High-class Spring Joy

When Qingyuan opened her eyes, it was already dark. Just then, Cuiwei came in and, seeing that Qingyuan was awake, handed her the plate of roasted mutton.

"The young lady is awake, she's just awake. They're roasting lamb outside. Everyone is exhausted after today's ordeal, so the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince set up camp on this flat ground. When night fell, everyone was tired, so they bought a few sheep and a few cows from the local people at the foot of the mountain to eat."

Cuiwei placed the steamed mutton in front of Qingyuan, along with a plate of clean green vegetables that looked like they were already stir-fried, and two wheat cakes.

Qingyuan struggled to sit up. Cuiwei, seeing this, quickly came over and helped Qingyuan up. "Would you like some water, Miss?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Cuiwei poured a glass of water and handed it to Qingyuan.

Qingyuan felt a warmth in her heart. She drank some water and felt better, but her head was still a little heavy and her whole body felt heavy. However, it was a little better than before when she was in pain all over her body, and at least she was able to sit up on her own.

"Thank you, Sister Cuiwei. Have you eaten, Sister Cuiwei? Shall we eat together?"

"This servant has already eaten. These were specially brought to you by the princess. She said that you are not in good health and might not have an appetite, so eating these might even make you feel nauseous. But these are the only foods that can be found in the wild. This piece of mutton was personally selected by the princess. She smelled it and there was no gamey smell. She also specially ordered someone to stir-fry a plate of vegetables for you. If you can't eat the mutton, you can still have vegetables to fill your stomach. The princess said that you should bear with it a little longer and you will feel better when you return to Bianjing City tomorrow."

Cuiwei spoke in a very gentle voice, like a kind older sister next door. Afraid that Qingyuan would think the roasted mutton was too big, she specially tore it into small strips and put them on Qingyuan's plate.

Qingyuan sat on the couch in the carriage, eating mutton bit by bit. She touched her lower abdomen with a sense of lingering fear, and a feeling of pity welled up in her heart. She really had neglected the child in her womb.

She knew that she was doing this for a better future. At the very least, she needed the reputation of having been protected by the Empress Dowager and the Princess to ensure that she wouldn't be easily harmed after leaving the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion.

Even if she were assassinated on the way, at least she wouldn't die under mysterious circumstances. Even if the Empress Dowager didn't investigate, Princess Jing'an would definitely find out for her. At least there would be someone in this world who would find out exactly how she died.

But the stakes were too high. Even though Qingyuan knew it was a royal convoy, the risks were too great. If she were alone, she wouldn't have hesitated at all when she charged forward.

She has only one life left, so risking it for another is actually worthwhile for someone of her background and status.

Qingyuan felt sorry for the child in her womb; the child shouldn't have been born into her womb.

As her mother, she had no power, influence, or status, and even incurred a lot of resentment because of certain things. To this day, Jiang Qingge probably wishes she could take her life.

But she came from a farming family. Not to mention her family members, just her gambling mother was probably dead out there sometime during Qingyuan's life. Her body was already rotting, and her gambling mother didn't even know.

Not to mention she could offer him any help. Qingyuan didn't expect her gambling mother to offer any assistance. This was the only solution Qingyuan could think of.

After all, once the matter at Xiangguo Temple is over, she will leave the Zhenguo Marquis's mansion and become an ordinary citizen.

For ordinary people, the chances of having any contact with these ladies, young women, or even the Empress Dowager and princesses are extremely slim.

Qingyuan admitted that she was slow-witted and didn't know what better or safer solution she could come up with; she was really not a smart person.

But this time she won her gamble. From now on, she and her son will not die mysteriously or have their lives as fragile as paper. At least they will have a layer of protection. Although this protection is not completely solid, it is still better than having nothing at all.

The only one to blame is her, the mother. She has no power or influence, no intelligence, and no outstanding looks or figure, so she can't secure a bright and promising future for her child.

Qingyuan is not in a relaxed mood either. She is mostly still scared after surviving the ordeal, and also worried about the Third Young Master.

After all, the reason she was able to win the bet was entirely because the Third Young Master unexpectedly risked his life to save her.

Qingyuan knew in her heart that her gamble was neither clever nor exciting, and it could not be considered a brilliant or meticulous plan at all. If the Third Young Master did not rush out, she would almost certainly lose.

Thinking this way, Qingyuan felt increasingly guilty and ashamed, feeling that she owed the Third Young Master too much, and she was also more concerned about the Third Young Master who was still unconscious.

The more she missed the Third Young Master on the other side of the carriage, the more the roasted mutton, which originally tasted quite good, became tasteless in Qingyuan's mouth, like chewing wax.

Cuiwei seemed to sense that Qingyuan was troubled. "Is it because the mutton is not good? Or does it have a bit of a gamey smell? Or is there something you are not satisfied with? I can take it over and give you a fresh plate. This is what the princess ordered."

"No, Sister Cuiwei, don't worry. It's not that the mutton is bad; it's delicious, and the vegetables are very tasty too. It's just that I don't have much of an appetite, so I won't trouble you to change it for me. Even if I change it to something else, I won't eat it. It's not because I don't want to eat, or because it's not tasty; it's just that I don't have an appetite."

Qingyuan explained with a smile, but the smile on her face was somewhat forced; she looked gentle, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Just then, Princess Jing'an arrived. Seeing that Qingyuan's plate of roasted mutton hadn't been touched much, she realized that Qingyuan was in a bad mood. She immediately looked at Cuiwei beside her, who shook her head in embarrassment, indicating that she didn't know either.

Qingyuan, being adept at reading people, naturally noticed the exchange of glances between the princess and Cuiwei. She softly explained, "Princess, you needn't ask, nor blame Sister Cuiwei. It has nothing to do with Sister Cuiwei; I simply didn't have an appetite. This roasted mutton is delicious. The princess chose it, so naturally it has no gamey smell. Thank you for your kindness, Princess."

"Why say all this? How can anyone else compare to my feelings for you? Besides, you saved my life twice this time, not to mention you saved my mother once. Although those people may have been after you this time, if you hadn't stood in front of them, my mother and I probably wouldn't be so safe and unharmed. That alone is enough to make those people outside, while they might not be completely respectful to you, at least speak to you calmly and peacefully."

Princess Jing'an, seeing Qing Yuan's slight anger, scolded, "Besides, given the distance between us, our relationship is nothing more than a plate of roasted mutton. Why should you thank me so formally? If you continue to be so polite to me, I will truly be angry. And when I'm angry, it's terrifying. Don't think that just because I'm gentle with you now and don't put on any princess airs, you can provoke me at will. If you ever truly anger me and say these things to me again, things that sound distant and cold, I will definitely punish you severely..."

Although Princess Jing'an said this, after mentioning punishing Qingyuan, her mouth opened and closed. She paused for a moment without saying anything. If she really angered Qingyuan, how should she punish her? The carriage was eerily quiet for a moment.

Princess Jing'an, feeling utterly humiliated, turned away from Qing Yuan, saying, "I'll punish you! I'll make you cook for me for a month! Don't think this is easy. I'm very picky. Even the imperial chefs in the palace, who can cook thirty-eight dishes a day, might not be able to find one or two that suit my taste. If you cook for me for a month, I guarantee my taste will torture you to the point of wishing you were dead, and you'll regret it."

Princess Jing'an said this, but she didn't actually look at Qingyuan even once while she was speaking.

Looking at Princess Jing'an like this, Qingyuan felt a warmth in her heart, as if a fire was burning inside her. The fire wasn't very intense and wouldn't burn her, but it would always warm her whole body whenever she needed it.

Qingyuan was truly amazed by her good fortune. That night at Xiangguo Temple, when she made a rash and presumptuous decision, she never imagined that she would win the favor of Princess Jing'an.

He never expected to gain the princess's friendship.

Qingyuan just stared at Princess Jing'an without saying a word, only smiling. Princess Jing'an, already embarrassed, blushed slightly at Qingyuan's gaze and turned to glare at her angrily: "What are you laughing at? What are you looking at? What I just said was serious, I was absolutely not joking with you, I was very serious. If you really say something like that again and make me angry, the consequences will be a hundred times more serious than you think. So, I'm warning you, you'd better not say anything that makes me feel distant again."

It was rare for Qingyuan to have a smile on her face, and it was also rare for that smile to spread from her face to her eyes. She was genuinely smiling, and she truly felt very lucky.

Qingyuan boldly reached out and did something that seemed daring to outsiders: she stepped forward and pinched Princess Jing'an's cheek. "So this doesn't count as revealing my identity to the princess, right? We're not being distant now, are we?"

"You...you...how dare you treat this princess like this!"

Princess Jing'an clearly hadn't expected Qingyuan to do something so bold. After all, Qingyuan had always been self-disciplined and respectful in front of her, maintaining a proper distance. She was friendly and affectionate, but there was always something between them. Indeed, in Qingyuan's heart, there was a world of difference in their social status, a gap of too many people, and too much power between them.

Even though Princess Jing'an had repeatedly emphasized that Qingyuan didn't need to be so reserved, Qingyuan still couldn't fully get close to her.

Today's action was the first time Qingyuan had ever done something out of line.

Although Princess Jing'an said that Qing Yuan dared to treat him like this, besides puffing out her cheeks and glaring angrily at Qing Yuan, she didn't say anything about punishing her or getting angry. In fact, her beautiful eyes held a hint of amusement in addition to shyness.

Just then, someone knocked on the carriage from the outside, and the voice of the person outside could be heard:

"This subordinate greets Princess Jing'an. Is the princess inside the carriage?"

Princess Jing'an's smile vanished instantly, and she reverted to her haughty and arrogant self.

Cuiwei, who was standing nearby, immediately spoke up: "Who is outside? What brings you to pay your respects to the princess?"

"Your subordinate is Zheji, but our young master is..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qingyuan recognized the voice and looked at Princess Jing'an beside her, saying, "Princess, I'm sure that voice belongs to Zheji. He's the Third Young Master's trusted personal guard, who has served him for many years and has been through many trials and tribulations, even life and death."

Qingyuan couldn't help but want to step forward. After all, the fact that Sister Zhe was here proved that the Third Young Master must have made some progress. Whether he was awake or not, Qingyuan couldn't help but want to ask.

Cuiwei then spoke, "Your Highness understands. Please speak freely about what you need to say!"

A somewhat anxious voice came from outside: "It's like this, although our young master hasn't woken up yet, there's been a sudden emergency. The divine physician Sai Huatuo said that they need Miss Qingyuan's help. I just made some inquiries and confirmed that Miss Qingyuan is in the princess's carriage. So I would like to ask the princess to ask Miss Qingyuan if it would be convenient for her to accompany me to see our third young master?"

Upon hearing this, Princess Jing'an's gaze fell upon Qingyuan, who was standing to the side.

"Go, go, I'm going. He was injured like that only to save me. If it weren't for me, he would be perfectly fine now. If the Third Young Master needs me, and if I can be of any use to him, I must go."

Qingyuan nodded frantically at Princess Jing'an, her expression remarkably decisive. The slight smile that had appeared on her face vanished instantly, replaced by worry for the Third Young Master.

Seeing Qingyuan's decisive and straightforward manner, Princess Jing'an didn't say much. She simply waved her hand, told her to be careful, and let her go.

Qingyuan followed Zheji hurriedly to the Third Young Master's carriage, asking as she did so, "How is the Third Young Master now? What's the situation? Is Sai Shenyi sure I can really help him?"

"Please rest assured, young lady. I heard you clearly. Physician Sai Huatuo did say he was going to fetch you. As for the young master's current condition, Physician Sai Huatuo doesn't allow us to go in. So if you want to ask me, I can only say that I know nothing. All I know is that the young master is probably still unconscious."

As Zheji spoke, he was about to see Qingyuan onto the carriage, but then he hesitated and called out to her, "I beg you, young lady, if there is anything that Master Sai Huatuo can do to help you, and if you can save our third young master, please do your best. In the future, I will repay your life-saving grace by serving you like a slave."

As Zheji spoke, his eyes were full of sincerity as he looked at Qingyuan.

Qingyuan nodded. She originally wanted to say something to Zheji, but I remembered that the situation was urgent and there was no time to say anything. I just nodded and then got into the carriage without hesitation.

The carriage was much cleaner than before, and the smell of blood wasn't as strong, but the Third Young Master was still asleep on the bed.

At this moment, the renowned physician Sai Huatuo saw Qing Yuan enter and immediately looked as if he had seen a savior: "Miss Qing Yuan, you've finally come! The Third Young Master's condition is rather complicated. Please, Miss, help me!"

"Mr. Sai Huatuo, you flatter me. I don't have any special skills, and I don't know anything about medicine. I wonder if there's anything I can do to help you?"

As Qingyuan spoke, her gaze kept drifting towards the Third Young Master beside her.

Sai Huatuo explained, "The Third Young Master originally suffered a head injury. After I treated him, his condition stabilized temporarily. However, it's unclear how long he will remain unconscious or when he will wake up. I originally planned to have someone monitor his condition constantly, but when I came to take his pulse tonight, I discovered that it was very irregular. The reason the young lady sees the Third Young Master as calm and unresponsive is because I used silver needles to seal his pulse. If the needles are removed, he will continue to have nightmares. The Third Young Master's condition is very complicated." "Because it's a head injury, there are many possibilities, and I can't be completely certain which one it is right now. I can only say that I've tried everything I could. As for what will happen next, we'll see if the Third Young Master can get through this nightmare tonight. And I can't control whether he gets through the nightmare, so I thought of you, Miss. You and the Third Young Master have a deep bond, and he was injured because he fell from his horse while saving you. If you were willing to stay with him in the carriage for a while, it might be better than me being here in the carriage."

Upon hearing Sai Huatuo's words, Qing Yuan was somewhat stunned, but asked him blankly, "But Mr. Sai Huatuo, if you say that, I don't know what I can do. If it's a nightmare, I seem to be powerless to help, and I think Mr. Sai Huatuo must be mistaken. The relationship between me and the Third Young Master is not what you think."

"Miss. I don't know what you're worried about, or what you're thinking. I'm also unaware of the connection between you and the Third Young Master. I've been following him for so long, serving him, and treating his patients. I've met quite a few people connected to him, but you are truly the only one he has treated with the gentlest care and love. Besides, given the current situation, there's no time to delve into it further."

Sai Huatuo said this, unaware that his words left Qingyuan somewhat stunned.

Before Qingyuan could react, Sai Huatuo continued, "Miss, you don't need to do anything. Just help me remove those silver needles, and then you just need to calm the Third Young Master down and prevent him from hurting his head again. Whether you hold him down or talk to him, as long as you calm him down, it's fine."

Before Qingyuan could react, Sai Huatuo had already bent down to remove the silver needles from the Third Young Master's body.

The silver needles were quickly removed. Sai Huatuo didn't say much, but nodded encouragingly at Qingyuan before getting out of the carriage without hesitation.

Qingyuan hadn't yet witnessed the Third Young Master's emotional instability, and she felt somewhat lost, unsure how to help him through this difficult time.

Qingyuan could only walk up to him step by step and sit down next to him, at least to wipe the sweat off his body and forehead.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Qingyuan sat down, she was immediately pulled into someone's arms. Before Qingyuan could struggle, she felt a pain on her shoulder. She didn't know when, but the Third Young Master had really fallen into a nightmare and was biting randomly, biting her shoulder.

Qingyuan winced in pain and instinctively gasped, but she didn't push away the Third Young Master in front of her or try to stop him.

If this could calm the Third Young Master down, she would be willing. What did it matter compared to the kindness the Third Young Master had shown her?

Qingyuan thought for a moment, then reached out and gently patted the Third Young Master's back, as if comforting a child who had been frightened by a nightmare. However, Qingyuan hesitated for a long time, unsure of what she could say to the Third Young Master.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "Young master, you probably don't know, but I might be the person you've been looking for all this time. I remember that night you mentioned. I might never forget it. I also remember how you... directly made your move that night. I remember what you said to me after that night."

This happened a few months ago, it really is...

months ago--

"My lord, please give me a child..."

Straw was laid on the cold stone bed, clothes were half-fallen, and hair was intertwined. Qingyuan's lotus-like arms wrapped around his shoulders like water snakes, and she whispered kisses in his ear, asking for his attention.

An unusual sensation intertwined with the temperature, rising uncontrollably, the residual heat seeping into his body and spreading wantonly throughout his limbs and bones.

"you…"

The drug was too potent; the fact that Chu Jingxian could still make a sound was the last shred of his remaining rationality, as he tried to push her off.

Qingyuan took his hand and sat on the man's waist, her palms resting on his hot, iron-like chest.

She was too soft, too warm, and with the potent effects of the medicine, she ultimately awakened the beast within Chu Jingxian that he couldn't bear to be seen.