"You're trembling."…
As the saying goes, judge a person by their face, capture rebels by capturing their leader—Yun Kui was someone who valued appearances. Even in such an intensely tense atmosphere, she couldn't help but notice the other party's face.
Especially since the face before her was beyond description with her limited vocabulary.
For a moment, she even wondered if this was a hallucination before her death.
A fantasy where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wasn't some ferocious demon, but a gentle, jade-like gentleman of extraordinary handsomeness, who would ask her in the softest tone—
One thousand taels of silver or becoming my Crown Princess, choose one.
Of course, she would choose… the former!
Men change their hearts, but only solid gold in your hand will never betray you.
However, a cold sneer soon shattered her delusion. "You were the one who fed me medicine last time?"
Yun Kui, startled, quickly snapped back to reality and lowered her head. "Y-yes, it was this servant."
The Crown Prince heard her inner thoughts clearly. To think this girl still had such unrealistic fantasies even at death's door.
Had the Empress run out of people? How could she send such a fool here?
Yun Kui kept her head lowered when she suddenly felt a chill at her neck, so cold it made her shiver.
Then her chin was slowly lifted by the man's icy, pale fingers.
The scene from her dream of being strangled instantly flooded her mind.
The Crown Prince leisurely traced the position of her carotid artery with a faint, almost imperceptible pressure that made her scalp tingle and nearly suffocate.
She even felt that, despite his severe injuries not yet healed, snapping her neck would be as easy as crushing an ant.
His dark eyes fixed on her as he spoke softly, "You've rendered service in attending to my medicine. Tell me, what reward do you want?"
"I want to live—can you grant that? Waaah…"
Though crying inwardly, Yun Kui replied meekly and respectfully, "Serving Your Highness is this servant's greatest fortune. I dare not claim merit, especially since Her Majesty the Empress has already rewarded me."
"The Empress is the Empress, I am I," the Crown Prince said with a smile. "I always reward and punish clearly. Speak freely—I shall grant whatever you ask."
"I already said I don't want anything, must you keep pressing?!"
"I want to see your pectoral muscles—will you show me?"
The Crown Prince's stoic expression finally shifted slightly.
What were those two words…?
It seemed his prolonged severe injuries had even affected his hearing.
Yun Kui didn't know how to respond. Her service in administering medicine wasn't that significant—how could she presumptuously ask the Crown Prince for a pardon? Who did she think she was!
If she begged for permission to leave the palace, it would be outright telling him: I'm afraid to die, I don't dare serve you, please find someone else!
Left with no choice, she could only look pleadingly at Aunt Wei beside her.
Aunt Wei forced a smile and hurriedly said, "This girl is simple-minded and wouldn't entertain any improper thoughts. Having Your Highness allow her to remain in service is already a tremendous blessing for her."
Yun Kui nodded obediently.
The Crown Prince watched her, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You're willing to serve me?"
Yun Kui was forced to meet his gaze, swallowing with difficulty. "Th-this servant is willing."
"Nonsense, could I even say no? That would be seeking death!"
"But you're trembling," the Crown Prince mercilessly exposed her.
Indeed, she had been trembling since entering the hall. Perhaps due to the presence of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Cheng Guang Hall felt as cold as an ice cellar despite winter not yet arriving. Especially under the Crown Prince's gaze, her nervousness made her teeth chatter uncontrollably.
Particularly when those ink-dark eyes shadowed with gloom fixed upon you—the bone-deep fear was truly impossible to suppress.
Just like now.
She realized she was trembling even more violently.
Before she could process this, the exclamations of the people in the hall assaulted her eardrums first: "Your Royal Highness! The Crown Prince is coughing up blood!"
Simultaneously, several drops of warm, crimson liquid landed on the back of her hand.
As for the scene before her eyes, Yun Kui was certain this would become her lifelong nightmare.
The man chuckled lowly, his entire body trembling. Blood trickled from his pale lips, quickly saturating large portions of his chest. Dressed in loose black robes, he resembled a vengeful ghost come to claim a life.
Yun Kui held her breath. A sliver of remaining reason told her she should immediately withdraw and let the imperial physicians step forward to treat him.
But she found herself completely immobilized—even unable to breathe—as that bloodstained hand deliberately closed around her neck.
"And now?" The man's deep, hoarse voice resonated.
Now? What did he mean?
Yun Kui found herself increasingly unable to comprehend human speech.
The Crown Prince stared intently at her and asked with relentless patience: "Do you still wish to serve me?"
Forced to lift her chin, Yun Kui began struggling for breath.
"Sir, if you have questions, must you ask them while choking someone?!"
"Empress, I resent you! I told you I couldn't serve this ancestor, yet you insisted I come! Wuwuwu…"
Hearing her inner thoughts, the Crown Prince smiled with satisfaction: "Finally admitted it."
Yun Kui: "…"
Was he speaking to her? What had she admitted?!
She hadn't said anything at all…
The pressure around her neck gradually tightened. Yun Kui watched as the veins bulged on his hand, his gloomy ink-dark eyes growing increasingly obscure.
Overwhelmed by unprecedented terror, just as she was about to suffocate, the hand gripping her throat suddenly loosened.
Then fell limply onto the bed, still dripping blood.
Freed from the restraint, Yun Kui clutched her neck gasping for air, tears streaming down from physiological reflex.
With the Crown Prince collapsing from coughing blood, the hall erupted into chaos. Imperial physicians and servants rushed forward while Yun Kui scrambled away from the danger zone.
Had she… just reclaimed her life?
Or merely postponed her death?
Aunt Wei signaled for her to step aside and asked: "Are you unharmed? Did His Highness injure you?"
The young girl's face was streaked with tears, her neck and robes stained with blood—even clear handprints visible—presenting an utterly wretched appearance.
As the deathly fear slowly receded, Yun Kui swallowed with difficulty. Touching the blood on her neck, she realized none of it was hers. Thank goodness.
"This servant is fine," she shook her head, "I'm incompetent and likely unsuitable for serving…"
"As long as you're unharmed," Aunt Wei interrupted her, "Not only did His Highness spare your life, he wishes to reward you. This shows his special favor—it means he intends to keep you by his side for service."
Yun Kui: "…"
"No, which eye of yours saw that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince meant it that way? Didn't you see him choking my neck?! If he hadn't coughed up blood and fainted himself, wouldn't she have narrowly escaped disaster?"
Aunt Wei ignored her resentful gaze and instructed, "Go wash up first, so as not to dirty His Highness's eyes."
Yun Kui gritted her teeth and had no choice but to comply.
Turning around, she saw Si Zhang and the other two looking at her with mixed emotions—sympathy, lingering fear, relief that the misfortune hadn't befallen them, and a trace of something easily recognizable… uh, envy.
Yun Kui: "…"
Could it be because they heard Aunt Wei's remark about showing special favor?
Didn't you see the blood on my neck? If this is considered good fortune, do you want it?!
Yun Kui returned to take a hot bath, scrubbing the bloodstains off her body vigorously.
Living in Cheng Guang Hall wasn't entirely without its benefits. For instance, at times like this, she didn't have to squeeze into the common bathhouse with all the other palace servants. The side hall had a separate bathing room for their use.
The Crown Prince valued cleanliness, so the servants under him had to remain spotless from head to toe. Their clothes couldn't be stained with the slightest dirt, nor could they carry any unpleasant odors. This included the cosmetics, hair oils, and soaps used by the palace maids—none could have overly strong fragrances. Thus, Aunt Wei provided them with scents that were light and elegant.
The food was also particular. They couldn't eat onions, ginger, or garlic, and had to be cautious with any pungent or strongly flavored foods. Otherwise, if they offended the Crown Prince's senses, they could lose their heads.
Yun Kui worked for a long time, scrubbing until her hands were nearly raw, before finally removing all the bloodstains from her clothes.
After the scare from the Crown Prince, she had no appetite. Once she finished all her tasks, she was completely exhausted. She collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she felt her whole body being shaken violently. Still half-asleep, her eyelids were forcibly pried open.
Yun Kui: …Is this murder?!
When she woke up, she realized the situation seemed even more serious than murder.
The one shaking her awake was Cui Xiang, a palace maid from the Eastern Palace whom she had encountered a few times over the past few days.
Cui Xiang hurriedly pulled her up, saying, "Sister Yun Kui, how could you sleep for so long? His Royal Highness the Crown Prince needs his bandages changed and a sponge bath. Aunt Wei sent me to fetch you…"
Yun Kui, still drowsy, sat up and remained dazed for a while. When her senses finally returned, her eyes widened in shock.
Change the Crown Prince's bandages and give him a… a sponge bath?
Her?!