Hearing Ding Wang's words, Jiang Xun found himself needing far fewer explanations, and thus got straight to the point.
"About three months ago, the Princess received news from the capital that the Wei family intended to betroth her to the Ninth Prince. However, the Princess was a million times unwilling and sent her refusal to the Duke Wei's mansion. After that, there was no further news. Who knew that a while ago, it was brought up again, with Consort Wei having already expressed her stance before His Majesty, and only waiting for the imperial decree of marriage."
As he mentioned the imperial decree of marriage, Jiang Xun's anger seemed to escalate.
Xiao Tingyi, being extremely perceptive, naturally sensed the shift in his demeanor and emotions. It seemed there were quite a few stories between this man and Qianling.
"In this case, the Princess became angry. A forced marriage is never sweet. The Wei family clearly knew the Princess was unwilling to marry the Ninth Prince, yet they refused to let go. So, the Princess decided to petition His Majesty, stating that she had no intention of marrying and wished to remain in Zhongzhou her entire life, never to be married off.
At this point, his voice carried a hint of a nasal tone.
"Who knew the Wei family would be so fearful? Their attempts at persuasion failed, so they resorted to poisoning the Princess. If she hadn't drunk so little of the tea, she would have died on the spot. I used my internal energy to force her to expel the poison, but the medicine was incredibly potent. In just half a month, it had seeped into her bones, and now it is beyond any remedy. That's why I took the Princess away to find a renowned physician in Jinling City. Upon hearing the news of Your Highness's recovery, I came to seek medicine."
Having said this, Jiang Xun placed Princess Qianling on the ground and respectfully kowtowed to Ding Wang. His expression was one of utter resolve, as if he were prepared to face death.
"I implore Your Highness, for the sake of your past relationship with Prince Yi, to save the Princess. This humble servant is willing to serve you for life, awaiting your command!"
For the commander of the Zhongzhou Army, a second-rank official, to pledge such loyalty was essentially to abandon his own future. Given his status, it would be impossible for him to serve by Ding Wang's side openly like Yang Zhao; instead, he would have to become a member of the secret guard camp, like Xu Lin, and undertake clandestine tasks for Ding Wang.
To exchange his own life for Princess Qianling's, not only Xiao Tingyi but even Xu Lin could see how deeply Jiang Xun cared for Princess Qianling!
Xiao Tingyi did not answer immediately. Instead, he stepped forward and glanced at Princess Qianling, who lay on the ground. Her cheeks were severely emaciated, and her entire complexion was a dark, bruised hue. There were still traces of blood from her recent vomiting around her lips. At first glance, she appeared to be on the verge of death.
Yang Zhao stepped forward to take her pulse. After a moment, he said, "Her pulse is faint. I fear she will not survive the night."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xun, who already knew Princess Qianling was not long for this world, clutched at this last straw of hope. He desperately pleaded with Xiao Tingyi, "Your Highness, please save the Princess. This humble servant will repay your kindness by serving you like an ox or a horse!"
Both Yang Zhao and Xu Lin were deeply moved. The Zhongzhou Army was not like the Jigzhou Army, which relied on mere showmanship; they possessed absolute strength, no less than the Southwest Army. This man before them was clearly a rare talent for command and strategy, and he was from the Jiang family of Zhongzhou. If they could gain his assistance, it would be like adding wings to a tiger! They both looked at Xiao Tingyi, wondering how His Highness would handle this.
Xiao Tingyi stood with his hands behind his back, his expression towards Jiang Xun calm and unperturbed, showing no trace of emotion.
"Are you truly willing to sell yourself to this King for Qianling?"
The word "sell yourself" surprised even Xu Lin and Yang Zhao, let alone Jiang Xun. Given his status and abilities, joining Ding Wang's retinue would not be difficult, but to "sell himself" was equivalent to becoming a household servant of the Ding Wang Manor. His life and death, his future, would all be at Ding Wang's discretion. If Ding Wang was in a good mood, he might even send him to the Southwest Army to hold a minor official post. But if he was in a bad mood, killing him would be as easy as crushing an ant. The Jiang family was also a reputable family in Zhongzhou. For him, the commander of the Zhongzhou Army, to become a mere household servant was an insult to his person. However, at this moment, he could not afford to consider his own honor or loss. If Qianling was not saved, there would be no hope. Thus, he tore off a strip of cloth, bit his finger, and wrote the so-called contract of servitude, selling himself to Ding Wang. He then earnestly said to Xiao Tingyi, "From this day forward, Jiang Xun is Your Highness's household servant, willing to die ten thousand times over!"
He then held the contract of servitude high, intending to hand it to Xiao Tingyi. However, Xiao Tingyi, standing before him, did not take the cloth. Instead, a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes as he looked at Jiang Xun.
"Yang Zhao."
"This subordinate is here!"
"Go and retrieve the Jade Marrow Pill and give it to Qianling to take."
"Yes!"
Jade Marrow Pill? Jiang Xun was unfamiliar with this medicine. Seeing his confusion, Xu Lin kindly explained, "When His Highness was poisoned years ago, it was the Jade Marrow Pill that saved him."
Jiang Xun understood. A spiritual medicine that Ding Wang carried with him would certainly not be ordinary. After Yang Zhao brought the bottle, he immediately had Qianling take it. As expected, within moments of the medicine entering her system, her complexion improved considerably. Watching the bruised color gradually fade, Jiang Xun almost cried with joy.
"Take one pill daily, and in three days, all the toxins will be eradicated." Yang Zhao explained to him meticulously. Jiang Xun nodded, understanding that concerning Princess Qianling's life, he would be extremely careful.
"The night is deep, and the Min family does not keep outsiders overnight. You two should go with Xu Lin; he will arrange accommodations for you." Xiao Tingyi instructed, then rose and walked out the door, disappearing in moments.
Jiang Xun's eyes widened. At such a time, why would Ding Wang not rest at the Min family's residence? Where else would he go? Yang Zhao and Xu Lin exchanged a look. Without a doubt, he was going to see Miss Feng San again. Yang Zhao sighed helplessly and followed them out the door, heading towards the courtyard where Feng Jinyao resided. His King was going to see his beloved, and as his subordinate, he naturally had to stand guard for him. His King had been visiting Miss Feng too frequently lately, showing no reserve. If he frightened Miss San, wouldn't the time for His Highness to marry her be indefinitely postponed? When would his own arduous days end!
Xu Lin also felt sympathy for Yang Zhao's predicament, but he could do nothing to help. He then said to Jiang Xun, "Let's go."
Jiang Xun was now a person of the Ding Wang Manor. Regardless of his past illustrious status, he was now merely a household servant. Facing Xu Lin, he could not afford to be arrogant. He scooped up Princess Qianling and followed Xu Lin. As they reached the doorway, he saw a group of men in black. He lowered his voice and said, "You all go back and await my news. Once the Princess has recovered, I will rejoin you."
Those men were clearly Jiang Xun's subordinates and were not to be underestimated. Since the King had accepted Jiang Xun, having a few additional followers was not a bad thing. Thus, Xu Lin took it upon himself to say.