Аlthough Hаn Yаn's wоrds wеrе all true, Impеriаl Physiсian Wu had соmе hеrе still hаrboring a trаce of uncertaintу. If his аttitude hаd beеn hеsitаnt bеforе, nоw, аftеr hеaring Нan Yan's words, hе hаd almоst immediatelу made uр his mind. He sighеd dеерlу, lооking at the vеilеd figure асrоss from him. Нer еуes werе еxрosed, their gаze coоl аnd mоcking, shоwing not a hint of sоrrоw, оnly dеер insight. Соuld it bе that shе fеlt no griеf at аll? Could it bе that shе hаd nо feеlings fоr Fu Yunхi? Imрerial Phуsician Wu couldn't helр but doubt, but when the nеws of Fu Yunxi's аnnounсеment tо marry the Western Rong princess had spread, rumors were everywhere about the despondent state of the once-favored Xuan Qing Prince Consort. Though there was exaggeration in those tales, where there's smoke, there's fire—there must have been some truth to it.
Han Yan clenched her fists tightly, her heart hanging high, yet her expression betrayed nothing. She knew she was gambling—gambling on Imperial Physician Wu's reaction. If his resolve was not firm enough, he would surely speak out. Her feigned composure was merely a guess; to make Imperial Physician Wu tell the truth, besides throwing him off balance with a sudden statement, she also needed to leave him no time to think.
She smiled faintly. "Imperial Physician Wu, speaking openly is the only way to find a solution."
"I don't know where you learned this," Imperial Physician Wu said softly, his gaze heavy with gravity. He had already decided to lay everything out on the table. There was no point in struggling with a young girl. He had watched Fu Yunxi grow up and had some understanding of what was on his mind. If this girl learned the truth, perhaps she would return to Fu Yunxi's side. Though she would suffer, compared to letting Fu Yunxi bear the pain alone, Imperial Physician Wu chose to be a little selfish. Silently apologizing to Han Yan in his heart, he finally said, "He is indeed... terminally ill."
Han Yan felt as though a thunderbolt had struck her head, leaving her dizzy and disoriented. Her fingertips dug deeply into her palms, the sharp pain bringing her slightly back to her senses. She took a deep breath, forcing back the mouthful of blood that threatened to rise.
Seeing Han Yan's expressionless face, Imperial Physician Wu became even more convinced that she had long known about this. But if she had known, why had she moved out of the Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion? This young girl was, at times, as unfathomable as Fu Yunxi—utterly impossible to predict what she would do next. Imperial Physician Wu continued, "Do you remember the time you were poisoned with the spring drug?"
That was a year ago, during a palace banquet, when Han Yan had fallen victim to the Empress Dowager's scheme—the wine had been laced with a spring drug. Fortunately, Fu Yunxi had taken her back to the Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion, and Imperial Physician Wu's treatment had saved her from disaster.
"I forgot to tell you," Imperial Physician Wu stroked his small beard. "The 'Shattered Fireworks' poison you were afflicted with is actually incurable. It was the Prince who saved you."Han Yan was taken aback. Regarding the incident of being poisoned with an aphrodisiac, she actually had little memory of it, only feeling as if she had experienced a very long dream. When she woke up, everything had already calmed down. Now, Imperial Physician Wu's words struck her like a heavy hammer. The aphrodisiac poison she had been afflicted with was incurable, and even Imperial Physician Wu, with his immortal-like medical skills, had been helpless. So how had Fu Yunxi saved her?
Noticing Han Yan's confusion, Imperial Physician Wu said, "His Highness used his own blood to save you. His blood is inherently the coldest substance in the world. The aphrodisiac poison you were afflicted with was extremely potent, so he used poison to counteract poison, ultimately neutralizing its toxicity."
"The coldest substance?" What did that mean? Han Yan couldn't help but ask.
Imperial Physician Wu glanced at her and slowly explained, "When His Highness was very young, he was afflicted with a type of cold poison. This cold poison is incurable."
When the words "incurable" were spoken, Han Yan felt a piercing pain in her heart, even more sorrowful than hearing that the aphrodisiac poison was incurable. After the masked man had saved her, Han Yan had almost been certain that the person was Fu Yunxi. The chilling aura he carried was all too familiar; even if he had altered his voice and his appearance was unclear, she could still recognize him at a glance.
That Fu Yunxi had saved her—Han Yan couldn't say whether this was within her expectations or not. However, one thing she was certain of was that with Fu Yunxi's skills, a mere imperial guard could not have injured him. No matter how dire the situation, Fu Yunxi would never make such a mistake. Therefore, there was only one possibility: something had happened to Fu Yunxi, something that caused him to be defeated by a mere imperial guard.
It was at this moment that Han Yan recalled an incident from long ago. Perhaps because the experiences of her previous life and this life were vastly different, she had truly come to believe that the events of her past life were merely a dream she had dreamt, gradually forgetting them. Yet now, she remembered: in her previous life, after Fu Yunxi returned from the battlefield, he had indeed fallen seriously ill. The illness had struck fiercely, nearly claiming his life. At the time, The Emperor had searched everywhere for skilled physicians, but to no avail. In the end, the princess of Western Rong took the initiative to marry him in hopes of bringing him luck, and only then did his condition slowly improve. However, whether he was ultimately cured, Han Yan did not know, because after that, she had died.
Because so much had changed in this life, and Fu Yunxi's time on the battlefield was different, Han Yan had forgotten about his illness. Many things Han Yan thought she could change after her rebirth, but birth, aging, sickness, and death were destined calamities. Even with extraordinary abilities, Han Yan could not alter them. So, was there still no way?
Imperial Physician Wu could see that Han Yan seemed to be in an extremely complex state of mind. However, since he had already decided to reveal everything, he sighed deeply and said, "You may only know that he was poisoned, but you do not know where this poison truly came from. Very well, since I see you are no ordinary woman, I will tell you the origin of it all."Fu Yunxi achieved fame at a young age, possessing a refined and handsome demeanor. Born into the imperial family with a silver spoon in his mouth, he was indeed an exceptional figure in the eyes of many. Perhaps his life would be smooth and boundless, a fortune that even the accumulated blessings of many ancestors could not match. Yet, the hidden sorrows within were never seen by outsiders.
When Fu Yunxi was young, his mother, Consort Jing, passed away. During her lifetime, Consort Jing was the emperor's most beloved concubine, even surpassing the treatment received by the Empress at the time. Consort Jing had three sons. On the day her youngest son was born, she died from complications during childbirth, leaving behind only Fu Yunxi and the current emperor, who was then the eldest prince.
The Empress treated Fu Yunxi and the eldest prince very well. Having no sons of her own, she raised them under her care. The Empress was a typical loving mother. After the previous emperor's death, the eldest prince ascended the throne, and the Empress Dowager diligently assisted him. Judging by the current emperor's attitude toward the Empress Dowager, it is clear how much weight she holds in his heart.
Fu Yunxi was once very close to the Empress as well. However, in the year he turned fourteen, for reasons unknown, he suddenly volunteered to lead a campaign against the Western Rong. The Emperor refused, and the Empress Dowager wept for several days, her eyes reddened. Yet, no one could change Fu Yunxi's resolve. He thus indifferently went to the battlefield and returned with a body full of military honors.
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