Volume 1 Chapter 110 Narrow Road

  "My daughter is suffering from a blood deficiency disease, and the doctor said that she can live for at most two more years."

  She had already vaguely guessed why Wansui would have the intention to kill her. Zhen Shiniang calmly accepted her own illness, she only had two years of life left, and within those two years, Wansui's unification cause had just begun. Even if she could control Shen Zhongjie's will, it wouldn't come to fruition.

  The voice is soft and gentle, neither fast nor slow.

  Wan Sui's eyes flashed with a hint of astonishment, he leaned forward slightly, and then again, suspecting that he had misheard.

  If I'm going to die anyway, how can she be so calm about it?

  Without dejection, without despair, without sorrow, she was simply stating a fact, just as she would state an indifferent memorial to the courtiers.

  Suddenly, Wan Cai sat up straight and shouted, "Xuan Tai Yi!"

  Fu Gonggong retreated at the sound.

  Inside the Taihe Hall, there were imperial physicians on duty for all twelve periods of the day. Fu Gonggong quickly brought in an old imperial physician with white hair and beard, who took orders to feel her pulse. He looked at Zhen Shiniang once, wanting to speak but hesitating.

  "Speak!" Wan Cai shouted.

  "Madam Shen's pulse is floating and slow, her skin white and weak, it is a symptom of yin blood deficiency..."

  "How can you save him?" Wan Cai's tone was stern.

  The imperial physician hesitated, glancing at Zhen Shiniang again, and said, "Madam Shen's illness has reached the stage of lamp exhaustion, medicine is useless... If she takes good care of herself, she may be able to live a few more days..."

  Doctors save lives and heal wounds, but they are most taboo when facing patients to announce such cruel facts, which is no different from forcing patients to commit suicide.

  However, with the emperor's pressure being so tight, and Zhen Shiniang being the wife of a renowned general, if she didn't clarify things herself and something went wrong in the future, it would be at least a crime punishable by extinction of the family. The old doctor muttered to himself, slightly lowering his head, not daring to look into Zhen Shiniang's eyes.

  Zhen Shining's eyebrows didn't move at all, and her eyes had a kind of calmness that could see through the world.

  Since childhood, he has been cultivated as the crown prince who will dominate the world. The emperor's emotions are not revealed on his face. However, in front of Zhen Shi, he lost his composure and stared blankly at her. The emperor felt a sense of unreality; he had just casually asked, but she really didn't have much time left to live.

  It's because one knows they won't live long that they can see through worldly affairs and forget their hatred.

  She must have seen through the ways of the world, and that's why she can be so calm and detached, without desires or demands.

  Such a woman...

  Since he was a child, he had a ruthless and decisive heart that ordinary people did not have. However, at this moment, facing this weak woman who was destined to die soon but still gentle and quiet, making people's hearts ache, looking into her beautiful and dazzling yet calm eyes, he felt an unprecedented sorrow in his heart...

  It's been a long time. He waved his hand at the imperial physician that morning and said, "You can go now." There was a hint of despair in his tone that even he himself hadn't noticed.

  The imperial physician retreated in fear.

  Wanxiang Du raised her teacup and took a small sip, in the vast hall where even a falling needle could be heard.

  After a long while, Wan Si put down his tea cup, “...do you like Shen Ai Qing very much?”

  Who does she like to mind his own business?

  This remark was over the line, and Zhen Shiniang's heart was shocked. However, he was the emperor, and no one dared to accuse him. She didn't dare not answer, and she thought to herself, "Why did the emperor ask this? If I say I don't like it, what will happen? Will he take advantage of it to beat the mandarin duck? Will he make me leave Shen Zhongjie?"

  Looking at this situation, he is thoroughly afraid of her and has been tamed by Shen Zhongke.

  But she didn't have time, although with Xiao Yu's help and signing a contract with Tai Hospital, the pharmaceutical factory hadn't even taken shape yet. Now that Shen Zhongge was leaving, where would she find the money to hire people to open the pharmaceutical factory?

  The pharmaceutical factory may not be able to open, but what about Jianwu and Jianwen's later life?

  She bowed her head and said, "Your servant's daughter will marry General Shen, in life she will be his person, in death she will be his ghost." She didn't say she liked him, nor did she say she disliked him, but clearly told the Emperor that she would not leave Shen Zhongjie.

  A clever and wise woman.

  "Long live...!" Wan's eyebrows twitched slightly, a hint of a smile flickering in his eyes before he turned stern. "Women are not allowed to interfere with politics is an ancient rule of our dynasty, remember it from now on!" He glared at Zhen Shi Niang, "General Shen is a rare talent, the backbone of our great Zhou, the pillar of the state. Being by his side, you must always remember your place and not overstep your bounds, lest even with General Shen's protection, I will not tolerate you!"

  The sharp tone was even more severe than the usual reprimand of the Grand Minister, and even Fu Gonggong at the corner of the hall changed his face. The eunuchs and palace maids on both sides did not dare to breathe loudly.

  Zhen Shining's expression was slightly lightened.

  Long live! This is an acknowledgment of her, tacitly allowing her to stay by Shen Zhong's side.

  As I walked out of Taihe Hall, a slanting sunbeam passed through the accumulated snow on top of the corridor and refracted onto my face, emitting a dazzling radiance.

  It's great to have sunshine.

  Zhen Shining slightly closed her eyes, deeply exhaling a mouthful of turbid air. Having just walked in front of the god of death, Zhen Shining felt that the air outside the temple was exceptionally free.

  After getting used to the light outside, Zhen Shiniang raised her eyes and looked forward, her body involuntarily shaking.

  Xiao Yu!

  What is he doing here?

  Only saw Xiao Yu and Shen Zhongqiu standing shoulder to shoulder in the corridor outside Taihe Hall, staring at her with a pair of eyes, seeing her look over, Xiao Yu's eyes shot out a fierce light.

  No need to guess, Zhen Shiniang also knew that he had already recognized her.

  Didn't check the almanac before going out, it's really an unlucky year!

  Zhen Shining's heart, which had just calmed down, was now racing again. At this moment, she wished that the sky would collapse and the earth would shatter, so that she could follow the crack and go to the other side of the earth. Her heart wailed in sorrow, but time did not allow her to hesitate. She took only one pause before walking towards Shen Zhongjie, "General."

  Shen Zhong Xiao let out a sigh of relief, "You're out, Wan Shi..." He wanted to ask what Wan Shi had said, but remembering that Xiao Ye was there, he changed his words, "...Quickly pay your respects to Elder Brother Xiao." Then turning to Xiao Ye, he said, "This is the madam."

  Xiao Ye's eyes locked onto Zhen Shi Niang's, his voice unusually deep as he said, "Younger sister!"

  Zhen Shining calmly met his gaze, lightly bowed her head, "Xiao Da Ge."

  In her clear eyes, there was a hint of scrutiny, as if she had just seen him for the first time.

  As she turned around, she caught a glimpse of Xiao Yu's eyes flashing with confusion. Zhen Shi Niang secretly praised her own acting skills, if it were in her previous life, she could have competed for the Oscar Best Actress award.

  Hong Lian handed over the large red fox fur cloak to Zhen Shiniang, who only then remembered Autumn Chrysanthemum and wondered where she had gone. This was a deep palace, where it was said that killing someone was as easy as swatting an ant. She looked around but didn't see Autumn Chrysanthemum anywhere, causing her heart to tighten. Just as she was about to ask, she suddenly remembered that Xiao Ye knew Autumn Chrysanthemum and swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue.

  "Just now, the eunuchs from Guanghuan Hall came and went, and Autumn Chrysanthemum followed the road to Taihe Hall and got lost on the way. I've already sent someone to send her back to Linhua Hall." Seeing Zhen Shiniang searching everywhere, Shen Zhongjie guessed that she was looking for Autumn Chrysanthemum.

  Zhen Shi Niang was stunned on the spot, her head buzzing loudly.

  What you fear most will come upon you.

  How come I never discovered this guy is so considerate before!

  "...... Is the virtuous younger brother's autumn chrysanthemum a round-faced, smiling young girl with two dimples?" Xiao Ye said to Shen Zhongge, but his eyes were fixed on Zhen Shiniang, who was stiff and straight, her mouth curling up into a cold smile.

  Since Zhen Shiniang came out of the Taihe Hall, her face had no blood color at all. Shen Zhongjie's mind was all thinking about what Wanxiang had just said to her, and she was so frightened that she didn't notice the undercurrents between the two people beside her. When Xiao Ye asked, she nodded casually, "Yes, it's her." Her voice suddenly paused, and she thought to herself, "How does Brother Xiao know him?"

  He suddenly thought of Zhen Shiniang's delicate cloisonné enamel crane-patterned small hand warmer.

  He had been pondering for a long time, who was that Xiao Daren in Qiujie's mouth?

  Could it be... him, Xiao Yu?

  The thought flashed through his mind, and his eyes turned cold as he glanced at Xiao Yu, then turned to look at Zhen Shi Niang.

  It's done!

  The air suddenly turned cold, and Zhen Shining let out a mournful cry. "I'm afraid I won't be able to escape this time." Having just exhausted her mental energy in the Taihe Hall, Zhen Shining felt that her mind was not clear at all right now.

  Like lead shot.

  Under the cold gaze of Xiao Yu and Shen Zhongjie, she felt a sense of desperation, and a thin layer of sweat seeped out from her forehead.

  The tense atmosphere is on the verge of eruption.

  Fu Gonggong walked out and said, "...... Long live, please let General Shen and Xiao Zhongtang enter."

  "... Wait for Madame in the side hall." Shen Zhongge heard this and pointed to the side hall, instructing Hong Lian.

  Looking at the backs of the two people, Zhen Shining felt that her legs were trembling violently, and if she hadn't been holding onto Hong Lian, she feared she would have fallen to the ground.

  The side hall was much warmer than the corridor, with Shen Zhong's arrangement, a small eunuch specially brewed a pot of hot tea and brought it in for Zhen Shiniang.

  After drinking a cup of hot tea, Zhen Shiniang calmed down a lot. She held the hot tea and fell into deep thought. With Ah Jiu as a loophole, Xiao Ye was now 100% certain that she was indeed the simple doctor who went to his mansion to diagnose Old Lady Xiao's illness. If she insisted on denying it, refusing to admit it even if she were beaten to death...

  What will Xiao Yu do?

  He would arrest Li Qi and his wife, subject them to severe torture and interrogation, bind her patients to confront her voice, search for the prescriptions she had written before to verify her handwriting, and...

  Xiao Ye would have a thousand ways to investigate the truth of this matter, Zhen Shi Niang felt as if she was placed in an ice cellar, her blood froze at that moment.

  She can't deceive Xiao Yu.

  It's ironic that Xiao Yu is actually Shen Zhongge's bosom friend, and he bluntly told her that he would help her hide this matter regardless of brotherly love?

  What should she do?

  "Madam, the general has come out." Just as she was lost in thought, Hong Lian's voice came over.

  Zhen Shining raised her head, and Shen Zhongge and Xiao Ye had already walked over shoulder to shoulder.

  "General, Xiao Ge..." She carefully observed the expressions of both men.

  One had a face as cold as ice that hadn't changed in a thousand years, the other had an air of elegance that hadn't changed since ancient times. Zhen Shiniang looked at them for half a day and couldn't see anything, seeing Shen Zhongjie already leading the way out of the palace, she hastily followed him.

  No one mentioned the previous topic, and the three of them were silent all the way. As they approached Linhuad Hall, Xiao Ye saluted Shen Zhongge with a fist, "Brother and sister-in-law go in first, I'll make a trip to Guanghuan Hall."

  Shen Zhongbo responded with a "yes", "Brother Xiao, hurry up and come back quickly. Eunuch Fu said that the Emperor will be departing soon."

  At the moment of turning around, Xiao Yu looked at Zhen Shiniang with a thoughtful expression.