Chapter 592: Offering Herself
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation | Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Xiao Shijie knew that it was impossible for him to get an answer from the maidservant, but he still roared at her indignantly.
“I am asking you! Where are my people?
The maidservant looked terrified. “Please forgive me, Your Highness. I don’t know anything.”
Xiao Shijie struggled to get up, but he found that his body was in an even weaker state. This sense of helplessness that was beyond his control made him absolutely furious.
“GO and look for my people!” It had never, ever occurred to him that Xiao Jin would send people to stop him!
He couldn’t move at all now, and he didn’t know where his people had been taken to!
Xiao Shijie’s plan had been completely disrupted. If he were to enter the capital city now in this state, wouldn’t the Emperor be able to take his life at any time?
Outside the door, Zhu Lin listened to Xiao Shijie’s furious roar, and a look of mockery spread over his face.
He then said to the maidservant who had just walked out, “Take good care of
His Highness and ensure that he can arrive in the capital city safely.”
The maidservant’s earlier terrified expression had vanished totally. “Yes, your servant understands.”
In the capital city.
Early in the morning, Su Ying left the palace for the women’s academy. She would go to the academy every few days to check on the situation there.
There was no fixed schedule as she did not want the people of the academy to be prepared so that they could deceive her.
Just as Su Ying stepped out of the palace, an Imperial Physician came to Zhang Shuming and told him about Duke Jingguo’s condition.
After Zhang Shuming listened to him, he pondered for a moment before walking into the Imperial study.
“Your Majesty.”
Xiao Jin raised his eyes. “What’s the matter?”
“Your Majesty, just now Imperial Physician Ruan came over to tell me that Duke Jingguo suddenly fell ill and he is worried that the Duke is not going to
make it.”
Xiao Jin’s expression froze abruptly. “Duke Jingguo became seriously ill suddenly?”
“Yes. Imperial Physician Ruan said that when Duke Jingguo caught a cold a few days ago, they asked him to take a look at the Duke. At that time, he prescribed some medicine and thought that the Duke would be fine in a few days. Today, he took the initiative to go for a follow-up visit. To his surprise, he found that Duke Jingguo was on the verge of death.”
Xiao Jin sprang up from his chair at once.
“Prepare the carriage. I want to pay him a visit.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And send someone to pass a message to the Empress. Tell her to come to Duke Jingguo’s Residence as soon as possible.
“Your servant understands.”
When Chu Min and the others received the message from the palace, they stationed themselves outside the main gate very early to wait.
Upon seeing the horse carriage from the palace approaching, he took the lead to welcome it.
“Welcome, Your Majesty.”
Xiao Jin alighted from the horse carriage and swept his gaze briefly across everyone. “You may rise.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“It’S freezing outside. Please hurry inside, Your Majesty.” Chu Min bowed and invited Xiao Jin in.
“I heard that Duke Jingguo fell seriously ill suddenly. What’s going on?”
Chu Min’s face displayed a sorrowful expression. “Your Majesty, Father’s health has improved a lot earlier. However, he caught a cold a few days ago because he was busy with official matters. After that, I immediately summoned a doctor here. The doctor said that a cold affliction had affected Father’s body. As Father still had some old ailments from the past, the cold affliction this time caused his old ailments to become aggravated all of a sudden.”
As they talked, Xiao Jin reached Duke Jingguo’s courtyard.
The maidservants guarding the door stepped forward and bowed before retreating to two sides.
Chu Min pushed the door open and a gust of hot air mixed with the smell of medicine assaulted everyone.
Xiao Jin walked to the bed and looked at Duke Jingguo, who was lying quietly on the bed. His eyebrows knitted slightly. The last time he saw Duke Jingguo, the old man’s cheeks were full, but now, the person lying on the bed had sunken cheeks. He looked like a person on the verge of death.
“Imperial Physician, quickly take a look at Duke Jingguo.
When the Imperial Physician heard this, he went forward to take Duke
Jingguo’s pulse.
Xiao Jin’s expression became increasingly worried as he looked at the frowning Imperial Physician.
A moment later, the Imperial Physician released the patient’s hand. After a moment of silence, he went up to Xiao Jin and said, “Your Majesty, a cold affliction has penetrated Duke Jingguo’s body and affected his internal organs. His prognosis is not optimistic. I can only use silver needles to force out the cold before deciding on my next course of action.”
“Mm-hmm.”
The Imperial Physician took out the silver needles and inserted them into Duke Jingguo’s body.
When Chu Min saw that, he came up and said, “Your Majesty, please rest in the room next door.”
Since he did not know how long the Imperial Physician would take to administer the acupuncture, Xiao Jin nodded slightly and followed Chu Min to the room next door.
The maidservant brought hot tea and snacks into the room.
“Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I will go back and take a look first.” Xiao Jin nodded and reached out to pick up the teacup on the table. However, he immediately released the teacup the moment he touched it. The teacup tilted, and the scalding hot tea spilled on his robe. The teacup also fell to the ground and shattered.
“Your Majesty, be careful.” Zhang Shuming rushed forward in shock, but Xiao Jin had already stood up and gestured with his hand to indicate that he was fine.
The maidservant who served the tea was so frightened that her face turned pale. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Please forgive me, Your Majesty.” Chu Min’s expression changed slightly. He immediately got someone to bring the maidservant away. “This lowly servant has offended Your Majesty. Please forgive her. Your Majesty’s robe is wet. It’s better to change into a clean set first.”
If one did not change out of wet clothes in the middle of winter, the moment he stepped outside, the chilly wind would blow right into his bones. Zhang Shuming also said, “Your Majesty, we should go and change your robe first.”
Xiao Jin didn’t have any emotion on his face. “Mm-hmm.”
Chu Min brought him to the guest room while Zhang Shuming sent someone to get a clean robe for Xiao Jin to change into.
Zhang Shuming felt some stomach discomfort as soon as he finished helping Xiao Jin change his robe. He immediately summoned someone to serve Xiao Jin before excusing himself.
In order to make the room warmer, the maidservant brought in two more pots
of charcoal.
Before long, the temperature in the room rose even higher.
The young eunuch took Xiao Jin’s stained robe and left, leaving Xiao Jin alone in the room.
Xiao Jin leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to rest, but he felt a hot sensation rising in his body.
He frowned and got up. Just as he was about to summon someone, the door was pushed open and a beautiful figure walked in.
The heat in the room made Chu Yunn’s face blush, making her skin look even more creamy.
She closed the door behind her after entering the room. Her fingertips were trembling, probably because she was too nervous.
“Your subject hereby greets Your Majesty.” She shyly and timidly glanced at Xiao Jin before giving a polite curtsy, revealing her smooth neck as she went down.
Xiao Jin’s dark eyes turned a deeper shade. He only felt the heat in his body getting more intense. “Get out.”
Chu Yunn’s body trembled, but she seemed to have thought of something, and her eyes gradually became determined. She slowly straightened her body and looked at Xiao Jin. When she met Xiao Jin’s eyes which were practically filled with ice shards, she could not help shrinking back a little.
Chu Yunn averted her eyes and slowly walked up to Xiao Jin. “Your subject has admired Your Majesty for a long time. My greatest wish in this life is to become Your Majesty’s woman. I hope Your Majesty will grant my wish.
As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her head and untied the belt around her waist…
At this moment, Su Ying’s horse carriage had already arrived at the main gates of Duke Jingguo’s Residence.
When Xiao Jin was preparing to leave the palace, Zhang Shuming had already sent someone to rush expeditiously to the academy to relay a message to Su
Ying.
Fortunately, the messenger was fast enough and managed to stop Su Ying s horse carriage halfway.
When Su Ying learned that Duke Jingguo became seriously ill suddenly, she did not delay and immediately instructed the horse carriage to turn around and head for Duke Jingguo’s Residence.
“Has His Majesty arrived?”
“Your Imperial Highness, His Majesty is already in the Lord Duke’s courtyard.” Su Ying nodded slightly and followed the servant to Duke Jingguo’s courtyard. As soon as she walked in, she heard a loud noise. Thump! A figure flew out of the side room and crashed heavily into the snow-covered ground..