On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2230 The Deadly News Arrives

Huo Changhe arrived, looking travel-worn, his dark robes still damp with night dew.

As soon as he arrived at the door, Dr. Cao quickly came to greet him.

"Your Highness, you've arrived," Doctor Cao said in a low voice.

Huo Changhe's eyes were filled with anxiety as he hurriedly asked, "How is the Princess? I heard that a critically ill patient is in critical condition. Is she alright?"

The abbot quickly stepped forward and gently reassured her, "Your Highness, don't worry, the Princess is alright."

The patient's condition has stabilized, but the princess has been working tirelessly for days and is exhausted; she fell asleep after only drinking half a bowl of porridge.

Huo Changhe breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt a deep pang of heartache.

He waved his hand, signaling the military doctor and the abbot to step back, and then tiptoed into the courtyard.

Beside the stone table, Yan Ruyu slept soundly, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she were worrying about trivial matters even in her sleep.

The moonlight shone on her face, giving her originally pale cheeks a soft glow. Her long eyelashes drooped gently like butterfly wings, conveying a sense of fragility.

Huo Changhe walked to her side, slowly squatted down, and looked at her tired face, feeling a mix of emotions.

He reached out, wanting to smooth the wrinkles between her brows, but his fingertips stopped just before touching her skin, afraid of waking her.

Guilt overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

He should have protected her and kept her safe from all the storms and hardships, but ever since she married him, she has never had a single peaceful day.

From the capital to the frontier, from conspiracies and intrigues to rampant epidemics, she was always working hard for others and striving for the greater good, but she never had time for herself.

"Ruyu, I'm sorry." He murmured softly, his voice full of self-reproach, "It's my fault for not protecting you and making you suffer so much."

He stayed by her side, motionless, his gaze fixed on her.

As night slowly faded and the sky began to lighten, the first rays of dawn shone through the gaps in the leaves and fell on Yan Ruyu's face.

Yan Ruyu slowly woke up, her consciousness still somewhat hazy.

She moved her arms and realized that she was covered with a thin blanket, and a familiar figure was squatting beside her.

She blinked, and upon recognizing Huo Changhe, she was stunned: "Your Highness? What are you doing here?"

When Huo Changhe saw that she had woken up, his eyes immediately softened with a gentle smile. He reached out to help her up, saying, "I came over last night. I heard that you fell asleep from exhaustion while rescuing patients, so I didn't wake you up."

Yan Ruyu then noticed that it was already daylight, and the light in the courtyard was much brighter.

She stretched, feeling aches and pains all over her body, but also feeling much more refreshed.

"It's already dawn. I can't believe I slept for so long."

She chuckled softly and looked at Huo Changhe: "You just stayed up all night for me like this?"

Huo Changhe nodded, reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head, his voice low and gentle: "I'm sorry, Ruyu."

It's all my fault for dragging you into these conflicts and preventing you from living a peaceful life.

Yan Ruyu leaned against him, feeling his warm embrace and steady heartbeat, and gently shook her head: "How can you blame yourself for this?"

Someone deliberately committed evil deeds to disrupt Youcheng; I merely did what I was supposed to do.

She looked up at the guilt in his eyes and reached out to smooth the wrinkles between his brows: "Besides, with you by my side, we can overcome any obstacle together."

Huo Changhe felt a warmth in his heart and tightened his arms to hug her even tighter.

After a moment, Yan Ruyu remembered her business, stepped out of his embrace, and said, "By the way, there's something I need to tell you."

The guard we sent to impersonate Manager Zhou has already visited Zhou Zhenghang at Baixing Teahouse.

"Oh? What was the result?" Huo Changhe asked, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.

Yan Ruyu shook her head, her tone tinged with doubt: "It didn't go very smoothly."

The guard said that Zhou Zhenghang insisted it was just a simple business relationship, denied any connection to the epidemic, and wouldn't engage with him, his attitude being very cold.

She paused, then added, "I always felt that things weren't that simple. Zhou Zhenghang's reaction was too calm, which made it seem deliberate."

Huo Changhe raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised: "Oh? Is that so? What do you mean?"

"I want to see that guard and ask him about the details of what happened back then." Yan Ruyu's eyes were firm. "Then, we can try a different approach and go to Baixing Teahouse to investigate. Perhaps we can find new clues."

Huo Changhe nodded in agreement, saying, "Alright, I'll go with you. This matter is indeed strange. If Zhou Zhenghang is truly innocent, he's far too calm."

Just as the two were about to get up to find the guards, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the courtyard gate. Governor Cao stormed in with a livid face, his official robes disheveled, clearly having rushed over.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Something has happened!" Governor Cao's voice trembled slightly, and his tone was extremely urgent.

Yan Ruyu's heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "Governor Cao, what's the matter that you're in such a panic?"

Governor Cao, panting heavily and with an extremely grim face, said, word by word, "Manager Zhou of the fresh produce shop... is dead!"

"What?" Yan Ruyu was stunned, thinking she had misheard, and subconsciously asked, "Who did you say died?"

"It was Manager Zhou from the fresh produce shop!" Governor Cao repeated, his tone heavy. "This morning, the shop assistants found him dead in the woodshed in his backyard and immediately reported it to the authorities!"

Yan Ruyu opened her eyes wide in disbelief, her brows furrowing tightly.

Manager Zhou? The guard who was impersonating Manager Zhou?

Governor Cao was unaware of this matter; he simply assumed that Manager Zhou was truly dead and that the trail had gone cold.

Yan Ruyu felt a sudden discomfort in her head and swayed. Huo Changhe quickly caught her.

"Are you okay?"

Yan Ruyu shook her head, about to speak, when another series of footsteps approached.

The person responsible for meeting with the guard who was impersonating Manager Zhou ran in, his face pale.

His forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he said breathlessly, "Your Highness! Your Highness! Something terrible has happened!"

The guard who impersonated Manager Zhou… he’s dead!

Yan Ruyu's headache suddenly worsened, and she fainted.

Huo Changhe exclaimed in surprise, "Yu'er!"

"Medical Doctor Cao!"

……

Yan Ruyu frowned deeply, filled with self-blame even in her unconscious state.

She never imagined that having a guard impersonate Manager Zhou would lead him to his doom.

She didn't even ask what the guard's name was or where he was from.

I vaguely remember his voice; he was very young, probably not even thirty years old.

He was chosen simply because his physique resembled that of Shopkeeper Zhou, making him suitable for disguise.

Just because of this... he lost his life.

Yan Ruyu was filled with self-reproach.

In a daze, I heard Huo Changhe's voice.

Her eyelids fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Yu'er," Huo Changhe held her hand tightly, "How are you feeling?"

"Don't move, Dr. Cao is giving you acupuncture."