Peach Blossom.

Tao Ye also looked around, but couldn't see the motor anywhere, and couldn't help but worry.

"He couldn't be going to recover..." Tao Ye didn't finish her words.

But Chen Ji already knew what Tao Ye was going to say, and quickly replied, "No, Ma Da will never go against my wishes."

Tao Ye naturally knew that Mada was loyal to Chen Ji, so she had to believe for the time being that Si De would return safely to Du Juan.

When thinking of Dujuan, Tao Ye suddenly realized that Dujuan's breath seemed to be getting farther and farther away from her... Then, Si De must have really left.

Chen Ji did not go to look for Mada again, but just told Zhou Nian to make preparations as soon as possible, as he was going to pay homage to his grandfather.

The next day, after paying homage to his grandfather, Chen Ji asked everyone to pack up and prepare to return to Beijing.

Even while Chen Ji was in a coma, Ma Da had arranged for the burial of the guards who had perished near Huxiu Mountain. Before leaving Qiao County, Chen Ji went there to burn incense and pray, and ordered Zhou Nian to repair the tomb, erect a stele, and inscribe an epitaph as a token of his loyalty.

Not long after, the emperor and empress's motorcade was on the road back to Beijing, with Zhao Bi still leading the way, and Ma Da and his men following at the end of the team.

The return journey was different from the outward journey, as Chen Ji's arrow wound had not healed yet and he needed more rest. He did not go anywhere that was not necessary. He traveled during the day and rested at the post stations along the way at night. It was very regular and boring.

Also, because Chen Ji's arrow wound was too deep, he should not move too much. Even if he slept on the same bed with Tao Ye at night, they were just resting separately, which made Tao Ye feel much more at ease.

The only thing that made Tao Ye a little uneasy was that after staying at the post station every day, Tan Yue would appear in her and Chen Ji's living room.

Since there was only one doctor accompanying them, Donald had to be responsible for changing the medicine after leaving Qiao County.

The wound was on his back, and Chen Ji himself could not easily see it, but every time he changed the dressing, Tao Ye was beside him and could see it clearly.

She vaguely felt that the ointment that Tan Yue used on Chen Ji seemed a little different from the ointment used by the group of local famous doctors in Qiao County.

Tao Ye didn't know any medicine, so she just observed the color and texture of the ointment and didn't dare to guess.

Until one day, when he was changing the dressing at a post station, Chen Ji suddenly asked his patron, "Why do I feel that the pain these past two days seems to be worse than before?"

"Your Majesty, two of the herbs in the prescription have been depleted. I am in a hurry to return to Beijing and it is difficult to replenish supplies along the way. Therefore, the pain-relieving effect is slightly weaker. Please forgive me, Your Majesty." Tan Yue answered calmly, as if he had been mentally prepared for it.

Chen Ji asked again: "Apart from the fact that the pain relief effect is poor, are there any other effects?"

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty. The wound is healing well." Tan Yue said, picking up a mirror and holding it behind Chen Ji.

Chen Ji turned his head and looked at the mirror. From what he saw in the mirror, the wound had shrunk a lot compared to when it was first injured, so it seemed that there was no need to worry.

However, after Chen Ji asked this question, Tao Ye seemed to have already convinced herself that there was something wrong with the ointment.

But she did not say anything, just watched quietly as the donor prepared the medicine, applied the medicine, and bandaged the wound until he bowed and left.

In fact, what has been catching Tao Ye's attention recently is not the plaster, but Tan Yue's identity... What kind of face is under that bronze mask? She really wants to know.

It was because she was paying too much attention to the bronze-masked man's every move that she noticed the subtle changes in the ointment.

However, Chen Ji, who had always been very suspicious, actually believed what the donor said: "The medicinal materials are exhausted and difficult to replenish" and that the impact of the shortage of medicine is only "the pain relief effect is slightly weaker."

"Why does the emperor trust Tan Yaocheng so much?" Tao Ye couldn't help but ask.

"Huh?" Chen Ji was stunned for a moment, as if he had never thought about such a question before.

Chen Ji thought for a moment and answered naturally: "He was recommended to me by Tian Le. Tian Le must have approved of him before he dared to recommend him."

Tao Ye nodded and asked with a smile as if to summarize, "So, because the Emperor trusts Miss Tian, ​​he also trusts the people around her?"

"Tian Le is loyal to me, just like Mada, and is worthy of my trust." Chen Ji looked confident, as if he was making a promise to Tao Ye.

Tao Ye found this even more mysterious and interesting, and couldn't help but feel curious: "How long has the emperor known Miss Tian? And he can even compare her to Ma Da, who grew up with her?"

Chen Ji smiled and explained, "Of course it's still not as good as a motor, it's just an analogy."

Tao Ye smiled and said nothing more.

As far as she could remember, Chen Ji and Tian Le did not have much in common, and they were not the same type of people at all. If she could really trust him to that extent, it definitely did not come from simple loyalty.

In the next few days, Chen Ji's back pain continued to worsen. He even dared not lie down to sleep at night. He could only lie on his side and did not dare to turn over easily, so that when he woke up in the morning his whole body was stiff and uncomfortable.

The strange thing is that the wound healed surprisingly quickly.

Under such circumstances, it is impossible for Chen Ji to have no doubts at all.

When changing the dressing again, Chen Ji used a silver needle to test the ointment made by the donor himself, and found nothing abnormal.

He hesitated for a moment and said to the donor, "Don't apply medicine, just bandage it directly."

The donor obeys your command.

Tao Ye watched and couldn't help but guess wildly in her mind, wondering if Chen Ji no longer trusted Tan Yue after hearing her questions, or if he really couldn't stand the ointment.

But after stopping using Tan Yue's ointment, Chen Ji's wound quickly swelled up.

Chen Ji was afraid that Tao Ye would see the ugly bump on his back, so he simply lived in a separate room from Tao Ye.

On the first night of living in separate rooms, Mada came to Chen Ji's room to ask for a meeting.

After the ceremony, Mada asked Chen Ji, "Why did the emperor suddenly live alone?"

"My wound... seems to be a little off..." Chen Ji said as he unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his back.

Mada took a look and was shocked. "How can a wound heal and then become worse?"

"I had countless wounds, big and small, when I was marching and fighting in the early years, but this has never happened before." Chen Ji put on his clothes again with a look of doubt on his face.

Ma Da suggested: "Let's stop traveling tomorrow and find a doctor to see him."

"I don't even dare to use the ointment of Tan Yaocheng, so how can I dare to use those unknown doctors? I'd better return to Beijing as soon as possible..." Chen Ji shook his head gently.

Ma Da bowed again and said, "I have never had the opportunity to speak to Your Majesty in private. Actually, regarding the assassination of Qiao County, I think there are two people who are particularly suspicious of the spies or accomplices you mentioned. One of them is Tan Yaocheng."

"Are you also suspicious of him?" Chen Ji sighed softly, his expression melancholy. "He was recommended to the palace by Tian Le. I didn't want to doubt him easily, but now..."

Ma Da said: "The emperor cannot trust someone just because he trusts her. You know, she may also be deceived."

Chen Ji nodded and explained, "It's not just because of Tian Le. This thing doesn't make sense. If Medicine Minister Tan wanted to harm me, he could have just added a deadly poison to the ointment and killed me. Why beat around the bush and arouse suspicion?"

"Maybe it's not easy to kill someone with external medication?" Ma Da speculated imaginatively.

Chen Ji was unable to confirm it because his medical knowledge was too shallow and he did not have the time to study it in depth.

Ma Da continued, "I have checked all the accompanying personnel, including Tan Yaocheng. He was the last to enter the palace, and his origins are unknown, making him the most suspicious. I have also questioned General Zhao and several guards, and they all recall not seeing Tan Yaocheng at the foot of Huxiu Mountain. He may have known something was going to happen, so he hid before you entered Huxiu Mountain."

Chen Ji shook his head silently and did not agree with Ma Da's statement.

Because when he went to Huxiu Mountain, he did not pay attention to whether the donor was there, and Zhao Bi and others did not check at that time and place. Now, relying solely on everyone's impression cannot be used as definite evidence.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ji asked, "You just said there were two people who were particularly suspicious. Who was the other one?"

Ma Da took a deep breath, lowered his head, and answered cautiously: "It's the Queen."

Chen Ji stared at Mada in shock.

Ma Da didn't dare meet Chen Ji's gaze, but instead tried to prove his point: "I know the Emperor would never want to doubt the Empress. But how can one predict the future in this world? Looking at the imperial court and harem, only the Empress can control the Emperor's whereabouts, giving foreign enemies the opportunity to prepare in advance!"

"What makes you say that?" Chen Ji's face gradually showed anger, and he refuted: "You didn't even see how scared and sad Tao Ye was when she mistakenly thought I was dead!

You don't know how excited Tao Ye was when she saw your reinforcements appear! I asked Zhao Bi to escort her away, but she refused. She was determined to live and die with me. Such a deep friendship, and you actually doubted her? "

Chen Ji's voice grew louder and louder, and Tao Ye, who had been lying down to rest next door, hurriedly pricked up her ears, put on her clothes and got out of bed.

Ma Da was unwilling to give in and asked Chen Ji helplessly, "If the Queen is so affectionate, then why did the Emperor say in front of the old Duke's tomb that he might not have an heir in this life?"

Chen Ji was suddenly stunned by the question. Countless past events flashed through his mind at once, including his emotional entanglement with Tao Ye and the premature death of his son with Si Rong. The scenes that emerged at once were too complicated for him to answer Mada's question.

Ma Da continued, "Isn't it up to you to decide whether to have descendants or not?"

Chen Ji was flustered by the questions. He couldn't express his inner distress, but he became more and more depressed without realizing it.

"Why did Madam Bai station herself in Qiao County before the Emperor planned to go there? And why did she ambush Huxiu Village before the Emperor suddenly decided to go to Huxiu Mountain? If it weren't for the Empress' guidance..."

"Stop talking!" Chen Ji interrupted Ma Da with a sharp voice, shouting, "Why do you trust Zhou Nian's findings so much? What concrete evidence do you have? Can you solve the case based solely on intuition? When did you become so presumptuous?"

"I will find evidence..." Mada reluctantly said this.

"Then shut up until you find evidence!" Chen Ji once again broke his engine, furious. "Tao Ye accompanied me in worshipping our ancestors and mourning our parents. Our relationship has finally warmed up, how can I allow you to destroy it so wantonly?"

Seeing Chen Ji so angry, Mada didn't know how to continue the conversation.

He was just afraid that the only one whose feelings were warming was Chen Ji himself.

Ma Da mustered up his courage and reminded him one last time: "Your Majesty, don't forget who helped Si De escape from Hualin Garden..."

"Get out!" Chen Ji pointed at the door and issued an eviction order in a stern voice.

Mada had nothing more to say, so he bowed and left.

Tao Ye, who was next door, was standing inside the door wearing simple clothes, but she could not hear the words between the king and his minister, but she could hear that Chen Ji was angry.

When Mada left Chen Ji's room, Tao Ye lifted the door curtain slightly and took a peek, but saw that Mada's face was flushed, and she didn't know what emotion he was holding back.