Chapter 20: Turbulent Heart

  Dragon's Claw

  Yuan Longqiao turned back upon hearing the sound.

  "Are... you worried about her?" The uncertain voice trembled slightly.

  Leaning against the railing of the building, her gaze stretched far and wide towards a courtyard not far away.

  Seeing him silent, the person next to him seemed to get more and more impatient, gritting his teeth: "Is my medicine ineffective on her?"

  "Zhou Song said her injury has healed a lot, but..." He still gazed into the distance, muttering to himself in a low voice: "How can she be so stubborn!" In his mind, he suddenly saw that pale face again, with tears dripping down through thick eyelashes.

  His eyelashes, which had been drooping under the weight of his sorrow, quivered violently as he clenched his thin lips, now pale and bloodless. The turmoil in his chest was like a stormy sea, tossing about his internal organs, making him feel that if he relaxed even for a moment, he would collapse immediately. Was there finally someone who wanted to take his heart? He took a deep breath, held it for a while, and then slowly exhaled. Since the year he turned ten, when he had been saved by this person, he had considered him the only one in his life. Only he didn't despise him for being blind; only he treated him as a normal person. When he wanted to learn medicine, he went out of his way to get the medical sage to take him on as an apprentice. For years now, he had made up his mind: once he became a doctor, he would take good care of him and assist him. No matter what he wanted or what he desired, he would support him unconditionally, even if it meant giving up his own life in exchange.

  Summer... The first queen to be flogged this morning, not only is she beautiful, but her personality is also special... Is that why Long Chou moved his heart for her? His eyebrows furrowed tighter and tighter, his heart emptying out wave after wave. He had long known that Long Chou was not lacking in women by his side, with five concubines already, and there would be even more in the future. It wasn't that he hadn't prepared himself mentally, and originally, he hadn't thought that he would have any response, perhaps he would never know about all of this. In the past, he had doted on Luo Qi, now if he liked Summer, it was also not a big deal, so why did his heart hurt so much this time, and the jealousy hidden in his heart was so strong?

  Summer, summer... He had never been so regretful of his blindness. If heaven could make him see for just a moment, even if only for a glance, he just wanted to know what kind of woman she was, what kind of woman...

  "Teacher, the Fifth Highness has returned."

  "Hmm." Situ Xuan sat leisurely in the armchair, savoring the fragrance of the tea in his hand, a self-satisfied look filling his eyes.

  Jeong Yoon-ho smiled and bowed his head, "The fifth prince will marry the young lady soon, I'd like to congratulate you in advance, sir."

  Loudly laughing, Sī Tú Bì shook his head and pointed at him, "You!" Gradually suppressing his smile, his fingers turned the teacup in his hand, thinking for a moment. He slowly said: "Once they get married, our plan can be put into action."

  Jeong Yoon-ho also put away his playful mind, "The students received a message that His Majesty is likely to give the five palaces at the same time and take in concubines."

  "Is this news accurate? Do you know who the concubine is that needs to be taken in?" Lifting his head, Situ Bi's half-closed small eyes suddenly became sharp.

  "The news was overheard by a small eunuch in the Changning Palace, and it's absolutely reliable. The candidate for the side consort is the eldest daughter of General Xia, who is extremely favored by Empress Zhen - Xia Yu."

  Crash! The cup fell to the ground and shattered. Situ Bi jumped up from his chair, furious: "Xia Jingting, he has been at odds with him all along. One daughter took away the position of Ling Wangfei, but it's not enough, she even wants to take over the position of Wang Ce Fei, he is really spreading his net wide and catching all the fish! This time, I will never let him get what he wants!"

  Zheng Yunhao lowered his head and thought for a moment before advising, "Teacher, don't be anxious, I think this might not necessarily be a bad thing for us."

  Situ Bi was indeed old and cunning, and he immediately understood the meaning behind Zheng Yunhao's words. "You're saying that using Xia Yu as a pawn to restrain Xia Jingting is a good idea!"

  "That's right!" Zheng Yunhao smiled slyly, "Xia Yu is nothing to be feared. Even if she's as beautiful as a goddess, what can she do? She's just a concubine after all. Getting rid of her would be easy as pie. But with Xia Yu in our hands, we've got a hold on one of Xia Jingting's weaknesses. Even if he wants to support the Third Prince and oppose us in the future, he'll have to think twice. What's more interesting than seeing Xia Jingting's two daughters at odds with each other while he's stuck in between?"

  Although he didn't say a word, Situ Bi's expression on his face had gradually become more calm.

  "Your Majesty has decreed that the General's family be summoned to the palace, firstly because Princess Ling has not formally paid her respects to the royal family since her marriage, and secondly, it is also a way to comfort General Xia Jingting and allow his daughter to pay her respects in the palace as a display of honor. Now that I think about it, perhaps Your Majesty also wishes to take this opportunity to meet with Xia Yu."

  "Since it's like this..." Si Tu Bi's eyes narrowed coldly.

  "We'll make good use of this opportunity." Zheng Yunhao smiled and added.

  Situ Bi heard this and smiled, then leaned back into the armchair again, raising an eyebrow to ask: "Does Jue Er already have a plan in mind?"

  "It's settled then. Actually, we don't even need to lift a finger ourselves, there are people who would be happy to take care of it." He gave a sly smile, with a hint of ruthlessness at the corner of his lips.