Volume 1 Chapter 5: This Servant Is Late, Please Forgive Me, Master
As soon as Hua Xieyi and Qingzhou left, the round and plump Steward He came bustling in, followed by a tall, elegant young master in brocade robes holding a horsewhip, and an elderly man with white hair and beard, yet still vigorous and spirited. Both carried medicine chests and appeared to be in a hurry.
"Your Highness, Second Young Master Lu has brought Elder Yao."
Gong Jinxing gave a slight nod as a greeting to Lu Er and Elder Yao.
Without any need for pleasantries, Elder Yao immediately sat opposite Gong Jinxing, placed three fingers on his wrist to take his pulse, and fell into deep thought without speaking, his expression gradually hardening.
Lu Er stood behind Elder Yao, his face filled with tension and anxiety.
After a moment, Elder Yao silently withdrew his hand.
"Master, how is His Highness's pulse?" Lu Er immediately pressed anxiously.
Elder Yao hesitated slightly, sighed softly, and pondered how to phrase his words.
His silence already said everything.
Lu Er's face darkened, his emotions clearly agitated. He slammed a fist against his own forehead with a "thump," then flicked his sleeve: "It's all my fault for being useless, unable to even track down the whereabouts of the mere Ghost Doctor Hall's master."
The wind from his sleeve swept away the prescription Gong Jinxing had casually set aside, swirling it around before landing at the feet of the three men.
Gong Jinxing withdrew his wrist, lowering his eyelids to conceal the bitterness in his eyes, and said calmly, "The Ghost Doctor Hall's master is mysterious, their whereabouts elusive. We don't even know if they are male or female. Searching for them is naturally like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, some rumors in the martial world may not be true. If even Elder Yao is helpless against this poison, can they really cure it?
Life and death are fated, wealth and honor are in heaven's hands. That I have lived this extra month is already thanks to you and Master Elder Yao. I have no fear of death; it's just that I still have regrets for the nation and the world."
Lu Er naturally understood the meaning behind his words, lowering his head, powerless to console: "I heard that two years ago, the Desert West Sabreur was poisoned by his enemy with the Western Region Demon Lotus and was cured by this person with a single decoction. As long as I can find them, you will surely be safe and sound."
Gong Jinxing smiled bitterly, not hiding it.
Elder Yao's gaze sharpened, falling on the prescription. He bent down to pick it up, first frowning in deep thought, then his furrowed brow relaxed. As he read further, he couldn't contain his joy, unable to resist clapping his hands in delight.
"Marvelous, truly marvelous!"
Lu Er leaned over curiously: "What's so marvelous?"
Elder Yao shook the prescription in his hand as if he had found a treasure, making it rustle loudly.
"This prescription is marvelous! I too had thought of using extremely yang substances to fight poison with poison, but it easily damages the liver and kidneys, undoubtedly adding frost to snow. This prescription cleverly uses the Toad-Skin of the Three-Legged Golden Toad and Peacock Gall as balancing agents—one yin, one yang, harmonizing each other, protecting the seven meridians and eight vessels, and nourishing the organs. How did I not think of this?"
Lu Er blinked: "Master, are you saying this is a prescription to cure the Western Region Demon Lotus? His Highness can be saved?"
"Exactly, exactly!" Elder Yao's face flushed with excitement: "May I ask Your Highness, where is the person who wrote this prescription now?"
Now, now…
Gong Jinxing suddenly lifted his eyelids: "Lu Er, hurry to the back gate and stop the Princess Consort, quickly!"
Clutching his chest, his sword-like brows tightly furrowed: "Tell her… this prince's Cold Poison has flared up! I'm vomiting blood and unconscious!"
In the rear courtyard, Hua Xieyi took the servant's clothes and handkerchief handed by Qingzhou and bolted the door.
In the corner was a flower-engraved, copper-inlaid mirror reflecting her image.
Hua Xieyi wet the handkerchief in her hand and leaned closer to look.
Then, she was nearly frightened into a stumble by her own indescribable appearance.
It was truly remarkable how Gong Jinxing had managed to face her ghastly, lifeless makeup earlier and still utter the eight words, "With my lovely wife by my side, I couldn't restrain my feelings."
What a sin.
Could it be that he was scared to death by the original owner when he lifted the bridal veil?
Hua Xieyi hastily wiped her face a few times with a handkerchief, revealing her originally fair, snow-like skin.
She wasn't entirely satisfied with this face. Although it was that of a standard beauty, it carried a hint of plump baby fat, lacking in allure.
The most striking feature was a pair of radiant eyes—narrow in shape, ink-black in color, with slightly upturned corners, like the bold, unrestrained strokes of a skilled painter's freehand brushwork, graceful and fluid in line.
However, her eyelashes were somewhat thick and curled, and when she blinked, there was not a trace of seduction; instead, she looked dazed and somewhat naive.
When widened, they appeared fierce yet childish, lacking in sharpness.
Indeed, she had shed a layer of skin.
The last shred of hope in Hua Xieyi's heart vanished completely. She swiftly removed the Phoenix Robe, took off her hairpins and ornaments, and changed into a servant's attire. Just as she was about to leave, she heard faint rustling sounds from the rear window.
The noise was extremely soft, almost imperceptible, but her hearing was exceptionally sharp at that moment. Turning her head, she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow—clearly someone was peeping.
"Who's there?!"
This sharp inquiry did not send the peeper fleeing in panic. Instead, the person leaped in through the open rear window with agile movements, landing without a sound.
"Master, it really is you!"
The newcomer had a petite figure and wore a black cloth over her face, clearly a woman.
"I've finally found you!"
Hua Xieyi was taken aback. She had heard that the original owner came from a general's family. Could it be that her family had come looking for her?
She had wondered why no family members had shown up earlier when she was nearly buried alive, leaving her feeling like an unloved, neglected little cabbage in the field. Surely her family must have had some unavoidable difficulties?
Qingzhou, who was guarding outside the room, heard the commotion inside and suspiciously tilted her ear to listen, not daring to barge in recklessly. "Princess Consort?"
Hua Xieyi cleared her throat softly, first calming Qingzhou outside the door. "I accidentally knocked something over."
Qingzhou let out an "Oh" and didn't press further.
The masked woman glanced warily at the door, lowered her voice, and urgently asked, "Master, are you all right? Are you injured?"
"Who are you?"
The newcomer was startled, quickly pulling down her face covering to reveal an anxious face, free of makeup and slightly heroic in bearing—a beautiful woman around twenty years old.
"It's me, Master. Can't you even recognize my voice?"
Hua Xieyi remained silent. Before knowing the other's background, saying too much could lead to mistakes, and her "amnesia" might be exploited by those with ulterior motives.
Listening to her speak, could she be the original owner's personal maid from before her death?
"Did my father send you to rescue me?"
The newcomer was stunned again. "Nanny Yu found me and said you were in trouble here. I arrived late, Master. Please forgive me."
"Not late, not late," Hua Xieyi replied, though she desperately wanted to ask who this Nanny Yu was. She swallowed the words back. "I was just about to leave."
The other woman anxiously said, "The Prince Regent's mansion is heavily guarded. I barely managed to find this opportunity. This place truly isn't safe to stay. The Empress Dowager definitely won't let this go, and the Prince Regent is even more difficult to provoke. Please come with me and leave here quickly."
"Back to the general's mansion?"
The woman eyed her suspiciously up and down. "Why go back to the general's mansion?"
Right—returning to the general's mansion would be like the monk running away but leaving the temple behind, wouldn't it?
But Gong Jinxing had already agreed to let her leave. Why sneak around? Wouldn't it be better to walk out openly?
Before she could speak, Qingzhou knocked on the door outside. "Princess Consort, have you changed your clothes? My Prince requests your presence."
Hua Xieyi's heart skipped a beat. Had the scoundrel gone back on his word and regretted it?
Not only had she beaten him, but she had also made him lose face in front of the guests. Wouldn't going back just be asking for trouble?
Maybe she should slip away? Never mind who this person was—she could figure things out once she got out.