Chapter 89 Shen Nanzi thanks Xie Yu

Chapter 89 Shen Nanzi thanks Xie Yu

"Would you mind coming up for a chat?" asked the person inside the carriage.

Lie Feng cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, "Please speak frankly!"

The person in the carriage smiled and said to him, "As expected of Grand Commandant Shen, you speak so frankly."

Lie Feng, unaware of the man's purpose in striking up a conversation with him, arbitrarily remained silent.

"You have been in charge of palace security for forty-five days, captured four assassins alive, and quelled two small-scale riots with zero casualties."

"Your name has already quietly made its mark within the Imperial Guard."

"Your past experience proves your abilities."

"Not only are you skilled, but more importantly, you're ruthless and fearless. In the future, promotion will be a piece of cake."

Lie Feng coldly observed the newcomer, wondering why he had said so much.

"Would you be willing to take on another position under our master?"

Without a second thought, Lie Feng immediately refused, "I refuse!"

He then took a step forward.

The carriage rolled along with his steps, the curtains swaying with the wheels, and the person inside continued speaking.

“Our master never extends invitations lightly, truly because he sees General Lie Zhonglang as someone of extraordinary talent and cherishes his abilities.”

"You are new to officialdom and probably don't know much about the situation in the court."

"Here is a picture that will give you a clear picture."

"Thank you, but no need," Lie Feng declined again.

"Now is a time of great change, and those important officials are all making choices."

"Why are they all making choices? It's because they have foresight. They are either looking out for their families or for themselves, and they are all trying their best to find a way out."

"Now that you've entered this officialdom, you'll have to make a choice sooner or later."

"Wherever Grand Commandant Shen goes, I will go. No need for you to worry." Lie Feng already knew about this man's actions, so he refused again without hesitation.

"Grand Commandant Shen is currently maintaining a neutral stance, but some things cannot be avoided simply by not choosing to participate."

"It will push you along, leaving you with no choice. By then, it will be too late to choose."

"Or rather, if Grand Commandant Shen chooses the wrong path, who can escape unscathed!"

"General Lie, you are not unaware of the fate of those who fail!"

"Now, it's not just you who has multiple choices; everyone in the court is in danger. These multiple choices are all being made in secret."

"When that day comes, you'll know the benefits of having more options."

"Moreover, having rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor, there is no fear that he will not be promoted and rise rapidly in rank in the future."

"If a man lives in this world and doesn't take risks, he won't know where his destiny will end."

"Who rules the world? And those around them rise and fall with them!"

"If you want to be a superior person and no longer have to be servile, you must use all your skills."

Lie Feng's eyes flickered slightly, like a pebble being thrown into a lake.

"At that time, whatever you think or desire will be delivered to you without you having to say a word."

"His words were: After the matter is accomplished, you may choose from the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers."

Seeing that Lie Feng remained unmoved, the man stuffed a letter into Lie Feng's hand.

"Since General Lie Zhonglang is unwilling to get in the carriage for a thorough discussion, we can observe the current situation before making a decision."

"I will not trouble General Lie any longer and await your good news."

After saying that, the man lowered the carriage curtain, and the wheels rolled away.

Lie Feng watched the carriage leave, the letter in his hand like a heavy lock, striking his heart.

＊

Charcoal was burning in the Princess's courtyard, cart after cart of it, and herbs were being transported in baskets, filling half of the Prince Jing's residence with the smell of medicine.

The servants in the courtyard have all lost weight from exhaustion.

In ten days, it felt like ten years had passed for my great-aunt; the wrinkles on her face had deepened even more.

She brought the medicine into the room as usual and saw Prince Jing carefully feeding her porridge.

His hair was disheveled, his face was haggard, his lips were pale and chapped, and a ring of bluish stubble appeared on his chin.

Severe lack of rest caused dark circles under his eyes, and his once well-fitting outer robe became loose, making him feel somewhat unsteady as he sat on the edge of the bed.

In the past few years, my aunt had never seen Prince Jing look like this.

Every time they come here, they are impeccably dressed and exude an imposing aura.

"Your Highness Prince Jing, please go and rest. Leave the rest to this old servant!"

My aunt would say this many times a day, but Prince Jing would always turn a deaf ear.

The room was completely silent, except for the sound of his spoon scraping against the rim of the bowl.

His hand held firmly as he fed Shen Nanzi the porridge.

One bite and she can live again.

The doctor said that as long as a person can eat and drink, there is hope.

So he spared no effort in feeding her.

Even if a bite slips right off her lips, he will still repeat the process over and over again.

Even if he only eats a small portion of a bowl of porridge all day, he's still happy.

She can live as long as she can eat.

However, he painfully realized that he couldn't speak to her; the moment he opened his mouth, her brows furrowed.

Afterwards, she would have nightmares, and her body movements would easily aggravate her wounds, causing her to cry from the pain.

Every time he saw her frown, his heart ached. She loathed him so much that she couldn't even bear to hear his voice.

So he shut his mouth, afraid that she would have nightmares and hurt herself, and had not spoken for many days.

He heard the sound of water, put down the white porcelain bowl in his hand, and took the half-wet towel from his aunt.

He skillfully unbuttoned her clothes, looked at the blackened and scabbed wound, and gently wiped it with his fingers.

When his other hand accidentally touched her skin, his fingertips paused for a moment.

A hint of disbelief flickered in his dazed eyes.

I touched it again, and it felt slightly cool.

He quickly pressed his head against her chest.

In an instant, his eyes changed, revealing a long-lost light.

He couldn't wait to place his hand on her forehead.

...and a slight chill in the air.

He handed the handkerchief to his aunt and then put his hand under her armpit.

His aunt, who was waiting nearby, was startled by his sudden action, and her breathing became a little shallow.

She was terrified that Prince Jing would say the most horrible things; her heart was in her throat, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

"Auntie, please check if her temperature has dropped!"

Xie Yan's eyes held surprise, not sadness.

When her aunt saw clearly, half of her anxiety instantly subsided, and she immediately placed her palm on Shen Nanzi's forehead.

"It's gone! Princess Jing's high fever has subsided!"

Even my great-aunt herself didn't realize just how happy she was.

Then, still not entirely at ease, he placed his finger under Shen Nanzi's nose, feeling a faint breath swirling around it.

My great-aunt was overjoyed, she just clasped her hands together and muttered something to herself.

"Thank God, the princess's fever has finally subsided."

"Thank God, the princess has pulled through!"

After Auntie finished speaking happily, she turned around and found Prince Jing lying by the bedside.

Auntie was startled again. She checked his breath and then patted her chest.

"Thank goodness, thank goodness, he just fainted, he's not dead!"

He hurriedly went out to summon the imperial physician.

When the imperial physician came to take his pulse, it was discovered that Prince Jing was taking care of Princess Jing despite his own illness, and that this was due to overexertion.

After a few days of rest, you will recover.

The fact that Shen Nanzi's high fever has subsided indicates that the critical period of her illness has passed.

Although she was weak, she was no longer in mortal danger.

Even if you haven't woken up, it's just that your body is recovering, so there's no need to worry too much.

These were the most pleasant words the imperial physicians had uttered in recent days.

Just then, Grand Commandant Shen came to visit, and for a moment, the atmosphere in Princess Jing's courtyard became like that of the New Year.

Later that evening, Consort Wei unexpectedly came to Prince Jing's residence to visit him in his illness, accompanied by the Sixth Prince.

They first went to visit Xie Yan, who was in a coma, and then came to Princess Jing's courtyard.

Standing in the courtyard full of spring colors, Consort Wei couldn't help but ask her aunt.

"Have Prince Jing and his wife always lived in separate courtyards?"

Consort Wei was practically an empress, so her ability to leave the palace to visit the sick must have been at the emperor's behest.

The aunt dared not tell a lie and answered truthfully, "Your Highness, this has always been the case."

Upon hearing this, Consort Wei couldn't help but glance at Xie Yu.

Xie Yu urged, "Mother, go and see Princess Jing. I'll wait outside."

Consort Wei glared at him. She wondered what he had been busy with these days, as his cheeks had become thinner and thinner.

Her chin used to be a bit chubby, but now her jawline is clearly defined!

She secretly mentioned to the Emperor several times in the palace that she would visit Prince Jing in her name.

Consort Wei knew perfectly well that his relationship with Prince Jing was so-so, but he did have things to say to Princess Jing.

If Shen Nanzi hadn't been so focused on Prince Jing, she would have suspected her son of having ulterior motives.

Xie Yu looked at Consort Wei with an open and honest expression, showing no sign of anything unusual.

However, this was the expression on my aunt's face after she informed Princess Jing that she was unharmed.

He had looked serious and preoccupied before.

Consort Wei did not delay any longer and allowed her aunt to lead her into the house to visit.

Not long after Consort Wei entered the room, the deep and ethereal sound of the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument) rang out from the courtyard outside.

The sound was as mournful as barren earth, like a parched field with huge cracks, desperately needing a downpour to save it.

Summoned by a melancholic rhythm, dark clouds loom overhead, swallows fly low, and the air is thick with the earthy smell of soil.

Then came a clap of thunder, followed by lightning and thunder.

The torrential rain arrived as expected.

The parched earth gasped for breath, breathing in the long-awaited sweet spring water.

In a desolate corner, darkness followed like a shadow.

As Shen Nanzi listened to the ancient sound of the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument), it was as if she were being called by someone familiar.

It was as if someone was forcefully tearing the darkness apart from the outside, trying to take her out of this long-lost place of confinement.

She wanted to go out too, so she cooperated with all her might.

Consort Wei looked at Shen Nanzi on the bed, her eyelids twitching frequently. She couldn't help but softly call out, "Princess Jing, can you hear my voice?"

"If you heard that, wake up quickly!"

"Cheng'er must miss his mother. Please wake up soon so that Cheng'er can call out to his mother."

Upon hearing Cheng'er's name, Shen Nanzi felt as if an endless spring had been poured into a parched wasteland.

In an instant, the darkness was torn apart, and my eyes opened.

Consort Wei and her aunt stared at her in disbelief.

"woke up!"

The two were overjoyed and exclaimed in unison.

Those outside heard the sounds coming from inside the house, and the xun's sound instantly became light and soothing, like a babbling brook or leaping fish.

"Princess Jing has woken up!"

The sound seemed to have wings and quickly reached Xie Yan's courtyard.

Stone brought two meals from the large kitchen and placed them on the stone table in the courtyard.

He handed one copy to Wuying and kept one for himself.

The two of them then held their rice bowls and ate their food.

Halfway through the meal, Stone, his face dark with displeasure, finally couldn't contain his unease and said to Shadowless:

"Princess Jing has woken up!"

Wu Ying was slightly surprised. "When did this happen?"

Inside the room, Xie Yan listened to the sounds outside the window. Suddenly, his eyes, which had been closed, opened, revealing a crimson glow inside.

He was so shocked that it felt like a dream, and then he remembered what had happened before he fell into a deep sleep.

Shen Nanzi's fever has subsided!

His eyes, like scattered stars falling into them, gradually brightened, gradually changed, and then came surprise.

While feeling surprised, a mist welled up in her eyes, once again obscuring the faint light within.

His lips curled into an indescribable excitement, like a carefully nurtured flower that had finally withstood the harsh winter blizzard and bloomed proudly in spring.

His eyes were filled with a mixture of joy and heartache, making the past ten days and nights seem especially worthwhile.

She lived, and he lived with her!

Xie Yan had never felt that being alive was so wonderful, as if everything around him had become interesting.

Even the breath tastes sweet.

He wanted to see her; only by seeing her with his own eyes could he feel at ease.

He was still extremely weak and could only barely sit up by supporting himself on the edge of the bed.

Outside the courtyard, a stone was poking at a rice bowl, looking utterly unworthy.

Wuying, not understanding why he looked like that, put down his chopsticks.

"What's wrong? Princess Consort Jing has woken up, isn't that good? Our Prince can rest assured now, he doesn't need to take care of her day and night anymore!"

Stone said angrily, "I just don't think it's worth it."

Hearing the sounds outside, Xie Yan paused for a moment as he got out of bed.

Stone's voice was displeased: "Our Highness has been watching over her day and night for so many days, but Princess Jing still hasn't woken up."

"As soon as our prince collapsed, Princess Jing woke up!"

"I thought it was something serious!" Wu Ying's face was completely indifferent. "It's good that you're awake. Your Highness won't mind."

Xie Yan was inside, a smile on his face. Wu Ying understood him best; as long as she could wake up, he wouldn't care about anything else.

Stone sighed, "Shadowless, I think you should be called Stone. How come you have no brains at all?"

"Hey!" Wuying tapped his bowl. "How can you talk like that!"

Stone didn't want to pay any attention to him at all, and analyzed the situation for him word by word:

"Our prince instructed that his drug use, drug testing, and night watch should not be mentioned to anyone until the matter is investigated."

"Isn't it possible that the Princess Consort was completely unaware of what our Highness did to her?"

Xie Yan shook his head, thinking it must be something serious! This stone, such a trivial matter, is it worth getting angry about?

"If we can't find out, wouldn't all of His Highness's efforts be buried in the ground?"

"Let's bury him then! Our Highness won't fuss over such a trivial matter."

Shi Tou snorted, "But Princess Jing thanked the Sixth Prince as soon as she woke up."

Upon hearing Xie Yu's name, Xie Yan immediately sat down! He's here?

Wuying finally understood the atmosphere surrounding the stone, "Why thank the Sixth Prince?"

Shi Tou said angrily, "He used the sound of the xun to wake up Princess Jing. I heard it from the maid in Princess Jing's room."

"She said that the first thing Princess Jing said after she woke up was this sentence, in front of Consort Wei."

“The aunt in Princess Jing’s courtyard said that it was all thanks to Consort Wei and the Sixth Prince that good fortune was brought about.”

"The moment they arrived, they woke up their princess!"

"Ha! Hearing that makes me angry!" Stone slammed his hand on the stone table.

Xie Yan suddenly felt weak, her previous joy replaced by jealousy.

He collapsed by the bed, lying on his side, his eyes misting over again, the depths of his eyes filled with a scarlet red.

Her fingers gripped the edge of the blanket, as if all her spirit had been drained away, leaving her sad and powerless.

Like an eagle whose wing has been struck by a sharp arrow, unable to fly any longer, it crashes heavily to the ground.