Xin Yeheng's eyes flickered. Wei Shuxuan could tell at a glance that he was feeling guilty. "You little rascal, don't lie to me. If I find out you did, I'll make you pay."
"Of course not. I would never lie to Sister Shuxuan or His Highness the Crown Prince!" Xin Yeheng quickly explained to Wei Shuxuan and took a quick glance at Xin Zizhao, who was sitting behind them, sipping tea in silence.
"Then tell me, where on earth did you go and what did you do?" Wei Shuxuan folded her arms, sat down beside Xin Zizhao, and looked at Xin Yeheng, who was standing in front of them obediently.
"It was the anniversary of my mother's death, so I went to visit her..." Xin Yeheng hesitated but still told them. Wei Shuxuan and Xin Zizhao were stunned upon hearing this.
"...Where did you go to visit her?" Wei Shuxuan now understood that Xin Yeheng had left because of his mother's death anniversary. Her tone softened, and her anger gradually subsided. She was no longer that angry but still very worried about him.
Xin Yeheng could tell from Wei Shuxuan's expression that she believed him. Although he felt a bit sorry for her, this matter was of great importance, and he really couldn't reveal his plan for now. "I went to Quanan Town. I buried my mother in the suburbs there, so I went to visit her and stayed in Quanan Town for a few days."
"If that's the case, you should have told us earlier instead of running away by yourself without saying a word. Don't you know we'd be worried about you? Zizhao and I sent people to look for you everywhere. Someone said they saw you going to the western suburbs of the capital, but when we asked around there, no one had seen you. You really made us extremely worried."
"I'm sorry, Sister Shuxuan, Your Highness the Crown Prince. I won't do this again..." Xin Yeheng took the initiative to admit his mistake, and his attitude was quite sincere. Wei Shuxuan's anger instantly disappeared.
"Alright, alright. I'm not blaming you. I just hope you can be more sensible. You're already seventeen years old. It's time you acted like an adult, got it?" Wei Shuxuan waved her hand and motioned for Xin Yeheng to sit beside her. "It's been a long time since we last saw each other, and you've grown up. But you have to know that you should be responsible for your actions. Don't let this happen again."
"I know..." Besides his deceased mother, no one had ever reproached him like this. Xin Yeheng felt his eyes getting wet. He seemed... unable to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes...
Seeing Xin Yeheng shedding tears, Wei Shuxuan felt a bit sorry for this young man. Having experienced so much at such a young age, he was truly pitiful.
"Come on, stop crying. You're a man. It's okay to cry in front of me and Shuxuan. You're my younger brother, so it's okay to act coquettishly at home. But when you're outside, you have to be a real man, got it?" Although Xin Zizhao's words sounded a bit reproachful, in fact, he really cared about Xin Yeheng as his younger brother. After all, their experiences were somewhat similar, but he was luckier. He had met a patient master who taught him and Wei Shuxuan, who loved him.
"I know. Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Tonight, Shuxuan and I will stay here for dinner."
When there were no maids or eunuchs around, Xin Zizhao generally didn't refer to himself as "the emperor" but used "I" instead. This could help narrow the distance between them.
"Okay. Thank you, Sister Shuxuan and Your Highness the Crown Prince."
After Wei Shuxuan and Xin Zizhao left Huaman Palace, their actions strengthened Xin Yeheng's determination. He couldn't let that so - called grandfather harm his family. So he went to his study and wrote a letter to Sima Tianhai in the name of Sima Yongheng, planning to send someone to deliver it to the General's Mansion. But hadn't Hong Ying and the others said that Sima Tianhai was on his way to the Kingdom of Yulong?
Just when Xin Yeheng was in a dilemma, Bai Yue unexpectedly appeared. "How about letting me help you, Your Highness the Eleventh Prince?"
"Are you... Bai Yue!" Xin Yeheng couldn't believe it. A person from Sima Tianhai's side actually appeared in his bedroom.
"So what if it's me? Don't you want to send a letter to the general? I'm just here to help you. Don't worry. I won't do anything to you. I'm just here to help you deliver the letter. Please trust me."
Bai Yue's eyes were sincere and didn't seem like he was lying, but Xin Yeheng frowned tightly. "Can I really trust you?"
"Of course. If I lie to you, I'll personally kill Sima Tianhai for you. How does that sound?" Bai Yue leaned down and whispered in Xin Yeheng's ear.
Xin Yeheng was taken aback. Bai Yue actually knew what was on his mind. "What... what exactly are you up to?"
"Nothing. I just want to help you. If you trust me, give me the letter. If not, you won't be able to find the general."
Bai Yue was right. There was no other way but to trust Bai Yue this time.
"Okay, I trust you. I hope you won't lie to me."
"Of course not."
After taking Xin Yeheng's letter, Bai Yue disappeared from the study. Xin Yeheng finally heaved a sigh of relief. Now it was up to Bai Yue.
In Fenghe Hall, Wei Shuxuan administered medicine to the unconscious Wei Tu on time every day, but there was no sign of improvement. Sometimes she even thought that her father had become a vegetable and would never wake up again.
Although she had such thoughts, she still poured the bitter - tasting medicine soup into Wei Tu's mouth. Then she watched as the dark - brown medicine trickled down from the corner of his mouth, picked up the handkerchief at hand, and gently wiped it away. Wei Shuxuan felt her heart getting tired.
"Dad, when on earth will you wake up?" Wei Shuxuan poured a few more mouthfuls of the medicine soup into his mouth, and it flowed out again. She wiped it away with the handkerchief. After repeating this several times, the handkerchief was stained with the color and smell of the medicine. He could only swallow a tiny bit of the medicine soup.
Wei Shuxuan sighed, put the soup bowl with a little left on one side, and got up, planning to go out to get some congee to feed Wei Tu. In ancient times, unlike modern times, people couldn't rely on intravenous glucose and saline to maintain basic vital signs. In ancient times, they had to rely on feeding congee to sustain life.
The door was slightly ajar. Wei Shuxuan didn't notice the movement of the hand on the bed. She went to the kitchen to scoop up a bowl of congee and then returned to the room. She walked to the bedside, holding the bowl of congee in her hand. Just as she was about to feed Wei Tu, unexpectedly, she met a pair of eyes. She was startled, and the bowl in her hand slipped out of her grasp and fell to the ground, scattering full grains of rice and thick congee everywhere.
She stared at the person on the bed with wide eyes, her voice trembling. "Dad, you've finally woken up!"