Zhan Qin stood motionless on the spot for a moment, the wind lifting a corner of his robe before it quietly settled back down.
In the end, he did not step through the vermilion gates of the princess’s residence, but instead returned to the Jinwu Guard headquarters.
Naturally, Zhan Qin had an official residence bestowed by the emperor, but he rarely returned to that opulent, empty mansion. After his duties ended, he often rested in the study or loft at the headquarters.
Today, he had returned to the small loft as usual, but a lingering fragrance, rich and sweet, still permeated the air. The hazy, dreamlike scent caused Zhan Qin’s brow to furrow slightly.
The wolf-hair brush, having rolled aside during the earlier absurdity, had left behind a few drops of thick, dried ink.
As Zhan Qin bent down to pick up the brush from the floor, he suddenly seemed to sense something and glanced toward his bed.
It was spotless, just as usual, but when Zhan Qin ran his fingertip over it, he seemed to detect a faint, lingering dampness.
Lost in thought, he called in the attendant waiting outside the door and gave an order.
The subtle fragrance still hung in the loft. After sitting quietly for a while, Zhan Qin finally returned to his own residence.
All the treasures bestowed by Emperor Shuntian were meticulously recorded and stored in the treasury. Zhan Qin entered the treasury alone and, amidst the dazzling array of imperial gifts, retrieved a jade box covered with crimson brocade.
The jade box felt cool to the touch, glowing softly under the lamplight.
Emperor Shuntian’s meaningful admonition, Secretary Zhang’s hints, Rong Li’s unusual demeanor—all these clues seemed to connect, and the answer appeared to be clear. All he needed to do was open this jade box, and the truth would be revealed.
Zhan Qin’s gaze lingered on the box, his expression somewhat dazed.
The burning sensation at his fingertips remained, as if he truly intended to open it and see for himself.
However, at that very moment—
“Sir.” A low voice suddenly sounded at the treasury entrance—that of a trusted subordinate, speaking with a barely perceptible urgency.
“Speak.”
“Urgent report from Jiangnan. The hidden mole has lost contact. We await your instructions.”
Zhan Qin’s expression remained unchanged. After brief consideration, he issued a series of orders, cold and decisive.
The subordinate acknowledged the command and quietly withdrew, leaving the treasury in silence once more.
Disturbed by this matter, the burning sensation that had been lingering at Zhan Qin’s fingertips suddenly faded. He seemed to recall something, a faintly self-mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips. He did not open the jade box but instead returned it to its original place.
Inside the princess’s residence, Rong Li did not wake until late at night.
The candles in the bedchamber cast a soft glow. Physician Tan had been keeping watch by her side and immediately approached upon seeing her awake, her tone filled with concern: “Your Highness is awake? Are you feeling unwell? You have slept for nearly six hours.”
Rong Li blinked, her consciousness gradually returning. She shifted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her eyes: “How strange. Today, I actually feel unusually relaxed all over, and I didn’t wake up drenched in sweat.” Unlike the previous days, even after sleeping for an extremely long time, she would always wake feeling weary and lethargic, as if a fire that could not be extinguished smoldered deep within her.
Upon hearing this, Physician Tan carefully took her pulse once more. The pulse beneath her fingertips, though still slightly faster than normal, was much steadier than the turbulent, agitated torrent it had been the day before.
Physician Tan also found this surprising: “Judging by Your Highness’s pulse, you have not yet completed the wedding rites with the Imperial Consort. Have you encountered some extraordinary remedy?”
Rong Li had just been drinking tea with Fuyun’s assistance to moisten her throat. Upon hearing this, she choked, her face flushing crimson as she coughed lightly.
Having spent considerable time with Physician Tan, Rong Li knew the physician meant no mockery, yet discussing such intimate matters so casually still made her blush with embarrassment.
After catching her breath, Rong Li reflected on the day’s events, her ears tinged with red.
To recount everything she had done that day would be mortifying—she’d rather vanish than speak of it. Hesitantly, she attempted to gloss over the details: “…Just ordinary matters. Nothing improper.”
Physician Tan patted her back, speaking with earnest concern: “Your Highness must not conceal your illness out of shame. This poison is peculiar, and its source remains unknown. For now, we can only deduce an antidote based on the symptoms you exhibit.”
Left with no choice, Rong Li swallowed her embarrassment and whispered into Physician Tan’s ear, recounting everything in detail. As she spoke, memories of how she had clung to Zhan Qin resurfaced, making her wish she could disappear into the ground.
To divert from her shame, Rong Li quickly changed the subject after finishing her account: “Madam, could it be that the ointment applied by the Imperial Consort was effective?”
Physician Tan shook her head: “When Your Highness returned, I noticed the new ointment. I took a sample with a handkerchief to examine it. Though the ingredients are rare, the cooling and anti-inflammatory components are merely menthol and borneol. These have no effect on Your Highness’s condition, so it is not the ointment that helped.”
After a moment of contemplation, she seemed to realize something and asked: “When Your Highness grew intimate with the Imperial Consort, was it to seek relief from the poison, or was it something Your Highness desired?”
Rong Li stammered for a while before admitting: “…Most likely, it was my own desire.”
“What prompted it?”
“Whenever I see him, I feel a fire in my heart and intense heat throughout my body. When I am near him, I find him cool and refreshing, and I only wish to draw closer. When we touch, his skin feels pleasantly cool, bringing me comfort, and I long to remain that way.” Rong Li’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s hum. “It is because he feels cool that I wish to be near him.”
Understanding dawning on her, Physician Tan nodded: “I see. It is not that Your Highness acted recklessly, but that you were suffering and found relief in his proximity.”
Seeing that Physician Tan seemed to have grasped the situation, Rong Li tentatively asked: “Is this also a symptom caused by the poison?”
“Indeed. The poison Your Highness has contracted bears some resemblance to a certain love poison from Yunnan. That poison causes the victim’s skin to burn as if on fire, finding relief only when touching the skin of the opposite sex.” Physician Tan, well-versed in such matters, spoke of the exotic poisons of Yunnan with familiarity. “Your Highness’s current ease is due to prolonged contact with the Imperial Consort, which temporarily alleviated the poison’s effects.”
Having obtained this crucial information, Physician Tan immediately began planning a new prescription. Before leaving, she advised Rong Li: “The Imperial Consort is Your Highness’s lawfully wedded husband, recorded in the imperial registry. If you are unwell, summon him to attend to you. Even if you do not wish to consummate the marriage, more intimacy with the Imperial Consort will bring considerable relief from your symptoms.”
Rong Li nodded, and Physician Tan hurried back to the pharmacy.
Fuyun thoughtfully brought Rong Li her meal, while Xieyue fetched a cloak to drape over her. Seeing Fuyun slip out, Xieyue could no longer contain the frustration she had held back for so many years: "Your Highness, Lord Tan speaks wisely. You are the sovereign, the Imperial Consort is your subject. Your health is of utmost importance. If you summon him, how dare he defy the imperial decree? Why must you go seeking him out today as you did, only to gain nothing?"
Upon hearing this, Rong Li frowned slightly. Though no displeasure showed on her face, Xieyue sensed an inexplicable hint of anger.
Just as Fuyun reentered, she heard Rong Li speak unhurriedly: "Auntie, I know your intentions come from a place of kindness, and I am truly grateful. But do you think I am unaware of the principles you speak of? If the Imperial Consort and I were merely an ordinary couple, devoid of any affection, I would naturally use him as I pleased, without a care for his thoughts."
"Yet I know how deeply he cherishes me, and my heart belongs to him in return. At present, he is unwilling to reconcile because of words I misspoke. Since I was at fault first, if I were to disregard his feelings and act solely for my own satisfaction, the bond between us as husband and wife would soon come to an end."
"I do not wish for that." Rong Li's small face showed no emotion, but under the lamplight, her eyes gleamed like translucent, icy glass.
Seeing Rong Li so stubbornly unmoved, speaking with such conviction and unwavering faith in her marital bond with Zhan Qin, Xieyue nearly wanted to reveal everything about how the two had truly interacted in the past.
How lowly was the Imperial Consort's birth, while Her Highness was of noble lineage, a golden branch and jade leaf—how could he be worthy of such treatment from her?
Had Her Highness not treated him with far more than mere indifference in the past?
"Your Highness! You truly are…"
Fuyun placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling as she looked at her: "Enough now, it was just a jest with Her Highness. Why speak as if you're about to shed tears? Her Highness most enjoys the tea brewed by our Auntie Xieyue. Would you be so kind as to brew a cup?"
Rong Li had no intention of scolding her either and nodded with a smile: "Indeed, I would like a cup of osmanthus crisp milk pudding." No one in the manor brews it better than Auntie."
Only then did Xieyue realize how she had momentarily lost her senses. Wiping the damp corner of her eye, she left the room.
After her meal, Rong Li took a leisurely stroll around the hall to aid digestion.
Having slept for so long today, she was still full of energy and far from drowsy.
Coincidentally, Physician Tan had sent a maidservant with a small box. Thinking it contained new medicine for her use, Rong Li grew curious and opened it.
Upon lifting the lid, instead of the expected scent of medicine, a peculiar fragrance—a blend of herbs with a faint, gamey undertone—wafted out. Inside were not pills, but several packets of dark brown herbs carefully wrapped in mulberry bark paper, accompanied by a small mortar and pestle made of jade.
Rong Li picked up one packet. On the paper, several lines were written in cinnabar ink—Physician Tan's handwriting—but the content left her utterly bewildered:
"Yang harmony awakens hibernation, fortifying the foundation and nurturing vitality. Simmer over gentle heat, consume one dose daily. Effects will be visible within ten days."
Yang harmony? Fortifying the foundation? This sounded… unlike something meant for her.
As she puzzled over it, her gaze fell upon a plain note tucked at the bottom of the box. Unfolding it, she found Physician Tan's handwriting again, though the tone was more casual than usual, clearly written in haste:
"Your Highness, allow me to explain: This prescription follows an ancient method from southern Yunnan, renowned for its remarkable efficacy in nourishing a man's foundational vitality. Your Highness mentioned that the Imperial Consort has repeatedly declined your advances. I have pondered this deeply and remain perplexed. I suspect it may be due to either an innate deficiency in primordial yang or excessive depletion from later circumstances, leading to… a tendency to neglect and avoid marital intimacy. This medicine is gentle yet potent, working gradually to help the Imperial Consort regain his vigor. When the time comes, it will also greatly benefit Your Highness in detoxification. You may have it brewed and delivered to his office, simply calling it a tonic without revealing the details, so as not to wound his pride."
"…"
Author's Note:
Hilarious—someone’s reputation is ruined because they kept refusing kisses.
Babes, I’ve opened a new pre-order novel, After Tempting the Aloof Imperial Brother—please add it to your collection!
Featuring: A seemingly indifferent, tea-savvy imperial brother with hidden contrasts × A timid, soft-hearted little princess
Little Sister: Just breathing.
Imperial Brother: Such skillful tactics!
It’s already listed in the chapter-end recommendations. Your Majesties are welcome to shower it with love and add it to your collections~
Go take a bite!! If the synopsis isn’t enticing, I’ll wash my hair upside down (rubbing hands eagerly).