Xiao Wangye raised his eyes, appraising Ye Qingcheng with a scrutinizing gaze. He had, of course, considered this method as well, but he was not surprised that a young woman like Ye Qingcheng possessed such a keen mind.
Ye Qingcheng plastered a fawning smile on her face, thinking that she absolutely could not offend this great deity, otherwise her plans would surely come to naught. With a sycophantic tone, she continued, "Look, now we have barbarians attacking from the front and the scoundrel Physician Wang committing heinous deeds behind us. Even if Your Highness leads your troops, with such internal and external troubles, even with perfect contingency plans, many complications will arise."
"Are there not surplus personnel available for us to command right now?" she concluded seamlessly.
"Furthermore, if Your Highness can incorporate them, it would showcase Your Highness's magnanimity and benevolence, which would greatly benefit Your Highness's standing among the populace!" She then forcefully extended her left hand, giving a thumbs-up, her eyes fixed firmly on Xiao Wangye, as if conveying a silent message of "You must believe me, why would I betray you?"
Xiao Wangye lowered his head, a smile touching his lips, but he quickly composed his expression. What Ye Qingcheng said was indeed correct, and every point she made had been considered by Xiao Wangye. Upon seeing the military report in his hand, his resolve to incorporate the people was further strengthened.
"Hmm, I understand," came the extremely cold reply, devoid of any emotion and quite infuriating.
Ye Qingcheng's fists clenched!
"However, I must also acknowledge your talents. What you've said aligns with my own thoughts."
Very well, she managed to retract her extended fist.
"Heh heh, how can a mere woman like myself compare to Your Highness's intellect? You are too kind, too generous with your praise." The necessary flattery still had to be offered.
After speaking, Xiao Wangye's gaze returned to the military report. The barbarians were a major concern, and a solution must be found to eliminate them.
Seeing that his attention had shifted back to military matters, Ye Qingcheng sighed inwardly. Although Xiao Wangye was an annoying person, his capabilities were irreplaceable. He was the savior of this dynasty.
"You haven't had acupuncture for several days. Come out, let me see your current recovery status."
Regarding his legs, Xiao Wangye very cooperatively pushed his wheelchair out.
Ye Qingcheng stepped forward, crouched down, and first pinched his leg, asking, "Do you feel anything?"
"Yes, the sensation is more real than before."
"Now, do you feel any pain?" Ye Qingcheng applied even more force.
"No," Xiao Wangye shook his head, not giving much importance to this fact.
"Alas, with the current troop movements and battles, treatment cannot be interrupted. I can only ensure you receive acupuncture daily. The new prescription has been prepared. Have someone get the medicine from the pharmacy later, and I will perform acupuncture for you now. Starting tomorrow night, have someone boil the medicinal soup, and after the acupuncture, soak in it for an hour."
Xiao Wangye was about to agree when she interrupted herself.
As if struck by a thought, she added, "Never mind, I'll be responsible for your medicinal soup myself. That way, I'll feel more at ease."
Xiao Wangye lowered his gaze, looking at the woman before him. Her appearance was still as it was in his memory, capable of easily stirring endless imagination, still as beautiful and captivating as he remembered. But he could clearly feel that she was not her.
The woman before him was so vibrant, like a flame, full of life. Her passion allowed him to feel her goodwill and sincerity towards those around her.
But she was not her.
Ye Qingcheng felt the shift in his aura and suddenly became sad, thinking that perhaps Xiao Wangye also feared someone would poison his medicine.
She spoke to comfort him, "Don't worry, with me here, no one will have the opportunity to poison you." Although Xiao Wangye was very annoying, this world could not exist without him.
She misunderstood, but perhaps this was not a bad thing.
Acupuncture, while seemingly effortless, was a highly mentally taxing endeavor. This was especially true for an old injury like Xiao Wangye's, which had passed the optimal treatment window, requiring even greater care and focus.
At this moment, Ye Qingcheng's beautiful eyes were fixed on the silver needles in her hand, daring not to slacken in the slightest. Her fingers slowly exerted force, steadily inserting the needles into the correct acupoints.
Her legs, having been in a crouched position, were already numb, showing signs of instability.
"No, I can't collapse now. Only this last needle remains." The silver needle was steadily placed in its position. Ye Qingcheng withdrew her hand and exhaled a heavy sigh of relief. Her relaxed body then slumped onto the ground.
Her hands propped her up behind her, leaning backward. The numbness in her legs had not yet passed, and now her legs were as insensible as those of the prominent figure in the wheelchair before her. Ye Qingcheng silently grumbled in her heart.
To Xiao Wangye, she was a beautiful painting. Sweat beaded on her fair forehead, and a drop even hung from the tip of her nose, glowing faintly red in the candlelight. A blush also suffused her oval face. Her cherry lips parted slightly as she breathed, her lip color even redder than her cheeks, making them more inviting for a kiss.
"Your Highness, there is new military intelligence, it's about the barbarians, that..." Lin Xiao pulled back the tent flap and walked directly in. Seeing Ye Qingcheng sitting on the ground in that state, she was truly, truly, enticing.
"Scram," Xiao Wangye shouted at Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao, forgetting even the military report, turned and fled. The entire process took less than three seconds. Before Ye Qingcheng could even look up, Lin Xiao had vanished.
"What's wrong with him? What's wrong with you? Why are you angry?"
"It's nothing, I suddenly felt a sharp pain." It seemed he was very unwilling to explain.
"I heard the word 'military report,' didn't I? I'll call Lin Xiao in and ask about the situation." The numbness in her legs had passed. She stood up, patted the dust off her clothes, and walked out.
Outside the tent, Lin Xiao's mind was filled with wild fantasies. "My heavens, even though His Highness is still in a wheelchair, he can still get someone to lie down like that. His Highness is indeed still very potent. This won't stop his..."
Tsk, tsk, tsk, should one praise His Highness's might or the Consort's hardship? However, the Consort's appearance...
"Hey, Lin Xiao, hey!" She called out several times without receiving a response, only seeing him grinning lewdly, his mind clearly occupied with something illicit.
"Ahhh, Consort! I... I will go in and report the military situation to His Highness now."
At this moment, Xiao Wangye had returned to his usual cold, expressionless demeanor.
"Stop pretending. You were so concerned just now, like your tail was stepped on." However, he still reported respectfully, "According to informants, the barbarians will invade the border in two days. At the same time, we received intelligence that there are barbarian spies among the refugees."
"It seems that incorporating them is a plan with three benefits from one action," Xiao Wangye replied.
He began discussing his plan with Lin Xiao.
"Excuse me, you two handsome gentlemen, have you finished discussing important matters? I need to remove the needles." Ye Qingcheng entered about fifteen minutes later.