With her deceased husband as her dowry, would Your Highness dare to marry her?

"Lin Ci!"

Princess Yongle looked down at the bright red stain in her palm, and even her voice changed.

She had acted impulsively to save Amo, but now that she was about to die, a wave of fear washed over her. Her fingers trembled as she frantically smeared the blood on herself.

Lin Ci strode forward, pressed her down into a chair, first forced her to drink a bowl of antidote soup, and then placed three fingers on her pulse.

A moment later, Lin Ci's frown relaxed, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"The pulse is fine, the poison is mild." As she spoke, she took out a purplish-red pill, about the size of a soybean, from the small pouch at her waist and placed it in Princess Yongle's hand.

Princess Yongle held the pill tightly between three fingers, examining it again and again by the candlelight.

"Is this the antidote?"

"Yes. This is the only one my master left me."

Princess Yongle's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Then hurry up and give it to Amo!"

She rushed to the bedside, pinched the pill, and was about to stuff it into Amo's mouth.

Lin Ci grabbed her arm and pulled her back forcefully.

"No way! He's too poisoned and unconscious. Forcing him to swallow it will only make it choke and ruin a good medicine."

Princess Yongle glanced at Amo, whose eyes were closed on the bed, and then at the small pill in her palm. She understood instantly.

He fell into a coma and was unable to swallow; he couldn't take the life-saving medicine.

What should we do then?

Princess Yongle was so anxious that she spun around three times on the spot, ignoring the blood streaming from her nose.

"I've got it!" She looked up and grabbed Lin Ci's sleeve urgently. "Can I dissolve the medicine in water and feed it to him?"

Lin Ci shook his head. "The medicinal effect has been greatly reduced; it's not advisable."

Princess Yongle stared at her blankly, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something more.

Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in attention, Lin Ci reached out, picked up the pill, and stuffed it directly into her mouth, gently lifting her chin with her index finger.

Glug~~ The pill slid down my throat.

Princess Yongle stared wide-eyed, clutching her throat, both shocked and anxious. She bent over to vomit, but nothing came out.

"Eat it obediently, and I'll guarantee you won't die."

Lin Ci spoke with great confidence, after all, she had just promised Princess Yongle: I am here, I will not let you die.

"But what about Amo?!" Princess Yongle stamped her feet anxiously, tears streaming down her face like broken beads.

"His life is no longer in danger. As for when he will wake up, we'll have to wait until I can cure the snake venom."

Upon hearing the words "life is not in danger," Princess Yongle paused for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

She exhaled deeply, and then, as if her bones had been removed, she rolled her eyes and collapsed to the ground.

Lin Ci quickly crouched down to help her up, but just then, a beam of light fell on her face, so bright that she couldn't open her eyes.

Lin Ci turned to the side and realized that it was already dawn.

The night passed by in such a hasty manner, and only she herself knew the dangers involved.

Lin Ci handed the exhausted Princess Yongle over to two strong old women, instructing them to settle her in a side room. Then she closed the door and stayed inside for a long time, until the sun was high in the sky before she finally appeared.

At this moment, Granny Qian and the physician were guarding outside the door. They had also been anxiously taking turns on duty all night and hadn't dared to close their eyes. Hearing the noise, the two of them hurriedly went to greet them.

Lin Ci stood by the door, her face as pale as paper, her eyes bloodshot, looking as if half her life had been drained away. Looking at the expectant gazes of the crowd, she forced a smile and nodded slightly.

"He's alive! He's alive!" Tears welled up in Granny Qian's eyes, and she knelt down with a thud, kowtowing three times. "My lady, you have saved my life! This old servant will repay you even in my next life, as a cow or a horse!"

Granny Qian and Amo were like mother and son; saving him was equivalent to saving this widow.

The old physician was so excited that he wiped away tears, knowing he could finally give a satisfactory answer to Prince Jing'an.

Lin Ci reached out to help the two of them, but just as her hand was halfway up the ground, she suddenly felt dizzy and was thrown backward.

In a daze, Lin Ci returned to the mountains, to the place where she used to live with her master and Song Xuan.

It was late at night, and a full moon hung high in the sky, its silvery light like snow, bathing the small courtyard in front of the bamboo hut.

She gently pushed open the door and peered into the yard.

Suddenly, a figure in pure white appeared by the window, his robes fluttering, exuding an air of otherworldly grace.

"Ah Xuan!" she called out in surprise, and ran into the house in a few steps.

Song Xuan was sitting by the window playing the zither when he heard footsteps. He looked up, his peach blossom eyes crinkling into a bright smile, still looking like a young man.

"You're back." He gestured, his fingers fluttering gently like butterflies. "How have you been?"

Lin Ci sat down next to him, smiled and nodded at him.

Song Xuan took her rough hands into his palms, gently stroking her knuckles, and then kissed them lightly.

"Do you miss me?" He gestured with her hand.

"I want to..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes welled up, her nose stung, and her heart felt like it was being slowly cut by a dull knife. "I think about it all the time."

Song Xuan smiled, lowered his head, and pressed his face against her palm.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

Lin Ci pursed her lips, forcing back her sorrow, and asked softly, "How can I save you?"

Song Xuan's hands slowly grew cold. His smile froze at the corners of his mouth, and his whole being seemed like a stone statue, crumbling bit by bit until it turned into a pile of dust that trickled away between her fingers.

"Ah Xuan!!!"

Lin Ci cried out in surprise and suddenly opened her eyes.

"I'm here... I'm here..."

Someone was sitting in front of the couch, holding a handkerchief to wipe her sweat.

The face was backlit, and its outline was exactly the same as the person in my dream.

Lin Ci burst into laughter through her tears and raised her hand to hug him, but her arm suddenly froze in mid-air.

wrong.

It wasn't him.

Her Ah Xuan can't speak.

As the dream faded, the face before me gradually became clearer.

It was Pei Jinxuan, who had returned from the palace sometime earlier. He sat before her bed, his eyes bloodshot just like hers, but with an even greater air of anxiety.

Lin Ci took a deep breath, raised her hand to her chest, and gently stroked it in circles.

Pei Jinxuan didn't speak. Just now, when he heard her call his name, his heart had been pounding wildly.

"Don't worry, I'm here." He pretended to be calm and raised his handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.

Lin Ci couldn't help but raise her hand to block, her eyes full of vigilance.

Pei Jinxuan was slightly taken aback, a hint of disappointment flashing across his eyes, but he said nothing. He simply picked up a cup of warm tea and handed it to her.

"You must be thirsty. Have some water first."

My throat was so dry and tight; he brought it just in time.

Lin Ci took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

"How is Amo?" She asked anxiously, putting down her teacup as she recalled the danger of last night.

"He is recuperating. Yongle is with him."

"That's good...that's good."

Lin Ci is more like the one who escaped death.

She forced a smile and asked him, "When did you get back?"

"Yesterday," Pei Jinxuan took the empty teacup from her and placed it back on the table, "you were unconscious for a day and a night."

Lin Ci was startled: "Is Your Majesty in good health?"

"It's alright. I've arranged for Imperial Physician Xu to guard the palace. You can rest assured."

"And what about you?"

"Me?" Pei Jinxuan touched his forehead. "I'm all better now."

Lin Ci's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. Just then, her stomach rumbled loudly in the quiet room. Embarrassed, she turned her face away, her ears turning slightly red.

Pei Jinxuan's lips curled up quickly, then fell back down.

He stood up casually and said, "I've prepared some porridge for you. Get up and have a bowl to nourish yourself."

He reached out his hand, wanting to help her down from the bed.

Just as Lin Ci was about to place her hand on it, she suddenly realized that she was only wearing an undergarment.

Her blouse was slightly open, revealing a glimpse of her smooth skin and a hint of crimson.

Pei Jinxuan glanced down and saw it.