Fei Yun was already pacing back and forth at the entrance of Xianyun Palace. Its massive frame, snow-white fur, and proud demeanor made it look like a palace guard.
Zhou Jinyan thought to himself that those two months of training hadn’t been in vain.
But why was it wearing clothes? And light pink, no less.
The towering Fei Yun approached him in a light pink outfit. Zhou Jinyan found it hard to accept and didn’t reach out to pet it. Instead, he looked toward his Imperial Consort Mother and Nanny Ying.
Consort Xian said somewhat sheepishly, “People in the palace say Fei Yun looks fierce and are afraid of it, so I had Nanny Ying sew a simple little outfit from leftover fabric to make it appear gentler.”
Zhou Jinyan raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose. The very fierceness of Fei Yun was what he wanted.
“Never mind,” he muttered softly.
Nanny Ying explained, “If Fei Yun frightens the princes or princesses, it likely won’t escape punishment. When His Highness left the capital at twelve, he took everything with him, leaving only Fei Yun behind.”
Only Fei Yun remained for Her Ladyship. Nanny Ying added this thought silently.
Zhou Jinyan understood. Finally, he reached out and gave it a pat. Eight years ago, it had been a difficult, biting little pup.
Consort Xian said, “Yan’er, if you think this outfit isn’t good…”
Zhou Jinyan replied, “Change the color.”
Consort Xian beamed, “What color?”
“The frost-blue color Your Ladyship is wearing is quite nice.” As soon as Zhou Jinyan finished speaking, Eunuch Fu stepped forward to urge him, saying it was getting late and if the Prince left the palace any later, he might catch a chill.
He bowed deeply to his Imperial Consort Mother, then turned and left.
Watching her son walk away, Consort Xian raised her hand and gave a gentle wave, her eyes and brows brimming with joy. “Nanny Ying, is frost-blue truly that lovely?”
“The color Your Ladyship favors is naturally lovely,” Nanny Ying replied with a smile. “His Highness himself said it was very nice.”
Consort Xian’s smile grew even softer.
Eunuch Fu watched Zhou Jinyan board his carriage and depart, then returned to the main hall to report to the Empress, recounting everything he had seen and heard.
“After all, they are mother and son. Even though they’ve spent very little time together, they still care for each other.” The Empress didn’t pay it much mind. She knew Consort Xian couldn’t rebel against her, and Zhou Jinyan, with his frail constitution, couldn’t achieve anything significant.
“But as for Shen Yiren from the General’s Manor… Eunuch Fu, go secretly and investigate her situation.”
“Yes.”
…
Prince Duan’s Manor.
“Summon Doctor Fang.” Zhou Jinyan reclined in a chair draped with fox fur and instructed Cang Xu to bring the medicinal pills Shen Yiren had prepared.
Doctor Fang arrived. First, he tested them with a silver needle—no poison.
Then, he held one to his nose and sniffed. Mud? Ginseng Spirit water?
Doctor Fang blinked in disbelief and sniffed again carefully. Indeed, he detected no other medicinal herbs. But these were pills for Prince Duan to take—caution was necessary.
“Well?” Zhou Jinyan saw the confusion on the doctor’s face. He never used imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital, but Doctor Fang was a top talent he had sought out among the common people.
Doctor Fang placed the pill back and reported, “This humble one is unskilled. I only detect the scent of Ginseng Spirit. Your Highness, please use these with caution, or have someone test them first.”
“Ginseng Spirit alone cannot form pills, nor would it be this earthy color,” Zhou Jinyan asked him, “What else is there?”
Doctor Fang replied, “…Mud. It’s not even plant ash.”
Was Shen Yiren deceiving him? For a moment, Zhou Jinyan doubted whether he had been impulsive, actually believing a young girl who grew up in the countryside.
“Yet it’s strange—there’s not much of an earthy scent, nor is the Ginseng Spirit aroma strong. Instead, there’s a fragrance, one that leans more toward the fresh scent of mountain herbs and grasses than the usual bitterness of medicinal herbs. But I can’t quite place which plant it is.”
Zhou Jinyan immediately thought of the unique herbal fragrance Shen Yiren carried when he first met her.
He reached out, and Cang Xu handed him the pill.
There was indeed a hint of Shen Yiren’s scent, though not as strong as when he had been close to her.
Cang Xu said, “Your Highness, allow me to test the medicine for you.”
“No need.” Zhou Jinyan took the dark brown pill, his fingers appearing even paler against it. “If anything happens to me, Shen Yiren will accompany me in death.”
“As you command.”
Zhou Jinyan opened his mouth. As his lips touched the pill, he felt a softness his fingers couldn’t perceive. When his tongue made contact, there was an earthy taste mixed with saltiness. Chewing further, a lingering fragrance spread through his mouth and cheeks.
Shortly after swallowing, a gentle, flowing sensation seemed to course through his body, and drowsiness washed over him instantly.
Before Zhou Jinyan could even inform his subordinates that he needed to rest for a moment, his eyes closed, his head tilted to the side, and he slumped directly into the chair.
Such a potent medicine!
Unaware of the situation, Cang Xu and Doctor Fang widened their eyes in alarm and hurried over to check on him.
Cang Xu tested his breathing: “He’s still breathing.”
Doctor Fang checked his pulse: “His pulse is normal. It seems… he’s asleep?”
Once they confirmed he was merely asleep, Cang Xu and Doctor Fang carried the Prince to his bed. The two of them stayed by his side without leaving, checking on him from time to time.
As dawn broke and the Prince still showed no signs of waking, Cang Xu grew anxious and lifted the curtain to look.
The Prince’s complexion was rosy.
Seeing him freeze for a moment, Doctor Fang hurriedly leaned in and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Leaning closer, he too was astonished.
After checking the pulse, he was even more shocked.
“The Prince’s pulse is much stronger now! When I checked his pulse before, it was either as elusive as flowers in the mist or as faint as a child’s small leap—so weak it could barely sustain itself.”
“It’s a shame we couldn’t scrape off a bit of the pill. There must be more inside than just mud and Ginseng Spirit water, and that mud is certainly no ordinary mud.” Doctor Fang had always accompanied Prince Duan in his fiefdom and was visiting the capital for the first time, unfamiliar with the people here. “Who exactly is this Shen Yiren the Prince mentioned?”
“She is the legitimate daughter General Shen lost in the countryside, only recovered two years ago.” Cang Xu recalled what Shen Yiren had said that day. “She claimed to be a descendant of a divine healer and said she could cure the Prince in just half a year.”
“Tsk!” Doctor Fang stroked his chin, his eyes unusually bright. “From what we’ve seen so far, she truly seems to have such skill. The Prince might be saved!”
Cang Xu’s eyes also lit up.
At that moment, Zhou Jinyan slowly woke up. After sitting up, he moved his neck.
Doctor Fang eagerly asked, “How did Your Highness sleep?”
“My body feels much lighter, and my hands and feet don’t seem as perpetually cold as before.” Zhou Jinyan raised his hand. The palms and fingertips, which had always been pale, now showed a faint hint of color.
“To achieve such effects in just one night—the medicine works too quickly.” Doctor Fang expressed some concern. “Your Highness, please move around and see if there’s any discomfort. I will stay by your side these next few days to record any changes or discomfort.”
“Very well.” Zhou Jinyan seemed not yet fully recovered from his daze.
Half a day passed, and he experienced no discomfort. Instead, he genuinely felt somewhat warm in his fox fur robe—a rare occurrence. From previously eating only a few bites of staple food, he now managed half a bowl.
Doctor Fang couldn’t stop marveling beside him: “Remarkable, truly remarkable! Your Highness, could you invite Miss Shen to the estate? There are some matters regarding the use of medicine I’d like to discuss with her.”
“You want to know the composition and dosage of that pill?”
“Yes.”
“She won’t tell.” Zhou Jinyan instructed Cang Xu to relay a message to Shen Yiren: if she wished to be enfeoffed as a prince sooner, she should produce another pill. As for how much Doctor Fang could deduce from it, that would depend on his own abilities.
Shen Yiren thought he had tasted the benefits and was eager to increase the dosage for a quicker recovery. Her beautiful eyes widened instantly: “He’s human! Taking it continuously would over-nourish him to death!”
Cang Ming: “…”
He wondered how the Prince would feel upon hearing this.
“May I ask, Miss Shen, when can the Prince take the pill again?”
Shen Yiren thought for a moment: “One month.”
Xiao Ba now sleeps hugging Buxian Mountain soil, swearing earnestly that he won’t cry anymore, and even if he can’t help shedding tears, he absolutely won’t catch them in a bowl.
If she used her own, she was also afraid she couldn’t control the dosage properly and end up over-nourishing someone to death.
After receiving the answer, Cang Ming went to deliver the message. No sooner had he left than an unexpected guest arrived at the courtyard gate.