Feiyun was pacing back and forth at the entrance of Consort Xian’s palace. With its massive frame and snow-bright fur, it carried itself with the imposing air of a palace guard.
Zhou Jinyan thought to himself that the last two months of training hadn’t gone to waste.
However, why was it wearing an outfit? And a light pink one at that.
Seeing the towering Feiyun walking toward him in a light pink garment, Zhou Jinyan found it hard to accept. He didn't reach out to pet it, but instead looked toward his mother and Mother Ying, who stood nearby.
Consort Xian said, somewhat embarrassed, "The people in the palace say Feiyun looks too ferocious and are all afraid of it. I had Mother Ying sew a simple little outfit from some leftover fabric for it to wear, thinking it might look a bit gentler."
Zhou Jinyan raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose; the ferocity was exactly what he had wanted from Feiyun.
"Forget it," he muttered softly.
Mother Ying explained, "If Feiyun were to frighten the princes or princesses, it likely wouldn't escape punishment. When you left the capital at twelve, the only thing you left behind was Feiyun."
*And it was the only thing you left for Her Highness, too,* Mother Ying added to herself.
Zhou Jinyan understood. He finally reached out to pet the animal; eight years ago, it had been nothing but a hard-to-tame, biting little pup.
Consort Xian asked, "If you don't like this outfit, Yanyan..."
"Change the color," Zhou Jinyan replied.
Consort Xian’s face lit up with a smile. "What color?"
"The frost-blue you are wearing would be fine." Just as Zhou Jinyan finished speaking, Attendant Fu stepped forward to urge him on, noting that it was getting late and the Prince might catch a chill if he stayed in the palace any longer.
He bowed deeply to his mother and turned to leave.
Watching her son walk away, Consort Xian waved her hand lightly, her eyes and brows filled with smiles. "Mother Ying, does frost-blue truly look good?"
"Any color Her Highness likes is naturally good," Mother Ying replied with a smile. "Besides, the Prince himself said it was good."
The smile on Consort Xian’s face grew even softer.
Attendant Fu watched Zhou Jinyan board his carriage and leave, then returned to the palace to report to the Empress, recounting everything he had seen and heard.
"They are mother and son, after all. Even if they spend precious little time together, they still care for one another," the Empress said, unimpressed. She knew Consort Xian couldn't betray her, and with Zhou Jinyan’s frail body, he could never accomplish anything of consequence.
"However, that Shen Yiren from the General’s Estate... Attendant Fu, go and secretly investigate her situation."
"As you command."
***
At Prince Duan's Estate.
"Summon Doctor Fang," Zhou Jinyan said, leaning back in a chair draped in fox fur. He told Cang Xu to bring over the pill Shen Yiren had crafted.
When Doctor Fang arrived, he first tested it with silver needles—no poison.
Next, he held it to his nose and sniffed. Dirt? Ginseng water?
Doctor Fang blinked, skeptical. He sniffed again, but could truly detect no other medicinal ingredients. Yet, since this was medicine for the Prince to take, he had to be cautious.
"Well?" Zhou Jinyan saw the doubt on the doctor’s face. He never used the imperial physicians from the medical bureau, but Doctor Fang was a master he had scouted from the common folk.
Doctor Fang put the pill back and reported, "This commoner is incompetent; I smell only ginseng. I advise the Prince to be cautious, or perhaps have someone test the medicine first."
"Ginseng doesn't form a pill, and it isn't this earthy color," Zhou Jinyan asked. "What else?"
Doctor Fang replied, "…Dirt. It’s not even wood ash."
Was Shen Yiren playing him for a fool? Zhou Jinyan momentarily doubted his own impulsivity in trusting a wild girl raised in the countryside.
"Though, it is strange. The smell of dirt isn't strong, and the scent of ginseng is faint, yet there is a certain fragrance. Medicinal herbs usually smell bitter, but this is more like the crisp scent of mountain woods, though I cannot identify which plant it is."
Zhou Jinyan immediately recalled the unique herbal scent Shen Yiren had possessed when they first met.
He reached out, and Cang Xu handed him the pill.
It did have a hint of the scent Shen Yiren carried, though not as strong as when he had been near her.
Cang Xu said, "Prince, let your subordinate test the medicine for you."
"No need." Zhou Jinyan took the dark brown pill; his fingers looked even paler against it. "If anything happens to me, Shen Yiren will be buried with me."
"As you command, Prince."
Zhou Jinyan opened his mouth. As his lips touched the pill, he felt a softness he couldn't have perceived by hand. When his tongue met it, he tasted earth mixed with a hint of salt. As he chewed, a lingering fragrance filled his mouth.
Moments after swallowing, a gurgling, subtle warmth seemed to flow through his body, and a sudden wave of drowsiness washed over him.
Before Zhou Jinyan could tell his subordinates he needed to rest, his eyes closed, his head lolled to the side, and he slumped directly into the chair.
What an overbearing medicine!
Caught off guard, Cang Xu and Doctor Fang widened their eyes and rushed over to check on him.
Cang Xu checked his breath: "He’s breathing."
Doctor Fang checked his pulse: "The pulse is normal, it seems... he’s just sleeping?"
Confirming he was indeed asleep, Cang Xu and Doctor Fang carried the Prince to the bed, staying by his side and checking on him every so often.
At the first light of dawn, the Prince had still not awakened. Cang Xu grew anxious and pulled back the curtain to look.
The Prince’s complexion was rosy.
Doctor Fang saw him and froze, then hurriedly leaned in to ask, "What is it?"
Upon closer inspection, he was stunned.
After checking his pulse again, he was even more shocked.
"The Prince’s pulse is much stronger! Before, when I took his pulse, it was like peering at flowers through mist, or the flutter of a child’s jump—so weak it could barely hold a beat."
"It’s a pity I couldn't scrape even a speck of the pill; there must be more than just dirt and ginseng water inside, and that dirt is certainly no ordinary soil." Doctor Fang had stayed in the Prince’s fiefdom and was visiting the capital for the first time; he didn't know the local figures. "Who exactly is this Shen Yiren the Prince spoke of?"
"The legitimate daughter of General Shen who was lost in the countryside and only found two years ago," Cang Xu said, recalling what she had said that day. "She said she is the descendant of a divine physician and that it would take only half a year to cure the Prince."
"Hiss!" Doctor Fang stroked his chin, his eyes glowing with unusual brightness. "Looking at this, she truly has that ability. The Prince is saved!"
Cang Xu’s eyes lit up as well.
Just then, Zhou Jinyan slowly stirred awake. He sat up and rotated his neck.
Doctor Fang asked impatiently, "How did the Prince sleep?"
"My body feels much lighter, and my hands and feet don't feel as perpetually cold as before." Zhou Jinyan held up his own hands; the palms and fingertips, which had always been pale, now glowed with a faint, healthy flush.
"To have such an effect in just one night—the medicine works too quickly," Doctor Fang said, sounding worried. "Prince, try standing and moving about; do you feel any discomfort? I will remain by your side for the next few days to record any changes or symptoms."
"Very well." Zhou Jinyan seemed still slightly dazed.
Half a day passed, and he felt no discomfort. On the contrary, he actually felt a bit warm in his fox fur, and he ate half a bowl of rice—a rare event, as he usually only took a few bites.
Doctor Fang kept marveling at the side, "It’s a miracle, truly a miracle! Could the Prince invite Miss Shen to the estate? I have some questions regarding the medication I would like to discuss with her."
"You want to know the ingredients and the dosage?"
"Yes."
"She won't tell you." Zhou Jinyan instructed Cang Xu to pass a message to Shen Yiren: if she wanted to be titled a princess sooner, she should make another pill. As for how much Doctor Fang could reverse-engineer, that would depend on his own abilities.
Shen Yiren thought he had tasted the benefits and was anxious to increase the dosage to get well quickly. Her beautiful eyes widened in an instant: "He’s human! If he takes it continuously, he’ll be supplemented to death!"
Cang Ming: "..."
He wondered what the Prince would think if he heard this.
"Then, may I ask, Miss Shen, when can the Prince take another pill?"
Shen Yiren thought for a moment. "A month."
Xiao Ba was currently sleeping while hugging the soil from Buxian Mountain, swearing that he wouldn't cry anymore, and if he absolutely couldn't help it, he definitely wouldn't use a bowl to catch his tears.
If she used her own, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to control the dosage and would accidentally supplement the man to death.
After receiving the reply, Cang Ming went to deliver the message. No sooner had he left than an unwelcome guest appeared at the courtyard gate.