Drunk Bamboo

Xie Yuzhu yawned twice before drinking a mouthful of porridge.

Hua Qinfeng had already drunk a bowl of porridge and eaten a bun. Seeing that she had not slept enough and was not in good spirits, he took out a folding fan from his sleeve and fanned her.

He found that Xie Yuzhu was afraid of both cold and heat.

When the weather gets hot, I can’t sleep well at night, and even my appetite is greatly reduced.

"The weather in Nanmi is hotter than in Zhongdu. I saw you tossing and turning and didn't sleep well last night. I'll ask Chaoyang to go out and find some ice. If you feel sleepy, you can take a nap."

Hearing about ice, Xie Yuzhu immediately perked up, but soon became listless again. "Ice is a rare commodity in Nanmi. Your Majesty, please don't mobilize a large army just for a few pieces of ice."

She was really treated like a treasure by Hua Qinfeng. She used to sleep well in Xie's house, but now there is ice in the room and a jade mat on the bed in Zhongdu, so she can't sleep here.

"Don't worry, I won't. You don't have to worry."

Hua Qinfeng waved his folding fan seriously, and gusts of cool breeze blew over him. Xie Yuzhu also ate a few more bites.

Not only is it hot here, the food is also bad.

Hua Qinfeng glanced at the bland porridge and vegetable dumplings on the table. There was not even an appetizer.

If Yunling hadn't left some vegetables last night, there would only be white steamed buns.

He could even eat steamed buns covered with sand on the battlefield, but not Xie Yuzhu. He couldn't let her suffer.

"Speaking of which, the Xie family is really too frugal. Even the candles were half-burned. The food they sent was also very stingy. They didn't even eat the Ginkgo Chaoyang, and saved it for us. Does the Xie family really have no money?"

He planned to ask Chaoyang to buy food for the next few days.

“Turn off the lights at the beginning of the night of Hai, get up at the beginning of the night of Yin, don’t eat too much, don’t wear too warm clothes, don’t be extravagant, don’t waste... You will slowly learn the 508 family rules of the Xie family.” Xie Yuzhu took a bite of the bun and smiled at him.

It was good enough to have half a candle, and they were not asked to turn off the lights at midnight. This was a privilege only given to the prince Hua Qinfeng.

"Fortunately, you haven't been assimilated by these family rules." Hua Qinfeng was thankful. Seeing that she was struggling to chew the buns, he said, "Don't eat if you can't eat. I'll take you out to eat later."

Xie Yuzhu shook her head and said, "It's better not to make any special arrangements. It was already rude to set up a separate kitchen in the yard yesterday."

After taking a sip of porridge, he asked, "Didn't they come to see me?"

"I came at daybreak, but you were still sleeping, so I left first."

Xie Yuzhu looked up at him.

Hua Qinfeng hurriedly explained, "I didn't say anything. They left on their own."

"After dinner, go see your father."

Hua Qinfeng nodded and continued to fan himself.

When I arrived at Xie Juesheng's room, Xie Yuyun and Xie Yupei were also there.

"Yuzhu, you're here. Did you sleep well last night?" When Xie Yupei saw them come in, she immediately smiled and stood up to greet them.

Xie Yuzhu felt that her elder sister had changed a lot after not seeing her for half a year. In the past, she would never do anything like smiling and apologizing to guests.

Now that her father is seriously ill and the family depends on her, she has to learn to read people's expressions and greet people coming and going.

"Eldest sister, you don't need to greet me. Just say whatever you want to say. Once you're done, we can treat father sooner."

Xie Yuzhu's straightforwardness surprised Xie Yupei.

She was stunned for a moment, looked at Xie Yuyun, and he nodded.

Xie Yupei sat back in her seat and said slowly: "Father is indeed ill. He is ill because of you, Yuzhu."

"What do you mean?" Xie Yuzhu was puzzled.

Hua Qinfeng frowned slightly, and his eyes instantly became sharp.

Xie Yupei lowered her eyes and did not notice Hua Qinfeng's dangerous expression.

She continued, "Ever since you married into Zhongdu, your father has been blaming himself and feeling guilty. He thought he didn't pay enough attention to you when you were little, and always left you alone in the yard. Because you were weak, learned slower than other children of your age, and were not good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy, or painting, he became increasingly disappointed in you."

"When the imperial decree granted the marriage, it was you who stepped forward and solved the problem for the Xie family."

"After you left, every time my father entered your yard, he missed you very much. Since then, he has had a heart disease and often cannot sleep well."

Xie Yuzhu listened quietly, but Hua Qinfeng's face became more and more gloomy.

Xie Yupei was unaware of the danger and continued, "Later, I inquired from many sources and learned about the various dangers you encountered in Zhongdu, which made me even more worried every day. Last month, the prince was assassinated and fell off a cliff in Loushan. After my father found out, his condition worsened and he often fell into a coma. We consulted many doctors, but none of them could help. They only said that heart disease needs heart medicine to cure it."

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent for a moment.

Xie Yupei looked up blankly, only to see Xie Yuyun looking a little nervous and shaking his head.

The next moment, Hua Qinfeng's sharp voice rang out.

"Then what does Miss Xie mean by saying this?"

"I... I just want Yuzhu to come back and see father, and say it to father in person, maybe it can ease his worries."

Xie Yupei felt that she had said nothing wrong, but she was also oppressed by Hua Qinfeng's momentum. She did not dare to look at him and turned her gaze to Xie Yuzhu.

"Didn't Yuzhu also say that there is a way to save father?"

Xie Yuzhu lowered his head slightly and said nothing.

Hua Qinfeng snorted coldly, "You have always looked down on her for reading medical books, so why do you believe that her medical skills can save people?"

"When did we..." Xie Yupei suppressed her anger and tried to explain calmly, "When she was young, no one taught her medicine. She liked to read medical books, and we did not object. We allowed her to go in and out of the large library of Baiyun Academy and the small library in the mansion, and she was allowed to read rare books. Now she has the guidance of an expert in Zhongdu. Since this is related to my father's safety, I trust her."

"If you want her to come back to reassure my father-in-law, why didn't you explain the situation when you wrote to me? If I don't let her go, she will be helpless even if she is worried about my father-in-law's safety. What if Your Majesty doesn't let her go? You can keep her in Zhongdu for any reason. What if Yuzhu herself doesn't want to return to this place that once hurt her?"

Hua Qinfeng glanced at her coldly, "No matter what the reason is, the result is the same. Can you just regard her as an unfilial daughter with peace of mind, and then naturally resolve the guilt in your heart?"

Xie Yuyun immediately spoke up, "Your Majesty has misunderstood. The Xie family has never thought of this."

"Just because you haven't thought about it doesn't mean others haven't thought about it." Hua Qinfeng said coldly.

Xie Yuyun turned his gaze towards Xie Yupei and stared at her in disbelief.

Xie Yupei's face was filled with astonishment and her lips turned pale.

"Grandfather and the second young lady of the Xie family don't know about this. If Yuzhu hadn't come back immediately, my father-in-law's illness would have worsened and he would have never woken up. Miss Xie, are you capable of taking on all this? What qualifications do you have to take on this? Grandfather Xie is still alive, and even though he is old, he still has an uncle who practices on his behalf. In terms of age, Brother Xie is sitting right in front of you. Why do you think you can handle all this?"

With a "bang", Hua Qinfeng's big palm slammed heavily on the table, and the whole table shook.

Xie Yupei's beautiful little face turned pale and she bit her lips. She was so aggrieved and scared that she didn't dare to let tears fall.

"No, I didn't... Grandfather is very old... That's why I dare not tell him. I, I have been looking for a better doctor everywhere. My father's illness will definitely get better. I changed the prescription a few days ago, and my father has improved. Recently, I increased the dosage, and that's why he fell asleep. In a few days, it will take effect."

With trembling eyes, he looked at Xie Yuzhu, hoping that she would believe him. "I wrote to Yuzhu... I told her that my father was seriously ill and wanted to see her. Yuzhu would definitely come back. I didn't expect that Yuzhu would come back so soon."

"I have never thought about what the prince said. I..."