"This is none of your business!" Ji Wushang glared at him angrily, knowing that his patience was limited!
"Ji Wushang, you are the first person to dare speak to me like that!" Tuoba Heyan also seemed extremely annoyed. He gave Ji Wushang a cold look. "From now on, he is my son, Tuoba Haoyan!"
"You!" Before Ji Wushang could finish speaking, Tuoba Heyan had already swiftly struck Ji Wushang's pressure points! Ji Wushang stared at him, completely unable to move or speak!
He was instantly filled with anxiety! Ji Wushang glared at Tuoba Heyan with fiery eyes, wishing he could rush forward and kill him! If this demon dared to do even the slightest harm to Huangfu Jun'an, he would become a vengeful ghost and seek revenge!
Tuoba Heyan pulled open Huangfu Jun'an's small quilt a little bit, and was just about to take Huangfu Jun'an's little hand out when he heard a voice immediately come, "Princess, this servant has brought the imperial physician!"
"Waaah!" Ji Wushang thought about making a sound.
Hongfei and Longyu brought in a royal physician, only to find Ji Wushang frozen in place, while Tuoba Heyan sat majestically on the edge of Huangfu Junan's bed, his gaze fixed intently on the three who had entered.
The three men immediately knelt on the ground, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Hongfei felt like she was going to die! What happened? The king actually got here! And the princess was actually immobilized by pressure points; there must have been some conflict between them!
Tuoba Heyan glanced at Ji Wushang, then got up from the bedside and walked to the imperial physician. "Since the imperial physician is here, let him take a look. Go."
"Yes." The imperial physician immediately took Huangfu Jun'an's pulse. Ji Wushang breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that none of them would harm Huangfu Jun'an!
Tuoba Heyan glanced at Hongfei and Longyu kneeling on the ground, "Get up!" Then he walked to Ji Wushang. Ji Wushang looked at him as he approached, his eyes cold and clear. He wanted to speak but couldn't, feeling extremely uncomfortable!
"Lord Chen once said, why not let Her Highness the Princess remove this veil? Is it because you're waiting for me to remove it? Hehe, I will remove it today."
Ji Wushang felt so bad that he wished he had two knives in his hand!
Hong Fei immediately knelt down and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! This is a matter of rules. Please be patient for a while. After three days, the princess can remove her veil and show her beauty to the world!"
"Hmph, fine." Tuoba Heyan sneered. He had seen her true colors long ago, but he actually enjoyed watching her expressions!
Ji Wushang composed himself slightly, and Tuoba Heyan released Ji Wushang's acupoints from a distance. Without even looking up, Ji Wushang immediately rushed to Huangfu Junan, "Imperial Physician, how is Nianlang?"
"Uh, this..." The imperial physician had already finished taking the pulse and his gaze drifted towards Tuoba Heyan. Tuoba Heyan snorted coldly, "Speak."
Ji Wushang looked on helplessly and angrily. Damn it, he had been completely outmaneuvered by this uninvited guest!
I will definitely avenge this in the future!
“Young Master is extremely weak. Since birth, his body has been cold and damp. I suspect he has been taking medicine since childhood.”
"Nonsense!" Ji Wushang glared at him coldly. "His health is indeed poor, and he coughs frequently as if he has caught a cold. As for his cold constitution, that's because I'm not healthy enough to give birth to him! What I want to know is, is there any better way to treat this?"
"This, this I'm afraid my abilities are limited..." Upon hearing this, the imperial physician immediately knelt down and lowered his head.
Ji Wushang sneered, "So he's just a quack doctor who's all show and no substance!"
"Your Majesty..." The imperial physician dared not speak further.
Tuoba Heyan glanced coldly at Ji Wushang, then stepped forward. Ji Wushang looked at him, but couldn't keep up with his speed. Tuoba Heyan had already taken Huangfu Junan's small hand and was taking his pulse.
"You know medicine?" Ji Wushang asked in surprise.
Since Tuoba Heyan did not answer, Ji Wushang had no choice but to remain silent. It was best not to ask questions during a diagnosis, lest it distract him and lead to a misdiagnosis.
"Long Yu, prepare the paper." Tuoba Heyan's thin lips moved slightly, his eyes glancing at Ji Wushang. "I guarantee he won't have any more asthma attacks, and after three months, the dosage will be reduced to once a day!"
"...Thank you, Your Majesty!" Ji Wushang was shocked. If this was true, all would be well. If it was a way to kill her beloved Nianlang... Ji Wushang's eyes blazed with renewed fire. "Your Majesty, why did you save my son? He has no relation to you!" Ji Wushang had an expression that said, "I don't believe you."
Long Yu and the imperial physician were also extremely surprised. When did their king learn medicine? Moreover, the emperor was making promises and guarantees about a disease that the imperial physician had no idea how to treat!
"Didn't you hear what I said?" Tuoba Heyan's cold eyes immediately swept over Long Yu, who immediately turned around and said, "Yes!" before running out.
Ji Wushang was extremely anxious at this moment, unsure whether to believe this man or not! After all, she really had no good reason to convince herself to trust him! Knowing that she had brought a son with her and remarried here was already challenging his authority enough, and now she hadn't given him any benefits, so why would he help her? His talk about how marrying him made her his woman and Huangfu Jun'an his son was all nonsense! Didn't he have enough women around him? She didn't believe a word of it!
Tuoba Heyan glanced at Ji Wushang and said, "Your liver fire is too strong, caused by anger, but you are also worried, fearful, and sad. You need treatment!"
"It seems Your Majesty is a medical genius, able to diagnose Wu Shang's illness even through a veil?" Her tone was cold, unafraid of provoking him.
"The necessary medicine is three parts laughter, two parts joy, and five parts composure," Tuoba Heyan said.
Ji Wushang snorted coldly. What nonsense was he spouting? Seeing Huangfu Jun'an like this, how could he possibly laugh? She should have been in the Prince Zong's mansion, yet she was being married off to this place. Was this a happy occasion? He barged in without asking his opinion, laid hands on Huangfu Jun'an, threatened him with acupressure, and even forced her to change her name. How could he possibly remain calm about all this?
What a joke!
However, Long Yu quickly brought over the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and placed them on the table to the side.
“Three qian of ginkgo flowers, two qian of dried tangerine peel, ten qian of hawthorn…” Tuoba Heyan ignored everyone and watched Huangfu Jun’an recite the names of those medicines. Ji Wushang listened to his words and watched his lips. He seemed to see Nan Xuzong sitting there, just like before, listening to him recite the names of those medicines little by little.
Ji Wushang was suddenly jolted back to his senses. How could he possibly be Nan Xuzong! Damn it, was he having delusions? The man in front of him was the ruler of Qingzhao, while Nan Xuzong… A feeling of desolation suddenly welled up in his heart.
Ji Wushang closed his eyes, while Huangfu Jun'an opened his eyes and said, "Mother."
"Mother is here!" Ji Wushang immediately stepped forward and quickly hugged Huangfu Jun'an, who had woken up and huddled at the foot of the bed.
"Mother, who are they?" Huangfu Jun'an looked at the people around her, then her gaze fell on Tuoba Heyan, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. Tuoba Heyan looked at Huangfu Jun'an and Ji Wushang with a slightly cold gaze, while Long Yu and the other two were carefully examining Huangfu Jun'an.
"Your Majesty, the young master's nose looks just like yours!" Long Yu couldn't help but exclaim.
Ji Wushang narrowed his cold eyes, "Please, sir, refrain from speaking nonsense!" This isn't his son, okay? Honestly, what do you mean by "similar"? Don't assume they look alike just because their noses are the same height!
Tuoba Heyan looked at Huangfu Jun'an and said, "Child, come here to me, come here."
Huangfu Jun'an glanced at Tuoba Heyan, who was wearing a golden mask, shook his head, and then immediately snuggled into Ji Wushang's arms, saying, "Mother, I'm scared."
"Don't be afraid, be good." Ji Wushang quickly hugged Huangfu Jun'an tightly, then looked at Tuoba Heyan, "Thank you for your prescription!"
"We also need a fragrant herb, Long Yu. Remember to go to the palace to pick it." Tuoba Heyan didn't care about Ji Wushang and Huangfu Jun'an's refusal, but his lips curled into a cold smile.
"Your Majesty, that..."
"Hmm?" Tuoba Heyan glared at Long Yu before he could finish speaking, and Long Yu immediately lowered his head. "Yes."
Tuoba Heyan glanced at Huangfu Jun'an, a slight smile appearing on his lips. The smile was faint, yet it captivated everyone who saw it!
Ji Wushang was startled. Why did it feel like Nan Xuzong was smiling? No, it couldn't be. Ji Wushang was dazed, lowered her head, and hugged Huangfu Jun'an tightly, "My dear Nianlang."
But that fragrant incense, it really is fragrant incense… This time there's really hope, I never expected it to be so easy to obtain! Or have I only seen the surface? And the real story is yet to come?
Tuoba Heyan didn't say or do anything more, and simply walked out.
Ji Wushang lowered her eyes and looked at Huangfu Jun'an's little face. "Good boy, it was really my fault for waking you up."
Huangfu Jun'an shook his head.
After settling Huangfu Jun'an in, Ji Wushang came out of the inner room.
After Tuoba Heyan left, he went straight to the Imperial Study.
The Pearl and Jade Palace. This enormous Pearl and Jade Palace truly lived up to its name, as everything in sight was adorned with pearls and jade. This was because the palace's owner, Fan Lixue, was extremely fond of luxury, especially pearls and jade. Tuoba Heyan doted on Fan Lixue, and whenever he went to war or returned victorious, he would always bring pearls and jade with him. After returning to the palace, he would personally go to the Pearl and Jade Palace to present pearls and jade to please the beauty.
However, this time was an exception.
After the accident, Tuoba Heyan was sent back to the palace by his soldiers. After recovering from his injuries, Tuoba Heyan rarely visited the concubines' palaces, which puzzled Fan Lixue greatly. However, seeing that the other concubines were also out of favor, she thought that perhaps the king's tastes and interests had changed temporarily, so she gave up on the idea. But today, she heard that Tuoba Heyan had personally gone to the Mi Luo Palace. Although he did not stay overnight, it still left a lingering unease in Fan Lixue's heart.
At this moment, Fan Lixue was reclining on the chaise longue, listening to the palace maid report on what had just happened. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. "It seems that this woman is really not simple! There is still no result for Consort An, and I didn't expect that a vixen would come from the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty? Hehe, she is really a headache!"
"Your Majesty, this servant believes that it would be best to eliminate that princess as soon as possible, lest she become even more arrogant after receiving the Emperor's favor!" The palace maid who made this report was named Chi Mu. She had been by Fan Lixue's side since childhood. Fan Lixue was originally the daughter of Fan Ruofeng, an important minister of the Qing Dynasty, and later entered the palace as a concubine.
Fan Lixue narrowed her beautiful eyes. The women in the harem all had a general idea of what Ji Wushang had done at the Dust-Absorbing Banquet, and they could also weigh their own strength to see if they could compete with her! There were only three or five concubines who could match her, and the rest of them naturally kept their distance as far as possible!
In terms of favor and ability, Fan Lixue believed she was capable enough to contend with them. However, there was Consort An Su and Consort Yehe in the palace, both of whom were not to be trifled with! If she managed to deal with Ji Wushang, they might turn their attention to her. In that case, she would be attacked from both sides and would surely be trampled underfoot by them!
Therefore, the most urgent task is to win over Tuoba Heyan's heart. If they can give birth to a prince, their favor will be higher than the heavens! Fan Lixue thought of this and said, "No rush. You should secretly spread the news of today's events and let the concubines in the harem carefully consider the situation. Let them see what Princess Wushang is made of. We can just sit back and reap the benefits."
"Your Majesty, what a brilliant plan! This servant will go and carry it out immediately!" Akagi immediately bowed and then left.
Fan Lixue snorted coldly. Today she had just punished those palace maids who came with her dowry from the Mi Luo Palace. The concubines must have heard about it. So the next step should be for them to teach that woman a lesson!
And now.
Fan Lixue smiled as she got up from the chaise lounge and walked out, saying, "Arno, Asi."
"Your Majesty!" Two palace maids immediately rushed in from outside.
"Where is the King now? What is he doing?" Fan Lixue glanced at them disdainfully and asked.
"Your Majesty, the King is in the Imperial Study, reviewing memorials," Arno reported.
"Oh? Perfect timing. Go and prepare some pear juice for me. I want to personally serve it to the King." A smile appeared on Fan Lixue's lips.
"yes."
"Axi, send someone to keep a close eye on that Princess Wushang!" Fan Lixue gave another order.
"yes."
As night fell, the lights in the imperial study remained on. An old eunuch, carrying a tray with a jade tablet on it, respectfully pushed open the door and knelt on the ground, saying, "Your Majesty..."
Tuoba Heyan rubbed his temples. Damn it, it's bothering me again!
He looked up and said, "I am not in the mood for that right now. You may leave."
"Your Majesty, you are already..."
"Get down," Tuoba Heyan said coldly. He didn't have enough medicine on him, and he had no interest in putting on an act with those concubines!
"Yes." The old eunuch sighed inwardly, then slowly carried the plaque out.
Just then, he saw Fan Lixue, who was holding a bowl of fragrant pear water. The old eunuch was surprised and immediately bowed his head to pay his respects.
Fan Lixue immediately helped him up. "Your Excellency, no need for formalities." Her gaze fell on the plaques in the old eunuch's hand. Since the plaques had not been turned over, she knew that Tuoba Heyan had not chosen any concubines to serve him in bed. Fan Lixue's face lit up with joy. "Your Excellency, please leave. I will serve His Majesty here."
"Then, Your Majesty, I'll trouble you!" The old eunuch, of course, understood the man's intentions. He nodded at her and then quickly left.
The imperial study was never short of beds.
Fan Lixue straightened her clothes before gently pushing the door open and going in.
"I didn't tell you..." Tuoba Heyan frowned. She actually came in without even knocking? Looking up, he saw Fan Lixue dressed provocatively. "It's Xue'er."
"Your Majesty." Fan Lixue quickly closed the door, then took the bowl of pear water and hurriedly approached Tuoba Heyan. Tuoba Heyan frowned, "You should go back to your palace and rest."
"Your Majesty, I have come to serve you." As she spoke, Fan Lixue placed the fragrant pear water in front of the imperial desk. Tuoba Heyan immediately smelled a pungent fragrance. He paused for a moment, "I am not hungry now. You eat it."
"Uh." Fan Lixue hesitated for a moment. This pear juice was specially made for him, so naturally some ingredients were added. But he actually wanted her to drink it?
"Unwilling?" Tuoba Heyan frowned immediately. She was not far from him to begin with, and Tuoba Heyan pulled her onto the seat and pressed her down, his large hand already on her neck. "Or did you put some kind of drug in there?"
"How could I have done such a thing?" Fan Lixue looked into his dark, gloomy eyes, utterly terrified. She had truly forgotten his past brutality! He was a demon who would slaughter an entire city without batting an eye! Suspicious by nature, violent, extremely cunning, and ruthless in his actions, don't be fooled by his seemingly harmless appearance and his attempts to do good deeds; little do you know he might be plotting a fatal blow from the shadows! This was Tuoba Heyan; no one could ever predict when he would change his tune, no one knew when he would strike you with deadly cruelty!
"Then give it to me to drink!" Tuoba Heyan waved his hand, and the bowl was instantly sucked into his grasp. "Tell me, what's inside?"
"Your Majesty, I didn't put anything there. It's just that Your Majesty hasn't favored me for a long time. I thought Your Majesty had lost interest in me, so... so tonight, I thought I'd keep you company." Fan Lixue was terrified, but she couldn't reveal her true feelings, otherwise, Tuoba Heyan would really kill her! He never cared about the person's identity or background when he killed someone!
"Oh?" Tuoba Heyan sneered, "Then drink it! And stay by my side! You actually came up with such a method? Woman, are you that thirsty? Or how about I reward you with ten men?" The more he spoke, the more ambiguous it became, but Fan Lixue's face turned deathly pale as she listened!
"No, no, Your Majesty, I was just worried about your needs..." Fan Lixue's confidence waned. She was, after all, his favored concubine. How could he say such a thing? She had once been intimate with him in bed!