Chapter 282 The World and Women
Hearing Xiao Jun's question, Mengxi's expression froze, and she didn't know how to answer. Has she ever asked the prince about it? She tried hard to recall how she and the prince met and interacted with each other. Those past events were like clouds, but now it seemed like a lifetime ago. She really didn't remember why she vomited blood at that time, and suddenly she realized that she had been depressed for a long time.
Looking back suddenly, I realized that the things I tried so hard to forget had really been forgotten long ago.
"Xi'er, do you... do you like the prince?"
Seeing Mengxi silent, Xiao Jun hesitated for a while, and finally mustered up the courage to ask the question that had been lingering in his mind.
Could it be that he thought she liked the prince, so he didn't let her get treatment and just gave her to the prince?
Looking at Xiao Jun, Mengxi was stunned for a moment, then felt annoyed, her face changed slightly, and just as she was about to speak, she saw Ouyang Di riding a horse and catching up with her from behind, followed by a carriage.
Coming closer, Ouyang Di jumped off his horse and saluted:
"Master, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince asks you to go to the inn as soon as possible to discuss something with him."
After hearing this, Mengxi was startled and asked casually:
"What's the matter? Why don't you come to Qingping Courtyard?"
In the past few months, because there were so many officials coming and going in the post station and there were many gossips, the prince never let her go to the post station. Whenever he had something to do, he would come to Qingping Courtyard in person.
"My disciple asked, but Guard Sun refused to tell me. He is right there. How about the master ask him himself?"
Ouyang Di pointed at Sun Cheng who was standing far away beside the carriage on horseback and said, glancing at Sun Cheng, Meng Xi turned to Xiao Jun and said:
"Second Master, Mengxi has something to do, first..."
"Xi'er, the Crown Prince is not an outsider. I will go with you."
Before Mengxi could finish her words, Xiao Jun interrupted her. For some reason, looking at Sun Cheng standing there in the distance, Xiao Jun felt a little uneasy.
Mengxi thought about it and nodded and said:
"Okay."
The two followed Ouyang Di to the carriage and exchanged a few words with Sun Cheng. Then they got on the carriage and went to the inn together. As soon as they got off the carriage, Xiao Jun was stopped by the guards at the gate. Just as Meng Xi was about to speak, Sun Cheng stepped forward and whispered a few words to the guard. The guard glanced at Xiao Jun, then stepped aside. Sun Cheng brought a few people directly to the reception room.
"I heard that my second brother is doing well these days..."
When the prince saw everyone coming in, he stood up and said halfway when he realized Xiao Jun was also there. He paused and changed his words:
"Xiao Jun is here too"
"I pay my respects to the prince. Is the prince well?"
The prince extended his hand to help him, exchanged a few words with Xiao Jun, and then casually pulled over a man dressed as a scholar and introduced him:
"I don't think you know Xiao Jun. This is my advisor Qian Zhong, who just came from Pingyang. Qian Zhong, meet Xiao Jun and Master Li."
Qian Zhong followed his instructions and stepped forward to greet everyone. He exchanged a few pleasantries before everyone took their seats.
Xiao Jun was just about to sit down when he suddenly felt a faint murderous aura coming from the hall. He looked around and saw eight guards with swords standing behind the prince. Xiao Jun was secretly shocked. He touched the soft sword at his waist and glanced at Meng Xi, but saw that she looked indifferent, as if she felt nothing and was talking to the prince. However, Ouyang Di followed Meng Xi closely, holding the hilt of the sword, with a slightly nervous expression.
Seeing Mengxi wanted to sit down, Xiao Jun seemed to pull her aside unintentionally, sat next to the prince, and pressed her under his hand.
When the prince saw this, he frowned but said nothing.
The two guards had already served tea to everyone. Meng Xi took a sip of the tea, smiled slightly, and asked:
"Brother, why are you calling me here in a hurry? What's the matter?"
"The situation here has been settled. My father has granted me permission to return to Pingyang today. There is also something else that concerns my second brother."
"Brother is going to return to Pingyang according to the imperial order. Do you want me to go with you?"
"The Empress Dowager is critically ill. Prince Yan has requested that my father order my younger brother to return to Pingyang, firstly to meet the Emperor to express his gratitude, and secondly to treat the Empress Dowager."
"Heal the Queen Mother!"
Not to mention that Xiao Jun's illness has not been cured, just the fact that once she is ordered to enter the palace and Prince Yan sees her, the consequences will be disastrous. After hearing the prince's words, Mengxi's forehead instantly broke out in sweat and she asked in surprise.
"Fortunately, I thought of this in advance. Last time, I reported to the emperor, saying that there are still some areas where the plague has not been eradicated, and you must be in charge in person. Prime Minister Jia also wrote to the emperor, asking you to put the people first... The emperor approved the prime minister's report. This time, he did not force you to return to Pingyang. He asked Doctor Li to write a detailed diagnosis of the empress dowager's illness. Can you refer to Doctor Li's diagnosis to see if the empress dowager's illness can be cured? I will prescribe a good prescription and take it back to Pingyang."
After the prince finished speaking, he picked up the tea and took a sip. He held the teacup tightly with both hands, his fingers trembling slightly, and stared at Mengxi.
Not noticing anything unusual about the prince, Meng Xi asked casually:
"Brother, did you bring Dr. Li's diagnosis?"
The prince glanced at Qian Zhong and said:
"I brought it. Before Qian Zhong went south, he discussed it with Doctor Li and asked him to talk first."
After the prince finished speaking, Qian Zhong cleared his throat, leaned forward and said:
"The Queen Mother got sick half a year ago. At first, she felt lazy and weak all over. The doctors diagnosed it as an invasion of evil cold. But after several months and countless good medicines, she didn't get better and became more and more sleepy..."
Qian Zhong introduced the Queen Mother's illness in detail, and finally said:
"This is the diagnosis that Doctor Li compiled overnight before I left. Please review it, Master Li."
After Qian Zhong finished speaking, he took out a document from his sleeve, stood up and handed it over. Ouyang Di stepped forward to take it and presented it to Mengxi. Mengxi took it and lowered his head to read it.
Could it be that the Queen Mother was also poisoned, and Xier can cure this poison!
Xiao Jun, who was sitting on the side, became more and more frightened the more he listened. The empress dowager's symptoms were exactly the same as his two years ago.
When Xiao Jun thought of this, he broke out in a cold sweat. He put down the teacup in his hand, leaned towards the prince as if unintentionally, and put his right hand casually on his waist.
Mengxi , who was looking down at the document, was also thinking quickly. After Qian Zhong finished speaking, she immediately recalled the red heart spice that she had given to the prince. She knew that the empress dowager was poisoned without looking at the diagnosis of Doctor Li.
She didn't know any martial arts, so she couldn't feel the murderous aura released by the guards behind her as clearly as Xiao Jun, but at this moment she also felt the suffocating air.
Supreme authority and boundless desires can really make people bloodthirsty and cold-hearted. She and the prince can be regarded as friends of life and death. She once worked hard to save him. For his great cause, she did not hesitate to deceive Xiao Jun. She devoted herself to the treatment of this plague, but the prince still guarded against her today.
As if a precious thing was broken, Meng Xi's heart ached slightly. The hand holding the document turned slightly pale. His undershirt had already stuck to his back. He took a deep breath. He was extremely shocked in his heart, but his face was calm, as if he hadn't noticed anything. He looked up at the prince and saw that he was staring at him without blinking. He smiled at him and said,
"Please ask my elder brother to report this to His Majesty on my behalf. I am not very knowledgeable and cannot figure out the cause of the Queen Mother's illness, let alone any good medicine to save her."
"Is it true that my second brother cannot cure the Queen Mother's illness?"
"Yes, I am not very knowledgeable and I don't have any good medicine to cure the Queen Mother."
Seeing the prince asking uncertainly, Mengxi said decisively, and suddenly the prince let out a sigh of relief. Ignoring Qian Zhong's cough, the prince put down the teacup in his hand and asked Mengxi:
"In my opinion, how long do you need to stay here?"
"Well...it will take at least one month, at most two months, for me to be able to get away."
"Okay, I will go back to Pingyang and report this to my father. Is there anything else you want me to tell you, my second brother?"
Mengxi thought for a moment and said:
"I was just thinking of asking His Majesty to resign due to illness so that I can rest assured and recuperate in the south. I would like to ask you to put in a good word for His Majesty."
"Second brother, you have no intention of returning to Pingyang to meet with the emperor to express your gratitude?"
"I am already weak and tired these days. I want to recuperate here for a few days before making plans. If Your Majesty orders me to return to Pingyang to meet Him, I would like to ask you to mediate. I am ill and cannot bear the fatigue of the journey. It is difficult for me to comply."
Seeing Mengxi promised not to return to Pingyang on the grounds of illness, the prince felt relieved. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, nodded and smiled:
"Don't worry, brother. I will arrange all of this for you. Report your illness as soon as possible. You were ill in the south before you were cured of the plague. I think the emperor will not suspect anything. You can rest assured and recuperate here. I will send someone to protect you. When I have settled everything, I will personally send someone to take you back to Pingyang."
Seeing Mengxi nodded in agreement, the prince looked at Xiao Jun and asked:
"What are Xiao Jun's next plans? If nothing happens here, why don't you go back to Pingyang with me? I can take care of you on the way."
"All the businesses of the Xiao family in Pingyang have closed down, so there is no rush to go back. I am currently discussing cooperation with the Fulishan Copper Mine and cannot leave. If the cooperation is successful, it will take at least half a year before I can return to Pingyang. If it is convenient for the prince, I would like my third brother to go back with the prince so that we can avoid the pursuit of the King of Yan on the way."
After hearing this, the prince's eyes lit up, and he talked to Xiao Jun about the Ouyang family's intention to cooperate. He told Xiao Jun that he must be the first to strive for cooperation with Fulishan, and he could help if necessary. Seeing Xiao Jun nodded in agreement, everyone chatted for a while, and Mengxi and Xiao Jun both stood up to say goodbye.
…
After watching Mengxi leave the door, Qian Zhong turned back to the living room, only to see the prince playing with a emerald green ring, lost in thought. Qian Zhong waved his hand to dismiss the guards, sighed and said:
"Your Highness should not miss this opportunity today. Young Master Li really cannot be kept. Your Highness wants to accomplish great things. You must not be so soft-hearted."
After looking at Qian Zhong, the prince said nothing and lowered his head to continue playing with the ring in his hand. Seeing this, Qian Zhong continued to persuade him:
"Your Highness, Doctor Li told me that he had examined Xiao Jun's pulse that year, and the symptoms were exactly the same as those of the Empress Dowager. I think Doctor Li is suspicious, otherwise he would not have told me this. As the saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry. Although Your Highness has not forced me to do so, if the Empress Dowager and the Prince of Yan urge me to do so, and issue an order to urge the Medicine Goddess to return to Pingyang, not to mention that her identity has been exposed by the Prince of Yan, you will also be guilty of deceiving the emperor. If the Medicine Goddess finds out the cause of the Empress Dowager's illness, you will die without a burial place!"
When Qian Zhong said this, he saw that the prince still bowed his head and said nothing, so he fell to his knees and said:
"Your Highness, your life or death is not a big deal, but the King of Yan has gone against the grain. If the world really falls into the hands of such an ambitious man, it will be a disaster for all people in the world. Your Highness should not only think about yourself, but also think about the people in the world. Compared with the life of Mr. Li and the life of all people in the world, which is more important? I ask Your Highness to think twice! You must not make any mistakes!"
"Second brother is a man of great talent and she has saved me with all her heart and soul. She has promised that she will never return to Pingyang before the Queen Mother dies. I believe she will do it. Don't talk about Qian Zhong anymore."
“Your Highness, the Prince of Yan is at the end of his rope and is struggling to survive, his methods are almost insane. Even if the Medicine God can keep his promise and not reveal the cause of the Queen Mother’s illness, once she falls into the hands of the Prince of Yan, her identity as the second wife of the Xiao family will be exposed, and the crime of deceiving the emperor will be overturned. I am afraid that Your Highness... I heard that the Medicine God was on the verge of marrying the Prince of Yan the last time he fell into the hands of the Prince of Yan. How can Your Highness guarantee that the Medicine God will not be coerced and induced into submission if he falls into the hands of the Prince of Yan again? After all, she is just a woman..."
After hearing Qian Zhong's words, the prince was shocked and his brows were twisted into a knot.
