An hour later, the Valley Master of Ghost Valley finally finished needling Prince Qing. His clothes were drenched in sweat, making him feel sticky and uncomfortable.
Prince Qing, however, was still asleep. The Valley Master of Ghost Valley covered him with his clothes before walking out of the room. Left Qing immediately appeared before the Valley Master.
"Valley Master, how is my prince?" Left Qing asked with concern.
"I have finished needling him, and he has fallen asleep. Give him this pill in this small porcelain bottle. After he wakes up, tell him to take one pill. Come back to needle him again after he has taken them for a week. Now, have someone prepare a bath for me. I want to take a good bath."
The Valley Master of Ghost Valley spoke rapidly, and if one listened carefully, they could detect a hint of impatience in his tone.
"Alright, Valley Master, this way. I will immediately instruct someone to prepare a bath for you."
Upon hearing the Valley Master of Ghost Valley's words, Left Qing promptly arranged for him to stay in a superior courtyard, instructing the household servants to attend to him diligently. He then returned to Prince Qing's courtyard to look after his prince.
—
Liu Ruyi returned to Leng Ruoshuang's courtyard.
"Mother, have you brought the Valley Master of Ghost Valley to the prince's mansion?" Leng Ruoshuang asked with concern.
Earlier that morning, Liu Ruyi had informed Leng Ruoshuang of her transaction with Prince Qing. Whether the Valley Master of Ghost Valley would honor his promise and come to detoxify Prince Qing was crucial to Leng Ruoshuang's future position as Princess Qing.
"Yes, I have. He is currently in Prince Qing's courtyard detoxifying him. You need to take good care of yourself and bear Prince Qing a healthy son in the future."
Liu Ruyi glanced at Leng Ruoshuang, her heart filled with guilt. Although this daughter was her own flesh and blood, she still did not know who Leng Ruoshuang's biological father truly was.
Consequently, whenever Leng Ruoshuang asked her about her biological father, Liu Ruyi didn't know how to answer, and over time, Leng Ruoshuang stopped asking.
As for her son with Lin Feng, ever since Poison Granny and Lin Feng died, and Aunt Lan disappeared, she had been unable to get any news of her son. She was now extremely anxious to find her son.
During her last outing, Liu Ruyi had spent over a month searching for her son but still hadn't found him.
Leng Ruoshuang's face flushed slightly upon hearing Liu Ruyi's words, and she then nodded vigorously.
"Mother, I understand."
—
Meanwhile, after Leng Ruoli finished telling Bai Yuxuan a story, she realized that Chu Mingxuan had not yet returned to his courtyard.
"Chu Mingxuan, why are you still here?"
Leng Ruoli knitted her brows.
"Princess Consort, your story was so wonderful that I wanted to hear more," Chu Mingxuan replied with a rather lame excuse.
Leng Ruoli: "..."
"Didn't you also accompany the Prince and me on the trip to find medicinal herbs?"
"You have experienced most of these things. Do you still need to listen to my stories?" Leng Ruoli exposed him directly.
"Second Cousin-in-law, who is this?" Bai Yuxuan asked Chu Mingxuan with amusement.
This man seems quite amusing!
As soon as Bai Yuxuan finished speaking, and before Leng Ruoli could introduce him, Chu Mingxuan eagerly introduced himself.
"Princess Qingling, my name is Chu Mingxuan. We've met before. When you were young, you gave me a skewer of candied hawthorns on the street," Chu Mingxuan said with a smile, his eyes never leaving Bai Yuxuan.
Bai Yuxuan: "..."
Leng Ruoli: "..."
"I can't possibly remember childhood events so clearly. Besides, it was just a skewer of candied hawthorns. Do you really need to remember it so vividly?" Bai Yuxuan said speechlessly.
However, after hearing Chu Mingxuan's words, Leng Ruoli's thoughts were not so simple. Her intuition told her that Chu Mingxuan was interested in Bai Yuxuan.
Otherwise, this medical fanatic wouldn't be sitting quietly listening to them talk.
"Princess, it is indeed necessary. You might not know, but the skewer of candied hawthorns you gave me saved my life," Chu Mingxuan said excitedly.
In those days, his family was a prestigious clan in Jiangcheng, practicing medicine for generations and accumulating good deeds. But for some unknown reason, they were massacred overnight. He narrowly escaped and wandered the streets as a beggar for several months.
One day, Chu Mingxuan was nearly starving to death on the street. Fortunately, he met Bai Yuxuan, who was staying at her maternal grandmother's house at the time.
That day, Bai Yuxuan was wandering the streets with her male cousins. Seeing him collapse on the ground from hunger, she had her servant buy him a bowl of tea and then gave him the half-eaten candied hawthorns she was holding. The then two or three-year-old Bai Yuxuan looked at him with her clean, bright eyes, leaving a deep impression on him.
Although her skewer of candied hawthorns didn't do much for someone who hadn't eaten for days, it saved his life, allowing him to meet Jun Mohan alive.
However, it was only after meeting Jun Mohan that he learned that the little girl who gave him the candied hawthorns was Princess Qingling of the Jingyuan Marquis Mansion.
"Sir, I have absolutely no recollection of what you're saying," Bai Yuxuan said with a smile, shrugging her shoulders.
"It's alright, as long as I remember clearly. You were so young then, it's normal that you don't remember," Chu Mingxuan replied with some disappointment.
"Alright, it's getting late. Princess, you should stay at the Leng Prince's mansion tonight and have dinner with us," Leng Ruoli changed the subject abruptly.
"Okay, I've also heard the Empress Dowager say that the hot pot made by Second Cousin-in-law is delicious. How about you show me how to make it tonight?" Bai Yuxuan said, smacking her lips and swallowing, her face full of anticipation.
"Alright, let's go. I'll take you to make hot pot."
Immediately, Leng Ruoli pulled Bai Yuxuan to prepare the hot pot.
Half an hour later, Bai Yuxuan finally got to eat the hot pot she had been dreaming of.
After she finished her hot pot, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan arranged for several highly skilled guards to escort Bai Yuxuan back to the Jingyuan Marquis Mansion.
Before leaving, Leng Ruoli packaged a set of skincare products for Bai Yuxuan to take back, carefully explaining how to use them. Bai Yuxuan, holding the skincare products gifted by Leng Ruoli, was overjoyed and skipped out of the gates of the Leng Prince's mansion.
Unexpectedly, Leng Ruoli saw that Chu Mingxuan was also following Bai Yuxuan's carriage to escort her back.
The Leng Prince and his wife stood at the entrance of the Leng Prince's mansion, watching Bai Yuxuan's carriage and Chu Mingxuan's receding figures, and felt a sudden curiosity.
"Jun Mohan, do you think Chu Mingxuan has fallen for Bai Yuxuan?" Leng Ruoli asked curiously.
"Yes, but Chu Mingxuan has never dared to confess to Bai Yuxuan. Because of his inferiority complex, he can only observe her and protect her from afar. If it weren't for you today, Bai Yuxuan might not even know his name."
Jun Mohan hugged Leng Ruoli's waist, resting his face on her cheek and said calmly.