Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 1444: Chapter 1445 Ning Yu Takes the Hit for Diao Bin_1

The child spoke and began to cry. These days, he had watched with open eyes as Ning Yu’s condition grew worse and worse, how could he not be worried? It was just that he had not learned any magic techniques and did not know these were signs of Ning Yu’s excessive essence depletion; he thought Ning Yu had contracted a terrible disease.

Bai Ruozhu didn’t have time to answer him, as she hurriedly checked Ning Yu’s pulse and then inserted the needles. Ning Yu could finally be said to have faintly regained consciousness.

”Ning Yu, what did you promise me? Is this how you honor our master?” Bai Ruozhu looked into his eyes and angrily questioned him.

However, Ning Yu’s face changed dramatically, ”Ruozhu, you must quickly inform His Majesty that someone in the palace is secretly poisoning the princess!”

”What?” Bai Ruozhu was startled. Could it be that this wasn’t Ning Yu again secretly using his essence to prolong the princess’s life?

”I’m not lying to you, I haven’t entered the palace today,” Ning Yu said with a sigh, ”There is my essence protecting the princess’s body, so if someone used a magic technique to harm her, I would be the first to sense it.”

This time, Bai Ruozhu didn’t dare to delay and immediately sent Jianqi to the palace to deliver a message to the emperor. She also asked Ning Yu, ”Do you have any clues on who harmed the princess?”

Ning Yu shook his head, ”I only have a faint feeling that this person hadn’t been in the Imperial Palace before; otherwise, I wouldn’t have missed it. They must have entered the Palace only recently.”

Bai Ruozhu’s heart skipped a beat. Recently, the one who entered the palace and knew magic techniques, wasn’t that Hao Feng?

But why would she do such a thing? All along the way, Bai Ruozhu believed in Hao Feng’s integrity, and besides, if Princess Diao Bin were to die, how would she and Fen Wan be able to leave unscathed?

”Jianqi, go and report exactly what happened,” Bai Ruozhu ordered Jianqi to hurry.

She and the child then helped Ning Yu back to the bed, and the child, after saying a word, ran to cook porridge for him.

”How is Princess Diao Bin’s condition?” Bai Ruozhu asked.

”This time I managed to shield her from the blow, but if the assailant strikes again, I won’t be able to fend them off,” said Ning Yu, extremely weak. He was so short of breath after speaking just a few words that Bai Ruozhu hastily gave him some Qi-nourishing medicine to take.

”You have done so much for Diao Bin, when did it all start between you?” Bai Ruozhu sighed and covered him with a blanket.

Ning Yu’s face flushed, finally bringing some color to his pale face, ”We’ve never started anything, Ruozhu, please don’t spread rumors.”

Ning Yu was a man of simple thoughts. If he said there was nothing, it certainly was not a lie.

It turned out that both harbored affection for each other but had never confessed to the other, nor had their relationship begun, when Princess Diao Bin fell. That is to say, Ning Yu didn’t even know that Diao Bin also liked him; perhaps he had only a faint feeling, yet he unhesitatingly made sacrifices for her, even risking his own life.

What is this thing called love, that compels one to pledge their life to another?

Bai Ruozhu silently reflected for a moment, then focused back and said, ”I’ve mastered the Heart Method, what should we do next?”

Ning Yu looked at her in disbelief, ”You really did it? So quickly?”

”Perhaps the heavens have eyes and don’t want to watch you and the princess suffer anymore,” Bai Ruozhu said with a smile, and then she circulated her Heart Method, and a faint essence began to flow through her body.

The joy in Ning Yu’s eyes deepened, ”Good, good, wonderful! If our master were alive, he would certainly be comforted by this.”

”He said he wanted to get up from the bed,” Bai Ruozhu pressed down on him and said, ”Don’t move, just tell me what you need from there.”

Ning Yu had no choice but to point to a book on the bookshelf beside him and said, ”Fetch that book, turn to the place marked by the bookmark, and there will be the procedure for performing the ritual for the princess. Once you grasp the Heart Method, the rest will be easy to master.”

”Alright, I’ll take a look first and ask you if I don’t understand,” Bai Ruozhu said as she turned to get the book.

”Ruozhu, thank you,” Ning Yu’s voice was weak but very sincere.

After Bai Ruozhu took down the book, she smiled at him and said, ”I have to write about you, for allowing me to learn a real skill.”

Having said that, she sat down at the table, seriously began to read the book, and as she read, her hands followed the seals demonstrated in the book. Ning Yu nodded continuously from the side as he watched. He found that Bai Ruozhu had an exceptionally high comprehension or rather a natural talent for mastering essence. She could easily form the hand seals and smoothly complete the incantation. It seemed she could perform the ritual for the princess today.

After a while, a boy brought in some hot porridge. Ning Yu couldn’t even hold the bowl steady, so the boy ended up feeding him spoon by spoon.

Bai Ruozhu watched with discomfort in her heart, but she quickly refocused on studying diligently. What she needed to do now was to become stronger, to help Ning Yu and Princess Diao Bin, not to waste time in idle sorrow.

By the time Ning Yu had finished his porridge, Bai Ruozhu had already gone through the procedure for the ritual.

Afterward, she demonstrated it to Ning Yu three times. Once he confirmed there were no issues, he said excitedly, ”We can enter the palace now.”

Seeing him like this, Bai Ruozhu frowned and said, ”You’re too weak to go. I’ll handle it with care.”

”You’re still a novice, after all. If I’m there to watch over you, I can remind you in time if anything goes wrong,” Ning Yu insisted as he got down from the bed and barely managed to stand before nearly falling over, thankfully caught by the boy at his side.

Bai Ruozhu looked on with pity but could not deny Ning Yu’s reasoning. She called two guards to help Ning Yu into the horse carriage, and the two of them rode into the palace.

Upon reaching the Palace Gate, they had to dismount the carriage. Bai Ruozhu quickly gave some reward silver to the guards, asking them to find a sedan chair. Soon enough, the guards brought over a sedan chair carried by two eunuchs.

Bai Ruozhu rewarded the two eunuchs, then told them to carry Ning Yu to Cining Palace.

Walking alongside, she headed towards Cining Palace but unexpectedly encountered Imperial Concubine Liu with several palace maids taking a walk. Imperial Concubine Liu rolled her eyes and deliberately blocked their way.

”Is this the esteemed disciple of the National Master, Master Ning Yu? How did he come to be in such a state? To even need to be carried into the palace, it seems the Astrology Tower has declined since the National Master’s departure,” Imperial Concubine Liu said with a mix of sarcasm and curiosity, intentionally blocking the way to prevent them from passing.

”Imperial Concubine Liu scoffs at us. We have urgent matters to present to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager; please let us pass,” Ning Yu said with a bow.

Imperial Concubine Liu signaled with her eyes to a palace maid by her side, and the maid immediately yelled, ”How dare you! You did not greet the Imperial Concubine and you even speak while seated; Ning Yu, you’re very bold!”

”Indeed, even the National Master used to be meticulously polite; how can Master Ning be so arrogant and rude?” A palace woman with a melon-seed face by Imperial Concubine Liu’s side chirped in support. Her voice was gentle and crisp, but to Bai Ruozhu’s ears, it sounded unbearably pretentious and nauseating.

Ning Yu did not want to waste time or create complications, so he asked the eunuchs to put down the sedan chair, intending to get off and bow to Imperial Concubine Liu.

However, no sooner had his feet touched the ground than his body swayed and he fell backward.