Shao Mingyuan obediently followed Qiao Zhao to her room.

Qiao Zhao lit the lamp, seeing his pale complexion more clearly.

“Lie down.”

Shao Mingyuan complied and lay flat.

Qiao Zhao lifted his hem again, extended her finger to lightly touch his lower abdomen, then put it in her mouth.

Shao Mingyuan’s expression changed slightly. “Zhaozhao, what are you doing?”

Qiao Zhao closed her eyes without speaking, her lips moving slightly. She opened her eyes and said, “It’s poison from a zhen bird.”

“Zhen bird poison?”

“Don’t talk first. Zhen bird poison is extremely potent. Carrying someone back accelerated the poison’s spread. The antidote pill you took won’t last much longer. I need to detoxify you immediately.”

Qiao Zhao didn’t have so many medicinal materials on hand, so she could only use the unique silver needle detoxification technique that Physician Li had taught her to draw out the toxins from Shao Mingyuan’s body.

This set of silver needle detoxification techniques was particularly complex to perform. Before long, fine beads of sweat covered the young woman’s smooth forehead.

The sweat drops fell onto the man’s broad chest, making his heart ache.

Shao Mingyuan reached into his chest to take out a handkerchief and raised his hand to wipe Qiao Zhao’s sweat.

Time passed bit by bit. It wasn’t until the sky showed signs of dawn and the lit candle had burned down to just a pool of wax that Qiao Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief and showed a genuine smile. “The poison is finally expelled.”

Shao Mingyuan gripped the soaked handkerchief, his gaze deep, and said softly, “Zhaozhao, my life belongs to you.”

Qiao Zhao shot him a reproachful look and hastily drank a sip of water. “What do I want with your life? You staying alive and giving me less to worry about is better than anything.”

Shao Mingyuan grasped her hand and smiled. “As you command, my general’s wife.”

However, Qiao Zhao still didn’t relax. She reached out to feel his forehead, then touched his hands, feet, and back, her expression gradually becoming grave.

“Tingquan, do you feel cold all over?”

Shao Mingyuan hesitated and nodded. “It is colder than usual.”

Having the cold poison in his body, he was accustomed to feeling cold all over and wasn’t very sensitive to the cold anymore.

“Do you have joint pain or headaches?” Qiao Zhao asked again.

Shao Mingyuan looked deeply at Qiao Zhao and said, “The reason I couldn’t completely avoid that poisoned dagger was because I suddenly felt aching and trembling all over at that moment, beyond my control.”

Qiao Zhao’s complexion didn’t look good.

Shao Mingyuan was such a perceptive person. Seeing this, his heart stirred, and he asked, “Has my malaria flared up?”

Qiao Zhao nodded.

“Will that affect my mobility?”

“You need to rest for at least five days with medicinal decoctions to cure the malaria.”

Seeing Shao Mingyuan’s grave expression, Qiao Zhao poured a cup of hot water and handed it to him. “Even if the malaria hadn’t flared up, your abdominal wound would still need several days of rest. Also, Magistrate Xing has probably suffered prolonged mental and physical torment and is extremely weak. He also needs several days of recuperation before he can endure the hardships of travel. So just rest peacefully.”

“I’m afraid Xing Wuyang won’t give up and will search extensively for us.”

“We’re staying in such an inconspicuous private residence, we shouldn’t be discovered.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled bitterly. “I originally thought so too, but after going to rescue Magistrate Xing today, I suddenly feel things aren’t that simple.”

Qiao Zhao listened silently.

She naturally knew it wasn’t that simple, otherwise Shao Mingyuan wouldn’t have been injured.

“Today, I encountered both real and fake Magistrate Xings. The fake one I encountered first looked exactly like the portrait. Just as I was picking him up, he suddenly stabbed a dagger at me…” Shao Mingyuan recounted his nighttime encounter.

Shao Mingyuan looked at Qiao Zhao. “Zhaozhao, how long can this kind of zhen bird poison applied to a dagger maintain its potency?”

Qiao Zhao answered without hesitation. “The method of applying poison to daggers can only carry a limited amount of poison and can’t maintain potency for long. Often after a day or two, it has no effect.”

Shao Mingyuan’s gaze deepened. “That’s what’s strange about this. Xing Wuyang is cautious, so creating a fake magistrate isn’t surprising. But in his territory, where he can cover the sky with one hand, does this fake magistrate need to constantly carry a poisoned dagger?”

After hearing this, Qiao Zhao looked thoughtful and murmured, “This action seems like he knew in advance that someone would come, so he was specifically waiting for you.”

“Yes, Magistrate Xing’s residence was arranged like a dragnet. My ability to bring Magistrate Xing out was pure luck.” Thinking of the step-by-step danger at Magistrate Xing’s residence, Shao Mingyuan felt cold, but he concealed the specific details.

Qiao Zhao grasped Shao Mingyuan’s sleeve and said seriously, “Tingquan, our whereabouts may have already been exposed. Or even if our whereabouts haven’t been exposed, our purpose has been discovered by someone with ulterior motives.”

“I think so, too.” Waves of severe headaches struck, and Shao Mingyuan closed his eyes slightly. “Zhaozhao, I’m just worried about you…”

Qiao Zhao saw Shao Mingyuan’s complexion change from white to red and understood – he was starting to develop a fever.

“Lie down first. I’ll go prepare medicine.” Qiao Zhao pulled over a thin blanket to cover Shao Mingyuan and got up to leave, but he grabbed her.

“Zhaozhao, call Chen Guang over.”

“Alright.” Qiao Zhao agreed, but the man still wouldn’t let go.

“Tingquan, don’t worry. Because I’ve been prepared for your malaria to flare up, I brought the necessary medicinal materials. Yesterday, Chen Guang also bought firewood, rice, oil, and salt, so we don’t need to go out for several days. Xing Wuyang’s people won’t be able to find our hiding place anytime soon.”

Only then did Shao Mingyuan release his grip.

Before long, Chen Guang entered. Seeing Shao Mingyuan’s condition, he was slightly alarmed. “General, your subordinate is here.”

Shao Mingyuan forced his eyes open and instructed, “Chen Guang, if we reach a critical moment, take Miss Li and leave. Protect her for me.”

“General—”

“This is a military order.” Shao Mingyuan’s voice was already very weak, but his unquestionable authority remained.

Chen Guang responded solemnly, “This subordinate accepts the order!”

The inconspicuous private residence was filled with the fragrance of medicine, but the streets of Fuxing City became unprecedentedly tense.

Chen Guang, who had gone out to quietly investigate the situation, returned and told Qiao Zhao, “Third Miss, fortunately, the General arranged for this subordinate to rent this private residence. When I went out to investigate just now, teams of soldiers were searching inns one by one.”

Qiao Zhao didn’t feel optimistic.

If Xing Wuyang had learned through some channel that someone would come to rescue Magistrate Xing, then he might also have some awareness of their identities.

Knowing the opponent was Marquis Guanjun, how could Xing Wuyang be careless? Once he found no clues in the inn, the next step would be to expand the search range.

“When will the General and that magistrate recover?” Although Chen Guang was usually carefree, he was now deeply worried.

He would naturally execute the General’s orders, but if he had to abandon the General, then it would be more painful than killing him.

“At least three to five days.”

In the following days, the atmosphere in Fuxing City became increasingly tense. On the third day after Qiao Zhao said this, someone suddenly knocked on the courtyard gate.

A cold gleam flashed in Chen Guang’s eyes as he couldn’t help but look at Qiao Zhao.