"Does Prince Jing think that by trying to intimidate me like this, you will get a different answer?" Shen Ruihua asked.
"I am only reminding your highness of the consequences", He Rui answered.
"Prince Jing need not worry about me. Since there is nothing else to say, I ask that you leave. It's already late", Shen Ruihua closed the meeting.
"Your highness, the golden teacup set is peculiar. Can we have it?" Lv Chi asked.
Shen Ruihua glanced at the golden teacup. There was supposed to be nothing implicating about it but now she was not very sure.
"This tea set was gifted to me by His Majesty. Take it if you want", Shen Ruihua said in a sarcastic tone but Lv Chi did not seem to get the underlying message.
He took the tray of the tea set and bowed, "I thank your highness for this gift"
Shen Ruihua could not believe his audacity but could also say nothing because she had told him to take it if he wanted to.
[Channing Palace]
He Yu who had been patiently waiting for Lingxi to regain consciousness finally felt her move.
"Lingxi?" he touched her face.
Her body was much more normal and she seemed fine. She opened her eyes faintly and caught a blurry image of He Yu in front of her. She closed her eyes and opened it again. Her vision was then clearer.
"He Yu...." She said trying to sit up.
He Yu helped her but before she could speak, he hugged her close to himself, so tightly, so close, like he was afraid of losing her again.
He finally let her go slowly and looked into her eyes, "don't scare me like that again"
Lingxi, though weak, looked at him for a long time and with an even weaker voice which she put effort to make strong, answered, "I won't"
She understood she had really made him worry this time. He Yu stared at her for a long time. His weakness reflected in his eyes as he pulled her in for another hug. His hand was holding her hair as he hugged her again.
*****
Lingxi's eyes caught He Yu still standing by the doorway.
"Are you planning on watching me bathe?" she asked He Yu.
She was much better than before and could things a normal person could do. He Yu had prepared the bath for her and she was ready to bathe but he was still standing there. He Yu walked out without a word. She proceeded to bathing.
When she was done, she met He Yu sitting down with a bowl of medicine on the table. She reached for the medicine but He Yu held her hand as it touched the bowl.
"Sit", he said.
Lingxi knew he was not negotiating with her. She sat down obediently.
"Actually, I can drink it myself", Lingxi said as He Yu served the medicine in a spoon for her and held it in front of her lips.
He Yu showed no sign of letting her have her way so she could only open her mouth and let He Yu feed her.
When she was done with the medicine, He Yu stood up and walked up to her. In one movement, he swept her off her feet and carried her to the bed. He laid her down at the end of the bed where she normally slept and covered her with a blanket.
He lay next to her, "if you're uncomfortable, call me anytime"
He closed his eyes to sleep. Lingxi looked at him for a while. He had not teased her back in the bathroom and had not said anything other than two sentences. She knew he was upset.
She sat up, "I'm feeling uncomfortable"
He Yu immediately turned to face her. He sat up with a hint of worry in his eyes, "where are you feeling uncomfortable?" he asked quickly.
"Here", she touched her forehead.
He Yu reached to touch it to to see if she was running a temperature but Lingxi instead, leaned close to him and kissed his cheek, "please don't be upset. When you don't talk to me, I get a headache", she smiled.
He Yu froze for a second. He did not expect her to kiss him but before he could respond, she had already laid down back on the bed.
"Goodnight", she said and closed her eyes to sleep. He Yu lay back down slowly.
He touched his cheek and a faint smile was seen on his face which grew more the more he thought of it.
He turned Lingxi over to face him and placed her head on his chest and they both slept peacefully together with their arms around each other till the next day.
---
The next day started normally. It was chilly as usual and Lingxi woke up to see herself in He Yu's arms.
She studied his face for a second before sitting up. He Yu slowly opened his eyes.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked Lingxi.
"Yes", she answered.
He Yu sat up to face her, "I understand you want to foil Shen Ruihua's scheme but you should never use yourself as bait", he said.
"I understand. But the only reason everything went smoothly is because you helped", Lingxi replied.
"Helped?" He Yu pretended not to understand what she was saying and turned away.
She turned her face in his direction, "stop pretending. Shen Ruihua wanted to frame me by using a maid's death and accuse me of trying to poison her. You were the one who stopped the maid and changed the tea, right?"
He Yu was silent for a second before turning back to her, "she wanted to hurt you of course I had to stop her"
Lingxi smiled, "and that's why I was able to turn the tables on her. If that maid had showed up, it would have been more difficult to prove my innocence"
"And so you decided that you wouldn't just let it go and used the same trick"
"I like to pay people back in their own coin"
They exchanged a long glance.
"When did you find out?"
He Yu thought for a second, "when you were sick that night, that's when I first suspected it. When Physician Du said you were poisoned, it confirmed my suspicion", He Yu answered.
"Your highness is truly smart", Lingxi complimented.
"That's because we understand each other but never do that again", He Yu made her promise.
"I promise not to do it again", Lingxi answered.
There was a long moment of silence as they looked into each other's eyes.
"All right", Lingxi broke the silence as she stood up, "it's going to be a long day. I'll go bathe first", she said.
She turned to go but He Yu held her hand.
"What?" she asked.
"I'm still worried about your health", he said looking a bit serious.
"I'm fine. It's just Fire Root poison. I've been detoxified. I'm fine now", she assured him.
He Yu did not seem to hear what she said.
"I won't be rest assured if you leave my sight. How about this...?" he looked like he wanted to give an important suggestion.
Lingxi waited for his suggestion patiently.
"How about...." He pulled her hand lightly making her take a step closer.
He leaned forward near her stomach, and with a mischievous smile on his lips, said, ".....we bathe together? I can watch you more closely, then"
Lingxi could not believe her ears. She pushed him on the bed with one hand as she released her other hand from his light grip, "shameless", she said sternly and walked out.
She really thought he was about to say something reasonable.
He Yu, on the other hand, sat up. Watching her back as she left looking upset or rather flustered, he couldn't help laughing to himself.
[Ministry of Justice]
"Physician Du has already identified the poison. It's Fire root", Fu Jiu said.
"What's that?" He Rui asked.
"Fire root is sometimes taken to prevent cold and increase body heat but taking it excessively triggers a very high inflammatory reaction", Fu Jiu explained.
"So you mean someone gave Her Highness an excessive dose of Fire Root or brewed it in the tea?" Liu Ying asked.
"Her Highness has no medical history so taking fire root as a form of treatment is not possible. It must have been brewed in the tea", Lu Qian said.
"Yes but brewing tea alongside a high quantity of fire root without one detecting when drinking it is impossible because it is very bitter. So I think it must have been administered in minute quantities", Fu Jiu replied.
"If it was given in minute quantity, how did she suddenly have a reaction a few days later?" Lv Chi asked.
"There is a way. If after taking fire root one takes hot spices like dried ginger or cloves amongst others, there would be an immediate reaction"
"Her Highness drank the Spring tea and immediately fainted after", He Rui recalled.
"I asked Princess Anle - she said she got the Spring tea from the empress", Liu Ying revealed.