Chapter Five: Salan Fine Powder

  Xiao Huan Yue stayed in the main tent during the day, serving tea and water to Xiao Chu Tian and helping him with his medication. She listened as he handled military affairs, becoming his de facto personal attendant. Meanwhile, Ling Chu, who had previously been responsible for taking care of Xiao Chu Tian, was sent out on an errand.

  She didn't know what Xiao Chu was thinking in his heart, and thought that he kept her by his side because he wasn't at ease with her and wanted to supervise her closely. Occasionally feeling the scorching gaze he cast towards her, she just thought he still suspected her identity and didn't put it in her heart.

  With Xiao Huan Yue's care and company, Xiao Chu's mood was greatly improved, and his injuries healed quickly. After three days, he could get out of bed and move around, and if it weren't for the arrival of the windy season, with sandstorms outside that were unfavorable to his recovery, he would have been unable to bear staying in his tent any longer and would have gone out to train the soldiers.

  Of course, his mood was not always good. Every time the deputy general personally delivered documents, he would ask Xiao Huan Yue questions, and his intentions were well-known to everyone. This made Xiao Chu very angry, but he couldn't vent his anger and could only feel depressed in his heart.

  I thought that after another half month of rest, there would be no major problem, but who would have thought that on the fourth day, Xiao Chu's injury suddenly worsened for some reason, and the military doctor couldn't find the cause.

  Xiao Huan Yue also found it inconceivable. The medicine was brewed by her, and had not passed through anyone else's hands. Moreover, she was certain that no one had approached General Xiao, so it was impossible for someone to have poisoned the medicine. The prescription had not changed, yet somehow the same medicine suddenly became ineffective, causing the illness to worsen. Had she overlooked something?

  By the fifth day, Xiao Chu began coughing up blood. By the sixth day, he fell into a coma, causing Ling Chu to jump up and down in anger, scolding the military doctor.

  The news of the general's serious illness spread throughout the military camp. Apart from the deputy general who came to visit as usual every day, there were also some regimental officers and soldiers' representatives who came to visit. Every time they came, Xiao Huan Yue would carefully observe them, and indeed, she found out some clues.

  On the seventh day, she found that every time the deputy general came, he stood in the same position. After he left, she found a layer of powder on that position.

  She carefully wrapped up the powder and secretly gave it to a military doctor for identification. The doctor told her that it was powdered safflower.

  She suddenly realized everything and remembered that she had read in a book that Salvia miltiorrhiza and Dragon's Blood would aggravate internal injuries, and the general's medicine contained Dragon's Blood.

  That book was originally meant for casual browsing during leisure time, thanks to her ability to memorize at a glance.

  These days happened to be blowing southeast wind, and the position occupied by the deputy general was in the southeast direction. The Salan powder was blown into the air by the wind and inhaled by Xiao Chu, which combined with the dragon's gall in his body and worsened his condition. Others who inhaled the Salan powder were fine.

  What a vicious plan! No wonder the deputy general proposed to let her take care of the general, no wonder he comes every day, thinking that disturbing her is just an excuse for him not to arouse suspicion.

  If the general died because of this, then the unfortunate scapegoat would probably be her. After understanding everything, Xiao Huan Yue raised a mysterious smile and changed the prescription after consulting with the military doctor, and soon Xiao Chu woke up from his coma.

  Ling Chu, who had always been guarding Xiao Chu's side, couldn't understand why the general would suddenly wake up for no reason. After Xiao Huan Yue told them everything, Ling Chu angrily drew his sword and walked out of the tent.

  "Don't stop me, I must kill Fang Xin this despicable person!" Ling Chu was furious and shouted at Xiao Huan Yue who blocked him, but it can be seen that he is loyal to Xiao Chou.

  "Hey, your family's eldest didn't say anything, what are you in a hurry for?" Xiao Huan Yue tightly pulled him, and shot a glance at Xiao Chu with her mouth.

  Haha, it turns out that Deputy General's name is Fang Xin. Looking at his sturdy build, he actually has such a delicate name, it's really interesting.

  "Ling, don't be impulsive!" Xiao Chu hastily spoke up as he saw them looking at him.

  "But, young master..." He glanced at Xiao Chu and then looked down at Xiao Huan Yue, hesitating for a moment before Ling Chu reluctantly threw the sword in his hand to the ground and retreated to the side with a hint of resentment.

  "Hey, I still don't understand why we're stopping you?" Xiao Huan Yue bent down to pick up the sword on the ground and handed it to Ling Chu, explaining "Given Fang Xin's personality, it's impossible for him to plan so thoroughly. He's just a small fish, there must be a bigger fish behind him. If you go find him now, won't you be startling the snake in the grass?"

  "Who dares to harm my family's young master! Let me know, I will definitely fight him to the end!" Ling Chu thought about it and also agreed, putting away his impulsive heart.

  "Want to know who it is? Go ask your family's general!" Xiao Huan Yue smiled and looked at Xiao Chu, who had been deep in thought, teasingly saying "General Xiao, may I inquire what you are thinking about now?"

  Collecting his thoughts, Xiao Chu pursed his lips and looked at her, sighing "You guessed correctly, there is indeed someone behind Fang Xin." He then recounted the process of how he got injured.

  He was actually assassinated, and the army chased to Xifeng Valley, where he was surrounded by a group of mysterious black-clad men. Just as they were fighting hard, the allied forces of Nanren State and Zixia State appeared, and he could hardly resist. If it weren't for his soldiers who fought to the death to protect him, he would have been seriously injured and might not have escaped that disaster.

  "Now that I think about it, that assassin was probably Fang Xin. At the time, I thought he must be a military man, or else how could he have escaped so easily? So before I lost consciousness, I warned Ling Chu to be careful of the soldiers around him. Now that I think about it, Fang Xin deliberately lured me to Xi Feng Valley. Those black-clad men had very high martial arts skills, they weren't ordinary soldiers. Fang Xin didn't have the ability to command such a group." Xiao Chu analyzed the situation bit by bit as he thought back on it.