"Fructus Viticis... Ouch... No, no. Putting this herb in won't detoxify at all. Instead, it will conflict with the other herbs!"
"What other herbs could I use? Ah! Fructus Amomi might work! Alas..."
Di Lanmo felt a sharp pain in her hand and only then did she realize what she was doing.
Nanny Chen said earnestly, "Princess! You can't keep zoning out like this! At this rate, when will you ever learn?"
Di Lanmo forced a fake smile, "I'll try! I'll try..."
For five consecutive days, Nanny Chen always dragged Di Lanmo away to practice etiquette whenever she was deeply engrossed in researching the antidote.
Although it was only half an hour each time, the constant interruptions, combined with the lack of sleep due to the antidote research in the past few days, had left dark circles under her eyes. Di Lanmo had long since lost her patience.
"No! This can't go on like this!" Di Lanmo made up her mind, suppressed her thoughts, and first tried to deal with Nanny Chen.
In Qinghuan Courtyard.
"How is it?" Looking at the woman with dark circles under her eyes who was still feeling his pulse, Chu Zhiyan felt an inexplicable ache in his heart. A flicker of pity passed through his eyes without his own awareness.
Di Lanmo thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "There's a slight improvement, but it won't have much effect. Let me go back and try again!"
She got up, put away the silver needles she had placed on Chu Zhiyan's body, took a step, and then paused.
Chu Zhiyan frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Could you please talk to Nanny Chen? I don't want to learn that useless etiquette every day!" Di Lanmo took a deep breath. "If the Empress Dowager gets angry, we can go to the palace to apologize in the future!"
It was the first time he had seen her show such an expression because of something. Chu Zhiyan couldn't help but laugh, "Okay!"
Di Lanmo was just giving it a try. She didn't expect him to really agree. Immediately, joy filled her face. She gave him a sweet smile and turned around contentedly to leave.
"Wait!" Chu Zhiyan called out to her.
With the major matter settled, Di Lanmo was in a great mood. She turned back, tilted her head, and asked, "What's up?"
Chu Zhiyan's Adam's apple bobbed. She had been frowning for days. Just now, seeing her rare smile, he suddenly didn't want her to leave. He wanted her to stay in front of him, always!
But now that she had actually stopped, he didn't know what reason to use to keep her.
"Hmm?" Di Lanmo didn't know what was on his mind. She narrowed her phoenix eyes and said, "Don't tell me you're having second thoughts?"
Her tone was full of menace, as if she would rush up and strangle him if he dared to say he regretted it.
Chu Zhiyan licked his thin lips. His mind went blank and he blurted out, "You haven't slept for so many days. Why don't you come to bed and rest first? The antidote can wait!"
Di Lanmo twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "You mean I should go to the bed you're lying on now and rest?"
Only after the words left his mouth did Chu Zhiyan realize that they were inappropriate.
It had been many days since their wedding. After the act on the wedding night, he had returned to his own room. Since then, they had been sleeping in separate rooms.
Recently, due to his poison injury, for Di Lanmo's convenience, he had to occupy her bed.
And Di Lanmo's question had exposed his embarrassment. His earlobes turned visibly red.
Chu Zhiyan's lips moved. Just as he was thinking of something to say to save face, he saw Di Lanmo wave her hand and leave leisurely, "I'd better figure out the antidote first. Then I can sleep more soundly!"
At this moment, Di Lanmo had no idea what was going to happen next. If only she could have foreseen...
In the pharmacy.
A large table nearly three meters long was filled with medicinal herbs. Prescription papers and books covered the floor, leaving no space to put one's feet.
But Di Lanmo could accurately find the gaps. Her figure twisted, and the thin papers on the ground seemed to be stuck there, not moving at all.
The arrangement of the books and papers followed a certain pattern, ensuring that she could find what she needed accurately when she needed it. It also allowed her to practice her lightness skills when entering and leaving. It was truly killing two birds with one stone!
After confirming that all the items were in their proper places, Di Lanmo nodded in satisfaction.
With a flicker of her figure, she flashed like a ghost to the side of Fructus Amomi. She casually picked up some, weighed them in her hand, and it was exactly three qian!
There were seven or eight stoves in the corner. The hot steam gushed out. Di Lanmo lifted the lid of one of them, put the newly prepared medicine into it, and sat down to wait quietly.
The moon rose, and the bright moonlight shone on the woman's quiet profile through the window.
The warm wind blew, lifting a thin piece of paper. It fluttered and landed at the woman's feet.
The charcoal in the stove popped lightly, and two sparks flew out and landed on the paper at the woman's feet. Smoke gradually rose.
Di Lanmo propped her chin on her wrist and nodded slightly, completely unaware.
"Miss!" Qiao Yan strode into the room. "The pharmacy is on fire!"
Chu Zhiyan's brows knitted into a "chuan" character. "How did the fire start? Where's the princess?"
"She might still be inside! The pharmacy is in a remote location, and the princess has been the only one there these days. By the time the servants noticed, half of it had already burned!"
Chu Zhiyan's figure swayed. There was a hint of panic in his eyes that he didn't even notice. He threw off the quilt and got up. "Let's go!"
Qiao Yan reached out to stop him. "My lord, you can't! The servants are already putting out the fire. We'll get news soon! You're injured and shouldn't move around!"
"Get out of the way!" Chu Zhiyan pushed him aside with a big hand, grabbed a piece of clothing, put it on, and walked towards the pharmacy.
"My lord!" Qiao Yan stamped his foot and quickly followed.
There was a commotion. The servants were running back and forth with buckets of water, but the fire was too big. A small bucket of water poured on it was like a stone sinking into the sea.
Qingque collapsed on the ground, crying out of breath.
Chu Zhiyan scanned the area, then turned and walked to the side courtyard. He took a quilt, covered himself with it, snatched a bucket of water from a servant, and poured it over his head.
Seeing Chu Zhiyan's actions, Qiao Yan immediately realized what he was going to do. He quickly shouted, "My lord, don't! Stop my lord!"
Before the servants and secret guards could pounce on him, Chu Zhiyan flashed into the sea of fire.
"My lord!!"
"Hurry up and get more water to put out the fire!!"
Inside the burning building, the smoke was billowing, and the heat rushed towards them.
Chu Zhiyan looked around and saw Di Lanmo lying unconscious on the ground. He strode forward, knelt down, and covered them both with the wet quilt on his body.
He wrapped his arms around Di Lanmo and just got up—
"Bang—" A beam from the roof crashed down in front of them.
Chu Zhiyan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, steeled his gaze, and used his lightness skills to leap over it.
Suddenly, his inner qi went astray, and he fell to the ground with a thud. Fortunately, he had already crossed the burning long log.
He tightened his arms around the unharmed woman in his arms and strode out of the fire. Blood flowed like water, leaving a trail all the way.
Seeing Chu Zhiyan carrying the person out, Qiao Yan quickly waved his hand and called out, "Hurry! Doctor Yang!"
After confirming that the fire wouldn't spread any further, Chu Zhiyan felt Di Lanmo's pulse: She was okay!
Relieved, he fainted completely. But his hand tightened even more, tightly holding the woman in his arms, as if she were a precious treasure that had been lost and found again.
Seeing both of them unconscious, Qiao Yan felt dizzy. His legs went weak and he almost knelt down. If it weren't for constantly reminding himself that he still had things to deal with, he would have fainted too!