Chapter 266: Wu Lin Requests An Audience
The Empress thought she still had some use, so she didn’t say anything, just glared at her fiercely before walking to Jiang Ruanxi’s bedside.
Seeing her pale face and narrowed eyes, she breathed a sigh of relief in her heart.
Her main objective in coming was to see if Jiang Ruanxi was really faking illness, but now it seemed she was truly sick.
The anger in her heart toward Wan Qing dissipated quite a bit, and she hooked the corner of her mouth, turning to Wan Qing. “You did well.”
Wan Qing knew she was referring to the matter of Jiang Ruanxi being “poisoned” by her, and she feigned sincerity on her face. “Thank you, Empress, for your undeserved praise.”
“Take good care of the Crown Princess. This palace will not treat you shabbily.”
“This concubine will.” Wan Qing said with her head lowered.
The Empress inquired about Jiang Ruanxi’s condition, and Wan Qing repeated to the Empress exactly what Jiang Ruanxi had instructed her to say. Sure enough, the Empress had no suspicion.
After understanding everything, she left directly.
After she left, Jiang Ruanxi did a carp flip to sit up and came before Wan Qing. Seeing her face swollen beyond recognition, she touched her face with some heartache. “Does it hurt a lot?”
Wan Qing was stunned, her eyes starting to feel a little sour.
Few people had cared for her since childhood.
She was beautiful by nature, and to avoid being bullied, she had to become arrogant and overbearing to protect herself. Otherwise, if she overshadowed the legitimate daughter, the legal mother would not let her off.
Her mother was a concubine who never understood her feelings and only told her to vie for favor.
Besides Wu Lin who cared for and understood her, only Jiang Ruanxi cared for her.
Wan Qing’s eyes grew moist. To avoid letting Jiang Ruanxi see her weak side, she turned her head to the side and said in a muffled voice, “I’m not that weak. What’s there to hurt about this?”
But the gasp in her voice betrayed her tough words.
Over this period, Jiang Ruanxi had come to somewhat understand Wan Qing’s personality—she was tsundere and her arrogance was a facade. Deep down, she was just a little girl.
Jiang Ruanxi didn’t expose her and smilingly patted her head. “Mm-hmm, don’t worry. I won’t let you take those beatings for nothing. I will definitely get revenge for you.”
Wan Qing was stunned, not expecting Jiang Ruanxi to say this. She had thought she would tease her.
Her eyes reddening, she turned her head away, deeply touched in her heart, but still said stubbornly, “Take care of your own matters first. I don’t need…”
“Wan Zhaoxun, there’s a man outside who says he wants to see the Crown Princess.”
Yushui came in and interrupted her. Wan Qing frowned tightly.
She was just about to speak to send him away, but Jiang Ruanxi suddenly said, “Let him in.”
During this time, Jiang Ruanxi feared it might be someone sent by Bian Du or Grand Tutor Ling, so she had made disguises to avoid being recognized.
Yushui nodded.
“Things are so chaotic now. Why did you agree to let a strange man in?” Wan Qing asked puzzled.
“It might be an acquaintance.” Jiang Ruanxi didn’t explain to her but said ambiguously.
Wan Qing also knew some matters weren’t convenient for her to know, so she didn’t ask further.
“Should I stay here?”
“Stay. If it’s someone else, you handle it. If it’s really someone looking for me, I’ll handle it.”
Wan Qing nodded, but thinking of her current face, it wasn’t suitable for receiving guests.
Looking around, Wan Qing said, “Do you have a scarf here?”
Jiang Ruanxi glanced at her face, turned to the drawer, took out a pink scarf, and handed it to her. Wan Qing unceremoniously took it and put it on.
Just as she was about to put it on, Yushui’s voice sounded from outside the door. “Young Master, it’s really inconvenient for you to enter. This is the Crown Princess’s bedchamber.”
Yushui was blocking him, but the man directly went around her, saying as he walked, “I can give the Crown Princess the antidote.”
Wan Qing froze upon hearing the man’s voice.
And Jiang Ruanxi hadn’t expected the man to come in directly. Seeing the unfamiliar face, her own face immediately turned cold.
“Who let you in?”
Looking at the elegant and luxurious woman before him, he guessed she was the Crown Princess, but he hadn’t expected her to be standing here alive and well, not as severely poisoned as the rumors outside suggested.
Qi Wu knelt down and said, “This commoner has seen the Crown Princess. This commoner did not mean to disturb you. He just thought the Crown Princess was seriously poisoned, and this commoner happens to have a medicine that cures a hundred poisons. He hopes it can help the Crown Princess.”
So he was Qi Wu.
Jiang Ruanxi couldn’t help but size him up carefully.
He had clear brows and handsome eyes, with a scholarly air, but also a bit of heroic spirit between his brows.
This was the man who became the Grand Secretary in her previous life.
He was also the man Wan Qing liked.
It had to be said, Wan Qing’s personality was a bit eccentric, but her taste in men was not bad.
Her gaze involuntarily glanced at Wan Qing beside her.
She sat down and said indifferently, “Get up. You meant well, so this palace won’t say more. But if you can’t produce the antidote, this palace will not let you off lightly.”
Qi Wu seemed not panicked at all. Unhurriedly, he took out a green bottle from his lapel and handed it to Jiang Ruanxi. “Crown Princess, this is Hundred Grass Wither that this commoner obtained by chance. This medicine can cure most poisons. I hope it can help the Crown Princess.”
Jiang Ruanxi signaled Yushui to take it and give it to her. Yushui stepped forward and handed her the bottle.
After taking it, Jiang Ruanxi didn’t immediately open it to see what was inside. Instead, she looked at the bottle, remaining silent.
Qi Wu grew tense in his heart.
He kept staring at her.
Suddenly, Jiang Ruanxi looked up toward the side and smiled ambiguously. “Wan Zhaoxun, do you think this palace should take this medicine?”
Qi Wu followed Jiang Ruanxi’s gaze and saw Wan Qing standing not far to his left, wearing a scarf.
He hadn’t noticed her when he came in earlier. Seeing her wearing a scarf in broad daylight, he couldn’t help but frown slightly.
“If Empress wants to take it, she should. Why ask my opinion?”
Thinking that when Qi Wu came in, he hadn’t even glanced at her and went straight to Jiang Ruanxi, she felt very uncomfortable, and her tone became sarcastic.
Deep down she knew Qi Wu simply hadn’t noticed her there, but even understanding that, she still felt jealous.
Fearing Jiang Ruanxi would be angry, Qi Wu carefully spoke up for Wan Qing. “Crown Princess, Wan Zhaoxun is probably pregnant, so she might speak a bit impulsively. I hope the Crown Princess can forgive her.”
Qi Wu knew Jiang Ruanxi already knew about his relationship with Wan Qing, so he no longer pretended and directly defended her.
Jiang Ruanxi wasn’t angry. On the contrary, she felt this man had a sense of responsibility and smiled. “Since Wan Zhaoxun says so, this palace will take it when she has time.”
Hearing this, Qi Wu breathed a sigh of relief.
Since the door was open, a gust of wind blew in, lifting the corner of Wan Qing’s scarf.
Qi Wu frowned tightly and directly stepped forward to pull off her scarf. Seeing her face full of palm prints and entirely swollen, his whole body emanated a cold aura.
He grabbed her hand and asked, “Who hit you?”
