Who says the prince is weak and can't take care of himself?

"What? Guilty? Or afraid of me?"

Qinglan swallowed his saliva. For some reason, although Qi Xiao didn't look much older than him, he felt a little afraid of him.

Qi Xiao smiled at Qinglan, and Qinglan shuddered and felt a chill all over his body.

"Don't be afraid of me. Didn't I just save your young master?" Qi Xiao walked over to Qing Lan. He had already poured out the tea on the table. He reached out and took a piece of cake and took a bite. "This is called Dousugao, a specialty snack from Chu. Mung beans, soybeans, glutinous rice, and sesame seeds are dried and ground. Mugwort juice is boiled and mixed into the powder, supplemented with brown sugar to make a glutinous rice cake. It's wrapped in lotus leaves and steamed. It's refreshing and delicious, it drives away the cold."

Qing Lan stood there in a daze, not knowing what Qi Xiao meant by saying so much. Just to tell him that the snack was non-toxic?

"You are so stupid, why did your master choose you to go out with him?"

Qinglan frowned, his face turning pale at Qi Xiao's words. He glared at Qi Xiao, stiffening his neck and saying, "Qinglan is useless! We can't even figure out the reason why the young master fell asleep!"

Qi Xiao was amused by Qing Lan and laughed out loud, leaving Qing Lan completely confused. What was he laughing at?! Was he laughing at himself?

Qi Xiao laughed enough and stood up. "I put the medicine in the tea that Tang Ling drank before her bath. Don't worry, it's not poison. His illness has been worsening over time, so it's better for him to stay in the palace to recuperate and avoid the suffering of the prison cart. When your young master wakes up, let him come and thank me for this favor. You, silly boy, just serve him well."

Qinglan couldn't understand what Qi Xiao's intention was. Maybe Qi Xiao was right. He was just stupid and could only regret it alone. Only by taking good care of Tang Ling could he feel better.

Qinglan breathed a sigh of relief only after Qi Xiao walked out of the yard. She paused for a moment before cleaning up the tea dregs, tea foam and broken teacup.

Zong Sheng was waiting for Qi Xiao at the gate of the courtyard: "Master, Su Qin has arrived at the post station."

"Yue Zhilin is there too?"

"Yes. There are yamen runners outside the palace, and the Tiger Power Army has also left a group of people guarding it."

"Let them go." Qi Xiao smiled. "You're right. Qing Lan does know medicine, and his skills seem to be quite good. Tang Ling only brought one person with her, a man who knows no martial arts at all, and she herself is a sickly person. She's really brave. Rumors really can't be trusted. But this trip shouldn't be too boring. Keep an eye on him, and give him whatever he wants."

"Yes." Zong Sheng thought for a moment and couldn't help asking, "Master, if we help him like this, aren't we afraid of being criticized? Will it make it difficult for us to return to Yuanjing?"

Qi Xiao's smile instantly faded, his face darkening as he shook his head slightly. "The court is in chaos right now. The Qin family is powerful, and the court is mostly filled with sycophants who follow their orders. A while ago, they severely criticized the eldest brother over the military pay issue, accusing him of dereliction of duty, delaying battle opportunities, and attempting to persecute talented generals. Every word they said was meant to drive the eldest brother to death. As a result, officials from all levels of the Ministry of Revenue were dismissed or imprisoned, and everyone was in a state of panic. The position of Crown Prince has been undecided for years, and the situation is extremely tense right now. My sudden request to be recalled to the capital will surely make my brothers uncomfortable..."

Zong Sheng looked at Qi Xiao, unable to help but worry for him. Qi Xiao sighed slightly, then smiled wryly before continuing, "I've finally driven all my brothers away, one by one. None of them want me to return. If no one rebels, Father might just throw my memorial away, never to be seen again. I'm not so sure... Man proposes, God disposes, so I'm going to take a gamble."

***

Tang Ling woke up late at night, but it was still dark when he opened his eyes. He seemed to be still in a dream. He felt very tired and exhausted. His body and limbs felt heavy, as if he was stuck in a quagmire. He wanted to save himself but was powerless. Gradually, his whole body was buried in it, and even breathing became a struggle.

"Ah……"

Tang Ling's struggle finally woke up Qing Lan, who was keeping vigil beside the bed: "Master? Master! You're finally awake!"

Qinglan's nervousness brought Tang Ling back to reality from his daze, sobering him up considerably. Qinglan frantically checked Tang Ling's pulse. "It's all right, all right. Although your pulse is still weak, it's much better than before. Just a few more days of rest and you'll be fine."

"How long have I slept?"

Qing Lan glanced out the window and said, "It's been about seven or eight hours. Young Master, you suddenly fell asleep, which scared me to death! It was all because of that, that, that prince who fed you the wrong medicine and triggered your illness! That's why you are so weak!"

"King Chu? Did he tell you?"

"Yes! He admitted it himself!"

Qing Lan was so angry that her teeth were itching, but she heard Tang Ling ask, "Have you thanked her for me?"

"Ah? Thank you? Young Master, what are you thanking him for? Yes, he saved you from Su Qin and gave us food and sleep. But he said to give me the medicine, and I will give you the medicine. Young Master, you are weak, and if you can't withstand the effects of the medicine, it will seriously damage your internal organs. The medicine can also be a fatal poison! Young Master, if anything happens to you, I will make him pay with his life!"

Tang Ling sighed, not wanting to explain too much to Qinglan. Qinglan was solely focused on himself, and there was nothing wrong with that. It was just that he couldn't hold his temper and didn't know how to deal with someone like Qi Xiao. Qi Xiao had suddenly appeared, becoming more of an enemy than a friend to them. Qinglan was already resentful of Chen Guo's previous difficulties and absolutely couldn't trust Qi Xiao. Moreover, he was still young and couldn't fully understand the purpose behind Qi Xiao's risky move. Even Tang Ling didn't understand Qi Xiao's true intentions, so she couldn't blame Qinglan for it.

Tang Ling propped herself up and sat up: "Qinglan, I'm thirsty."

"Shuishui, here, I prepared some for you, young master." Qinglan hurriedly got up and lit the lamp. He picked up the teapot on the bedside table and touched it. It was still warm to the touch. He quickly poured a glass of water for Tang Ling. "Young master, drink it first. I'll go boil some water."

"No need." Tang Ling stopped Qinglan and said, "Qinglan, you've been busy these past few days. Go get some sleep."

"Sir, I'm fine. I'll just sleep on the couch for a while. If you feel uncomfortable, be sure to call me."

Tang Ling nodded, then suddenly thought of something and asked, "By the way, Qinglan, how is the defense in the palace?"

Qing Lan frowned and shook his head: "The defense is very strict. I heard them talking today. The Fuzhou government office and the Tiger Power Army are on guard outside the palace, day and night."

"They? Who said that?"

"That little prince, Su Qin, and the Fuzhou prefect named Yue Lin. My lord, I think that little prince is not a good person. He is the same kind of person as Su Qin."

Tang Ling looked at Qinglan carefully. He was straightforward by nature, his likes and dislikes written on his face. He was kind-hearted and simple-minded, and he wouldn't easily dislike someone he just met. Could it be that Qi Xiao had done something else? What had he said?