Chapter 71: A Sword in the Smile, Every Sword is Bloody!

  Looking at the "green man" in front of her, who was always performing a deep and complex play, Xia Chuqi couldn't help but have some vicious thoughts: one day, when Zhao Mianze found out about the truth, found out that the trap he thought was deeply rooted had turned into another trap, what would his mood be like? Would he want to stab the woman in front of him who had aborted three times for him?

  She couldn't guess.

  Of course, it's not time yet. She must be out of her mind to go and break this silence.

  Got it!

  Wait for the best moment!

  When summer asks autumn, this bubble gets bigger and bigger.

  When Zhao Mianze loved that woman more and more contradictorily.

  What she said was that physical torture is useless, one must torture the heart, torturing it until it's so painful that it can't be cured.

  She had thought of nine ways to collect the debt, but her expression remained unchanged, only making a show of sighing and gasping, almost as if she was about to wipe away tears with her sleeve.

  "I've long heard that the Crown Prince and his consort are deeply in love, a match made in heaven that everyone in the capital admires. It's truly enviable. Today, I'm fortunate enough to hear about their past, and I feel incredibly lucky. You two are indeed a perfect match, a pair of phoenixes and dragons, a harmonious union of music and art, with love that knows no bounds and spans ten thousand miles..."

  "Chu Medical Officer!"

  Zhao Mianze interrupted her.

  Xia Wen looked at her dazedly.

  You're overpraising me, it's fake! Xia Zhi Qi forced a smile with a hint of embarrassment.

  "I'm so touched! Really, I'm too touched! Under me, it's simply..."

  "Chu Medical Officer!"

  Nor did he know whether she was being hypocritical or not, but fearing that she would launch into another lamentation-like song, Zhao Mianze interrupted her again, still maintaining a warm and gentle expression like the spring breeze in March.

  "Let's draft the prescription first."

  "Yes, yes, I'll go draft the proposal now." She smiled and glanced at Zhao Mianze with a hint of knowing that his warm expression was mostly just politeness and courtesy when speaking to Xia Wenqiu, rather than genuine emotion.

  Also a garlic-wearing... cheap person!

  She slowly walked out of the living room and indeed saw Li Mo waiting outside.

  She glanced around and walked over with a bright smile, hooked her arm around Li Mo's shoulder and left.

  "Go and help me write something."

  Li Mian just glanced at her and didn't refuse.

  "Brother-in-law, with you around, she found that I can handle things much more easily."

  "You're so eloquent!" Li Mo lightly scolded her, looking at Xia Chuqi who was grinding ink with her. She narrowed her eyes and said, "When we were young, I didn't think you were so good at talking either? To be honest, back then your mouth was quite dumb, everything was bottled up inside, just a little goody-goody, how did you become like this now, unwilling to suffer losses?"

  "Not losing out is bliss!"

  At the beginning of summer, on the seventh day, she had just made a perfunctory "heh heh" when she saw Li Mo's hand, which was holding a brush, pause slightly, as if thinking of something. He looked up and glanced over at her.

  "Chu Qi, you're not illiterate, so why did you write a prescription and then ask me to come?"

  If possible, Xia Zhiqi really wanted to tell Li Mo the truth. After all, the more you deceive people, the more loopholes there are, and the harder it is to fill them. Especially her cousin was a kind-hearted and honest person. Why she always guarded her side was actually worried that she would get into trouble.

  Unfortunately, how can a soul traveling through time and space be explained in a way that people will believe?

  She let out a sigh, pretended to scold him with a few words, then said, "You don't know, during those days, I often wrote some poems and lyrics at home with him. Although he never took a look, now if I write again, I'm afraid he'll recognize my handwriting and add more trouble..."

  This is what she guessed.

  It stands to reason that Xia Chu, who likes Zhao Mianze so much, should have some childish love poems, but as soon as she finished speaking, she heard Li Mo's surprised voice, "In the past, I often heard my mother say that you are only good at embroidery, and your poetry and music are not good, and your brain is not very useful. I didn't expect you to be a poetic person...”

  Summer begins on July 7th.

  Fortunately, before she could find a lame excuse to wrap things up, Li Mo lifted his sleeve again and continued writing.

  "It seems rumors are indeed unreliable, otherwise you wouldn't have such a temperament now."

  "That's it, that's it, rumors are unreliable..."

  Xia smiled awkwardly on the seventh day of summer.

  This little thing also reminded her that anything can't be done by guessing, it's not accurate. Li Mo is a person who looks calm and collected, but actually has a meticulous mind like silk, and is not an easy person to deal with. After thinking for a moment, she rubbed her face and continued along the lines of what she was saying, pretending to be embarrassed.

  "To be honest with you, after I fell off the Azure Dragon Mountain and lost my memory, I couldn't write those characters well anymore... and even if I did, they wouldn't look good. So, Big Brother, I think your handwriting is great, from now on I should learn from you more often and practice hard, or else I'll lose face."

  Li Mian didn't raise his head and said calmly, "Why don't you let the 19th prince teach you?"

  Whenever that person is mentioned, Xia Chuqi's face flushes slightly, and she smiles slyly.

  "Good idea. This can have—"

  The two of them chuckled for a moment, and when they were about to leave, they found an empty space. Only then did Xia Chuqi lower his face, "Earlier, the conversation between Yuè Rù and Zhao Miàn Zé in the living room, did you hear it all clearly?"

  Li Mian nodded and immediately furrowed his brow.

  "But you're being too vague, I couldn't make out what you're saying."

  Then she whispered it again.

  At the beginning of summer, her eyes were filled with smiles, but she was very satisfied and gave her an "OK" gesture, jokingly saying, "You're absolutely talented at being a scout...and you're even a first-class scout. In the future when we take our revenge, you can go to the Golden Guard Army and become a scout commander. Or maybe in the future I'll become a general and set up a special forces unit, and you can be the captain haha."

  "Special Forces?"

  It's done, and accidentally blew out of bounds again.

  Xia smiled awkwardly on the seventh day of summer, "Wait for an opportunity to explain to you again, I'll take the prescription first..."

  "Do you really plan on curing her?"

  She smiled ambiguously as she saw Li Mo's slightly uneasy expression.

  "What do you think? It must be treated, and it must be thoroughly treated."

  He patted her back and said, "Go quickly, those two goods are waiting anxiously."

  ……

  ……

  When Xia Zhiqi took the prescription out, Zhao Mianze was still sitting in the Taishi chair in the guest hall, wearing a white Shu brocade python robe, with a Panli patterned jade belt around his waist, looking spotless and serene, like a celestial being who had fallen from the sky... The only drawback was that when he hit the ground, he smashed his brain.

  And the Xia Qiu beside him was whispering something to her, with a sweet smile on his lips that made people jealous, bringing a warm and fuzzy smile to his face. The feelings were really good, but it made Xia Chuyi feel particularly uncomfortable. For the original owner of this body, she tightened her grip on Fangzi's hand, but the smile on her face opened even wider.

  "Your Highness..." She respectfully presented the square character up.

  When Zhao Mianze turned his head to look at her, his smile had diminished somewhat.

  "Hold on, He Xiang! Give him the silver."

  "Yes, Your Highness." An old eunuch who was waiting on the side brought over a prepared silver note.

  On the seventh day of summer, he picked it up and took a look, neither more nor less, exactly five hundred taels.

  Unexpectedly, Zhao Mianze was quite generous when he made his move.

  "In the lower hall, Xie Changsun and his wife were enjoying themselves. With a slight curve of her lips, she felt a surge of joy, and when she smiled, it became much more genuine, and a shallow dimple appeared on her cheek."

  "You..." Zhao Mianze's gaze suddenly deepened a bit.

  "What?" Xia Chuyi looked at him in confusion.

  With a faint smile, Zhao Mianze had already restored his usual expression, as if the momentary distraction he had just experienced did not exist at all. A white robe with a subtle elegance and refinement that seemed almost ethereal.

  "Don't worry, Doctor Chu, it's nothing else, 500 taels is just a small matter, as long as Autumn's illness recovers, there will be a heavy reward."

  A cold smile in her heart, Xia Chuyi's lips curled slightly, "Then I'll thank you first."

  "There's something else."

  His tone was completely different from before, causing Xia Chuyi to be taken aback.

  She slowly raised her head and met Zhao Mianze's gaze.

  Unfortunately, nothing can be seen in those eyes.

  To be honest, Zhao Mianze has a pair of gentle eyes and speaks with a smile, but having a smile doesn't mean he's simple. Don't look at his young age, but there's a depth to him that's different from others in his age group. He's not arrogant, not showy, and doesn't have the natural haughtiness that princes and nobles are born with, making him seem very down-to-earth. In all fairness, except when facing Xia Wenqiu when he becomes slightly weak-minded, he should be a wise and insightful person who is hard to see through.

  Under his gaze, Xia Qiuzi calmly said, "Please enlighten me, Prince Changsun."

  Zhao Mianze didn't move his gaze away, his eyes still fell on her face.

  "It's like this, I heard that the imperial physician of Chu also knew about it. My father, the king, has been ill for a long time and has taken many medicinal soups without seeing any improvement. Now that we've heard that the imperial physician of Chu is skilled in medicine, Mian Ze reported to the emperor and asked permission for you to go to the Eastern Palace to take my father's pulse..."

  Her blood boiled for a moment, and Xia Qi's body was refreshed.

  She has been waiting for so long and done so many things, all she wants is this result.

  She has to go to Dong Gong, she must figure out some things...

  But she must pretend to decline for now and can't be too eager, lest it arouse suspicion.

  Her complexion slightly changed with a hint of fear, she hastily cupped her hands and bowed, "I dare not, I dare not. Thanks to the Crown Prince's appreciation, it is still possible for me to diagnose a woman's illness, but as for the Crown Prince himself, being a noble person, he naturally has the imperial physicians attending to him, how could someone like me, a low-ranking medical officer, possibly go and treat him?"

  "Dr. Chu is too modest. Although you are now a good doctor in the Jin Wang Fu, my nineteenth uncle used to praise you highly when he was at the Imperial Hospital and the Ministry of Officials' roster, even in front of the Emperor himself. Don't be humble about it."

  Zhao Mianze smiled faintly and persuaded, seemingly warm but with hidden needles in every word.

  It seems like you're saying, don't ever lose face in front of my nineteenth uncle for me.

  Just as Xia was about to climb up the pole, a cold and inhumane voice suddenly came from outside the house, interrupting what she was going to say.

  "She is not making excuses, she indeed only slightly understands."

  What's the use of someone who doesn't give face, besides Zhao Zun?

  He seemed not too happy today, a pair of cold black eyes narrowed slightly, took big strides in, swept the house with a glance, exuding an overbearing aura that brought a chill, blowing away some of the warmth in the space.

  "Nephew pays respects to Nineteenth Uncle."

  Zhao Mianze smiled and took Xia Wenqiu's hand, then stood up to pay his respects to Zhao Zun in the manner of a younger generation.

  "You're excused!"

  In this era, the young and old were in order, and etiquette was highly valued. Zhao Zun had always been used to being a senior, so naturally he didn't have much humility in front of Zhao Mianze. He simply waved his hand casually and walked over to Xia Chuqi without looking at her sideways. In front of Zhao Mianze and Xia Xiangqiu, he half-embraced her waist and pulled her onto the two large rosewood chairs on the main seat, only then did he calmly look at Zhao Mianze.

  "He became a doctor solely for our convenience, and there is no other reason."

  It can be said without exaggeration that Zhao Yun is the only one who died for "male beauty" and private feelings.

  The seventh day of summer is a bit tearless.

  His appearance completely disrupted her plans and made her very worried.

  What's even more infuriating is that the chair she's sitting in now should only be sat on by the future Princess of Jin. The expressions of the few people in the room, which suddenly changed color, can guess one or two things - they must think Zhao Zun has gone mad.

  If it weren't for the table between them, she would have pinched him hard to remind him not to ruin her business and cause trouble for her, or else those women in the backyard would want to eat her alive.

  The atmosphere in the living room is depressing.

  Unexpectedly, he reached out and took her hand, rubbing it gently in his palm.

  "What's wrong with staring at me? Are you thinking of something?"

  “……”

  Miss you to death!

  It's already July 7th in the lunar calendar and I'm speechless, really wanting to roll my eyes at him.

  Unfortunately, Zhao Mianze and the other two were still in front of her, and previously they had let her eat so many "electric light bulb trash", making her thoughts of replacing Xia Chu not worth it again. So she didn't refute Zhao Zun's words, only slightly blushing and lowering her head.

  "That's something you'd naturally miss..."

  She was being overly flattering, but Zhao Zhu didn't mind and casually pinched her hand.

  "Wait till later when we return to our quarters and I'll pamper you properly; for now, let's first chat with Mian Ze."

  "......Alright."

  A mouthful of old blood almost spat out, was swallowed alive by Xia Chuyi.

  He was so depressed that he wanted to die, but he actually calmly chatted with Zhao Mianze in a desultory manner.

  Today is the first day of the first month, and the imperial court has a system, from the first to the fifth, there are five days of rest. During these five days of rest, from the emperor's sons and grandsons to civil and military officials, no one needs to attend court, and the old emperor will also take a few days off from work. Every day in the palace, there are banquets, and two people chatted for half a day, but it was nothing more than those empty and hypocritical pleasantries.

  However, Xia Chuqi could also sense from their words that the emotions between the two masters seemed to be quite good.

  It's much better than what she imagined when she first learned about the "Succession Triangle". Especially Zhao Mianze was extremely humble to Zhao Zun, saying things like "The Emperor taught me to learn from Nineteenth Uncle, please don't hesitate to teach me, Nineteenth Uncle..."

  Everything looks harmonious on the surface, but there is nothing meaningful happening.

  It wasn't until after a while that Zhao Mianze suddenly changed the subject.

  "Nephew, I heard that the county magistrate with the surname Fan was taken away from the Ministry of Justice's prison by the Embroidered Uniform Guard today. Is this true?"

  Zhao Zun held his tea cup and took a sip, his tone was light and calm, "Dongfang's self-discipline and dedication to the country and its people are truly rare. We're all just living our own small lives as we age, only he has his heart set on the imperial court."

  Hypocrisy is dead!

  Heart is thinking about it on the seventh day of summer.

  Who would have thought that Zhao Mianze would also hypocritically flatter him.

  "Shi Jiu Shu said it extremely well, Dong Fang Da Ren is a man who prioritizes public interests over personal ones."

  Zhao Zun nodded slightly, seemingly unwilling to say more about the matter. However, Zhao Mianze showed no intention of changing the subject and continued to press on, "However, Nineteenth Uncle, I think that the Imperial Guards' power is becoming too great, not only in terms of their jurisdiction but also in their handling of criminal cases. They are too severe and often result in wrongful convictions...

  Miscarriage of justice?

  What kind of miscarriage of justice can come from Fan Zhongliang?

  On the seventh day of summer, Xia guessed that Zhao Mianze seemed to be concerned about Zhao Zun, but in fact he was telling him in a roundabout way that Fan Congliang had already fallen into Dongfang Qingxuan's hands. Was the matter of "Thousand Years Stone Tablet" nailed on the board?

  If Fan Zongliang bites out her truth, how will it be handled and will Zhao Zhuo be implicated?

  She was slightly worried and glanced at Zhao Zhu with a sweeping gaze.

  But he had no emotions at all, just listening lightly, with one hand slightly curved, and gently tapping the tea cup in a rhythmic motion. He waited until Zhao Mianze finished speaking before slowly responding, "It's all for the sake of official business, Mianze, your temperament is still too kind-hearted."

  "My nephew just sighed and feared that if Fan County's order was exceeded, he would randomly bite something."

  Zhao Zhuo lazily raised his hand to take a sip of tea before carelessly glancing over.

  "Are you going to present these ideas of yours to His Majesty?"

  Zhao Mianze smiled slightly, "Of course there is."

  "Can Your Majesty stop it?"

  "Never."

  He put down his tea cup, and Zhao Zhu slightly narrowed his eyes, "In that case, let's not bother with the emperor's mind."

  This remark was so accurate and clever that Xia Chuyi couldn't help but admire it.

  These people are all good at grasping the essence of things. But Zhao Zun is a man of few words, and his verbal sparring skills are especially formidable. He truly lives up to the phrase "magic is one foot high, the way is one zhang high".

  But Zhao Mianze's temperament was really good, being blocked by him, he didn't get annoyed, but just smiled.

  "Uncle Shiju is right, I was overstepping my bounds. Lord Dongfang has his own way of doing things, and since the Emperor trusts him, there must be considerations that come with being an emperor, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

  Zhao Zun just drank tea and didn't say anything else.

  That means "since you know, then don't say it."

  The two people returned to the state when Zhao Zun first entered, only slightly later, but Zhao Mianze's gaze fell on Xia Chuqi.

  "Uncle Nineteen, I previously said that I would invite Doctor Chu to come and treat my father the king. It has already been reported to the emperor and he is aware of it..."

  Zhao Zun hummed softly and raised an eyebrow extremely coldly, interrupting him.

  "I will explain the situation to Your Majesty and won't let her miss the prince."

  Zao Mianze smiled, "Nephew knows that Nineteenth Uncle is considering his beloved one, so as not to burden her. But now my father, King Wang, is seriously ill in bed, and it's heartbreaking for me as a son. Having found such a good doctor, how can I not make a sincere request?"

  Having said that, he actually walked from his seat to the front and bowed deeply in front of Zhao Zhuo without getting up.

  "Wishing Uncle Nineteen's nephew a complete filial piety."

  Zhao Zun's eyes flashed, and he was about to refuse when Xia Chuiqi noticed his intention.

  Without time to think, Dong Gong had to go. She quickly got up and went over, half-kneeling at his feet, one hand tightly grasping his calf, taking the conversation away.

  "Grandfather, look at the Crown Prince paying his respects to you. If you continue to refuse and favor me instead, it would be hard to justify. Moreover, His Majesty will blame you for it. Previously, I also thought that my abilities were lacking, but now I've come to a realization. Although I'm not talented, as a doctor, benevolence is the foundation. Going to take a look at the patient's condition can't be bad. What do you think, grandfather?"

  On the surface is sincere request, underneath is pinching him and making a scene.

  Zhao You lowered his head to look at her, slightly pursing his lips, with a cold and arrogant expression like a lazy white fox, his face extremely calm. "This little medical skill of yours, flaunting it in front of me is already enough, do you dare to flaunt it in the Eastern Palace as well? Don't want your head?"

  Against Zhao Mianze and others, Xia Chuyi was already holding his thigh.

  "Grandfather, I have always been fond of medicine as if it were my life, you're not unaware of this, are you?"

  "Is this child's play?"

  He grasped her calf, and Xia Chuqi squeezed his eyes shut, making a "one hundred two" shape with his mouth, then said seriously, "Sir, I'm not joking around, I truly have a sincere heart, wanting to diagnose the crown prince's illness for the sake of Da Yan's fortune."

  Zhao Zun shook his head and hummed: "What if it can't be cured?"

  He also mouthed "two hundred taels" to him, and Xia Chuyi made a bitter face.

  "A doctor's way is to try their best, how can they guarantee a cure?"

  Originally thought that two hundred taels would have been agreed upon, but unexpectedly she simply closed her eyes and stopped looking at the gestures of his mouth, still coldly refusing, "If father says no, then it's not going to happen."

  "Grandfather..."

  "Sit properly in your seat."

  "Grandpa..."

  "Even calling for dad won't work."

  “……”

  My goodness! Xia Zhiqiu really wants to strangle him to death.

  With outsiders still present, she didn't dare to be too presumptuous. After some thought, she gritted her teeth and got up, leaning in close, putting her mouth next to his ear and quickly saying, "I guarantee that as soon as I return from the East Palace, I will... serve you comfortably... just what you want... can it be done?"

  Zhao Zhuang opened his eyes and met her gaze, with a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. But upon closer inspection, he wasn't smiling after all. He propped up his forehead and pondered for a moment before letting out a deep sigh with a hint of "difficulty" in his tone.

  "You're so insistent, go take a look then."

  Summer begins on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, breathing tightens, and tooth roots itch.

  You're just a small fry! It's all because you weren't given enough benefits, yet you dared to say so much.

  "Thank you, sir!"

  The two of them were speaking in hushed tones on this side, while the people around them had already been stunned into a daze. Only Zhao Mianze remained calm and composed, smiling brightly as his eyes swept over the two of them like ripples on water.

  "The Chu State's medical officer is indeed a man of great justice and righteousness; I thank him in advance for his kindness."

  Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, everyone has their own things to do. Zhao Mianze chatted with Zhao Zun for about a cup of tea's worth of time before leading Xia Wenqiu and several servants away directly. Zhao Zun didn't even send someone to see them off, just exchanged a few pleasantries and left with Xia Chuyi.

  A cold wind is blowing strongly outside.

  Zhao Mianze gently took a light blue soft satin cloak from the maid's hand and draped it over Xia Wenqiu's shoulders, then helped her adjust the clasp. Only then did he calmly turn his head to glance back, letting He Cheng'an lead the way towards the main gate of the Jin Wang Fu.

  On the must-pass road to Chengyun Hall, Yu'e stood at the corner, her clothes fluttering.

  "Your Highness Crown Prince, I have something to say..."

  Zhao Mianze dismissed his attendants and servants, then gave a signal with his eyes to the eunuch before turning around and walking towards her.

  "Don't you understand already?"

  Yuè Yù nodded slightly, and between her elegant eyebrows and eyes, a hint of disappointment appeared.

  "His Highness Longsun is right, people are inherently selfish, and even slaves cannot escape this habit."

  Zhao Mianze smiled lightly, as if he had seen through it all along, his face still wearing a warm and gentle smile.

  "That's it, let's go."

  "Your Highness Crown Prince Longsun, actually..."

  The moon was hanging low in the sky, and just as she said this, a hint of strange color appeared at the corner of her eye, and she paused for a moment before raising her head to give Zhao Mianze a sorrowful smile.

  "Actually, I knew what you meant by your previous words, Your Excellency Longsun. I also know what you want to hear from me. However, I dare not deceive you - that Chu physician is indeed the one my father brought back from Qinggang, and due to a fortunate coincidence, he saved my father's life once. My father saw that his medical skills were good and he was also handsome, so he took him in as his personal physician, and they developed some affection for each other..."

  She spoke in a very soft and gentle voice.

  It was just that voice in the cold wind, with a somewhat cool tone, but it wasn't what Zhao Mianze wanted to hear.

  He slightly raised the corner of his mouth, as if he had come to a realization. "Yuè Yù, do you still have any concerns?"

  "I, a humble servant, have no worries. Since the day I entered the palace, I've had none. This life, I was born for my master, and when I die, I'll be his ghost. Whether he wants me or not, whether he understands my suffering or not, whether he's willing to get close to me or not, it makes no difference. Your Excellency Longsun guessed correctly - since he got that Dr. Chu, he's been favoring her and pitying her, and I feel terrible inside, always feeling anxious and fearful, afraid that one day I'll be driven out of the palace... I really... don't have the magnanimity I imagined. But I truly dare not deceive my conscience, so please forgive me, Your Excellency."

  Zhao Mianze smiled and silently watched her for a long time.

  "Thank you for letting me know. Goodbye!"

  Yu'e smiled slightly and said, "Crown Prince Changsun, slow down, I'll see you off..."

  "Don't have to!"

  Zhao Mianze faintly swung his sleeve.

  Was he really wrong?

  He met Chu Qi twice, and neither time was it smooth sailing, with some unexpected twists and turns in between. Yet that person had left an extremely deep impression on him - sometimes sighing, sometimes laughing, sometimes being surprised, sometimes doubting, sometimes chatting and laughing, sometimes frowning and facing him coldly, sometimes lowering his eyebrows and looking at him gently, sometimes being confident and charming, as a low-ranking medical officer, he didn't have the obsequious humility, seeming to be sincere in every sentence, yet every word was also pushing people away.

  That different temperament from ordinary people is indeed not Xia Chu's own.

  But when she smiled happily, the dimples at the corners of her mouth were really too similar to those of the person in his memory.

  Or else he has changed his nature...

  Or it is deep and subtle...

  After all, he was like an unsolvable riddle.

  A group of people had just left, and soon two people emerged from a distance, walking slowly on a bluestone-paved path. One was tall and majestic, with a clear and bright face, while the other was petite and agile, like a fox. At first glance, the two didn't seem to match in terms of height, but in Xia Chuqi's opinion, they were extremely cute and well-matched despite their height difference.

  Cough!

  It will certainly take a long time.

  She coughed lightly and smiled awkwardly.

  "Haha, what a coincidence! I accidentally made you an eavesdropper again."

  Zhao Zun looked at her, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, "Is it a coincidence?"

  He was so calm and composed in his inquiry that Xia Chuqi felt a chill run down her spine.

  "Of course it's a coincidence, haha, didn't expect Big Sister Yue to be so loyal and protective of you?"

  She really didn't think of it.

  Before that, when Li Miao told her about the conversation in the guest hall, she felt that Yue Yu and Zhao Mianze were not quite right, so she guessed that Yue Yu would understand after being provoked by Zhao Mianze and say something. So, she deliberately pulled Zhao Zhu's hand to come here for a walk, just wanting to expose her little trick on the spot. Because she had suspected before, the person who used croton powder to play the "one arrow three birds" trick was actually the smiling Bodhisattva Yue Dajie. Apart from her, she couldn't think of anyone else in this mansion who was so clever.

  Never in a million years would I have thought...

  But it was a heartfelt confession.

  Yuè Yù this person, either is inherently kind, or else is hiding too deeply.

  What's even more depressing is that Zhao Zun seems to trust her?

  He didn't say anything else and just pulled himself forward, Xia Chuyi's face fell, his complexion looking even more unpleasant, thinking to himself that he was extremely unhappy.

  "What's wrong? Do you think I have ulterior motives?"

  Zhao Zun stopped in his tracks, gazed at her for a moment, suddenly let out a sigh, raised his head and patted her on the head.

  "You're overthinking it."

  "What's wrong with you? Are you saying I'm overthinking that Yuet thinks too much or are you saying I have ulterior motives?"

  "This stinky kid, no idea whose he is."

  Zhao Zun glanced at her lightly and pulled her hand over, blowing on her lips.

  "Is it cold?"

  The warmth that came from his hand made Xia Chuqi's heart skip a beat, and she quickly withdrew her hand, but then raised an eyebrow, not allowing him to change the subject. Pretending to be nonchalant, she asked, "I'm just curious, does Big Sister Yue also know that Long Sun?"

  The words were spoken, but Zhao Zhu did not respond.

  Faintly, softly, coldly, he asked back again.

  "This is exactly what Grandfather wanted to ask you."

  "What's up?"

  "Are you an old acquaintance of His Highness Ryūson?"

  Xia Chuqi's heart skipped a beat, her body stiffened for a moment before she furrowed her brow and asked in surprise.

  "Why say it like that?"

  Zhao Zun looked at her coolly for a moment, then stroked her face and rubbed it hard.

  "If you don't know him, he will come to your door seeking medical treatment?"

  They exchanged a glance, perhaps the fireworks from last night gave her courage, or maybe it was his defense in front of Zhao Mianze that gave her strength, or perhaps at this moment it seemed like only the two of them were left in the world. Xia Chuqi suddenly spoke out the words she had been holding in her mind for a long time.

  "If they all say I'm not me but someone else, what would you think?"

  Zhao Zun's face remained unchanged, staring at her without even a hint of extra expression.

  "You are you."

  At the beginning of summer, on the seventh day, Xia was slightly stunned, and a sour air rushed up from her heart.

  Earlier, in the carriage, she also told Dongfang Qingxuan "I am who I am", now Zhao Zun also said to her "You are you", such a high degree of trust and cognitive sense, made her, this soul in an alien space, suddenly feel like having a harbor to rely on.

  She is herself, and never anyone else.

  All the more because of this, she couldn't implicate him further.

  He is a prince and knows too much about the "rebellious family members", so there's no good outcome.

  Her heart thumped for a while, and she said with a thud, jumping around randomly.

  "His Highness Crown Prince Cháng... He regarded me as an old friend."

  Under Zhao Zhen's unsurprised gaze, she calmly recounted the events of that day when she met Zhao Mianze on her way out, omitting only the part about having dealings with Yuan Xing beforehand. She said she had simply seen an injustice and drawn her sword to help, after which she was invited by Duke Longsun to verify her identity. Fortunately, Dongfang Qingxuan intervened and resolved the situation. Then, they met again on the street, where everything was fully explained.

  Zhao You heard it and didn't have any particularly unusual reaction.

  "He already suspects you, why go to the East Palace?"

  Her heart was racing, but Xia Qi Qi still smiled slyly.

  "I've said it before, a doctor's heart is benevolent, saving one life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."

  On the small path, a cool breeze blew gently, Zhao Zun hesitated for a moment, stretched out his hand to pull her into his arms, and wrapped her warmly again and again. He furrowed his brow and paused for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

  "In that case, I won't stop you either..."

  "Thank you..."

  Xia Zhong Qi turned around and hugged her tightly, pretending to be obedient, but unexpectedly, he let out another sigh.

  "It's just like this, thinking about it, the day when you'll have to pay with your life for leaving A Qi is approaching."

  That cold voice, high and icy, made Xia Chuqi, a guy who was impervious to flattery, feel his heart skip a beat as he looked up at him in surprise.

  "What does this mean?"

  Zhao Zun slightly narrowed her eyes and lazily poked her face.

  "Very soon, you will owe me a lot of money."

  “……”

  He glared at him, Xia Chuyi dryly laughed twice and pinched his waist, no longer pretending to be a noble person, "What's the meaning of this? Can we make sense of it?"

  Zhao Yu hooked up her chin, staring at her, with not much emotion on his face, those deep and bottomless eyes still had a hint of coldness, lightly scanning her face, and only raised an eyebrow after meeting her gaze for a moment.

  "One imperial physician goes in to treat the Crown Prince, one comes out dead. Understand?"

  For a moment, Xia Chuqi was taken aback, but then she smiled and said, "In that case, I should congratulate you, Master. It seems like you're going to make another huge profit."

  "No need to congratulate! Just prepare yourself for a life of repayment."

  Digression

  How was everyone's National Day holiday? I woke up today and saw that the monthly ticket ranking is still in second place, my heart is both touched and happy. In a moment of impulse, I almost wanted to write something like "I will update X number of words in the future to repay everyone's kindness"... But then I remembered a saying: "Don't make promises when you're happy, don't respond when you're sad, and don't make decisions when you're angry." Haha, because it's easy to misspeak. So all I can say is that I'll do my best, and what you see is a hardworking Er Jin, byebye!

  Acknowledgments:

  Dear Zengfengzhu and Rufeng2010, congratulations on upgrading to San Ding Jia - the second place winner! Thank you both for thinking of me. Muah muah, Meng meng...

  Dear [ckf333], upgraded to Yuanyuan, wooden horse, take a bite.