Zhong Li sat by the couch, looking at the man covered in wounds and lying unconscious, her eyes feeling a slight sting.
"How long has he been unconscious?" she asked, turning to look at Lin Jin behind her.
"Miss Zhong, the young lord fainted after carrying you back to the room that day, and he still hasn't woken up," Lin Jin replied truthfully.
Zhong Li nodded, took Lu Wuxie's wrist, and began to feel his pulse. She then examined the wounds he sustained two days prior.
Lin Jin stood by anxiously, waiting.
After a long while, Zhong Li said, "The wounds from two days ago were all external, and they were treated promptly. There are no major issues, but..."
"But what?" Lin Jin pressed.
Zhong Li choked back a sob for a moment and said, "Mo Cang's heart pulse is fluctuating. It should be caused by the Gu poison that has been residing in his body."
"I've been feeding the young lord Tianhuafen every day these past few days. Has none of it had any effect?" Lin Jin frowned.
Zhong Li shook her head and said, "Lin Jin, this Tianhuafen is not the right medicine."
"Then the young lord might, he might have..." Lin Jin dared not think further.
Zhong Li pondered for a moment and said, "No... no, no!"
As she spoke, she suddenly remembered something, stood up in a panic, and looked at Lin Jin, saying, "If I remember correctly, Cui Ningya was captured alive, wasn't she?"
Lin Jin nodded.
"Quick, take me to her! I want to see her!"
As Zhong Li walked out of Lu Wuxie's chambers, Lu Yuanfeng was standing at the door waiting for her. As if anticipating her next move, he gently lifted the curtain of the carriage behind him, his meaning clear.
Zhong Li glanced at Lu Yuanfeng, and without hesitation, quickly got into the carriage.
After Lu Yuanfeng gave instructions to the coachman, the carriage sped away from Qingliang Hall.
"Sixth Prince, where are we going? Where is Cui Ningya being held?" Zhong Li asked Lu Yuanfeng.
Lu Yuanfeng paused his tea-pouring motion and looked up at the woman opposite him.
Then he continued with his actions, unhurriedly placing a cup of clear tea in front of Zhong Li and saying, "Premium chrysanthemum, to clear heat and dissipate fire."
Zhong Li looked at the chrysanthemum petals slowly unfurling in the cup, pondered for a moment, picked it up, and began to taste it.
Seeing that her emotions had gradually stabilized, Lu Yuanfeng then said, "Minister Zhong, do not rush. I have everything arranged. I am as anxious as you are about Mo Cang's condition."
"Is that so?" Zhong Li raised her eyes to glance at Lu Yuanfeng.
To be honest, Lu Yuanfeng had a devilishly handsome face, with slender cheeks and a pale complexion. By modern aesthetic standards, coupled with his injuries, he would be considered the epitome of the 'sickly beauty' trope. However, in ancient times, people's aesthetics were different. He looked like he suffered from congenital malnutrition, lacking any heroic aura.
No wonder the Emperor was displeased with him. Such an appearance was rather dispiriting.
"What, judging by Minister Zhong's words, you don't trust me?" Lu Yuanfeng asked.
"I don't."
Zhong Li's straightforward reply caused the smile on Lu Yuanfeng's face to stiffen slightly.
He coughed awkwardly and said, "You are truly direct. Only Mo Cang can tolerate you."
Zhong Li retorted, "I have no interest in the Sixth Prince either."
Lu Yuanfeng was taken aback again, then burst into laughter, "Hahaha, Mo Cang said you were a hard nut to crack, and I didn't believe him at first. Now I see, it's true.
By the way, I don't recall ever offending you, Miss Zhong. You seem to harbor hostility towards me? But on second thought, you helped me build a bridge with the Nangong clan before, so perhaps I am overthinking things."
"Not before, but a little now," Zhong Li said truthfully after finishing the tea in her hand.
"Oh? Tell me why," Lu Yuanfeng said, crossing his arms as if ready to listen attentively.
Zhong Li stared at him for a while. Initially, she was unwilling to speak, but seeing Lu Yuanfeng's stance that they wouldn't go find Cui Ningya if she didn't speak, she slowly began to say, "Does the Sixth Prince truly believe that your stratagem of sacrificing the small for the big cannot be seen by others?"
"Oh? Minister Zhong sees through it? Tell me about it," Lu Yuanfeng said.
"When we captured Tang Yuanhua, and he revealed the Divine Maiden Cult's assassination attempt on the Emperor, Mo Cang must have already informed you, right?" Zhong Li said.
Lu Yuanfeng nodded. Indeed, he was among the first in Jincheng to know about the Divine Maiden Cult's assassination attempt on the Emperor.
"Tang Yuanhua was merely a pawn of Cui Ningya. Cui Ningya knew that relying solely on her cult members to assassinate the Emperor would be a fantasy. Therefore, she devised a scheme within a scheme, sacrificing Tang Yuanhua to distract us, while she infiltrated our ranks, feigning weakness to gain sympathy and complete the assassination," Zhong Li said, her gaze slowly focusing on Lu Yuanfeng.
"You know that if the Divine Maiden Cult intended to assassinate the Emperor, they would choose Qingliang Hall to strike, as that is when the guards are weakest and the probability of success is higher.
Of course, Tang Yuanhua's words also aligned with your intentions, so you concealed this matter. When the Emperor believed that the leader of the Divine Maiden Cult had been captured and the situation was under control, and most people had already proceeded to Qingliang Hall, you informed Nangong Xiaodie of this matter, correct?"
Lu Yuanfeng's lips curved upwards, and he shrugged, signaling Zhong Li to continue.
"Empress Nangong has survived in the harem for so long that she must have some awareness of your intentions. She knows that the aging Emperor desires an heir, and she might not have another chance. Even if she did... giving birth to a child now would be too late.
So she decided to take a gamble with you. She would use her body to shield the Emperor from danger, and the Emperor would only favor her more. As for you... an unfavored prince would also gain the Emperor's regard through such an act, wouldn't he?"
"Clap clap!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanfeng clapped his hands in the air twice and said, "Mo Cang said Miss Zhong was very intelligent. I didn't agree at first, but after seeing you solve the Consort Rong case, I began to change my mind.
Now, seeing how clearly Miss Zhong perceives matters, she would also be a formidable player in court politics."
Zhong Li glanced at Lu Yuanfeng's wounded area and sneered, "At the time, I only had such a thought, but I was unsure if you would take such a big risk. After all, if the Emperor knew you and Empress Nangong had conspired against him, he would be furious.
Until..."
As she spoke, her eyes narrowed, and she forcefully poked Lu Yuanfeng's wound.
"Ouch!" Lu Yuanfeng let out a cry of pain.
"Until, while I was treating your injuries, I discovered that the place where Cui Ningya stabbed you was not a fatal spot. Furthermore, judging by the traces of the blade sliding on your body, you deliberately avoided it, and the blade was not as sharp as I imagined. That's when I understood that you were taking a calculated risk.
But even so, I wouldn't be angry. After all, court struggles are normal. Until today, when I saw Mo Cang, he was covered in wounds..."
"So, you're instigating me to avenge him? Ow..." Lu Yuanfeng clutched his abdomen, looking helpless. This woman was truly formidable.
Zhong Li glared at Lu Yuanfeng and said, "To make it look convincing, you captured fewer Divine Maiden Cult members. Otherwise, Mo Cang wouldn't have sustained so many injuries, especially since he still has the Gu poison to be resolved."
Lu Yuanfeng chuckled upon hearing this and said, "Miss Zhong, I am grateful that you are a woman. Otherwise, if you were part of the Crown Prince's faction, I would truly have to guard against you."
Zhong Li was still somewhat angry and did not intend to engage him.
Seeing her like this, Lu Yuanfeng wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Then I have something else I want to tell Miss Zhong, but I don't know if you'll go back and drag Mo Cang off his bed and throw him out of Qingliang Hall when you hear it."
"What?" Zhong Li turned her head to look at the man opposite her with a playful smile. It seemed that Lu Yuanfeng, like Lu Wuxie, was capable of putting on an act.
"Lu Wuxie is the Pavilion Master of the Feiyuan Pavilion. The Emperor didn't know this initially, but he revealed it to gain the Emperor's trust. Did he tell you?" Lu Yuanfeng asked, smiling at Zhong Li.