Scent Of Time

Chapter 16

I sucked in a breath of cold air. I don’t know if it was because of my feared expression or my wound, but when I struggled to salute, Zhong Xiwu raised his hand to indicate that it was unnecessary.

I went along with the situation, gritted my teeth, and sat up, “I had a nightmare and spoke out of my mouth. I hope the Emperor will forgive me.”

Zhong Xiwu smiled, not minding, “No harm. Princess Consort Jin need not to worry about it.”

These days, I was in a coma, and when I suddenly woke up, my brain was still groggy. I vaguely felt that something was wrong.

“Hearing that Princess Consort Jin has been in a coma for five days, Mother’s heart is worried, so she asked me to bring Imperial Doctor Xu to examine you.” Zhong Xiwu explained.

Did I sleep for so long? These past few days, every time I woke up, I drank a lot of Menghan Medicine to minimize the pain and didn’t know that I was in a coma for such a long period.

It was only then that I noticed a middle-aged man standing beside Zhong Xiwu, dressed in an Imperial Doctor outfit. Probably because I had slept too long, my brain was confused, so I listened to Zhong Xiwu’s words and extended my hand to the Imperial Doctor.

Dr. Xu checked my pulse, then got up and saluted: “Reply to the Emperor, Princess Consort Jin’s body has no problem. But the injury was quite dangerous. It’s close to the heart, and I’m afraid that in the future, it will cause heart disease.”

Heart disease?

In my mind suddenly surfaced Lin Daiyu’s cupped heart frowning appearance.
T/N: Lin Daiyu is a character from Red Dream Mansion.

“Since there is no serious problem, why was she unconscious for so long?”

Zhong Xiwu’s frowning appearance pulled me back to reality from my wild thoughts.

“Reply to the Emperor, when I took her pulse just now, I was detecting the residue of an excessive amount of Menghan Medicine in Princess Consort Jin’s body.” Imperial Doctor Xu arched his hand and replied calmly.

I barely managed to squeeze out a smile and spoke, “It’s because I’m afraid of pain. That’s why I’m using this Menghan Medicine to pass the day.”

Zhong Xiwu was stunned, seemingly not expecting this answer.

Doctor Xu interjected: “Forgive me for speaking frankly. The medicine is three parts poison. The excessive use of cold pills will lead to weakness and damage to the mind. Princess Consort should be careful with it.”

I couldn’t help but be stunned. I only thought of falling asleep to avoid the pain but never thought that Menghan Medicine affects my intelligence. No wonder these days I always feel dizzy. I have to rely on my brain to live. I better not use it anymore in the future.

When I thought of this, I spoke with a shameful look, “Thank you, Dr. Xu. I will pay attention to this in the future.”

Zhong Xiwu did not know whether to be amused or surprised: “I have not heard of using this method to avoid pain.”

“It is because I am too weak to eat the pain that I came up with this plan.”

I am indeed scared of pain. Since I was a child, I would never take an injection if I could take medicine. When I was in school, I had the worst fever of nearly 39 degrees, yet I still managed to carry it off only by taking medication.

Zhong Xiwu nodded his head at Imperial Doctor Xu, who then bowed his hand and left.

I, on the other hand, was confused. Why didn’t they leave together?

Perhaps my expression was too obvious, so Zhong Xiwu spoke, “Princess Consort Jin is trying to drive me away.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” I hurriedly opened my mouth, gradually clearing my mind. But I could not understand what he still stayed for. Is he here to see me as a joke?

Zhong Xiwu calmly sat down. Qian Zhi hurriedly poured tea, and he drank a mouthful before saying, “I still can not understand some things and want to ask Princess Consort Jin to give me a solution.”

This person is despicable. He knew that my brain was confused at this time, yet intentionally picked this kind of time. I hurried to strengthen my spirit.

Seeing my appearance as if I was on the verge of an attack, Zhong Xiwu didn’t care and continued to speak gently, “That day, when the attack happened on the ancestor ceremony, the other official family’s misses were all panicked, yet Princess Consort Jin’s calm appearance makes people notice you.”

The ancestor ceremony was so chaotic. Why does Zhong Xiwu pay attention to me? But thinking about the way I was looking around for melon seeds to watch the show, I was indeed a bit too calm.

“Because His Highness was around, I believe in His Highness.” I lowered my eyes and made an appearance of a little daughter-in-law being shy.

Zhong Xiwu’s tone did not change. Still in a good voice, he continued to ask: “But I saw that Princess Consort Jin didn’t flinch even when facing the assassins directly, and that aura made the assassins stop their movements.”

He also saw the scene where I pretended to scare the masked man. Then, did he — also see my movements toward Muyao?

I continued to smile “shyly” and was about to open my mouth when my smile froze.

No, that’s not right!

Zhong Xiwu didn’t know about the entanglement between me and Muyao at this time, so the direction that I pointed at Muyao that day, in his opinion, I’m afraid that it was the direction of — Zhong Yelan! Because Zhong Yelan was standing right in front of Muyao.

When I raised my eyes to Zhong Xiwu’s, I only saw a warm smile, but the smile did not reach the bottom of his eyes.

I am really — Menghan Medicine indeed hurt my brain. In the future, I will have to quit it even if I am in pain. Usually, I am not so slow to notice Zhong Xiwu’s intentions.

Sure enough, as I said earlier, the feeling was not right. Logically, Zhong Xiwu won’t ask the doctor to check me. His behavior was out of character.

Thinking of the words of Dr. Xu, my heart bursts with cold, covering the pain of the wound. No wonder the doctor emphasized that my injuries were heavy. Zhong Xiwu suspected that I was pretending to be sick, so he brought a doctor to confirm if my injuries were that serious.

If my injuries are light, I am afraid that he concluded that the assassin is related to — the Hua Family, then my purpose of saving Zhong Yelan is not pure. But out of his expectations, I almost lost my life. However, listening to his question, he still hasn’t dispelled his doubts.

Hua Xiang is a treacherous minister. Zhong Xiwu is not wrong to speculate like this, but why do I feel so aggrieved? I was almost dead, so why do I still have to suffer this injustice?

“I just walked from the death gate, suffered some shock brain. So I trouble the Emperor to say the words straightforwardly. Does the Emperor suspect that the assassin that day is related to the Hua Family?” My tone is unpleasant. I couldn’t enjoy the treatment of being a patient, so I must be allowed to throw a patient’s temper.

Zhong Xiwu’s face froze, seemingly not expecting me to be so blunt. His eyes revealed a few points of embarrassment, and he said: “Princess Consort Jin is overthink. I just casually asked.”

If you feel guilty, you can take the king’s sovereignty to press me. I forced myself to endure the pain and got out of bed. I felt my hands and feet shaking. These movements made my wound look painful.

Zhong Xiwu seemed to want to stand over to help me. But I directly kneeled, hanging my head to speak: “Emperor, although this subject is only a woman in the backyard, I know that the life of a person is only one. Even if I have a heart of troublemaker, I won’t take my own life to gamble.”

My heart was upset when I was thinking about this incident. Obviously, I just wanted to save people to gather out a favor, and the result is that I almost lost my life, really unlucky. Since the miscalculation made me almost lose my life, I must make good use of it.

“I know that the Emperor has always had a lot of prejudice against me, but just a moment ago, Dr. Xu also said that this arrow wound almost sent me to Yellow Springs. Because of the fear of pain, I would rather choose to spend my days in cold medicine. Is it hard to make the Emperor believe that I’m a person who is afraid of death? During the chaos at the ancestor ceremony, I don’t know why my inappropriate acts attracted the Emperor’s suspicion. But I regarded His Highness’s safety as more important than my life. Isn’t that enough to prove that I have a sincere heart?”

After sleeping for several days, although I did not take a look in the mirror, I knew that I was haggard and frightened like a ghost. I hope this image can dispel the suspicions in Zhong Xiwu’s heart. He beat around the bush to try to find out, but I’m going to do the opposite and tell him straight out, so I’ll see if he still has the nerve to bully me, a weak and sick woman.

Zhong Xiwu’s face stiffened for a moment. His eyes slowed down and reached out to help me: “It is my slip of the tongue. Princess Consort Jin do not need …….”

Suddenly, the servant sounds a report: “Emperor, Princess Consort Jin, the king’s maid, Mu Yao, request an audience.”

Zhong Xiwu froze, so I took the opportunity to draw back my hand and stood with Qian Zhi’s support.

Mu Yao walked in, and I saw Zhong Xiwu’s gaze steeply brighten, different from the probing look he had when he looked at me.

“You’re the maid who played the zither that day? Your name is Mu Yao?” Zhong Xiwu asked first.

Mu Yao fell into a graceful curtsy, creating a disparity with my pale and haggard appearance as she spoke, “Reply to the Emperor, it’s this servant. His Highness heard that the Emperor had entered the residence and asked this servant to invite the Emperor over.”

That sentence of hers conveyed two messages to me: One was that Zhong Xiwu had come uninvited without informing Zhong Yelan at all. The second one was that Zhong Yelan — had already gotten to the point where he was unwilling to meet me.

Zhong Xiwu smiled and nodded his head in response, turning back to see me still standing, and felt his gaze flicker, “Princess Consort Jin should recuperate well. I won’t disturb you.”

Leaning on Qian Zhi, I performed a respectful salute. I felt my body shaking and almost made Qian Zhi fall.

Mu Yao walked in the last, crossed the threshold, and looked back at me. Her eyes were indescribably complex. Then, she finally turned her head and left.

Suddenly, my nose turned sour. Zhong Xiwu could fall in love at first sight just by looking at Mu Yao. Yet after all my efforts, why is he still full of hostility and speculation towards me? Zhong Yelan is also unwilling to meet me. For the first time in my life, I envy Mu Yao. I envy her innate aura of a female lead.

“Miss, is your wound too painful? Your eyes are red.” Qian Zhi helped me lie down on the bed and asked worriedly after seeing my face.

“Yeah, it hurts too much,” I replied with my eyes closed.

Why is it that when the body is wounded, the heart also becomes weak? I am innocent, ah.