Shen Miao's heart instantly tightened.
If Xie Jingxing could have concealed it even slightly, he would have stubbornly pretended nothing was wrong. After all, the Yongle Emperor wouldn't mention "Prince Rui being injured" in front of the Lu and Ye families. Yet now, the emperor made no attempt to hide it—didn't that mean the situation was already so severe that concealment was impossible?
Ji Furen, standing beside Shen Miao, immediately grasped her hand, likely fearing Shen Miao's anxiety, and even tried to reassure her: "Accidents are inevitable on the hunting grounds. Perhaps it's just a minor scrape. With so many guards protecting him, he should be fine." Yet her expression grew increasingly worried.
Not wanting Ji Furen to panic as well, Shen Miao responded with a few words of agreement, though her thoughts were otherwise. Since the Yongle Emperor had Xie Jingxing leave the city first, avoiding exposure before the ministers, his injuries couldn't possibly be just a "minor scrape."
She scanned the surroundings—no sign of Xie Jingxing, Tie Yi, or even Gao Yang—and her anxiety deepened.
The Yongle Emperor seemed unwilling to speak further. Even with the lion successfully hunted, his expression remained grim. The crowd speculated about Prince Rui's condition but understood the emperor's displeasure. Everyone knew of the deep bond between the emperor and Prince Rui. Regardless of the severity of the injury, the fact that Prince Rui was hurt while they were together in the inner grounds would naturally upset the emperor. No one dared approach him now, not even Consort Jing, who set aside her usual arrogance and waited on him with cautious deference.
With the lion hunt concluded, there was no reason to remain on the grounds. The Yongle Emperor prepared to return to the palace, while the ministers and their families dispersed to their respective residences. Amidst the tense atmosphere, Lu Zhengchun brazenly inquired about the upcoming sixtieth-anniversary ceremony. Though the emperor usually afforded Lu some courtesy, today he merely snorted and stormed off, his displeasure unmistakable. The ministers exchanged hushed whispers, but Lu Zhengchun, far from angered, seemed almost pleased—his vicious face twisting into something truly terrifying.
Shen Miao hurried back to Prince Rui's Estate, anxious about Xie Jingxing's condition. Ji Furen and Ji Yushu wanted to accompany her, but Shen Miao shook her head. "The situation remains unclear, and it may be more complicated than it seems. If Aunt and Yushu come now, it might create vulnerabilities. Let me return first to assess the situation. You can visit once His Highness has improved." She paused, then added, "The more chaotic the circumstances, the more we must remain composed."
Though Ji Yushu and Ji Furen didn't fully grasp the intricacies of the matter, their experience in the treacherous currents of court politics allowed them to sense the gravity in Shen Miao's words. Ji Furen, in particular, found her reasoning sound, and so they relented.
The group parted ways, with Shen Miao and Mo Qing's party hastening back to Prince Rui's Estate without pause. Bajiao and Huixiang tried to comfort her: "Madam, please don't worry. Our master's martial skills are formidable—ordinary people couldn't harm him. Perhaps this is part of his plan to mislead the enemy."Shen Miao shook her head: "I have a bad feeling." Not just bad—it felt as if something was wrenching at her heart, an unease so intense that she wished she could appear at Prince Rui's Estate in the next instant to see what exactly was happening with Xie Jingxing.
Bajiao and Huixiang exchanged glances but remained silent.
When they arrived at Prince Rui's Estate, Shen Miao stepped out of the carriage and strode straight through the gates. The guards at the entrance hurriedly let her pass. As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed an eerie silence in the estate.
Normally, Uncle Tang would have come out to greet her long ago, calling out "Madam is back" and bringing sweet soup or the like. But today, there wasn't a soul in sight.
Her heart clenched with urgency, and without a word, she headed straight for the courtyard. There, she spotted Uncle Tang pacing back and forth in front of the room's entrance, his face etched with worry.
Shen Miao's heart skipped a beat. Uncle Tang noticed her at the same moment, and she immediately approached him, skipping any pleasantries. "How is he?" she demanded.
"His Highness is severely injured. Young Master Gao is treating him now," Uncle Tang sighed, his expression heavy with concern. "It's been a long time since I've seen His Highness in such a state."
After a brief pause, Shen Miao pushed the door open and entered.
The moment she stepped inside, the thick scent of blood assaulted her senses. Tie Yi, Xie Jingxing's guard, was inside as well, silently wringing out a cloth by the basin. The amount of blood in it was enough to make one's stomach turn. Gao Yang, his brows tightly furrowed, was startled to see Shen Miao enter but quickly composed himself. "You... know now?" he said.
Shen Miao strode to the bedside. Xie Jingxing lay with his eyes closed, his face as pale as paper, his lips colorless. His upper garments had been pulled aside, revealing layers of arrow wounds on his abdomen. The deepest was a slash—unlike the one she had seen before, this one was fresh, but because it overlapped with an old scar, it had cut even deeper, as if reopening a wound that had yet to heal.
What chilled Shen Miao to the bone, however, was the purplish-black hue of the blood around the wound. Pointing at Xie Jingxing's injury, her voice trembled slightly. "This—"
"Poisoned," Gao Yang cut in bluntly.
Shen Miao felt as if she had been struck by lightning.
After a moment, she steadied herself. "Can you cure it?"
Gao Yang shook his head.
"It's not just one poison but a mixture of several. To neutralize it, I first need to identify each component. That takes time—but his wound can't wait that long."
"If it can't wait, then find a way to make it wait! No matter what, his life is in your hands—there can be no mistakes!" Shen Miao snapped sharply.
Gao Yang was momentarily stunned. He knew Shen Miao wasn't as gentle and mild as she appeared, but this was the first time he had seen her so fierce and commanding, almost like a ruler ordering a subject.
Even Tie Yi was taken aback. He had always thought of this future young mistress as clever and somewhat shrewd, but her demeanor had always been too soft, her usual gentle smile lacking the ruthlessness needed to stand by Xie Jingxing's side without becoming a liability. Seeing her like this now, however, reminded him of the late Empress.
Shen Miao took a deep breath to calm herself before asking Gao Yang, "At most, how many days can he hold on? And how many days do you need to cure him?""He can hold on for seven days at most, while it will take me at least half a month to detoxify him." For the first time, Gao Yang showed a helpless, almost resigned expression. "The urgent matter now is that he won't even last seven days—his old injuries have flared up."
Shen Miao looked at Xie Jingxing. Lying on the bed, he appeared extraordinarily peaceful, like a noble young master merely asleep. Yet beneath that proud, seemingly privileged exterior lay the scars of countless battles and storms. The last time Shen Miao had seen Xie Jingxing's body, she had noticed many old wounds.
Suddenly remembering something, she said to Gao Yang, "Wait here for a moment." Then she left the room and entered another chamber. Jing Zhe and Gu Yu were waiting outside. They hadn't followed Shen Miao to the hunting grounds that day and had instead waited at the residence, only to be met with the sight of a severely injured Xie Jingxing. Already anxious, they now feared Shen Miao might be overwhelmed with worry. They wanted to offer comfort, but Shen Miao went straight to her dressing table, pulled out a small box from the bottom drawer, and opened it.
Inside the box was a round object and a medicine bottle. Shen Miao grabbed the bottle and hurried back to Gao Yang, handing it to him. "There are three Guiyuan Pills here. Can they help him?"
The box contained the dowry gifts Luo Tan and Feng Anning had given Shen Miao before her wedding. Luo Tan had gifted a compass, while Feng Anning had presented three Guiyuan Pills. These pills could extend a dying person's life, granting them a few more breaths. They were precious relics left by a renowned physician of the Ming Qi dynasty, and Feng Anning had generously given three. Shen Miao wondered if they might be of any use to Xie Jingxing now.
Gao Yang brightened. "Where did you get these?" He took the bottle, poured out a pill, examined it closely, and sniffed it. "Yes, these are Guiyuan Pills. They’ll help. With these, he might last ten days."
Shen Miao exhaled in relief, but Gao Yang added, "But even in ten days, I might not be able to develop an antidote."
"Whether you can or not, you must try. If it doesn’t work, we’ll deal with it then. Right now, you’re the physician—don’t think about what you can’t do," she said coldly.
Tie Yi and Uncle Tang, who had followed them, exchanged surprised glances at Shen Miao. They hadn’t expected a woman to remain so composed in such a situation.
In truth, Shen Miao wasn’t as calm as she appeared. But at this moment, panic would be useless. She needed to keep her mind clear and think about what to do next.
Gao Yang nodded. "I’ll administer acupuncture now, along with the Guiyuan Pills, to stabilize him temporarily. You should all leave first."
Shen Miao glanced at Xie Jingxing, her heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand, and stepped out. Once outside, she said to Uncle Tang, "You may go now. I’d like to be alone for a while."
Uncle Tang hesitated but finally said, "No matter what, Madam must take care of yourself. We will do everything we can to assist you."
Shen Miao acknowledged him. Tie Yi and Uncle Tang left, and after dismissing Jing Zhe and the others, Shen Miao stood outside the door, gazing at the courtyard, exhaustion weighing heavily on her.
After a long moment, she sat down on the steps in the courtyard.The heat of June was already oppressive, and Great Coolness warmed up even earlier. Yet the ground felt cool, and the wind rustled briskly, making Shen Miao shiver slightly. She thought, if something truly happened to Xie Jingxing, what should she do? It seemed she ought to consider her future life and the things she needed to do—that would be the rational approach. But at this moment, she couldn’t bring herself to analyze the days ahead with reason, as if those outcomes were too unbearable to even contemplate.
When had Xie Jingxing become so important in her heart? So important that the mere thought of losing him made the rest of her days seem dull and meaningless. If she had never tasted the sweetness of honey, she might have endured its absence. But once tasted and then lost, it became impossible to accept.
Footsteps approached. Pei Lang had somehow entered the courtyard and, seeing her sitting on the steps, sat down beside her. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke: "Don’t worry. He’s a prince of Great Coolness—it’s not so easy for something to happen to him."
Shen Miao remained silent. The dimness in her eyes made Pei Lang’s mouth feel bitter and his heart sour. Truth be told, he had never seen Shen Miao like this before. In front of him, she had always been confident, even domineering, as if determined to outshine him. When Pei Lang had been imprisoned in Prince Ding’s dungeon, he had wondered if Shen Miao would feel guilty, if she would worry about his life. What would she look like when she worried about someone? Now he finally saw it—when Shen Miao feared for someone’s life, she shed her sharp edges, becoming as vulnerable as any ordinary woman.
Despite sitting so close to her, the distance between them felt vast, as if separated by thousands of miles.
Pei Lang said, "You should go inside. The wind is strong."
"No need," Shen Miao replied, gazing outward. "You’re not fully recovered yet. Don’t mind me—go back and rest."
After a pause, Pei Lang said, "I’ll stay with you."
Shen Miao didn’t bother persuading him further. Her thoughts were entirely elsewhere, wholly consumed by Xie Jingxing’s condition inside the room.
Gao Yang had been busy all night.
Shen Miao had also sat there the entire night.
Come to think of it, back on that night at the hunting grounds when they had waited for news of Xie Jingxing, Ji Furen had dozed off, but Shen Miao hadn’t slept a wink. Now, after two sleepless nights, she somehow still seemed alert and energetic.
When the rooster crowed for the third time, Gao Yang opened the door and stepped out. At the sight of Shen Miao and Pei Lang still sitting on the steps, he couldn’t help but pause in surprise. "You’ve been sitting here all night?"
Shen Miao rubbed her numb knees and asked, "How is he?"
"Stable for now. The Guiyuan Pill worked well. Next, I’ll need to research an antidote in the room—no disturbances." He then looked at Shen Miao. "In the coming days, I’ll entrust his care to you."
Uncle Tang, who had arrived upon hearing the news, couldn’t help but ask, "And if ten days pass and you still haven’t come out...?"
Gao Yang didn’t answer. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
"Go ahead," Shen Miao said in the silence. Her voice was utterly calm, as if the man lying on the brink of life and death wasn’t her husband at all.
Gao Yang studied her intently. "I hope to succeed. If I don’t... I’ll never be happy again in this lifetime."
With that, he turned and left.Uncle Tang glanced at Shen Miao, then at Pei Lang, and said, "Madam, Young Master Pei, you've kept vigil all night without eating. Now that His Highness's condition has stabilized, you should have some food and rest. Don't let yourselves fall ill while His Highness recovers."
Shen Miao nodded. "Bring the food here. I'll rest in this room for a while—it'll be easier to keep watch. Also, send word to Ji Furen that His Highness's condition is temporarily stable, though he hasn't woken yet. She needn't come over for now."
Uncle Tang nodded in agreement. Pei Lang watched Shen Miao, who had already walked to the chair by the bed and sat down. His gaze darkened before he turned and left as well.
Gu Yu soon brought a bowl of porridge. Shen Miao instructed her to close the door on her way out, leaving only Shen Miao, the unconscious Xie Jingxing, and Tie Yi in the room. As she ate, she asked Tie Yi, "Can you tell me what happened now?"
Tie Yi hesitated.
Shen Miao set down her spoon and fixed him with a stern look. "You were with him when he entered the inner grounds. No one knows better than you what occurred. Even if you only acknowledge him as your master, you cannot hide this from me."
Tie Yi quickly replied, "No, Madam, it's not that. It's just... this time, even I don't fully understand His Highness's plan. He discussed it directly with the Emperor—even the Ink Feather Army wasn't involved. But something unexpected happened. The Emperor's life was in danger inside the grounds—someone disguised among the Imperial Guards ambushed him. His Highness took the blade meant for the Emperor and was severely wounded. The blade was poisoned... someone wanted the Emperor dead."
In an instant, scattered pieces in Shen Miao's mind connected like beads on a string, forming a vague answer. This hunt was, in truth, a game between the Yongle Emperor and the Lu family—or perhaps, the Lu family's scheme. The Emperor intended to use his own life to topple the entire Lu family, while the Lu family sought to exploit this opportunity to strike at the Emperor, unaware that the Emperor was resolved to die.
But the Yongle Emperor hadn't informed Xie Jingxing of this mutually destructive plan—or perhaps he knew Xie Jingxing would never agree. That was why Xie Jingxing had said, "The plan changed." To save the Emperor's life, Xie Jingxing had suffered such grave injuries.
Shen Miao silently gazed at the young man lying on the bed. He was always so proud and mischievous, adept at holding everything in the palm of his hand, orchestrating grand schemes with effortless ease, masking it all behind a careless smile. Because he was so accustomed to projecting strength, people forgot that, in some ways, he was just an ordinary man—subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death. Once injured, he too could be in peril, even vanish from this world entirely.
Her heart ached suddenly. She recalled Xie Jingxing's words to her before entering the inner grounds: "Wait for me to return." Looking at him now, the irony was unbearable.
But the effects of the Guiyuan Pill wouldn't last forever. If Gao Yang couldn't develop an antidote within ten days, what then? Shen Miao frowned at Xie Jingxing, her nails digging into her palms.
She would watch over everything—before and after. If she couldn't protect what was before her, then the one responsible would suffer tenfold.
In Weiyang Palace, the Yongle Emperor flung the memorial in his hand to the ground with force.
Empress Xiande sighed softly and bent to pick it up."The Lu family has the audacity and ambition." The emperor's face was as dark as water. "At a time like this, they still dare to flaunt their power before me. I wish I could skin them alive and drink their blood."
"The Lu family has been abusing their power and committing atrocities. This time, they took an even greater risk. If not for Jingxing risking his life to protect..." Empress Xiande did not finish her sentence.
Hearing this, a flash of pain crossed the Yongle Emperor's eyes. "I almost wish it had been me who died."
"Jingxing is a child who values loyalty and righteousness. Your Majesty knows full well he would never agree. That's why you didn't tell him in the first place, isn't it? Put another way, even if Your Majesty had arranged everything, it might not have brought Jingxing happiness. To him, it would have been a shackle. Your Majesty never considered his feelings."
Empress Xiande's words were sharp, offering no face to the Yongle Emperor. Already in a foul mood, the emperor was nearly enraged by her remarks.
"Your Majesty need not be angry. Right now, Jingxing has yet to wake. The priority is not to assign blame." Seeing his reaction, Empress Xiande reminded him.
The Yongle Emperor closed his eyes briefly. "I know. He is my only brother."
"Gao Yang is tending to Jingxing's injuries. There's been no news from Prince Rui's Estate yet. But Your Majesty, there is something more pressing—the Lu family has already begun to act."
"I know." The corners of the Yongle Emperor's lips curled slightly. In this moment, he bore a striking resemblance to Xie Jingxing in his usual demeanor—smiling, yet exuding an air of cold danger. "They sought to deal with me. Since I didn't die, it's now my turn to deal with them. Military power is something we all possess. The Lu family has lived long enough. This time, if Xie Yuan suffers even the slightest harm, I will have the entire Lu family, down to the ninth generation, buried with him." He paused, then added word by word, "Even if Xie Yuan recovers, they will have no escape."
Empress Xiande nodded slightly, gazing at the sky outside. In the palace grounds of June, the bright sunshine had given way to dark, gathering clouds.
The heavens were about to change.
At the Gao residence, Gao Yang had just returned when an angry voice rang out: "Gao Yang, you claimed to be from Fixed Capital in Ming Qi, but you're actually from Longye in Great Coolness! You're no imperial physician—you're a minister of Great Coolness! You liar!"
Luo Tan stood furiously at the entrance, her face haggard, dark circles under her eyes. She glared at Gao Yang, clearly demanding an explanation.
Gao Yang had returned to his residence to prepare medicine, as his pharmacy was located there and stocked with many herbs. His residence happened to be close to Prince Rui's Estate, making it convenient for him to return home to work. He hadn't expected to be confronted by Luo Tan the moment he arrived.
The maid beside Luo Tan looked at Gao Yang apologetically. On the morning of the Imperial Hunt, she had tried to keep Luo Tan away as instructed by Gao Yang. But Luo Tan had slipped out on her own and spotted Gao Yang among the officials. Though often careless with trivial matters, Luo Tan was sharp when it came to important ones. She immediately turned to question her maid, who, realizing she could no longer hide the truth, had no choice but to confess everything.
For Luo Tan, this was somewhat unacceptable. Gao Yang was a pure physician, so it didn't matter whether he was in Great Coolness or Ming Qi. But he was clearly Great Coolness's Minister of Defense Affairs, yet he served as a royal physician in Ming Qi. In Luo Tan's eyes, this was no different from being a spy for the enemy. Moreover, the Luo family was an aristocratic military family. When Luo Tan was young, she and Luo Qian often went to opera troupes to listen to performances, where most of the loyal and brave heroes met their demise due to the schemes of spies.
Luo Tan had initially held a favorable impression of Gao Yang. Despite some minor flaws, he had always taken good care of her in daily life. Now, the person who had cared for her turned out to be a villain, and Luo Tan found it hard to accept.
Truly, misfortunes never come singly. At this moment, Gao Yang was already overwhelmed with Xie Jingxing's affairs when Luo Tan's issue arose. In the past, he would have patiently explained to her, but now there simply wasn't enough time. Thinking that Shen Miao must also be suffering—alone in a foreign land with her husband hanging by a thread—he figured it might be good for her to have a sister by her side. So he said to the servant beside him, "Tell her. I'm going inside now, and no one is allowed to enter." With that, he headed straight for the medicine room.
Luo Tan had expected Gao Yang to explain his difficulties. Deep down, she still couldn't believe he would do something so despicable. To her surprise, not only did Gao Yang not explain or deny it, he outright ignored her and went inside. She called out, "Hey! What do you mean by this? You need to explain to me first—what exactly—"
"Miss Luo," the servant quickly intervened, "let me explain. The situation is quite urgent right now. The young master went out today to treat someone. Prince Rui of Prince Rui's Estate has had an accident and urgently needs the young master's treatment."
Luo Tan froze. "Prince Rui? Isn't that my cousin's husband? What happened?"
The servant wiped his sweat. "It's a long story..."
Meanwhile, Shen Miao, who had been resting her head by Xie Jingxing's bedside, blinked and sat up again.
After dozing for a while, she felt somewhat refreshed. Turning to look at the man on the bed, she saw his eyes still tightly shut, as if he were merely asleep. Seeing him stable for now eased her mind, though she couldn't shake the unease in her heart.
Shen Miao felt that since her rebirth, her life had been steady and secure. With the knowledge of her past life guiding her, she always held information others didn't, and she had never been truly cornered. But now, for the first time in this life, she was experiencing the taste of helplessness. Though it wasn't happening to her, it felt even worse than if it were.
Yet she knew no medicine, nor how to detoxify. All she could offer were three Revival Pills, and placing all her hopes on Gao Yang was something Shen Miao wasn't accustomed to. Slowly, she reached out and took Xie Jingxing's hand, which lay outside the blanket, as if this small act could bring her some comfort.
Uncle Tang came by with some hot tea and snacks for Shen Miao. She hadn't been resting or eating well, and it showed in her weary appearance. "Madam, you should eat something," Uncle Tang said. "Taking care of the master like this is exhausting."
Shen Miao thanked him, then hesitated before asking, "Uncle Tang, when His Highness first arrived in Longye two years ago... was it like this back then too?"Two years ago, the reason Xie Jingxing returned to Longye was also because among the Xie Family Army on the northern border battlefield, there were Emperor Wenhui's men who sought his life. Xie Jingxing narrowly escaped death but not severe injuries. It sounds like a life-and-death crisis, and fortunately, Gao Yang was by his side at the time. Combined with Xie Jingxing's own incredible luck, otherwise, there might not be a Prince Rui today.
Uncle Tang was taken aback and cast a wistful glance at Xie Jingxing lying on the bed, his eyes filled with reminiscence. "So the madam knows about it too. Indeed, when the master first returned to Longye, he was also brought back by others. Back then, even the physicians said it was beyond hope, and Young Master Gao was helpless. Yet, the master pulled through—it was nothing short of a miracle."
－－－－－－Author's Note－－－－－－
To those suggesting amnesia—come out, I promise not to beat you to death. The amnesia trope was played out years ago; it's long out of fashion ╯‵□′╯︵┻━┻
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