Gao Fengfen harbored resentment in her heart, a bitter pill she could not express, and could only swallow it down.
"It looks like he's seriously injured..."
“Yes, how could you be so careless? If you can’t jump, don’t try to be brave!” one woman said.
"What did you say? What did you say?!" Gao Fengfen immediately became angry upon hearing this. "I... I only fell down by accident!"
"What's so great about her? She's just relying on being the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister. Humph, she even falls down while dancing. Isn't she afraid of making a fool of herself?" The woman was no pushover either. Seeing Gao Fengfen scolding her, she immediately retorted.
Ji Wushang smiled inwardly, looking at the woman. This must be Xue Ruru, the daughter of the Minister of War, right? She's known for her fiery temper. But her sister has been taken as a concubine by the Emperor; no wonder she dares to fight with Gao Fengfen!
Gao Fengfen's eyes were blazing with anger, and it looked like she was about to unleash a few curses. At that moment, the Crown Prince waved his hand, and immediately, the old women pulled Gao Fengfen away.
"Don't pull me, I want to talk to her!" Gao Fengfen was still determined to argue with her.
People around them pointed and whispered, "This person is the eldest daughter of the Left Prime Minister! Such refinement is truly terrifying!"
Finally, things calmed down, and the Crown Prince had some of the courtesans in his residence perform a dance, which gradually quelled the situation.
Amidst the revelry and bustle, the dance hall suddenly fell silent. The onlookers watched with great interest, but Ji Wushang was longing to return to his residence.
Nan Jinxue's gaze fell on Ji Wushang, thinking about what had just happened with Gao Fengfen, her heart filled with suspicion. Back at the September Pavilion, if it weren't for Gao Fengfen's cleverness and some tricks, it would have been Gao Fengfen who shared her intimate moments!
This woman is not simple, no, she's extremely complex. Nan Jinxue thought to herself, then picked up the wine glass in front of her and drank it.
Just then, a breeze picked up outside. Ji Wushang looked out and saw that it had started to rain. The weather was strange; it should have snowed, but it had turned into rain.
However, it was still a bit chilly. Ji Wushang pulled his jacket tighter around himself; he wasn't dressed very warmly enough and was feeling cold.
The young ladies around them continued to laugh and chat, seemingly unfazed by the autumn rain. The Crown Prince then offered wine to everyone, saying, "With the autumn rain, you may drink to ward off the cold."
"Yes!" The young noblemen were extremely generous, drinking it all in one gulp and then filling their cups again.
Ji Wushang thanked the maid who poured the wine, but put it aside without drinking it.
Upon seeing this, Nan Jinxue turned to Ji Wushang and said, "Miss Ji, why aren't you drinking? Is the wine not good enough?" With that, she walked over and sat down on the other side of Ji Wushang. Shangguan Feiyan, who was sitting next to Ji Wushang, also smiled and said, "Yes, dear sister, why aren't you drinking? The weather is getting colder now, and this wine is good for you!"
Ji Wushang smiled and said, "It's because I can't hold my liquor, not the wine itself. I am very grateful to the Crown Prince for the wine."
Nan Jinxue glanced at the Crown Prince, who was also looking at him. Their exchange of a single glance was enough to convey their feelings. Nan Jinxue said, "That's a real shame about such fine wine."
Ji Wushang bowed slightly in apology.
Shangguan Feiyan smiled and finished all the wine.
“Miss Ji, you should at least have a sip, shouldn’t you?” Nan Jinxue said with a smile. “Even Miss Shangguan has finished hers, and everyone else has drunk theirs. If you don’t have a sip, the Crown Prince will probably blame you.” When he said the last sentence, he deliberately leaned closer and whispered.
Ji Wushang immediately leaned back, "Second Young Master Nan, please watch your words and actions, thank you."
"Me? What did I do?" Nan Jinxue was now sitting up straight, her face showing some innocence.
Ji Wushang rolled her eyes at him. "Yes, Wushang is wrong."
"Hmm?" Nan Jinxue glanced at the wine.
Ji Wushang picked up the glass, and at this moment, Shangguan Feiyan said, "Drink it quickly, dear sister, everyone will be happy if you drink it!"
"Hmm." Ji Wushang took a small sip, then wiped her lips with a silk handkerchief. She looked at Nan Jinxue with a "you can leave" look. Nan Jinxue felt awkward and, seeing her like this, had no choice but to sit back down in her seat.
Some of the young masters inevitably started a commotion, saying that the beauty was cold and aloof. Ji Wushang simply ignored them.
The rain stopped, and everyone felt a bit stuffy inside, since there were too many people. Outside, however, the air was fresh after the rain, so they went out in twos and threes to play.
Ji Wushang also found an excuse to take Zhu'er around, since sitting there made him feel uncomfortable being stared at.
The back garden was actually divided into several sections, and everyone was currently in the East Forest. After Ji Wushang came out and saw that no one was paying attention, he asked Zhu'er, "Zhu'er, where's Tiefeng?"
“There he is!” Pearl said, pointing to a small table in the distance, where Tie Feng was standing upright.
Ji Wushang nodded and walked in that direction.
"Greetings, Miss!" Tie Feng immediately bowed and greeted her.
“There’s no need for formalities here, otherwise people will find it strange,” Ji Wushang said. “How’s the investigation going?”
"Miss, the Prince has woken up and is fine. He has returned to his residence. The Prince of Zhenbei did not pursue the matter further. It seems that the Prince has managed to stop the matter."
"Hmm." Ji Wushang nodded. He had indeed thought about doing this. After all, if the Prince of Zhenbei were to investigate, he would definitely argue with him and might even go to the General's Mansion.
“Okay, I want to walk around.” Ji Wushang said and walked towards the courtyard.
The courtyard was spacious, and people were in the woods to the east, west, south, and north, some admiring the flowers and others playing around, all in a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.
When Shangguan Feiyan saw Ji Wushang heading towards Xilin, she stepped forward and said, "Good sister, I want to go for a stroll too!"
“If Miss Shangguan is interested, let’s go together! It won’t hurt to take a look,” Ji Wushang said with a smile.
The two then walked together toward Xilin. Several young maids and servants followed behind.
Ji Wushang chatted with her as they walked, and she made him laugh a few times. This third young lady was very innocent and had no guile at all.
"Didn't I take the painting that Fourth Miss painted back to be framed last time? I never expected that one day, my cat would sleep on it! It shed so much fur!"
Ji Wushang smiled and said, "This cat is so cute, would you like to give it to me?"
"That cat has such fierce eyes!" Shangguan Feiyan muttered.
"Don't be afraid, the fiercer the better."
"You... I never expected the young lady to have such strange hobbies!"
"Strange?" Ji Wushang thought for a moment, "Perhaps!"
Shangguan Feiyan nodded, "I'll give it to you if you want, lest my steward throw it away!"
"Thank you, Miss Shangguan."
By this time, the two had arrived at Xilin. A row of side rooms stood there, with many trees and seasonal flowers in front of them.
Several young ladies around him were reciting poems. Ji Wushang glanced at them but wasn't particularly interested; he was mainly just walking around to pass the time.
Shangguan Feiyan took a liking to it and immediately left Ji Wushang behind to go and play with them.
Ji Wushang shook his head helplessly and went his own way. Zhu'er and Tie Feng, who were following behind, exchanged a glance and had no choice but to hurry up and catch up.
After turning several corners and passing through several long corridors, they arrived at a hibiscus forest. Ji Wushang liked it and was about to go forward when he suddenly felt dizzy.
Ji Wushang quickly steadied Zhu'er beside her. Upon seeing this, Zhu'er immediately supported her, asking, "Miss, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I don't know why I'm like this." Ji Wushang shook her head, feeling weak in her limbs and as if her whole body was limp. Zhu'er saw this and immediately helped her to sit on a chair in another corridor.
Tie Feng was anxious, but all he could do was frown and look helpless.
"Take out the medicine from my pocket, the red bottle." Damn it, there must be something wrong with those pastries, or the wine! I can't believe I'm being tricked here again, what kind of logic is this!
Pearl nodded and immediately took the red bottle from Ji Wushang's arms. "Then what do we do, Miss?"
"There's a small pill in the bottle. Pour it out and give it to me." Ji Wushang was already feeling a bit dizzy, and his limbs were so heavy that he couldn't lift them.
Zhu'er quickly put the small pill into Ji Wushang's mouth, and Ji Wushang immediately swallowed it and took a breath.
Ji Wushang had already fallen into a deep sleep, and Zhu'er was extremely worried!
"Miss, Miss, what should we do?" Zhu'er lifted Ji Wushang's head. "Brother Tiefeng, what do you think we should do?"
"I...I don't know either." Tie Feng shook his head as well. "Why don't we quickly take him to the other room and ask the Crown Prince to have a doctor examine him?"
"Okay!" Pearl nodded.
Ji Wushang was immediately escorted to the side room by Zhu'er and the other person. Coincidentally, after turning a few corners, they saw Nan Jinxue and the Crown Prince walking out together, chatting happily.
When Nan Jinxue saw that it was Ji Wushang who had fainted, her eyes lit up, but she immediately stepped forward and asked coldly, "What happened?"
The crown prince was also startled, but quickly became serious.
"This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and Young Master Nan." Zhu'er and Tie Feng gave a simple bow.
"Get up and tell me what happened!" The Crown Prince seemed a little impatient, his eyes frequently falling on Ji Wushang. At this moment, Ji Wushang's face was serene, with a faint smile on his lips. His noble temperament emanated from him, and he looked gentle and tranquil.
"Your Highness, for some reason, my young lady suddenly felt dizzy when she walked down that corridor." Zhu'er could only say the simple thing, "Please, Your Highness, save my young lady and ask a doctor to take a look."
"Of course." A glint flashed in the prince's eyes as he gently gestured to the servant beside him, who immediately responded and ran off.
Nan Jinxue said, "Your Highness, in my opinion, we should send her to the other room over there first. It's not good for her to stay here like this."
"Hmm." The crown prince nodded at him.
Nan Jinxue's eyes immediately turned to the servants following behind her. The servants, having received their orders, stepped forward to help Ji Wushang to the other room, which was only about fifty steps away.
Ji Wushang was placed on the bed, and Zhu'er was extremely grateful. She then helped cover him with the blanket.
Tie Feng nodded and thanked them.
The Crown Prince and Nan Jinxue nodded, "Then let's go! We can start treatment once the imperial physician arrives."
"I kneel to thank the Crown Prince." Upon hearing this, Zhu'er knelt down and expressed her gratitude.
The Crown Prince waved his hand, and then walked out with Nan Jinxue.
Tie Feng looked at Zhu'er and said, "I'll keep watch outside and see if anyone comes. You stay here and take care of Miss." As a grown man, he was indeed embarrassed to stay in Miss's room.
"Yes," Pearl nodded.
Tie Feng went out and slowly closed the door.
Ji Wushang felt dizzy and disoriented. Then, he seemed to hear some noisy sounds, but because his mind was foggy, he couldn't hear them clearly.
Zhu'er would often check on Ji Wushang, wondering if he had woken up. She would pace back and forth, peering outside to see if the doctor had arrived.
Finally, the doctor arrived. He appeared to be an elderly man in his fifties or sixties, carrying a medicine box. He was about to enter, accompanied by two guards who seemed to be there to guide him. Tie Feng immediately had the guards brought in.
After examining her, the doctor said, "Miss, you're just tired! There's nothing seriously wrong, just a bit lacking in energy. I'll prescribe some medicine later, and you'll need to rest. You're Miss's maid, aren't you? Come, come with me to get the medicine!"
Upon hearing this, Zhu'er said, "If I leave, who will take care of Miss?" She then looked at Tie Feng, hoping that he would come with her.
"I am willing to accompany you to get the medicine, sir. Please let Zhu'er take good care of my young lady!"
The doctor looked Tie Feng up and down, and Tie Feng immediately straightened his back and looked at him with great spirit.
"Then please follow me." With that, he walked out first, followed by the two guards. Tie Feng closed the door, nodded to Zhu'er, and then they all left with the doctor.
Zhu'er glanced at Ji Wushang a few times, touched her forehead, and found that she didn't have a fever, so she was relieved. Since the doctor said she was fine, it was good to be at ease.
Zhu'er sat at the table, wanting to rest for a while, but unexpectedly, just as she was about to turn her head to look in Ji Wushang's direction, she suddenly felt a pain in her neck and fainted.
The Crown Prince looked at Zhu'er lying on the table, snorted coldly, and then walked to Ji Wushang's bedside.