Is Xu Hengyan dead on the road!
It's already the fourth day since she was imprisoned!
I heard she's very ill. Yesterday she could still get up to drink medicine. Just now, the news came that she's delirious from fever!
Delirious from fever!
Qianqiu had followed Yi Yanguan for many years, and this was the first time he had been scolded so severely.
He only glanced from afar, and had him prescribe medicine without even taking her pulse. He...
Alas, forget it.
His master was flustered because of Miss Xie's condition.
Being scolded a few times wouldn't matter.
Even with Yi Yanguan's composure, he could no longer remain calm.
He didn't want to know how many schemes she had, nor did he care about her connection with Xu Hengyan. He just wanted her to leave that dreadful place immediately. How could a place filled with foul air nurture an illness!
Yi Yanguan was in a hurry to go to Dali Temple. Just as he stepped out, Gusong brought news.
Xu Hengyan had returned and had already entered the capital.
Yi Yanguan clenched his fist, then loosened it, then clenched it again. After half an hour of internal struggle, he turned back with a grim face.
At this critical juncture, if he messed up her plans, she would surely turn against him.
Turning against him might even be a light consequence. With her temper, usually, a little fussing and coaxing would suffice.
But once truly angered, she could never be appeased.
He knew very well that he held no weight in her heart at the moment, let alone her trust.
If he were to wear away even this little bit of weight...
If Xu Hengyan doesn't hurry, he'll lose his legs!
...
"Second Brother! Second Brother!"
Xu Hengyi, who had been waiting with bated breath, finally saw his second brother and rushed forward, bursting into tears.
"Second Brother, you're finally back! Xie Jiang is about to die!"
Xu Hengyan was startled by his earth-shattering cry and thought something he didn't know had happened.
"What happened to Xie Jiang?"
Xu Hengyi wailed hoarsely, "Xie Jiang is gravely ill in prison and is dying!"
Xu Hengyan's brows furrowed tightly. "Did Dali Temple torture her?"
Xu Hengyi paused, then shook his head. "Dali Temple didn't lay a hand on her, but is Dali Temple's torture necessary? She couldn't get over it mentally! First, she risked her life but couldn't save Wu Hongyun, then she discovered there were even more victims, and finally, she watched Madam Zhou die before her eyes! The most detestable is that Dali Temple official, I don't know who sent him!"
"On the way to escort Xie Jiang to Dali Temple, they deliberately paraded the prison cart around the capital, forcing Xie Jiang to see unpleasant things, and kept muttering in Xie Jiang's ear, telling her that it was all her fault!"
"Xie Jiang then blamed herself for everything! I heard that after being imprisoned, she wasn't quite right, and the next day she was terribly ill..."
Xu Hengyan tried to extract useful information from the pile of nonsense. "Did you see her in the Dali Temple prison?"
"Yesterday, I went with His Highness the Fifth Prince. When I saw Xie Jiang, I was startled. She was burning up like a furnace. I heard that Lord Yi had sent medicine for the past two days, but it was useless even after she drank a little. Her illness worsened, and today her condition is even worse. She's become somewhat delirious from the fever. Second Brother, you didn't see Xie Jiang's state, she was so pitiful..."
"I understand. You go back to the Guozijian first."
Xu Hengyan's brow was furrowed. After weighing the situation, he turned his horse towards the imperial palace.
Going to the Dali Temple prison now would be futile. The immediate priority was to get her out of that environment. According to Hengyi, she was seriously ill, and in such an environment, a minor illness could easily turn into a serious one.
However, inciting a riot was a grave offense, and given the severe consequences of this riot, she could not be easily released.
The reason she hadn't been dealt with immediately was her status as a direct descendant of the Xie clan of Lanyong, and the Xie clan's intention to submit.
These days, he had learned about her true identity in Lanyong from Qiu Gang and others, the Xie clan servants she had sent to assist him in promoting sweet potatoes.
His father and uncle's guess that she was of Lanyong royalty was incorrect.
But in terms of actual status, Xie Jiang was not just a young master of Lanyong, but also the young master of the entire Nanyang.
The influence of the Xie clan in Nanyang far exceeded everyone's imagination.
Fortunately, she still had such a powerful protective charm.
Half an hour later, Xu Hengyan emerged from Yuanyou Palace, carrying the Emperor's decree, and headed straight for Dali Temple.
"Second Brother!"
Xu Hengyi darted out again.
Xu Hengyan frowned. "Didn't I tell you to go back to the Guozijian?"
"How can I be at ease seeing Xie Jiang in that state!" Xu Hengyi looked at his second brother eagerly. "How is it? Is His Majesty going to release Xie Jiang?"
"How did you know His Majesty agreed to release Xie Jiang?" Xu Hengyan was a little surprised. After so many years, Xu Hengyi had finally shown some progress.
"I just knew!" Upon hearing this, Xu Hengyi sensed hope and excitedly slapped his own palm. "As long as Second Brother takes action, Xie Jiang will surely be fine!"
Xu Hengyan: "..." As expected, he had thought too much.
The brothers arrived outside the cell where Xie Jiang was held and saw a figure curled up on the stone bed, trembling, with muffled sobs.
Xu Hengyi glanced at his second brother in shock. Was he hallucinating? Otherwise, how could Xie Jiang be crying!
Xu Hengyan was also very surprised, but he was accustomed to hiding his emotions, so his expression didn't reveal much.
"Xie Jiang! Xie Jiang—"
As soon as the door opened, Xu Hengyi rushed in anxiously.
He squatted by the stone bed, his outstretched hand hovering in mid-air, not daring to touch her.
Because she was indeed crying.
Her entire body was flushed red like a cooked shrimp, her face and neck burning.
She kept her eyes tightly closed, as if trapped in a terrible nightmare, crying and murmuring softly.
"...I'm not dying, I'm not..."
Xu Hengyi looked at his second brother, at a loss.
Xu Hengyan walked over and gently called out, "Xie Jiang? Young Master Xie?"
As soon as he placed his hand on her shoulder, she trembled even more violently, and her cries became more suppressed.
"...I didn't, I didn't do anything bad... I didn't... Why, why do you all want me to die..."
Although the words were fragmented, Xu Hengyan and his brother heard them clearly, and both were stunned.
When Xu Hengyi came to his senses, he was furious!
It was all that official's doing! Look what he's driven Xie Jiang to!
Xu Hengyi, filled with anger, glared fiercely at the jailer!
The jailer shrank his head as much as possible, wishing he could burrow into a shell.
"Xie Jiang, Xie Jiang, can you hear me, Xie Jiang? You haven't done anything wrong, we all know that. What you did was brilliant, you rid the people of a scourge! No one is telling you to die, truly."
"Whoever dares to tell you to die, I'll make them die first! Xie Jiang..."
Xie Jiang seemed to be possessed, unable to hear what he was saying, still crying sadly and desperately.
Xu Hengyi felt his heart breaking.
Accustomed to Xie Jiang, who always looked down on everyone, seeing her so vulnerable, he wished she would jump up and kick him right now.
"Let's go out first."
Looking at her state, Xu Hengyan's mind kept replaying Xu Hengyi's earlier words—she was so pitiful.