"Hmm." Ji Wushang immediately stepped forward and took out the silver needles to help.
The night grew cooler, but candlelight still burned in the inner room of the study.
Nan Xuzong gently led Ji Wushang out, leaving Huangfu Xuan and Ma Ruyi behind.
The two left the room and went to the study.
Nan Xuzong turned his head to look at her, "Are you tired?"
"Hmm." It would be a lie to say I'm not tired.
"Leaning against me will make you feel less tired," Nan Xuzong smiled and pulled her into his arms.
Ji Wushang leaned against his chest and walked alongside him, saying, "You must be tired too."
"Not tired," he smiled. "After this, it's finally over."
The two then boarded a carriage and headed towards General Ji's residence. It was so late; they wondered how things were at the residence.
"What do you plan to do with Prince Lin? His death might trigger war," Ji Wushang said. "And what about the Fusang envoy at the post station?"
“It’s alright.” Nan Xuzong smiled. “I guess my Wushang has already come up with a solution.” He caught the glint in her eyes.
Ji Wushang smiled slightly.
“I found the antidote for the bone-corroding poison on Prince Lin, but I want to try making the medicine first before telling them both.” Ji Wushang looked at him and took out the small bottle from his bosom.
Nan Xuzong nodded, "That's fine, let them cherish this relationship. It's time to punish the Third Prince."
Ji Wushang pouted and smiled, changing the subject, "Second brother actually colluded with Prince Lin. Actually, I think if Prince Lin hadn't died, we could have found Second brother guilty, and that would have brought up a whole bunch of things. Empress Yao would probably also be held responsible."
"No, they must have received the news immediately and know that Prince Lin is dead. They will definitely prepare everything. What we need is to collect evidence! If the Second Prince and Empress Yao can't hold back, they will definitely take action. If we let Father Emperor watch such a good show, the Yao clan will surely die."
"Although General Yao is the emperor's father-in-law, he is still a general. Why doesn't he lead troops to defend the capital?"
“General Yao is in charge of the rear defense, which shows that Father Emperor trusts them a lot. It’s also possible that Empress Yao put pressure on them!” Nan Xuzong smiled and gently stroked her dark hair. “How did we get onto this topic?”
“My father and the Prince of Zhenbei are stationed on the frontier, while they enjoy their lives near the capital. It’s not good, it’s not good,” Ji Wushang complained.
“Yes, you have a point.” Nan Xuzong nodded and smiled. “But if General Yao is the one guarding the frontier, I think if the frontier is not secured, the capital will be in jeopardy.”
"I'm afraid the Yao family's power is even stronger, and they could seize power and usurp the throne in a single day!"
"You get it right away." Nan Xuzong smiled indulgently. He kissed her lips. "We're here."
Back in Xinyuan, both of them felt exhausted. Ji Wushang finished bathing and saw Nan Xuzong still reading letters at his desk, so he went over and said, "It's so late, you should rest first!" As he spoke, he helped massage Nan Xuzong's temples. The light and heavy massage made Nan Xuzong feel extremely comfortable. "So comfortable, Wushang, when did you learn that?"
"I don't know," Ji Wushang laughed. "I guess you learned it when you massaged me last time."
Nan Xuzong laughed upon hearing this, turned his head, and stood up. "I'm going to take a bath. Wait for me." He kissed her forehead, and Ji Wushang smiled.
Watching him enter behind the screen, Ji Wushang went into the inner room. Listening to the sound of water behind the screen not far away, he felt extremely happy.
She walked to the bedside, intending to sit down, but then remembered the children's clothes she had made that day. She thought she could use this time to see if there were any alterations needed. So she took out the box from under the bed, but then she noticed something moving on the bed. It was a very subtle movement, but Ji Wushang could see it clearly because she was so close.
Is there something on the bed? She pushed the box back inside, then stood up and approached the bed to look at it.
It was very flat, just like the bed I saw when I went out that afternoon. I was just curious why there was a slight movement.
Ji Wushang stepped forward, thought for a moment, and then, still holding the bedsheet in one hand, was about to lift it when Nan Xuzong's voice came over, "What's wrong?"
Ji Wushang turned around and looked at Nan Xuzong, who was only wrapped in a bath towel. Water droplets were still dripping onto his body. He was tall and perfect, like the sun god Apollo. His charming black eyes looked at her without any regard for his seductive manner.
He thought that since they had already become one, there was no need to hide anything anymore.
Ji Wushang stepped forward, took a robe from the side, and draped it over the man's shoulders. "It's late, be careful not to catch a cold." This man was definitely trying to seduce her, but she had strong self-control! Hmm!
Nan Xuzong smiled and obediently put on the white robe. "What were you doing there just now?"
“I feel something on the bed.” Ji Wushang pulled him forward. “It’s very slight. I want to lift it up and take a look.”
"I'll do it." Nan Xuzong immediately stepped forward to protect her behind him, and with one hand, he forcefully pulled off the blanket.
"Ah!" Ji Wushang cried out in surprise and immediately covered her mouth, while Nan Xuzong hugged her tightly. "Don't be afraid!"
☆、274 During the meal, she was scared half to death!
The bed was crawling with poisonous scorpions! As the blanket was pulled back, the scorpions scurried everywhere.
"Damn it, who is it!" Nan Xuzong's eyes were sinister. How dare they attack Ji Wushang? If Ji Wushang had sat on the bed first, she would have been stung by these venomous scorpions and her life would have been in danger!
"Cong, your secret guards?" Ji Wushang looked at him. He hadn't sent any secret guards to guard Xinyuan.
"I was negligent because of my third brother's matter. I'm sorry." Damn it, I almost ruined her life! If that's really the case, I'm afraid I'll never forgive myself!
"No, someone deliberately knew our whereabouts. Only the master of the manor could put these poisonous scorpions on our bed, which is just a few people! Since they've schemed against us like this, I'm not afraid to confront them!" Ji Wushang sneered. "With just a little investigation and testing, I'll know who wants to kill me!"
Nan Xuzong nodded, "I'll take care of this first, don't wander around."
Just as she finished speaking, a maid came in from outside to report, "Your Highness, Fourth Princess Consort, Madam Qin has sent a maid to ask if something has happened?"
Ji Wushang nodded to Nan Xuzong, then walked out and saw Hong Fei and Cui Wu bowing their heads to report.
"It's nothing else," Ji Wushang said, looking at her. "You may all leave. There's nothing else!"
“Yes.” Hongfei and Cuiwu immediately went out and spoke to the maid sent by Madam Qin.
When Ji Wushang entered the room, he saw Nan Xuzong placing a teacup on the table. Ji Wushang went up to him and asked, "What is this? Could it be those poisonous scorpions?"
"Yes." Nan Xuzong nodded. "Should we cook it and let the others try it?"
"Excellent!" Ji Wushang said, "Tomorrow we'll all dine together, and the chefs will prepare a beautiful dish from this scorpion!"
“That’s right.” Nan Xuzong smiled, placed the teacup by the door, and coughed lightly. Gong Shu rushed in from outside. Nan Xuzong said in a deep voice, “This is to prepare a good meal for the kitchen. We’ll have it for lunch tomorrow! Be careful, this is poisonous!”
Gong Shu agreed, "Yes." But what was this thing? He thought about untying it to take a look, but Nan Xuzong covered the teacup lid with one hand, "Poisonous scorpion, deal with it properly!"
"Yes!" Gong Shu was astonished upon hearing this, and immediately took it down.
Nan Xuzong closed the door and turned to look at Ji Wushang making the bed, but her brows were already slightly furrowed. "Zong, I really can't lie down on this bed. I feel uncomfortable all over when I think about those poisonous scorpions."
"Then let's go sleep somewhere else." Nan Xuzong smiled slightly, took the brocade quilt from her hands, and then pulled her outside. "This place is quite nice."
Looking at his outer room, Ji Wushang felt much more at ease. As long as he was with him, nothing else mattered.
Nan Xuzong smiled and stepped forward to tidy up the chaise longue. "You can sleep on it! I'll sleep on the floor." He didn't mind and took the blankets from next door and laid them out on the floor.
Ji Wushang snatched the brocade quilt from his hands. "Let's just lie on the couch together." She lowered her eyes, not wanting him to see her blushing face.
Nan Xuzong smiled, turned around and hugged her, resting his head in the crook of her neck. "Wu Shang, let's do it together!" He held her and squeezed together on the chaise longue. Ji Wu Shang quietly nestled in his arms and slowly fell asleep.
The night was peaceful.
When Ji Wushang woke up in the early morning, he couldn't find Nan Xuzong by his side. He looked around and saw him carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup. Ji Wushang felt a little relieved.
"Have breakfast, and I'll tell you who made it last night after you've finished." Nan Xuzong smiled as he placed the lotus seed soup on the table. There were already some delicate pastries and rice on the table, all of which were his favorites.
Ji Wushang jumped off the chaise longue, and Nan Xuzong stepped forward to help her put on her gauze dress, personally do her hair and makeup, and put a phoenix jade hairpin in her hair.
She gently stroked the phoenix jade hairpin, looking at herself and him in the mirror. He was tidying up the rest of her dark hair, and she could see that he also had an identical phoenix jade hairpin in his hair.
She looked at him and said, "Cong, do you know why there are two identical phoenix jade hairpins?"
"They're probably a pair, or maybe you had another one remade so you could give it to me," Nan Xuzong said with a smile, sitting down next to her.
“No,” Ji Wushang said. “One of these jade hairpins was a dowry gift from my great-grandmother, the old lady. I was extremely surprised at the time because you once said that there was only one.” Ji Wushang turned to look at him. “And the other jade hairpin, you said, was left to you by my mother. So, I think there must be some kind of story behind it.”
"Possibly." Nan Xuzong chuckled. "So you stayed for another reason, which is to question the Elder Madam and hopefully find out something, right?"
"Yes." Ji Wushang nodded. "I'm going to visit Elder Madam later. Would you like to come with me?"
“Together.” Nan Xuzong glanced back at the breakfast on the table. “Eat first, I’ll tell you about last night later.”
After breakfast, Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong went directly to the villa next to the Elder Madam's Jingyuan to inquire about her condition.
The matriarch was not fully awake yet. Nan Xuzong and Ji Wushang tidied up everything in the room, asked the family physician to help take care of her, and asked Hongfei to brew medicine, etc.
In the Chrysanthemum Garden, Ji Sisi was having breakfast. Looking at her busy maids, Huizhi and Lanxin, she looked up and asked, "Last night I heard a scream coming from the Fragrant Garden? What happened?"
Upon hearing this, Huizhi immediately turned around and bowed. "Yes, but I heard that Madam sent her maids to ask, and the maids Hongfei and Cuiwu from Xinyuan said that nothing had happened. That's all I heard."
"Hmm." Ji Sisi nodded with a smile. "I thought something had happened!" Had she gotten lucky again?! No, she had to report to the Lord! Otherwise, even joining forces might not be enough to kill them!
Keeping them around is always a threat!
Ji Sisi quickly finished her breakfast and, upon learning that Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong were visiting the matriarch of the family at the villa, immediately went inside.
"Fifth Miss has arrived!" a maid standing outside called out. Nan Xuzong and Ji Wushang exchanged glances, then gave instructions to the family physician before nodding in satisfaction.
"Greetings, Fourth Prince! Greetings, elder sister!" Ji Sisi stepped forward and gave a standard bow, her sweet smile revealing her sincerity.
Ji Wushang smiled and stepped forward to help Ji Sisi up. "Fifth Sister, get up quickly. Father isn't home, and there aren't many people here, so there's no need for formalities." Ji Dingbei was extremely particular about etiquette, but since he wasn't at home, he wasn't afraid to skip some of the elaborate formalities.
But Ji Sisi smiled and said, "Father taught me that I should always be careful about my words and actions, no matter when or where!" She looked like she was going to listen to her father.
Ji Wushang smiled brightly, "Alright, then get up! Didn't you come to see your grandmother? Come on, she's much better now."
"Yes." Ji Sisi nodded and followed Ji Wushang to the bedside to look at the matriarch.
Seeing that the matriarch's complexion had improved considerably, Ji Sisi couldn't help but feel a little wary. She smiled and looked up at Ji Wushang, "Sister, when will Grandmother wake up?"
"Probably tomorrow! What a wonderful thing!" Ji Wushang smiled as he met Nan Xuzong's eyes. "Thanks to His Highness the Fourth Prince's miraculous healing."
"Hehe!" Nan Xuzong chuckled twice upon hearing Ji Wushang's praise. "It's all thanks to my beloved concubine's good care."
Ji Wushang listened with a slight smile.
Ji Sisi remained silent, then stepped forward to tuck the brocade quilt around the matriarch of the family. She was very gentle, a true lady of a prominent family.
Just then, an announcement came that Madam Qin and Mo Qiqi had arrived, and Ji Wushang, Nan Xuzong, and Ji Sisi immediately went forward.
Madam Qin and Mo Qiqi supported each other, with maids on both sides also helping them. Several maids and nannies followed behind them, all to protect them well.
Ji Wushang stepped forward, "Mother, sister-in-law."
"Since the old lady is staying in this separate courtyard and has improved considerably, I've come to check on her health," Madam Qin explained with a smile. "I just overheard outside that the old lady might wake up tomorrow?"
"Yes," Ji Wushang said. "Mother and sister-in-law are both pregnant now, so please take care to rest more." Ji Wushang kindly reminded them.
“I understand. It’s just that Mother was worried about Grandmother, and I was worried too, so I came along to check on things,” Mo Qiqi said with a smile.
The group smiled and then went to see the matriarch of the elders.
Seeing that it was almost ready, Ji Wushang smiled and said, "Let's have lunch together later! It's been a long time since our family has had lunch together! I heard that the chef has a new dish, so it would be nice for everyone to try it."