"So Fūrén knew about it too. Indeed when Zhǔzi first returned to Long Ye, he was sent back by others. In the beginning, the doctors all said that they lacked the strength to reverse the situation and even Gao Gōngzǐ was also helpless. However, in the end, Zhǔzi went past it. It was truly a miracle."
Shen Miao's eyes hang down, "There are a lot of people in Long Ye that want him dead."
Tang Shu looked at Shen Miao somewhat surprised. After hesitating for a bit, he shook his head and sighed, "How would Great Liang's lands be guarded that easily? If it was so, then at the beginning…" He suddenly stopped talking and said, "In short, Fūrén must take great care of one's body." After finishing, he went to instruct the kitchens to brew medication and withdraw.
Just as Tang Shu was about to withdraw, Shen Miao stopped him and asked, "Tang Shu, do you know of the matter that the Xiān Huáng's and Diànxià's relationship is not good?"
Tang Shu stumbled and paused a while before saying slowly, "Not concealing from Fūrén, Núbì is Xiān Huánghòu's attendant before marriage. It is just that if Fūrén wants to know these matters, it is better for Diànxià to tell you personally. Lǎo Nú cannot speak of it." He then bowed and left the room
Shen Miao pressed her hands against her chest. The secrets in Great Liang's Imperial family were no less than Ming Qi's, so what kind of secrets did Xie Jing Xing have? What happened to the Late Emperor's relationship and the brotherhood between Emperor Yong Le? Xie Jing Xing did not tell her all of this, and because she didn't know the full extent of it, she couldn't act hastily. Shen Miao would rather her personality was more impulsive and less cautious at this time. Perhaps she would know the truth accidentally.
Just as she was thinking, she saw Gu Yu running in with wide eyes and an incomprehensible look, "Fūrén… Fūrén…"
Shen Miao frowned. Rashness must be avoided at all costs, especially at this time, as it will lead to chaos. Others can not take advantage of Prince Rui's residence at this time. She asked, "What had happened? Why this panicky?"
Before the voice land, one heard a familiar voice coming from outside, "Xiǎo biǎomèi!"
Shen Miao was stunned as she saw a familiar figure behind Gu Yu. Who else was it other than Lou Tan? Luo Tan had a somewhat anxious appearance and when she saw Shen Miao, she walked quickly over and after seeing the unconscious Xie Jing Xing lying on the bed, she muttered, "He did not lie to me…"
Shen Miao stood up instantly and asked, "Why are you here?"
Her words were strict. She originally had a tolerance for Lou Tan like treating a younger generation and when she stood up coldly to speak, Luo Tan jumped in shock. Luo Tan could not help but shrink her neck and spoke softly, "It is a long story…"
After Luo Tan told Shen Miao how she came here and what was ongoing, Shen Miao could not help but gave sigh of relief and said in disagreement, "This is just too willful! The distance between Great Liang and Ming Qi is so far and you stayed alone in other's residence. If anything happened to you, what can Jiùjiù and Jiùmǔ do? Where do you put my Fùmǔ?"
Luo Tan knew that she was in the wrong and said softly, "I know I am in the wrong. It is just that one's previous thought was to follow along with you." Afterwards, her voice was even softer, "I also did not think that Gao Yang was a person from Long Ye. He previously lied to me and said he was only travelling in Long Ye and coincidentally had a place here…"
Shen Miao glared at Luo Tan, unsure what else to say. Things had happened, and blaming others was not going to help. Furthermore, she was now safe and sound, and nothing had happened. Even though Gao Yang was not as simple as he appeared on the surface, he followed Xie Jing Xing, leading one to believe that he would not be rude to Luo Tan. Even though Shen Miao wasn't sure why Gao Yang was acting this way, given Luo Tan's condition, Gao Yang should have been taking excellent care of her.
Luo Tan feared that Shen Miao would bring up sending her back now and immediately changed the topic, "Gao Yang has gone to the medical room to study the poison. I had thought that he was talking nonsense but now upon seeing Mèifū, one only knows that it is true." She looked at Shen Miao, "Xiǎo biǎomèi, is Mèifū's injuries really serious?"
Shen Miao did not plan to hide it from her and nodded her head, "An Ning's Gui Yuan Pill can only protect him for ten days. If ten days later, Gao Yang could not create an antidote then it would be dangerous."
Luo Tan was stunned, "Then there is no other way else?"
"I am still thinking." Shen Miao's eyes hung down, "The information has been passed to the ears of Huáng and Huáng is currently secretly recruiting miraculous doctors but… Distant water cannot quench a nearby thirst."
Luo Tan was silent for a while but her hands reached out to hold Shen Miao's hands and spoke firmly, "Mèifū is so talented so definitely everything will be alright. You will be together for a long time and I am waiting for you to give birth to a Xiǎo zhízi (little nephew). Don't worry, I will accompany you."
After all, Luo Tan was a family member. In a foreign country, be it Gao Yang or Ji Yu Shu, there would not be a layer of closeness. Even if Luo Tan was unable to help, she could make someone feel better.
There had to be someone by Xie Jing Xing's side at all times because no one knew when his injuries would flare up, so Shen Miao personally looked after him. She would sit by Xie Jing Xing's bedside almost the entire day, feeding him water and reading at the side when he was fine. However, she was reading all of Great Liang's political and historical literature.
She must quickly comprehend the country of Great Liang in order to plan future countermeasures. She didn't like being in a passive position.
Luo Tan was accompanied by Shen Miao. Other than returning to her room to sleep, she would spend time in the room with Shen Miao. She had a restless personality, and it was unusual for her to sit there for so long, even though she was usually in a daze.
Three days passed quickly, and Xie Jing Xing did not wake up during that time. Aside from locking Gao Yang in the medical room to work on the medicine, Emperor Yong Le dispatched the Imperial Physician of the highest calibre to look after Xie Jing Xing. Xie Jing Xing's condition remained stable because the old Imperial Physician was present.
Everyone had placed their hopes in Gao Yang and hoped that he could come up with an antidote within ten days, otherwise there would be nowhere to turn for help.
Who knew that Xie Jing Xing would take a turn for the worse on the fourth day?
First, his pulse became extremely chaotic and unstable and his breathing was very rapid. His face became frighteningly white and he could not even drink any water. Pus started to fester around his wounds and it looked very dangerous.
When the old Imperial Physician came to check, he only shook his head and sighed saying that the poison in Xie Jing Xing's injuries was suppressed by Gao Yang by applying acupuncture but it only slowed it down. Currently, the poison cannot be suppressed and began to spread. If there weren't the three Gui Yuan Pills, one feared that Xie Jing Xing would not be able to withstand it.
However, even if one was able to withstand it now, or even withstand it for ten days, one would not be able to say anything on Gao Yang's side.
The sudden deterioration of Xie Jing Xing caused a lot of uneasiness in everyone's hearts, especially Shen Miao. Previously, when Xie Jing Xing was injured, it was still considered stable which gave her a little comfort but now she was unable to deceive herself. The possibility of Xie Jing Xing being unable to wake up again was placed clearly in front of her.
Tang Shu hesitated for a long time before asking Shen Miao, "Fūrén, at Ji Fūrén's end, is it necessary to send a word…" When these words were spoken, Tang Shu's tone was as if he was in great difficulty, like it contained enormous grief.
After Xie Jing Xing returned from the hunting grounds, Shen Miao kept on hiding it from the Ji Residence for the reason that she did not want to let Ji Fūrén worry and also to prevent from beating the grass and alerting the snakes. However, Tang Shu's meaning was that if Xie Jing Xing really could not make it, Ji Fūrén had to come over to take a look…
"No need." Shen Miao firmly interrupted his words, "At the moment, no need."
Tang Shu was stunned and Tie Yi was somewhat surprised. Pei Lang, who had been silent, said, "No matter what, some things have to be considered."
What to consider? The funeral? Even though Shen Miao knew that what Pei Lang said was correct and in such a tense environment, grief was inevitable but the most important thing was the future and one had to plan for the future now. An unknown fire burst in Shen Miao's heart as she thought about after Wan Yun married, Pei Lang also said to her lightly, "Gōngzhǔ Diànxià has already married, Niángniáng has to think more about the future."
She looked coldly at Pei Lang and that gaze made Pei Lang stunned and his heart could not help but slowly sink.
Luo Tan could not sit any longer and returned to the Gao Residence to look for Gao Yang but was informed that Gao Yang should not be disturbed when he was refining medication thus no one could enter.
Luo Tan became angry, "This cannot do, that cannot do. Could it be that one has to watch my Mèifū continue to be sick? Never mind about my Mèifū but my pitiful Xiǎo biǎomèi, just these short few days had been taxing on her that she had gotten thinner. She was only married when such a thing happened, and if something really happened, my Xiǎo biǎomèi would definitely not live on."
Luo Tan had read a lot of novels and also seen those lyrical theatre stuff. Thinking that even though Shen Miao looked calm on normal days, she was after all a young girl and just married someone, it was during the honeymoon period when her husband encountered such an accident. So how would Shen Miao take it if something happened? To let a young lady be widowed, was just not possible.
The surrounding servants in the Gao Residence looked at one another and dared not speak. This Young Lady of the Luo family did not have a simple background, she was the Di Biǎojiě of Rui Wángfēi and she had a fiery personality that even their Gentleman had to give in normally, much less them, servants.
Now that Gao Yang was not to be disturbed when he was refining medication, them servants had fallen into misfortune and had to bear the anger of Young Lady Luo.
"Still say what a famous doctor and have a pair of incredible hands under Heavens. Cannot even detoxify a poison. If ten days later the poison cannot be detoxified then what?" Luo Tan's eyes became red and her voice became hoarse. She felt that it was embarrassing to tear in front of everyone and turned around to run back to her room and slammed the doors close before shedding tears quietly on the bed.
The Luo family had been ingrained with a sense of justice and were kind to others. Especially so since Shen Miao was Luo Tan's relative. Luo Tan hated that she could not replace it with herself and watched Shen Miao be so upset but unable to help at all. Luo Tan felt that she was extremely useless. She felt that she could not face Shen Miao and could not face herself so she locked herself in the room and once locked it was an entire day. She did not even eat, seemingly by doing so, her heart would feel better. No matter how sad one was, one could not be as sad as Shen Miao.
As a result, Luo Tan's actions frightened everyone in the Gao Residence. The servants of the Gao Residence had followed Gao Yang since they were young and knew that Gao Yang would be gentle to females but would never bring a female to his residence. Moreover, towards Luo Tan, he would like to tease her and his actions and behaviour were very different from usual. If something was abnormal then it must be a demon. Gao Yang was intelligent so these servants were not stupid. The reason why they indulged Luo Tan was because they saw Luo Tan as the future mistress.
This future mistress's heart was currently not happy and refuses to eat. If a few days later, Xiānshēng came out and saw that Luo Tan was as such, he would definitely be heartbroken and once that happened, the ones who were in trouble were them servants.
The servants gathered together as they had to find someone to enter to persuade and comfort Young Lady Luo. At the end, they pushed out an individual, a young lady by the name of Ben Yue.
Ben Yue was a poor man's daughter that Gao Yang saved from an evil tyrant and if Gao Yang did not save her then Ben Yue would have entered a pleasure house as a Young Lady. She entered the Gao Residence and became a maid. When Ben Yue was young, she was kidnapped by traffickers and went around thus she had a wide experience and was very street smart and had a silver tongue that if anyone in Gao Residence were depressed, they would go to Ben Yue.
This time Luo Tan was unhappy so everyone pushed Ben Yue out to let her quickly console Luo Tan and let Luo Tan eat something.
Luo Tan was sitting in the room tearing quietly when she saw someone pushing the door open. The one coming in was a young female with hair tied in two plaits with red strings and she was holding a food basket in her hands. As she placed the basket on the table, she opened it and took out some dishes.
The dishes were fragrant but how would Luo Tan eat it? She said, "Go out, I don't want to eat."
"Xiǎojiě must not tire out one's body. No matter how big things are, one's health is most important. If a person does not eat, one would fall ill easily and if Xiǎojiě fall ill then Rui Wángfēi would be more upset." Ben Yue said.
Luo Tan shook her head, "I can't eat."
"Xiǎojiě, why take things so hard? Heaven helps the worthy like Diànxià and this time even though it is dangerous, it will be fine at the end. Isn't it said that one is bound for good fortune after surviving a great disaster? One thinks that in the ture there would be a flood of good fortune that fills the Heaven." Ben Yue continued comforting.
Luo Tan smiled bitterly, "Everyone knows how to say beautiful words but it is not something that only requires words. If one can recover with a few auspicious words then why are doctors needed? No matter how good you say, what use would there be? It is better to do something practical for my Mèifū to get better sooner and let Xiǎo biǎomèi feel rest assured sooner."
Ben Ye was surprised. Luo Tan normally looked forthright, rash and loud and from a glance, looked like one that was easy to deceive and one did not think that she had such a perspective. When one was upset, one would hope that there would be someone to say comforting words but how useful it was depended on oneself. These words actually did not deceive Luo Tan at all and Luo Tan sighed and even looked sadder.
Ben Ye said, "Xiǎojiě, some words are better said than never. It is not wrong to wish for Diànxià to recover."
"You are not wrong." Luo Tan said, "It is just that the situation is critical, thus, I am unable to relax at all. It is better for you not to persuade me. I would not be able to listen and even if one listens, one's heart…" She pointed to her heart, "Would not be able to do so."
Ben Yue thought about it and for the first time exhausted one's limited abilities. She racked her brains for a long time and seemed to have thought of a way to comfort Luo Tan. She said, "Actually, Rui Qīnwáng Diànxià's matter is perhaps not that anxious as ten days have not arrived yet. Previously, Núbì had a jiěmèi who has a dìdì at home, who was only three when he was infected with a serious illness. Everyone said that he will not live more than three days and at that time Xiānshēng also saw him and said that the boy would definitely die after three days. Who knew that Núbì's jiěmèi is lucky and met with a Superior One, saying that he was able to change the little boy's fate. The jiěmèi then brought her dìdì to the Superior One and guess what happened after three days?"
This Ben Yue was a talent as she could speak like the storytellers in restaurants. Luo Tan could not help but be attracted to her words and asked Ben Yue, "What happened?"
Ben Yue clapped her hands, "That young boy not only lived on but became healthier than before."
Luo Tan was startled but continued asking, "How could it be so?
Ben Yue said, "Us servants are also very curious. Even Xiānshēng could not understand the rationale."
"Where are the jiě dì now?" Luo Tan asked.
"Because there were too many curious people, Núbì's jiěmèi felt annoyed and afterwards she was at the age to be released from the residence, thus, she left Long Ye with her dìdì and no one knew where she went." Ben Yue said, "Speaking of which, in the beginning, she still drew the whereabouts of that Superior One for Núbì. Núbì even gave it to Xiānshēng. Xiānshēng brought people over but discovered that there was no house like what the jiěmèi had said and it was only a wasteland. One thinks that most likely that person has moved or it is that jiěmèi has remembered wrongly. Afterwards, no one saw that Superior One at all."
Luo Tan muttered to herself for a moment before suddenly asking, "Do you have a map of the whereabouts of that Superior One?"
"There is." Ben Yue nodded her head, "Everyone in this residence has one. At that time, there were many curious people and everyone wanted to search for that person to change one's own fate and see if one can have a rich future but in the end, had to return without any achievements."
Luo Tan then said, "Bring it to me."
"Why do you want it?" Ben Yue suddenly thought about something and almost lost her voice, "It cannot be that you want to search for that Superior One? The matter of those jiě dì had been over many years and one does not know if that person is still alive. Moreover, Xiānshēng was unable to find it in the beginning, you…" She said, "Núbì do not want to let Xiǎojiě think of ways to search for that Superior One." Ben Yue felt regret in her heart. She said these things to Luo Tan to make Luo Tan feel relieved. Seeing that young little brother had been said unable to live for more than three days but still survived, what more of Prince Rui? Who knew that this Luo Tan did not follow the usual path but wanted to search for that Superior One. How easy could a Superior One be found? Otherwise, everyone would be able to find him and there would not be a need to work hard. Gao Yang would not need to personally create medication.
Luo Tan shook her head, "You just need to bring it to let me see. I might not go and search for the Superior One and only feel that by sitting here and doing nothing, one's heart feels insufferable. No matter if one searches or not, if one is able to find or not, at least I have tried my best for Mèifū and Xiǎo biǎomèi and not a useless person. One heart would feel better."
Words had been said till as such, thus, Ben Yue had no reason to refuse. She quickly went out the doors and also quickly returned. She then handed over a map drawn on a handkerchief and said, "Núbì does not draw well and is illiterate. As one's embroidery is passable, one sewed what jiěmèi had drawn. Xiǎojiě, do see if you understand it."
Fortunately, ever since Luo Tan arrived in Long Ye, she would wander around every day and would be very interested in remote places. She only came to Long Ye recently but was familiar with most of the roads thus upon seeing it she jumped up, "Isn't this Feng Tou Zhuang, south of the western part of the city?"
Ben Yue was stunned, "Xiǎojiě knows of it?" She then said, "The jiěmèi of Núbì said at the beginning, that after Feng Tou Zhuang, one kept on walking south and saw that house at the bottom of the mountain. But Xiānshēng had brought people along and afterwards there were some people who went ahead but there was no house or bottom of the mountain at the south of Feng Tou Zhuang and only a crumbling wall."
Luo Tan stared at that map and said, "Feng Tou Zhuang is not far from here. One can reach there in a day by horse."
Ben Yue, "Xiǎojiě, you cannot…"
"I will look for Xiǎo biǎomèi." Luo Tan said, "You stay here."
Ben Yue was somewhat worried that Luo Tan would really look for this real or fake Superior One but her mind turned it around. Luo Tan was not reliable but Rui Wángfēi would definitely be reliable and not let Luo Tan create trouble. Thinking that Luo Tan could therefore feel better, her heart was reassured.
In the residence of Prince Rui, Shen Miao looked at the unconscious Xie Jing Xing and her brows became tightly knitted.
Xie Jing Xing's situation became even worse and could only withstand six more days. In the six days, other than Gao Yan being able to create an antidote, was there really no other way?
Just as she was thinking, Luo Tan ran in from outside and did not say anything but asked Shen Miao, "Xiǎo biǎomèi, is the compass that I gifted you when you get married still here? If it is, can you loan it to me?"
Shen Miao looked at her suspiciously, "Why do you want that?"
Luo Tan ducked Shen Miao's gaze and said, "Suddenly thought about it and asked to borrow it from you to play."
No matter how big-hearted Luo Tan was, it was not possible for her to have the mood to play. Shen Miao said, "Don't hide it from me. Say what it is for." After pausing, she then continued, "If you don't tell me the truth then you will not have it."
Luo Tan was angry and anxious. In every big issue, she would be somewhat afraid of Shen Miao so she gritted her teeth and steeled her heart to spill out what Ben Yue had said.
After finishing, Luo Tan observed Shen Miao's expression and said, "I want to search for that Superior One. Since he can change the fate of that Núpú's (Servants) dìdì, then he might be able to change the fate of Mèifū. Now that there are no other methods, it is better to have someone to search for than no one."
Shen Miao thought about it and shook her head, "Gao Yang had gone there once and compared to the current you, a doctor like him would definitely want to understand what was going on. Since Gao Yang could not find that place, how would you be able to find it?"
Luo Tan said, "Xiǎo biǎomèi, if it is about being an imaginary matter, how would I dare to delay your time at this juncture? I have once heard Zǔfù speaking that when he was young, he had seen a type of mysterious concealing stratagem that from the outside, it would seem like nothing but each grass and tree had secrets. After a person entered, one would unconsciously be confused by the mirage in front and thought that one was walking in a straight line but unknowingly, they were going in circles. No matter how one turns, one would not be able to get out. In the early times, some people thought that this is some demonic technique."
Shen Miao frowned, "Mysterious concealing stratagem?"
Luo Tan nodded her head, "Zǔfù had also mentioned it before. He had only seen it once when he was young and afterwards this craft slowly disappeared and one feared that no one had seen it now. I was thinking since that person has the ability to change one's fate then one might have this ability. Moreover, it specifically targets people with martial arts. The higher one's martial arts skills are, the more one cannot enter and would at the end die in the stratagem alive."
"You are saying that the reason that they are unable to find the location of the house that the jiě dì mention was because someone had set up a mysterious concealing stratagem." Shen Miao shook her head, "Like you said, this is specifically targets people with martial arts but the Gao Residence people went and are still unable to find it."
Seeing Shen Miao as such, Luo Tan was somewhat discouraged, "Saying this and that, you do not believe me. Do you not believe that someone can save Mèifū?"
"I believe." Shen Miao said.
Luo Tan was startled.
Shen Miao asked her, "That compass would not be influenced by other things and would always point to the south. The Feng Tou Zhuang that you mentioned is at the south and other people's eyes can perhaps be affected by the mysterious concealing stratagem but the compass would not. That is a craftsman's work."
Luo Tan said, "That is exactly the reason why the army uses it to point the direction in the seas. I only just thought that it would be perfect to use it at the mysterious concealing stratagem. But…" She looked at Shen Miao and asked unbelievably, "Xiǎo biǎomèi, you really believe me and let me look for that Superior One?"
"I trust you and also trust my own luck." Shen Miao said, "One cannot just sit and wait. An additional route to walk is better than guarding just one road. No matter what the result is, one will need to try, else one cannot reconcile with it." She said, "I will go with you."
Luo Tan opened her mouth, "Together?"
"If there is really a Superior One, that Superior One would definitely hide one's whereabouts and there would be some eccentricity or reason. How would you be able to persuade the person alone? Since he is my Zhàngfū and I am his Zhèngqī, I have no reason to place it on another's hands."
Luo Tan seemed to have understood Shen Miao for the first time. Shen Miao had always analysed pros and cons rationally and she thought that she would never see Shen Miao gamble or believe in things that were not possible but this time Shen Miao did it.
Was it because of Prince Rui?
Shen Miao stood up and in a moment her expression changed and it was formed as if this was her plan all along. She said, "You will go with me and bring along the compass." She then called out for Mo Qing and Chong Yang and said, "Both of you will follow me for a trip to Feng Tou Zhuang. Tie Yi, you take good care of Xie Jing Xing and wait for my return. Tie Yi will make the decision for whatever matters. If the Huáng asks, I will bear the responsibilities."
After speaking, she took the coat and headed out, "Prepare the carriage."
There was no doubt in her words and some hidden majesty was exposed.