Chapter 37: How Dramatic
When Xiao Li woke from her stupor, the first thing she saw was Ning Song’s old face. He was holding a silver needle, about to stick it in her face, which made Xiao Li so angry she wanted to vomit blood all over again.
Ning Song’s reflexes were quick. He jabbed a needle into her neck, forcefully suppressing the urge to vomit blood.
"Princess, you can’t vomit again. The loss of vital blood has damaged your core essence. It will be difficult to nurse you back to health."
"You live a pampered life, so where did you get such a temper? Your anger is overwhelming you. If I had arrived any later, you would have vomited yourself to death."
"I’m an old man, yet I was dragged here in the middle of the night to perform acupuncture on you. You have no consideration for the elderly at all."
Xiao Li stared blankly at the ceiling beams, devoid of any will to live. "You might as well just stick a needle in me and kill me."
’So annoying!’
’How can such a naggy old codger exist?’
Annoying as he was, Ning Song did have some real skill. After one acupuncture session, Xiao Li could already sit up. She was still weak, however. Not only did she lack any strength, but her head was spinning so badly she didn’t even dare to get out of bed.
Ning Song sat to the side and wrote out a prescription. When Hong Yue reached for it, he pulled it away. Instead, he handed the paper to Xiao Li, watching her expectantly. "Princess, just have the medicine prepared according to this prescription."
Xiao Li snorted inwardly. ’Whenever this damned old man shows me a pleasant face, it’s never for a good reason.’
She took a look; it was just a list of medicinal ingredients. She didn’t know much about them, so she asked him directly, "What are you plotting now?"
Ning Song, feigning profoundness, reached up to stroke his beard but grasped only empty air. He then remembered his beard was gone. The thought that the very Princess before him had been the one to cut it off instantly soured his expression.
"This is one of my most treasured prescriptions. I guarantee that once the Princess takes this medicine, her illness will be cured, and she’ll be as lively as ever. However, it requires a few rare medicinal ingredients that the Princess will have to request from His Majesty herself."
"I won’t charge you a consultation fee. A share of those ingredients will be payment enough."
Xiao Li: "..."
’Has he gotten addicted to fleecing the Emperor?’
’Judging by his attitude, he’s probably been drooling over those rare herbs for ages.’
And she had no intention of letting him get his way.
"No," she said, shoving the prescription back at him. "It’s not like I’m going to die. I might as well just not treat this illness!"
Ning Song was so angry he puffed out his cheeks and glared—oh, right, he didn’t have a beard to bristle anymore. "You... you little wench! I... I came here in the dead of night to perform acupuncture on you, pouring my heart and soul into it, and you’re being so ungrateful? You’re simply bullying an old man!"
Xiao Li was utterly speechless. ’Why couldn’t I have just fainted? Did I really have to wake up just to be tormented by him?’
"Stop with the theatrics." Just looking at him gave her a headache.
Ning Song’s expression changed in a flash. "Thank you, Princess."
Xiao Li: Utterly drained...
She hadn’t said a thing, yet he was already latching on.
’If he weren’t so old, I’d have him castrated and sent to be a eunuch. He’s so obsequious and shameless.’
Only after Ning Song left did Xiao Li remember Feng Yin.
"Hong Yue, how did I get back?"
Hong Yue replied, "To answer the Princess, Mr. Feng of the Feng Family brought you back. He brought you to the gate in his carriage and told us to help you inside. He then waited in the front courtyard and only left after Doctor Ning arrived."
"I was in a hurry to get you inside, so I didn’t get a good look, but Mr. Feng was covered in blood. He seemed dazed, as if he’d gotten a terrible fright."
Xiao Li thought of his face. ’How pitiful, getting scared by me like that.’
But she was in no mood to comfort him now.
’Good news: I’ve found the key to escaping this godforsaken place.’
’Bad news: I can’t kill Liu Xueyin.’
Even though she had broken free from the constraints of Princess Xuanyang’s body, she still couldn’t escape her fate.
’Am I going to be trapped in this world until I die?’
-----
Since Xiao Li had vomited blood, the Emperor was naturally willing to supply the medicine. However, he appeared before her that very afternoon, frowning as he demanded, "Why did you go out alone? And how did you happen to vomit blood right when you encountered Feng Yin?"
’I have no desire to explain. I couldn’t kill Liu Xueyin, and now I just want to die. If I die, this godforsaken place probably can’t control me anymore, can it?’
’But then there’s Feng Yin... Maybe he’s just another NPC in this plot, but he still seems a little different.’
"I’ve had a lot on my mind lately and felt stifled, so I just wanted to go out for a walk by myself. I lost track of time and was coming back late when I unexpectedly vomited blood. It was just a coincidence that he was there to save me."
The Emperor didn’t seem to believe her. After scrutinizing her for a long moment, he warned, "The Feng Family is a noble and upright aristocratic family, known for their strict principles and high moral standing. Grand Tutor Feng was my mentor, and I owe him a debt of gratitude. The Feng Family’s only son is not someone you can trifle with."
Xiao Li finally understood why he had come to see her in person. ’So it’s because I mentioned wanting a male concubine last time. He thinks I’m trying to corrupt Feng Yin?’
"Hahahaha... Brother, you don’t actually think I want to keep him as a male concubine, do you?"
’I do like cute boys, but it’s like keeping a pet—nice to look at and fun to tease once in a while.’
’I’m not so desperate that I’d make a move on a boy that young. Besides, I was just talking nonsense about the whole male concubine thing.’
She couldn’t stop laughing. "Rest assured, Brother, I have no such interest in him. Besides, he saved my life. Why would I repay his kindness with malice?"
The Emperor’s face was grim. "It’s good that you understand. Lu Yanzhi’s health has improved greatly. Since you still care for him, you should go and make amends. Live a proper life with him."
Xiao Li simply smiled and said nothing. ’The Emperor thinks I’m heartbroken over Lu Yanzhi. Fine, let him think that. It’s not like I can explain that I was actually out trying to kill someone, can I?’
The Emperor hesitated for a moment before continuing, "You’re a young woman; you shouldn’t be running around by yourself. The assassin who attacked the Prince Consort appeared again last night. This time, five people were killed. It was a brutal scene."
A pang of frustration hit Xiao Li, and her smile faded. The Emperor added, "Although the assassin killed those people, they also saved the kidnapped Princess Chen. Once you’ve recovered, you should visit the Chen Prince Mansion and chat with Princess Chen. See if she remembers any clues."
Xiao Li was stunned. "You suspect the assassin is connected to her?"
The Emperor didn’t answer, but his expression said it all.
’This is surreal,’ Xiao Li thought. She had clearly failed to kill Liu Xueyin, yet now everyone thought the assassin had gone there to save her.
’How utterly theatrical.’
Before leaving, the Emperor shot Xiao Li a meaningful glance. "You should befriend Princess Chen. You might find an unexpected reward in it."
At first, Xiao Li thought he was targeting the assassin or Prince Chen. Only after he left did she realize he was hinting at something else.
’The Emperor obviously knows about the relationship between Lu Yanzhi and Liu Xueyin. He wants me to get on good terms with Liu Xueyin so that Lu Yanzhi’s attitude toward me might change. A case in point would be Chen Pingting’s strategy.’
’Not to mention how utterly revolting that idea is, is he really being that kind?’
’Whether in the so-called plot or in the original owner’s memories, this Emperor was never a tolerant or benevolent ruler.’
’He seems kind on the surface, but in reality, he’s narrow-minded, stubborn, and utterly unscrupulous.’
’Princess Xuanyang is just a pawn in his hands. Any kindness he shows his pawns is only to make them more useful.’