Reborn, I am doing involution on Jinshan

"Among so many princes, I still prefer Hao'er. He has a good foundation and is already a crown prince. That Yan seems to have had a strange disease since he was a child and has always been sickly."

Zhao Ran nodded and said, "Yes, the key is that the princess likes him. Seeing how he protected the princess all day today, he is already qualified as a son-in-law from an ordinary family."

Dongfang Huang patted him on the shoulder and said, "Brother Zhao, send someone to investigate the identities of those mysterious guests tomorrow and see what they are up to."

Zhao Ran took his orders and left, while Dongfang Huang paced back and forth, pondering his response. He knew the situation would become even more dire, and every step had to be taken with extreme caution; a single misstep could lead to total defeat.

At this moment, in the Third Prince's residence, those mysterious guests were conversing secretly with the Third Prince and Dongfang Yan. In the dimly lit room, a faint atmosphere of conspiracy permeated the air...

Crown Prince Dongfang Hao was also not idle. He immediately summoned the palace's guard commander and several trusted advisors to discuss countermeasures in his study. "The Third Prince sent people to track and intercept them today, which shows that they have begun to take action."

Guard Commander Pang Zhengxiang clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, Prince. The guards in the palace have been strengthened and they are on duty day and night. No suspicious person will be allowed to enter the palace."

Advisor Fan Dengke pondered for a moment and said, "Prince, in my opinion, we must strengthen our own defenses on the one hand, and on the other hand, we must also take the initiative. Send people to investigate Dongfang Yan's whereabouts and see what their next move will be. At the same time, contact the ministers in the court who are on good terms with the Crown Prince and win their support."

Dongfang Hao nodded slightly and agreed, "You have a point. Let's do as you say and send someone to investigate immediately. Also, regarding the matter of contacting the ministers, we must be cautious and ensure the confidentiality of the information. We must not let the Third Prince and others notice our actions." Everyone accepted the order and went down to prepare.

Xiao Ruiyue returned to her boudoir, but Sima Xiaotao was nowhere to be seen. Caihong helped the young mistress sit down and asked softly, "Miss, are you still feeling uncomfortable?"

"Xiaohong, please get me a plate of ice water and a handkerchief."

Xiao Ruiyue looked even more unhappy. Although Caihong was a little confused, she immediately replied, "Yes, Miss."

Soon, he hurried into the boudoir carrying a basin of ice water, gently placed the basin on the table, and asked, "Miss, what do you want this ice water for...?"

Little Ruiyue walked to the basin, leaned over slightly, and dipped her hands in the cold water. The biting coldness instantly hit her, and she shuddered, but she still gritted her teeth and persevered.

Seeing this, Caihong said distressedly, "Miss, why are you doing this? What if you get frozen? You used to apply compresses on your forehead to cool it down physically. Let me help you wipe it off."

Xiao Ruiyue withdrew her hands and raised her head. Her face was a little pale, but her eyes were resolute. "Xiaohong, I just want to clear my mind. The situation is getting more serious, and the danger we face has increased. I must stay calm and think carefully about how to deal with it."

"But, Miss, you seem to be sick and can't get cold again." Caihong touched her head to measure her temperature, and then touched her own head: "Miss, your head is so hot!"

"Miss, you really have a high fever. Go lie down on the bed quickly. I will cover your forehead with a handkerchief and you will feel better."

Xiao Ruiyue wanted to refuse and tried to force herself to continue thinking of a solution, but her legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead and her head became increasingly dizzy. After a while of dizziness, she had no choice but to follow Caihong's instructions and slowly walked to the bed and lay down.

Caihong was extremely worried. She quickly ran to the basin, soaked her handkerchief, wrung it out, and gently placed it on Ruiyue's forehead. Looking at the young lady's red cheeks, Caihong's eyes couldn't help but redden. She said in a tearful voice, "Young lady, it's all Caihong's fault for not taking good care of you. If anything happened to you, what would Caihong do?"

Xiao Ruiyue opened her eyes slightly and said weakly: "Caihong...don't worry, I'm fine, I'm just sleepy."

Caihong didn't believe it: "Miss, Caihong will go and ask the doctor in the mansion right away. He will definitely make sure nothing happens to you. You should have a good rest first and don't think about anything."

After saying that, Caihong turned around and ran out of the boudoir, all the way to the residence of the court doctor.

Soon, Caihong arrived with the court physician. The physician hurried to the bedside and took Ruiyue's pulse. His brow furrowed, his expression grave. After a long pause, he spoke, "The princess has been overly worried these past few days and has caught a cold, which is why she has a high fever. She needs to take some medicine immediately and rest for a few days. She should be fine."

Caihong felt relieved after hearing this and quickly said, "Then please prescribe the medicine quickly, sir."

The court doctor nodded, quickly wrote down the prescription, and handed it to Caihong: "Go and boil the medicine early tomorrow morning. Remember to take it on time, and eat a light diet for the next few days."

"I brought some mugwort leaves. When you boil water, add some to the bath. It should help relieve the pain."

Caihong took the prescription and the herbal formula of mugwort, thanked the court doctor, and immediately went to boil water herself. While waiting for the medicine to boil, she was extremely anxious, and from time to time she glanced at the iron pot, hoping that the water would boil quickly.

Cui had also arranged for several slaves to be sent over, but Ruiyue, mindful of her ambitions, declined. Cuixiang remained at the Taoist temple on Ziling Mountain to help look after her. She had planted several immortal plants and needed someone to care for them.

Sima Xiaotao still has tasks to do, so Caihong is the only one busy running around.

Little Ruiyue, lying on the bed, gradually lost consciousness. She murmured in her sleep, "Mother...can't give up...father."

It was already midnight when Sima Xiaotao came back. Xiao Ruiyue had spotted a strange bearded man sneaking towards the north courtyard.

The north courtyard was now occupied by Cui and her two sons. Xiao Ruiyue winked at Sima Xiaotao, who immediately understood and quietly followed.

Sima Xiaotao followed the bearded man carefully, taking advantage of the cover of night and trying not to make any noise.

The large man arrived at the north courtyard gate, glanced around, and then slipped into the courtyard. Sima Xiaotao followed closely, hiding behind a large tree and observing. The large man walked straight to Cui's room and knocked gently on the door. Cui quickly opened the door and welcomed him in.

Sima Xiaotao was puzzled. Who was this big man, and what was his relationship with the Cui family? She decided to get closer to listen to what they were saying. She crouched down and slowly approached the window. Through the crack in the window, she heard the big man say in a low voice, "Lizi, everything has been arranged. We are just waiting for the right time."

Cui nodded with satisfaction and took out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to the big man: "Here, take it and hide it."

The voice of Da Yuezi rang out: "Po Li, I miss you so much, come, give me a kiss."

"Look how anxious you are! The big guy is very busy at the military camp and said he won't be back tonight." Cui laughed softly.