The Prime Minister's Darling
Chapter 842 - 842 387 The Majesty of an Emperor (Another )_2

Chapter 842: 387 The Majesty of an Emperor (Another Chapter)_2 Chapter 842: 387 The Majesty of an Emperor (Another Chapter)_2 “The late Emperor demanded your burial as well, yet it was Noble Consort Jing who risked her life to steal the imperial decree. Noble Consort Jing treated you with all her heart and soul, but in the end, you wouldn’t even part with a single Tianshan Snow Lotus for her!”

He forgot that the Tianshan Snow Lotus had long been used in his medicine.

It wasn’t that the Empress Dowager was unwilling to give it; it was that she couldn’t give it.

Yet she didn’t explain a single word, just looked at him deeply and then turned and walked away.

With what kind of grievance and sadness did she leave at that time?

He didn’t know… he knew nothing…

The moon was dark, and the wind was high.

Bishui Alley, too, fell into quietude.

Gu Jiao’s lamp in the eastern room suddenly lit up.

Indeed, Gu Jiao had been feigning sleep, waiting for everyone else to fall into their dreams before stealthily rising from her bed.

The days were still somewhat hot, but the nights were quite cool.

Gu Jiao, in her thin nightgown, tiptoed out. She sneaked into the backyard doghouse and, while Xiaoba wasn’t paying attention, whoosh, snatched it from its kennel!

Xiaoba looked utterly baffled!

Gu Jiao held Xiaoba and walked back, believing she had hidden herself well, but she was caught red-handed by Xiao Liulang as soon as she reached the hall.

Gu Jiao blinked, “Why aren’t you asleep at this late hour?”

Xiao Liulang was also in his night robe.

She added, “Are you up for a night visit?”

Xiao Liulang: “…”

Thank you, my kidneys are fine.

Xiao Liulang glanced at Xiaoba, who was held in her arms, struggling to grasp the situation, and asked, “Why are you not sleeping in the middle of the night, holding a dog for what?”

“Just… for some fun?” said Gu Jiao.

Xiao Liulang: Hehe.

Xiao Liulang stared at Gu Jiao unblinkingly. He had this particular skill that didn’t involve anger or persistent questioning but still made it impossible for one to keep secrets from him.

Gu Jiao knew that without clarifying things, he wouldn’t simply go back to sleep.

Strange, was he also pretending to sleep the whole time, just waiting to catch her in the act during the night?

“Fine then,” Gu Jiao ultimately decided to come clean.

After all, he was her husband; she couldn’t bear the thought of knocking him out cold.

“I want to test the medicine,” Gu Jiao stated.

Xiao Liulang didn’t show much surprise.

“You guessed?” Gu Jiao asked him, batting her eyelashes.

Xiao Liulang spoke indifferently, “I saw you secretly switching the medicines at His Majesty’s.”

He really didn’t know from whom she had learned this sleight-of-hand that swapped things unseen. Her movements were too quick; had he not been keeping an eye on her, he would never have noticed.

Gu Jiao pouted, “No wonder you’re blocking my path in the middle of the night.”

“You want to use Xiaoba to test the medicine?” Xiao Liulang looked at the puppy in her arms and asked.

Gu Jiao shook her head, “No, I want to test it on myself. I want to know exactly what effect the black and white medicines have and why they can muddle one’s mind.”

Xiao Liulang’s mouth twitched slightly.

“So, you brought Xiaoba here?” he asked.

“Yes,” Gu Jiao nodded, “I don’t know which one is the black medicine and which is the white. But if it’s going to be on Xiaoba, it wouldn’t matter.”

If she grew fond of Xiaoba, it would be fine, but if she really developed an aversion, Xiaoba was Gu Yan’s dog, and out of regard for Gu Yan, she wouldn’t do anything to Xiaoba.

Xiao Liulang pictured in his mind her hugging and kissing Xiaoba left and right, and the thought struck him hard!

“No!” He rejected the idea outright.

Gu Jiao mulled over it, “Then… Xiaojiu?”

Hai Dongqing might be an option, too.

“I will test the medicine,” Xiao Liulang said to her.

“No, no, that won’t do, you’re not a doctor.” Gu Jiao was adamantly against him testing the medicine on himself. She had been trained in medicine within the Organization, while he had no such experience. His body and mind might not withstand it.

Both were stubborn personalities, treating each other with courtesy on ordinary days, but when they truly locked horns, neither would back down, like when Gu Jiao insisted he rehabilitate, or like when Xiao Liulang forced her to practice writing.

In the end, Xiao Liulang relented first, “Alright, you can test the medicine. But I have a condition.”

Half an hour later, they sat in the dimly lit eastern room.

Two identical pills lay before Gu Jiao. Not knowing which was the black medicine and which was the white, they could only leave it to luck.

“Think about it. If I take the black pill, I’ll start hating you,” Gu Jiao threatened.

“Mm-hmm,” Xiao Liulang nodded, gently holding her hand under the table.

Gu Jiao picked one pill at random and put it in her mouth.

The pill had no distinct flavor but there was a hint of licorice fragrance.

Xiao Liulang watched her without blinking, not missing any slight change in her expression.

It was not entirely true to say he wasn’t nervous; if—just if—she really took the black medicine, then he would take the other white one.