PFC Chapter 539 Xie Jingxian: Pastries
Chapter 539 Xie Jingxian: Pastries
Wei Wushuang over there was also barely holding on.
Although he was quick, he was not skilled. After several exchanges, his breathing became disordered, and he was stabbed in the shoulder. Blood dripped down his sleeve.
The assassins did not give chase. They exchanged a glance, sheathed their swords, and disappeared from the crowd like shadows.
The emperor only ordered a test, not to take anyone's life.
The assassin in black quickly retreated into the dark alley and disappeared without a trace in no time.
Li House.
In the side hall, the doctor was cleaning Xie Jing's wounds.
His right sleeve had been cut open; the wound was long but not deep, just a tear in the skin.
Qingbai stood to the side, handing over the medicine bottle with a worried expression.
Xie Jing frowned, but remained silent.
Li Sheng gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with her right hand, her eyes already slightly red.
Xie Jing turned to look at her and said gently, "Don't worry, it's just a minor injury."
Li Sheng wanted to say something more, but suddenly—
"Oh my god!!!"
A scream suddenly came from the other end of the side hall, echoing throughout the entire room.
Everyone was startled and turned to look.
Wei Wushuang was naked from the waist up, with a deep wound on his shoulder, the flesh torn open, and the doctor was treating his wound.
His face was pale, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his mouth was opening and closing, his expression so exaggerated that it looked as if he was about to faint at any moment.
Li Sheng was startled and quickly stood up and walked over.
Only then did they realize that Wei Wushuang was really badly injured.
As she looked at the twisted flesh, her heart clenched in fear.
"You're badly injured!" she exclaimed in surprise.
“It’s already incredibly difficult for him to hold on this long,” the doctor replied without looking up. “Any later, and he probably wouldn’t have been able to save his shoulder.”
Li Sheng became even more nervous, clasping her hands together.
It was the first time she had ever seen a doctor treat such a serious wound, and she was completely absorbed in watching.
He stayed by Wei Wushuang's side, his eyes filled with both fear and curiosity.
When Wei Wushuang saw her coming, she forced a smile at her.
Xie Jing, standing to the side: ...
He raised his hand, silently picked up the teacup beside him, and drank it all in one gulp.
The tea is very bitter and doesn't taste good.
Imperial Palace, Imperial Study Room.
Li Wuyang sat behind his desk when a eunuch hurried in and whispered his message.
"Your Majesty, we have investigated. Those people are indeed not skilled in martial arts, and they had no bodyguards with them."
A cold glint flashed in Li Wuyang's eyes. "Then what are they doing in the capital?"
"Your subordinate has not yet ascertained the situation."
Li Wuyang tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers. "Continue the investigation. Not knowing martial arts doesn't mean there's no threat. The people from the Great Jin Dynasty infiltrated silently; they must have something to do with it."
"Yes," the eunuch replied and withdrew.
After a while, the personal eunuch stepped forward with a wooden tray. "Your Majesty, the time has come. Shall we choose a concubine?"
Li Wuyang raised her eyes and her gaze fell on a row of jade tablets in the dish, each bearing the name of a concubine. Her gaze swept over a few familiar ones and finally settled on a new one.
"The one that was delivered to the Li family."
The eunuch immediately responded loudly, "Prepare the carriage for Ningxiang Palace!"
Ningxiang Palace.
Shen Qingyan, dressed in a smoky blue palace dress, stood gracefully at the palace gate.
In the darkness, a gilded wheelchair slowly approached, and the man sitting on it had a handsome face and an imposing presence.
Shen Qingyan bowed and said, "I am sorry for being late in welcoming Your Majesty."
Li Wuyang's gaze fell on her. "No need for formalities."
His gaze swept over the crowd, and he turned and entered the hall.
Shen Qingyan followed behind him with her eyes lowered, her hands clenched tightly in her sleeves, her palms turning slightly white.
The hall had already been properly arranged, with red candles flickering and screens standing low.
A maidservant respectfully brought over tea and several plates of pastries. Shen Qingyan looked at the food and said, "This tea was brewed by me today, and the pastries were also made by me. They are all from my hometown."
Her tone was gentle, with a hint of barely perceptible flattery.
Li Wuyang did not reach out, but the personal eunuchs who were attending him stepped forward to taste the tea and test the flavors one by one.
A moment later, he reported in a low voice, "Your Majesty, there is nothing unusual."
Shen Qingyan's expression remained unchanged. The Gu worms were not poisonous and would not be detected by any poison testing method.
Even after the test showed no toxicity, Li Wuyang still did not touch the tea or pastries.
Shen Qingyan frowned.
I never expected this man to be so wary.
She forced a smile, her tone almost joking, "If Your Majesty has no appetite for the moment, I happen to be a little hungry myself. Would you be so kind as to try a bite first?"
Li Wuyang didn't speak, but nodded slightly, which was taken as an agreement.
Shen Qingyan then raised her hand and picked up a piece of crispy almond cake.
Li Wuyang looked up at her, his gaze as calm as a still pool.
I watched quietly as she finished the entire pastry.
After she finished eating, she looked perfectly normal and showed no signs of poisoning.
Only then did he reach out and pick up the pastry.
Upon seeing this, Shen Qingyan's heart leaped into her throat.
Li Wuyang looked down at the pastry in her hand, pinched the crispy outer shell, and scraped off some crumbs.
Then he put the pastries back.
"It's not advisable to eat too many sweets at night."
Shen Qingyan: ...
She took a soft breath and lowered her head. "Yes, Your Majesty is right."
Li Wuyang didn't say anything more, just waved his hand.
The personal eunuch immediately stepped forward and pushed the wheelchair out.
Shen Qingyan bowed and gave a respectful salute, saying, "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty."
Once the footsteps had completely disappeared outside the palace gates, she straightened up, and the submissive expression on her face vanished.
She stared at the pastry that had been put back, her gaze darkening inch by inch.
Li House.
Li Sheng's eyes showed some anxiety. "How did it go? What did she say?"
Xie Jing, injured, was sitting on a soft couch, with a secret letter in his hand covered in strange characters, while his other hand was quickly flipping through a thin book, deciphering it.
He quickly sketched a few words with his fingertips, then stopped after a moment, closed the booklet, and looked up at her.
"Today's plan failed. Li Wuyang is extremely suspicious. Even when Shen Qingyan tasted the pastries herself, he didn't touch them."
Li Sheng's eyes narrowed. "Is she alright?"
Xie Jing shook his head. "It's alright. She handled the situation well and didn't give anything away. She'll find another opportunity to act."
He reached out and pushed the teacup toward her, his voice low and gentle, "There's no use in us worrying. You've had a long day, have some tea and take a break."
Li Sheng nodded, took the teacup, lowered her eyes, and took a sip.
The tea soup was slightly bitter, which calmed the restlessness in my heart.
She looked up at Xie Jing and asked, "Do you have any good ideas?"
Xie Jing tapped the table twice with his fingertips and shook his head. "I don't have any good ideas."
“I knew from the start that things wouldn’t go so smoothly. Li Wuyang is extremely cautious, and I suspect he already has some suspicions about us.”
“However… it’s not entirely impossible,” he said slowly.
Li Sheng's spirits lifted, and he immediately asked, "What method?"