"I am indeed almost dead, my breath is slipping away, which is why the imperial physician misdiagnosed me."
"Someone, come here, quickly! Summon an imperial physician! Summon an imperial physician!" Emperor Kangwu shouted.
Shangguan Xi seemed entirely unconcerned with his own injuries. He only asked, "Father, have the cases all been thoroughly investigated?"
Emperor Kangwu nodded heavily. "Cleared up! Cleared up! Everything has been thoroughly investigated! My son is wronged, entirely wronged!"
Shangguan Xi smiled, then turned his gaze to the Empress and Shangguan Li.
That devoid-of-warmth gaze caused the mother and son to instinctively avert their eyes.
Lowering his gaze to look at Duke of Anguo, whose face was as dark as charcoal, Shangguan Xi sneered, "Lord Duke need not be nervous. This Crown Prince knows you acted unintentionally, so naturally I won't hold it against you. I only hope that Lord Duke will refrain from bringing the Crouching Tiger Saber into the palace in the future. Harming this Crown Prince is a minor matter, but if you were to injure His Majesty, you would live to regret it bitterly."
Being somewhat in the wrong, Duke of Anguo did not dare to retort.
Seeing this, Emperor Kangwu immediately chimed in to help. "Indeed. The Crouching Tiger Saber is an imperial bestowal and should properly be kept at the Duke's Mansion to be revered. Do not parade it around outside ever again."
Having spoken, Emperor Kangwu did not even bother to look at how grim Duke of Anguo's expression was, but directly gave the order, "Someone, escort the Crown Prince to Taoqing Courtyard."
Emperor Kangwu wished to send Shangguan Xi to have his wounds tended to, yet Shangguan Xi knew they could not stay here.
The inner court was fraught with peril, and with his current physical strength, he could barely protect himself—he was in no position to shield Yan Weichi.
Thus, forcing himself to muster his energy, he spoke, "Father, this son is fine. This son wishes to take..."
Shangguan Xi looked toward Yan Weichi, only to realize he had actually failed to remember her name.
Yan Weichi did not mind at all, and very obligingly chimed in, "Your Highness can just call me Your Highness's beloved wife!"
Shangguan Xi was left momentarily speechless, then continued, "This son is taking her back to the Crown Prince's Mansion!"
Emperor Kangwu was well aware of Shangguan Xi's worries, and after turning it over in his mind, he nodded. "Very well, I will dispatch guards to escort you back to the Crown Prince's Mansion!"
The guards sent by the Emperor might not all be truly loyal to the Emperor, so Shangguan Xi once again politely declined.
"Father need only have a carriage prepared for this son!"
Seeing Shangguan Xi act with such caution, Emperor Kangwu could not help but feel a profound ache in his heart.
He patted Shangguan Xi on the shoulder, his tone laden with helpless resignation as he said, "Very well. Go back and recover from your wounds. I... will await your return."
That word—*await*—carried deep meaning.
Yan Weichi's gaze darted back and forth between the father and son, sensing that they were secretly communicating something.
Chapter 14: Let Go of This Prince's Underpants
Crown Prince's Mansion.
After Yan Weichi helped Shangguan Xi down from the carriage, she truly felt as though she were dreaming.
This desolate expanse of land, overgrown with weeds, with a plaque of which only half remained—was this the Crown Prince's Mansion?
Was this truly not the netherworld?
Yan Weichi turned her head to look at Shangguan Xi beside her—deathly pale yet possessing a sickly, fragile beauty—and could not help asking, "This... we didn't take the wrong turn, did we?"
Ignoring her, Shangguan Xi merely replied in a somewhat feeble tone, "If you find this place unappealing, you are free not to follow me inside!"
Before his voice had even faded, Shangguan Xi had already lifted his stride and walked toward the depths of the inner courtyard.
Yan Weichi's mouth twitched. She did indeed find it a bit unappealing; after all, she had assumed that following the Crown Prince meant eating meat.
Yet from the looks of it now, even feeding on chaff might prove a problem.
Still, if she didn't go in, where else could she go?
For now, her identity as the Crown Princess was her life-saving talisman, and she certainly couldn't count on her own birth father to protect her life.
Aside from the Crown Prince, she had no one else to lean on.
Hastily catching up to the Crown Prince's pace, Yan Weichi reached out to support him while saying, "Oh, come now, I didn't say it was unappealing! I think it's quite lovely, actually. Such an ecological, natural landscape! Look at how tall this grass grows. Look at how brilliantly these flowers bloom. Look at how full of historical charm this dilapidated house is! Ah, as expected of the Crown Prince's Mansion—it rots with such exceptional distinction."
*"So it's exceptionally rotten, too!"* Yan Weichi only dared to vent the second half of that sentence internally, not daring to utter it aloud.
Frowning, Shangguan Xi glared at the rambling Yan Weichi, feeling a strong urge to yank his arm back.
Yet he truly lacked the strength at the moment, and heaven knows what Yan Weichi had been fed growing up—the way she held onto him left him entirely powerless to resist.
Those two plump, soft mounds were pressed into various shapes against his arm, sending Shangguan Xi's heart into a greater state of chaos than his mind.
This woman... truly was audacious, shameless, and spouted utter nonsense—simply appalling!
Shangguan Xi couldn't wait to shake Yan Weichi off.
Yet when he caught sight of Yu Feiyan and Ye Tianshu lurking in the shadows, he changed his mind.
This woman had appeared before him out of nowhere, and through a bizarre twist of fate, had helped him clear his name.
Right now, he certainly could not banish her rashly.
Since he could not chase her away, he had to test what her true intentions were—whether she was friend or foe.
At this thought, Shangguan Xi gave an imperceptible, slight shake of his head toward the two figures in the shadows.
The two of them understood instantly, and neither revealed themselves.
Watching as Shangguan Xi and Yan Weichi supported each other into the bedchamber, Ye Tianshu, hidden in the shadows, curved his eyes into a pair of wicked smiles and teased, "Tsk tsk tsk, they skipped the wedding ceremony and the formal title conferring entirely, heading straight for the bridal chamber! Eldest Senior Brother is certainly in quite a rush! Hee hee hee!"
Yu Feiyan cast a sidelong glance at him and retorted ungratefully, "Eldest Senior Brother is nothing like the likes of you!"
"Hey? What kind of tone is that? What do you mean by 'the likes of me'? What kind of person am I?" Ye Tianshu demanded, akimbo.
Yu Feiyan let out a cold snort. "Frivolous and shameless!"
"Hmph, what youth is complete without a bit of romance? Who's like you—a fake prude!" Ye Tianshu snapped back coldly.
Just as Yu Feiyan was about to continue arguing, his ears suddenly twitched as he caught a strange sound.
He lowered his voice and said, "Shh! Someone is coming!"
The two of them hastily flashed out of sight and hid in the shadows. Sure enough, they saw two figures in black robes walking toward the bedchamber Shangguan Xi had just entered.
Yu Feiyan immediately spoke up, "They're going to assassinate Senior Brother." The moment the words left his mouth, Yu Feiyan made to go out and stop them, only to have his arm grabbed by Ye Tianshu.
"Hold on, what are you rushing for? Those two clearly followed us out of the palace; Eldest Senior Brother must already know what he's doing. You and I must not show ourselves rashly!" Ye Tianshu was clearly much calmer than Yu Feiyan.
Thinking of his own awkward position, Yu Feiyan sighed as well and nodded in agreement.
However, Yu Feiyan had guessed wrong—these two men had not come to assassinate; they were merely here to keep watch.
To monitor Shangguan Xi's every single move.
Crouching atop the roof and carefully lifting a roof tile, the two men had expected to see the Crown Prince conspiring with someone, but never in their wildest dreams did they imagine they would witness the Crown Prince in such a state of undress!
"Yan Weichi! Exercise some restraint! Let go of this prince's underpants!" Shangguan Xi's tone was laced with humiliation and fury.
Chapter 15: Why Make Such a Fuss About Size?
Clutching Shangguan Xi's trouser leg, Yan Weichi said somewhat helplessly, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, just look at these injuries all over you. If we don't treat them, you're really going to die."
Shangguan Xi gritted his teeth. "None of your business!"
"If I don't care, who will? If you die, how am I supposed to exploit your prestige to bully others?" Yan Weichi made no attempt to hide her true thoughts whatsoever.
Shangguan Xi felt a wave of helplessness. The massive loss of blood and the inflammation from his wounds were gradually causing a fever to set in.
He indeed urgently needed to tend to his injuries.
Yet the people in the palace were utterly untrustworthy, not to mention the physicians of the Imperial Hospital.
Looking at Yan Weichi, Shangguan Xi thought to himself that since this woman knew how to use poison, perhaps she genuinely possessed medical skills as well?
At this thought, he spoke, "You only need to help this Crown Prince treat the injuries on his upper body. The lower body... leave it be."
Yan Weichi curled her lip. "Big brother, shall I help you find a bronze mirror so you can take a look at your own backside? It's been beaten to a bloody pulp; I haven't the foggiest how you managed to endure the pain and even ride in a carriage. Injuries on both the upper and lower body need to be treated, otherwise if this drags on, the wounds will rot and breed maggots, and your whole body will be crawling with bugs. By then..."
"Shut your mouth!" Shangguan Xi felt his head splitting with pain. By nature a clean freak, hearing Yan Weichi describe it like that was practically harder to bear than being killed.
Seeing this, Yan Weichi smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I won't scare you. With me here, how could I let maggots take over your body? Your body belongs to me, after all!"
Yan Weichi arched an eyebrow at Shangguan Xi, wearing such a rauvanish, dissolute expression that Shangguan Xi felt like a maiden being harassed.
Noticing his continued awkwardness, Yan Weichi rolled her eyes and suggested, "How about this: I'll turn around, and you strip off your clothes yourself and lie down on that couch. That way, you'll be pressing little Xi-xi underneath you, and I won't be able to see anyway. Once I've finished tending to the wounds on your back and backside, I'll step outside, and you can put your trousers back on."
*Little... little Xi-xi??*
Staring at Yan Weichi in shock, Shangguan Xi rebuked angrily, "You... how can you speak with such reckless abandon?!"
Where on earth had this woman come from? Wasn't she the eldest daughter of Marquis Pingyi's Estate? Why was she so utterly devoid of a filter, daring to say anything?!
Seeing Shangguan Xi's look of total resistance and profound shock, Yan Weichi said with a helpless sigh, "You men are truly something else—why make such a fuss about size? Fine, fine, is 'Big Xi-xi' acceptable then?"
"Get out!" Shangguan Xi had reached the limit of his endurance!
Was he fussing about *size*?! He simply didn't want to discuss his size with anyone!
Curling her lip, Yan Weichi muttered, "Whether Xi-xi is big or not, I don't know yet, but your temper is certainly massive. However, your big sister here..."
Shangguan Xi looked at her, wondering what else she intended to say.
With a curved smile, Yan Weichi flicked her delicate hand, and a wave of sweet fragrance instantly flooded Shangguan Xi's nose and mouth.
Moments later, Yan Weichi's voice trailed on: "Your big sister here specializes in curing all forms of defiance!"
A fierce wave of dizziness washed over him, and before he could steady himself, Shangguan Xi tipped backward and collapsed.
Quick as lightning, Yan Weichi caught him and laid him flat upon the bed.
"You... you used poison again!" Shangguan Xi gritted his teeth, wishing he could kick Yan Weichi flying with a single blow.
As she used a discarded bed curtain to bind Shangguan Xi's limbs to the bedframe, Yan Weichi muttered under her breath, "Who told you not to behave? Disobedient, and yet immune to all poisons—I've truly never seen a patient as troublesome as you."
Knowing that the poison's effect on Shangguan Xi would only last a short while, she needed to restrain him as quickly as possible.
Powerless to resist, Shangguan Xi could only let his mind be filled with curiosity regarding Yan Weichi's identity.
Where on earth did a daughter of a noble marquise learn medicine and poison? Ah, right—she could even perform post-mortems.
Giving her an inquiring look, Shangguan Xi thought to himself that if she showed any murderous intent later on, he would have to strike first.
Yet Shangguan Xi was truly overthinking things. Why on earth would Yan Weichi harbor murderous intent toward him? At most, she only harbored a tiny bit of lustful intent when he was stark naked.
Fair skin, robust yet not overly bulky muscles, a waist and abdomen full of defined lines, and those mottled scars scattered across his body.
Truly, every inch of him exuded a sort of abused, tragic beauty.
Yan Weichi swallowed hard, and that audible *gulp* made Shangguan Xi even more furious.
"What are you looking at! I'll dig your eyeballs out! You are forbidden to look!"
Chapter 16: This Old Man's State of Mind Is Ruined
Withdrawing her gaze and rubbing her nose, Yan Weichi spoke with a hint of awkwardness, "Ahem, a man and male beauty really are two different things. This old man's state of mind has been completely ruined by you!"
What kind of nonsensical gibberish was this?!
Walking over to the side, Yan Weichi picked up a basin of clean water to first clean the stains from Shangguan Xi's body.
Once she had cleaned him up, she walked over to the rare elixirs and medicines bestowed by the Emperor upon leaving the palace, wanting to see if any of them could be of use.
Yet the moment she popped open one of the brocade boxes, Shangguan Xi said in a helpless tone, "Don't touch them. Nothing from the palace can be used!"
Holding a jar of ointment, Yan Weichi turned back to look at Shangguan Xi, bewildered. "Why can't they be used? I've checked them—they're all top-grade medicinal ingredients, the kind you can't buy outside. Oh, even if I could buy them, I don't have any silver."
Closing his eyes, Shangguan Xi spoke with an escalating sense of sorrow, "Given time, the wounds will heal on their own. You needn't bother!"
Though he had no desire to offer lengthy explanations, Yan Weichi understood everything in her heart.
She walked back to the edge of the bed, placing one leg up on the frame in a roguish, Jianghu-bandit stance.
Frowning at her, Shangguan Xi wore an expression of utter revulsion.
Unfazed, Yan Weichi arched an eyebrow and smiled, "Isn't it just some Rotting Flesh Powder that ensures wounds never heal? Isn't it just a dab of Crown-of-Thorns poison that kills at the sight of blood? Isn't it just a bit of Scarlet Grass that causes ceaseless bleeding? In the eyes of others, this stuff is poison; in the eyes of this young lady, it's just child's play!"
Tossing an eyebrow at Shangguan Xi, Yan Weichi proceeded right before his eyes to mix and blend various herbs—some she boiled, some she roasted, and then she stirred and churned them all together.
In no time at all, those jars and bottles were all neatly organized by Yan Weichi.
Bearing a jar of pale green ointment, she returned to Shangguan Xi's side.
Using her fingertips to dab up some ointment to tend to Shangguan Xi's wounds, she muttered disdainfully, "It's all parlor tricks this young lady has long since discarded, yet they still fancy themselves clever. How utterly boring!"
The icy-cool ointment applied to his wounds brought a trace of chill and waves of stinging pain.
This mild stinging sensation was hardly unbearable.
What Shangguan Xi found truly unbearable were Yan Weichi's boneless, delicate fingers.
As her fingertips grazed his shoulder, they left his skin feeling merely itchy; but when they brushed across his chest, they made his heart itch.
And when they swept across his lower abdomen, Shangguan Xi felt his entire body tense up.
"Don't... don't, don't..." Shangguan Xi tried desperately to calm himself, but the more he told himself not to, the more magnified certain sensations became.
It was much like how the less a person wanted to think about something, the more persistently it would pop into their head.
After he had chanted "don't" in his mind countless times, the part that ought to be standing at attention stood straight up anyway.
Just as Yan Weichi was about to roll Shangguan Xi over to apply medicine to his back, she happened to catch sight of this deeply awkward spectacle.
Shangguan Xi shut his eyes tightly, wishing he could simply pass out for real.
Yet Yan Weichi remained completely composed, merely muttering, "So stiff. If I make you lie on your stomach, will it snap off?"
"Shut your mouth! Are... are you even a woman? How can you be so utterly devoid of shame!" Shangguan Xi reached his breaking point.
Wide-eyed, Yan Weichi stared at him. "Big brother, the one standing proudly at attention right now isn't me. Which of us is lacking in shame?"
"Do not touch this prince! If you didn't touch me, how could..." Shangguan Xi experienced the misery of a scholar meeting a soldier—unable to reason things through.
Curling her lip, Yan Weichi muttered, "All this cooing and cawing—anyone listening would think you were a pigeon. Are you certain it won't snap? Fine then, I'm going to flip you over!"
Ignoring Shangguan Xi's resistant glare, Yan Weichi exerted force to roll him onto his stomach, making sure to promptly tie his hands and feet back up.
Yet before she could even finish tying him, she suddenly felt a tightening around her waist as she was pulled into an embrace by Shangguan Xi.
Yan Weichi's breath hitched. Raising her head, she came face-to-face with Shangguan Xi's blazing, fiery eyes.
The fire burning within those eyes—was it born of rage, or of... lust?
Chapter 17: Switching Desired Goods for Inferior Substitutes
"Your... your tolerance to medication is simply... far too strong." To think he could move about on his own already.
Shangguan Xi said coldly, "What? Realizing you're scared now?"
"I... what is there for me to be scared of? I didn't harm you!" Yan Weichi forced her gaze away, feeling too guilty to meet Shangguan Xi's eyes.
Glancing at the bottles and jars scattered nearby, Shangguan Xi then cast an imperceptible look up at the missing roof tile, thinking to himself, *She has already revealed too much today; I cannot let her continue treating me. If she knows how to cure the Cold Gu Poison, she will inevitably become a thorn in the Duke of Anguo's side.*
With this thought, Shangguan Xi spoke, "I'm already fine. You don't need to treat me anymore. Leave this room right now and find somewhere else to stay."
With wide eyes, Yan Weichi looked at Shangguan Xi. "You haven't finished applying the medicine yet!"
Pulling her arms inward, Shangguan Xi trapped Yan Weichi tightly against his chest, crushing her breasts flat.
He threatened her through gritted teeth, "If you don't want to rest by yourself, then we'll rest together!"
Finding it difficult even to draw a breath while being held like this, Yan Weichi hastily nodded. "Fine, fine, fine! I'll go out! I'll go out, alright?!"
Looking thoroughly exasperated, Shangguan Xi shoved her away, nearly sending Yan Weichi tumbling to the floor on her seat.
Gazing at Shangguan Xi—who was clearly weak yet put up such a resistant front—Yan Weichi shook her head helplessly and turned to leave the room.
Shangguan Xi had no idea what Yan Weichi was off to do; he only heard her mutter just as she pulled the door shut: "I thought it was miserable enough for a noble house's young lady to sleep in a pigsty, but who would've thought the reigning Crown Prince actually sleeps in a dungeon. We're both wretches in the same boat, so what's with all the infighting anyway? Sigh!"
Frowning slightly, Shangguan Xi wondered what she had just said—*a noble house's young lady sleeping in a pigsty*?
Was she talking about herself?
Before Shangguan Xi could puzzle it out, a heavy wave of drowsiness gradually crept over him.
Forcing himself to stay alert for a moment, he checked the roof and discovered that the watchers had already departed.
Realizing that Yu Feiyan and Ye Tianshu were still out in the courtyard, Shangguan Xi let his guard down and drifted into a deep sleep.
...
Upon leaving the room, Yan Weichi did not idle about either.
Surveying the desolate courtyard and letting out a long sigh, she rolled up her sleeves and set to work cleaning.
Weeding, tending the garden, sweeping, washing—all done in one smooth flow.
Watching Yan Weichi bustling about like a busy little rabbit, hopping back and forth, Ye Tianshu—hidden in the shadows—couldn't help curling his lips into a smile.
"Not only is she a formidable lass, she's a hardworking lass, too."
Yu Feiyan gave a slight nod as well. "And she's very optimistic!"
Faced with such a dilapidated scene, she showed not a single shred of complaint, methodically restoring order to the courtyard step by step.
If one were to say she was clinging to the Crown Prince for advancement, the Crown Prince himself certainly had nothing worth clinging to at the moment.
Could it be that she had fallen for the Crown Prince at first sight?
Both Yu Feiyan and Ye Tianshu watched Yan Weichi with shared curiosity, clearly feeling that she was somewhat out of the ordinary.
What the two of them did not know was that, wretched though this environment was, compared to Yan Weichi's previous living quarters, it was vastly superior.
As people say, the most important thing in life is contentment.
Contentment brings lasting happiness!
Meanwhile, the number of people curious about Yan Weichi at this moment extended far beyond those two.
——
The Inner Court, Fengyi Palace.
Duke of Anguo had not yet departed and was currently in Fengyi Palace alongside the Empress and the Second Prince, Shangguan Li, awaiting news from their scouts.
Before long, two scouts returned from the Crown Prince's Mansion to report.
One of them stated, "Reporting to Her Majesty the Empress, the Crown Prince has already returned to the Crown Prince's Mansion with that woman, and there are no other occupants in the residence. His Majesty bestowed numerous precious medicinal ingredients, but did not leave any attendants behind for the Crown Prince. Only the two of them are in the entire mansion."
Frowning, the Empress asked, "Are you certain there are only the two of them?"