Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

Xiao Lie snorted coldly.

"Still laughing and joking, when others are trying to find out information right up to my face, you're not even a little bit wary."

"Have someone keep a close eye on things. Also, pay attention to the physician, medical records, and other trivial matters such as meals and medicines. Make sure you act convincingly so that Liu Yun'er doesn't notice anything amiss."

Upon hearing this, Shi Liu's expression hardened, and he immediately responded.

"Yes, Your Highness, I will go and give those servants some pointers later."

Xiao Lie nodded, glanced at the medicinal porridge in Sixteen's hand, and said calmly.

"Wait a moment, let the royal physician examine this porridge to see if there's anything wrong with it?"

"Your Highness, do you suspect that Liu Yun'er might have poisoned him?"

"That's hard to say. She seems careless and thoughtless, but who knows if she's just pretending? It's always good to be cautious."

After discussing Liu Yun'er's matter, Xiao Lie couldn't help but ask about Lin Wan'er's recent situation.

After considering for a moment, Sixteen replied, "Lin Wan'er has been very well-behaved these days; she must have learned her lesson."

Xiao Lie felt somewhat relieved. After his suppression, the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, which had been plagued by constant turmoil, was finally somewhat stable.

The emperor thought it was normal for Xiao Lie to be sick for a few days, but when he was sick for more than ten days in a row, his condition became somewhat unusual.

Hearing the news from below, the emperor couldn't help but frown. "Is Xiao Lie really ill?"

De Shun shook his head. "These people are of low status, and Xiao Lie spends all his time recuperating in his room, so these spies can't see him in person."

"However, from Xiao Lie's diet to the leftover medicine dregs, there is no clue. Xiao Lie is probably really sick."

The emperor couldn't help but sneer, "I just bestowed such great favor upon him, and he fell ill, and has not recovered. Could it be that he fell ill because of my favor?"

"You, take the imperial physician to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and convey my imperial edict. Tell him that the court is busy with many affairs, and his role as procurement officer is indispensable. If his condition is serious, he should not suffer on his own. If there is a lack of medical care or medicine, he should be allowed to come to the palace."

De Shun said "Yes" and immediately accepted the order and withdrew.

Half an hour later, De Shun, accompanied by a royal physician and several eunuchs, arrived in front of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion in a grand procession.

Xiao Lie was in his room, biting the pen, pondering his resignation memorial.

The dog emperor has placed him in this position, so he won't easily dismiss him. How should he write something that will force the dog emperor to dismiss him?

It needs to be written more seriously, indicating that he is unwell and really cannot support his work.

They also had to portray his talent and character as mediocre, proving that he was unfit for a great responsibility.

It would be best to add some threats, express more about your longing for your grandfather, and your concerns about the border.

It's easy to imagine what a procurement deputy envoy, who controls resources and can also make a fortune, would do upon learning that his family and soldiers on the border are suffering. He would definitely try to find ways to send money and supplies to the front lines.

If the emperor doesn't want to see the Xiao family grow stronger with each battle, he should remove them from power.

Xiao Lie composed himself and was revising the draft when he heard Sixteen burst through the door in a panic.

"What kind of behavior is this, all flustered and panicked?"

Sixteen's face paled slightly. "Your Highness, do you still have the mind to care about these things?"

"Just now, Eunuch Deshun came to our Zhenguo Duke's Mansion on His Majesty's orders, saying that he wants the imperial physician to examine you."

Xiao Lie was startled, his spine tingling from the shock of the news.

Well, just as he was about to feign illness and resign, the dog emperor pulled the rug out from under him.

Even more critically, if his feigned illness is exposed, the emperor might use it as an excuse to convict him of deceiving the emperor.

Sixteen asked urgently, "Your Highness, what should we do now?"

"Don't worry, quietly summon the imperial physician now."

Before feigning illness, Xiao Lie had considered backup plans, but the side effects were too great, so he dared not try them lightly. However, with the crisis looming, he had no choice but to take the risk.

A short while later, a thin old man with messy white hair hurriedly followed Sixteen in.

He lit a candle, heated the needle with it, and then pulled out a dark pill from the bottom of the medicine box, saying solemnly.

"Your Highness, have you thought this through? While taking this medicine may disrupt your body's energy flow, cause an imbalance of Yin and Yang, and create a false illness, it will also place a tremendous burden on your body."

"If the person taking the medicine is healthy, and with proper care afterward, there may be no problem. But with your physique, Your Highness, there is a very high probability that you will develop health problems later."

"Enough with the nonsense. When it comes down to it, do I even have a choice?"

He could only pray that he would be lucky and survive this ordeal.

Seeing that he had made his decision, the physician no longer hesitated and inserted several silver needles into his vital acupoints to protect his heart and important meridians from the effects of the medicine. Then he poured half a bowl of water, shook it slightly, and dissolved the pill.

He handed the bowl to Xiao Lie.

"Your Highness, please have a drink."

Xiao Lie frowned and drank it down in one gulp.

A short while later, he felt a slight pain in his abdomen, his face turned pale, and cold sweat seeped from his forehead and back. His vitality and blood seemed to be draining away invisibly. In an instant, Xiao Lie felt as if he had truly become a sickly skeleton.

Xiao Lie struggled to speak, "Quickly, invite them here."

The physician packed his things and disappeared swiftly, while Sixteen was extremely anxious, but he had to pretend to be calm and asked a servant to fetch him.

Inside the main hall, De Shun frowned slightly, his impatience barely concealed.

These servants have been spreading the word for far too long. Perhaps they know the truth will be revealed, so they're delaying to avoid seeing anyone.

Just as he was frowning and pondering whether to force his way in, a little man hurriedly came up to him and said with a smile.

"Thank you for waiting, Eunuch. The young master has already woken up. He just finished washing up, which took a while, so he specially sent me to apologize. I hope you won't take offense."

"It's alright, it's alright. I'm just a servant of mine, I can wait as long as I want. I just wonder if the young master is ready to receive guests now?"

"Of course, please come with me."

De Shun and the imperial physician followed behind this person, slowly approaching Qingfeng Garden.

As soon as they reached the main room, before even opening the door, they could smell a faint medicinal odor.

The imperial physician stroked his beard, frowned, and pondered deeply, but couldn't come up with a solution. He simply increased the credibility of Xiao Lie's illness by another ten percent in his mind.

The sixteenth door opened to welcome the two guests.

Upon entering, they found the room unusually quiet, with windows tightly closed, curtains half-drawn, and the lingering smell of medicine, along with occasional weak coughs.

The young man, leaning against the headboard, lifted the gauze curtain, revealing a pale yet handsome face. His complexion was faintly bluish-white, his lips were dry, and he exuded a sense of weakness, truly appearing as if he were ill.

De Shun was suddenly alarmed and couldn't help but become suspicious.

Could it be that Prince Xiao wasn't lying, and that he was truly ill?

He subconsciously became more careful with his words.

"Young Master Xiao, it's been many days. How are you feeling?"