The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 194: Absorbing a Bit of Longevity

Chapter 194: Absorbing a Bit of Longevity

"Thank you, my lady." Although Rong Dongling couldn’t discern the nature of the talisman, she knew it was crafted by Nanli Hua.

To think that the Ninth Princess would be willing to create such a difficult talisman for her; she felt grateful for their concern.

What Rong Dongling didn’t know was that from the moment she carried the sachet with her, the Yin energy within her began to dissipate.

As she walked back to her courtyard, she encountered her eldest brother, Rong Zhiyun.

Being a few years older, Rong Zhiyun always took good care of his younger sister. "Have you returned from the palace?" he asked with concern, observing Rong Dongling.

Rong Dongling nodded. "Yes, my lady bestowed upon me several exquisite silk threads."

Rong Zhiyun furrowed his brows suddenly. "What is that you carry in your embrace?"

"Oh?" Rong Dongling was taken aback and took out the sachet.

"It was also a gift from my lady. It contains a talisman, presumably for protection."

"Although it was bestowed by my lady, one should not be without caution," Rong Zhiyun lowered his voice.

"Don’t carry it with you at all times."

Rong Dongling was usually obedient to her elder brother’s words, but this talisman was painted by Nanli and bestowed by the Empress herself.

She couldn’t simply cast it aside. "I am about to marry into the Eastern Palace. If my lady were to find out, she would be displeased."

Rong Zhiyun also considered this point and narrowed his eyes. "Then carry it with you, but refrain from disturbing your sister-in-law. She hasn’t been feeling well lately."

Rong Dongling pursed her lips.

Her sister-in-law, Lady Xu, had been weak and frail since giving birth.

She would become short of breath after just a few steps and rarely left the courtyard.

Rong Dongling didn’t want Lady Xu to feel bored, so she often kept her company.

Since her elder brother had said so, she readily agreed not to disturb her in the near future.

However, just two days later, Lady Xu sent someone to invite her.

Rong Dongling thought that if her sister-in-law had sent someone to invite her, she couldn’t possibly refuse.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, Lady Xu was sitting by the window, basking in the sunlight. Her complexion was pale, her cheeks slightly sunken, and she appeared devoid of vitality.

"Sister-in-law," Rong Dongling expressed her concern, "why are you sitting by the window, exposing yourself to the breeze?"

Lady Xu raised her eyes slightly, their color also gray and cloudy. "There is no breeze. I just wanted to bask in the sun to warm my body."

After uttering a long sentence, she began to wheeze.

Rong Dongling was already accustomed to this and quickly poured a cup of hot tea.

Even after basking in the sun for so long, Lady Xu’s hands remained icy cold.

Rong Dongling couldn’t help but shiver when she touched them.

Feeling apologetic, Lady Xu turned to her maidservant and said, "Bring them all out."

Several maidservants brought out several boxes.

When opened, they revealed either exquisite jewelry or delicate ornaments, dazzling the eyes.

Lady Xu was already weak at this point, and her personal maidservant spoke on her behalf, "Second Miss, these are the dowry prepared for you by Madam."

"So many," Rong Dongling couldn’t hide her delight.

She walked over and picked up a hairpin adorned with gemstones and delicate silk threads, instantly falling in love with it.

Lady Xu coughed a few times, her complexion growing even paler, her voice weak.

"I am frail, so these were prepared by others. As long as you like them."

"Sister-in-law, you are still unwell. You shouldn’t have worried about me," Rong Dongling furrowed her brows lightly. "Big brother will be distressed seeing you like this."

Lady Xu tugged at the corner of her mouth, her smile appearing somewhat eerie against her pale face.

"It’s alright. I am your sister-in-law, so naturally, I should take care of these matters for you."

"Thank you, sister-in-law," Rong Dongling expressed her gratitude sincerely.

Not wanting to overstay her welcome and disturb Lady Xu’s rest, Rong Dongling left promptly.

Lady Xu was already feeling unwell, and once Rong Dongling left, her breathing gradually eased.

However, she still felt dizzy and weak, sitting there limply, devoid of any strength.

Seeing this, her personal maidservant became anxious.

Fortunately, Rong Zhiyun returned to the courtyard at this moment, and she hurriedly went out to report, lowering her voice, "Young Master, Madam is not well."

A trace of panic flashed across Rong Zhiyun’s face, and he rushed into the room.

He saw Lady Xu lying on the table, barely showing any signs of breathing.

His hands trembled slightly, but he quickly took out a gilded incense burner and placed it beside Lady Xu.

A yellow talisman was still affixed to the incense burner.

Rong Zhiyun tore open the talisman, and wisps of ethereal energy rose and snaked towards Lady Xu.

He turned to gaze at the personal maid by his side, his voice icy and his face darkening, a harbinger of imminent wrath.

"Madam used the incense burner just last night, how could it be like this today?"

His voice was cold, his face even more gloomy, a clear sign of his impending anger.

The personal maid hurriedly replied, "Madam was as usual, I have no idea what happened."

"Could it happen without reason? Did Madam encounter anyone?" he inquired.

"Madam only saw the Second Miss," the personal maid answered.

Rong Zhiyun’s gaze darkened.

His sister must still be carrying the sachet, he hadn’t expected that the talisman seal would be so powerful, capable of unsettling his wife’s soul.

There wasn’t much energy left in the incense burner, but it would suffice for now.

Seeing Lady Xu’s energy stabilize once again, he quickly put away the incense burner.

Lady Xu opened her eyes and saw her husband returning, right before her.

She smiled gently, "Prince, you’ve returned." They had been married for several years, yet she had not been able to bear him a child, and her health was frail.

Rong Zhiyun had even given up on pursuing an official career, spending most of his days accompanying her.

She felt deeply guilty.

Rong Zhiyun’s expression softened instantly, his voice filled with tenderness, "Yes, I have returned. You seem a bit weary today."

"It was fine initially, but I’ve been feeling more tired after seeing my younger sister," Lady Xu spoke, without any signs of breathlessness.

Rong Zhiyun noticed and his face relaxed slightly, "You should rest more in the coming days and avoid meeting people, understood?"

"Alright," Xu understood his concern and did not refuse.

He helped her up and guided her back to the bed to rest.

Suddenly, Xu grabbed his hand, her gaze pleading, "Prince, my body... I can no longer bear you children. Why don’t you take a concubine or two..."

She had mentioned this more than once.

Rong Zhiyun’s face turned frosty, a hint of anger in his voice, "Haven’t I told you? I will only have you as my wife in this lifetime, I will not take concubines."

"But..." Lady Xu looked up at him, tears welling up in her eyes, "You can’t be without an heir."

"Enough, let’s not speak of this matter again. Your health can still be restored," Rong Zhiyun assured her, "You don’t need to worry."

Seeing that he was truly getting angry, Lady Xu could only close her mouth.

She lay back on the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

Rong Zhiyun sat by the edge of the bed, gazing at her for a long time before taking out the incense burner and absentmindedly caressing it.

He called for a guard to come in and said, "Go and gather some longevity for me."