Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 873 - 871_1

Chapter 873: Chapter 871_1

The older one gets, the more afraid of death they become. The Nangong Emperor’s wounds, according to the imperial doctor, posed a risk of festering due to the hot weather. If these were not healed soon, complications could quickly arise, and he was not to meet his end so soon.

After a moment of silence, Nangong Emperor finally spoke, "Alright, I agree with you. But you must not lay a finger on my Nangong Country’s territory!"

Xiao’er, feeble and head hung low, revealed a mocking smile. She knew he was afraid of death, so he was sure to agree.

"Alright." Shangguan Xuanyi’s expression barely shifted in response to the Emperor’s words, as if he had predicted this answer— he turned to Gong Qinghua: "Your Majesty, the Second Prince carries a bottle of medicine. Inside, there are three pills; one for healing wounds, another for detoxifying, and the last for curing diseases. What I’m asking for is that you would give me the disease-curing pill."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Since when did I have a pill bottle?" Gong Qinghua refuted instantly when he heard those words, not appearing guilty at all.

"What?" Nangong Emperor looked shockedly at him after hearing the discussion.

He had been blaming the Crown Prince for not taking out the pills to save him should he fall sick, but now it turned out that Gong Qinghua was the one who was withholding them.

Upon seeing his father’s fierce expressions, Gong Qinghua knew he was believed. He felt pitiful for himself, having a father who would rather believe an outsider than his own son.

"Father Emperor, how could I possibly have such pills? You shouldn’t listen to his nonsense. He’s just trying to sow discord between us. For these past few days, I’ve watched you suffering in bed, unable to sleep or eat. It pained me so much that I couldn’t eat or sleep either. If I indeed had those pills, why wouldn’t I give them for you to take?" Gong Qinghua knelt next to the bed, utterly sincere and passionate, almost to the point of shedding tears.

Shangguan Xuanyi responded with a hint of a sarcastic smirk, "Princess Rui’s maid carried a pill bottle. She herself admitted it, and it dropped out when you had her whipped. Your men took it away. Had they not taken away our last remaining pill, I would have no need to come here."

A loyal servant would never claim property found on an enemy, not even a copper plate!

Everyone knew this. So, if Gong Qinghua’s men had taken the pill, it meant Gong Qinghua took it!

Gong Qinghua certainly trusted the man whom he placed in charge of Zhenyang County enough to make him his confidant.

Xiao’er managed to weakly lift her head, allowing her sickly and pitiful state to be fully exposed to them. She said in a weak voice, "Nangong Second Prince, please give me the medicine. Otherwise, I’m going to die."

Only then did Nangong Emperor notice Xiao’er’s current state. She was so ill! She looked like she was about to die even faster than he was.

Seeing her in more pain than himself, he began to believe what Shangguan Xuanyi had said.

The pills originally belonged to Princess Rui. If they still had them, they would have consumed them by now!

Nobody could put up with such pain!

Now that Shangguan Xuanyi had personally come to plead with him and claim that Gong Qinghua had possession of the pills, Nangong Emperor figured that there was no way it could be a joke, most likely because of shared suffering.

Nangong Emperor peered at his son, his cloudy eyes filled with scrutiny, "Hua’er, did one of your subordinates give you the pill? If not, go get it from him right now!"

"Father emperor, I absolutely do not have the pills. The man you mentioned was killed by Prince Rui! How could I ask him? If Prince Rui hadn’t told me, I would never have thought that I had been nurturing a thieving wolf who would secretly pocket the pills." Gong Qinghua was indignant by the end of his speech.

"People can’t take their possessions with them after death, so the pills must still be around. Second Prince, please hurry and send someone to find them! Otherwise, I’m going to die! Your father is going to go back on his word. Moreover, you don’t want your father to suffer for another moment, right? Cough, cough, cough..." Xiao’er spoke, only to burst into severe coughing after.

Shangguan Xuanyi quickly came over to pat her back.

What did her death have to do with him? Gong Qinghua gave a long hard look at this woman who had repeatedly harmed him. His feelings were mixed, he truly wished he could strangle her right there and then!

"I’ll send someone now! Countess Rui’an, rest assured. Bad people may live long, but harm them brings lives forever. You surely won’t die!" Gong Qinghua managed to grit out.

"Nangong Emperor, are you a good person or a bad person? Why don’t I let you see based on the Second Prince’s opinion whether you’ll live long or not? If this time the Second Prince brings back the medicine and you survive, does it mean that you also dwell in harm forever just like me? Tsk, tsk, fortunately, I’m only a woman and can’t bring harm to too many people. Nangong Emperor, you’re a king of a country, you should be careful. Don’t bring harm to your people!"

Upon hearing this, both Gong Qinghua and the Nangong Emperor were left enraged.

The mouth on Princess Rui was really relentless when she had the upper hand!

If he were twenty years younger, he would definitely seize such a beauty and make the most of her. Nangong Emperor thought to himself.

Unfortunately, his spirit was willing but his body was weak now!

After saying these things, Xiao’er noticed the glares that seemed to want her dead from both men. She then pretended to be out of breath and laid heavily onto Shangguan Xuanyi, actually bursting in laughter!

Hmph! They dare to call her a nuisance? She will show them how much of a nuisance she could be and take them all down with her!

Gong Qinghua gazed at Xiao’er, wishing that his eyes could pierce right through her. He had a nagging feeling that she was just pretending to be sick! He couldn’t help but step forward, wanting to see for himself, "Countess Rui’an, aren’t you unbearably sick? How are you still able to talk so much?"

Xiao’er struggled to lift up a hand and touch her forehead, "Ah, my head feels so dizzy! Brother Shangguan, hold me up, I’m about to fall over!"

Gong Qinghua: "....."

Could her acting be any more exaggerated?

"I don’t know why, but ever since I came to Zhan’er Island, I fell sick. No wonder it’s a place for the exiled. It’s really eerie!"

Upon hearing this, Gong Qinghua halted his steps and dared not approach her. He almost forgot that Countess Rui’an could have contracted the plague!

"I will dispatch someone to find it right away! Since Princess Rui is ill, please stay in the inn and avoid going anywhere else! I will send you the pills once they are found. Father Emperor, I will take my leave now." Gong Qinghua finished his sentence and then left in a hurry.

The Nangong Emperor nodded vaguely after hearing what Xiao’er had to say, seeming a bit guilty.

He knew full well the danger of the stone. It once caused an entire village to fall ill within only half a year, and even the babies born there were not normal.

It was only after he knew about this did he moved the stone to Zhan’er Island, hoping that the people of Minze would never discover the secret of the stone.

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