"Shangguan Xi is returning to the Capital this time, and he didn't even bring a single trusted aide?"
The man replied, "Answering Her Majesty, indeed there was no one else. The Crown Prince's Mansion is utterly desolate; when this subordinate left, that young woman was sweeping the courtyard."
Duke of Anguo, who stood nearby, hurriedly pressed, "Have you found out the identity of that woman?"
The scout continued, "Answering Your Excellency, it has been found out. She is the eldest legitimate daughter by a concubine of Marquis Pingyi, Yan Weichi."
"Yan Weichi?" The Duke of Anguo muttered the name, bewildered, "His Majesty did indeed once intend to betroth Marquis Pingyi's daughter to the Crown Prince. But this old man remembers the betrothal was for the Marquis's legitimate daughter, named..."
The Second Prince chimed in, "Yan Qingshu! The number one beauty in the Capital City, Yan Qingshu!"
Because of her title as the number one beauty, when this news first leaked back then, the Second Prince had been jealous for quite a long time.
Yet back then Yan Qingshu was still young, so the matter had been dragged out ever since.
Who could have expected that today her elder sister would steal the march on her!
The Duke of Anguo's eyes narrowed slightly, and then he sneered, "I get it. It must be that old fox Yan Hanshan, who couldn't bear to let his truly legitimate daughter go and leave seed for the Crown Prince, so he swapped them with a substitute! Ha! Excellent, I was just fretting over having no reason to slaughter that damned girl!"
Chapter 18: The Biggest Secret
Acting on impulse, the Duke of Anguo immediately took his men and left.
He paid no heed even to the Empress calling out to him from behind.
"Big Brother! Big Brother!" The Empress called out several times, but failed to stop the Duke.
Clearly, he was in a towering rage at the moment, eager to slaughter Yan Weichi without a moment's delay.
For no one had ever dared to point at his nose and berate him before.
Watching the Duke of Anguo's angry, departing figure, the Empress said helplessly, "Your uncle still has that foul temper."
The Second Prince, Shangguan Li, smiled and said, "Mother needn't worry. That Marquis Pingyi no longer holds military power in his hands anyway; for Uncle to punish him will be as easy as crushing an ant."
The Empress looked at Shangguan Li, frowned, and said, "I only fear that the ant won't be crushed to death, and instead, we'll be stung by it."
Shangguan Li asked in puzzlement, "Does Mother mean you're worried Yan Weichi will strike back?"
The Empress replied helplessly, "I am worried that your uncle's purpose of killing to vent his anger might not be achieved."
"How could that be? Uncle is a Duke of the realm, while Yan Weichi is merely a concubine-born daughter of a marquis's estate. Can't he even handle her?" Shangguan Li was unconvinced.
The Empress shook her head slightly and said, "Yan Weichi being sent to leave seed for the Crown Prince was her father's decision. How could she, a lowly concubine-born daughter, dare to disobey her father's orders? If this matter is pursued, it will be pursued as Marquis Yan Hanshan's fault, not Yan Weichi's. Besides, the Crown Prince clearly intends to protect that cheap wretch."
Shangguan Li thought about it and felt this made sense.
He spoke up, "Then I will go along and take a look, so Uncle doesn't act too rashly."
The Empress said, "No need to rush. Although your uncle has a violent temper, he never fights a battle unprepared. I wager that he will at least figure out the ins and outs of the matter before he makes a move. Let's wait until tomorrow."
Shangguan Li nodded in agreement.
***
Crown Prince's Mansion.
Yan Weichi bustled about for the entire afternoon, and by dusk, she had finally tidied up the courtyard where Shangguan Xi was currently residing.
Although it was still somewhat dilapidated, it was at last thoroughly clean and tidy.
Yan Weichi put her hands on her hips, looked at the courtyard, nodded with satisfaction, and said, "The sunlight has been so lovely all day, it's simply perfect for growing vegetables. We'll plant green vegetables on the east side and herbs on the west side. From now on, we'll be self-sufficient and won't have to fear going hungry! Perfect!"
In the shadows, Ye Tianshu couldn't help laughing. "She really is an optimistic girl; she actually wants to grow vegetables in Eldest Senior Brother's courtyard."
Yu Feiyan frowned. "She really is a bit strange. You keep watch here, I'll go and investigate her background."
Ye Tianshu nodded, signaling that Yu Feiyan could leave.
As for himself, he leaped up onto the roof, half-lying there, and watched with great amusement as Yan Weichi continued to busy herself.
After tidying up the courtyard, Yan Weichi went to clean the side rooms.
"Sigh, thank goodness, thank goodness. Although the courtyard is dilapidated, the things in this room are fairly clean and tidy. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known where to sleep tonight. I've seen people who had it rough, but I've never seen a crown prince of a country have it this miserable. Tsk tsk tsk, what kind of life have I drawn!"
Yan Weichi's muttering reached Ye Tianshu's ears without missing a single word.
Ye Tianshu curved his lips into a faint smile and continued to spy on her every move.
It wasn't until Yan Weichi bathed and changed her clothes that Ye Tianshu rubbed his nose, flashed away, and arrived in Shangguan Xi's room.
And it was precisely because of this shred of gentlemanly conduct that he missed Yan Weichi's biggest secret.
Yan Weichi leaned back in the wooden tub, letting the warm steam wash over her entire body.
Crystal-clear beads of sweat slipped from her forehead, rolling all the way down her fair-yet-rosy cheeks.
They wandered wantonly over Yan Weichi's body, missing not a single inch of her skin.
Her slender neck, delicate shoulders, exquisite collarbones, before plunging into the cleavage of her chest.
A body so perfect that even the water droplets could not bear to miss it.
And it left Yan Weichi thoroughly satisfied.
She held a clean towel, gently wiping down this youthful body, and couldn't help marveling silently in Chapter 19: The Strange Bracelet
She was a versatile healer from the future world. In a world where resources were increasingly scarce and technology increasingly advanced, everyone desperately wished to make themselves omnipotent.
Only thus could they prove their worth and possess more resources.
She was no exception.
Therefore, she had immersed herself in the medical field for nearly thirty years, and before she died, she hadn't even touched a man's hand.
Oh, except for that dead man.
She hadn't expected that the moment she transmigrated today, she would almost lose her virtue.
Well, it wasn't quite losing her virtue, considering this body was only sixteen years old.
Although the current situation wasn't great, having been given a second chance at life, Yan Weichi was still extremely happy.
Especially since she had brought her spatial bracelet along with her.
In the future world, everyone possessed a metallic spatial bracelet capable of storing various inanimate supplies.
The space wasn't large—two or three square meters—mainly used to store commonly used personal items.
The moment Yan Weichi transmigrated, the very first thing she wanted to know was whether her bracelet had come with her. But when she opened her eyes, she discovered that on her right wrist was not that cold, metallic bracelet, but a white jade bangle.
Only this bangle...
Yan Weichi stroked the bangle, puzzled. "Why is your shape so strange? Some parts are round, some are flat, some are thick, and some are thin. You couldn't possibly be some defective product, could you?"
Though the bangle's shape was bizarre, fortunately, its functionality remained unimpaired.
It could still store items, though unfortunately, it held no high-tech products from the future world.
The only things that had transmigrated with her were silver needles, herbs, and other such items suited to the present social environment.
Touching the bangle, Yan Weichi felt a trace of disappointment, but even more so, a sense of relief.
If she hadn't had it on hand today, she wouldn't have been able to administer the feigned-death drug to Shangguan Xi, thereby winning a chance for a retrial.
Nor could she have tampered with the clear water to tear off Fener's hypocritical mask.
Yan Weichi sighed and said, "Sigh, oh well. When you're in Rome, do as the Romans do; your big sister here can handle businesses for both the living and the dead, so am I afraid I won't survive? Humph!"
Gurgle...
The ideal was plump, but reality was painfully thin.
Before she could even display her peerless talents, her temple of digestion had already started an uproar.
Yan Weichi rubbed her stomach, frowning. "I haven't eaten a single bite all day. This crown prince is living too miserably; in such a massive Crown Prince's Mansion, there isn't even half a grain of rice. No, this won't do. Tomorrow I have to go out and scrape together some pocket money."
Yet what Yan Weichi did not know was that while she was going hungry over here, Shangguan Xi was already wining and dining on fine wine and dishes over there.
...
Yu Feiyan had gone out on a run and found out the ins and outs of Yan Weichi's background.
Upon his return, he didn't forget to bring six dishes and a soup from Shili Xiang.
Right now, the three senior and junior martial brothers were exchanging toasts.
Seeing Shangguan Xi pick up his wine cup, Ye Tianshu frowned, reached out, and pressed down on his wrist.
"Eldest Senior Brother, the wounds on your body haven't fully healed yet, you cannot drink alcohol!"
Shangguan Xi lowered his eyes to look at himself, then said with a hint of puzzlement, "I don't know what medicine that girl used on me, but it had miraculous efficacy. The wounds on my body are mostly healed, and even the holes left by the collarbone hooks aren't hurting as much."
Ye Tianshu said in astonishment, "It's truly that miraculous?"
Shangguan Xi nodded, gestured with his chin toward the box of herbs sent over from the palace, and said, "Those things were ordered by His Majesty to be sent over, and nearly every single one of them was tampered with. Yet passing through her hands, the poison turned into fine medicine."
Ye Tianshu and Yu Feiyan exchanged glances, both of them filled with astonishment.
Shangguan Xi looked at Yu Feiyan and asked, "You went out for a scout, what did you harvest?"
Yu Feiyan put down his chopsticks and replied, "Strange to say, this girl's background is actually utterly ordinary. She's even the descendant of a disgraced official."
"A disgraced official?" Shangguan Xi was quite surprised. Chapter 20: Descendant of a Disgraced Official
Yu Feiyan nodded and continued, "Her father is Marquis Pingyi, Yan Hanshan, and her biological mother was the younger sister of Yue Congrong, General Guande who guarded Beiding City back then."
"Ah?" Ye Tianshu asked with some surprise, "That's not right, isn't she born of a concubine? If her mother was the biological sister of a frontier great general, how could she be reduced to a concubine?"
Yu Feiyan shook his head. "I don't know the specific details either. All I know is that when she was six years old, her biological mother died. After that, the primary wife held no affection for her and sent her off to an estate in the countryside. Ever since then, this girl's life hasn't been very easy."
Ye Tianshu nodded and said, "That goes without saying. Estate managers always judge people by their status; if the head matriarch dislikes a concubine-born daughter, naturally they'll mistreat her."
"Did she always sleep in a pigpen?" Shangguan Xi suddenly interjected.
Yu Feiyan started slightly and instinctively replied, "How does Eldest Senior Brother know?"
Shangguan Xi pressed his lips together, not expecting that Yan Weichi's unserious demeanor hadn't been a lie after all.
With such a bumpy life path and so many hardships, it was no small feat that she had grown into an optimistic temperament.
Shangguan Xi continued to ask, "Whom did she learn her medical skills, poison arts, and autopsy techniques from?"
Yu Feiyan shook his head repeatedly. "That I don't know. The girl always slept in the pigpen at the estate. Ordinarily, she just fed pigs, herded sheep, cut grass, and did the laundry. In the summer, the pigpen stank to high heaven; in the winter, the pigpen let in the wind from all four sides. Forget a marquis's daughter, even a servant girl from an ordinary commoner's family lived better than she did. Sigh!"
Clearly, Yu Feiyan's heart had softened with pity.
Ye Tianshu curved his lips into a smile and said, "Ohoho, feeling sorry for her already? What, do you want to fight Eldest Senior Brother for her!"
Yu Feiyan rolled his eyes at him with displeasure. "Piss off! I just think Marquis Yan Hanshan is simply not human. She's his own daughter, yet he raised her like livestock."
Shangguan Xi tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop, trying hard to recall who the Marchioness of Pingyi was.
A moment later, he raised an eyebrow and said, "I know."
"What does Senior Brother know?" Ye Tianshu looked at him curiously.
Shangguan Xi continued, "If I remember correctly, when Yan Hanshan was young, he once followed the army on a northern expedition. Perhaps it was then that he formed a bond with the Yue family's young lady, giving birth to Yan Weichi."
"By your account, that Yan Weichi ought to be the eldest legitimate daughter!" Yu Feiyan chimed in.
Shangguan Xi nodded slightly and continued, "But after Yan Hanshan returned to the Capital to report on his duties, he married Princess Mingyang, the younger sister of Prince Changxin. Just think, a princess marrying downward—would she agree to be a concubine? Therefore, that Yan Hanshan must have demoted his wife to a concubine and taken a new bride."
Yu Feiyan locked his brows in a frown and cursed angrily, "What a truly shameless old bastard!"
Ye Tianshu rolled his eyes and sneered, "Sigh, the higher-born the scion, the more callous and heartless."
"What are you talking nonsense for? My royal father married only my royal mother his entire life, and to this day his back courtyard doesn't even have a maid to tend to his daily needs." Yu Feiyan voiced a grievance for his father, Prince Xiaoyao.
Ye Tianshu didn't argue with him, instead continuing about Yan Weichi.
"Eldest Senior Brother, then the one His Majesty bestowed upon you in marriage should be Yan Weichi, or Yan Qingshu?"
Worry appeared on Shangguan Xi's face as he replied, "Naturally it is the legitimate daughter, Yan Qingshu. It seems Princess Mingyang couldn't bear to part with her own precious daughter, so she had Yan Weichi step in as a substitute. This matter... is somewhat troublesome."
"Troublesome?" Yu Feiyan didn't understand. "Eldest Senior Brother has already had his name cleared. What trouble is left?"
"The trouble I speak of isn't about myself, but about Yan Weichi. She offended the Duke of Anguo today. Whatever you guys were able to investigate, the Duke of Anguo can investigate as well. If I'm not mistaken, the Duke of Anguo will definitely make a fuss over Yan Weichi under the pretext of 'substituting a peach for a plum'."
Hearing Shangguan Xi put it this way, Yu Feiyan frowned. "That old immortal, being so petty with a little girl."
Ye Tianshu smiled. "She's no ordinary girl. Eldest Senior Brother, you must help her. In my opinion, her medical and poison skills are both quite good. Who knows, perhaps she can help you unravel the Cold Gu Poison?" Chapter 21: Night Visit to a Boudoir
Hearing Ye Tianshu say this, Yu Feiyan hurriedly said, "If she really can help Eldest Senior Brother lift the Cold Gu Poison, then I won't hold it against her for messing up our plans."
Shangguan Xi remained silent, lost in thought.
After a long while, he finally spoke. "Feiyan, enter the Capital openly tomorrow, and make the commotion a bit bigger. Just say you came to the Capital because of me. I need you out in the open to put pressure on the Duke of Anguo's Mansion."
Yu Feiyan was the Heir Prince of Prince Xiaoyao's estate, and the fief of Prince Xiaoyao's family was Gusu City.
According to the laws, Prince Xiaoyao's family was not allowed to enter the Capital without a summons, so after Yu Feiyan followed Shangguan Xi into the Capital, he had remained hidden in the shadows.
Now that Shangguan Xi was asking him to step out into the open, he was naturally delighted and immediately agreed.
Then Shangguan Xi looked at Ye Tianshu and continued, "You go back to Red Sleeve Tower. On the surface, don't have any ties with me, but in secret... in secret, protect Yan Weichi."
Red Sleeve Tower was the most prestigious brothel in the Capital City.
Because the imperial court was completely monopolized by the Duke of Anguo and Prince Changxin, Shangguan Xi could only make his moves within the jianghu.
This Red Sleeve Tower was an intelligence agency he used to gather information.
And the master of Red Sleeve Tower was none other than his third junior brother, Ye Tianshu.
Hearing Shangguan Xi's instructions, Ye Tianshu gave a coquettish smile. "Aiyaya, naturally I understand Eldest Senior Brother's intentions. Rest assured, I won't let your little beloved concubine suffer the slightest mishap. Hehehe!"
Ye Tianshu's wicked grin made Shangguan Xi feel somewhat helpless.
Yet, surprisingly, Shangguan Xi didn't refute him.
Even in his mind, he unconsciously recalled Yan Weichi's dirt-smudged yet still somewhat youthful little face.
Back in the palace, he had forgotten her name.
Yet she hadn't minded in the slightest, saying with a beaming smile, "Beloved Concubine, Your Highness can just call me Beloved Concubine!"
"Ha!" Shangguan Xi shook his head with a faint smile, looking utterly helpless.
...
After eating and drinking his fill, Shangguan Xi chased both junior brothers away. Carrying a small box of pastries, he made his way to Yan Weichi's side room.
Only by this time, Yan Weichi was already fast asleep, snoring heavily.
Someone pushed the door open and walked in, but she remained completely oblivious.
Shangguan Xi placed the pastries on the table, strode over to the bedside, looked at Yan Weichi beneath the quilt, and shook his head helplessly, thinking to himself, "Which young lady has sleeping habits as terrible as yours, actually snoring away."
Shangguan Xi searched the room for a moment; he wanted to know where Yan Weichi hid those poisons, silver needles, and whatnot.
Yet after searching a circle, aside from a set of old clothes drying in the room, he found absolutely nothing.
He returned to the bedside, frowned as he sized her up, and thought to himself, "Could it be hidden on her person, kept right next to her skin?"
With this thought, Shangguan Xi flicked his fingers through the air, directly causing the already deeply asleep Yan Weichi to fall into total unconsciousness.
Then he pulled back a corner of the quilt and, with a swift *shhlack*, ripped the quilt right off her body.
Yet never in his wildest dreams had Shangguan Xi expected that beneath this quilt, her body...
Was actually...
Completely! Naked!
The maiden's magnificent body sprang into view: long and well-proportioned legs, a waist that could be spanned with one's hands, a flat and fair abdomen, and those pink-and-white, plump and full breasts.
Perhaps struck by the chilling draft, the previously drooping red nipples had even perked up playfully.
It seemed they too wanted to see just who was so audacious as to dare pry upon their master.
Shangguan Xi froze completely.
Although he was the Crown Prince, due to the persecution of the Empress and the Duke of Anguo, he had joined the army at a tender age.
For ten years, he had been fighting on the battlefield surrounded entirely by men; when had he ever laid eyes on such feminine fragrance?
Shangguan Xi clenched his fists tight, his throat tightening.
Back in the prison cell, when he tried to scare Yan Weichi, he could at least find excuses for himself that it was merely an expedient measure.
Yet now, as he stared unblinkingly at Yan Weichi, knowing full well it was ungentlemanly, he found himself utterly unable to control restraint.
Lust befuddles the mind; lust truly befuddles the mind indeed. Chapter 22: She Didn't Mean to Sleep Naked
Shangguan Xi hurriedly pulled the quilt back down and immediately turned to leave.
He walked out into the courtyard, taking huge, deep breaths, and couldn't help muttering in complaint, "Damn girl, why doesn't she wear clothes when she sleeps?"
She had nearly broken his "celibate martial arts" of many years.
Shangguan Xi clutched his chest, struggling to suppress his chaotic heartbeat, but that all-over feeling of restless, fiery itchiness refused to be suppressed no matter what.
He couldn't tell if it was his healing wounds itching, or his out-of-control heart itching.
*Swish-splash!*
A burst of spring rain fell, gradually extinguishing the flames of desire in Shangguan Xi's heart.
He glanced back at Yan Weichi's room and engaged in self-deception, saying, "Although this Crown Prince has seen your body, you've taken advantage of this Crown Prince as well. You... you can't be considered at a loss!"
Shangguan Xi strode away; though his body left, his thoughts remained trapped beneath that quilt.
***
The next morning.
Yan Weichi felt that she had slept exceptionally well this time.
Perhaps because she had spent the past living in a pigpen, it was rare to have a large bed free of pig manure stench and pig squeals.
Rubbing her sleep-muddled eyes, she sat up, and the quilt on her body slid off accordingly, exposing her upper torso.
Yan Weichi looked down at herself and couldn't help raising an eyebrow.
"Though the food and drink are lacking and my frame is small, where it's supposed to be plump, my development hasn't lagged behind at all."
Yan Weichi cupped herself with both hands, gave them a slight bounce, and continued muttering, "Looks like I need to make myself some underwear to wear!"
Yan Weichi was extremely satisfied with her figure.