Chapter 54: A Chest Like Fire! By Ji Jin

  By the time it was 9 pm, it had already darkened outside.

  Inside the Jade Emperor's Pavilion, all the maids and young servants who usually attended to Zhao Zhen were dismissed, leaving only his chief maid, Yue Yu, and Sun Zhengye, who was standing by. The lanterns in the corridor were still lit, and the candles on the candelabra cast a warm, hazy glow that illuminated the inner chamber brightly.

  Under the lamp, beside a small purple sandalwood table with a red satin surface, Zhao Zun furrowed his brow, playing chess alone, and on his right side, there was also a white jade wine pot.

  "Grandfather, you can't drink anymore."

  The moon was shining brightly, and the corner of her headscarf was slightly ajar. Her pale face had no blood color, but she still plucked up the courage to advise him. Zhao Zun paused for a moment, his hand holding a black chess piece hovering in mid-air, as if he were thinking for a moment before slowly placing it on the board. He didn't look at her, but instead picked up the wine jug and took a big gulp, then spoke in a cool tone.

  "Go get another one."

  The moon was full, and Monkey King bowed his head and said "yes", then winked at Old Sun.

  Sun Zhengye stood at the edge, his plump face without a wrinkle showed signs of sweat due to anxiety.

  "Father, I think drinking too much is bad for one's health..."

  One hand propped up his forehead, Zhao Zun's eyes swept to the side.

  "What about Zheng Er Bao?"

  "This, this..." Sun Zhengye looked at his puzzled expression, paused for a moment, and carefully said in a low voice, "Master had a relapse of his headache earlier, and Er Bao rushed to the West Wing to find Chu Qi. Although that girl's words were somewhat rough, she indeed has her own unique insights in medical skills, and I must admit that I am inferior to her..."

  "Don't be smart on your own." He was coldly interrupted by Zhao Zhu, his voice cold.

  Sun Zhengye observed his expression, "Indeed, indeed, you are right. However, it's not a good idea to always have a headache. I think you've been thinking too much lately and that's why it relapsed again. As for this headache, treating the symptoms but not the root cause won't work in the end. Let me invite Chu Qi to take a look, she might have some unconventional methods."

  Zhao Zhu was silent, his left hand holding a black chess piece on the board, his right hand also holding a white chess piece on the board. He sat there playing against himself. Except for occasionally slightly furrowing his brow, no one could tell that he was actually in severe pain.

  "Father, the wine has arrived!" Yuè Yù pulled out the stopper and handed it to Zhao Zun's face.

  Zhao Zun's face turned slightly pale, he took the wine jug, tilted his head back, and his Adam's apple moved slightly as half a jug of liquor flowed down his throat. A few drops dripped from his chin and slid down his neck into his collar...

  Yuè yù ěr gēn tàng le yī xià, huáng máng ná le bó jīn guò qù, xiān tì tā chá le bó zi shàng de jiǔ yè, biàn yào dǎ tā yī shang de lǐng kǒu, xiǎng yào cā biàn liú rù tā xiōng kǒu de jiǔ…

  "The king himself is coming!"

  Zhao's hoarse voice was low and unbearable.

  "Ah... Grandpa, let me rub your forehead for a bit."

  The moon was shining hesitantly, and a pair of neatly trimmed white fingers touched his forehead. Zhao Zun's eyebrows furrowed, his head slightly tilted to the side, and his expression was already slightly displeased.

  "The king said it's nothing serious."

  His sudden cold tone made Yuè Yù's hand stop in its tracks, and she eventually withdrew it.

  "Yes."

  Glancing at the wronged Moon Yu, Sun Zhengye felt sympathetic and hastily said, "Sir! Anger hurts the liver, and if it's pent up, it will turn into fire. Don't be annoyed, prioritize taking care of your body first. Besides, that Lingzhi wine can temporarily relieve pain, but I think..."

  "Get out!"

  This cry was so cold that it pierced his heart and lungs, and Old Sun's heart was lifted to the tip of his throat.

  He didn't dare to say another word after a glance from him.

  Over the years, he has seen Zhao You for the most times, but his character is completely incomprehensible. This master has always had a headache, and this disease is lingering and difficult to cure, and it is easy to relapse. When it does not occur, it is no different from ordinary people. Once it occurs, it will be painful.

  In the past, the emperor favored the 19th prince and granted him a wish to have a special wine brewed in the imperial winery in Beijing. This wine was made especially for him by adding Chinese angelica and other ingredients to create this unique wine.

  That hundred-numbered rice is also called imperial rice, which is used in the palace and is also known as "the king of a hundred medicines", has analgesic effect, every year people transport it from Yunnan to the capital, really precious. Therefore, this "hundred-rice wine" is even more valuable, except for the nineteenth master, other princes can't even touch it.

  But wine is just wine, as a doctor, Sun Zhengye does not agree with excessive drinking.

  Report—

  At this time, Zheng Er Bao panted and lifted the curtain to come in.

  "Master, I've brought Chu Xiaolang here!"

  Zhao Zhu's face was as usual, his eyelids didn't even lift once, he just hummed a response.

  That expression, in Zheng Er Bao's eyes, was a sigh.

  His master is so capable of enduring it?

  But he knew that since this master didn't drive people away, then he wouldn't refuse.

  Xia Chuqi had been following Zheng Erbao by a few steps since the beginning of summer. As soon as he entered the house, he saw the arrogant 19th Master who was said to be dying from a headache.

  He was stunned at just one glance.

  A head of raven-black long hair cascaded down without any restraint, from those broad shoulders all the way to his slender waist. Sitting on the round stool, his buttocks were arched at just the right angle, unfortunately hidden by that black soft satin sleeping robe. As my gaze moved upwards, I saw that his thin sleeping robe was open at the front, with a hint of dampness, it was simply "irresistible temptation"...

  Hmph!

  It's been more than half a month since I last saw him, how did he become even more handsome?

  Earlier on the road, Zheng Er Bao had briefly introduced that today several big shots came from Jin Cheng Fu, including Prince Jin and Prince Ning, who drank in the Food Color Pavilion. The 19th master, who originally had a headache, returned with an even more severe headache. He has always had a headache problem, but this time it was particularly severe, so he called Dr. Sun to come over, brewed medicine to drink, but didn't see much effect, and then begged her to come again.

  But at this moment, from his expression, she really couldn't see half a bit of illness.

  "Chu Qi, hurry up and take a look for me."

  Yuè Yù was suffering from a severe headache, her lower lip was almost bitten through. At this moment, she didn't care whether her family liked Chǔ Qī or not, and hastily interrupted the conversation, shattering Xià Chū Qī's most extravagant fantasy about the handsome man.

  She let out a slight cough, and Xia Qi gave a glance at Yue Yu, who indeed had a thinner face like a lotus flower. She walked over and sat down on the small stool that Yue Yu had brought over.

  "Look at this situation, it won't kill us for a while."

  The first sentence in more than half a month made Zhao Zun's face turn black.

  A black melon in his hand, 'pa' fell to the ground. And his two dark eyes suddenly turned over, slightly stained with a thin drunkenness, and the dark whirlpool that seemed to suck people in, that scene was indeed very charming.

  "Frankly speaking, that's all."

  Zhao Zhu did not make a sound, but the others in the house could hardly bear to cover their ears.

  Although she lost some face, Xia Zhi was a doctor after all, and this would never change no matter what time it was. She would always go all out to diagnose patients regardless of who they were. As she spoke, she messed up the chessboard in front of Zhao Zhu, then pulled his wrist over and carefully felt his pulse.

  "Stick out your tongue." she commanded.

  Zhao Zun's face turned even darker, but he didn't follow through with it.

  "Hurry up." She was a doctor.

  Then, Zhao Zun still hadn't stuck out her tongue, and her originally narrow eyes suddenly froze.

  And her emotions also changed from doubt to surprise, and directly turned into admiration.

  "Are you almost tortured to death? You can still play chess, die with dignity and live with suffering."

  She could imagine how he felt with his sudden headache.

  No one knows better than her how terrible it is when a headache strikes.

  To put it in a more vivid way, for patients with migraine, their brain is like having a big furnace inside, which can ignite at any moment. Once the headache strikes, it's like setting fire to oil on the stove, and the head will hurt so much that it feels like it's about to explode. And this disease is particularly difficult to cure completely, just like the larvae attached to the bone...

  If it were an ordinary person, they would have been unable to bear it and would be clutching their head with a distorted expression. Otherwise, Cao Cao wouldn't have executed Hua Tuo in a fit of rage back then. But this gentleman in front of him? Except for his eyebrows being slightly furrowed, he didn't show any sign of discomfort, nor would anyone think that he was suffering from a splitting headache.

  This kind of Zhao Zun, on the seventh day of summer, really can't find a few accurate words to describe him.

  In modern times, she would pat him on the shoulder and say, "Good job, buddy."

  But in ancient times, Zhao Zun was a feudal king...

  In his increasingly sharp eyes, Xia Chuqi withdrew her hand and glanced at Sun Zhengye.

  "Uncle Sun, may I borrow your silver needle for a moment?"

  If it was said that the first time by the Qingling River, Sun Zhengye still had an attitude towards her, testing her to recite "Huangdi Neijing" and "Shanghan Lun", but at this moment, Old Sun, who was obsessed with medicine, would have knelt down and begged her to take him as his apprentice.

  Old Sun took out a set of silver needles that had been high-temperature steamed from the medical box and handed them to Xia Chuyi with a very respectful and humble attitude.

  "Thank you." Xia Chuqi nodded at him, without a hint of irony.

  In fact, she admired Lao Sun's ancient medical skills deep down in her heart.

  To put it bluntly, she just took advantage of a few more benefits than others. Having systematically studied the excellent medical culture that has been passed down for thousands of years, she is a modern person who has mastered more medical knowledge.

  "The pulse is wiry and slippery, indicating that the brain meridians are blocked, which is indeed a symptom of headache. This disease has a relatively long course and is prone to recurrence. Currently, there is no better treatment plan, so we can only treat it slowly. I'll give you an acupuncture first to alleviate your headache. To cure the headache completely, it will be a very long process."

  Endless...

  Her tone was also extremely dragging...

  In fact, this long tone also contains another layer of meaning - adding a weight to her own life.

  Zhao Zun's eyebrows were slightly raised, his eyes extremely cold, and his expression was serious as he stared at him.

  "The better you treat it, the longer it will last."

  "No problem at all, as long as you don't mind."

  She secretly rolled her eyes, and Xia Qiuzi calmly picked up the silver needle, starting from the back of the head, inserting each one slowly, her technique was very skilled, the depth of the needle insertion varied according to the acupoint, it looked like she was painting with ease, Old Sun at the side couldn't take his eyes off her, he didn't even dare to blink, he just wanted to learn this skill of using silver needles for pain relief, so that next time Master's headache acted up again, he could put it to use.

  Time is running out.

  Before long, Zhao Zun's originally pale face gradually recovered a bit.

  "Does it still hurt? Is it better now?" she asked.

  "Uh-huh." he replied.

  Xia Qī (Summer Seventh) let out a sigh of relief, leaving the cleanup work to the diligent old man. She glanced over and happened to see Zhao Zun looking at her, so she made a very regretful expression towards him.

  "It's just a temporary pain relief, don't glare at me, glaring at me won't work."

  Her tone wasn't particularly friendly, and her outfit was quite ordinary, a small and slender person with all her hair tied up on her head, wearing a round hat that covered it, making her small face look even smaller than the palm of one's hand.

  Previously, the "cheap" character on her forehead had turned into a bruise. In order to prevent infection, she endured the pain alone in the house, carefully picking out the old ink marks on the wound with a needle, and also tucked her bangs under a hairnet. At this time, she was bare-headed, so the bruised area on her forehead formed a layer of scab, making her small face look even more strange and ugly.

  Maybe...

  Zhao Zhuo was stunned for a good half of the time.

  Suddenly felt a chill on the seventh day of summer, and then slightly raised an eyebrow.

  "What am I doing? Flowers have bloomed on my face?"

  Zhao Zun withdrew his gaze and said lightly, "Not having seen you for a few days, it seems like you've become even uglier."

  "Not a few days, but half a month. You, old man, are getting senile."

  She didn't mind his intentional sarcasm at all, Xia Chuqi was basically used to others describing her as "ugly", otherwise, she wouldn't have exposed the scar on her forehead so openly. Moreover, she thought that being ugly and free-spirited was a bit more impressive than serving beauty, and she felt very good about herself.

  "Alright, that's it. I'm leaving. You take good care of yourself, Grandpa. Illness requires nourishment, don't always try to be strong, or you might lose your life in an instant. It'll be too late for regrets then."

  He had lost his temper again and was now leaning to one side, "Old Sun, would you mind coming out for a moment? I'd like to have a word with you."

  Then she turned around and was about to go to the outer room.

  Zhao Zun gave her a calm and collected glance, but didn't say a word, only rearranging the chessboard.

  This situation made Zheng Er Bao so anxious that he even forgot his own identity as a slave.

  "Wait, Chu Xiaolong, don't..."

  Lazy eyes, on the seventh day of summer, inexplicably strange and weird.

  "Why can't it be? Don't want to treat your family's eldest anymore, just let him die in pain?"

  Zheng Er Bao coughed lightly, twisted his face, glanced at the cold and stern Master, then turned back to look at Chu Qi, who seemed completely unaware that Master was still ill, and should have stayed to take care of him.

  "My body doesn't feel comfortable, hurry up and prepare a prescription, come in and massage me..."

  It doesn't hurt anymore, what's with the fuss?

  She had a few more ounces of silver in her purse and didn't want to stay any longer only to be cheated again.

  She touched her forehead with a look of difficulty and let out a faint cry.

  "Second Master doesn't know, Chu Qi's body is still not comfortable, it's probably inconvenient..."

  Zheng Er Bao knew what this girl was after, gritted his teeth and paid the price.

  "Didn't you get back those 50 taels from me last time? I'll return them to you when I go home."

  In fact, the fifty taels of silver were originally entrusted to him by his master to swindle, and after he got it back, he handed it over honestly. It can be said that it was just for the sake of helping his master keep Chu Qi. Therefore, the fifty taels may still have to come out of his own pocket.

  It's probably really heart-wrenching, Second Treasure's grandfather is almost in tears.

  "Is it more convenient this way?"

  At the beginning of summer, she was muttering to herself that this guy had a brain full of bubbles, but he didn't make money, and would be struck by thunder. With a smile, she put down her hand on Zheng Er Bao's forehead, giving him a pleasant smile.

  "Huh, it's really strange, my head seems to be less painful now. Convenient, very convenient."

  Don't be so worldly...

  Zheng Er Bao pouted, but saw the master of the house still with a cold face, as if he hadn't heard this conversation at all, holding that chess piece and considering something, making him unbearable.

  It's settled then.

  Yu'e smiled and walked over, "Then tonight, let Chu Qi stay behind to keep watch. I'll go get the pen and ink, you write down the prescription, and I'll go pick out the medicine and decoct it for Father first."

  Her voice was joyful, her expression was calm, and her appearance was even more captivating.

  Looking at her, it's really hard to see the "depression" that Mei Zi said from her face.

  The pen and ink have arrived, Xia Qi's eyelids drooped down.

  "Uncle Sun, I'll recite it and you write it down."

  Old Sun was slightly stunned, "Oh, why?"

  Just as Xia was thinking of how to respond, her master suddenly spoke up in a cold tone.

  "Old Sun wrote it himself, so she wouldn't make those crooked and twisted mistakes with the characters, or grab the wrong medicine."

  Mistake? Nonsense, she writes in "semi-simplified characters" just fine!

  Among these people, only Zhao Zun has seen her handwriting.

  What he remembered, he wrote in complex characters; what he didn't remember, he replaced with simple characters. Thanks to him, and also because the first half was guesswork, it could still be understood.

  Xia Zhong Qi ignored his sarcastic remarks, pretending not to have heard them, and calmly sat in the charcoal-heated room, reading seriously. Lao Sun Tou also wrote seriously, and before long, everything was ready. Yuè Rù took the prescription and went down first.

  Zheng Er Bao also smiled and accepted it, while everyone else retreated.

  Xia Chuqi sat on a small stool opposite Zhao Zhen, propping up her cheek with one hand and smiling at him.

  "Grandpa, am I accompanying you in playing chess now or giving you a massage?"

  Her pair of big watery eyes were clear enough to raise two small fish inside... At this moment, they carried a very pure seriousness.

  For those fifty taels of silver.

  "Do you play chess?"

  "No." She shook her head with a slight pout.

  Zhao Zhu's face turned black, and his eyes seemed to be saying "what a load of nonsense".

  "But you can teach me, right?" Xia Chuyi raised a hint of a teasing smile, on her small face that was barely the size of a man's palm, with features that were actually quite good-looking, except for the large scar on her forehead, which was really unsightly.

  "When I return to the capital, I'll go to the palace and get you a few boxes of Yue Ze cream. It's said that it's very effective in covering scars." Zhao Zun suddenly blurted out while fiddling with his chess pieces.

  On the seventh day of summer, his expression was slightly stagnant.

  You're full and now you want to be a good person and do good deeds?

  "Isn't it, Master? You're being too good to me, I'm not used to it. But never mind, let's just forget about it. After all, I'm the renowned and unmatched medical genius, unparalleled in this world, so why would I care about your palace's inferior medicine? And another thing, don't even mention silver to me!"

  Zhao You's expression suddenly became tense, and he stared at her with a look of disgust, his tone extremely calm.

  "It's not for you, I really dislike ugly people, don't appear in front of me."

  One grinding tooth, at the beginning of summer seventh, hated to pinch him to death.

  Is she willing to dawdle in front of him? Which part of her is ugly and embarrassing to him?

  With a fierce glance, she shot him a look that she thought was extremely deadly, contemptuously staring at him. Her small hand suddenly slammed the chess piece, and just as the black and white pieces jumped up under force, she noticed that there were two white jade wine pots beside her.

  Last time she was here, she also got this wine for him.

  At that time, she felt that wine was really fragrant and couldn't describe the good taste.

  "You're almost dying from headache, and you still dare to drink?"

  "Hmm. Only drink a little when I have a headache." In the dim and flickering firelight, Zhao Zun's icy face had an eerie and gloomy expression.

  Xia Chuqi glanced at him with disdain for his illogical theory, sneaking a peek at him, and subtly moved the round stool under her buttocks closer to him. Sure enough, she caught a whiff of that familiar, light, and alluring scent on his body.

  "You didn't tell me what this wine is called last time, did you? It really smells good, I've never smelled such a fragrant wine... it's making me want to drink some."

  Like a puppy, she sniffed around.

  Then, with extremely fast speed, he grabbed that wine jug and smelled it before pouring a mouthful into his mouth.

  Zhao You didn't stop her from doing so, his face sank, and he snatched the wine jug back with one hand.

  "Don't swallow, spit it out."

  The wine swirled around the tip of her tongue, and after savoring it for a moment, she looked at him with a pair of eyes that were fixed on him, with a hint of surprise slowly creeping into her gaze. She gulped, swallowing the wine down.

  "Every time you get a headache, you drink this wine?"

  Zhao Zun's eyes sparkled, "This wine is called Fu Bai, taking the meaning of Fu Ling and hundred sons. It's mellow and sweet, specially brewed for me by Father Emperor."

  "Damn it, you think you can ruin yourself like this?!" Xia Chuyi suddenly burst out in a rough tone, her expression somewhat frantic. Without saying anything else, she grabbed his arm and told him seriously, "Now, as a professional doctor, I'm telling you that the ingredients of this wine contain opium. Although it helps with pain relief, if you take it for a long time in large doses, you'll become dependent on it and get addicted. Do you understand?"

  Poppy seeds are actually the seeds of the poppy plant, and they themselves are non-toxic.

  But there are obviously more ingredients in this wine than just poppy seeds.

  Although in reality, unpurified opium is not as severe as the later morphine, this stuff can be used for medical purposes but it's not something that can be used long-term... This is simply quenching thirst by drinking poison.

  She usually puts on a smiling face in front of him and has never been so serious before.

  Zhao Zun's black eyes narrowed, staring at her.

  "Isn't addiction bad? Don't you wish I were dead?"

  "Let's go!" He was looked at by his focused eyes, and Xia Qi felt a bit hairy on her body. She lowered her head and took the wine jug from his hand again, smelling it carefully without making eye contact with him.

  "Essentially, I'm a good person. And, as I said, I'm a doctor."

  Cold lips whispered, Zhao Zun's sharp eyes narrowed again.

  "Why bother deceiving yourself when you're already living in this world?"

  On the seventh day of summer, I felt a chill in my heart, and couldn't express that feeling.

  He actually knows it in his heart, but he still wants to drink, what's that called?

  Is it his family's Emperor Father who "spoils him too much", making him unable to refuse?

  Could it be that this wine was specially brewed by the old emperor's father for his headache, and wouldn't all the skilled doctors in the Imperial Hospital of Beijing know that although opium can be used for medicinal purposes, long-term excessive use would lead to addiction?

  Subconsciously, she felt some heartache for him.

  The emperor's business is a family affair, with brothers and sons vying for power, it's really infuriating.

  "Alright, buddy! Let's switch to a different wine and have a good drink together?"

  It seemed unexpected that Xia Qi would suddenly say this, and Zhao Zun's cold eyes deepened.

  Still with a paralyzed face, still with an air of noble and proud beauty.

  He nodded after a brief pause, "Let's go somewhere else for a drink."

  What? Being swept by his calm and peaceful eyes, Xia Chuqi thought of the silver that Zheng Erbao had promised her, and she was a little regretful of her momentary sympathetic outburst.

  This guy himself won't be anything good, in history those individuals who for the sake of supreme imperial power, turned against each other, father and son became enemies, it's all over the place, originally there was no question of who was good or bad, some just had the distinction of being the winner or loser.

  "Oh... grandpa, never mind, I'll just help you with the massage here?"

  Her hesitant voice made Zhao Zun furrow his brow.

  "Chu Qi, you're getting more and more into haggling."

  He dragged out his voice. The temperature in the room began to drop. Then, he saw him coldly glance at her, got up and swept his sleeve, stretched out his hand and grabbed her wrist, and lifted her up with one hand.

  "Hey, hey, I'm saying, where are we going to drink? Can't we just stay here? I still have to help you with the luggage!"

  Xia Zhi Qi absolutely refused to admit it, apart from considering the loss of silver, she still had a bit of unease in her heart towards this guy. Although she hadn't personally witnessed his glorious feat of killing tens of thousands of soldiers in one night, nor had she seen him kill like Dongfang Qingxuan, but deep down, she couldn't express that feeling.

  This guy has a natural aura of being a king of hell.

  That deadly chill was emanating from his very bones...

  "Little Slave——"

  He called out again.

  "What?" Xia Chuqi was in a daze, walking in all directions.

  He loosened his grip on her hand, stopped in his tracks, and looked down at her with an unutterable chill in his eyes, yet said something that made her almost disbelieve her own ears.

  "Turn back, and I'll let you off the debt you owe me."

  Has manna fallen from heaven?

  "Really?"

  On the seventh day of summer, she stared at him in shock, unable to imagine that such a ruthless debt collector would suddenly show mercy and easily solve her biggest worry. Had he really had a change of heart?

  "Hmm. After drinking, come back and serve me in bathing."

  He took a big step forward and added another cool sentence.

  It was already July 7th, Xia couldn't help but look up at his back of the head and say, "Hey, are you trying to make things difficult for me too?"

  "Huh?"

  "I want to get rid of the debt, but I'm afraid of losing control, and accidentally pushing you away."

  “……”

  Zhao Zun hummed coldly after a long silence.

  "Talk about it when you have the ability."

  In the kitchen, Yuè Rù personally decocted medicine, not letting the little maidservants intervene at all. A few subtle stains had been left on her quiet, light-colored jacket from the stove's edge.

  She raised her hand and gently patted the kitchen door, where a lily bun was combed, with a crystal hairpin inserted in her hair, her face painted with rouge, full of the scent of wind and dust, and Ying Ge walked in with a swaying waist.

  "Yue Yu sister, you're really here?"

  She has a voice that can't be described as tender.

  She looked up at her and Yu'e's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but she still smiled faintly.

  "How did you get here?"

  "I heard you're helping your grandfather with medicine, so I thought I'd come and help fan the flames."

  "It's all right, don't worry about it." Yuè Yù smiled slightly.

  "Yue Yu sister..." Squatting by the fire, Ying Ge played with her own scallion-white fingertips and said slowly, "Yesterday when I went to deliver lunch to Chu Qi, she said that eating deer meat with pumpkin would kill people. Humph, that person's mouth is really picky, but in the end she still ate it, and isn't she still alive?"

  Yuè Yù picked up a steaming hot medicine pot, took a pair of chopsticks to transfer the dregs, and slowly said, "Is that so? Chu Qi is just someone who doesn't mince words, without any ill intentions, she just likes to joke around a bit, don't take it to heart."

  "What's so daring about that? Chu Qi is our grandfather's favorite person." With a sour tone, Ying Ge pouted her bright red lips, and then went on to praise Yue Yu's beauty again before saying, "Oh right, I heard Chu Qi mention something interesting today?"

  Yu'e smiled and asked, "What's so interesting?"

  Ying Ge said, "Chu Qi went back to Chuntang and bought some medicine, saying he wanted to make a lie-detecting drug."

  Yi Wushang told Yue Yu about the "lying potion" he had heard from Xia Chuqi, and after finishing, he hummed coldly, "Who are you fooling? How can there be such a thing in the world? If it really existed, that would be something!"

  Yu'er smiled and responded with a "en", but then said, "However, Chu Qi is a capable person, so it's really hard to say."

  After speaking, she didn't look at Ying Ge's expression and carefully placed the medicine bowl on a purple sandalwood tray. Only then did she smile and say, "Ying Ge, I'll deliver the medicine to Master. It's getting late, you should go back and rest."

  "Yue Yu sister..." Ying Ge stood up, swaying her small waist back and forth, "I'll go with you, okay? It's been a long time since I've seen Grandpa, and I'm really missing him."

  Yuè Yù smiled slightly, "Next time, Grandfather's body isn't feeling well today."

  "Oh...alright then."

  Yuè Yú took the carefully brewed medicine back to her own home, and then went straight to Zhao Zun's house in the Jade Emperor Pavilion. But where was anyone? The house inside and out was quiet, except for a few silent little maids, only Zheng Er Bao was waiting outside. Seeing her coming, Zheng Er Bao didn't say anything, just gave Yuè Yú a comforting look.

  "Grandpa took Chu Qi away, you can put the medicine aside for now."

  Zheng Er Bao's voice has always been sharp and unpleasant to listen to.

  Ke Yue felt that it had never been so piercing before.

  Zheng Er Bao looked around and knew that she was not feeling well in her heart, so he drove away the few little maids who were standing there, and then quietly comforted her.

  "What I said last night was just a joke, don't take it to heart. In my heart, you are different from others. These days, be more careful, that master of ours has eyes sharper than anyone else's, don't provoke him again."

  Yuè Rù put down the medicine bowl and smiled at Zheng Er Bao.

  "I already know. No need for you to comfort me."

  ……

  ……

  This day is Hong Tai's twenty-fourth year of December 7.

  Even after many years have passed, Xia Chui still remembers that day.

  Zhao Zhu led the big black warhorse called "Big Bird" out of Ma's stable, loaded with several jars of mixed grain wine from Wende Feng Wine Workshop in Sichuan Xuzhou Prefecture. They passed through the cold and quiet city gate of Qinggang Post Station at night, and rode into the endless darkness under the call of the cold wind, bringing her into the damp and refreshing air.

  The moonlight tonight is just as bright and clear.

  The moon was like a big white furry thing hanging vaguely in the sky.

  At the beginning of summer, on the seventh day, I couldn't see Zhao Zhu's expression very clearly.

  And where they sat, there was no poetic atmosphere, no gentle emotions like a painting, only that big black horse about ten feet away from them, swishing its tail and leisurely eating the green grass, occasionally letting out a loud snort to add some music to their drinking pleasure.

  It's freezing cold, even winter insects have stopped moving.

  All around was quiet and still, with a desolate loneliness of night.

  This is also a section of the Qingling River, and on the riverbank there is a large stone protruding high, two people blowing the river wind, drinking small wine, sitting on that big stone, chatting occasionally.

  Of course, Xia Zhi's own chat is still the strongest.

  Zhao Zun doesn't talk much.

  Before long, by the big stone, there were already two or three empty wine jars scattered about.

  "Hmm, don't mention it, this wine really tastes like Wuliangye..."

  On the seventh day of summer, he didn't look very good after drinking too much and belched, then looked at Zhao Zhu.

  "Hey, buddy, let's go out and have a drink to relieve our boredom. It's always better with two people chatting together. I've been talking alone for ages, but you're not saying a word, just like a big mute donkey. It doesn't feel right when I'm the only one speaking, does it? Hey, don't you have any fun stories to share and cheer me up?"

  "Nothing."

  A word, still so light.

  "Sigh, can't play nicely with you anymore."

  Xia Chuqi shook his head, picked up the wine jug, tilted his neck and took a big gulp of wine.

  She smacked her lips and glanced at the man who was also drinking with his head down, her drunken eyes staring at him in a daze.

  "Ah, this raw food really looks great."

  She talks to herself, pleasant and delightful.

  The tree shadow on the edge of that big stone, just fell on Zhao Zun's face, cleverly covering up some of his usual sternness and coldness, adding a hint of inexplicable handsomeness. Probably he had also drunk a bit too much, so he opened the collar of his robe, that lazy and casual appearance and the faintly visible clavicle, with her professional eyes, the lines were worthy of being called legendary representatives of sex appeal.

  Maybe...

  They have become buddies who can drink together.

  She seems no longer willing to indulge in such filthy fantasies about him?

  Regrettably, Xia Chuqi shifted her gaze away from that tempting man, recalling her wicked thoughts. She let out a sigh, her tone laced with a mix of sincerity and pretence, all infused with the optimism that had seeped into her bones.

  "Alright, alright, stop pretending to be cool. With that little thing of yours, even if you don't say it, I can guess it anyway. What's bothering you? You're not starving or freezing, are you? Even if the old man is not good to you, with your skills, you can go fight for that position yourself. Besides, if you treat me a bit better, I'll definitely help you out too, okay? As long as the silver is enough, there's no shortage of talent, stop bothering me! Come on, let's..."

  “……”

  "What's up? Don't agree? Or don't want to express an opinion?"

  "All worldly troubles arise from the mind. If the mind is not troubled, then the heart will not be troubled."

  Zhao Zun raised his neck, and in the process of swallowing, his Adam's apple moved slightly.

  Awesome!

  She closed her eyes, and Xia QiQi couldn't help but admit that she was indeed a coward with a dirty mind. However, if it were under normal circumstances, she would have been able to tease him half-jokingly.

  But today's situation is special, after discovering Zhao's secret that can be said to be "heartbroken and bloodshed", although he didn't directly admit it, he also treated her as a good buddy who can alleviate his worries, and specially brought her to this "Yangliu Shore Dawn Wind Residual Moon" place to drink.

  She's already been absent for seven days in summer, and it's not good to tease others again, is it?

  Zhao Zhu

  She called out his name for the first time in a serious manner.

  "Hmm." Unexpectedly, he actually responded.

  She smiled and comforted him, "When I was young, I grew up in an orphanage. My father and mother were killed by bad people early on. In the room of the orphanage, there lived seven or eight little girls who were also orphans like me. The only difference is that they were all older than me. So every time the orphanage distributed good things to us, I couldn't get any, they would all be snatched away by them."

  He didn't lift his head, nor did he speak.

  Xia didn't care whether he responded or not on the seventh day of summer. With a bit of wine in his head, he also started to ramble on.

  "Don't underestimate what kids can do. People are born with aggression, whether they're adults or children. It's just that kids who have parents to pamper them are naturally simple-minded, don't understand the concept of survival of the fittest, and don't know about human relationships. They also don't know how to rely on themselves when needed. We orphans are different, we don't have anyone to truly care for us, so we learn to take care of ourselves, to put on a show in front of the principal and teachers, to pretend to be well-behaved when someone comes to adopt us, to understand what it means to listen and not listen..."

  She paused here, looked at him and said, "I'm a bit cold."

  Zhao Zhuo looked at her for a moment, didn't say anything, took off the thick and heavy black fox fur coat from his body, and handed it to her. Xia Chuqi wasn't polite either, took the coat and wrapped it around her body.

  Hey, that guy is really big, even her feet can be buried together.

  She let out a comfortable sigh, leaving only two small hands to hold the wine, and shrank into Zhao's side, letting his tall stature block the river wind for her, and continued to speak.

  "That's nothing, if you ask me. You're all high and mighty royalty, thinking about thrones, power, the world, and domination. But for ordinary people like us, it doesn't matter who's emperor, as long as we're full, warm, and free to do what we want, that's the life. I'm just thinking, when I'm free, I'll take my fool of a husband on a tour of these mountains and rivers, that's the real good life..."

  She also doesn't know which gust of wind blew her into being garrulous like an eighty-year-old granny.

  Zhao You heard this and remained silent.

  But he never stopped drinking.

  Under the moonlight with long hair, Xia Qihe secretly glanced over and saw his profile, which looked as if it was carved by a skilled craftsman. This feudal young master looked... she couldn't help but sigh again and took a big gulp of wine.

  "I know you have a lot on your mind, but you're not willing to tell others. Well, I think the things you want to do are also about settling scores and being carefree, like 'White Horse Whinnying in the Western Wind'. It's very heroic and uninhibited, so go ahead and do it boldly, I'll definitely support you spiritually. However, can you..."

  She belched again and suddenly leaned forward.

  "Can I have my mirror back first?"

  "Why is that mirror so important to you?"

  Zhao Zhu's voice was hoarse and low due to the effects of the wine, but his gaze, which was close enough to touch, shone with an unusual brightness in the dark and serene river wind, as if it had a mesmerizing power that made Xia Chuqi suddenly feel the urge to confide in him about things she never liked to show others.

  "Hey, we're buddies now, right? I've got a secret to tell you."

  She originally thought he wouldn't answer.

  But he glanced over at an angle.

  Softly, quietly, and lightly, she murmured "uh-huh" before continuing.

  "Ugly is just ugly, but can still accompany you for a drink."

  She glared at him with all her might, and Xia Chuqi knew that she wasn't the kind of stunning beauty who could make people's hearts go crazy. She twisted her mouth and looked a bit bitter.

  "Although I'm ugly, I don't steal or rob. What's it to you? If you don't tease me, will you die?"

  He didn't respond, just sat there with one leg slightly bent, a face with tree shadows, and robes gently blown by the breeze. He was quiet, calm... and also ten times more handsome than her in reality.

  "Have you eaten rose cake?"

  His words came suddenly and the turn was too big, which took away Xia Chuyi's secret of crossing over.

  But tonight was also the first time he took the initiative to open up a conversation.

  "Summer Seventh was stunned, shook his head, 'No, use rose to make a cake?'"

  Zhao's face was hidden in the darkness, his eyes dim and distant.

  "It's been a long time since I've had this dish, when I was young, my mother would always make it for me on my birthday."

  "What's next?" Xia Chuyi's gossiping heart had reached new heights.

  "There's nothing left." Zhao Zun replied very quickly, his voice also very calm.

  It was strange that Xia Qiqi had read a hint of desolation from his words. No matter how she asked, he didn't answer this question anymore, but instead focused on being her listener, and also couldn't get along with those few jars of mixed grain wine, not making another sound.

  Stubborn mule!

  But it seems that no matter how noble one's status is, they all have ordinary human emotions.

  Thinking of this, Xiaoyi felt a bit more at ease.

  She is indeed someone who can find happiness in other people's sorrow.

  It seems that Zhao Zhuo's body has normal human emotions, making Xia Chuqi feel that the distance between them is much closer. Even if he doesn't like to talk, it can't stop her from being chatty.

  "I've had many delicious foods, such as Longyou Fa Gao from Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces, Jujube Cake which is one of the top ten pastries in Manhan Quanxi, Glutinous Rice Cake, Peanut Cake, Fried Turnip Cake, Ningbo Stir-Fried Year Cake, Cantonese Turnip Cake, Crispy Fried Tofu Cake..."

  “……”

  From the opening remarks, Xia Qi's long journey of self-examination began.

  She omitted some modern experiences that were hard for him to understand, and talked about what she liked to eat and play with. She talked about how she used to fight with the other kids in the orphanage when she was little, and how she once scratched a friend's face while fighting over a piece of candy. She talked about how unbearable those days were, and how she had once tried to sneak out by piling up bricks and climbing over the high wall of the orphanage, only to fall off and nearly die. She also talked about a chubby little boy she had secretly liked when she was five years old, because he smelled like a perfume she had never smelled before...

  A long string of words went on and on for a very long time.

  It wasn't until much later that she realized he hadn't made a sound for quite some time.

  "Hey, didn't you hear?" she asked.

  Zhao Zun nodded slightly and looked at her thoughtfully, "I can understand some of it, but there are parts I don't understand."

  Alas, chatting with people from ancient times about past events is indeed tiring.

  Just at the beginning of summer, with a hint of drunkenness and nostalgia for bitter thoughts and sweet memories, Zhao Zun's eyes glanced over, his gaze locked onto her face, and he suddenly asked a fatal key question.

  "You have had such an experience, why are you still appearing in Xuan Nian Village?"

  Normally when his mind was clear, Xia Chuqi would have come up with a more suitable excuse.

  But isn't she a bit drunk now?

  Looking at the dark and cloudy sky with that one wheel of hairy moon, she put down the wine jug, opened her hands, made a gesture of flying in the wind, and smiled at Zhao Zhuo with a series of gestures.

  "Did you see that sky? Actually, there might be another sky outside of this one. I come from a different time and space, outside of this sky... or maybe not, perhaps we are in the same sky, just separated by several hundred years. I am not a normal person, I am just a soul. A soul without its own body, occupying someone else's body..."

  She has never been so honest before.

  Especially in front of Zhao Zun, I have never said such a sincere word.

  Zhao You's face sank, "You're being unreasonable and making a scene."

  He let out a sigh on the seventh day of summer, looked at him with a slanted gaze, scratched his ear for a while, and said, "Buddy, I'm telling the truth."

  "Uh-huh, it's true, you're not human."

  Zhao Zun was elegantly and luxuriously drinking wine, casually making a toast, which made her cough violently.

  She's really at a loss for words.

  If she tells the truth, no one will believe her. If she fabricates a melodramatic story like "That year and month, war was raging everywhere, I followed a group of refugees and mistakenly entered Lianyuan Village, fell under the Cangying Mountain, and was luckily saved by a fool", he would definitely believe it even more.

  But even if it were her, she wouldn't believe it either.

  "Chu Qi, I know you're not a simple person."

  The tree shadow on the edge of the big stone blurred Zhao Zun's handsome face again.

  Xia Chu Qi's eyes widened slightly as she tilted her head to look at him, "Really? That's good. I've never thought of myself as simple either."

  "You are different."

  He made up his mind. But it was said that Xia Chuqi thought of past events and had some resentment.

  "Just because you think I'm different from others, you deceive me of my money?"

  "You can still earn more anyway?"

  "That's it, I'm done with you, isn't that just two different things? You're the kind of person who takes pleasure in bullying me, this mindset is really unbearable. But fortunately, after tonight, we'll be buddies and call it quits. The money I owe you, you said don't need to pay back, and the money you cheated from me, I'll generously forget about it too. We're even now..."

  The prerequisite for not having to pay back is that you serve me in bathing.

  On the seventh day of summer, before she could swallow a mouthful of wine, he faintly reminded her.

  Looks like he's not drunk at all?

  This drinking capacity is really impressive.

  Hehe, she leaned in and said, "Hey, you really want me to bathe for you?"

  Xia Zhi Qi said, as she slowly moved closer to him, one hand resting on the big stone, the other hand on his shoulder, her scorching face against his, rubbing gently a few times, and then sniffed the sweet, light, and elegant wine fragrance on his body.

  "Why don't we... now?"

  "Now?"

  She was confused by her strange tone, and Zhao's eyebrows seemed to be slightly furrowed.

  At the beginning of summer, she crawled over with her hands and feet, stuck in front of him, raised her head and sprayed a mouthful of wine on her face.

  "Zhao Zhu, have you had too much to drink?"

  "No."

  "But I'm a bit drunk..." She looked at him with narrowed eyes, her tone softer than she knew, and her expression... unusual. With a pair of drunken, blurry eyes, she mixed in some foolishness, smiled slyly, and said, "However, it's not the wine that got me drunk, but being bewildered by you. Hey, born so good-looking, yet still coming to seduce me, tsk, this is very unfair, do you know?"

  "Really drunk?" Zhao Zun patted her head, his eyes slightly moving, his Adam's apple rolling, his voice low and hoarse. For a moment, Xia Chuqi couldn't help but feel a little excited, that feeling was... as if she were really drunk.

  "Not too drunk, huh? How about we do something more poetic?"

  "What's poetic about it?" Zhao Zun was clearly puzzled.

  "Look at this..."

  On the seventh day of summer, she raised her head and looked at the hairy moon in the sky, muttering foolishly.

  "A bright moon overhead, a pair of people on the rock, raise head to gaze at the moon, lower head..."

  She pulled his arm tight and burst out laughing, adding "Low head bath busy", then pushed him down to the stone. Zhao Zun followed her topic, but didn't expect her to make a move, with a loud crash accompanied by water sounds "Boom" he and the wine jug in his hand fell into the river water below the big stone together.

  "Wasn't I supposed to serve you in bathing? Now that you've bathed, the silver is cleared too."

  The water in the Qingling River was quite deep, and Xia Qi originally wanted to tease him a bit, casually releasing some of the maliciousness he had been oppressed with these days. Who would have thought that he choked on two mouthfuls of water, his body splashing around a few times, and then his head sank down and never came up again.

  "Really? You can't swim?"

  Last time when Xunjiang Dam discharged floodwater, he drifted with her for so long...

  No, at that time there was still a coffin board. Moreover, he is drunk now.

  At this thought, Xia Chuqi was startled and her heart skipped a beat.

  "Zhao Zhu, Zhao Nineteen - Hey, don't scare me."

  There was no one in the water to answer him, and Zhao Zhu's figure had disappeared. After so long, Xiaochi was frightened out of her wits, but she sobered up a bit after drinking some wine. Having experienced the taste of being soaked in the water, she couldn't care about anything else anymore. She took off her fox-fur coat and jumped into the water with a splash, diving down to where he had fallen in and feeling around everywhere.

  The night is very dark, and the water is even darker. Nothing can be seen.

  She felt around for a while without finding anyone, and then she poked her head out again.

  "Zhao Zhu...... Zhao Zhu...... where are you?"

  Still no one answered well.

  His heart sank, could it be that he really drowned?

  A fierce search was conducted in the water, but after a long time, no one was found. Xia Chuqi's heart was tense and almost jumped out of her throat.

  Zhao Zun

  She was drenched from head to toe, completely unaware that her own voice had become distorted. Just as the sound had barely faded away, someone suddenly patted her shoulder from behind, and with a swift motion, she was tightly wrapped in a fierce embrace, pressed down into the water. Xia Chuqi choked on several mouthfuls of water before bursting out of the surface, and when she turned around, she saw under the disheveled moonlight, a pair of eyes as bright and profound as stars.

  Across the ripples of water, Xia Qiuli seemed to have seen a rare "bad" glint in his eyes, and almost subconsciously, she understood again that she had been fooled by him once more.

  "You're going to die, you son of a bitch..."

  She shouted in a shrill voice and hit him.

  "Stop messing around, it's cold in the water..."

  At this time, the water in December is cool and refreshing, even in the south it's chilling to the bone.

  She punched him hard, scolding, "Are you kidding me? Can't you take a joke? I just pushed you lightly, it's your own fault for staring at the beauty and losing your balance. You scared me so much that I almost froze to death trying to retrieve your body from the water. And now you want to push me in again? What's with your vengeful heart?"

  Crackling and popping, she scolded like a bamboo tube, but he seemed to be annoyed by the sound, so he spread his arms and tightly hugged her. In the icy river water, Xia Chuqi's body suddenly shuddered, feeling as if she had fallen into a fiery chest...

  Digression

  Monthly ticket was exploded, 13,600 words begging for sisters' enthusiastic votes - Mua mua da.

  Don't ignore me just because I'm diligent; without motivation, my hands will be crippled...

  In addition, good friend Nián's "The Legend of the Stubborn Princess" has been updated today, please subscribe. Girls, take a look at this unique ancient-style romance novel with great personality. If you read it carefully, you'll find that the author's talent is unmatched... Cough, most importantly, last night, no, I should say early this morning, under my whip-like urging, she and I wrote together until 4:30 in the morning, very diligent and serious, haha!