The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 285 Delicate
That night, in the Eastern Palace.

The magnificent palace had beams made of sandalwood from the cloud-topped mountains, with exquisite halls, golden pavilions, jade steps, and vermilion pillars. It was pitch black outside, but the interior was as bright as day, resplendent in gold and jade.

The strong medicinal smell mingled with the incense from the burner, creating a strange aroma that, if inhaled for too long, made one drowsy.

The silk gauze curtains fluttered in the wind.

With a loud 'smash', the medicine bowl was overturned.

"Your Highness, calm down."

The servants in the palace were so frightened that they tumbled to the ground, banging their heads on the floor and trembling.

Ying Yi, who had been ill for a long time, lay on the couch with a pale gray complexion, coughing incessantly.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

Why did it take you so long to tell me that Wei Zhao was not dead?

He was clearly in his prime, yet the back of his hands, with prominent veins, was covered with brown age spots.

He disliked Wei Zhao.

I've disliked it since I was a child.

As the crown prince, how could he tolerate someone who was always more outstanding than him?

Not to mention him, even the Emperor himself lived his entire life in the shadow of the Duke of Shun and General Jingyuan. Even though both of them are dead.

It's laughable, really, that all the emperors throughout history have been outshone by the descendants of the Wei family!
The Crown Princess wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Your Highness, please don't worry."

"General Wei's injuries must be very serious, but there is nothing to fear. My father is benevolent and has even summoned all the imperial physicians to take his pulse."

Benevolence?

Ying Yi could easily be unaware of the hypocritical nature of Emperor Ying Qian, who was just as deceitful as him.
Clearly, they were afraid there might be a trap and wanted to confirm whether Wei Zhao was truly unwell.

Ying Yi: "What do you mean?"

The Crown Princess told him everything she knew: "Father's Yangxin Hall kept it a secret from everyone, but I sent someone to the Imperial Hospital to inquire. One of the physicians, Zheng Xu, who has been out of favor for many years, accepted a bribe and privately revealed that Wei Zhao's pulse is irregular and weak, which has already damaged his health. His body is in such a state that he can't even eat properly, and I'm afraid it will shorten his lifespan."

The Crown Princess saw his brows relax and said, "This is good news. As long as Elder Ge arrives and you recover, Fifth Prince will not dare to covet the Eastern Palace."

"The Fifth Prince is truly hateful! If it weren't for his interference, I'm afraid Elder Ge would already be in the Eastern Palace. He delayed His Highness's treatment, which could be considered plotting against the Crown Prince, but Father..."

Although it was said to be in the Eastern Palace, these words were still extremely disrespectful.

The Crown Princess didn't continue speaking. But everyone knew she was resentful that the Emperor valued the Fifth Prince, Ying Yin, too much!
She was heavily pregnant, her eyes were tired, but there was joy in them.

Only when Your Highness is well can she and her unborn child have someone to rely on.

Upon hearing the Crown Princess mention the Fifth Prince Ying Yin, Ying Yi's expression improved slightly.

Yes, nothing is more important than curing him.

Only when he recovers can he secure his position as crown prince and continue his struggle against Ying Yin.

He couldn't afford to get into trouble, nor could he afford to antagonize Wei Zhao.

Ying Yi suppressed the pent-up emotions in his heart.

He donned his usual kind and gentle mask.

“I am very happy to see Gui Zhi return. He has also taken good care of Elder Ge’s affairs. Go to the storeroom and send some medicinal herbs there as a token of my appreciation.”

What should I give as a gift?
We can't afford to be bad.

"I have a 500-year-old ginseng in my private storehouse. Give it to Guizhi to nourish his body. As for the rest, you can add whatever you like."

The Crown Princess agreed, then added, "I heard he brought back a new bride this time. She's from a small place and probably can't even read. She's unlikely to be presentable. I wonder how many jokes she'll make in the future."

"But we cannot neglect the proper etiquette for the Crown Prince's Palace. In addition to the medicine, I will also send a bracelet over."

Ying Yi was satisfied with her arrangement: "Hmm."

The Crown Princess was about to send someone to fetch it from the storeroom.

A servant guarding the private treasury, looking solemn and fearful, requested an audience. After being informed and allowed to enter, he knelt down on the ground with a thud.

"Your Highness, the Heavenly Snow Lotus and the thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum in your private treasury have vanished without a trace!" Ying Yi: ???
The Crown Princess suddenly stood up: "What!"

The Tian Shan snow lotus is a rare find in the Western Regions, with only a handful of plants produced each year, and those of high quality are extremely scarce. A hundred-year-old Ganoderma lucidum is easy to obtain, but a thousand-year-old one is incredibly difficult to find.

That was what Ying Yi used to save his life!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Twilight fell.

Wei Zhao returned from outside, walking leisurely as if he had just gone out for a stroll, and handed over the Tianshan snow lotus and thousand-year-old lingzhi that he had easily stolen to Shunzi.

“Send someone to deliver it to Ying Fuyan.”

Shunzi replied respectfully, "Yes."

Wei Zhao went inside and said, "Everyone says the palace is heavily guarded."

Shunzi asked anxiously, "Are you injured?"

It's really heavily guarded!
Otherwise, why wouldn't he be the one to handle this? Even if Chi Yu were to go, there's a chance something might go wrong.

From the palace gate to the East Palace, which is heavily guarded, the Crown Prince's private treasury is no less impressive.

Wei Zhao said in a light tone, "But I don't believe that."

Shunzi: ...

Wei Zhao left those words behind and stepped into Lan Garden.

The lights were on inside; perhaps he had been too rough with her before leaving, because the girl was fast asleep.

Wei Zhao was not sleepy.

He sat down at the head of the bed and tidied the bedding for her. His fingertips lingered for a moment on the red buds that had been sucked from the girl's neck before he went to the desk to handle his official business.

Time passes little by little.

Yu Tingwan, however, could not sleep soundly.

I could hear what sounded like chaotic footsteps.

"It's her? Why would a country girl deserve such trouble?"

"Why ask so many questions? The higher-ups have ordered her to die. What are you waiting for?"

Who are they trying to kill?
Yu Tingwan suddenly felt uneasy.

But she seemed to hear someone calling her. The voice was ethereal, as if it belonged to a different time and space.

"I brought you some pastries and a small jar of plum blossom wine this time. It was brewed by my father himself; it's not very strong, perfect for a young lady to enjoy a little."

"I wonder if these snacks will suit your taste."

"I heard you're not a picky eater and eat everything, but I don't believe it."

"Your mother was picky about food when you were born. One day she'd love eight-treasure duck, the next she'd say it was too cloying just from the smell. One minute she'd say she wanted sour jujube cake, the next she'd say she wanted candied hawthorn from the street corner, and it had to be the kind made by the peddler surnamed Yang with the wooden sign and a windmill on his hat. If it was from another vendor, she'd say it didn't taste right."

No one is picky about food; they've just suffered from hunger before.

The man's voice sounded lost and forlorn.

"Your mother and I said that this must be a delicate baby girl."

He meant delicate, not spoiled.

"Your mother wasn't good at needlework, but she hired a skilled embroiderer from the Empress Dowager's palace to sew your newborn clothes, a cloud-shaped shoulder cape, apron, tiger-head hat, and socks, stitch by stitch. She was just afraid that she wouldn't have prepared enough."

【"Can……"】

"It's a pity I couldn't let you wear it."

"Father is still too late."

Suddenly, his voice changed.

It was familiar; I'd heard it before... It belonged to Princess Jiashan, the matriarch of the Gu family.

[“Every year around this time, he would miss five out of ten times he went to Gufu Residence. I knew he was favored by the Emperor and busy with official duties, so he couldn’t make it to A-Wu’s birthday celebration, but I never complained.”]