A meaningful smile curved the lips of Xiao Junyan as he said in a low voice,
“Spread word that this prince recently obtained a jade pillow crafted from natural warm jade. The jade is smooth and lustrous, and most importantly, make sure people know that it emits a faint glow at night.”
Wei Xing scratched his head in confusion.
“Your Highness, didn’t Divine Doctor Zou say earlier that the jade pillow could help suppress the poison in your body? You simply refused to use it. But if news of the pillow spreads, it’ll attract a lot of attention. If someone with ill intentions steals it, what will happen to the poison in your body?”
The smile on Xiao Junyan’s lips remained, though under the blazing sun it somehow appeared cold and unsettling.
“That is exactly what I want,” he said.
He had heard Lin Yanxi’s words clearly just now. He wanted to know precisely why she needed such objects.
Naturally, Wei Xing could not understand what his master was planning. He could only obediently acknowledge the order.
At the entrance of the Lin residence—
Ever since seeing Lin Yanxi leave the manor in such panic, Concubine Liu had known something serious must have happened. Out of worry, she had remained standing at the entrance waiting.
The moment Lin Yanxi’s horse stopped outside, Concubine Liu immediately noticed Lin Hongyuan slumped on the horse’s back.
She hurried forward anxiously.
“What happened? What’s wrong with the master?”
“Bring my father to my room first,” Lin Yanxi said briefly.
But Concubine Liu immediately objected.
“No. He may be your father, but there are still distinctions between men and women. You’re an unmarried young lady. To avoid gossip, bring him to my quarters instead.”
“Fine. Then we’ll go to your place.”
Without wasting time, Concubine Liu called for the steward.
“Quickly, go fetch a doctor!”
Lin Yanxi interrupted her.
“There’s no need. A doctor won’t help.”
“Then what do we do?” Concubine Liu subconsciously turned to ask her.
“I’m going back to Xiyan Pavilion for a moment. I’ll come immediately afterward.”
“Alright, but hurry!”
Concubine Liu did not even realize that deep down, she had already begun trusting all of Lin Yanxi’s arrangements without question.
At the temple, Lin Yanxi had already removed the death aura clinging to Lin Hongyuan’s body. However, the invasion of that aura had severely weakened him, preventing him from regaining consciousness naturally. She needed to use acupuncture and qi-guiding techniques to stimulate the circulation of blood and energy throughout his body.
But she had lacked silver needles earlier, so she had no choice but to bring him back first.
Lin Yanxi rushed back to Xiyan Pavilion as quickly as possible. After retrieving her silver needles, she immediately hurried toward Concubine Liu’s Muya Pavilion.
Yet before she even entered, loud arguing drifted from inside.
“Lin Yanxi may be ignorant, but Ruqiu, are you ignorant too? If you don’t summon a doctor, how can you know what’s wrong with the master? If his condition worsens because of the delay, can she bear that responsibility?”
Shi Rong’s furious voice could be heard clearly from far away. Especially when she criticized Lin Yanxi, her tone sounded as though she were speaking about a mortal enemy.
“Lin Yanxi has always resented the master and me for neglecting her over the years. She’s been harboring grievances all along! She wants to use this opportunity to ensure the master never wakes up again. And yet you blindly follow along with her nonsense. If anything happens to the master—”
Bang!
The door was violently shoved open by Lin Yanxi from outside.
The loud crash abruptly interrupted Shi Rong’s accusations and frightened her so badly she nearly lost her footing.
“So you do know that neglecting me all these years would make me dissatisfied?”
A mocking smile appeared on Lin Yanxi’s delicate face.
She truly could not bring herself to like Shi Rong at all. Had Concubine Liu not stopped her, she would have already moved out long ago. After all, as the daughter of Northern Li’s wealthiest merchant family, obtaining a residence of her own would have been effortless.
Shi Rong immediately adopted a just as I thought expression.
“So I was right! You resent us, so now you refuse to save the master. How could my Lin family produce someone as vicious as you?”
“Bullshit!”
Lin Yanxi could no longer suppress her anger and snapped back forcefully.
“I finally understand now—you’re not exactly clean-hearted yourself, otherwise why do you see filth in everyone else? Besides, I was born from you. If I’m truly vicious, isn’t that because of you?”
Shi Rong’s eyes widened in disbelief.
She never imagined Lin Yanxi would dare say such things.
“Y-you—”
Just as Shi Rong was about to curse her furiously, Lin Yanxi swiftly pulled a silver needle from the wooden case in her hand and stabbed it into Shi Rong before her very eyes.
Instantly, the furious scream Shi Rong had been about to unleash got stuck in her throat.
She could neither speak nor move.
Only her bulging eyes stared furiously at Lin Yanxi in silent protest.
Concubine Liu asked in astonishment,
“What did you do to Madam?”
“Concubine Liu, don’t you think she’s too noisy?”
Lin Yanxi even shot Shi Rong a provocative look that practically said:
Go on. Keep yelling if you can.
Concubine Liu was speechless.
Though she also found Shi Rong’s voice extremely irritating, there was no need to drag her into the conflict too!
“Stop wasting time and go check on the master already!”
With her attention redirected, Lin Yanxi stopped arguing with Shi Rong and left her standing there stiffly while heading straight into the inner room.
Lin Hongyuan lay quietly on the bed, breathing steadily as if asleep.
But no matter how loudly someone called for him, he would not wake.
Lin Yanxi first checked his pulse before retrieving the sachet she had given him the previous night.
The moment she opened it, the talisman inside instantly turned to ashes.
At the same time, Lin Hongyuan’s body suddenly trembled, and his breathing became rapid and uneven.
Concubine Liu watched everything unfold, uncertainty and worry flickering in her eyes.
“T-this… what’s happening to the master?”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry.”
Lin Yanxi’s calm composure quickly soothed her.
Then Lin Yanxi steadied herself, withdrew the silver needles, and accurately inserted them into Lin Hongyuan’s major acupoints.
Her movements were exceptionally practiced.
The entire aura she exuded was one of calm confidence.
In her previous life, she had suffered from chronic illness for many years. Long illness had turned her into a skilled healer, and under her master’s guidance she had learned considerable medical knowledge—especially acupuncture, which she could perform effortlessly.
As long as she identified the source of the illness, she could prescribe the proper treatment directly.
Watching from the side, Concubine Liu was stunned.
They had lived under the same roof every day, yet she had never known the eldest miss possessed such extraordinary abilities.
Even though she was full of curiosity and questions, Concubine Liu did not dare interrupt for fear of affecting the treatment.
After nearly the time it took for two sticks of incense to burn, Lin Yanxi finally withdrew the silver needles from Lin Hongyuan’s body.
But by then her own face had turned deathly pale.
Cold sweat covered her forehead densely, and she looked as though she might collapse at any moment.
After taking only two steps, she stumbled violently, nearly falling.
Concubine Liu reacted quickly and caught her, asking worriedly,
“How are you?”