The seductive princess is no longer being pursued; the aloof prime minister is facing a crematorium.

Pei Du was wearing a dark robe today.

Even so, Jiang Jinshuang could still tell when the blood was gushing out from his shoulder!
A color even darker than black spread out in large patches of blood on his shoulder.

Jiang Jinshuang frowned and stepped forward. She pressed an acupoint on Pei Du's body with one hand, and Pei Du's body went limp. His upright posture just now turned into a slump to the side.

She collapsed into Jiang Jinshuang's arms.

"I've sealed a few acupoints for you, which can temporarily stop the bleeding, but you may not be able to exert any strength."

Jiang Jinshuang explained as quickly and clearly as possible: "Pei Du, with your injuries, it's not suitable for you to attend the banquet."

It was originally thought that with the herbs given by He Weijing, Pei Du would at least be able to get through tonight's banquet.

But now it seems that his injuries are more serious than expected.

With her beautiful brows furrowed, Jiang Jinshuang said in a deep voice, "I'll have Jingmo escort you back to your residence."

"Your Highness."

Before Jiang Jinshuang could speak, Pei Du reached out and pressed down on her arm.

Because he was completely exhausted, Pei Du's tall body collapsed into Jiang Jinshuang's arms. The tall and strong man now appeared somewhat weak and helpless, like a little bird clinging to a woman.

No, it's more like a big bird clinging to a person.

Pei Du pursed his lips slightly, his voice weak: "Your Highness should know better than I do that this palace banquet is not just a welcoming banquet for the envoys from Beihuai. If I do not attend, things will probably be even more difficult to handle."

Jiang Jinshuang knew that Pei Du was right.

This palace banquet came with great force, and Wen Fengcang would definitely not let it go easily. If Pei Du was not present, the ministers would feel like they had lost their backbone.

Jiang Jinshuang frowned, her expression turning cold.

Pei Du softened his voice: "Your Highness, please help me re-bandage and change my clothes."

He's definitely not dressed appropriately for the banquet.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jinshuang looked around and asked, "Did you bring extra clothes?"

Pei Du nodded slightly: "I usually keep an extra set of clothes in the carriage in case of emergency."

Jiang Jinshuang lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and looked out the window.

There's still some time before we reach the palace.

Jiang Jinshuang pondered for a moment before finally speaking, "I'll have Jingmo come in to help you bandage up and change your clothes."

Before she could get up, Pei Du started coughing again.

This time he coughed violently, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t,” Pei Du explained. “Bei Huai has people secretly watching outside the carriage. If Jing Mo stops here, it will only arouse more suspicion.”

As he said this, Pei Du slowly released his hand from Jiang Jinshuang's arm: "If Your Highness has any inconvenience, I can do it myself."

As he spoke, he tried to prop himself up and stand up. His cold fingertips brushed against Jiang Jinshuang's hand, and Jiang Jinshuang frowned involuntarily.

His body was too cold.

Jiang Jinshuang sighed and finally spoke: "Let me do it. Don't move around, or the wound will reopen."

Pei Du lowered his eyes, his voice weak and low: "I've caused Your Highness trouble."

Jiang Jinshuang didn't say anything more. She made Pei Du lean to the other side before reaching out to untie the jade belt around his waist.

Jiang Jinshuang had never done anything like this before.

Although she used to tease Pei Du often, that "teasing" was only to satisfy her verbal urges.

When it comes to actually taking action, Jiang Jinshuang becomes a bit timid.

She took a deep breath, her long, slender, white fingers touching his jade belt, but she looked up and met Pei Du's eyes directly.

"Your Highness."

The man looked down at her, his dark eyes deep and unwavering, yet filled with an intense, unyielding emotion.

Jiang Jinshuang couldn't see clearly.

"What's wrong?" he asked her in a hoarse voice.

Pei Du was very tall.

Even when he wasn't sitting upright, he was still considerably taller than Jiang Jinshuang.

From Jiang Jinshuang's angle, she could see his Adam's apple bobbing up and down twice.

Looking up again, Jiang Jinshuang met his gaze: "Pei Du." "Hmm," Pei Du responded in a low, hoarse voice.

Jiang Jinshuang said, "Can you close your eyes?"

She was not very comfortable.

Upon hearing this, Pei Du readily accepted the good advice.

Pei Du gently closed his long eyelashes and said softly, "If Your Highness is not comfortable, you can release my acupoints and I can do it myself."

"Pei Du, shut up."

Pei Du then truly remained silent.

Jiang Jinshuang took a deep breath and untied the jade belt around his waist without further hesitation.

Jiang Jinshuang wasn't a particularly pretentious person. She had seen Pei Du's body before, so it wasn't a big deal.

The gaze from above her had been too intense, making her feel a little uncomfortable.

it's better now.

With the jade belt removed, Jiang Jinshuang's fingers moved slightly upwards, unbuttoning the buttons on his collar one by one.

Jiang Jinshuang is not a very serious person, so the stories she reads are mostly of a less serious type.

For some reason, the scene before her eyes inexplicably reminded her of a storybook she had read.

Jiang Jinshuang had almost forgotten what the storybook was about. She only remembered that at the end, when the scholar and the princess finally got together after going through many hardships, the man took her hand and unbuttoned his clothes one by one.

I give my body, my character, my spine, my likes and dislikes, entirely to your hands.

I am not bound by formalities, nor do I care about ethics.

I am yours, and it is yours too.

I beg Your Highness for mercy.

Sin, sin, sin!

Jiang Jinshuang's hand trembled, and the man's black robe was finally unfastened.

The night breeze was chilly.

Jiang Jinshuang took off Pei Du's shirt and saw the blood flowing from his bandaged wound.

"How did it get so serious? Didn't you change your dressing before you went out tonight?" Jiang Jinshuang asked in a deep voice.

Pei Du pursed his lips slightly and explained earnestly, "After taking Mr. He's medicine, the palace sent someone to pick him up, but there wasn't enough time."

Jiang Jinshuang took a deep breath and slowly unwrapped the gauze from his shoulder.

When the gauze was removed, the man's deep, bone-revealing wound was exposed.

His shoulder blade wound had already healed, so how come now, not only are the knife wounds on his back worse, but the wounds on his shoulder blades are also more serious?
"strangeness."

Jiang Jinshuang muttered something.

Pei Du kept his eyes closed and softened his voice: "What's wrong?"

“I’ve used Mr. He’s ointment before; it’s very effective at treating wounds. Why does your wound keep recurring and just won’t heal?”

Pei Du shook his head helplessly: "Mr. He said that the herbal medicine I took before was incompatible with my body, which is probably why I haven't recovered yet."

Jiang Jinshuang didn't know much about medicine, so she just nodded.

"Is there any new silk or ointment in the carriage?"

Pei Du nodded: "It's in the cabinet next to me."

Jiang Jinshuang took out the ointment and silk as instructed, preparing to reapply the medicine and bandage to him.

Holding the ointment in her hand, she looked at Pei Du, who was shirtless and silent with his eyes closed, and scratched her face awkwardly.

“Pei Du, my application technique is rather… bold, you might have to bear with it.”

He wasn't lying; Jiang Jinshuang's technique for applying the medicine, in the words of Uncle Ruiyang back then, was—

This medicine isn't absolutely necessary.

If the medicine hadn't been applied, the person might have been saved. But when she applied the medicine, before the ointment was even finished, the person was already dying.

Upon hearing this, Pei Du did not open his eyes, his beautiful long eyelashes trembling slightly: "It's alright."

Encouraged by Pei Du's words, Jiang Jinshuang mustered her courage, scooped out a fingertip of ointment, and poured it towards Pei Du. (End of Chapter)