General Zhen Sheng did not wait for Li Yan to say another word. He stepped forward through the broken wood on the floor, his eyes fixed on the twisted metal piece in Li Yan’s hand.
"Give me that before you cut yourself, Duke," Zhen Sheng growled, reaching out with his large hand.
"Stay back!" Li Yan shouted, pulling the metal basin back to strike. He tried to swing it with all his remaining might, but his muscles were completely spent from the high core fever.
Zhen Sheng moved too fast. He grabbed Li Yan’s wrist with a firm grip, squeezing just enough to force his fingers to open. The metal piece clattered loudly against the floor. Li Yan tried to use his other hand to push the general away, twisting his body violently, but the sudden burst of movement drained his remaining strength. His knees buckled completely, his legs giving out beneath him as the heat in his chest flared up.
Instead of letting him hit the hard floor, Zhen Sheng caught him by the waist, lifting him up and tossing him back onto the mattress.
"You are a total menace, Mingxuan," Zhen Sheng panted, wiping his brow as he stood by the bedside.
Prince Jing Yuchen walked slowly into the center of the ruined room, looking around at the shredded bedding and smashed screens. He closed his eyes for a short second, feeling the empty ache inside his own chest. The forced seal he had placed on Li Yan hours ago was pushing a bad backlash through their Triple-Soul Bond, hurting all three of them.
"We cannot leave him alone like this," Jing Yuchen said, his voice low and serious. "The seal is too tight. If we lock the door and walk away now, his core will break, and our own paths will suffer the damage. We have to stay close to let our powers balance his heat."
Zhen Sheng let out a rough sigh, clearly unhappy with the situation. He looked around the mess, found an overturned wooden chair that was still intact, and flipped it right side up. He sat down near the bed, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes fixed on Li Yan’s flushed face.
Jing Yuchen walked over to the washstand that hadn’t been completely destroyed, poured a cup of cool water, and brought it to the bedside. He held it out toward Li Yan. "Drink this. It will help cool your inside paths."
Li Yan turned his head away, pressing his cheek against the mattress. "I don’t want anything from you. Go back to your palace."
"Do not act like a child," Jing Yuchen said smoothly, his voice flat. "Your body is burning."
"Let him rot if he wants to be stubborn," Zhen Sheng muttered from his chair. "He acts like we are the ones who put him in danger, when the Emperor himself is trying to clean up the mess from the party."
Li Yan paused, his eyes narrowing as he turned his head back to look at the general. "What did you say about the Emperor?"
"His Majesty is looking into the wine," Zhen Sheng said, leaning back in the chair. "His secret guards found the servant who brought the poisoned bottle from the cellar. They are tracking the person who paid him from the outside. So stop telling us we are failing your security. We are finding the spy."
Hearing the facts, Li Yan’s mind began to click into place. The high fever was making his skin hot, but his thoughts turned sharp and clear, processing the information like a crisis. He pushed himself up on one elbow, looking between the prince and the general with a cold look.
"You think that is a success?" Li Yan said, his raspy voice filled with clear disbelief. "You two are supposed to be top leaders, yet you are falling for a basic distraction."
Zhen Sheng’s golden eyes flashed with anger. "Watch your mouth, Duke. The secret guards are the best in the capital."
"Then the best in the capital are being fooled," Li Yan retorted, sitting up a bit more. "Think about it like a real layout. If a spy was smart enough to get a highly dangerous poison into a royal ballroom filled with top warriors, why would they use a low-ranking servant who could be caught easily right after? Why leave a clear trail to the outside cellar?"
Jing Yuchen set the water cup down on the small table, his violet eyes turning sharp as he listened. "Go on."
"The servant is a trap," Li Yan said flatly, using his firm tone. "The real enemy wanted you to find him. While your secret guards are wasting time tracking a regular servant through the outside streets, the actual threat is already inside your walls, altering your border plans. You just told me the northern lines were broken in the middle of the night. Don’t you see the timing matches perfectly?"
The room went completely silent.
General Zhen Sheng stood up slowly from his chair, his jaw dropping slightly as he looked at Li Yan. Prince Jing Yuchen stood perfectly still, his eyes wide with surprise. Both Alphas were completely stunned by the clear thinking of the Duke.
They had looked at the Duke as nothing but a weak liability and a proud noble, but this analysis was flawless.
Before either of them could speak, a familiar, sharp chime rang out directly inside Li Yan’s head.
The blue glass screen flashed into view right in front of his face, the text glowing in a soft purple light.
[MISSION PROGRESS REPORT: Smart Strategy Shift.]
[General Zhen Sheng: 13% (+1%)]
[Prince Jing Yuchen: 8% (+1%)]
[System Note: Targets’ affection levels have topped up. Your sharp mind and quick logic have forced them to respect your intelligence, even though they still find your personality highly difficult to manage.]
Li Yan looked at the small numbers, letting out a quiet, tired breath. He lay back down on the pillow, closing his eyes to ignore the two men who were still staring at him in total shock.
He was still trapped, and his body was still hot, but he had finally shown them he wasn’t someone they could simply push around.