Chapter 5, The Continuation of a Quiet Fate

With a hint of recklessness, almost as if teasing, he whispered in her ear: "Originally, after finding the herb that could prolong your life, I intended to withdraw and never look back. But you, with your presumptuousness, made me change my mind. From now on, whether at the ends of the earth or in the halls of power, I will never leave you, never let go."

"Has she ever been here?" he asked impulsively

Xu Bin tilted his head slightly, his gaze shifting towards the green waist and white gauze, a hint of inquiry in his eyes, and an unusual smile unexpectedly appeared at the corners of his lips

Because of a fleeting encounter at Yunmen Mountain and a royal decree, she entered the palace in a daze. Fortunately, she became acquainted with Zhu Zhanji, and they developed a romance akin to childhood sweethearts.

"Young Master, is this medicine ready?" Bai Zhuo asked curiously as she adjusted the candles in the room to brighten the space

"Yes!" Green Waist nodded.

Green Waist was also startled and immediately turned around to rummage through Xu Bin's medicine box

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Ziyan was sobbing: "It was already somewhat strange that the Empress did not allow us to serve her in the tent before bed today, and instead took the little princess to sleep herself. However, after the first watch of the night, I heard the little princess crying, so I rushed into the Empress's sleeping tent, only to find that she was missing. Moreover, a piece of male clothing that had been hidden was also gone. I did not dare to make a sound and searched around. I even went to probe around the Prince's sleeping tent, but found no one. I became anxious and informed Xiangting. We quietly asked the guards at various palace gates, but they all said they had not seen the Empress leave the palace. I did not dare to make a sound and searched around. I even went to probe around the Prince's sleeping tent, but found no one. I became anxious and informed Xiangting. We quietly asked the guards at various palace gates, but they all said they had not seen the Empress leave the palace. Later, we found the Jubaomen gate, where it was said that a little eunuch had taken the Prince's jade token to request a horse and had already left the palace long ago."

The clothes on my body have long been soaked with sweat, and my tied-up black hair is sticking to my neck and back due to the humidity. My hands are already covered in dust, and at this moment, I must look extremely disheveled.

At first, Wei felt confused and had some complaints, but she quickly understood. The new spices added to the incense burner and the fragrance of fresh flowers throughout the room could not completely mask the smell of blood in the air, and Zhu Zhanji's carefully arranged appearance could hardly conceal his sickly and haggard expression

Xu Bin secretly laughed to himself, it seems that Zhu Zhanji's life is quite long after all

Ziyan was stunned by everything before her. She did not understand the intricate relationships and the various events that had transpired. She could only anxiously urge Xu Bin: "Lord Xu, we must find the Empress before dawn; otherwise, how can we explain ourselves in the palace, in front of the hall? If rumors spread, the Empress will have no way out!"

Later, in all the memories related to Qixia Mountain, his white figure would always appear

Dressed in white, graceful and handsome, transcending the ordinary, appearing and disappearing without a trace

At last, she fell to the ground, murmuring: "Young master, Bai Zhu would rather die before you at this moment than hear such words."

I could not sleep soundly throughout the night, waiting for the rain to stop so that I could return to Black Maple Mountain to search for the Immortal Dew Leaf. Just as I was tossing and turning, I suddenly heard a commotion outside.

"Good Ziyan, do not worry, I will find her." The words still linger in the air as the figure gradually fades away

Within Baihua Alley, at Xu Bin's residence, inside Miaoyin Studio, Xu Bin hurriedly entered

Indeed. Perhaps one's own worries are unnecessary; in Ruowei's eyes, one is always omnipotent, always her savior in times of danger. How could she possibly worry about encountering peril while searching for medicine in the mountains?

I had only been lying on the bed for a moment when I heard the thunder roaring outside, followed by a gust of wind, and the torrential rain came pouring down in an instant

If Wei still harbors a glimmer of hope, then perhaps the figure in white should appear

If one is contemplating, one must not dare to be the slightest bit negligent in their steps

Bai Zhu nodded casually, affirming, "Yes, in the presence of his unparalleled beauty and the imposing aura that commands the world, she cannot lie to him. 'She has been here and has left. We did not keep her. At this moment, she should be on the mountain.'"

The wild boar finally lost its patience and lunged at her

No," Bai Zhuo replied decisively.

Such a person completely dispelled the lingering shadow that had long occupied Ruowei's heart during the previous turmoil of the competition for favor among the beauties of the Crown Prince's residence

"Ziyan, what brings you here?" Xu Bin's handsome eyes quietly fixed on Ziyan. Although his face was solemn and expressionless, it subtly revealed his worries and concerns.

Ziyan suddenly knelt before Xu Bin and said, "Lord Xu, our lady, our young master is missing."

Since the year I was eight, when I climbed Yunmen Mountain with my brother Jizong and met Lady Pengcheng, my fate seems to have been closely intertwined with the mountain

When will we not meet? Xu Bin's complexion turned slightly pale, dazzling and captivating, wishing to perceive all matters of the world in his heart

As my thoughts drifted away, my gaze fell upon the porcelain jar displayed beside the writing desk, and my expression suddenly changed

Tears silently fall unexpectedly, and danger quietly descends without notice

Therefore, regardless of the state of his illness or the suffering he endures alone, he still greets her with a smile and speaks to her softly, exhibiting utmost tenderness

She has been here? Her gaze was like an arrow, directly aimed at Bai Zhuo

Now, I have returned to Nanjing once again, the old friends are still here, but everything has changed. Still on the mountain, this time, what should I say to Xu Bin?

Bai Zhu's pale complexion was quite frightening, and the way her head hung low revealed her inner thoughts too early, thus Xu Bin understood completely

As a noble consort of the crown prince, how could she recklessly leave the palace? Moreover, Ziyan has already conveyed the prescription you drafted to her, so she naturally knows that you will arrange everything for her, and she can rest assured. Bai Zhuo was originally a person of few words, but today her speech seemed somewhat more abundant.

As beautiful as the sky is clear, yet it is also quite distant

The howling. The terrifying howls of the wild boar did not truly frighten Ruowei until she saw the shadow that flashed in the forest, at which point she realized that luck was not always by her side

However, whether this rain will come is not something he can decide. That is why he said it depends on the heavens. As for whether Zhu Zhanji's fate can wait until the medicinal herbs are gathered, now that all human efforts have been exhausted, it can only depend on the will of heaven

The wrist was already swollen, with three or two deep bite marks clearly visible, oozing with a reddish hue. Moreover, right next to the bite marks, there was an extremely deep wound, which, although mixed with some medicinal powder, still revealed flesh and blood.

Young Master! Bai Zhuo was stunned, tears flowing freely. He, surprisingly, knew everything. Did he know his thoughts? What was he saying? Was he confessing his unreserved feelings for Sun Ruowei?

The sound of the wild boar's roar echoed in all directions, its front hoof firmly pressing down on Ruowei's shoulder, a tearing pain crashing over her like a tidal wave. The exposed tusks were terrifying, and in her panic, Ruowei swung her knife at it a second time, but this strike was evaded by the boar as it jumped aside. Moreover, due to the excessive force, Ruowei's grip loosened, causing the knife to slip from her hand. Thus, Ruowei could only muster all her strength to run to the other side, while the enraged wild boar closely pursued her from behind

"Only one ingredient is still missing, and that depends solely on the heavens," Xu Bin said softly as he leaned back in his chair. The Xianlu leaves, which serve as a medicinal catalyst, are already extremely rare. Over the past few days, he has scoured the mountains and waters around Nanjing, yet found not a trace. He even went to check the Tea King tree on Black Maple Mountain, which was once recorded in medicinal texts, and although he could see a few roots of the Xianlu leaves, they were all too old, showing signs of lignification, making them unsuitable for medicine. Now, if he wishes to obtain fresh ones, he must wait for a heavy rain, and after the rain, he can go up the mountain to collect them, hoping to find newly sprouted seedlings.

"It's nothing, it's already been taken care of. Don't worry, I have a long life ahead of me!" Xu Bin's expression returned to calm, and his words carried a hint of teasing, yet they caused Green Waist and White Silk Pearl to shed silent tears.

Then, at the age of thirteen, while traveling to Qixia Mountain with Princess Xianning, Zhanji, and Zhanyong, in an attempt to chase after her mother's white silk scarf, she accidentally fell down the mountain and encountered Xu Bin

Her previous encounter with wolves on the grassland immediately calmed her down; she remained still, not daring to move, thinking that perhaps it would not attack her. However, she was mistaken; a wild boar is not a wolf. This is not the grassland, and most importantly, she was alone, without Yan Qing or Xu Bin, facing danger by herself.

No words were spoken. However, the servant thought that among the thirteen gates of the palace, only the Gathering Treasure Gate was the closest to here. Moreover, in the past few days, the lady's mind has been unsettled, and there have been several occasions when she wanted to come to the residence to find Lord Xu. Therefore... After Zi Yan swallowed the rest of her words, she knew that Xu Bin should have already understood her meaning

Amidst the sounds of the green waist and white gauze, a somewhat unfamiliar female voice interjected. With a slight frown, Xu Bin immediately got out of bed, donned his clothes, and went to the outer hall, where he saw Ziyan standing at the door, completely drenched.

Xu Bin's complexion changed repeatedly, his pair of handsome eyes resembling the cold river under the moonlit night, "The guard can say, in which direction did she go?"

Thinking back just now, it was indeed perilous

The night envelops the mountains, yet the moonlight and twinkling stars provide a harmonious contrast, making it effortless to discern the paths within the mountains. The lush trees stand tall at the mountain's peak like gigantic umbrellas reaching for the sky. In the distance, though not clearly visible, if one were to believe, it should be the King Tea Tree.

Time seemed to stand still, as if the jade-like eyes suddenly flickered with a cold light. He bent down, just about to reach out, when the green waist and white gauze had already helped the purple smoke to rise.

The calmness of Bai Zhu surprised him slightly; in an instant, he understood everything. He gently placed a hand on Bai Zhu's shoulder and leaned close to her ear, a familiar gesture that caught people off guard

Subsequently, he moved to Beijing, where he encountered danger in the Xishan Mountains, and both his relationship with Zhu Zhanji faced unprecedented trials; the turmoil within the residence followed one after another, which he secretly resolved, as if everything were right before his eyes

A person's potential may indeed be limitless. If Ruo Wei almost instinctively raised the machete, striking the wild boar's skull directly, although Ruo Wei exerted all her strength, unfortunately, it could not deliver a fatal blow.

Lü Yao and Bai Zhu immediately approached, engaging in washing the face with water, serving tea, and changing clothes. After a series of arrangements, Xu Bin calmly sat in front of the writing desk, meticulously examining the herbs collected in today's medicine pouch, and then handed them to Lü Yao, saying, "Put them away first"

Xu Bin's gaze once again rested on his wrist, where Bai Zhu was very close to him. Upon following his gaze, she immediately changed color and asked, "Young Master, what kind of poison has bitten you?"

In the past two days, Zhu Zhanji has refused to allow her to stay overnight in his tent. Even when she goes to see him, she must send a message in advance and wait outside for quite some time before she can enter

Lü Yao stood to the side, her gaze flickering slightly, only lowering her head.

Xu Bin's gaze shifted from the painting scroll to her face, intently focusing on her beautiful eyes with a careful scrutiny; however, his gaze remained clear and composed, which reassured him

He is not only the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, the future heir of the nation, but also a man of great stature, her husband, and the father of their daughter

He has never changed regarding his heart

This smile, with a hint of wicked charm, clung to his handsome face, making him appear even more ethereal and extraordinary, to the extent that it could create an illusion; within that subtle smile lay a murderous intent and a captivating dominance.