People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 289, Jing Ni's Illness

Xinzheng, Zilanxuan.

Zi Nu nestled in Xu Qing's arms, a blush lingering on her pretty face. Her purple eyes drifted slightly, and she held Xu Qing tightly with both hands. Her purple hair fell down, concealing the lingering pink tinge on her beautiful back.

"You really have to leave, don't you?"

Zi Nu's alluring, mature voice carried a hint of softness, and as she spoke, she tightened her embrace around Xu Qing, making it seem as if she were being coquettish.

"Yes, we must go."

Xu Qing looked down at Zi Nu in his arms, without explaining much. Instead, he put one arm around her slender waist and gently stroked her fair back with the other.

Now that things have come to this, the only thing he can do is go to the Qin Kingdom to find a way out for himself, for Zi Nu, and for Zi Lan Xuan.

"Then you need to be careful. Your trip to Qin is destined to be unsafe. Wei Zhuang and Zi Fang have discovered that Qin has sent a top-notch assassin team, the Eight Linglong, to Xinzheng. Their target seems to be that person."

Zi Nu spoke softly, looking up at Xu Qing with concern in her purple eyes.

Anyone who pays even a little attention can see the situation within Qin: far too many people do not want Ying Zheng to live to assume the throne and rule in his own right.

The arrival of the eight Linglong people in Xinzheng this time speaks volumes; some people no longer even want to maintain a semblance of harmony.

Xu Qing's choice to support Ying Zheng meant that he would face even greater danger in the future than he had in South Korea.

However, this was Xu Qing's choice. Although Zi Nu wanted to persuade him to stay, reason told her that she should support him.

"Don't you know how strong I am? Besides, I have friends everywhere," Xu Qing said to Zi Nu, feigning ease.

"Pfft~" Zi Nu let out a soft sound.

Her purple eyes were full of laughter as she braced herself with her hands and forced herself to stand up from Xu Qing's embrace.

"I've figured it out now. You're a jerk who'll never stay by my side peacefully for the rest of your life. Go get busy!"

Zi Nu sat on the soft couch, her round and delicate thighs pressed beneath her. She gently bit her hairpin with her rosy lips and tied her half-loose purple hair into a bun with both hands.

With the movement of both hands, the plump, flaky balls swayed slightly.

Sweat dripped down his southern hemisphere and landed on his lower abdomen.

Her delicate little feet were spread out, and her rosy toes were slightly raised.

Such a charming and alluring posture made it difficult for Xu Qing to resist.

After removing the hairpin from Zi Nu's mouth, Xu Qing grabbed Zi Nu's small hand and pressed her backward.

Fortunately, Zi Nu's body was flexible enough that she was able to lie down smoothly on the neatly folded bedding.

"Stop messing around, you bad guy!"

Zi Nu wanted to say something, but her mouth had already been sealed by Xu Qing, so she could only let this scoundrel of a man do as he pleased.

Half an hour later, Xu Qing finally dressed and left Zilan Pavilion.

"Alas, wine and women have ruined me. From today onwards, I must give up drinking."

Xu Qing felt remorseful for the time he had wasted in Zilan Pavilion and secretly made a vow.

After making a remark, Xu Qing got into the carriage and headed towards the Feng residence. Although everyone in Xinzheng was busy arresting Tianze in preparation for Li Si's formal questioning in court tomorrow, these were matters for Han Fei, Bai Yifei, and Ji Wuye, and had nothing to do with him.

As they passed by the Fourth Young Master's residence, Xu Qing lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at the residence, which was adorned in white robes.

Two white lanterns hung at the gate of the Fourth Young Master's mansion. The days when the mansion was always full of guests were gone, and there were hardly any people coming to pay their respects. Only the former retainers and servants were dressed in mourning clothes, wearing mourning clothes for their former master, Han Yu.

A gentle breeze blew by, causing the white lanterns to sway and the paper money on the ground to be swept up and blown aside.

"Sigh, people leave and things cool down."

Looking at the Fourth Young Master's mansion, which exuded sadness and decay both inside and out, Xu Qing lowered the carriage curtain and sighed softly.

Han Yu was, after all, a prince of the Korean royal family, and he had made significant achievements and gained considerable prestige in the court. Logically speaking, his funeral should not have been held in such a grand manner, nor should it have been so indifferent.

Unfortunately, Han Yu died at the worst possible time. With the Crown Prince of Han in the lead and the Qin envoy in the rear, King An of Han and the entire Han court were focused on capturing Tian Ze and dealing with Qin, leaving no one to care about Han Yu.

The carriage drove past the Fourth Young Master's residence, crossed the river bridge and several alleys, and then arrived at the Feng residence.

Xu Qing stepped down from the carriage and walked straight into the mansion. The servants at the gate greeted him upon his arrival.

"Greetings, Imperial Physician." The servant bowed.

"I'm here to see Madam. Is she at home now?" Xu Qing asked.

"Yes, please come with me, I will arrange for someone to inform them."

The servant then ushered Xu Qing into the Feng residence, while another assassin disguised as a servant from the Luo Wang organization quickly went to the backyard to find Jing Ni and report the situation. After Xu Qing was led into the reception room, Jing Ni arrived shortly afterward.

Jing Ni was not wearing her usual purple and white metallic combat suit, but instead a pale yellow off-shoulder dress, with her jet-black hair half-loose behind her head and secured with a few simple hairpins.

Her pretty face was lightly made up, her fair shoulders and collarbones were exposed through the pale yellow suspenders, and the blue bra in front of her chest was pushed up in an exaggerated arc, revealing her soft and tender breasts.

Her long, shapely legs were encased in white lace-trimmed stockings, and she wore a pair of yellow round-toed shoes.

Her gentle attire paired with her aloof demeanor created a completely different impression, like a thorny flower blooming under the bright sunlight—beautiful and aloof, exuding an aura of danger, yet irresistibly drawing people closer.

"Madam, why are you coming to see me looking like this? Do you think I'll refuse your proposal, so you're planning to take another approach?" Xu Qing couldn't help but tease.

It's only because Xu Qing is good-looking enough that Jing Ni would have already drawn her sword and killed him after he said such reckless words.

"The Imperial Physician is still as reckless as ever. Your coming to see me today already shows your choice, doesn't it?"

Jing Ni glanced coldly at Xu Qing, walked to sit opposite him, and placed her hands on her lower abdomen as she spoke.

"Is Madam so certain? What if I came here to refuse you?" Xu Qing said with a light laugh.

However, as soon as Xu Qing finished speaking, Jing Ni's eyes sharpened, and she pointed her index finger and index finger at Xu Qing, the bracelet Xu Qing had given her swaying slightly, with a faint pink sword aura swirling around her fingertips.

"If you refuse, you'll know what will happen," Jing Ni said calmly.

Her orders were not to hurt Xu Qing and to protect him, but she knew Xu Qing's personality all too well. If she showed any weakness, who knew how he would pester her?

Seeing Jing Ni attack without warning, Xu Qing felt no fear and glanced at her fair hands.

He was quite curious as to how Jing Ni managed to maintain such good hand care while undergoing rigorous training and high-intensity missions from a young age.

"To die beneath the peony blossoms is to die a romantic death, even as a ghost. If I were to die by your hand, Madam, I would have no complaints." Xu Qing reached out and grasped Jing Ni's fingers, speaking with deep affection.

Just kidding. Jing Ni thought she had hidden it very well, but who was Physician Xu? He had already guessed Jing Ni's mission and wasn't afraid at all.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Jing Ni blinked slightly. She was not a peony, but a sharp sword.

"Don't try to argue with this jerk. You'll never be a match for him in your life," Luo Jing warned him immediately.

Let alone Jing Ni, even she is no match for Xu Qing. If she continues, she might be completely fooled by Xu Qing.

"Speak, what brings you here?" Jing Ni withdrew her finger and asked Xu Qing.

After realizing that there was no one else in the house besides him and Jing Ni, Xu Qing's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile as he spoke.
"Naturally, I'm here to help Madam resolve her troubles. Your health problems seem to be getting worse lately, haven't they?"

Upon hearing this, Jingni's eyes turned cold, and her gaze towards Xu Qing became more hostile.

The rekindling of her emotions was her biggest secret, something she absolutely could not let outsiders know.

She didn't know how Xu Qing found out; perhaps it was due to his superior medical skills. But in any case, she couldn't let anyone else know.

But after glancing at Xu Qing, Jing Ni hesitated for a moment before slowly speaking.
How did you know? What exactly are you trying to say?

Seeing the hesitation that flashed across Jing Ni's face, Xu Qing became even more certain of his guess and had more confidence in persuading Jing Ni to protect him and Ying Zheng.

"Madam, you don't think my medical skills are just something outsiders boast about, do you? Observation is the most important of the four diagnostic methods; to know something by observation is to be divine."

The *Suwen* (Plain Questions) chapter "On the Correspondence of Yin and Yang" states: "A skilled physician observes the complexion and palpates the pulse, first distinguishing between Yin and Yang; examines the clarity and turbidity to understand the affected area; observes the breathing and listens to the sounds to understand the patient's suffering; observes the balance and regularity to understand the nature of the disease; palpates the pulse at the cun and chi positions, observing its floating, sinking, slippery, and rough textures to understand the origin of the disease. With this approach, treatment will be without error, and diagnosis will be without mistake."

The Sixty-first Difficulty of the Classic of Difficulties states: "To know by observation is called divine; to know by hearing is called sage; to know by questioning is called skillful; to know by cutting is called ingenious."

"I am worthy of being called a divine physician, so I am naturally skilled in observation. Although I have not examined you physically, I have already discerned some of your condition just by looking at your complexion."

Xu Qing looked at Jing Ni with a confident expression, as if he had everything under control, which made Jing Ni a little more wary.

"I have never doubted your medical skills, so you're here today to treat me?"

Jingni gripped the bracelet on her wrist and looked at Xu Qing, speaking softly.

"Yes and no. The lady's illness originates from her heart. The seven emotions and five senses are human desires. No matter how skillful the methods are, they can only be suppressed, not erased."

"I also know some of the methods of the Luo Wang. In order to cultivate top assassins, the Luo Wang will erase their emotions and turn them into a sharp sword to carry out missions for the Luo Wang."

"However, humans are not heartless gods or spirits after all. Once suppressed emotions rebound, they are like water bursting its banks, sweeping everything away. This is human nature, and I cannot cure it."

Xu Qing slowly shook his head and said.

"Then what do you mean by all this? Are you just making fun of me?" Jingni asked, puzzled.

Although Jing Ni showed no anger or intention to attack, her icy voice still sent chills down one's spine.

(End of this chapter)