Ms. Zhao said with a bitter smile, “Qiaoqin arrived and left in a hurry, who said she must go back and report on completion of her task to Her Highness the Princess Consort. She told me nothing but that these two kinds of medicine ought to be used!”

Song Yixiao didn't expect to dispel her doubt immediately so she was just checking. Then she heard Ms. Zhao's reply and said in a comforting tone, “Since the medicine is ready, this shouldn't be the first time that he has been like this. Supposedly, he will get better after taking the medicine. We may as well rest a.s.sured.”

“Hopefully, it is not a chronic illness!” Ms. Zhao, not as optimistic as her, glanced at Jian Xubai who looked so pale, and couldn't help sighing and praying heartily, “Duke Jian is only 17 years old!”

If his illness left a lingering effect at such a young age, who knew how many more years he could live? By then it might be a relief for him to die, but what could Miss Song do then?

Song Yixiao also had the same worry but now the die was cast. It would be no use feeling remorseful. She had to proceed without a plan.

“I don't know whether the tea will affect the medicine's effect. Ms. Zhao, please get some warm water for me!” She opened the porcelain bottle and found that the bottle was mostly filled with pills of bean side. She slightly frowned and said, “Qiaoqin is too careless. Putting aside other things, she should have told how to apply the medicine! What shall we do now?”

Ms. Zhao thought for a while, “Medicine always has side effects. How about feeding one pill to Duke Jian first?”

This was the only thing they could do.

Song Yixiao had no better solution and also didn't want to delay Jian Xubai's treatment. Then she fed him a pill with the warm water brought by Ms. Zhao. Maybe he didn't need to take too many of the pills. Soon after Jian Xubai had the pill, he didn't look obviously better but his breath became much steadier.

“And the medicine in the jade box!” Ms. Zhao took away the rest warm water and put it on the table, saying to Song Yixiao, “Qiaoqin said that it should be applied too.”

However, once the jade box was opened, Song Yixiao and Ms. Zhao were a bit surprised, “This is… Ointment?”

The box was filled with dark purple ointment, which didn't smell strong and yet carried a fresh scent. It didn't smell like plum blossom or bamboo, but it was reminiscent of the raining and snowing scene in the northern-frontier area that was vast and boundless in winter.

“Is Duke Jian injured?” Ms. Zhao found it unbelievable, “We are in the imperial city. Who dares to hurt the grandson raised by Her Majesty the Empress Dowager?”

Song Yixiao didn't know either. She pursed her lips and then said, “Let's put the medicine on him first. We don't want to see anything happen to him!”

“Your Ladys.h.i.+p, you are right.” Ms. Zhao heaved a sigh and then walked towards the stairs, “I will keep watch for you in case that someone may come up and b.u.mp into you!”

Song Yixiao looked at Jian Xubai, who was in a coma in bed, and then stared at the “ointment” in her hand with a poker face, saying in a low voice, “Ms. Zhao, who is going to take off his clothes…”

“Your Ladys.h.i.+p, I want to help you indeed but you know, but the birthday feast is not over!” Ms. Zhao reminded her, “Even if you've sent Jinxun to the feast for explanation, the Hanxia Villa is a remote place. It will take quite a while to take a round trip. Today is a different occasion. As the Empress Dowager grants you the marriage, the guests will not forget about you! I'm afraid that some guests will come to ask why you aren't still not back to the feast later. By then, how can I not help send them away?”

Not many servants were in the Hanxia Villa and even fewer of them were capable.

Jinxun was not here now. If anyone came and inquired, they might notice something unusual without Ms. Zhao being at present!

Song Yixiao was aware that her foster nurse was telling the truth, but she was still inexperienced and had no feelings for Jian Xubai. Hence, she didn't want to take off his clothes for him.

After considering for a while, she made up her mind, “How about you putting the medicine on him and me going back to the feast?”

“I don't know about the story behind this, but you and Duke Jian are an engaged couple. You are obliged to take care of him. Before he gets better, you had better not leave here!” Ms. Zhao said in a lower voice disapprovingly, “Otherwise, if Duke Jian wakes up and knows about this, he may think that you don't care about him at all. By then, what can you do?”

Moreover, “Did you forget that Sixth Young Lady came here and had the present stained? Why did we fail to stop her? Wasn't it because you were not here and Miss Wei was only a guest? If you leave here and someone breaks in to look for Duke Jian, how can we stop them? By then…”

Song Yixiao waved her hand sadly and said in a weak voice, “Fine, I am noted!”

She recalled that some Empress Song in the previous dynasty was said to be fated to luck in love according to a fortune-teller.

Well, she must be fated to live bitterly!

She signed submissively. After Ms. Zhao went downstairs to keep watch, Song Yixiao took off Jian Xubai's belt with complex feelings.

It was summer now. Jian Xubai was not wearing too much. Under the c.r.a.pe coat and blue long gown was the white inner garment. As she ripped open the inner garment, his chest was well exposed. To her disappointment, there was no injury in his chest as white as jade. Not even a flaw was found!

She held back her depression and then continued to take Jian Xubai's arms off the clothes carefully.

Then she took off his pants and socks.

Looking at the young duke wearing only underwear, Song Yixiao made a tough decision.

She turned him over to check whether he was injured in the back…

Eventually, it took this poor and weak lady from a big family great effort to turn Jian Xubai over and make him lie prostrate. She was sweating like a trooper now.

However, she still didn't find any injury in his back!

Not even a bruise!

In other words, the only possible position that was injured was…

Song Yixiao looked at the nearby pillar faintly and really felt like b.u.mping against it!

After struggling for a while, she finally calmed herself down and started to ponder over the next move.

Eventually, reason prevailed shame. She made up her mind, “Saving a life is of priority! He is my fiancé. If anything is wrong with him here, I will be doomed for the rest of my life even if no one blames me!

However, she realized that she was fated to live bitterly indeed.

When Song Yixiao plucked up her courage and put her hand on Jian Xubai's underwear tremblingly. Before she did something further, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by him. He asked in a cold voice, “What are you doing?”

Indeed, Jian Xubai woke up right at the moment!

Having noticed his own condition now, Jian Xubai flew into a rage quickly. Song Yixiao didn't know how to react!

“I am applying the medicine on you!” She raised the jade box faintly and explained in a sobbing tone, “But I don't know where the injury is.”

Jian Xubai took a look at the jade box and sneered, “I am not injured at all. How can you find the injury? The Yewu Paste should be eaten with warm water!”

Song Yixiao was speechless!

“What are you waiting for?” Luckily, Jian Xubai looked fierce, but he didn't blame her for taking off almost all his clothes. After telling her the right way of using the paste in the jade box, he urged impatiently, “Get me some warm water! The pill I just ate can only suppress the poison temporarily. Unless I eat the paste, I cannot hold on for long!”

Song Yixiao felt so grieved and tried her best to gulp back her tears, saying, “I'm on my way!”

However, the minute that she got up, she was astounded…

Just now she turned over Jian Xubai by herself. Because it was not convenient for her to exert her strength, she took off her socks and got on the bed. By pulling and dragging, she made him lie prostrate.

Now Jian Xubai woke up. Of course he couldn't keep lying on his stomach. While he was questioning Song Yixiao, he went back to the posture of lying on his back and also reached out his arm to fetch a cus.h.i.+on. He put it behind his back and sat up. In other words, if Song Yixiao wanted to bring some warm water for him, she must go across him first.

Embarra.s.singly, Jian Xubai only altered his posture after waking up. He was still wearing underwear only!

“Please make the way for me so that I can get off bed?” Song Yixiao asked in a low voice.

Jian Xubai answered in mockery immediately, “There is water on the table. Do you think I can't see it? If I can move, do I need you to fetch it for me?”

Fine!

Song Yixiao held back her anger and then covered him with the quilt. Then she crawled across him and got off bed. Without even putting on the shoes, she directly rushed towards the table with socks and poured the water and mix the paste with water as fast as possible. Then she pa.s.sed the mixed paste to Jian Xubai.

“I have been poisoned in Wuhuan.” After drinking the water mixed with the Yewu Paste, Jian Xubai rested with his eyes closed for a while and finally became better. Before Song Yixiao asked him anything, he said bluntly, “I have found the cure before returning home, but as the poison is too strong, I have to take the medicine for one or two years so as to keep me safe.”

Song Yixiao felt relieved and was about to say something nice to comfort him. Then she could curse the one who poisoned him based on his facial expression. However, Jian Xubai said, “Therefore, you don't need to worry that you cannot be the wife of Duke of Yan or may become a widow a few years after getting married!”

Song Yixiao had no idea what to say.

She stayed silent for a while and then got up, saying, “This is my bedroom. Please rest here at will. I must return to the feast now. I have been urged to go back for several times. If I still don't go, I'm afraid that I may arouse suspicion!”

Although whether anyone did come to ask her to return to the feast remained unknown, she felt that she needed a moment alone to calm herself down!

“I must go back to the feast too!” Jian Xubai didn't mean to make things difficult for her but after he reached his inner garment, he put on a long face, “What have you done?”

Song Yixiao turned around in confusion, “I thought mistakenly that the Yewu Paste was for external application, so I took off your clothes…”

After seeing clearly Jian Xubai's inner garment as crumpled as duster cloth, she immediately shut up.

In light of Jian Xubai's ident.i.ty, he must wear the best.

The inner garment and long gown he wore today were made of Zhiyun Silk. Undoubtedly, Zhiyun Silk was well-acknowledged fine silk.

However, it was silk anyway!

Therefore, it was as fragile as ordinary silk, which could be easily crumpled and snagged. Now Song Yixiao didn't know whether the clothes were snagged. Yet, when she took off the clothes for Jian Xubai in a hurry, due to the anxiety for not being able to find the injury, she didn't have time to care about the clothes! She just threw them on the bed!

Afterwards, in order to turn Jian Xubai over, she turned from side to side on bed, during which she inevitably trampled on them repeatedly.

Now Jian Xubai only showed her the inner garment, it was imaginable that his long gown must be a disaster too. After all, the inner garment was worn inside, which would not be exposed even if it was crumpled or stained. Nevertheless, the c.r.a.pe coat couldn't cover the crumples of his outfit at all!

“Uh… I suppose you have a spare suit?” Song Yixiao asked with a forced smile, “How about sending someone to fetch it for you?”

“This is the spare suit!” Jian Xubai stared at her with a poker face, “On what ground do you think I came to the back hall from the front yard? I deliberately got my cousin to pour the wine on me so that I could use it as an excuse to leave the feast!”

Seeing that Song Yixiao was about to say something, he interrupted with a cold face, “I have only one spare suit!”

Well, what could they do then?

The engaged couple looked each other in the eye.