Chapter 03
"But still, princess's health is-" Weining stopped her sentence in the middle.
"Poisoned, so what? It's best if she died before seven days" Prince Jing said making everyone worried, Xiao Feng looked at Prince Jing and then at Weining.
"What poison?" She asked looking between the two people. Prince Jing went back flipping her sleeves as Weining knelt and explain everything.
"So I'm poisoned and I can only have a few days. How many days do I still have?"
"It was yesterday" Weining answered and started to cry her heart out.
"If it's not for Ms. was injured the poison would not have been found. It will be slowly spread in the body and will have symptoms when the organs start rotting" Linlin said with incredible sadness.
Xiao Feng sighed as another cough escaped and Xiao Feng split some blood in the handkerchief.
"Weining help me get me changed" Xiao Feng ordered.
"Your highness, you can't go out in this state" Weining answered.
"Are you asking me to wait for death here in the last days of my life" Weining cried shaking her head as no.
After changing they went out and Xiao Feng was sitting in the restaurant where she met her friend. Since they have the same topics they are interested in they soon became close with each other. Even though his occupation is business Xiao Feng never looked down upon her friend. She was pale. Weining and Linlin beside her.
"You look so pale" Xiao Feng looks at her friend and smiled.
"You came?"
"I came right after I was informed"
"I am sorry for disturbing you suddenly"
"What friends for then? So, what happened? You look so pale"
"I think this may or may not be the last time I'm seeing you"
"What happened? Did your stupid husband say something?"
"Shan Yuan, he should talk to me if so" She looks outside of the window.
"Your cheek, did he slap you?" She signals to Linlin and Linlin put a box on the table.
"It doesn't matter. Can you send this to the border camp in the south, to the hand of General Yan? If you send it today it will arrive in 2 and half days" Xiao Feng asked. Shan Yuan looks at Xiao Feng's eyes.
"Why so sudden?"
"Please" Xiao Feng looks into Shan Yuan's eyes. Xiao Feng's eyes were clear but there was something she wants to tell but she couldn't. Shan Yuan signals his servant Cheng and he took the box and nods.
"You can pass the gates easily with this token" Weining said while putting a token pass on the box. He nodded and went out.
"After coming back keep that token as a gift from me," Xiao Feng said and stood up to go.
"But Xiao Feng, you sure you don't want to share what happened?" Shan Yuan asked. Xiao Feng sighed triggering her cough. Xiao Feng coughed to her handkerchief and when she distances it a little there was blood on it.
"Blood, Xiao Feng. What happened to you? Xiao Feng, tell me" Shan Yuan asked. How much he was worried was written in his emotions.
Shan Yuan was not that much an emotional person nor he was a cold person but since he met Xiao Feng, he knew she is the one who will change his life. Later he felt incredible sadness and sorrow when he knew she is already married. His heartache when he knew her life is miserable in her husband's family.
"Your highness is poisoned" Weining exclaimed while kneeling. Linlin also knelt.
"Weining!" Xiao Feng glared at Weining.
"Tell me," Shan Yuan said sternly to Weining. Weining saw for the first time that Shan Yuan is even more powerful than her mistress.
"The deadline for the poison if there is not any cure is within 6 days" Linlin answered. Shan Yuan looks at the paled girl and paused his lips. He can't bring himself to shout at her.
"Why aren't you telling? What happened actually?" Shan Yuan asked extra patiently this time. Weining starts explaining everything.
"You mean that bastard slapped even knowing she will die without a cure" Shan Yuan asked. Weining nodded and Shan Yuan patted Xiao Fang's hand.
"I am okay," Xiao Feng said putting her hand on Shan Yuan's hand.
"But I am not. Hang on, okay? I will let you have the cure" Shan Yuan assured Xiao Feng.
"What do you mean? Do you even know this poison?" Xiao Feng asked. She doesn't believe Shan Yuan can find a cure but her heart asks her to believe in Shan Yuan
"I don't know yet. Ask the head of the restaurant to bring a physician" Shan Yuan said Cheng nodded and went out and came back with a physician and he check her pulse after checking.
"It's a poison from the northern kingdom. It's a rare thing to see it in kingdom Sui" the Physician informed and went outside after Shan Yuan dismissed the physician.
"Was the assassination from the north kingdom?" Xiao Feng said to herself.
"North-kingdom? Xiao Feng, it's not too late. You should go back" Shan Yuan said and Xiao Feng nodded and thanked them and went back.
Shan Yuan asked the physician more about the poison and then went away. He looks at his servant.
"Prepare the antidote. We're going to greet the emperor of the kingdom Sui officially" Shan Yuan said to Cheng.
"Yes, your highness"
"Was it north kingdom?"
"Maybe" Bai Qi answered.
"Inform royal father about it. I think there is someone who seeks help from the northern kingdom. This girl should stay away from these troubles" Shan Yuan said while rubbing his temples and Bai Qi controlled his chuckle already knowing his master crush on Ms. Xiao.
It was the fifth day after Xiao Feng was poisoned and people from the West kingdom greet the emperor of the Sui kingdom after that everyone was talking and having a good time. Shan Yuan was waiting for a good chance to give the antidote.
"Princess Dowager is here" A eunuch announced.
Princess dowager knelt herself down as the emperor stood up and came towards her and help her stand up.
"Royal aunt, please stand up and talk," the Emperor of Sui said.
"Your majesty, my youngest granddaughter is on the death bed. Please grant my wish to take care of her. Your majesty, know general Yan is guarding the southern border and haven't come back to the capital. Let the two siblings meet. Please your highness let general Yan come to the capital to see his younger sister" princess dowager said while bowing.
Xiao Qi and Xiao Li also knelt before the emperor. The left prime minister sighed. Emperor was first speechless and lost in thought.
"Granted. Send the edict, General Yan is to report back to the capital. Xiao Feng will be taken care of by the princess dowager. As for prince Jing's matter, we will talk about it"
"Thank you, your majesty"
Everyone went back to place. Princess dowager was going back as Shan Yuan ran to her.
"Your highness" Shan Yuan called out making the princess dowager and her maids stop in their tracks. Shan Yuan walked to the princess dowager.
"Prince of Yang"
"Your highness, I wanted to meet your highness before. Can I visit you when I have time?"
"Of course. But can I know about the reason?" Princess dowager asked.
"It's related to your granddaughter. I heard princess is poisoned" Princess dowager was confused but thinking for a while she gave a token to him. Shan Yuan thanked the princess dowager.
In the palace's main hall there was Emperor, and the empress sat while prince Jing and lady Zhao kneeled.
"You, do you know you just disgrace general Xiao's family" Emperor was furious.
Earlier before the princess dowager came to the main hall when some ministers talk bad about him due to Xiao Feng, he had complained about Xiao Feng. Passing the bad card to Xiao Feng.
"Your majesty" Empress plead.
"You always spoiled him. Yeah, he is indeed my favorite son now. But don't forget prince Jing, Xiao Feng was engaged to the crown prince"
"Then you should have married her to him" Prince Jing complained.
"Zhu Jining, if it not for the empress asking me to marry her to you, do you think you deserve Xiao Feng even though you're my favorite son?" Emperor condemned.
"Your majesty" Empress was helpless when there is father-son arguments.
"You let me tell this. He should know he was lucky to marry Xiao Feng" Emperor said.
"She is the favorite granddaughter of superior great general Xiao and princess dowager. Princess dowager is the only sister of the late emperor, my father. Her father is the most powerful and trusted ministry of mine. Her mother is the princess of the west kingdom. Her brother is the great general guarding the south border. Do you think you deserve her? Zhu JinJing I'm telling you. She is on her deathbed. If she dies you will regret it and the court will not be stable as before. Now go out. I don't want to see you" Emperor of Sui exclaimed.
"Royal Father"
"I said go away. You and your concubine should pray for the god in the upcoming days for Xiao Feng" Emperor ordered.
"But father Ming'er is pregnant"
"I don't care. I treasure general Xiao's family more than your pregnant concubine"
"Father!!"
"JinJing, go now. Don't make your royal father angrier" Empress decides to soothe this father and son. They went away.
In the princess dowager's palace princess, the dowager was accompanying Xiao Feng in the garden. Xiao Feng was all pale. Suddenly she starts coughing.
"Ask for an imperial physician" Princess dowager ordered and 2 maids ran to get the physician.
"Xiao Feng, listen to me. Ask elder Mi for a cure, you don't have to suffer this much to divorce prince Jing. We can think about another way" princess dowager said to Xiao Feng.
"It's okay, grandmother. I can hold on" Xiao Feng answered making the princess dowager sigh. Weining helped Xiao Feng back to the palace and to lay in bed and the imperial physician came and check her pulse then sighed.
"Just the poison has started acting," the Physician said making the princess dowager sigh for the hundredth time in the day.
"Prince of Yang is here" A eunuch announced. Xiao Feng looks at the entrance and a male was standing behind the screen. Princess dowager went to that person. Xiao Feng saw that man who was supposed to be the prince of Yang gave something to her grandmother from the shadow of the screen.
"Are you sure?" Princess dowager asked and the man nodded princess dowager came to Xiao Feng and give a box to Weining.
"Weining, prepare this medicine with hot water," Princess dowager said making Weining nod. She went outside but stop and look at the man behind the screens and her eyes went wide seeing him. She was a palace maid after all and experienced so she just greets him with a bow and went outside to carry out the princess dowager's order.
"What is that grandmother?" Xiao Feng asked not because she was clueless but because she want to know if it is what is she thinking.
"Prince of Yang has brought over a possible cure for the poison" Xiao Feng furrowed her eyebrows.
"Xiao Feng" Xiao Feng looked in the direction where she heard the familiar voice. But it was huskier than she heard last time. She didn't know why but that voice brought some calmness to her restless mind. She was missing that voice though it was only a few days after the last meeting.
Shan Yuan steps out from the screen. Xiao Feng's eyes glowed. Her only friend she made after the wedding. Only one she said her worries and shared everything. Maybe they're more than friends without knowing.
She can't express why her heart starts to beat faster may be the poison is spreading faster? Her cheeks flushed maybe because she has all got a fever? After trying she finally called his name.
"Shan Yuan?"