That night, Hua Zhuyu fed the infected woman medicine twice more and didn’t sleep well. Early the next morning, the woman woke from her coma, her high fever subsided, she no longer vomited after taking medicine, and her spirits looked very good.

It seemed this medicine was indeed the right treatment. Hua Zhuyu hurriedly went out and called the guards watching this place to gather large quantities of medicine according to the prescription.

Imperial Physician Zhang, hearing that Hua Zhuyu’s prescription had worked, no longer dared look down on folk remedies. He also covered his head and face to come in and work with her, directing soldiers to boil medicine and feed it to patients.

Though they now had the right medicine, some critically ill patients still died daily, and some newly infected people were still brought in. The atmosphere in the village was extremely heavy. The soldiers coming and going all covered their heads and faces, and no one spoke much. They all tried to avoid contact with others – who knew if someone else had contracted the epidemic?

After several days, a group of soldiers who had been coming and going to deliver and boil medicine also fell ill, and even Imperial Physician Zhang contracted the epidemic. This immediately intensified the panic again.

No one had yet recovered and left the village, but there were more and more patients. Hua Zhuyu tried to do as much work as possible. When medicine arrived, she went out to collect it herself, trying to prevent those soldiers from entering the village.

This evening at dusk, Hua Zhuyu was boiling medicine in the courtyard. Now she used large pots to boil medicine, then distributed it to each room after it was ready. For those with severe conditions, she still had to feed them personally. By day’s end, she was truly exhausted – almost as much as fighting on a battlefield.

Hua Zhuyu was adding fuel to the fire when she casually turned her head and saw someone quietly standing not far behind her.

The courtyard after the flood was in complete disarray, with no one having time to clean up. This chaotic background made the elegant Ji Fengli, standing there with distinguished bearing, appear even more ethereal like an immortal. He stood with hands clasped behind his back, looking toward Hua Zhuyu, his refined brows raised, his black eyes profound.

Hua Zhuyu hadn’t expected Ji Fengli to come here at this time, but she couldn’t spare attention for him. Right now, this pot of medicine was at a critical moment in the boiling process. If the timing was off, this entire pot of medicine would be wasted. Hua Zhuyu added two more pieces of firewood, lifted the pot lid, and examined the medicinal liquid. Seeing white foam rising from the medicine, she stood up and extinguished the fire.

Ji Fengli still stood there with hands clasped behind his back, his thin lips slightly curved in a faint smile.

“Prime Minister, why did you come?” Hua Zhuyu was truly puzzled. Wasn’t Ji Fengli afraid of death, actually coming to such a place?

“I haven’t seen you for several days, so I came to take a look. Doesn’t Yuan Bao want to see this Prime Minister?” Ji Fengli said lazily, his expression relaxed.

“So the Prime Minister missed Yuan Bao?” Hua Zhuyu asked, raising her head, deliberately curving her lips into a soul-stirring smile.

Ji Fengli looked at Hua Zhuyu. His two brows arching into his temples showed an extremely perfect curve as he revealed a half-smiling expression, saying lightly: “Yes, this Prime Minister plans to stay here. I wonder if there are still rooms available? I trouble Yuan Bao to arrange one for this Prime Minister.”

Hearing this, Hua Zhuyu’s heart was startled. Only then did she notice that when Ji Fengli entered, he hadn’t covered his head and face at all, and his complexion was paler than usual.

“You contracted the epidemic?” Hua Zhuyu asked in disbelief. Which of those who contracted the epidemic didn’t enter with worried, bitter faces? Generally, those with mild conditions tried to hide it and weren’t discovered until they were caught and brought in, while those with severe conditions were carried in directly. This was the first time she’d seen someone like Ji Fengli walk in so calmly.

The smile at the corner of Ji Fengli’s lips stiffened as he narrowed his eyes: “Correct. Doesn’t Yuan Bao welcome this Prime Minister?”

“Welcome, of course I welcome you,” Hua Zhuyu said with a smile.

She still couldn’t believe it. Ji Fengli was the Left Prime Minister and should have been heavily protected. How could he have been so careless as to contract the epidemic? Besides, he didn’t need to be quarantined here – couldn’t they just set up a small separate courtyard for isolation?

She led Ji Fengli out of the small medicine-boiling courtyard, walked along the village path for a while, and came to another courtyard: “No one lives in this courtyard yet. Prime Minister can stay here. I’ll go distribute the medicine first and come back later.”

After Hua Zhuyu finished distributing the medicine, the sky had completely darkened. She carried a lantern and slowly returned to her small dwelling, only then remembering the newly arrived Ji Fengli. The pot of medicine boiled during the day had all been distributed – she had forgotten to save a bowl for Ji Fengli.

Hua Zhuyu lay on her bed, frowning slightly. During the day, Ji Fengli’s condition hadn’t seemed too serious. Not drinking medicine today shouldn’t cause problems. Besides, treating him – she was truly somewhat reluctant. If Ji Fengli died from the epidemic, wouldn’t she have gotten her revenge?

Although she hadn’t found concrete evidence proving it was Ji Fengli who slandered her to the old emperor, causing her to marry in someone’s place, Jin Se’s life had been lost because of him. If not for his cup of poison that left her powerless, how could Jin Se have been violated to death?

That night of wind and snow, that night of Jin Se’s shrill cries, the tragic blood on the pristine white snow – all flashed before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

Thinking of these things, she no longer had any inclination to see Ji Fengli.

She hated him!

As she lay on her bed, drowsily about to fall asleep, she heard gentle knocking at the door. Hua Zhuyu guessed it was Ji Fengli and turned over, planning to pretend to be asleep. But the knocking persisted relentlessly.

Hua Zhuyu had no choice but to put on her clothes, get off the bed, and open the door.

The moonlight outside was lovely. A person stood in the small courtyard, but it wasn’t Ji Fengli – it was Lan Bing. He had his head and face wrapped, only exposing a pair of eyes that stared at Hua Zhuyu with grave expression.

“Yuan Bao, you must cure the Prime Minister’s illness,” Lan Bing said in a heavy voice, no longer his usual mocking tone but containing deep, oppressive pressure.

Hua Zhuyu raised an eyebrow and said lightly: “I just happen to know this prescription and can boil medicine, but I’m not a physician. I can only say I’ll do my best to treat him, but I dare not guarantee I can definitely cure him.”

Lan Bing said coldly: “Didn’t some patients’ conditions improve? If the medicine works, how could it not cure him?”

“Even if it can cure, it can’t guarantee everyone can be cured. Haven’t you seen that many patients still die every day?” Hua Zhuyu said with furrowed brows.

“The Prime Minister cannot have problems. There’s unrest on the northern frontier – recently several generals guarding the border have died mysteriously. Looking at the entire Southern Dynasty, only the Prime Minister can manage the overall situation. If news of the Prime Minister’s illness spreads, both court and country will be in chaos. This time, only you and I know about the Prime Minister’s condition. Outside, he claims to be handling business elsewhere. Yuan Bao, I know you’re remarkably talented and the Prime Minister values you highly. I hope you’ll consider the bigger picture and definitely cure the Prime Minister’s illness. The Prime Minister won’t let me stay here to accompany him, but I’ll come check on the Prime Minister daily. I hope you’ll definitely put your heart and soul into it. In a while, you should move to live in the Prime Minister’s courtyard. I’ve already sent bedding for the tent over.” After Lan Bing finished speaking, he gazed steadily at Hua Zhuyu for a while, then turned and left.

Hua Zhuyu felt oppressed by Lan Bing’s heavy words and grave gaze, unable to breathe. Only after he left did she slowly return inside. For now, she didn’t want to go live at Ji Fengli’s place. She would save him – she wasn’t a despicable person like him who would exploit others’ misfortune. If she wanted to defeat him, she wanted him to fall from the clouds into the mud, but she would do it openly and honestly. She would save him, but making him suffer a bit was also deserved. So Hua Zhuyu decided to deliberately reduce the medicine dosage and wait until his condition became serious.

Was there unrest on the northern frontier because of Xiao Yin? Could it be that Xiao Yin intended to march south? Hadn’t the Northern and Southern Dynasties signed a ceasefire treaty after the last war ended? Though Hua Zhuyu had once been a general, she didn’t wish to see war.

That night, Hua Zhuyu could no longer sleep peacefully. Early the next morning, she first went out to receive the medicinal materials sent by soldiers, then began boiling medicine. After it was ready, she first distributed it to the villagers, then carried the last remaining bowl to Ji Fengli’s dwelling.

Though it was daytime, the village was extremely quiet. Except for patients’ occasional coughing, there were no other sounds. The small courtyard where Ji Fengli lived was also very quiet. Hua Zhuyu pushed open the door – the room was dim and dark. She walked to the window and pulled open the curtains. Morning sunlight streamed through the simple window lattice, illuminating the person sitting at the table.

Ji Fengli wore a white loose robe, sitting at the table looking at something with extremely focused expression. He seemed not to have washed or groomed himself – his black hair hung loose down his back, gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

She truly didn’t know whether he was actually ill or not – he still had the leisure to look at things. From his appearance, he’d be fine today without medicine. Just as Hua Zhuyu was thinking this, Ji Fengli suddenly covered his mouth and bent over in violent coughing. One cough after another, he coughed until he couldn’t catch his breath. Only after he finished coughing did Hua Zhuyu slowly walk over.

“Prime Minister, please drink the medicine first,” Hua Zhuyu slowly placed the medicine bowl on the table, saying lightly. Her gaze swept over the papers spread on his table. Xuanzhou’s flooding had been resolved – why was he still looking at Xuanzhou’s defensive maps? Looking more carefully, Hua Zhuyu’s heart jumped – those weren’t Xuanzhou’s defensive maps at all, but topographical maps of the northern frontier.

Hua Zhuyu remembered Lan Bing’s words from last night. Could the Northern Dynasty really be making moves?

Ji Fengli glanced at Hua Zhuyu and picked up the medicine bowl to drink it down.

“Yuan Bao, why didn’t you bring medicine last night?” Ji Fengli said lightly.

Hua Zhuyu’s breathing paused. She looked up and only then noticed Ji Fengli’s pale complexion and somewhat gaunt handsome face. The epidemic was indeed terrible – even someone with martial arts as high as Ji Fengli’s had been tormented to this state.

“Last night there wasn’t enough medicine, so I gave it to the critically ill patients first. I originally thought the Prime Minister’s condition wasn’t serious,” Hua Zhuyu said after pondering a moment.

Ji Fengli looked at Hua Zhuyu with a half-smile: “Yuan Bao, do you hope this Prime Minister dies from the epidemic?”

Hua Zhuyu smiled with somewhat guilty narrowed eyes: “How could that be? Though when I was beside Huangfu Wushuang I did indeed hate the Prime Minister somewhat, now that I work for the Prime Minister, how could I hope for the Prime Minister to die?” Hua Zhuyu changed the subject: “Prime Minister, why are you still looking at topographical maps at this time?”

Ji Fengli’s lips curved lightly as he said: “Of course I must look. If the Northern and Southern Dynasties go to war, this Prime Minister can still formulate a set of battle strategies. Even if this Prime Minister dies, they can still be used. However, this Prime Minister isn’t so easy to kill.” As soon as he finished speaking, another series of coughing and gasping followed. If it were any other patient, Hua Zhuyu would have already gone over to help pat their back, but she was unwilling to serve him.

Ji Fengli supported himself on the table with one hand and covered his chest with the other, coughing until his face was pale. After coughing, he sat back against the chair, his whole body weak. Hua Zhuyu was somewhat alarmed. She slowly walked over and placed the back of her hand on his forehead to test it.

This test startled Hua Zhuyu – Ji Fengli’s forehead was burning hot. It was remarkable that he still had the mood to look at maps here.

Hua Zhuyu helped Ji Fengli to the bed and had him lie down: “Prime Minister, rest first. I’ll go boil more medicine.” This time Hua Zhuyu didn’t dare reduce the medicine dosage. After boiling it and bringing it over, Ji Fengli drank the medicine and lay on the bed to sleep.

After using medicine for a full day and night, there was no improvement at all, and his high fever never broke. Hua Zhuyu was somewhat puzzled. Generally, critically ill patients who used medicine for a day and night would see their fever slowly subside. Ji Fengli had such high martial arts and should have a stronger body – why wasn’t the medicine working?

That night Lan Bing came to see Ji Fengli. Hearing Hua Zhuyu’s words, he was shocked and pale. He personally went to have the ailing Imperial Physician Zhang carried over. Only then did Imperial Physician Zhang learn that Ji Fengli had also contracted the epidemic. He examined Ji Fengli’s pulse with a frightened expression, then finally sighed heavily, his face full of sorrow.

“The Prime Minister has been poisoned and also contracted the epidemic. Poison and illness together make it difficult to cure!” Imperial Physician Zhang said sadly and slowly.

“What?” Lan Bing was so shocked he stepped back two paces, his face covered with frost, his entire being filled with bloodthirsty killing intent.

“Yuan Bao, was it you? The Prime Minister thought you were talented and couldn’t bear to eliminate you. But you – you actually struck at the Prime Minister!” Lan Bing walked toward Hua Zhuyu with murderous intent.

Hua Zhuyu sneered: “Lord Lan, if I, Yuan Bao, wanted to kill someone, why would I need poison? I’m not a despicable person!”

Imperial Physician Zhang said: “Lord Lan, the Prime Minister was poisoned first, then contracted the epidemic. These days, Lord Yuan has been in the village the whole time – it shouldn’t be him who administered the poison.”

Hua Zhuyu looked gratefully at Imperial Physician Zhang, never expecting this seemingly stubborn old man to speak a fair word.

Only then did Lan Bing furrow his brows, saying urgently: “Then how should the Prime Minister’s illness be treated?”

Imperial Physician Zhang shook his head sadly: “I can prepare antidote medicine. But if the epidemic isn’t cured first, this medicine won’t work either. The current plan is to cure the Prime Minister’s epidemic first, then detoxify. However, because of the poisoning, the epidemic medicine doesn’t work anymore either. This… this is truly difficult!”

Before Imperial Physician Zhang finished speaking, Ji Fengli, lying on the bed, coughed several times and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Hua Zhuyu’s heart also jumped – it seemed Ji Fengli probably wouldn’t survive the night.

Lan Bing walked heavily to Ji Fengli’s bedside, took out a silk handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of Ji Fengli’s lips. Turning back, he shouted at Hua Zhuyu and Imperial Physician Zhang: “You two, why aren’t you thinking of solutions? Old Zhang, you’d better come up with a good remedy immediately. And you, go boil another bowl of medicine and bring it over.”

Hua Zhuyu agreed and quickly walked toward the door. Before leaving, she looked back and saw Lan Bing slowly helping Ji Fengli sit up, using a damp cloth to clean Ji Fengli’s face.

Lan Bing’s desolate figure and the unconscious Ji Fengli made Hua Zhuyu’s heart feel somewhat heavy. She suddenly felt somewhat lost and empty.

Sometimes, losing an opponent – wasn’t the feeling similar to losing a friend? Because no one would match wits with you anymore, you would also feel lonely.

Hua Zhuyu walked with heavy steps to the kitchen to boil medicine, but she knew clearly in her heart that this medicine would no longer be of any use to Ji Fengli. This day and night, Ji Fengli had drunk quite a bit of medicine – hadn’t it all been in vain?

Night grew deeper and deeper.

A bright moon in the sky slowly moved behind clouds, making the small courtyard even more dim. Except for patients’ occasional coughing, there were no other sounds in the village – everywhere was deathly silent, like a deserted city without any vitality.

Hua Zhuyu slowly added firewood. The medicine in the pot was already bubbling and ready. She stood up and extinguished the fire. Just then, clamoring suddenly came from outside the small courtyard. Hua Zhuyu was surprised, not knowing what had happened, and quickly walked out.

She saw that outside the small medicine-boiling kitchen stood a crowd of people – all patients being treated in the village. Some had mild conditions, others were still critically ill but had been helped over, coughing violently yet stubbornly standing there. Seeing Hua Zhuyu come out, they all knelt down toward her in unison.

“Lord Yuan Bao, you must save the Prime Minister! The Prime Minister is a good official who serves the country and people. You must save him, please! Isn’t your medicine very effective? Many patients’ conditions have improved. Please save the Prime Minister too.”

Hua Zhuyu was stunned. She didn’t know how these patients had learned of Ji Fengli’s situation, but she knew they were all ill. If they stayed here in the wind too long, their conditions might worsen and they could lose their lives. They knew this themselves. Yet to beg her to save Ji Fengli, they had all come.

But what could she say? She simply couldn’t save Ji Fengli. Just because she knew the prescription for treating the epidemic, they thought she was a miracle doctor.

“Get up, all of you. Quickly get up. Don’t kneel here anymore.” Hua Zhuyu bent down to help these patients.

“Lord Yuan Bao, if you can’t save the Prime Minister, we’ll kneel here tonight and not get up.”

These common people were actually stubborn to this degree! For Ji Fengli’s sake, they didn’t even want their lives? Could Ji Fengli be so important in these people’s hearts? A Left Prime Minister who controlled the government, a Left Prime Minister who might harbor treasonous ambitions for usurpation, actually had such support from the people. However, Hua Zhuyu also knew that common people didn’t care whose empire it was – as long as someone served the people, they were a good official.

Hua Zhuyu’s gaze swept across the gaunt, sickly faces. When her gaze met those pleading, hopeful eyes, she felt something tugged at her heart.

For a moment, her heart felt confused.

Should she really save him?

Amid the people’s pleading voices, Hua Zhuyu turned back to fetch the medicine bowl, slowly walked out, and said to those kneeling before her: “I’m taking this bowl of medicine to the Prime Minister. You’re blocking here – how can I deliver the medicine? All of you go back and rest. With you here making noise, I simply can’t save the Prime Minister.”

These words were very effective. Seeing Hua Zhuyu come out carrying medicine, they all scrambled up from the ground and quickly cleared a path. Hua Zhuyu walked slowly through their midst.

Her blue dress hem fluttered in the wind as she walked, and her thoughts also fluttered with her movement.

Suddenly it was their wedding night – the glass lamp slipped from her hands, shattering all over the floor as she collapsed among the fragments, bone-piercing pain seeping into her heart. Suddenly it was in Liangzhou – she fought bloodily, carving out a bloody path, while he sat high on the execution platform, looking down at her from above. Suddenly it was in the swirling snow – Jin Se’s miserable screams.

All of it was drowned out by the pleading, hopeful faces from moments before.

Don’t save him! Save him!

Save him! Don’t save him!

Cold wind brushed against her cheeks, icy cold.

She suddenly stopped, realizing she had reached the small courtyard where Ji Fengli lived. The courtyard was deathly quiet. The patients following behind her also stopped. They said nothing more, only stared at her with hopeful eyes.

Hua Zhuyu turned back to look at them, a smile blooming at her lips – very beautiful and radiant.

“All of you go back. I will definitely save him!” Her voice came through the wind – with a trace of coldness, a trace of heaviness, a trace of determination. Then, without looking at these people again, she quickly entered the room.

Inside, the atmosphere was oppressively suffocating. Lan Bing sat by the bed with his hands covering his face. His expression couldn’t be seen, only his fingertips trembling. Imperial Physician Zhang looked grief-stricken.

Hua Zhuyu quickly walked to the bedside, placed the medicine on the table, and said lightly: “Lord Lan, Imperial Physician Zhang, please go out first!”

Lan Bing and Imperial Physician Zhang both raised their heads, staring at Hua Zhuyu in amazement.

“Yuan Bao, what are you going to do?” A trace of hope flashed through Lan Bing’s sorrow-filled eyes.

“Naturally to save the Prime Minister. All of you go out. When I tell you to come in, then come in. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee whether he’ll live or not! What, don’t you trust me?” Hua Zhuyu said coldly with raised eyebrows.

Lan Bing and Imperial Physician Zhang looked at Hua Zhuyu in disbelief. When they thought there was no hope, they never expected Hua Zhuyu to say she would save the Prime Minister.

“We trust you!” Both nodded and slowly walked out, gently closing the door.

The room was silent. Hua Zhuyu slowly sat on the bed, frowning as she gazed at Ji Fengli lying there. He lay lifeless with closed eyes, his complexion pale almost to transparency. This pallor made his elegant brows and eyelashes appear even more intensely black.

Hua Zhuyu walked to the table, took a cup Ji Fengli had used, found a small knife, and cut her arm. Bright red blood dripped into the cup along her snow-white wrist.

Years ago, during that epidemic in the Western Frontier, though timely medicine had controlled the massive spread, some with severe conditions no longer responded to medicine and many died. Only then did the traveling doctor remember a method – using the blood of epidemic survivors as medicine.

Hua Zhuyu had never thought she would use this method someday. She took out a silk handkerchief from her clothing, bound the wound on her arm, and slowly walked to the bedside carrying the cup.

She stared at the blood-red liquid in the cup – this was her blood. She never imagined that someday she would use her own blood to save her enemy!

She helped Ji Fengli sit up, letting him lean against the bedding, and tried to feed him a spoonful. However, Ji Fengli was completely unconscious, and the blood fed into his mouth flowed out from the corner of his lips.

Hua Zhuyu felt heartbroken – this was her blood, wasted like this!

She gritted her teeth, picked up the cup, drank a mouthful, leaned toward Ji Fengli, and lowered her head to touch his lips. His lips were cold and dry. Hua Zhuyu’s heart jumped as she slowly fed the blood from her mouth into his.

Fresh blood stained both his and her lips crimson.

Feeding him mouthful after mouthful, the light in Hua Zhuyu’s eyes remained cold throughout. She hesitated somewhat – she didn’t know if she would regret saving him afterward.

In the dimly lit room, blood-red lips, cold gaze – this seemed not like saving someone, but mouth-to-mouth biting.

She saved him partly for those common people’s sake, but she also had her own selfish reasons.

If Ji Fengli died like this, it would be too easy for him. She still wanted to fight him, still wanted to see him fall from the clouds into the mud.

Finally, half a cup of blood was fed down.

Hua Zhuyu took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood traces from Ji Fengli’s lips and laid him flat on the bed. She had heard this method from the traveling doctor but never used it. She wasn’t certain it would definitely work. So she didn’t dare leave the bedside, using a damp towel on Ji Fengli’s forehead to reduce his high fever. Two hours later, Hua Zhuyu felt Ji Fengli’s forehead – the fever had subsided. Ji Fengli’s breathing also gradually steadied. She cut another wound on her other arm and fed him once more.

Near dawn, Hua Zhuyu felt Ji Fengli’s forehead – the fever had completely broken. As long as the fever broke, the epidemic was half cured. She sighed softly – this method was indeed effective.

She stood up, about to leave, when her wrist suddenly tightened – Ji Fengli had grabbed it.

“Don’t go… don’t leave me…” Ji Fengli’s eyelashes trembled, his slender brows knitted deeply, as if completely trapped by nightmares.

Don’t leave me? Who did he think she was? Hua Zhuyu smiled coldly. The place Ji Fengli grasped was exactly the wound on her wrist. She frowned slightly, applied force, and fiercely shook off his hand.

“Don’t go…” he moaned painfully, reaching out to grasp blindly, finally catching her arm again. This time he used great force, like a drowning person grasping a life-saving straw, desperately holding on: “Don’t go… don’t leave me… Mother…”

Who was he asking not to leave him? Hua Zhuyu didn’t hear clearly. His voice was too low and somewhat unclear.

Only this low voice, this pleading tone, was so desolate it was unbearable.

Hua Zhuyu’s heart inexplicably ached.

Ji Fengli – from poor family background to Left Prime Minister, who knew how many unknown hardships he had experienced. Initially, she had agreed to marry him precisely because of this. Among so many noble young men in the capital, many were like Huangfu Wushuang, relying on illustrious family backgrounds. He relied on himself – this was what she admired.

But this admiration had destroyed so much beauty.

Ji Fengli was too ruthless!

She raised her eyes, coldly glanced at him, placed the cup in her hand on the nearby table, freed her hands to pull at Ji Fengli’s hand gripping her wrist. Just then, she saw him open his eyes, his clear, cold gaze fixed on Hua Zhuyu’s face.

Worthy of being Ji Fengli – the fever had just broken, yet he woke so quickly.

The two maintained their strange postures, frozen. Then both simultaneously let go.

Ji Fengli’s gaze changed from initial coldness to extreme complexity as he slowly moved his gaze away from Hua Zhuyu.

Hua Zhuyu slowly stepped back several paces and smiled: “The Prime Minister is awake? Excellent, I’ll go boil medicine immediately!”

“Wait!” Ji Fengli said lightly: “No need. Call Lan Bing in.”

Hua Zhuyu agreed. Before leaving, she casually took the cup from the table – it was full of the smell of blood, and anyone who smelled it would know how she had saved him. Subconsciously, she didn’t want him to know that she had used her own blood to save him.

She quickly left the room. Lan Bing and several hidden guards had been standing in the courtyard. Seeing her, they hurried forward, asking in hoarse voices: “How is the Prime Minister?” A pair of bloodshot black eyes stared at Hua Zhuyu, as if he would strangle her if she said anything bad.

“The Prime Minister wants you to go in!” Hua Zhuyu said lightly and quickly left.

Hearing this, Lan Bing’s black eyes flashed with wild joy. He pushed open the door and quickly walked inside. Ji Fengli lay on the bed, his phoenix eyes gazing at the canopy above, thinking about something.

“Prime Minister!” Lan Bing said carefully.

Ji Fengli turned to glance at Lan Bing and asked lightly: “Last night, was it Yuan Bao watching over me? No one else came in?”

Lan Bing smiled: “Yes, Prime Minister! Prime Minister, you not only contracted the epidemic but were also poisoned. Imperial Physician Zhang was helpless. Yuan Bao said he could save you, so he stayed to care for the Prime Minister. I don’t know what method he used to cure you.”

Ji Fengli slightly furrowed his brows, a cold, water-like glimmer silently passing through his deep eyes.

Last night, in his unconsciousness, he vaguely felt a pair of hands. When they touched his forehead, they gave him unprecedented warmth. He also vaguely felt something soft like delicate flower petals gently touching his lips, pouring something into his mouth. He didn’t know what it was, but what else in the world could be so soft, except…

Ji Fengli slowly closed his eyes. He somewhat dared not think further.

“Lan Bing, send two guards over to serve me. As for Yuan Bao, let him care for other patients!” Ji Fengli said slowly.

Lan Bing didn’t understand why Ji Fengli would do this and frowned: “Why? Didn’t Yuan Bao do very well?”

Ji Fengli suddenly narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at Lan Bing: “No reason. Just do it!”

Lan Bing agreed. Seeing Ji Fengli’s face covered with frost and his cold expression, he dared not ask further.

“Regarding the poisoning matter, have you investigated?” Ji Fengli asked coldly.

“Tong Shou has already found out. These days, the tent area has been chaotic with many people. It’s possible their people mixed in among the disaster victims and poisoned the Prime Minister’s food while we were extremely busy these past days,” Lan Bing reported.

Ji Fengli furrowed his brows, a cold sharpness flashing through his eyes.

Having stayed awake all night and lost two cups of blood, Hua Zhuyu felt completely exhausted. She returned to her room and slept deeply. After waking, she boiled medicine as usual and had it delivered. Then she carried a bowl of medicine to Ji Fengli’s place. To her surprise, two guards stood before Ji Fengli’s door – she recognized Ji Shui and Ji Yue. At this moment, the two blocked her like door gods. Ji Shui took the medicine bowl from her hands: “The Prime Minister instructed that he’s resting now, and idle people shouldn’t disturb him. We’re serving the Prime Minister, so Lord Yuan Bao need not serve him. Please go about your business!”

Hua Zhuyu raised an eyebrow. Ha! Just after saving him from death’s door, she had become an idle person. He didn’t need her to serve him? Did he think she wanted to serve him? This actually suited her perfectly. Hua Zhuyu walked away with a smile.

Ji Fengli reclined on his bed, quietly watching through the window as Hua Zhuyu strolled out of the courtyard. Ji Shui presented the medicine bowl Hua Zhuyu had brought. Ji Fengli reached out and took the medicine bowl. The dark brown medicinal liquid steamed with rising mist – just smelling it conveyed bitterness. He held the medicine bowl and took a small sip. That bitterness truly penetrated to his bones, making him involuntarily frown.

Seeing Ji Fengli frown, Ji Yue hurriedly brought over prepared candied dates on a small plate: “Prime Minister, this medicine is bitter. Please eat a candied date.”

Ji Fengli said lightly: “No need!”

Ji Fengli half-reclined on the bed, slowly drinking that bowl of medicine. Ji Yue watched Ji Fengli sip the medicine and grimaced sympathetically, not knowing how he could drink such bitter medicine like tea, as if savoring something. Ji Yue couldn’t help but say carefully: “Prime Minister, drinking medicine isn’t like drinking tea. You should hold your nose and drink the whole bowl in one gulp. Drinking it this way is so bitter!”

Ji Fengli’s hand holding the medicine bowl paused as he said lightly: “Is that so? This Prime Minister didn’t know.”

He raised his hand and, without holding his nose, tilted his head back and drank all the medicine in one gulp. He placed it on the tray, picked up a candied date with his fingers, and slowly chewed it.

Ji Yue and Ji Shui slowly withdrew from the room. Outside the courtyard, Ji Yue was still puzzled – the Prime Minister had drunk medicine before and always feared the bitterness, drinking it in one gulp. This time he actually said he didn’t know such a method!

Five days later, a group of patients in the village finally recovered – thirty to forty people. Ji Fengli had also greatly improved, and now Imperial Physician Zhang was detoxifying him.

These days Hua Zhuyu hadn’t seen Ji Fengli again. Ji Shui and Ji Yue guarded there, and every time she brought medicine, Ji Shui and Ji Yue received it, saying Ji Fengli was resting and wouldn’t see her. She hadn’t wanted to see him anyway. However, this day Hua Zhuyu wanted to report to Ji Fengli to withdraw all the soldiers surrounding this place to one li away and hand over medicine delivery and preparation to these recovered civilians. Since they had recovered, they could no longer be infected. This would completely cut off contact between patients in the village and soldiers, preventing the epidemic from continuing to spread. But Ji Fengli still wouldn’t see her, only having Ji Shui at the door relay that he approved her request.

Hua Zhuyu was puzzled. These days, seeing Ji Fengli work tirelessly for flood control, she felt he wasn’t completely irredeemable. Now, the slight good impression she had developed toward him vanished again. After all, she could be considered his life-saver! If not for her, he would probably have already gone to the underworld to meet the King of Hell. In this world, who treated their life-saver this way!

More than ten days passed in a flash. More and more people in the village recovered, very few patients were brought in daily, and the epidemic was basically under control.

This day, a small patient was brought to the village – a little girl only about one year old, the youngest among all patients, still nursing. Her mother had already fallen ill and couldn’t care for the little girl, so she was looked after by a recovered woman. This woman was very experienced and good at coaxing children, but there was one thing she worried about – feeding medicine.

This epidemic medicine was extremely bitter. Not to mention children, even adults could hardly swallow it. The little girl naturally refused to drink it, and when forced, she vomited it all out. The woman carried the little girl over with a worried expression: “Lord Yuan Bao, this little girl coughs severely but won’t take medicine. What should we do?”

Hua Zhuyu was boiling medicine. Seeing this, she had others tend the fire and walked over to take the child. She saw the little girl crying and coughing. Touching her forehead, it was already very hot.

“Auntie, I do have another method we could try, but I don’t know if you’re willing,” Hua Zhuyu asked gently.

Hearing this, the woman nodded: “Ah, the little girl’s life is bitter. As long as we can save her, of course I’m willing!”

“Auntie, you drank a lot of medicine when you were ill, right? The medicine has already merged into your blood. Bite your finger and let the child drink some of your blood to see if she’ll take it!” Hua Zhuyu said quietly. This woman was also one of the recovered patients – her blood would definitely work for the little girl.

“I’ll try! Thank you, Lord Yuan Bao!”

The woman took the little girl away. Hua Zhuyu hurried to check the medicine in the pot.

She heard the person who had been helping her boil medicine suddenly call out respectfully: “Greetings, Prime Minister!”

Hua Zhuyu’s heart jumped. She turned back and saw Ji Fengli standing at the entrance of the small medicine-boiling courtyard, looking as if he was just passing by.

Ji Fengli stood there silently. He nodded slightly to the people bowing to him, his elegant lips still bearing their customary faint smile. His deep black pupils also maintained their usual gentle composure. Only his hands behind his back trembled almost imperceptibly.

Hua Zhuyu glanced at Ji Fengli lightly. Not having seen him for many days, his complexion had completely recovered. His illness seemed completely cured, and he was probably leaving today. However, for such a heartless, ungrateful person, she couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge him and returned to checking the medicine in the pot.

Ji Fengli stood there steadily, his cloud-light gaze gently sweeping over Hua Zhuyu before he strode away. Walking into the wind, each step was faster than the last, his robes flying like clouds with his pace. Deep in his heart, something unknown seemed to be forcefully flowing outward like a flood, yet blocked by solid dikes. This impact left him somewhat breathless.