Li Ji raised his eyes and noticed her footsteps, then made a gesture to keep quiet.
Shang Rui was lying on the bed, his shirt slightly open, his chest exposed, with silver needles inserted into the Yunmen and Zhongfu acupoints under his collarbone. When the incense stick was half burned, Li Ji twisted the silver needles on Shang Rui's palm and chest a few times.
The little medicine boy held the plate with the silver needles, motionless.
Xia Yue didn't know why she was called here.
She glanced at Ming Lian, who kept his head down and said nothing.
She was a little afraid of Li Ji. He saved her life, and now she was living under his roof. She had no choice but to stand by and wait obediently.
Suddenly, the person on the bed murmured.
Xia Yue couldn't help but widen her eyes when she heard that.
Then, he murmured it again, and the two words were clearly "Xia Yue".
The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. If she could pretend not to understand the first time, she could hear it clearly the second time.
Xia Yue's face suddenly turned red like a persimmon. She finally understood what Ming Lian meant by talking about her just now. She suddenly wanted to rush over and cover his mouth.
This man was really against her even when he was unconscious. When she was guarding him, he called her "mother". When someone else was guarding him, he insisted on calling her "Xia Yue".
When the incense stick burned out, Li Ji pulled out the needle, led his men out of the house, and personally watched over the decoction.
Ming Lian was straightforward and said, "Miss Min, I asked you to come here without her permission, and our young master didn't know about it. He is so sick, and he keeps saying that he misses you, so I wonder if he would feel better if you stay here for a while." He was originally a young boy with handsome features, and at this moment his eyes seemed to be begging her with tears at any time, which made people feel even more unbearable.
Xia Yue had a hard mouth but a soft heart, so she could only answer: "What else do you want me to do?"
Ming quickly replied, "No, no, you just sit here. If you see Miss Min when you wake up, I think your illness will be mostly cured."
So, Xia Yue sat in front of the bed on the stool that Li Ji had just used, feeling a little helpless.
After a while, her name escaped from his lips again.
After listening to it a few more times, she became calm and thought that maybe she had been staying by his side during the day, and she just dreamed about what she thought about during the day.
Minglian wet a handkerchief and applied it to his forehead.
"Has your young master ever been sick like this before?" Xia Yue was a little sleepy and couldn't help but want to find something to talk about.
"Very rarely." Ming Lian replied.
Xia Yue thought for a moment and asked again, "Why is he so familiar with Lord Li?"
Ming Lian realized that Xia Yue was trying to get him to tell a story, so he replied sadly, "The young master doesn't like us to be noisy, so you'd better not ask any more questions, young lady."
Her intention was discovered, so she had to give up.
No one was talking and she was too embarrassed to go to sleep, so she had to study other things.
She roughly memorized the acupuncture points that Li Ji had pierced on him just now. It was the first time she saw Yunmen and Zhongfu points used to reduce fever, dissipate heat and drive away cold.
"Lingjiu" states "For shallow disease, the needle should be deep, which will hurt the flesh internally; for deep disease, the needle should be shallow, which will not let the disease qi out; for minor disease, the needle should be large, which will cause excessive qi release and the disease will cause harm."
When inserting acupuncture into the same acupoint, different lifting, inserting and twisting techniques are required for different diseases. Different doctors have different techniques for inserting acupoints, and there are even differences for male and female patients.
Xia Yue was very curious about Li Ji's medical skills. Before, she had only seen Li Ji giving her acupuncture, and now finally a second patient came.
She couldn't help wanting to take a closer look at the needle hole on Shang Rui's body. However, no matter how absurd she was, she couldn't do such a thing as peeling off a man's shirt to look at his chest. She sighed lightly and could only hold his hand, thinking about the needle hole at the base of his thumb.
After studying it several times, she realized that his hands were not cold at all, but warm. She then touched the back of his neck, and the temperature also calmed down, almost the same as that of an ordinary person. The skin on her hands also began to get a little damp.
Xia Yue turned around and said to Ming Lian, "You need to go get a set of clean clothes and a blanket. Your young master is about to sweat."
As soon as she finished speaking, before she had time to turn around, she felt that the hand she was holding suddenly gained strength, held her in turn, and then pulled her hard.
She was caught off guard and stumbled onto the bed, falling right onto his chest.
The person on the bed lowered his eyes and looked at Xia Yue on his chest. He moved his lips and said, "Aren't you going to be a nun? How can your six senses be so impure? Were you going to eat my hands alive just now?"
His voice was still hoarse, and several words in such a long sentence were almost mute. He also lacked strength when speaking, and there were two blue-gray spots under his eyes. Even so, it did not prevent him from looking domineering.
Xia Yue stood up dejectedly, took a few steps back and said to Ming Lian: "Your young master is awake now, the mission is accomplished, I will take my leave now." After that, she left in a flash.
Shang Rui took a few sips of water and asked, "Why is she here?"
Ming Lian replied nervously: "Ming Lian deserves death. He took it upon himself to invite Miss Min to visit the emperor."
Shang Rui slowly turned the cup in his hand and said, "You are getting bolder and bolder. You dare to meddle in my affairs."
Ming Lian's face turned pale and he fell to his knees, not daring to argue.
Shang Rui looked at him and knew something was wrong, so he asked, "What did I say when I fell asleep?"
Ming Lian replied: "The emperor kept calling Miss Min's name."
Shang Rui listened calmly and ordered, "Change my clothes first, then go and call Yao Chuang over."
After he changed into his undershirt, Ming Lian invited Yao Chuang, who was waiting at the door, in.
Yao Chuang reported everything he had seen and heard in detail, including how Xia Yue took out a hairpin in the private room and tried to kill him after he fell asleep, and how she escaped on a horse but came back and sent him back to Li's house.
Shang Rui looked down at the needle hole on his hand, lowered his eyes quietly, listened to Yao Chuang's words, and finally did not comment a word. His eyes were like an ancient well, calm on the surface but deep and unfathomable.
A moment later, Li Ji came in with the freshly boiled medicine. Seeing Shang Rui sitting on the bed wearing only an undershirt, he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, don't catch a cold." Then he helped Shang Rui drink the medicine and let him lie down.
Before the incense stick had burned out, his clothes were soaked with sweat again, so Ming Lian got some warm water to wipe his body and then changed his clothes.
After tossing and turning, he lay on the bed with his eyes closed, not moving for a long time.
Everyone thought he was asleep and did not dare to make any noise. They all left, leaving only Ming Lian.
The clock kept ticking. After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly clenched his fists and pounded the bed under him.
With a "bang".
Ming Lian was so frightened by the noise that he woke up instantly from his sleepiness. Fearing that he was having a nightmare, he called out softly, "Your Majesty." He walked over quietly, ready to lift the curtain to take a look.
But Shang Rui suddenly sat up, lifted the curtain and was about to get out of bed.
Ming Lian almost bumped into him on the head, and quickly stepped back and said, "This servant deserves death for disturbing the emperor."
Shang Rui ignored him and stood up without even putting on his shoes.
Ming Lian was confused and didn't know what Shang Rui was going to do. He just saw Shang Rui with a sinister expression. He strode out of the inner room and actually pushed the door open and walked out.
Ming Lian panicked and hurriedly chased after him. After walking a few steps, he turned back, hurriedly picked up his boots and coat, and held them in his arms in panic.
Shang Rui walked quickly down the corridor, and Ming Lian trotted after him.
Ming Lian didn't dare to call him, as this was not Kangning Palace, for fear of alarming other people in Li's Mansion. He also didn't dare to stop him, as he had served the emperor for so long, and had never seen such a scene.
Shang Rui walked out of the corridor, went down the stairs and crossed the yard.
He had a high fever for a day, and the fever had just subsided. He had not eaten a single grain of rice, and now he was walking through half of the Li Mansion in a rage, and his feet were already a little weak. Ming Lian hurriedly went up to hug his knees and said, "Sir, the ground is cold, please put on your boots first."
Shang Rui didn't even look at him, and shouted in a deep voice: "Get out." Then he pushed him away and continued walking towards "Taoyeju" where Xia Yue lived behind the Li Mansion.
At this time, Yao Chuang, who had been afraid to leave, also followed.
Shang Rui walked straight into the courtyard of Taoyeju and came to the door of the wing room. He was wearing only a thin shirt without shoes, and his whole body was sweating in the cold night. At this moment, he was like a beast that had been injured in the weakest and most fatal part by a hunter. His mind was blank, and the anger and arrogance in his chest almost ignited everything around him. Without any hesitation, he kicked the door open viciously, bypassed the screen, and went straight to the inner room.
Xia Yue didn't turn off the lights when she went to bed, so he found her easily.
Xia Yue, who was dreaming, was suddenly awakened by the noise. Before she could come to her senses, she found a shadow passing over the gauze curtain and directly onto her bed.
Instantly, she screamed in fear.
He Xiang, who was resting outside, was frightened by the noise. When she heard Xia Yue's cry, she ran over. He Xiang threw herself on Shang Rui, trying to pull him away from Xia Yue. Shang Rui flicked his arm and pushed her several steps away, causing her to fall to the ground. He Xiang didn't care about the pain, and in panic she shouted for someone to come, and tried to move forward again.
Ming Lian also followed him into the house, but did not dare to look inside the tent.
Shang Rui said: "Cover her mouth and drag her out."
Ming Lian was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, but he had to do what Shang Rui said.
After a moment, He Xiang and her voice disappeared.
At this moment, the swaying candlelight reflected Shang Rui's figure. He rode on her, looking down at her, his eyes as cold as a pond filled with anger.
Xia Yue was so frightened that her face lost all color. Fear was surging in her heart, but she bit her lip and said with a stiff upper lip, "Get out of here!"
Shang Rui didn't waste any words with her. He smiled instead of being extremely angry. He stretched out his hand and clamped her chin with his thumb and index finger as if he wanted to crush her bones. With his other hand, he tried to pull off her clothes.
Xia Yue tried hard to push his hand away.
If they had just fought each other in the past, he could have defeated her with just a few fingers. But he was still ill and his hands and feet were weak. She fought desperately and actually broke free.
But Shang Rui also took a gamble and held her down tightly again.
Xia Yue couldn't move and could only stare at him, hating herself for not killing him with a single blow during the day.
Shang Rui could naturally guess what she was thinking. He looked cold and deliberately sneered: "Instead of wasting energy on regretting, why not try harder? I like the tone we have now. The more stubborn you are, the more I like it."
Xia Yue's whole body began to tremble when she heard this, her teeth chattered, and then she opened her mouth to bite her tongue. His fingers pinched her jaw, and Xia Yue was just about to start, but he noticed it.
"If you dare to bite your tongue to commit suicide, I will cut off that girl's flesh piece by piece and bury it with you." His voice was still as hoarse as before, and his tone was low and deep, but he said the most vicious words in the world.
After a while, she suppressed her trembling and uttered two words: "You dare!"
Shang Rui sneered with a mocking look and said, "Whether you dare or not is not just a matter of words." After that, he let go of her chin and reached out to touch her collar.
His hands were warm, completely different from the cold hands she had used to warm them, but now they were like sharp blades cutting her to the point of bleeding. She felt that the gap in her heart was sealed tightly again.
He made other moves and naturally loosened his grip on her hands.
Xia Yue freed one of her hands and quickly reached under the pillow. When she held the hairpin in her hand, she remembered that the hairpin handle had been cut by the shopkeeper in the daytime in order to collect money. How could she use it to protect herself
Her actions did not escape his notice.
Shang Rui followed her movements and snatched the broken hairpin from under the pillow, sneering: "Where do you want to stab me with it this time, my neck or my chest?"
The golden petals were delicate and soft to begin with, so he gathered his five fingers together, grabbed the hairpin in his hand, and squeezed it hard, and it lost its original shape.
He threw it hard to the ground.
With such a twist, his rage deepened, and he pressed her hands to her sides and forced her legs apart with his knees.
He had been extremely unruly and frivolous in his life, how could he be treated like a piece of trash like this
She was dying, and he traveled hundreds of miles at night to find medicine for her.
Because of his impatience, she broke her hand, and he carried her on his back walking in the snow.
He was afraid of hurting her feelings, and didn't even dare to hurt Wei Ranyu in the slightest.
However, she didn't even look at him straight in the eye, just like the hairpin she gave him, trampling his feelings into the mud. Even when he saw that she was depressed, he took her to see the scenery that he had hidden in his heart for many years, but she wanted to take the opportunity to kill him.
The rage in his chest was so intense that he could hardly control himself, but his eyes were filled with a smile and his lips were pressed against her face: "If you kill me, how can I make you happy later?" His lips were as pale as paper at this moment, and the skin that was dry and curled due to the high fever scratched the skin on her face as his lips moved when he spoke.
Xia Yue was shocked and frightened. The past replayed itself in her mind like a nightmare. The words and actions of Wang Gan and his party by the Jinluo Lake overlapped with the current scene. Despair overwhelmed her.
At this moment, Shang Rui didn't even want to kiss her. He just reached out to pull her belt. It had nothing to do with lust, it was just to vent his anger.
However, he didn't expect that the person under him would suddenly relax, and the strength that had been desperately resisting him disappeared completely, and his limbs became stiff and motionless.
He was suddenly confused and couldn't help but look up.
Who would have thought that Xia Yue's face took on a grayish color under the dim candlelight. She looked lifeless and her eyes had lost their luster.
He was slightly stunned and didn't continue for a long time.
She said calmly and coldly: "Whatever you want to do, hurry up, you can just bear with it."
She added: "If there is such a time in this life, you are always better than passers-by. At least your face is still acceptable."
After saying that, she pulled her hand away from him, reached to her waist, and untied the tie on one side of her tunic. The tie was easily untied.
He leaned on his elbows and watched coldly.
The bellyband inside the middle shirt was revealed, with white magnolia flowers embroidered on the pink background. The atmosphere that should have been beautiful and charming was now filled with coldness and determination.
She raised her hands to the back of her neck to untie her bellyband.
But he stopped her.
She simply gave up trying to untie the laces and instead roughly pulled at the fabric on her chest. He held her hands, preventing her from moving.
She glanced at him and said, "Sir, do you really think that a woman who comes to you is not as good as one who is forced to come? Well," she placed her hands on his chest, "How do you like me to do it?"
At this time, the wick of the oil lamp on the table slowly sank into the oil, and the light in the tent became dimmer and dimmer, until finally, there was no light in the room.
In the darkness, only his and her breathing could be heard.
The doors and windows were closed, there were no stars or moon outside, and no human voices, it was eerily quiet.
Suddenly, she felt her body lighten. He actually left her and turned to get out of bed.
His body swayed slightly, and it felt like he was stepping on cotton. He gritted his teeth and almost used up all his strength to stand still. He stood in front of the bed, staring at her through the darkness. After a while, he smiled coldly and squeezed out a sentence from his mouth: "You win. Yu Zhaoyang, you win."
After saying this, he suddenly turned around and swept all the tea sets and candlesticks on the table to the ground, smashing them to pieces.
Later, Shang Rui couldn't remember how he returned to his room. He just felt that he slept in a daze until the evening of the next day.
He changed his clothes, drank porridge, and took medicine in silence. He felt much better, and his eyes became warmer. "How is the man from Taoyeju?"
Ming Lian hesitated and picked a more pleasing word, and replied: "I took the initiative to let the maid go, but the maid said that Miss Min refused to eat no matter how she persuaded her, and she has been hungry for a whole day."
"You want to die by fasting?" He sneered.
At this time, Li Ji next to him bowed again to take the patient's pulse.
Shang Rui's face was green, and he said to Ming Lian, "Go tell her that if she wants to die, don't forget what I said last night." He looked at Li Ji again, "Tell Min Xiayue later that although you can't treat her relative's illness yourself, you can teach her. Tell her to follow you and learn from you starting tomorrow."
Li Ji said: "Diagnosis requires observation, listening, questioning and palpation. I have never even seen a patient, so how can I treat her and how can I teach her?"
Shang Rui said coldly: "That's your business."