they saw the carriage arrive, they shouted in unison, "Greetings, Divine Physician!"
Old Liao was the first to jump off the carriage, waving to them and saying, "Who let you out? The divine doctor doesn't like to be high-profile, go back now!"
"Oh." They turned back.
Hua Murong led Xiao Mingshu and her brother down from the carriage and followed them into the house.
The patients were all placed in the west wing, and apart from their families bringing them food, no one dared to approach them.
There were too many patients inside, so they set up a table in the courtyard of the west wing and had the escorts bring the patients out for treatment.
Physician Chen warned, "Please be careful, divine physician, their fingernails have turned black; they are poisonous."
"Thank you, I understand."
Several imperial physicians, including Physician Chen, came to help and, incidentally, to learn their skills.
Hua Murong observed the several scratches on the man's arm. Having previously worked with Yun Zhaoxue to detoxify the Xiao family's secret guards, she had experience in detoxification. By examining the wounds and taking their pulses, she discovered that they had been poisoned by the same type of poison.
Take seven gold needles, first puncture Baihui to refresh the mind, then puncture Fengchi and Dazhui to dispel wind and evil, cover Quchi and Hegu to unblock the meridians of the upper limbs, and finally insert the needle into Yongquan to force all the toxins in his body to the surface of his skin.
Once the trembling of the golden needles stopped, I took a thin-bladed willow-leaf knife and made a dozen shallow cuts along the meridians, from which black blood seeped out like dew.
The wound was repeatedly washed with a secret medicinal wine made from Lingquan water, supplemented by moxibustion on the Guanyuan acupoint.
He then instructed Xiao Mingshu and Xiao Xuanwu to set up a large pot in the courtyard and boil a special detoxifying soup made with spiritual spring water, which he had prepared, and to have them drink it later.
After the medicine was prepared, it was fed to the injured. Half an hour later, the bluish-purple color on their lips gradually faded.
Physician Chen casually squatted down to take the pulse of a nearby patient. As the pulse gradually returned to normal, he excitedly said, "The poison is gone! It's gone! Divine Physician, you truly deserve to be called a divine physician. We studied for a whole day and night but could not completely detoxify the poison. We could only temporarily control the toxicity and prevent the poison from spreading throughout the body."
"The doctor is truly amazing."
The families of the injured knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you so much for saving our lives, doctor."
Hua Murong waved his hand and said, "You're welcome, you're welcome. I was just doing this for someone else."
Don't bother him anymore, whether you need him or not. He hates trouble.
Entrusted by someone?
When everyone saw Xiao Mingshu and Xiao Xuanwu, they guessed what had happened, but they didn't say anything, because they owed the Xiao family another favor.
Su Wanwan brought all her valuables, leaned on her cane, and hurried over.
When she rushed to the divine doctor, she threw away her crutches, slowly knelt down and kowtowed, "Divine doctor, save me! My leg is broken. Please heal my leg and give me a bottle of Black Jade Broken Leg Ointment so that my leg can heal as soon as possible. Otherwise, I will die from exhaustion while being exiled with my broken leg. Divine doctor, you are a living bodhisattva who saves people. Please save my life. This is all the money I have on me. When my family sends money, I will give you another thousand taels for consultation."
She was sincere.
On his way here, Hua Murong had heard Zhao Jiu mention that someone was seeking medical help.
Zhao Jiu asked him if he could cure the patient, and he replied that he would decide later, guessing that it was this person in front of him.
Su Wanwan cried with tears streaming down her face.
At this moment, Yun Jiaoyue also came over.
"Divine doctor, my mother's face has been burned and disfigured. She needs the Ice Skin Jade Dew Ointment."
“Su Shi, your leg injury isn’t serious. Any other doctor could treat it. Why bother the divine physician? Guards, take her away.” Yun Jiaoyue waved her hand, and the maids behind her stepped forward to grab her.
Hua Murong waved his hand and left, saying, "As I said, today I will only treat the poison, not anything else. You two should find someone more capable."
Yun Jiaoyue took two steps to catch up: "Divine Doctor, please wait, my mother has also been poisoned."
"Madam Yun was also poisoned? How come I didn't see any signs of poisoning on her, only that she was disfigured? Princess Xuan, you must tell the truth and not deceive the divine physician."
Yun Jiaoyue said, "I am not lying. The divine doctor can tell at a glance. Please come with me."
Wang was poisoned, but she deliberately kept it a secret because she wanted revenge.
She dismissed the maidservant guarding her and sneaked into Yun Xiuwen's room.
Yun Xiuwen, lying in bed, fell ill from the shock of Wang Shi's disfigured and half-burned face. He had been bedridden for several days, lost his appetite, and lost a lot of weight.
I ate breakfast and then fell into a deep sleep, not waking up even when I heard the door open.
Wang revealed her long, black fingernails, her eyes filled with a bloodthirsty ferocity, and reached out to grab Yun Xiuwen's neck.
His voice was rough and unpleasant, "Yun Xiuwen, today is the day you two die!"
Kill him, then kill the Chen family.
If he hadn't stabbed her, she wouldn't have been lying in bed unable to move, helplessly watching the fire spread to her body.
Let her die, all of you, go to hell.
He grabbed Yun Xiuwen's neck with both hands, his nails digging deep into his flesh.
"Ugh... Ugh..." Yun Xiuwen was jerked awake, his eyes wide open, his pupils bulging, his cheeks flushed red, trying to pry open the clamps on his neck, kicking his legs wildly.
Yun Xiuwen pulled out a dagger from under his pillow, intending to kill her.
Wang grabbed his hand and stabbed him in the abdomen with a knife.
"Pfft~"
"Well……"
Yun Xiuwen clutched his wound, his face contorted in pain, his body tense and trembling, blood trickling from the corner of his lips. "Wang, how dare you murder your husband! You have violated the seven grounds for divorce! My Yun clan will never let you go..."
Wang gripped the hilt of the knife and twisted it forcefully, silencing him. "Hmph! I've already committed the seven grounds for divorce, what can they do to me? I've killed you, what can they do to me then? In the future, won't they have to rely on me, my Ze'er, and my Yue'er to survive? Without us, he would have starved to death long ago."
"Yang'er, my poor son, your mother has finally avenged you. Rest in peace in the afterlife."
A figure walked to the door, saw the scene inside, and covered his mouth tightly, afraid to make a sound.
Yun Xiuwen caught a glimpse of that figure out of the corner of his eye and reached out to ask for help.
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