Tangli Fried Snow

The Empress waved her hand to dismiss all the people who were getting in the way, and then spoke privately with Jin Cheng and Duan Xueyao for quite a while. Most of their conversation was about everyday matters, with no mention of politics or war.

Jin Cheng also brought his sister many carefully prepared gifts, including rare and precious gold and silver jewelry, the latest silks and satins, and novel toys for the children, making this woman in the deep palace, who was exhausted every day, very happy.

She hadn't felt this relaxed and happy in a long time.

Jin Cheng personally wrapped a silver fox fur cloak around her body and said with a smile, "I've wanted to give you a cloak like this since you were little. No one in the world can wear it with such nobility as Your Majesty."

"This was made from more than thirty top-grade silver foxes. There wasn't a single stray hair on its body, and the jasper adorning it was also carefully selected. It's the only one of its kind in the world."

The exquisite and soft fox fur accentuated the beauty of the Queen's features, making her appear even more elegant, noble, and radiant.

Duan Xueyao also sincerely flattered her, saying, "The beauties of the six palaces cannot compare to the Empress's majesty. General Jin has a discerning eye. This Haoshi stone is dazzling and rare in color. It is clearly a top-grade stone."

Empress Jin was pleased by the two men's flattery and insisted that they stay for lunch before leaving.

The three of them ate the meal with their own thoughts on their minds, yet on the surface there was an eerie warmth. Jin Cheng and Duan Xueyao both performed their duties with utmost courtesy, making the Empress feel extremely comfortable.

The harmonious atmosphere was broken when the palace maids came to report.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince is not feeling well. You should go and see him yourself."

All three were startled. Empress Jin scolded, "Go and summon the imperial physician!"

A clever eunuch quickly went to fetch the imperial physician.

Jin Cheng naturally wanted to visit his nephew, and Duan Xueyao couldn't refuse and leave, so she could only go with the two of them to visit Zhao Xi'an.

Zhao Xi'an and Jin Cheng look about five or six parts alike. He is a handsome and lively little boy who is usually mischievous and healthy. He has never been sick, but these past few days he has been noticeably listless, unable to eat or sleep well, and always looking dejected. Today he even developed a high fever.

When the three arrived, Zhao Xi'an was lying on the bed, his face flushed, breathing rapidly, and occasionally coughing. He was in very poor condition. The Empress was shocked to see him and hurriedly asked the head palace maid beside him, "How did he become so ill? He was fine yesterday, and now he's like this? Quickly, go and get an ice pack!"

A palace maid responded and went to fetch ice water. The Third Prince's personal maid was named Huan Zhihua. She was the Empress's dowry maid and the Empress's most trusted personal maid. She had personally taken care of the Third Prince since birth.

Zhihua hurriedly knelt on the ground and replied, "Your Majesty, a few days ago the Third Prince had a poor appetite, was sleepy during the day and couldn't sleep well at night. The imperial physician was summoned to see him. The physician said that autumn had arrived and his lungs and stomach were hot and swollen. It was just ordinary autumn fatigue and nothing serious. He prescribed some medicine to regulate his condition. After taking it a few times, there was no improvement. Today, he suddenly developed a high fever without any warning."

The Empress's face was frosty as she roared at the palace maids and eunuchs who were serving her, "How have you all been serving her! If anything happens to Xi'er, I will hold you all accountable!"

Instantly, the hall was filled with kneeling servants, who were all trembling and silent.

At this moment, Zhao Xi'an, lying on the bed, opened his eyes and said to the Empress with lifeless eyes, "Mother Empress~"

Empress Jin immediately sat on his bed with a smile, gently holding her son's hand and saying, "Xi'er, don't be afraid, your mother is here. The imperial physician will be here soon. I'll use a handkerchief to cool you down first."

She shouted outside again, "Why aren't you bringing ice water yet!"

Zhao Xi'an mumbled sleepily, "Mother, I'm so hot... I'm so cold... Cover me with a blanket..."

As she wiped his sweat and covered him with a blanket, Empress Jin felt as if she were being roasted on a fire.

Just as things were getting busy, a palace maid brought in a basin of ice water. Empress Jin personally wrung out a handkerchief and placed it on her son's forehead and face to cool him down.

While taking care of her son, she asked, "Why hasn't the imperial physician arrived yet?"

Jin Cheng comforted her, "Your Majesty, don't worry. The imperial physician will be here soon. Children's illnesses come on quickly and go away quickly. It's just a common fever. The imperial physician can bring it down with a few acupuncture needles."

As they were talking, a royal physician came running in, panting.

When the imperial physician arrived, everyone quickly made way. The old physician carefully took Zhao Xi'an's pulse, examined his tongue, and asked about his diet over the past few days. After pondering for a while, he said, "The Third Prince's illness has come on fiercely. I'd better give him a few acupuncture treatments first."

The Empress nodded quickly.

The old doctor gave him more than a dozen acupuncture needles, and Zhao Xi'an's breathing gradually calmed down, his complexion improved, and he eventually fell asleep.

The imperial physician wrote another prescription and sent someone to fetch and prepare the medicine, instructing that he be fed it to the patient once he woke up.

The Empress immediately ordered the imperial physician to stand guard by her son's bedside and protect him closely. The imperial physician naturally obeyed and stood guard by the Third Prince's bedside.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but less than a quarter of an hour later, Zhao Xi'an's face turned red again. This time, he even started talking nonsense. His face turned red and white in turn, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

The Empress was terrified and turned pale, while the imperial physicians were also extremely anxious.

"Is the medicine not ready yet?"

"Are you all dead? Go and ask them!"

The people kneeling in the room immediately sprang into action, some going to ask questions, some to fetch things, and some to urge the medicine to be brewed, creating a chaotic scene.

Unexpectedly, another shocking turn of events occurred. Zhao Xi'an on the bed suddenly rolled his eyes back and foamed at the mouth, leaving everyone around him stunned.

Before anyone could react, a pretty figure rushed forward and stuck her finger into Zhao Xi'an's mouth. Jin Cheng hissed, "Duan Xueyao, what are you doing!"

Duan Xueyao said urgently, "He's having a high fever and is having convulsions. He could die if he accidentally bites his tongue. Quickly, get him a clean handkerchief to bite on!"

The imperial physician immediately took a clean piece of wood from his medicine box and placed it in Duan Xueyao's mouth before she could pull her hand away.

A row of deep, neat teeth marks was visible on her tender, white tongue, some parts even turning blue and bleeding, showing how hard the child had bitten. If Duan Xueyao hadn't reacted quickly and helped him, he might have lost his life just now after biting his tongue.

The Empress was terrified and said gratefully to her, "Thank you, Xueyao."

"Hurry up and take the princess down to get some medicine."

Seeing that there was an imperial physician present, Jin Cheng realized he couldn't be of much help and that having more people would only cause trouble, so he quickly pulled Duan Xueyao to a side hall nearby.

He told his two personal maids, "You two hurry up and get the medicine!"

The two palace maids' eyes flickered, but seeing that the princess was still relatively calm, and intimidated by Jin Cheng's imposing manner, they could only retreat to get the medicine.

Jin Cheng got up and closed the door to the room. Duan Xueyao was startled and turned around to look at him, saying, "Why did you close the door, General Jin? It's improper for a man and a woman to be alone in a room. Please open the door."

Jin Cheng looked at her and smiled slightly, saying, "Haven't we spent enough time together in one room? You little vixen!"

Duan Xueyao stared at him in disbelief, her eyes wide. Had this man left his brain at home when he went out? Had he only brought his courage with him?

Her fair face turned frosty as she warned him, "I am the daughter of the Prince of Wei and the Crown Prince's fiancée. How dare you be so insolent! Open the door at once!"

Jin Cheng didn't take it seriously and took two more steps closer to her, looking down at her.

He was so close that Duan Xueyao could smell Jin Cheng's strong masculine scent. Whether out of anger or shock, she couldn't help but tremble all over.

The little vixen's acting was so convincing! She seemed to have grown a little taller than before. He couldn't help but lean closer to her ear, looking at her alluring and seductive features, inhaling her captivating fragrance, and whispering in her ear, "You smell so good, I can smell it right away. Why are you still acting?"

"There's no one around now, and I miss you terribly. We should have some time to get intimate. It doesn't matter if there's no bed." There's one more thing I haven't said yet. We've already explored all the positions we wanted to, and being without a bed will only make things more exciting.

Duan Xueyao's face was practically dripping blood. Blinded by shock and anger, she lost her mind and attacked without thinking.

She struck with lightning speed, aiming straight for Jin Cheng's face.

Jin Cheng was filled with lust and wanted to kiss her passionately, but who knew that this little vixen would not only turn her back on him, but also turn out to be a hidden martial arts master!

Her palm strike was so fierce that if it landed on me, I would definitely suffer a great loss!

His hands reacted faster than his brain, and in the blink of an eye, the two exchanged several moves. Jin Cheng was greatly surprised. This woman was quite skilled, with the demeanor of a master, and must have been practicing martial arts since childhood.

At this moment, she was no longer the pampered young lady she had been just moments before; she was full of energy and strength, like a tigress ready to devour anyone she could.

He originally intended to use his strength and height to subdue her, but she was agile and swift as a rabbit, attacking with her own strength and never retreating. No matter how much he increased his strength, she could barely hold on and continued to attack.

It is important to know that women are naturally weaker than men. Generally, martial arts techniques such as fist fighting and sword fighting are based on the principle of elusive energy. This way, women can have an advantage in a fight and avoid having to compete with men who are naturally strong and being subdued by brute force.

Who knew that every move she made was ruthless, as if she was forcing him to go all out and fight her head-on.

Little did he know that Duan Xueyao's maternal grandfather had just been murdered by their scheme, she and her father were trapped, and now he had taken liberties with her. The old and new grudges surged into her heart, causing her to go berserk. This princess had lost her mind and only wanted to beat this lecherous ghost to vent her hatred.

This is definitely not a skill that Lin Jiaojiao or Xue Li would possess.

She's not Sherry? Then she really is Duan Yuanshan's daughter.

He was a man who could fight the Mongols for hours on the battlefield. His arm strength had reached an astonishing level in the past six months. It could be said that he had no rivals in the army except for Jiang Qimo. No matter how powerful she was, she was still a woman. Due to her innate limitations, he seized the opportunity to capture her hands, making her unable to move.

Undeterred, he leaned in and kissed her red lips, inevitably encountering strong resistance, and she almost bit his lip.

A thief never leaves empty-handed, so he took the opportunity to kiss her soft cheek.

Duan Xueyao looked at him breathlessly, her eyes blazing with fury, as if she wanted to burn him to death, and her whole body was constantly struggling against him.

What a fierce and ruthless little firecracker! This is definitely not the soft and sweet little devil I cherish.

Just as Duan Xueyao gritted her teeth and suddenly launched another attack.

A palace maid called out from the doorway: "Princess, are you inside? I've brought the medicine."

…………

The door was opened in response, and a beautiful woman with an expressionless face, seemingly weathered by a thousand years of hardship, hurriedly left with her entourage without saying a word, not even bothering to greet the Empress.