Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 132

He struggled to move toward the side room door and called out weakly, “Yu Jiao… Yu… Jiao…”

Hearing his voice, Yu Jiao quickly opened the door. When she saw how pale and pained Yu Qizhe looked, she immediately rushed forward and supported him, helping him to the bed in the inner room. She placed her fingers on his pulse.

Yu Fuling’s face went pale with fright and she flustered about, not knowing what to do.

“What’s wrong with little brother?” she asked anxiously.

“No need to worry. His body has built up a lot of residual toxins. His qi and blood are chaotic at the moment, but once the impurities are purged, he’ll be fine.”

Though Yu Jiao said this calmly, she knew the residual poison in Yu Qizhe’s body was reacting far more violently than expected. For some unknown reason, the energy in his dantian was surging wildly. She kept her expression neutral and gently said to Yu Fuling, “Go get a basin of hot water.”

Yu Fuling quickly brought the hot water. Yu Jiao dipped a cloth in the basin and gently wiped the sweat from Yu Qizhe’s cheeks. Then she said, “Bring me the medicine box.”

Yu Jiao returned to her room and took out the century-old ginseng root she’d dug up from the mountain. She had already used more than half of it in previous treatments for Yu Qizhe. She picked up the remaining portion and brought it back.

Yu Fuling rushed back with the medicine box from the main hall. Yu Jiao handed her a prepared medicinal packet and told her to go decoct the herbs.

She then pulled out a pouch of silver needles from the medicine box and said gently to Yu Qizhe, who was completely pale, “Does it hurt a lot? I’ll use acupuncture to relieve the pain. Just hang in there a bit longer, once the poison is expelled, you’ll feel much better.”

Though his face was twisted in pain, his eyes, long and warm like spring peach blossoms, remained soft. He gave her a slight nod.

Yu Jiao picked up a silver needle and realized she had inadvertently let slip the word “poison.” But seeing that Yu Qizhe didn’t react, likely too consumed by pain to register it, she relaxed a little. She loosened his collar and gently opened his upper robe, revealing his bare chest. With precise movements, she inserted needles into key acupoints.

She applied dozens of needles. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, some color finally returned to Yu Qizhe’s face.

Looking down at her smooth, and translucent-jade-like fingers holding the needle, he managed to tease through his pain, “Now that you’ve seen me like this, I’m yours.”

Caught off guard by his sudden joke, Yu Jiao’s face flushed slightly. Earlier, she’d been too focused to notice anything. But now, staring at his fair, sculpted chest, she shot him a glance and said with mock disdain, “Not even abs. That sickly frame’s not worth looking at. You turned me down before when I said you should marry me. Now I wouldn’t want you even if you offered.”

“You like abs?” he asked with a weak smile. “Once I recover, I’ll train. I was a fool before. I truly regret it now. If you could just look back and give me another chance, please don’t be so heartless.”

His handsome, sickly face wore a hint of charm that made him look utterly irresistible, like a beautiful, fragile bloom begging to be ravished. Yu Jiao suppressed the dangerous thought, blushing slightly, and looked away, her voice soft but scolding, “You’re being ridiculous. Doesn’t it hurt?”

“Hurts,” he whispered, eyes shimmering, “But it’d hurt less if you coaxed me a bit.”

Seeing him growing more shameless, Yu Jiao gave him a warning glare. “Act properly. Since when does a younger sister comfort her elder brother?”

Yu Qizhe chuckled faintly. Sister? As if his wife could ever be his sister. Remembering how she once called him “little brother” with that sweet, teasing voice, his eyes narrowed playfully. “If I’m your elder brother, shouldn’t you call me Gege?” (Gege – Big Brother.)

Yu Jiao lowered her head, refusing to speak. She couldn’t bring herself to say it. Not only did she see him as a boy, but the way he said it was clearly flirtatious, there was no mistaking it.

Yu Qizhe noticed her bashful silence, her cheeks flushed, and found it all the more amusing. But just as quickly, he frowned as another sharp pain twisted through his organs. He groaned in agony.

Yu Jiao placed a spittoon by the bed and prepared a clean cloth.

Yu Qizhe felt his chest swell with blood. A bitter, metallic taste surged up his throat. He grabbed the spittoon and vomited a mouthful of blood so dark it was nearly black. Yu Jiao gently patted his back as he retched again and again. After a while, a healthy flush came to his cheeks. The blood he expelled gradually turned from black to bright red.

She handed him a cup of clean water to rinse his mouth and wiped the corners of his lips with a cloth. Then she placed the remaining portion of the old ginseng root into his mouth and instructed, “Chew slowly, then swallow.”

Vomiting the toxins had greatly depleted his vitality. That bit of ginseng was the only thing keeping his qi and blood from collapsing completely.

The redness in Yu Qizhe’s face quickly faded. His skin returned to a sickly pallor. When Yu Fuling brought in the finished decoction and saw how terrible he looked, she immediately burst into tears. Luckily, Madam Song and Yu Mengshan were still busy outside and hadn’t seen any of this, or they would’ve panicked too.

Yu Jiao took the medicine from Yu Fuling. Seeing Yu Qizhe too weak to lift his hand, she scooped the decoction with a spoon and gently brought it to his lips. He had lost so much blood he was on the verge of passing out, hanging on with sheer willpower. He opened his mouth and slowly drank the medicine, spoonful by spoonful.

Once he finished, Yu Jiao handed the bowl back to Yu Fuling, adjusted his blankets, and softly said, “Close your eyes and sleep a while. Once you get through this, a bit of rest and nourishment and you’ll be back to full health.”

His vision darkened, and he could no longer hold on. Obediently, he closed his eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing Yu Fuling still sniffling, Yu Jiao said gently, “Don’t cry. Once he recovers from this, he’ll be as healthy as anyone else.”

Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Yu Fuling nodded earnestly. “Alright, I won’t cry. Yu Jiao, I’ll remember this kindness for the rest of my life.”

Yu Jiao smiled. “I’ll stay with him. When the food’s ready, bring it here for me, would you?”

Yu Fuling agreed, feeling reassured that Yu Jiao was watching over Yu Qizhe. She carried the medicine bowl out.

Once Yu Jiao confirmed that Yu Qizhe was sound asleep, she carefully removed the needles from his chest and packed them away. She tidied the room, then sat at the desk to bind the medical notes she had written into a proper booklet intending to deliver it to Jiang Qinghe at Huichun Hall the next time she went into town.

Later, when Madam Song finished cooking, Yu Fuling brought in a tray of food for Yu Jiao. She didn’t mention anything about Yu Qizhe vomiting blood, only saying he was tired from studying and had gone to rest.

Neither Madam Song nor Yu Mengshan suspected anything, remaining completely in the dark.

Worried that Yu Qizhe might wake up with an empty stomach, Yu Jiao had also prepared a pot of nourishing medicinal porridge on the stove. She sat with him through most of the night, eyelids drooping with exhaustion, yet he didn’t stir even once.

She checked his pulse several times to confirm he was merely in deep sleep. Only then did she allow herself to rest briefly, leaning against the bed to doze.