Chapter 12: The Only Cure.

Xu Changle said softly.

“I have already taught the Empress. Since you are now awake, you can do it yourself…”

“That won’t work!”

Xiao Linyue interrupted him roughly, then fell silent again.

After holding it in for a long time, she finally forced out four words with great difficulty.

“Carefree Spring Breeze.”

So?

What did naming a dish mean?

This name was probably something difficult to speak aloud. To get the proud Empress to explain, he would need to use some methods.

Xu Changle deliberately remained silent for a long time. The fingers resting on Xiao Linyue’s back seemed to curl subconsciously, nervously gripping her clothes. From his expression to his body language, he exuded an ignorance that could be seen through at a glance.

“Idiot!” Xiao Linyue could no longer endure. “Even if you are just a puppet, have you never even heard of such a thing!?”

For noble daughters of prestigious families, the names, effects, administration conditions, post-administration symptoms, and countermeasures for all kinds of despicable drugs were taught by dedicated instructors.

Some noble ladies even underwent poison resistance training from a young age. Even if they were confident no one could scheme against them, they would still carry some detoxification items.

Xiao Linyue originally had such items.

As the most favored female sovereign of the Xiao family, the more glory and favor she received, the more malice lurked behind her, waiting to strike. She had naturally undergone strict training, education, and protection.

She was the bright moon of the Xiao family and could not afford even the slightest stain.

However, for most noble ladies, lust was nothing more than a romantic affair and not worth mentioning.

Only Xiao Linyue found it particularly unbearable.

She was the moon hanging high in the sky! She absolutely refused to show even the slightest ugly state because of such filthy matters.

But偏偏!

…In the end, it was all this puppet’s fault!

How could he be so stupid that he did not even know about Carefree Spring Breeze! It was precisely because of his ignorance that she had fallen into such a situation!

Xiao Linyue could not help but displace her anger.

She was not the type to draw her blade against the weak, but she was not a saint either. Occasionally, she would also feel ashamed and angry and want to escape.

Xu Changle sensed Xiao Linyue’s frustration and irritation. Her grip was really too strong! And it was getting stronger!

“Empress, my wrist hurts so much… It feels like it is going to break…”

Xu Changle said weakly, “I grew up in the cold palace since childhood and only learned a few characters. Although I was fortunate enough to be brought out by the Prime Minister, my body was too weak and required recuperation, so I was not allowed to read books.”

“As emperor, I have little knowledge. I have made the Empress laugh.”

Complaining was an art.

How to complain so that people feel you are not doing it on purpose, that you are sincere, and still achieve your goal?

The answer was to act pitiful!

My ignorance is not because I do not love studying, but because I had no conditions to study!

Even when I had the conditions, it was not that I did not study actively, but because someone said my body was not good and I could not read books!

As for who that person was? Probably the palace servants.

I did not say anything bad about Xiao Tan! I am even extremely grateful to her!

Grateful that the Prime Minister brought me out of the cold palace, grateful that the Prime Minister nourished my body. Xiao Tan is truly the感动 Dayuan Top Ten Prime Minister!

As for you thinking I am stupid and ignorant…

Alright. Can I apologize? If I apologize, will you feel better?

The answer was of course — no.

Xiao Linyue felt like she had punched cotton. Her surging anger had nowhere to go and instead filled her with pent-up frustration.

How could there be such a person in the world? Such an emperor!

Where was your self-respect? Where was your pride?

Even a puppet made of mud should have some temper!

But the puppet in front of Xiao Linyue had none.

He was so weak, so stupid. When bullied, he did not even know how to resist. When sold by others, he would still foolishly help count the money!

This guy! This guy!

He was truly unbearable!

“You bastard!” Xiao Linyue felt the fire in her chest was about to overflow. “Simply detestable!”

She almost wanted to strangle him to death!

…But, Xiao Linyue still retained a shred of reason.

He was just a puppet. Being able to preserve his little life in such treacherous circumstances was already good fortune. How could she demand that he possess the temperament and qualities of a true monarch?

Moreover, in the end, how was he any different from her?

With Xiao Linyue’s vigilance and the caution of her close aides, even Xiao Tan should not have found it so easy to make her drink Carefree Spring Breeze without any defense.

But Xiao Linyue’s close aides, although loyal, were still members of the Xiao family.

They were naturally loyal to her on normal days, but once the family head gave an order, someone would carry it out.

The fact that Xiao Tan had successfully made Xiao Linyue ingest Carefree Spring Breeze without any precaution proved that this was not only Xiao Tan’s will, but the will of the entire Xiao clan.

Xiao Linyue always called him a puppet, but in essence, they seemed no different.

Just as he, as emperor, could not even read books if Xiao Tan wished.

If the Xiao family wished it, no matter how unwilling, Xiao Linyue — the most noble and favored female sovereign of the Xiao family — still had to enter the palace, submit to a man, and become his Empress, right?

Xiao Linyue hated Xu Changle for being spineless and resented him for not fighting back.

But had she herself truly fought for what she wanted?

The anger in her chest gradually calmed and turned into a dark fire burning quietly.

Xiao Linyue relaxed the force gripping Xu Changle’s wrist.

Her body seemed to lose strength. She went limp and lay softly on top of Xu Changle, her voice carrying a trace of exhaustion.

“Carefree Spring Breeze is an extremely rare and potent aphrodisiac.”

After her great anger, she surprisingly explained it to Xu Changle with rare patience.

“After you came out of the cold palace, Xiao Tan often made you drink nourishing soup, right? Those were the primers for Carefree Spring Breeze.”

Unlike ordinary aphrodisiacs that took effect immediately, the mechanism of Carefree Spring Breeze was more complex. To achieve the best effect, it required a rather long preparation period.

At least one month in advance.

The longer the preparation time, the better the effect.

“Carefree Spring Breeze is divided into the sovereign drug and the minister drug. The sovereign drug taken alone is a rare tonic for the body. But when it meets the minister drug, it becomes the primer and interacts with the antidote of Carefree Spring Breeze.”

After coming out of the cold palace, Xu Changle had been drinking tonic medicine every day to recuperate. It was only recently that Xiao Tan had used the pretext of the Empress sending medicine.

Even by rough calculation, he had been taking the sovereign drug for a full year.

“You have taken the sovereign drug for so long. The first time you take the antidote, it will definitely hit with one strike.”

Giao! Xiao Tan, you actually started scheming against me so early?

Xu Changle said blankly, “But how did the Prime Minister know that my first time would definitely be with the Empress? If it were with another woman…”

He stopped there.

It was obvious that Xiao Tan would never do something that would benefit others. But saying it directly did not fit his current persona of being foolish and naive in front of Xiao Linyue.

Being foolish and naive was good. It made people lower their guard and triggered the desire to talk.

At least Xiao Linyue seemed to respond well to it?

So Xu Changle planned to carry this persona to the end.

Moreover, had Xiao Linyue’s attitude toward him changed a little?

Her current mood seemed off.

Xu Changle was not sure, but he could test it. Perhaps he could use this to find out more information about Xiao Tan.

“This is exactly why Xiao Tan chose Carefree Spring Breeze.”

Nice! The eye medicine worked!

Xiao Linyue no longer even called her “sister” and directly used her name.

Xiao Linyue’s explanation gradually became stuttered. “Carefree… Spring Breeze… between the sovereign and minister drugs… there are many combinations. Only the matching sovereign and minister… drugs… will have an effect…”

The sovereign drug needed to be taken in advance, while the minister drug did not. But only Xiao Tan knew exactly which formula of sovereign and minister drugs had been used. She might have even personally boiled the medicine and had her trusted aides deliver it.

In other words.

“If one is not a descendant of the Xiao clan… they will not live to see the day of birth.”

The drug effect rose again. Xiao Linyue’s mind became increasingly muddled and dizzy.

She tried hard to suppress it and maintain clarity, wanting to tell him more information about Carefree Spring Breeze.

For example, once the drug took effect, although using indirect methods like manual takeoff could temporarily relieve the symptoms and barely restore her clarity.

But this method was nothing more than drinking poison to quench thirst.

The more times one used indirect takeoff, the fiercer the backlash would be when it finally erupted.

But she could no longer speak.

Xiao Linyue’s body burned hot. The breath she exhaled felt like scorching flames.

She unconsciously moved closer to Xu Changle.

“The method you taught earlier… cannot solve… it. When the sovereign and minister drugs meet… only… only…”

“–By merging… and absorbing the essence of the antidote… can it… be resolved.”