Cheng Xiran had just managed to calm down again when she heard Helian Duo propping himself up with difficulty and weakly instructing, "If anyone asks later, you tell them that my illness is very serious and has brought out the old injuries I suffered from years of battles on the battlefield. If I can't be cured this time, I may even lose my life."
The imperial physician was stunned upon hearing this, and Cheng Xiran felt a sudden surge of anger. "Helian Duo, are you crazy? Who would curse themselves like this?"
However, Helian Duo gently took Cheng Xiran's slightly cold little hand. After a soft cough, he patiently explained, "I've noticed something wrong with Hua Bairu these days. I'm now certain that she has secretly colluded with the Empress Dowager's faction. I've also met the envoys from Yulin Kingdom, and I'm more inclined to trust them now."
As soon as he said this, Cheng Xiran suddenly fell silent and slowly listened to him continue.
"I originally had no way to force them out, but now it's just right. For now, I'll pretend to be ill and recuperate in the mansion. I'd like to see what else they can do."
The imperial physician nodded understandingly.
But Cheng Xiran still had doubts. "Then what's wrong with the wound on your wrist?"
"On the Qixi Festival, she tried to give me an aphrodisiac, but I saw through it. To keep myself conscious, I had to do this."
Cheng Xiran suddenly felt even more guilty. At the same time, she hated herself for not believing him, which almost led to his accident.
Subsequently, everything developed just as Helian Duo had expected. Moreover, he had collapsed in the Cheng Mansion, which made this matter even more convincing. Even Prime Minister Cheng had seen with his own eyes the pale - faced Helian Duo being carried out. Even when he probed about Helian Duo's illness, Cheng Xiran was evasive, which made him believe it.
Since Helian Duo hadn't been to court for several days, the situation in the court had started to become turbulent, and the two forces began to confront each other in the courtroom.
As for Cheng Zhiyue, her wedding date with the Prince of Qi had been advanced by half a month, and it was just these two days. However, the emperor had said that because Helian Duo was seriously ill, they were not allowed to be too ostentatious. So even though Cheng Zhiyue was the main wife of the Prince of Qi, the treatment she received was not as good as that of any ordinary noble young lady in the capital when she got married.
Although she was angry, she didn't dare to show it.
It was already the third day since she had married into the palace, and it was only today that Cheng Xiran heard from others how unhappy she was. Because on the second day after she got married, the Prince of Qi had taken another concubine. Cheng Zhiyue was so angry that she wanted to ask her father to stand up for her, but how dare her father confront the Empress Dowager? Naturally, he told her to be more patient and to protect the fetus in her womb as the top priority.
Helian Duo was seriously ill in the mansion, and there were countless people coming to visit him, including Xue Lianyu and Chu Liyin.
Grandmother had also come to visit several times but was politely refused outside the door. Grandmother really doted on Cheng Xiran and was also really afraid that something would happen to Helian Duo. After all, if something happened to him, the entire court would be in an uproar, and as the Empress Dowager's thorn in the side, Cheng Xiran would surely be the first to be disposed of.
Fortunately, Cheng Xiran comforted her several times, and she finally stopped insisting, but only sent some nourishing medicinal soups through Nanny Jin from time to time. Cheng Xiran hadn't been idle these days. By using the influence of the newspaper, she had made the people completely side with Helian Duo and Helian Zheng. However, she didn't expect that the Empress Dowager's faction hadn't been completely defeated. She often heard from Xue Lianyu, who rarely participated in politics in the palace, that Helian Yue had become much more arrogant these days. Sometimes, he even dared to confront the current emperor face - to - face.
They all vaguely felt that what Helian Duo had said was indeed correct. Hua Bairu must have colluded with Helian Yue and even privately mobilized the troops from Yulin Kingdom. Otherwise, Helian Yue, who had always been reserved, would not be willing to show his edge now.
On this day, Cheng Xiran had just finished lunch with Helian Duo and was planning to write some more press releases in the afternoon when she heard Zuo Yan say that Hua Bairu was asking for an audience.
"Don't see her."
Helian Duo replied without hesitation and then added some more dishes to Cheng Xiran's bowl.
Zuo Yan looked a bit embarrassed. "She's been lingering outside and won't leave. Moreover, I suspect that she may just barge in later. She has a fiery temper. What can't she do?"
Cheng Xiran thought he made sense. Just as she was thinking about whether she should go out and take a look, she heard the sound of a scuffle outside.
"Helian Duo, what's wrong? Are you too scared to see me now?"
Cheng Xiran and Helian Duo glanced at each other, and then she got up and walked out.
"Your Highness, don't you know what's going on? The Prince is still recuperating. I'm afraid he has no time to see you."
"I want to see the Prince. You'd better not stop me, or I'll beat you too!"
As she said this, she had already taken out a whip from behind her.
Mu Li flew from behind her not far away to her front.
"If you dare to touch me, I won't be polite to you either. If someone really dies, I can just say that you died suddenly. Are you sure you want to try?"
Hua Bairu was slightly stunned but then threatened her in the same arrogant tone as before. "If something happens to me in your capital, do you think the envoys of my country will let you go? When it comes to a war between the two countries, can you bear the responsibility?"
"Are you sure those envoys will still believe your nonsense now?"
Cheng Xiran spoke confidently, making Hua Bairu look like a sneaky person.
She didn't make a scene for long. After leaving a harsh threat, she left discontentedly.
This further verified Helian Duo's conjecture: Helian Yue and Hua Bairu had colluded and borrowed troops from Yulin Kingdom. They were probably planning to annihilate Helian Duo's forces in one fell swoop so that Helian Yue could sit on the throne.
"Xiran, why don't you go back to the mansion first? Wait for a few days until things here stabilize and I've handled everything. Then you can come back, okay?"
Helian Duo looked at her tenderly, and a trace of fatigue was hard to hide on his face.
Cheng Xiran understood but ignored his suggestion. "I know what you're thinking. You're afraid that something will happen to you in the palace next, and you're afraid that I'll be implicated, right?"
Helian Duo just smiled at her. "Sure enough, you're my woman. We really think alike."
"Then let me tell you, you'd better not have this kind of thought, because I'm destined to follow you for the rest of my life."
No matter life or death, nothing could separate the two of them.
In this world, the single word "love" could make people go through life and death, suffer a great deal, be extremely happy, and even sacrifice their whole lives. Cheng Xiran didn't understand this before, but now she understood it thoroughly. Even if she had to go to the underworld with him in the end, she would walk hand in hand with him!
After a while, Helian Duo finally gave his answer. "Okay."
In the afternoon, Helian Duo dispersed the troops in the mansion, making the already desolate mansion even more sparsely populated.
He did it very ostentatiously on purpose, just to let Helian Yue see.
That night, Helian Yue started his own operation.