Chapter 32
Zhou Yunsheng’s soul was powerful, not to mention four days without sleep, even four months without sleep was possible for him. So when he returned to his room he didn’t go to sleep, but he stood at his window to meditate.
He was waiting for Xie Yurou’s medical space and spiritual spring, as long as Xie Yurou used it he would be able to ensure the Prince’s safe recovery. Will Xie Yurou come? The answer was certainly yes.
Thinking of this, he chuckled a bit.
“Shen official, His Royal Highness summons you.” The eunuch thought he was too worried about the Prince to sleep so his heart was touched.
Zhou Yun Sheng immediately walked back toward the room.
“His Royal Highness.” He walked slowly to the bed and bowed his salute.
“Why do you keep calling me His Royal Highness? Call my Gu Si Nian.” The Prince tried to support his upper body to get a good look at the boy’s face.
Zhou Yunsheng quickly helped him up, and padded his back with a soft pillow, he obediently called him Gu Si Nian. The name seemed to instantly shorten the distance between the two, resulting in their faces softening.
The Prince laughed softly, held his hand, and called out Sheng, then repeated it over and over almost as if not saying it would result in no afterlife.
“You said…if I get into an accident…you would accompany me to the spring….Does this still count?” He finally regretted. He’d hesitated to peruse him openly because he wanted to pave the way for them, so that they could not be opposed. But it was all for naught. He was even so selfish, in front of death he wanted to pull the person he loved the most with him.
Zhou Yun Sheng was not afraid of death. Even if the task in this world was not completed, he could go to the next world, then another world, no big loss. He thought for a moment, then finally smiled and nodded, “Remember, those words will always count.”
The Prince slightly brightened, while coughing and laughing, his laughter held unprecedented pleasure.
Several maids and nearby eunuchs had red eyes, they turned their backs to hide their tears.
Afterwards, Zhou Yunsheng did not hesitate to take care of the Crown Prince. He even ate his food with him, not afraid of infection. While he said he was willing to go to the spring with the Prince, his body was transformed, unless he took the initiative to leave or was killed, he could live for a long time. The Crown Prince’s disease would not affect him.
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Xie Yurou eventually arrived in the courtyard, she heard that the Prince was ill and finally felt relieved. Her heart sneered: Even if you escape the fate of losing your title, God has doomed you so you cannot get the big treasure. Now you can enjoy the death throes!
She bowed her head toward the Crown Prince’s Court, then quickly went to take care of the Seven Princes.
Seven Princes was really touched when he saw her risk infection to help him, he took her hand and held on for a long time. Xie Yurou whispered some comfort, then brought the Seven Princes some soup and tea, in all his meals she dropped some of her spiritual spring, and also gave him some lotus seeds grown in her medicinal space.
In order to prevent his loyal servants from getting infected with the epidemic, she also generously gave the servants a big pot of tea, in which she dropped some spirit spring.
The effectiveness of the spiritual spring was extraordinary, the Seven Princes rehabilitated within a day, his servants also weren’t infected. On the other hand, in the Crown Prince’s Court a servant died almost every day, and the Prince himself was unconscious most of the day, his chances looked slim.
Because the medicines given to the two was the same, the doctors were not suspicious, they thought that the difference was because of the Crown Prince’s weaker body.
One day, Zhou Yun Sheng accompanied the Prince till he slept, freed himself from his grip, and slowly walked towards the Seven Princes’ courtyard.
“Imperial Concubine Xie, please also save His Royal Highness Prince.” He walked past the bedridden Seven Princes, rushed towards Xie Yurou and deeply bowed down.
Several doctors were in the room, when they saw this scene they were astonished.
Xie Yurou’s heart was shocked, but her face hid her thoughts, she pretended to be puzzled, “Shen official what are you saying? The concubine does not possess medical knowledge, how can I have a way to treat His Royal Highness Prince?”
“The Imperial Concubine is very modest. His Royal Highness Seven Princes was able to recover to this point because he was entrusted to the Imperial Concubine. His Royal Highness is the country’s heir, the Imperial Concubine clearly has medicine but keeps it a secret. Watching His Highness die of illness while holding onto medicine and murdering him, what is the difference?” Zhou Yun Sheng’s face was smiling, but his words were sharp like a knife, Xie Yurou’s spirit almost slit in half.
“Shen official is joking, where does the concubine have this elixir? The luggage I brought is all here, I arrived with the doctors. You can check if you want, if you find an elixir the concubine is willing to face the highest punishment. To seek the death of royalty is a big sin, Shen official if there is no evidence, please don’t blather.”
Xie Yurou relied on her hidden space and quickly restored her calm.
Zhou Yunsheng lightly laughed, “If there was no absolute certainty, Shen would not be so rude to the Imperial Concubine. It can’t be hidden, Shen’s nose is different from ordinary people I can smell what ordinary people cannot. I’ll give a demonstration.”
He pointed to Xie Yurou’s sachet hanging from her waist and said, “This bag contains Angelica dahurica, Ligusticum striatum, salt marsh plant, five portions of Nardostachys chinensis, also Rhizoma Kaempferiae, basil, bonesets, two portions of Artemisia argyi. Of course, these are the most commonly used medicinal herbs, the Imperial Concubine could say that I am only guessing. But also in the sachet are lotus seeds and in another section there is a hidden mysterious herb. This fragrance is very unique, I have never smelt it, but I can boldly guess that it should be the legendary extinct purple ginseng. And those lotus seeds are even more magical, only a small sniff could make me drunk until evening. Shen is a proficient medicine man, I’ve read all the books, but I actually cannot guess this variety’s origin.”
After he finished talking he walked to the table, took the Seven Princes’ medicine bowl and brought it to his nose, smiled and said, “This bowl of medicine should have that ginseng and lotus seeds, there is a strong fragrance, it seems to be full of spiritual power.”
He put down the bowl, and looked at a carelessly placed fruit basket that had unstripped lotus, his eyes slightly brightened and he sighed, “Such extraordinary lotus seeds, Imperial Concubine has this much. Imperial Concubine really must have supernatural powers.”
He walked a lap around the room then stood by the window, lit a little stove that was holding a teapot, when the steam rose, he said in a soft and cold voice, “Even the tea can also have the Elixir, but you refused to give a little bit to His Royal Highness. Imperial Concubine, what are you thinking?”
Xie Yurou secretly clenched her fist and cold sweat. She didn’t expect her medical space and spirit spring would be exposed because of a dog nose. Her head had long been in chaos, but she strongly argued back, “So many doctors here, but only Shen official has the gift of smell. Shen official’s ability to make irresponsible remarks is the real eye-opener. There is no elixir, all the things I have you can search, and if you find the slightest cure the concubine will plead guilty.”
Seven Princes recovered from his wonder and said, “You have my permission to search.” He and Xie Yurou had a tacit understanding, seeing Xie Yurou’s assured eyes, he also didn’t panic.
Zhou Yunsheng seemed to have heard a big joke, he laughed “I can search your luggage? No need, I just have to bring this medicine bowl, fruit basket, teapot, and sachet back. Imperial Concubine, Shen has been rude, if nothing changes with the Prince, Shen will make amends for this slander. If the Prince dies, Shen has to accompany him to the spring, so I would not be able to make amends. Farewell, I wish the Seven Prince and Imperial Concubine a good rest.”
He bowed, bluntly took Xie Yurou’s soft sachet, the dishes, fruit baskets, teapots and other objects, called the several doctors, and stately walked away.
The medicine space and spiritual spring were magical, they only existed in an invisible space. Even Xie Yurou couldn’t believe her own eyes when she found them, how could she predict they would be seen through? And so when everyone left the room, she fell limp, faced with the Seven Princes’ unpredictable eyes, she only saw darkness in her future.
Zhou Yunsheng returned to the court, the Prince had not yet awakened. The several doctors followed closely and asked doubtfully, “Infection from the epidemic only leads to death, could these things really save His Royal Highness Prince? Shen official, are you not mistaken?”
“I did not make a mistake.”
Zhou Yunsheng opened the sachet, took out pieces of ginseng and lotus seeds and poured them into the bowl. He ordered the workers to peel all the extras into the tea tray, then gently woke up the Prince.
“Yun Sheng, I feel like I’ll soon die. Bring me a brush and an ink stone, I want to write a letter to father. You can rest assured, even after I die, I will guarantee Shen Jia prospers for at least a hundred years.” The Prince weakly said.
“His Royal Highness will be healed today.” Zhou Yunsheng neatly combed his hair to the side, brought the drug bowl to his mouth and whispered, “This is from Xie, it’s an elixir. Obediently drink it okay?”
The Prince thought he was deceiving him, but he still smiled obediently, then forced down the desire to vomit and ate a piece of ginseng and chewed the lotus seeds. Then he drank the tea.
Several doctors expectantly watched, but they were not as confident as Shen official, they speculated amongst themselves: This epidemic is terminal, how can a bowl of soup and a few cups of tea cure it? Shen official is so worried about the Crown Prince he must’ve gone mad. He offended the Seven Princes and his pet Imperial Concubine, if the Seven Princes ascends the throne in the future, Shen Jia will be in trouble ah!
However, a miracle appeared. After the Prince ate all the food he actually started sweating, and that sweat was black, with a strong smell, as if all the toxins in his body was being expelled. Then the Crown Prince repeatedly used the toilet, and when he took a hot bath his face was rosy, eyes shiny, full of vitality.
This effect was too obvious, but it was not surprising. Forget about the spiritual spring and ginseng, even the lotus was extraordinary. Seven Princes was given small amounts under Xie Yurou’s control, he only ate a grain a day, so it looked like he slowly improved. Things were more obvious in the Prince who took dozens of portions.
That lotus bloomed in the spiritual spring, the seeds absorbed the concentration of spring water, its effectiveness was unimaginable. Also Xie Yurou was too careless, she’d surprisingly taken out about five or six lotus, this let Zhou Yunsheng quickly cure the Crown Prince.
“Help me check my pulse.” The Prince shook his wet hair, placed his wrist on the pillow, his voice full of expectations.
Several doctors took turns inspecting, his strong pulse caused all their jaws to drop.
Wang heard the news and came in a hurry, she was holding a towel to wipe the Prince’s hair.
“You do not have to appear in front of me anymore, you cowardly thing.” The Prince squinted, the chill in his voice was overflowing. Then he looked to the young man by his side and laughed, “Yun Sheng come over, my hair is dripping water, it’s strangely cold.”
This spoiled tone caused Zhou Yunsheng to be covered with goose bumps, he slowly walked over to wait on him.
Wang’s face paled, she cried without tears.
The doctors were all finished examining his pulse, they cheered in unison, “His Royal Highness is already healed, Xie’s drug is indeed magical!”
The respectful Imperial Concubine became the disrespectful Xie, this was a precursor to Xie Yurou’s miserable future. Obviously she had drugs but refused to heal the Crown Prince, when this matter passed on to Tian Chen, not only will Xie Yurou suffer, even the Seven Princes could not escape the fall. The Prince was the throne’s heir, because the couple looked on as he almost died they’d be charged with the great crime of regicide.