For a moment, Zhang Xin thought she was seeing things. She rubbed her eyes several times, but the image before her didn't disappear; instead, it became clearer. Although it was quite different from the legends she had heard, at this moment, her only thought was—had she really found it?
Chapter 71 Update
Not only Zhang Xin, but Xia Mingzhe and the other guards were also stunned for a moment. After recovering from the shock, Zhang Xin wanted to approach the flower field to take a closer look, but Xia Mingzhe stopped her.
Out of caution towards the unknown, he didn't really know what it was, nor whether it was poisonous or not—but at least Xia Mingzhe knew that many things that look beautiful in the wild are highly toxic.
After being stopped, Zhang Xin didn't move, but she was somewhat puzzled by Xia Mingzhe's actions. Hearing him tell two guards to go down and check the situation, Zhang Xin stayed where she was and observed for the time being. She asked, "I don't recognize such beautiful flowers. Xia Zi, do you know them?"
Xia Mingzhe shook his head and watched as the two guards slowly walked down with their swords. When they reached the vicinity of the flower field, he took out his sword, cut off a handful of white flowers, held them in his hand, and then brought them to his nose to smell them.
The floral scent wasn't overpowering; it even had a pleasant fragrance. It didn't cause any dizziness, and a further check of the hands and the sword revealed nothing unusual. The two guards exchanged a glance, confirming everything was alright, and then waved the bouquets at Xia Mingzhe, Zhang Xin, and the others.
Both of them looked perfectly normal, so they were safe and there were no problems. Zhang Xin happily pulled Xia Mingzhe down with her, and the other two guards followed behind them.
When the four were still some distance apart, the two guards who had been standing near the flower field suddenly started fighting. It happened so suddenly, without any reason or warning. Zhang Xin, frightened, stopped. Xia Mingzhe and the other two guards were equally confused, but it was highly likely related to the flower field, since nothing seemed amiss up ahead.
The other two guards were about to go down and pull the two apart, but the two who were in trouble had already raised their swords to kill each other. Their reckless and bloodthirsty manner made it seem as if they actually had an irreconcilable hatred for each other.
It took some effort to separate the two, after which they had to knock them unconscious. Someone was injured, nearly got into trouble, and the cause was unknown, so out of caution, they wouldn't stay any longer. Xia Mingzhe said to go back, and Zhang Xin didn't throw a tantrum, obediently following him back. Turning back to look at the flower field, still innocently beautiful, Zhang Xin couldn't help but shrink back.
Halfway there, the two guards who were supporting the two bodyguards suddenly started behaving strangely, even abandoning their two bodyguards and attacking Xia Mingzhe and Zhang Xin. Xia Mingzhe had to deal with both of them while also protecting Zhang Xin.
The four guards Xia Mingzhe had chosen were all highly skilled in martial arts, and these two fought with a reckless, death-defying style. Even though he successfully knocked them unconscious, Xia Mingzhe was also injured. Fortunately, the men Zhang Yu had sent to find Zhang Xin located them and helped take them away.
·
Zhang Yu and Song Shuhao arrived at Jiutuo Mountain, with Prince Ning and Ling Xiao also present. Originally, Ling Xiao was chosen because it was considered that if Zhang Xin were accidentally injured, someone could promptly treat her wounds, and it was best for those accompanying her to be discreet and cautious. Prince Ning happened to be at the Imperial Hospital and, having heard the reason, also came.
A few days ago, Prince Ning received special treatment from Ling Xiao, and the next day, as Ling Xiao had instructed, he brought several boxes of treasures to the Imperial Hospital.
Ling Xiao put on airs once, and hesitated twice, never giving Prince Ning a kind look. It wasn't until Prince Ning, after being rebuffed for three consecutive days, persisted in sending her gifts without complaint that she finally accepted them "reluctantly." The two reconciled, and Ling Xiao continued to help Prince Ning prepare and change his medicine.
While the group was still lingering at the foot of Jiutuo Mountain, the men Zhang Yu had sent to find Zhang Xin appeared with Zhang Xin, Xia Mingzhe, and others. They were also dragging four guards who appeared to be unconscious, making it clear that they had encountered danger.
Seeing Zhang Yu's stern face, Zhang Xin shrank back, not daring to approach. Xia Mingzhe, concerned about the condition of the guards, explained the situation to Zhang Yu and the others, then asked Ling Xiao to diagnose them. Ling Xiao, curious about the flower Xia Mingzhe mentioned and noticing his arm injury, treated it first. The unconscious guards also had minor injuries, which Ling Xiao treated as well.
Hallucinogenic plants also exist. If such plants are still appearing in large numbers, then it's not unimaginable that the two guards were hallucinating when they attacked each other. After checking their pulses, Ling Xiao still wanted to go back to the place they had been.
As soon as Ling Xiao spoke, Prince Ning frowned and said, "How are you going to get there? What if something happens?" Zhang Xin avoided Zhang Yu's gaze and anxiously advised Ling Xiao not to take any risks. However, her words carried little weight.
“Just hearing Lord Xia’s verbal description isn’t enough to understand. Besides, to save them, we need to know the root cause first so we can treat the symptoms effectively; otherwise, it’s all in vain.” Ling Xiao then turned around and advised them, “Since there’s danger, knowing in advance can help us prevent it, and we won’t repeat the same mistakes. As female healers, what are you doing here if you’re not of any use?”
If it really was as she thought, then the flowers and plants Xia Mingzhe mentioned were extremely precious, and not something one could easily come across. This was an opportunity not to be missed; she had to go and confirm it with her own eyes. Ling Xiao thought to herself, her face remaining serious.
"I'll go with you." Seeing that Ling Xiao's attitude was quite firm, and not wanting to deliberately stop her from doing what she wanted to do, Prince Ning had no choice but to change his attitude. Prince Ning then looked at Zhang Yu and asked for his opinion.
"Just have a few guards accompany him." Considering that Prince Ning was injured, Zhang Yu did not agree, but Prince Ning insisted, so he finally agreed.
Having confirmed the exact location with Xia Mingzhe, Prince Ning and Ling Xiao, accompanied by six guards, entered Jiutuo Mountain. Zhang Yu, Song Shuhao, Zhang Xin, Xia Mingzhe, and the others remained at the foot of the mountain. Zhang Yu's eyes were filled with anger, while Zhang Xin, fearing retribution, shrank behind Xia Mingzhe, too ashamed to show her face.
Zhang Xin was safe and sound, and Ling Xiao said that the four guards were also out of danger for the time being. Xia Mingzhe was injured, but fortunately it wasn't too serious, so the outcome wasn't bad. Although Ahao thought so, after Zhang Yu looked at Zhang Xin for a moment, he only said coldly, "Look what you've done."
Even just that one sentence made Zhang Xin, hiding behind Xia Mingzhe, pout and almost cry. Xia Mingzhe felt he also bore some responsibility, and despite knowing Zhang Yu was in a bad mood, he still said under pressure, "It's not Her Highness's fault. It's that I shouldn't have brought Her Highness to such a dangerous place."
Zhang Yu glanced at him and sneered, "Did I say I wouldn't hold you responsible?" Xia Mingzhe remained silent, but Zhang Xin stepped forward and said, "It's my own problem. I forced him to bring me here. Emperor, please don't blame someone who has nothing to do with it."
"Now you're worried about implicating innocent people?" Zhang Yu said in a deep voice, his face even more gloomy. Song Shuhao, seeing that Zhang Yu was irritable to everyone, was about to say something to ease the atmosphere, but Zhang Yu turned around and got into the carriage first. She then gestured to Zhang Xin not to be too uneasy and followed him into the carriage.
·
Although it took a little time, Ling Xiao and Prince Ning and the others finally found the place where Zhang Xin and Xia Mingzhe had arrived earlier. Seeing the mountains covered in flowers, which was exactly what she had been looking forward to, a smile spread across Ling Xiao's face.
Prince Ning was very kind and carried Ling Xiao's medicine chest along the way. He didn't show any surprise when he saw the flower field, but when he saw Ling Xiao about to take something out of the medicine chest, he quickly let go of his chest.
"What's this?"
Seeing the palm-sized, square object that Ling Xiao took out of the medicine box, barely covering his mouth and nose, Prince Ning couldn't help but ask. The thing looked like it was made of cotton gauze, but it didn't look like a handkerchief either, and it had thin strings strung on it so it would be easy to wear on the face.
Ling Xiao didn't want to explain to Prince Ning what the "mask" actually was, and simply told him, "I just made it for fun." Seeing Ling Xiao put it on his face, Prince Ning asked again, "Any more?" Ling Xiao didn't answer, but took out a slightly larger one from the medicine box and handed it to him.
Prince Ning took the object in his hand and examined it carefully, concluding that its purpose was likely to cover the mouth and nose. Normally, if they needed to do this, they would simply cover their faces with a silk scarf or a handkerchief, which was certainly not as convenient as Ling Xiao's device.
Seeing Ling Xiao pack up her medicine box and head towards the flower field, Prince Ning grabbed her arm and frowned, saying, "You can't go there."
Ling Xiao turned around, took off his mask, and said to him, "But how can we check the situation? I have this, so I'm not afraid, but they can't come down."
"With this, you're not afraid?"
Prince Ning was skeptical, but when Ling Xiao nodded and put the device on her face again, he did the same. It felt a little stuffy, but not suffocating. Prince Ning found it increasingly intriguing, wondering where she knew these things. Seeing Ling Xiao's insistence on going, Prince Ning gave instructions to his guards and followed her.
Ling Xiao looked at the vast expanse of datura flowers covering the hillside, the only strange thing being that the flowering period seemed a bit off. It wasn't even April yet, but the datura's flowering period should be two months later, yet from the appearance, they were definitely the same thing.
Prince Ning watched as Ling Xiao took things out of her medicine chest: a clean white cloth a foot wide, two small medicine jars, and then asked to borrow his sword. Understanding what she wanted, Prince Ning didn't hand her the sword, but instead pulled a dagger from his robes.
After taking the dagger, Ling Xiao glanced at Prince Ning, waved the item at him to express his gratitude, and then, without any hesitation, used Prince Ning's dagger to dig up the plants in front of him, making a waste of its potential.
She had consulted medical books and read about the anesthetic powder, so bringing it back wouldn't seem so unbelievable. However, with this item, she could do even more things in the future.
Prince Ning watched as Ling Xiao dug up the entire plant, cleaned the soil from its roots, and neatly arranged it on the white cloth she had previously taken out. After she finished her round, Prince Ning followed suit and helped Ling Xiao.
Ling Xiao glanced at Prince Ning, not surprised by his initiative, and not surprised that he wasn't afraid of her despite his ignorance; in fact, she felt a rare bit of appreciation for him. After a slight pause, she continued working.
Chapter 72 Update
Zhang Yu boarded the carriage, his expression softening considerably. Seeing this, A-Hao laughed. Indeed, if he didn't put on a stern face, what if the little princess still thought he hadn't done anything wrong? A-Hao agreed with Zhang Yu's approach, but seeing him like this, she couldn't help but laugh.
Instead of hearing Song Shuhao's comforting words, Zhang Yu saw a smile on her face and said irritably, "You can still smile." Ahao sat down opposite Zhang Yu, rested her arm on the small table, and smiled as she looked at him, saying, "Your Majesty is very concerned about the little princess." Zhang Yu's expression turned serious, and Ahao continued, "Having learned her lesson this time, the little princess will certainly not dare to act recklessly again in the future. Your Majesty, please don't be angry."