Chu Zhaohuai had a nightmare.
When he was young, the Marquis’s residence had accompanied the imperial procession to the hunting grounds during winter.
At the time, Chu Zhaohuai had been deceived by Chu Zhaojiang into leaving the tent. He had accidentally wandered into the hunting grounds, where he was attacked and mauled by a snow wolf.
The wolf was enormous. Its eyes gleamed fiercely as it clamped its jaws tightly around his leg.
Chu Zhaohuai’s mind had gone completely blank. He had been so frightened that no sound could come from him. Struggling desperately, he clawed at the snow with his hands and tried to crawl forward, yet he could not even make a single cry for help.
Chu Zhaojiang had been standing not far away, looking down at him from above.
When he saw Chu Zhaohuai’s foolish, helpless appearance, a delighted smile had spread across his little face.
At the time, Chu Zhaohuai had been only seven years old.
He had cried silently, tears covering his face as pain swept through his mind. He had been almost certain that he would be buried in the wolf’s stomach.
Then, an arrow tore through the snow.
With ruthless force, it pierced straight through the snow wolf’s head and pinned it firmly to the snow-covered ground.
Blood stained the snow across the entire area.
Chu Zhaohuai’s face was covered in tear tracks that had nearly frozen beneath the biting wind. His vision blurred, and through the haze, he could only make out a young boy standing there with his hair tied in a high ponytail.
The boy seemed to say something.
Chu Zhaohuai stared blankly, his eyes widening as he desperately tried to see the other person’s face clearly within the dream.
But the darkness before his eyes only grew deeper and deeper, until the gloom completely swallowed the snow-covered world.
His vision gradually returned, and his father’s youthful face appeared before him. Yet there was only disgust in his father’s eyes as he looked down at him.
“You ran out because you wanted to play and ended up getting bitten by a wolf, yet you still want to pin the blame on your younger brother?! How could I possibly have a son like you, a son who does nothing but tell one lie after another?”
Chu Zhaohuai stared blankly and shook his head. His face was streaked with tears as he said, “I…I didn’t go out to play.”
“You dare talk back?!” Chu Jing barked harshly. “Your younger brother is so young, yet he managed to hunt a snow wolf in the hunting grounds and has already won General Wei’s considerable favor. General Wei is even prepared to take him as his disciple. And look at you! As the son of a Marquis, you were nearly eaten by a wolf. You have brought shame upon the entire Marquis’s household!”
Chu Zhaohuai was utterly bewildered, and the darkness slowly closed in around him, gradually enclosing him in its suffocating embrace.
Only a faint voice drifted through it.
I didn’t.
Chu Zhaojiang had told him that Father was looking for him. That was why he had obediently followed him out.
Even within the dream, the overwhelming sense of grievance refused to disappear.
All the memories of having to depend on others, of being disliked and rejected, of constantly being treated as though he were unwanted, came one after another, endlessly circling through Chu Zhaohuai’s mind. In his dazed state, he suddenly raised his left hand, as though he had managed to grasp onto something.
A cold hand closed around his.
A familiar voice sounded beside his ear.
“Are you awake?”
Chu Zhaohuai slowly opened his eyes, but upon closer inspection, his gaze was vacant and scattered, unable to focus on anything.
Seeing that he had opened his eyes, Ji Xun assumed he had managed to pull through. In an unhurried tone, he said, “It’s already dawn. If there’s nothing wrong, then return to the capital…”
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt Chu Zhaohuai’s left hand begin to tremble violently.
Ji Xun froze.
The trembling in Chu Zhaohuai’s left hand grew increasingly severe. Spasms accompanied the violent shaking, twisting his fingers into unnatural contortions. His breathing, which had just become even and steady, suddenly quickened as well. In merely a few breaths, it seemed as though he could no longer draw enough air into his lungs.
Realizing that something was wrong, Ji Xun slightly furrowed his brows.
“Chu Zhaohuai?”
Chu Zhaohuai gasped several times before suddenly and unexpectedly coughing up a mouthful of blood. His entire body seemed to wither in an instant, like a flower rapidly losing its vitality, his already frail form visibly sinking into weakness.
Ji Xun’s pupils shifted.
He immediately caught the person who was swaying precariously and pulled him into his arms.
“Someone.”
A personal guard hurried in, but the moment he saw the blood staining His Highness’s sleeve, he froze for a brief moment.
Ji Xun’s expression darkened slightly.
“Come and see what happened to him.”
The personal guard hurried forward and checked his pulse. Yet after examining it for quite some time, he still could not determine exactly what was wrong. In the end, he could only kneel on the floor and stammer an apology.
“Your Highness, please forgive me. This subordinate’s medical skills are inadequate.”
Ji Xun frowned.
“Mm…”
Chu Zhaohuai’s breathing grew increasingly rapid. He desperately tilted his head back, opening his pale lips as wide as he could in an attempt to breathe, yet he could not seem to draw in enough air to keep himself alive. His slender neck stretched taut, forming a delicate curve, while his head rested in the crook of Ji Xun’s arm and his long hair spilled across the entire bed like flowing water.
His pupils were unfocused as he stared blankly into the empty air. His breathing grew weaker and weaker, while tears he could not control slid silently from the corners of his eyes.
Ji Xun had seen many people on the brink of death, but he had never witnessed a scene like this—one that was almost painfully glaring to look at.
Supporting the back of Chu Zhaohuai’s neck, he let the young man lean against his chest.
“Chu Zhaohuai, breathe.”
Hearing someone call his name, Chu Zhaohuai regained a faint trace of clarity. He let out a weak whimper, then opened his empty, lifeless eyes and stared at Ji Xun. Between desperate gasps, he called out, “Y-Your Highness?”
Ji Xun answered, “Mm.”
Chu Zhaohuai could barely breathe. The violent pain brought on by his rapidly pounding heart made his ears ring incessantly. In his dazed state, he thought he had managed to ask the question aloud, but in reality, his voice was no louder than the faint buzzing of a mosquito as he murmured,
“Your Highness, I…I’m going to die, aren’t I?”
Yet Ji Xun heard him.
He had maintained an appearance of gentle refinement in front of Chu Zhaohuai for so many days. He did not care about continuing that pretense for another brief moment.
His voice was gentle as he said, “No. Nothing will happen to you.”
Chu Zhaohuai seemed to smile.
Every time his heart condition flared up, it was like walking back and forth through the gates of death several times. Sometimes an attack would strike him alone on an empty roadside. Other times, he would suffer it by himself on the floor of his own home.
These were the first times in all these years that someone had held him in their arms and coaxed him through it.
Chu Zhaohuai remained clear-headed for only a fleeting moment before his consciousness once again sank into a haze. In his confusion, his hand instinctively reached inside his sleeve. His lips parted, and he softly murmured a single word.
“Medicine…”
Ji Xun lowered his eyes and stared at him. At that one word, his gaze shifted slightly.
Chu Zhaohuai was still struggling in agony on the bed. Ji Xun directly released his hand, rose to his feet, and strode out of the sleeping quarters.
“Where are the dead soldiers we captured earlier?”
“They are being held in the room next door.”
Ji Xun gave a quiet hum, took his dove-headed staff in hand, and headed toward the place where the dead soldiers were being held.
Those willing to serve the Eastern Palace as dead soldiers would certainly have been fully prepared to stake their lives on their mission. Several men were bound and forced to kneel on the cold ground. When they saw Ji Xun walk in, they gave a cold laugh and turned their faces away, refusing to look at him.
Ji Xun sat down on the chair his personal guards had brought over. Absentmindedly stroking his dove-headed staff, he asked casually, “Where is the medicine the Princess Consort was carrying with him?”
The men looked at one another.
They had assumed that this mad dog was asking about the person behind everything.
They had never expected him to be asking about such a trivial matter.
The man closest to him coldly opened his mouth.
“I…”
Ji Xun raised his eyes slightly.
The personal guard suddenly drew his saber.
With a single stroke, he severed the man’s head.
The movement was clean and decisive.
Blood erupted violently, splattering the people nearby across their bodies and faces.
Ji Xun’s robes were spattered with blood as well. He lazily propped his head against one hand, seemingly already irritated.
“Annoying—since you refuse to speak, this prince will ask personally.”
The expressions of the remaining men trembled, but they clenched their teeth tightly and refused to make a sound.
Dead soldiers who had undergone rigorous training had never feared death. No matter how many tortures they endured, they would never reveal even a single word.
The personal guards of Prince Jing stood watch outside the door, listening as one after another, the shrill screams of agony rang out from within.
Before even half a quarter of an hour had passed, Ji Xun emerged from inside, covered from head to toe in blood, strolling out as leisurely as though he had merely taken a short walk.
A personal guard handed him a cloth.
Ji Xun accepted it casually and wiped his fingers before saying indifferently, “There’s a large boulder at the foot of the mountain. Go retrieve the medicine that was thrown there.”
“Yes.”
The door of the room where the dead soldiers had been held was only half-closed. Sunlight poured through the opening, faintly illuminating the severed limbs scattered inside.
The personal guard hurried off and returned swiftly with the medicine.
By then, Chu Zhaohuai was already in a state where he had barely any breath left, his inhalations weaker than his exhalations. His pupils were unfocused as he lay on the bed, his breathing faint and fragile.
There were only three kinds of medicine that the dead soldiers had thrown away.
The beast-repellent powder and the poison powder were both loose powders.
Only one small porcelain bottle contained pills with a faintly sweet medicinal scent.
It should be the medicine.
The personal guard could only treat a dead horse as though it were still alive and try his luck. He took out two pills, dissolved them in water, then supported Chu Zhaohuai’s chin and slowly fed him the medicine.
Chu Zhaohuai choked slightly. His throat worked with difficulty as he swallowed, and out of an entire bowl of medicine, he barely managed to drink half.
The medicine was presumably specially prepared. Before long, his breathing finally became somewhat smoother, despite the continued difficulty. The personal guard checked his pulse, and the rapid, erratic pulse and pounding heartbeat gradually began to settle as well.
Only then did the personal guard finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness.
His Highness had been far too strange today. Not only had he personally subjected someone to torture merely to interrogate them about the whereabouts of the medicine, but even his behavior had been completely unlike his usual composed, calculating manner.
The guard had genuinely feared that if he failed to save the Princess Consort, he might actually have to accompany him in death.
After finishing the interrogation, Ji Xun changed into a fresh set of robes and even took a bath before leisurely drinking tea in the outer room.
The personal guard wiped the sweat from his forehead, bowed, and reported, “Your Highness, the Princess Consort has taken the medicine and is no longer in danger.”
“Mm.” Ji Xun took a sip of tea, looking as though he did not care in the slightest. He casually remarked, “His life is quite tenacious.”
The personal guard: “…”
The personal guard said nothing at all. With a complicated expression, he quietly withdrew.
Yin Chongshan returned from the foot of the mountain to report, “Your Highness, Commander Lin should have received a death order. He is determined to find every possible way to interrogate the mountain bandits.”
Ji Xun had already anticipated this and did not say much. “Give the bodies directly to Lord Lin.”
The stage had already been set. Commander Lin had come specifically to put on his grand performance, ultimately for the sake of conducting a sweeping investigation into the household registers of Nanxia Forest.
Why bother going through all those formalities?
Might as well satisfy him and settle everything once and for all.
Yin Chongshan nodded in acknowledgment.
He was just about to leave when Ji Xun lowered his eyes to the thumb wearing his thumb ring and suddenly said, “Oh, right. How has Chu Zhaojiang been lately?”
Yin Chongshan was puzzled. “He is still being confined in the separate residence. Every day, he tries to kill himself and begs to be let out.”
“Mm.” Ji Xun smiled. Lowering his eyes, he gave the order in an absentminded tone, “Go. Cut off two of his fingers. Put them neatly in a red sandalwood box and send them to the Marquis’s residence.”
Yin Chongshan froze. “Which ones?”
Ji Xun crossed his legs. “The index and middle fingers of his right hand.”
Yin Chongshan hesitantly looked at His Highness.
It was said that when Chu Zhaojiang was young, he had once hunted a snow wolf and caught the attention of Old General Wei, who had taken him on as a disciple. Although Chu Zhaojiang was a spoiled wastrel, archery was about the only skill he possessed that could be brought out and mentioned with any pride these days.
The right index and middle fingers were the fingers used to draw a bowstring. If he lost them, he would probably truly become irreconcilable with the Marquis’s household.
Seeing that Yin Chongshan remained motionless, Ji Xun narrowed his eyes.
“Yes!”
Before Ji Xun could utter the cutting, sarcastic remark that was clearly about to come, Yin Chongshan hurriedly scrambled away.
Commander Lin’s intentions lay elsewhere.
After going through the motions of interrogating the headless “bandits,” he began putting on an elaborate show of inspecting the household registers of the hunters and farmers throughout Nanxia Forest.
Although Nanxia Forest had the word “Forest” in its name, it was actually a vast expanse of mountains, wilderness, and farmland, twice the size of the capital. The population was sparse and scattered rather than concentrated, and even the largest town had only around two thousand inhabitants.
The carriage procession of Prince Jing’s residence departed from Nanxia Forest after suppressing the bandits. A commander dressed in the distinctive beast-patterned robes of the Imperial Guards rode toward them on horseback.
Yin Chongshan stepped forward and stopped him in front of the carriage, saying coldly, “Commander Lin, please stop here.”
Commander Lin had risen to the position of Imperial Guard Commander at a young age. It was not merely because his martial arts were exceptional, but also because he had a good father who held an important position in the capital.
Holding the reins, he let his horse pace slowly in place before raising his voice.
“Prince Jing, may I have a few words with you?”
Yin Chongshan glanced toward the carriage.
Ji Xun’s faint voice came from within.
“Mm.”
Only then did Yin Chongshan step forward and lift the carriage curtain for His Highness.
Commander Lin approached, dismounted in one fluid motion, and knelt to give a formal salute. He then raised his head.
“This suppression of the bandits was only possible thanks to Your Highness’s decisive action… Uh.”
His words abruptly stopped.
Inside the extraordinarily luxurious carriage, a charcoal brazier was burning, filling the entire space with warm heat.
Ji Xun sat there in nothing more than a single layer of clothing, casually reading a letter without the slightest intention of avoiding anyone’s gaze.
The young man wrapped in a dark cloak was curled up beside his knees like a cat. Two fingers of his right hand were bandaged, yet he was still stubbornly using his remaining uninjured fingers to tug at the sleeve of His Highness’s robe.
Commander Lin’s face twisted violently for a moment. He hesitated, seemingly wanting to speak but unable to find the words.
“Your Highness, this is…”
“The Princess Consort is unwell and needs to return to the residence as quickly as possible for treatment. There can be no delay.” Ji Xun stroked Chu Zhaohuai’s hair, smiling as he spoke. “Does Lord Lin have some important matter?”
Every word Commander Lin had intended to say died in his throat.
He quietly sucked in a breath.
For the past few days, rumors had been spreading throughout the capital about Prince Jing’s famously unyielding tree finally blossoming.
He had assumed they were nothing more than rumors.
But now that he had seen this scene with his own eyes…
Could it actually be true?
Commander Lin nodded. “His Highness has acted swiftly and decisively, wiping out the bandits who have been causing trouble for so long in a single operation. His Majesty will certainly be delighted when he hears of it.”
Ji Xun smiled.
“It was merely an assignment. If His Majesty happens to be pleased, it would be wonderful if Imperial Brother rewarded me with another seven or eight Princess Consorts. Then we could all live together in harmony, with a house full of children and grandchildren.”
Commander Lin: “…”
Commander Lin rarely interacted with Prince Jing. He had only heard that this man possessed the sharpest and most poisonous tongue in the entire world.
Now, he had finally experienced it for himself.
Having encountered such a soft but unmistakable rejection, Commander Lin could not bring himself to say anything further. He could only step aside and respectfully see His Highness off.
Once Prince Jing’s carriage procession had departed, the Imperial Guards rode over and saluted Commander Lin.
“Let’s go.” Commander Lin mounted his horse. A trace of viciousness surfaced in his expression as he said, “Search within a hundred-li radius. Dig out every single one of Prince Wuchang’s private soldiers. Not a single one is to be left behind.”
“Yes.”
There was no New Year’s Eve this year, making the New Year celebrations seem to arrive extraordinarily early.
Liang Fang had taken another day’s worth of medicine, and the symptoms that had left him perpetually absent-minded and frequently drowsy had actually begun to lessen considerably.
Ji Yi was delighted.
Once again, he somehow managed to get hold of an entire basket of loquats and came bouncing along to find Chu Zhaohuai.
Yesterday, he had heard Chu Zhaohuai cough several times. He did not know whether the young man had caught a chill.
Ji Yi lingered outside the door for quite a while before finally blushing and charging into the sleeping quarters.
“Hey, this young prince is here!”
Uncle Zhao Bo was waiting outside the door and skillfully intercepted him.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, please stop!”
The young prince paid him no attention.
He rushed inside in a whirlwind and immediately dropped flat on the floor, performing an exaggerated prostrating bow.
“Dad!”
Ji Xun sat in the seat of honor, lowering his eyes as he sipped his tea.
A court physician stood respectfully to one side, his body slightly bent as he answered in a proper and measured manner.
“…The Princess Consort should have been born with an insufficient constitution, and his heart condition is difficult to cure. It was triggered by the repeated fright and shocks he suffered this time. At present, his condition has finally stabilized. If he is carefully nursed back to health, it may be possible to keep him stable for several months.”
Ji Xun casually stirred the tea in his cup. Upon hearing this, he raised his head and cast the physician a sideways glance.
“It can only be stabilized for a few months?”
Cold sweat immediately broke out across the imperial physician’s forehead. He stammered, “Judging, judging from the pulse… the Princess Consort has suffered fright repeatedly in recent days. Perhaps it is related to that. If he rests properly in the future and avoids being frightened as much as possible, he should, should be able to…”
Ji Xun’s hand paused.
Repeatedly frightened?
During this period, every time he teased Chu Zhaohuai even slightly, the young man could not help trembling.
He had thought the boy simply had the courage of a rabbit.
Could it be that he actually had a heart condition?
Ji Yi, who had been trembling nervously, was also stunned.
A heart condition? Only stable for a few months?
This had to be complete nonsense.
That person had casually prescribed a single formula that managed to resolve the difficult poison afflicting Liang Fang. How could he possibly have an illness like this?
What a quack.
Prince Jing took a sip of the cold tea.
“You have my thanks.”
The imperial physician wiped away his sweat and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
“It is merely my duty. Your Highness is too kind.”
Ji Xun casually said, “You have served in the Imperial Medical Academy for many years. You should know what can be said and what cannot. I need say no more.”
The imperial physician hurriedly nodded.
“Of course, of course.”
Although the bed curtains had blocked his view while he took the pulse, he could tell simply from the sickly patient’s pulse that this so-called “Princess Consort” could not possibly be the young marquis of the Zhenyuan Marquis’s residence.
Prince Jing’s methods were ruthless.
He was not foolish enough to court his own death.
After the imperial physician bowed and withdrew, Ji Xun cast a cool glance at Ji Yi, who was still kneeling on the floor.
“Have you finished your studies?”
Ji Yi obediently answered, “I have.”
“And practiced your martial arts?”
“Reporting to Father, I couldn’t find Commander Yin today, so…”
Ji Xun said, “Mm. When the cook doesn’t prepare food, you know to go to the kitchen and urge him to hurry, but when it comes to practicing martial arts, you suddenly don’t know how? Next time you get into a fight with someone, the young prince can say, ‘Wait, Commander Yin isn’t here, so I don’t know how to fight. Hero, noble hero, please spare this dog’s life for now. We can have another eight hundred rounds of battle next time.’”
Ji Yi: “…”
Ji Yi was almost reduced to tears by the scolding. He lowered his head miserably.
“Dad, I know I was wrong. You…”
Please don’t continue speaking with that golden mouth of yours.
“Liang Fang has been staying at the residence for several days. Why hasn’t he left yet?” Ji Xun glanced at him again, a smile that was not quite a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “You spend all day concocting things for Liang Fang to drink. If you end up poisoning him to death, this prince will send you to Yuanchuan to become Prince Wuchang’s son. You’ll leave that very day, die that very day, your soul will return to the Western Paradise, and you won’t even have a memorial tablet left behind.”
When Ji Xun directed that mouth of his at other people, even his occasional cutting remark was enough to leave them speechless.
But when he directed it at Ji Yi, he showed absolutely no mercy.
Ji Yi was scolded until tears began falling one after another. Unable to hold himself back, he defended himself in a tearful voice, “That’s a prescription for detoxification. It’s very effective for Liang Fang. He won’t be poisoned to death.”
Ji Xun said, “What prescription? Bring it here.”
Ji Yi regretted his words the instant they left his mouth.
He had promised to help keep this secret for half a month.
It had only been two days.
Ji Yi braced himself and said, “There, there’s no prescription. I was talking nonsense.”
Ji Xun narrowed his eyes slightly.
Ji Yi felt his entire body prickle with unease beneath that gaze. Just when he thought he was about to be beaten, he heard Ji Xun say leisurely, “Mm. Go out and play.”
Ji Yi froze, then finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He scrambled to his feet and was just about to leave when he could not resist turning back and asking in a small voice, “The Princess Consort is sick. I…I can go see him, can’t I?”
Ji Xun raised a hand and summoned Yin Chongshan. He did not seem to care much.
“Go ahead. Don’t frighten him.”
Ji Yi hurriedly ran inside.
Yin Chongshan looked at His Highness with an expression that was difficult to describe.
Even if the Princess Consort was a man, he was still the young prince’s elder. Sending him to see the “young mother” lying sick in bed was hardly proper.
Ji Xun did not notice Yin Chongshan’s expression. He ordered, “Bring me the prescription Ji Yi received.”
“Yes.”
“And also…” Ji Xun’s brows drew together slightly. “Has the Court of State Ceremonial Affairs delivered the deer yet?”
Yin Chongshan pressed his lips tightly together.
“Not yet. This subordinate will go urge them immediately.”
“Mm.”
Yin Chongshan nodded and hurried outside.
Ji Xun’s unhurried voice came from behind him.
“You smiled twice. I’ll dock two years of your salary.”
Yin Chongshan’s foot slipped.
He nearly fell face-first onto the threshold, but managed to catch himself before stumbling away in disgrace.
Two or three charcoal braziers had been placed inside the canopy bed, filling the narrow enclosed space with warmth until it felt almost like spring.
A long-serving attendant from the residence was kneeling beside the bed, carefully wiping the Princess Consort’s face, terrified of accidentally hurting him. When he saw Ji Yi enter, he bowed respectfully, picked up the basin of water, and withdrew.
Ji Yi personally carried the basket of loquats over and placed it beside the canopy bed. He noticed the thin bed curtains nearby gently shifting in the rising heat, through which he could vaguely make out the figure of the person lying within.
He was not wearing that bothersome eye veil.
“Ahem.”
Ji Yi thought to himself that the young prince had lowered himself enough to come personally visit a sick person. He certainly had not come specifically to look at his face.
The man would surely understand that.
Thinking this, Ji Yi tiptoed closer to the bed, preparing to see just how ugly this person really was.
Did he really have red rashes, birthmarks, or a face covered in pockmarks?
Ji Yi reached the bedside.
A strong medicinal scent immediately rushed toward him.
One hand rested on the edge of the bed. Bandages were wrapped around it, making the entire hand appear even more slender and long.
Ji Yi frowned.
How had his hand been injured so badly?
The hand that had been clutching the bed curtain suddenly stopped.
For the first time, Ji Yi felt that taking advantage of someone while they were helpless was simply too shameful.
Chu Zhaohuai had clearly had his reasons for concealing his face. Perhaps it was a pain he would never be able to tell anyone about for the rest of his life.
And yet he had repeatedly wanted to see Chu Zhaohuai’s face.
What difference was that from tearing open someone else’s wound?
Ji Yi took a deep breath, lowered the hand that had been lifting the bed curtain, and turned around to leave.
He fiercely despised himself for what he had just been thinking.
Before he could even finish condemning himself, the injured hand suddenly grabbed hold of his clothes.
“Mm…Your Highness?”
Ji Yi’s movement as he took a step away caused Chu Zhaohuai’s hand to tighten involuntarily.
The sudden pull made him immediately hiss in pain.
Ji Yi was startled and hurriedly turned back.
“Are you all right?!”
The bed curtain was lifted from within.
Chu Zhaohuai had just awakened after being unconscious for half a day. His face was pale with the sickly color of someone who looked as though he might ascend to the heavens at any moment. Confused, he raised his head and studied the person before him for a long while before finally murmuring,
“Oh, it’s the young prince. Could you help me pour a cup of water?”
Ji Yi stood frozen in place.
Chu Zhaohuai had been burning with fever throughout the night, and his heart condition had flared up once again. Although the attack had not been particularly severe, it had still nearly cost him half his life.
At this moment, his entire body was weak and powerless, while his throat felt as though it were practically on fire.
He waited patiently for a while, only to realize that Ji Yi had not moved at all and did not seem particularly willing to pour him any water.
Chu Zhaohuai finally used all the strength he could muster to collapse back onto the bed. His ink-black hair spread messily across the entire mattress, and the dark strands made the pallor of his sickly face appear even more pronounced.
Looking utterly listless, he said, “Then, could I trouble the young prince to call His Highness for me?”
His Highness would even peel oranges for him, yet the young prince would not even pour him a cup of water.
Good bamboo really did produce bad shoots.
Chu Zhaohuai was lying there drowsily when he suddenly heard Ji Yi’s footsteps pattering away.
After quite some time, he returned. His tone sounded somewhat strange.
“Water. Here.”
Chu Zhaohuai struggled to sit up and lean against the pillows. He took the cup and slowly drank half a bowl in small mouthfuls, finally extinguishing the burning sensation in his throat.
Ji Yi stood there like a wooden pillar, staring fixedly at his face without blinking.
Chu Zhaohuai was utterly confused.
Was there something wrong with his face?
Could it be the eye veil…
He touched the left side, then the right.
Something was wrong.
Where was his eye veil?!
Chu Zhaohuai jolted violently. A needle-like pain immediately stabbed through his heart again. He covered his chest and took a moment to recover before the pain finally subsided.
This was bad.
Very bad.
Ji Xun had rescued him and brought him back to the residence. Naturally, he must have already seen his face.
This time, even if he did not want his identity exposed, there was no way to hide it anymore.
Looking as though he were barely clinging to life, Chu Zhaohuai asked, “Where is His Highness?”
“He’s outside.” Ji Yi finally spoke. But now he did not dare look directly at his face. His voice sounded awkward as he said, “You…you look like this? You’re not, not really ugly either. Ahem. You’re…passably good-looking.”
Since his face had already been exposed, Chu Zhaohuai no longer bothered trying to hide it. In a weak voice, he said, “Thank you for the compliment, Young Prince.”
Ji Yi still did not dare look at him.
There was certainly no shortage of handsome young masters in the capital. He had seen quite a few of them himself, especially those known as the “Three Great Beauties of the Capital.” They were indeed good-looking, but most of their beauty was the result of layers of face powder, hairpins, flowers, and all sorts of elaborate adornments, creating something akin to a lavishly decorated flower garden.
Chu Zhaohuai, however, lay on the bed dressed in plain clothes, his ink-black hair spilling loosely around him without a single ornament. Even the sickly pallor on his face seemed almost like an embellishment, while the mole on his cheek added an inexplicable charm that made it impossible to look away.
Everyone had an instinctive appreciation for beauty.
And Ji Yi suddenly understood why his father had behaved so strangely this time.
Although, judging by his father’s memory, he probably would not remember this person’s face anyway.
While Ji Yi was standing inside, completely at a loss as to what to do, Yin Chongshan had already obtained the prescription Ji Yi had hidden and presented it to His Highness.
Ji Xun unfolded the prescription, which had been neatly folded into a small square, and skimmed over it rapidly.
He could not really understand it.
But this signature…
Ji Xun asked, “Who wrote this prescription?”
Yin Chongshan replied, “This subordinate asked Uncle Zhao just now. He said it was written by the Princess Consort.”
Ji Xun’s fingers slowly traced over the signature, where the name “Baiji” had been crossed out twice, as though something had suddenly occurred to him.
“Has Zhou Huan returned to the capital?”
Yin Chongshan said, “On the night before Little New Year, Zhou Huan sent word that he would bring Divine Physician Baiji back to the capital. Yesterday, he was delayed for half a day while checking the household registers. He should arrive today.”
Ji Xun smiled thoughtfully.
Two Baiji?
✦ ✧ ✦
Cressilia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Please distract the translator from abandoning everything with coffee. (ง •̀_•́)ง
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Substitute BrideChapter 2 · Chu ZhaojiangChapter 3 · Very safeChapter 4 · He is the prince’s manChapter 5 · It was really hard to refuse their kind invitation.Chapter 6 · Thankfully it was just poisoning.Chapter 7 · Haha, I spit on “golden and jade hall”!Chapter 8 · Are you not satisfied with the homecoming gift?Chapter 9 · You must keep your identity hidden.Chapter 10 · I like whole fish banquetChapter 11 · BankruptChapter 12 · Add some funChapter 13 · FightChapter 14 · Three taels of silverChapter 15 · Go back to restChapter 16 · They’re all spendthrifts.Chapter 17 · Enough for branches and leavesChapter 18 · Rumors can kill peopleChapter 19 · I want to get closer to the prince.Chapter 20 · Why not move in and share a room?Chapter 21 · Ha, I’m not stupid.Chapter 22 Part 1 · Liang Fang’s prescriptionChapter 22 Part 2 · Liang Fang’s prescriptionChapter 23 · Be more cautious and vigilantChapter 24 Part 1 · Don’t touch meChapter 24 Part 2 · Don’t touch meChapter 25 Part 1 · Golden NeedleChapter 25 Part 2 · Golden NeedleChapter 26 · To avoid suspicionChapter 27 · Committing numerous evil deedsChapter 28 Part 1 · May I receive the worst possible fortuneChapter 28 Part 2 · May I receive the worst possible fortuneChapter 29 · I really didn’t mean to kill youChapter 30 · Protect the prince!Chapter 31 · The bird that fell into the trapChapter 32 · Embracing someone on the couchChapter 33 · The miracle doctor is going home!Chapter 34 · I shouldn’t have wanted to hurt himChapter 35 · A bout of madnessChapter 36 · NightmareChapter 37 Part 1 · SpecialChapter 37 Part 2 · SpecialChapter 38 · Being hunted downChapter 39 · Cause and Bitter FruitChapter 40 · Is he honest and kind?Chapter 41 · I am flattered and overwhelmed.Chapter 42 · No, I want to buy.Chapter 43 Part 1 · When the city gate catches fireChapter 43 Part 2 · When the city gate catches fireChapter 44 · It’s the face of a notorious thiefChapter 45 · Are you trying to comfort me?Chapter 46 · Thank you, Your Highness!Chapter 47 · Thank you, Your Highness!Chapter 48 · It’s delicious!Chapter 49 · SeducingChapter 50 · By imperial decreeChapter 51 Part 1 · Potent MedicineChapter 51 Part 2 · Potent MedicineChapter 52 · Wasn’t it impotence?Chapter 53 · I’m not busy todayChapter 54 Part 1 · Break his legs directlyChapter 54 Part 2 · Break his legs directlyChapter 55 · I really didn’t mean to mess with youChapter 56 · Don’t play the victim when you’re having a medical episodeChapter 57 · Let’s do it one more time!Chapter 58 Part 1 · I’ve got you!Chapter 58 Part 2 · I’ve got you!Chapter 59 · A doctor’s dutyChapter 60 Part 1 · Are you at peace with yourself?Chapter 60 Part 2 · Are you at peace with yourself?