The spring rain came and went quickly. By the time the group made their way out of the mountains and reached the carriages, the rain had stopped. Clouds dotted the horizon, and the sky was ablaze with colorful rays of light. A rainbow arched across the sky in the lingering mist.
Li Xinyue decided to take a short break and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains after the rain.
Anyway, the doctor from the princess mansion had come, so there was no delay in treating her and boiling the medicine. By the way, she also asked the doctor to check on Chu Junyi, Murong Xiu, and all the others who had been caught in the rain.
There were ready - made herbs on the mountain, and she had brought all the cooking utensils. The missed picnic could now be carried out.
Except for Miss Yuan.
She asked Murong Xiu to tell Li Xinyue that she couldn't be of much help and would go back first.
Li Xinyue guessed that Miss Yuan felt out of place here and didn't want to stay.
Alas, now the difficult part would fall on her.
She lifted the carriage curtain and looked out at Murong Xiu and Chu Junyi sitting by the fire.
Coincidentally, they both looked back at her one after another.
Li Xinyue was so startled that she quickly dropped the curtain, but her heart was pounding.
If this continued, she would really be a heartbreaker.
"Princess, it's time to take your medicine," Hongxiu lifted the curtain and came in, handing a bowl of steaming medicinal soup to Li Xinyue.
Li Xinyue took it with both hands and drank it quietly and obediently.
Hongxiu was surprised. She had never seen the princess so well - behaved before.
The princess raised her eyes, and Hongxiu lowered her head to hide her surprise.
Li Xinyue handed the empty bowl back to her. "It's getting late. Let's drive back to the mansion. Go and ask Young Master Murong to give Young Master Chu a ride."
After all, Chu Junyi had come in Murong Xiu's carriage, so it was natural for him to go back the same way. He couldn't walk back.
"Wait! Wait!"
"Or, or..."
"Isn't there another carriage in the princess mansion?"
Hongxiu nodded. "I and Lian'er take one. The other servants ride horses." But then she thought for a moment and added, "But the bonfire has just been lit, and the game we caught has just been put on the grill. Does the princess really want to go back to the mansion?"
Li Xinyue thought for a while. They could leave after eating. After all, it was her idea to enjoy the scenery after the rain. Now that the food was ready, there was no reason to trouble everyone.
Of course, she also wanted the doctor from the mansion to check on that fellow. After all, if he took the medicine after getting caught in the rain and then going back, the time interval might be too long, and the medicine might not work effectively.
Moreover, that fellow's rented house was in such a state. Would he spend money on seeing a doctor?
Oh, he knew medicine himself.
It seemed that she had worried too much.
After the meal, Li Xinyue told Hongxiu again, "Let him take the carriage from the princess mansion. You and Lian'er sit with me. Let that fellow... Young Master Chu sit in the carriage behind."
"Yes," Hongxiu went to make the arrangements.
Li Xinyue was worried that Chu Junyi and Murong Xiu might fight in the carriage. But then she thought, how did he manage to invite Murong Xiu out?
Why was Murong Xiu willing to come out with him?
This seemed to be an unsolved mystery.
Don't tell her that the two of them had been on good terms on the way here.
Nonsense!
Even without her, the relationship between the two of them was just like this.
So, it was indeed an unsolved mystery.
She had forgotten to ask when they were in the pit just now. Now she wanted to ask but had no chance. Alas!
"Princess, Young Master Murong said that he would surely send Young Master Chu back safely. The princess need not worry," Hongxiu came back to report.
This made her even more worried.
However, what else could she say? She was speechless. Just let it be.
"Set off!"
One night passed. When Li Xinyue woke up the next day, she felt a splitting headache and her limbs were weak.
Lian'er lifted the bed curtain to wake her up and found that Li Xinyue's face was unusually red. She reached out to touch her forehead and was shocked.
Strange! The princess had taken the medicine last night. Logically, the medicine should have taken effect. Why did she seem to be in a worse condition?
Lian'er felt a bit sad. "Princess, you're so ill. Why don't you take a sick leave?"
"Help me up. I'm going to take the exam!" She wanted to come in first and get the emperor's grace.
Li Xinyue reached out to grab Lian'er's arm and managed to get out of bed with her support. But as soon as she took a step, she staggered back and almost fell back into the bed. Lian'er caught her.
Only then did Lian'er notice the red bloodshot eyes and the dark circles under the princess's eyelids. "Princess, you didn't sleep all night?"
"Who, who said that? I'm fine. Don't talk nonsense. I didn't miss anyone."
Lian'er, "..." She hadn't said anything.
"Princess, the young marquis is here," Hongxiu came in to report.
Li Xinyue was stunned for a moment before she reacted. She asked, "The exam is about to start. What is he doing here?"
Hongxiu didn't know.
A sense of foreboding welled up in Li Xinyue's heart, but she was also curious. So she invited him to the dining hall.
The servants had already laid out the breakfast.
The young marquis rushed in. When he saw Li Xinyue, he pounced on her and hugged her thigh. "Cousin Princess, you must save me. Otherwise, I won't be able to live on."
The princess disgustedly pulled her skirt out of his hand and asked with a stuffy nose, "What's wrong this time? Did the silver coins come to life and persuade you to go to the gambling house?"
"Not that. The exam is coming up. The one who comes in first can get the emperor's grace."
"Cousin, you're the most favored princess in the Great Yan Dynasty. You have no worries about food and clothing. I'm sure you don't want anything. Why don't you give the grace to me? I really need it.
If my old man knows that I come in last in the exam, he will surely settle all the old and new scores with me. I want to ask the emperor to give my old man an order that he is not allowed to beat me from now on.
Otherwise, I'm afraid to go back. Cousin Princess, please save me!"
The cousin princess had a splitting headache.
Lian'er almost died laughing. He was already worried about doing badly in the exam before it even started. What was he doing earlier?
However, it was good that he knew he couldn't cheat.
Li Xinyue felt that she had been blind to want to marry him to avoid trouble. Ten of him were not worth one Murong Xiu.
But thinking of Murong Xiu reminded her of Chu Junyi, and then of the torment she had endured all night. Instantly, her headache got worse.
"Let's eat first. We'll talk after that."
At the hour of si, the exam started.
This was the turning point in Li Xinyue's life that she had been looking forward to the most. As long as she came in first, she could get the emperor's grace and ask the emperor to bestow a marriage on her, so as to avoid being bullied by the queen and Li Xinrong after the crown prince ascended the throne.
However, this should have been a simple thing, but after last night, it had become complicated.
Should she choose Murong Xiu or Chu Junyi?
She had chased after Murong Xiu herself. It wasn't appropriate to dump him so soon after making such firm vows.
Moreover, she really liked him.
As for Chu Junyi -
She actually, maybe, probably, perhaps hadn't agreed, but he thought she had. It was hard for her to say that she hadn't.
On second thought, maybe she had agreed.
Alas, she wasn't even sure herself.
If she had already agreed, how could she go back on her word? That would be playing with someone's feelings.
Even her tiny bit of conscience would ache.
As she thought, her writing speed got slower and slower, and her hand trembled more and more. Even her already - sick body started to feel dizzy and out of control.
Not far from her, separated by an empty desk, Li Xinrong was staring at her from time to time.
Li Xinrong bit her pen and frowned. She thought the medicine had been put in. Why wasn't it working? That damned guy, couldn't he be trying to deceive her?
Just then, a thunderous fart exploded in the quiet room.