The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 123

Chapter 123: Taken Home by the Princess Part 11

The bed curtains were pulled open, revealing a pair of red-rimmed eyes. Chongxi’s face was pale, his nightclothes disheveled, his hair a mess.

He reached out from the bed: “Elder Sister, you’re finally here! I was so scared, I had that dream again, about the day of Jingzhe…”

Hearing the word “Jingzhe,” the eunuchs and maids discreetly withdrew. Some things weren’t meant for their ears.

Chongxi continued, his voice trembling, “Third Brother’s screams when he was trampled by the horse… Does he resent me for hiding and not saving him? In my dream, he kept staring at me, resenting me for stealing what was his… so many people shouting, drawing bows and swords, blood, blood everywhere, and someone breaking into the palace, trying to kill me…”

Qin Yang: “Your Majesty is blessed by the heavens and safe and sound. The traitor Qin has been punished by our father.”

Chongxi trembled, his shoulders shaking: “Is rebellion a sin?”

Before Qin Yang could answer, he asked again, “I hear the sound of a bowstring, is someone drawing a bow?”

Qin Yang listened attentively, then shook her head: “No, Your Majesty, the palace staff are rolling up the bamboo blinds in the corridor, it’s going to rain tonight.”

Just then, a clap of thunder echoed, the window momentarily illuminated by lightning, and Chongxi’s face paled, his heart pounding.

Clutching Qin Yang’s sleeve, he asked nervously, “What was that sound? Did someone break into the palace? Is there another rebellion?”

Qin Yang replied, “It’s thunder, it’s going to rain.”

Chongxi called for his attendants, and a eunuch appeared, standing behind the screen with his head lowered, not daring to look at the figures behind it.

The eunuch replied, “Your Majesty, it’s raining outside, and there was just a clap of thunder.”

Chongxi’s expression didn’t improve much. He nodded: “So it’s raining. Elder Sister, don’t leave, okay? I’m scared…”

After much coaxing, Chongxi finally lay down, demanding Qin Yang promise not to leave and to keep the lights on.

Qin Yang agreed to everything.

But Chongxi still couldn’t sleep peacefully, opening his eyes every few minutes, calling out to Qin Yang, only closing his eyes after confirming she was there. After several repetitions, he finally fell asleep.

Qin Yang sat on a stool by the bed, pondering for a moment, then summoned a maid, gesturing towards the brush and ink on the desk.

The maid quietly brought over the writing materials, and Qin Yang rolled up her sleeve, writing a message on the blank paper with swift strokes.

The maid, after reading it, silently curtsied and left.

Outside, the wind and rain raged.

The princess’s entourage stood under the eaves, sheltered from the rain, but still uncomfortable in the late spring chill, a few maids rubbing their arms for warmth.

A palace maid came out and said, “It’s raining heavily outside, Her Highness has instructed me to arrange accommodations for you, please follow me.”

No one wanted to stand under the eaves all night watching the rain, so they followed her, Tao Ning discreetly glancing at the bedchamber before joining them.

Tao Ning asked, “May I ask how I should address you?”

Judging by her attire, this palace maid should be a high-ranking attendant serving the emperor.

The maid replied, “I haven’t seen you before, are you new here? You can call me Hu Po.”

Tao Ning seized the opportunity: “Sister Hu Po, we’re staying here tonight, but where will the princess sleep?”

Hu Po said, “Her Highness? His Majesty has nightmares and wakes up easily, and with the rain tonight, he probably won’t sleep well, so Her Highness will stay in his bedchamber.”

To Tao Ning, this meant a sleepless night. What was the difference between him and a crying baby who needed constant attention?

Tao Ning could only say, “I see, thank you, Sister Hu Po.”

Hu Po shook her head: “It’s nothing.”

Judging by their reactions, this wasn’t the first time this had happened, they were used to it.

But the princess was also human, burdened with state affairs, court officials, and the emperor’s occasional tantrums, even the strongest person would be exhausted.

This troublesome position of power wasn’t worth it.

Tao Ning couldn’t see any benefit in it.

The princess stayed inside all night, and Tao Ning, outside, didn’t sleep much either, constantly awakened by the heavy rain.

Tossing and turning, dawn arrived, the sky still dark and gloomy from the rain.

The rain hadn’t stopped, as if the heavens had opened up, determined to pour.

Unable to sleep, Tao Ning got up early, washed up, and went to wait for the princess outside the emperor’s bedchamber.

She had intended to watch the rain and wind if the princess didn’t appear, but unexpectedly, she did.

Qin Yang emerged from the bedchamber, her steps steady, as composed and dignified as when she entered.

Only a hint of fatigue lingered in her eyes, easily dismissed with a blink.

Seeing the figure waiting outside, Qin Yang’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. She placed a hand on Tao Ning’s arm and asked, “Why are you here? Were you waiting for me all night without resting?”

Tao Ning subtly increased the pressure on Qin Yang’s arm, realizing the princess wasn’t as energetic as she appeared.

Tao Ning said, “Your Highness, I went back to sleep and just arrived, I didn’t expect to see you. Sister Hu Po said you usually leave at the end of the Yin hour(3 a.m. to 5 a.m), I came too early.”

Qin Yang nodded, a few red lines visible in her eyes, as a eunuch approached: “Your Highness, the palanquin is ready.”

When the palanquin arrived, the maids from the princess’s residence had also woken up, apologizing profusely upon seeing the princess.

Qin Yang didn’t punish anyone. She was exhausted, leaning on Tao Ning as she sat in the palanquin, instinctively rubbing her temples.

A eunuch held an umbrella over her, shielding her from the rain, which, fortunately, wasn’t heavy, otherwise she would have been drenched.

The group quietly left the emperor’s bedchamber, returning to Qin Yang’s residence. The eunuchs lowered the palanquin, waiting for her to disembark.

Tao Ning bent down, careful not to let the raindrops from the oil-paper umbrella touch Qin Yang, and gently nudged her arm.

Tao Ning whispered, “Your Highness, we’ve arrived.”

Qin Yang, startled by the touch, woke up, the confusion and drowsiness in her eyes vanishing as she realized where she was.

A hand reached out, and Qin Yang stood up, an oil-paper umbrella held over her head, as they walked towards the door.

Maids were already waiting with hot water.

Qin Yang, having not slept all night, was still dazed. Ascending the stairs, her skirt caught on her foot, and she almost stumbled.

Alarmed cries echoed around her: “Your Highness!”

“Be careful, Your Highness!” Tao Ning quickly dropped the umbrella and reached out to steady her.

She accidentally grabbed Qin Yang’s wrist, her eyes flickering as she sensed something amiss, looking at the princess with a thoughtful expression.

Qin Yang, her eyes lowered, didn’t notice Tao Ning’s gaze. She straightened up, supporting herself on Tao Ning’s arm, and exhaled softly: “I’m fine.”

Tao Ning noticed that most of the color on Qin Yang’s lips had faded, making her look pale.

Afraid of being noticed, Tao Ning lowered her gaze, helping Qin Yang inside, and said softly, “There’s a step here, Your Highness, be careful.”

Qin Yang simply nodded, not replying.

After helping her to the bed, Tao Ning released her hand, only to see Qin Yang sway as if about to fall.

Tao Ning quickly said, “Wait, Your Highness,” and supported her shoulder while other maids helped remove her hair ornaments.

Another maid brought ginger soup, and Qin Yang, exhausted, pinched her nose and drank it. A maid accidentally bumped the bowl while removing her hair ornaments, spilling some soup on her collar.

The maid’s face paled, and she quickly knelt down to apologize, but Qin Yang just waved her hand dismissively, allowing her to leave.

The maid kowtowed and silently retreated.

The remaining maids worked quickly, removing Qin Yang’s elaborate hairstyle and accessories, then left as if on cue.

The room fell silent, only the soft sound of rain outside the window.

Taking advantage of the lack of attendants, Tao Ning checked Qin Yang’s forehead with the back of her hand, she didn’t have a fever.

Qin Yang grabbed her hand, her palm burning hot, and smiled: “I’m fine, no fever.”

Tao Ning’s hand was warmed by the touch, and she was startled, wondering why Qin Yang was still awake: “But Your Highness looks exhausted, should I summon a physician?”

Qin Yang’s voice was low and slightly hoarse: “I’m just tired, let me sleep for a while, no need to…” summon a physician.

As she uttered the word “summon,” her voice trailed off, and Tao Ning realized she had fallen asleep.

The hand on her hand slipped, and Qin Yang, exhausted after a day and a night of activity, succumbed to sleep.

Tao Ning rubbed her fingers, the warmth from the princess’s hand seemingly lingering. She wondered, Could Qin Yang also be poisoned?

The poison hadn’t been completely purged, lingering in her body.

Otherwise, how could her hands be so warm after being caught in the rain, without any internal energy to protect her? This was clearly a symptom of the poison acting up.

Looking around, she checked Qin Yang’s pulse again, confirming it wasn’t a cold or fever, but the recurring effects of the poison.

And judging by her pulse, the poison had been in her body for years, deeply rooted, probably since she was very young.

This puzzled Tao Ning.

She committed another act of disrespect, sitting on the footstool by Qin Yang’s bed, checking her pulse again, staring at her sleeping face, deep in thought.

A princess, raised in the palace, how could she be poisoned with something the Imperial Hospital couldn’t cure?

Wasn’t the late emperor very fond of her? How potent was this poison to linger for so long?

Unfortunately, Tao Ning didn’t know much about this world. The information provided by 520 was mostly basic, without mentioning any secret techniques, so she couldn’t determine the type of poison.

520, seeing her actions, couldn’t help but ask, [You also know medicine? Did you find anything?]

“Oh, you startled me.” Tao Ning silently patted her chest.

She had been deep in thought when the sudden voice, even more annoying and clueless than the spirit residing in her spiritual domain, interrupted her.

Tao Ning retorted, “One hundred thousand books weren’t read in vain, this isn’t difficult. Are you saying my future self doesn’t know medicine?”

520, at least, didn’t say “I don’t know” this time. It replied, [You do, but you learned it later, and you’re not very proficient, not as skilled as you are at cooking.]

So it wasn’t that she learned quickly, but that she hadn’t forgotten everything.

Tao Ning felt a headache at the mention of cooking. She had always avoided the kitchen, and no one could force her to cook.

520 was truly curious: [What did you find out? Is she just feverish? Shouldn’t we call a physician? Fevers can be fatal in this era.]

Tao Ning, exasperated, replied, “It’s not a fever, just the chill after the rain and a day of hard work without rest, triggering the recurring effects of the poison in her body.”

520 was shocked: [Ah? She’s also poisoned?]

It looked at the sleeping figure, her eyes closed, her face pale, the cinnabar mole between her eyebrows prominent.

Tao Ning gently brushed the strands of black hair from her face and tucked them behind her ear.

This scene, if it were under a tree with blooming flowers, would be a beautiful painting of a sleeping beauty.

But thinking of Qin Yang’s condition, Tao Ning only tucked the blanket around her more securely, not even daring to breathe too loudly: “She needs rest and warmth, otherwise, the more she works, the shorter her life will be.”

Last night, Qin Yang had been worried about Tao Ning’s lifespan.

Listening to Physician Xu’s nonsense, her own life was the one in danger.

But how else could the physician demonstrate his skill without prescribing a bunch of bitter medicine?

He wasn’t even concerned about his own health.

Stepping outside, she saw a group of maids gathered together, looking at each other anxiously. Seeing Tao Ning appear, their eyes lit up.

Several hands reached out simultaneously, pulling her over, and she had to cover her mouth to suppress a yelp.

The lead maid, Meng Chun, said, “Grand Historian Cui isn’t here, but Her Highness’s clothes are damp and dirty from the journey, and no one dares to change her clothes, so we were hoping you could help.”

The other maids didn’t dare, and with Cui Hong’s absence, this task fell to Tao Ning.

Tao Ning looked bewildered: “Ah? Me?”

The maids’ gazes confirmed: Yes, you, go.

Tao Ning tried to resist: “Why don’t you dare to change Her Highness’s clothes?”

The maids’ expressions turned troubled. One of them said, “Because Her Highness dislikes being served personally, only Grand Historian Cui has done it for years, but she’s not here now, so only you can do it.”

Tao Ning: “…I’m also a person.” And she had never served anyone before.

Changing clothes was a different level of difficulty than serving dishes.

It was also different from shooting arrows, she thought the latter was easier.

Another maid added, “You were able to help Her Highness remove her hair ornaments and accessories earlier, something no one else could do, so we were hoping you could help.”

Tao Ning: “…” I didn’t realize the princess was so difficult to serve.

Tao Ning, who had just stepped out, was pushed back inside, the maids giving her encouraging looks. She turned to see a set of clean clothes neatly folded on the table.

Outside the door, several figures waited anxiously.

After hesitating for a moment, Tao Ning walked towards the table, her hand touching the soft fabric, which carried a familiar scent of sandalwood.

Qin Yang loved sandalwood, its deep and rich fragrance always lingering around her, occasionally using other incense, but sandalwood was her favorite.

This must be her personal clothing, it felt smooth to the touch.

This was bad.

Tao Ning quickly retracted her hand, as if burned, her ears slightly red.

She looked at the screen in the room, behind which was Qin Yang’s bed.

The maids, unaware, had entrusted the princess to her, like leaving gold with a thief.

Because gold was gold, and the princess was a woman.

She seemed to prefer women, but Tao Ning hadn’t had the chance to confirm yet, first immobilized, then losing four of her five senses, only her hearing remaining.

In that situation, anyone would go crazy.

Who cared about preferences then? She had been more worried about losing her mind completely.

Steeling herself, Tao Ning picked up the clothes and walked towards the princess’s bed, carefully identifying each garment and looking at Qin Yang.

She was still asleep, her complexion slightly better than before.

Tao Ning’s hand reached out, then retreated, hesitating.

Finally, she made up her mind. It was just a small task.

The princess had offered her high position and wealth, a great favor, and it would be disrespectful to refuse to change her dirty clothes.

Tao Ning wasn’t one to be ungrateful.

“Look not at what should not be seen, taking advantage of others is ungentlemanly.”

Tao Ning found a sash and blindfolded herself, ensuring it was secure, then reached out to unbutton Qin Yang’s collar.