I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 281 So many things happened in one night

Qin Jiuwei's gaze lingered on Xie Yanli.

Seeing the shocking bloodstains on his chest, his face turned pale instantly, and he couldn't even speak. It felt like something had squeezed his chest hard.

"Husband..." she called softly, her voice trembling slightly.

Xie Yanli had already walked up to her.

Seeing the tears in her eyes, Xie Yanli felt a pang of pain in his heart and wanted to reach out and stroke her face as usual.

But thinking of the bloodstains on his hands, he could only silently put them down.

"Why are you covered in blood? How did you get such serious injuries?" Qin Jiuwei's eyes were full of heartache and unease.

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned around and ordered the servants to fetch hot water and medicine, her palms almost sweating with nervousness.

Xie Yanli chuckled upon seeing this, "I'm fine, this is all enemy blood."

But Qin Jiuwei didn't believe it, her gaze sweeping over his face and body again and again.

I'm afraid of missing any wound.

Ignoring the blood all over his body, he reached out and touched him directly.

I checked my chest thoroughly to make sure I was really okay, and only then did I feel relieved.

Meanwhile, the maid had already prepared hot water and medicine.

The two then went inside.

It was already 1:15 AM, the night was deep and the dew was heavy, and it was still quiet outside the window; there wasn't even the sound of the night watchman's drum tonight.

Many of the guests who attended the birthday banquet today have already left, while some others are staying in the guest rooms in the front yard.

Qin Jiuwei recounted everything that had happened at the Marquis's residence that evening to Xie Yanli.

This includes Xie Zhongzhi's disappearance, Xie Siyuan's arson, the siege of the Marquis's mansion, how Xie Jingchun stood up for him, and finally Xie Jue's fainting.

After listing them all out, Qin Jiuwei was shocked to realize that so many things had happened in just one night.

As soon as Qin Jiuwei finished speaking, Xie Yanli immediately asked, "Is there something you need, Jue-ge'er?"

"It's alright, my husband, don't worry. The doctor said she might wake up tomorrow."

Xie Yanli nodded slightly after listening.

Xie Yanli had already changed out of his armor and taken a bath, and was sitting on the bed in a single garment.

The physician examined him and found no serious injuries.

He only suffered a knife wound on his arm, and Qin Jiuwei was about to apply medicine to it.

Xie Yanli lowered his head and unbuttoned his sleeve, revealing the knife marks on his arm.

The blood from the wound had congealed, but the dark bloodstains were still shocking.

Qin Jiuwei stared intently at the wound, her eyes filled with heartache.

"It's just a superficial injury, nothing serious." Xie Yanli looked up at her, a reassuring smile on his face.

"How are the children? Are Chun-ge and Jing-ge asleep?"

Qin Jiuwei sighed softly, "I didn't know when you would be back, so I told them to go back to their rooms and rest. I don't know if they're asleep yet."

She asked, "Shall we go see them?"

"It's alright, it's just too late now. Let them get some rest, we can see each other again tomorrow."

Qin Jiuwei nodded. "We can talk about these things tomorrow. Let's treat your wounds first."

Xie Yanli couldn't help but chuckle to himself upon hearing this.

After dipping her brush in the medicinal powder, Qin Jiuwei carefully applied it around Xie Yanli's wound.

Her movements were incredibly gentle, as if she were afraid of hurting him.

In the stillness of the night, only the flickering light of candlelight remained.

Xie Yanli's gaze remained fixed on Qin Jiuwei's lowered and gentle face.

Smelling her sweet fragrance, his nerves, which had been tense all night, gradually relaxed.

At first, he occasionally talked to Qin Jiuwei.

But gradually, his voice grew softer until it disappeared completely.

Qin Jiuwei looked down.

He was leaning against a cushion with his eyes closed, and had unknowingly fallen asleep.

Her long eyelashes drooped slightly, obscuring her usually sharp gaze, and her facial features appeared even more profound in the dim light.

Qin Jiuwei could clearly see the tired look on his sleeping face.

He was so tired.

Qin Jiu pursed her pink lips and became even more careful with her movements.

She wiped away the excess powder with a soft cloth and then wrapped his wound with white gauze.

Finally, she raised her head and looked at him quietly for a while.

Qin Jiu bent down and placed a very light kiss on his forehead.

The light, fleeting kiss didn't wake him; instead, it made his brow relax even more.

After tidying up, Qin Jiuwei blew out the candles on the table.

The next morning, the usual hustle and bustle of the streets and alleys of Beijing was nowhere to be seen.

The vendors were not setting up their stalls, the shops were closed, and the streets were deserted.

Traces of a fight still remain on the bluestone pavement, and some areas even have bloodstains that haven't dried.

The Imperial Guards patrolled by with heavy footsteps, their armor reflecting a cold light in the morning sun.

The King of Qi had far more inside agents in the city than Xie Yanli had discovered, which led to the considerable turmoil they caused last night.

The people were terrified and hid at home, afraid to go out.

The entire capital city was shrouded in a somber chill.

At this moment, in the Qinglan Courtyard of the Marquis's residence.

Qin Jiu opened her eyes slightly, and the first thing she saw was Xie Yanli's handsome face with its distinct features.

The high, straight bridge of his nose cast a faint shadow in the light, and his long eyelashes drooped, indicating that he was fast asleep.

Qin Jiuwei didn't wake him, and quietly got out of bed.

After washing up, she sat on a soft stool to do her makeup.

A maid lifted the curtain and came in, wanting to report something, but Qin Jiuwei stopped her with a look.

She whispered, "Keep your voice down, don't wake the young master."

The maids withdrew in response, walking quietly, and the room was so quiet that only the faint sound of the wind could be heard.

Qin Jiuwei returned to Xie Yanli's side and saw that he still had his eyes closed.

This was also the first time she had seen Xie Yanli sleep for so long.

In the past, Xie Yanli would always wake up before her, or Xie Yanli would have already gone to court by the time she woke up.

It's truly rare to see Xie Yanli's sleeping face so clearly.

Qin Jiuwei didn't plan to wake him up; Xie Yanli had been too tired lately.

However, before she could turn around to pour tea, a deep voice suddenly came to her ear: "Madam."

Qin Jiu was taken aback and looked down.

Seeing that Xie Yanli had opened his eyes and was looking at her with a smile in his eyes.

Qin Jiuwei sat down by the bed and gently touched his face.

"Wouldn't it be better to sleep a little longer? You've been working long hours lately, you need to catch up on your sleep..."

Feeling the touch of her fingertips and her gentle approach, with her sweet fragrance filling the air, Xie Yanli's eyes darkened instantly.

She didn't hear a word she said after that.

Xie Yanli suddenly raised his hand and grabbed her wrist.

With a gentle pull, he drew her into his arms.

By the time Qin Jiuwei realized what was happening, he had already pinned her to the bed.

Before she could even struggle, she felt his breath envelop her.

"Don't move," he whispered, his voice low and hoarse.

Then, he leaned down and pressed his thin lips directly against hers.

She instinctively flinched, but Xie Yanli's kiss was far too tender.

She quickly closed her eyes, her lips slightly parted, gently responding to his movements.