Chapter 48
The “master” raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “You recognize this prince?”
It was a tacit admission of his identity.
Su Zhenyue was first startled, then secretly sighed in relief. Just moments ago, she had been worried. In Prince Yan’s presence, it was inconvenient for her to offer a direct reminder. She hadn’t expected Shen Ji to have actually figured it out on his own.
This was even better. Now she didn’t have to worry about him being discourteous in front of the future emperor.
Shen Ji shook his head. “I do not.”
“Then how did you know I am Prince Yan?”
Su Zhenyue was also curious. She had deduced it from the mention of six fingers in the book from her dream. But what about Shen Ji? How did he know?
“Besides His Highness Prince Yan, there is no one else who could wear Zhehuang and be in this place,” Shen Ji said, word by word.
Prince Yan glanced down at the sliver of Zhehuang inner lining that had accidentally been exposed at his cuff and chuckled. “So that’s how it is.” After a pause, he sighed again. “Observant and meticulous. Truly befitting of the new Number One Scholar. A pity, what a pity.”
No one present asked what he found a pity, but Su Zhenyue could vaguely guess: he was probably lamenting that the current emperor did not cherish talent.
Unexpectedly, after praising Shen Ji, Prince Yan turned his gaze to her. His scrutinizing eyes rested on her for several moments before he smiled and asked Shen Ji, “Is this the fiancée you mentioned at the Qionglin Banquet?”
Su Zhenyue was slightly taken aback.
Shen Ji, however, was inwardly alarmed. The emperor had ordered that the events of the Qionglin Banquet were not to be spread. Yet Prince Yan, who was a thousand li away, knew that he had mentioned his engagement. This Prince Yan was truly not to be underestimated.
“In reply to Your Highness, yes, it is her.”
Prince Yan praised, “One’s character is most visible in times of crisis. She is a steadfast and brave young lady. No wonder the Number One Scholar is willing to protect her with his life and future.”
Receiving such praise from the future emperor, Su Zhenyue felt rather ill at ease. Her lashes lowered as she said softly, “Your Highness praises me too highly.”
Just as she spoke, a cough was heard, followed by a delighted voice, “Master, the young master is awake!”
Prince Yan’s expression changed slightly. He immediately left Shen Ji and the others, turned, and strode a few steps forward. He half-knelt and asked with concern, “Qi’er, Qi’er, how are you feeling?”
The Heir Apparent, Xiao Chengqi, fluttered his eyelashes and managed to open his eyes, calling out with extreme weakness, “Father…”
“Father is here.” Prince Yan grasped his son’s hand, his heart finally settling.
—Before, his son’s complexion had merely returned to normal and his breathing had stabilized. Only now that his son was conscious could he be completely at ease.
“Royal Father, am I… am I still alive?”
“Of course, you silly child.” Prince Yan, who was usually strict with his son, showed a rare side of paternal affection. He pointed to Shen Ji and said, “It was this Mister Shen’s medicine that saved your life. Hurry and thank him, won’t you?”
Xiao Chengqi had just woken up and was too weak to get up. He could only manage to raise his head and look in the direction his father was pointing. “Many thanks, Mister Shen,” he said.
“It is good that the snake venom has been neutralized.” Shen Ji did not take credit, instead emphasizing once more, “On the contrary, it is Ji who must thank His Highness Prince Yan for the grace of saving my life.”
Seeing that his son was fine, Prince Yan’s expression relaxed considerably. He smiled and said, “You saved my son, and I saved you all. There is no need for us to thank each other.”
As they spoke, the middle-aged scholar approached and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, the snake venom in the Heir Apparent’s body has been neutralized. Shouldn’t we leave this place as soon as possible? After all, this is not Your Highness’s fiefdom. What if the Crown Prince’s men from just now recognized…”
“What if they did?” Prince Yan sneered. “Could he possibly go before the Emperor and impeach me?”
Although he said this, everyone present knew that it was a major taboo for a vassal prince to leave his fiefdom without authorization.
Prince Yan added, “That’s true. Perhaps he won’t impeach me, but instead send people to kill me, just as he did with He Ming?”
No one spoke.
Su Zhenyue was secretly surprised at his familiarity with Shen Ji. This was their first meeting, yet he was already addressing him directly by his courtesy name.
Prince Yan sneered again. “To think that the dignified Crown Prince is such a narrow-minded and insidious person. With a character like his, how can he become a benevolent ruler in the future?”
Su Zhenyue was even more shocked. So Prince Yan was already dissatisfied with the Crown Prince at this point in time?
She looked at Shen Ji again. He had been struggling to hold on, but now he seemed unable to endure any longer. His body swayed, and his face looked extremely unwell.
“Cousin!” Su Zhenyue’s heart clenched in panic, and she hurried to support him.
Prince Yan also showed concern. “How are He Ming’s injuries? Can you still hold on?”
“It’s nothing.” Shen Ji forced a smile and said in a low voice, “Mianmian, help me over there to sit and rest for a while.”
Prince Yan also said, “Your injuries are important. Go and rest quickly.”
“Oh, alright.” Su Zhenyue did as he said, helping Shen Ji to a pillar in the northeast corner to sit down.
Shen Ji’s eyes were slightly closed as he rested his back against the pillar.
After a moment’s thought, Su Zhenyue also sat down beside him, her head resting lightly on his shoulder.
Shen Ji subconsciously opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the woman beside him.
Coincidentally, she was also looking at him.
Their eyes met. Su Zhenyue quietly took his hand, and before he could react, she leaned close to his ear and said, almost in a breathy whisper, “Cousin, Prince Yan seems to hold you in high regard.”
She was so close that her breath fanned across his ear, sending a tingling sensation through him.
Shen Ji squeezed her hand in return, his grip unconsciously tightening. He let out a soft “en.”
How could he not know that Prince Yan intended to win him over?
“Then what are your plans, Cousin?” Su Zhenyue asked again, her voice barely audible.
Before, she had only thought that they would be safe after escaping the fire at the postal station. But now she knew that the danger was not the fire at all, but the person behind the scenes who wanted to kill Shen Ji.
If it was really the Crown Prince who wanted him dead, as they suspected, then what were they to do in the future?
The assassination attempt had failed this time, but who knew if there would be a second, or a third?
Although Shen Ji was highly skilled, his opponent was the Crown Prince. Would he be short on expert assassins? If he was truly determined to kill him, could Shen Ji escape?
He said he had offended the Crown Prince, but how exactly had he offended him? Was it to the point where he had to be put to death? Or was there still room for maneuver?
Su Zhenyue’s mind was a chaotic mess.
The warm breath lingered by his ear, and Shen Ji’s body trembled uncontrollably. He subconsciously tightened his grip on her hand and asked in a low voice, “What do you want to do?”
Su Zhenyue thought to herself, Obviously, we should pledge allegiance to Prince Yan. He’s the future emperor, after all.
But she couldn’t say it so directly. She could only “whisper sweet nothings” to him in a roundabout way. “I feel that Prince Yan has the makings of a benevolent ruler. What do you think, Cousin?”
Shen Ji didn’t speak, only slowly turning his head to glance at His Highness Prince Yan in the southwest corner of the main hall.
He had some understanding of Prince Yan. He knew he was the current emperor’s paternal cousin and had inherited his father’s princely title nine years ago.
Most vassal princes of this dynasty ruled in name only, holding no real power. But Prince Yan, located in the northern borderlands, was an exception. More than forty years ago, the Beihu had invaded, and You Province had fallen. The old Prince Yan, then a young and spirited imperial prince, had cast aside his scholar’s brush for a sword and repeatedly performed meritorious deeds in the army. He later led his troops to repel the enemy and recapture You Province. When merits were rewarded after the war, the emperor at the time bestowed You Province upon him as his fiefdom, with the title “Prince Yan.”
From then on, the Prince Yan Residence held military authority.
After the current emperor ascended the throne, he had once thought of reclaiming that military power. However, the stability of the northern border relied heavily on the efforts of the Prince Yan Residence, and the Beihu were particularly wary of the father-and-son princes. Moreover, two successive Princes of Yan had been humble and loyal, giving no one any cause for complaint.
After weighing the pros and cons, the emperor ultimately chose to preserve this “special status” for the Prince Yan Residence—Prince Yan retained his military authority. However, the court always kept a firm grip on You Province’s political decrees, taxes, and official appointments.
For so many years, the northern border had been stable, and the Prince Yan Residence had been exceptionally low-key.
From his brief contact with Prince Yan today, Shen Ji could see that the prince had many talented men under him, and he was not as blindly loyal as the rumors claimed.
Seeing Shen Ji’s lack of response, Su Zhenyue felt puzzled and gently scratched his palm. “Cousin?”
Shen Ji returned to his senses and tightened his grip on her hand. His voice was extremely low. “Let me think about it.”
He said he would think, but his mind was already mostly made up.
Su Zhenyue blinked, muttering to herself, Does this even require thinking?
But seeing Shen Ji’s eyes slightly closed, his lips chapped, and his face nearly devoid of color, she moved her lips but ultimately said nothing, only feeling a sharp pang of sorrow in her heart.
She was agitated by all that had happened tonight and was eager for him to choose Prince Yan. But she had almost forgotten that he was a man with unhealed, severe injuries. With such grave wounds and two consecutive fierce battles, it was a testament to his resilience that he had held on until now.
“En.” Su Zhenyue got up and asked Shi Jun and the others for some water, giving it to Shen Ji and Ping An to drink. Then, she leaned against Shen Ji’s side and slowly closed her eyes as well.
The rain outside had long since stopped, and the main hall of the dilapidated temple had quieted down.
Only now did Su Zhenyue seriously contemplate the future again.
Prince Yan valued Shen Ji, and they shared the special bond of having saved each other tonight. It shouldn’t be difficult if they wanted to take Prince Yan’s path. It was just the Crown Prince’s side that she was truly worried about.
One moment she was thinking about Shen Ji’s death in the dream, the next about the Crown Prince’s end in the dream… Her thoughts were a tangled mess. In a daze, she unknowingly fell asleep again.
When she woke up again, the sky was faintly lit.
The moment Su Zhenyue opened her eyes, she found herself still leaning on Shen Ji’s shoulder. He was watching her quietly, and she had no idea how long he had been awake.
Her cheeks flushed hot. She chided herself in shame. She had only intended to take a short nap, so how had she slept for so long?
Moreover, he was already injured, and she had been using his shoulder as a pillow…
Why didn’t he wake her up?
Su Zhenyue carefully and gently kneaded his shoulder a couple of times, feeling rather embarrassed. “I didn’t press on your injury, did I?”
Before Shen Ji could answer, a soft chuckle came from not far away.
Su Zhenyue followed the sound and saw it was Prince Yan’s Heir Apparent.
The child who had been so weak in the middle of the night was now able to sit up. He was curiously staring at Shen Ji and Su Zhenyue.
Prince Yan chided in a low voice, “Qi’er, don’t be rude.”
“Father, I wasn’t being rude. I was just looking to see what my benefactor who gave me the medicine looks like,” the Heir Apparent explained.
Prince Yan asked irritably, “Well, did you get a clear look?”
“I did.” The Heir Apparent nodded, then turned his head to ask, “Uncle Shi Jun, did he really fight off several people in a row while being so badly injured?”
Shi Jun smiled. “I saw it with my own eyes. Could it be false?”
“But my Royal Father said he’s the new Number One Scholar,” the Heir Apparent said, confused.
The middle-aged scholar chuckled. “The two are not mutually exclusive. Who says a martial artist can’t become the Number One Scholar?”
Prince Yan also said, “Usually when I tell you to study, you refuse, saying you’re afraid it will interfere with your martial arts practice. Look at him. Has his studying or his martial arts practice been delayed?”
The Heir Apparent hung his head and said nothing.
Prince Yan continued, “And this time you’ve really outdone yourself. I told you to study, and you learned to run away from home instead. If not for heaven’s blessing that you ran into He Ming, and that he happened to have the medicine, your little life would have been lost here. Let’s see if you dare to run away from home again!”
At this, Prince Yan raised his palm. Thinking of all the torment his son had endured after being bitten by the venomous snake yesterday, he wished he could slap him on the back several times and give him a few hard kicks to teach him a lesson.
But in the end, mindful that his son’s body was still weak, he didn’t strike.
Prince Yan’s Heir Apparent shrank back, not making a sound.
Shi Jun and the others also hurriedly tried to persuade him. “Your Highness, quell your anger. The Heir Apparent surely knows his mistake. He won’t do it again.”
The middle-aged scholar tried to change the subject. “By the way, where is Divine Doctor Xu? Why isn’t he here yet?”
Just as he said this, a short man suddenly jumped in, exclaiming with pleasant surprise, “He’s here, he’s here! Divine Doctor Xu has arrived.”
“Quickly, invite him in.” Prince Yan’s spirits instantly lifted. Although his son’s condition had improved, he had been bitten by a venomous snake, and there was no telling if there was any residual poison left in his body.
In less than a moment, an old man with white hair and a white beard hurried in.
This was the Divine Doctor Xu they had been talking about.
Divine Doctor Xu cupped his hands in a salute to Prince Yan, and without time for proper ceremony, he walked over to Prince Yan’s Heir Apparent in a few strides to check his pulse.
“How is he?”
A short while later, Divine Doctor Xu withdrew his hand. “Rest assured, Your Highness. Although there is still some residual poison, it is basically no longer a threat. I will prescribe a few doses of medicine. After a period of recuperation, I guarantee the Heir Apparent will be as lively and energetic as before.”
Prince Yan let out a long sigh of relief. “Good, good.” A thought struck him, and he asked, “The Princess Consort doesn’t know about this yet, does she?”
“She doesn’t. We didn’t dare tell her,” Divine Doctor Xu shook his head. “Your Highness, I heard from Li Si just now that the Heir Apparent took a type of medicine last night that was very effective. What medicine was it?”
Prince Yan handed him the small white porcelain bottle.
Divine Doctor Xu took it, opened it, and poured a pill onto his hand. He observed it closely for a moment, then brought it to his nose and sniffed, praising, “Marvelous, truly marvelous. It’s the right remedy, the right remedy. Thank goodness for this medicine, otherwise the consequences would have been unthinkable.”
Last night, upon hearing the news, Divine Doctor Xu had rushed over with his medicine box. However, the two places were quite far apart, and he was not a skilled rider. On the way, he had even prepared himself for the worst.
Thank goodness, thank goodness.
Prince Yan pointed to Shen Ji. “It was that Number One Scholar Shen’s medicine. It’s all thanks to him.”
By now, Shen Ji had shakily stood up. Although his face was still pale, his spirits were much better than the previous night.
Divine Doctor Xu took a few steps forward and gave Shen Ji a long, deep bow.
Shen Ji shifted to the side, gracefully avoiding it, not accepting his bow.
Divine Doctor Xu didn’t stand on ceremony either. Seeing that he was injured, he went straight to him to take his pulse and check his wounds. “The medicines you’ve taken and applied are correct for your condition, but your injuries are not light.”
Nanxing, who had been quiet all this time, couldn’t help but say, “Divine Doctor, can you please check on him too? He seems to have a bit of a fever. He was fine last night.”
Shen Ji’s expression changed.
Su Zhenyue also became anxious. “I beg the Divine Doctor to help.”
“Alright.” Divine Doctor Xu walked quickly to Ping An’s side and carefully examined his injuries, murmuring, “It’s normal to have a fever with such a severe wound. But don’t worry too much. No vital organs were injured, he just lost a bit too much blood. It’s treatable, all of it is treatable.”
With his words, Su Zhenyue felt much more at ease. She thought to herself, Since this person is called a “Divine Doctor,” his medical skills must be excellent.
If he said it was treatable, then it must be treatable.
Not long after Divine Doctor Xu arrived, more people from the Prince Yan Residence arrived with a horse-drawn carriage.
—Prince Yan’s Heir Apparent had been bitten by a venomous snake and couldn’t travel by horse, but he also couldn’t stay here indefinitely. Naturally, a carriage was needed to take him back to the residence.
Prince Yan strongly invited Shen Ji and his group to travel with them. “You are injured, and we are heading the same way. We can look out for each other on the road.”
Su Zhenyue didn’t speak, only secretly tugging on Shen Ji’s hand.
Seeing the anticipation in her eyes, Shen Ji smiled slightly. Finally, he cupped his hands and agreed, “In that case, we are grateful to Your Highness.”
He was not an inflexible person. Since the Crown Prince wanted him dead, he naturally had to find another path.
Su Zhenyue secretly sighed in relief. Very good, very good. We’ve connected with Prince Yan ahead of schedule.
Prince Yan, on the other hand, just smiled.
He had not missed the small interaction between the two just now. It seemed this new Number One Scholar truly did hold his fiancée in high regard.
The two carriages from the Prince Yan Residence were both very spacious.
Seeing that Shen Ji and Ping An’s injuries were severe, Prince Yan was generous enough to give up one of the carriages for them, riding his horse instead.
Shen Ji did not refuse, only thanking him repeatedly.
Prince Yan waved his hand, his attitude extremely amiable. “Between you and me, what need is there for thanks?”
Although Anle County and the Prince Yan Residence were both within the territory of You Province, they were still over a hundred li apart. Citing Shen Ji’s severe injuries and need for quiet recuperation, Prince Yan had him stay at the Prince Yan Residence to recover.
“The conditions in Anle County are harsh, and you’ve just arrived, unfamiliar with the people and the place. How could you recuperate in peace?” Prince Yan said with heartfelt sincerity. “He Ming, even if not for yourself, you must also consider Miss Su.”
Shen Ji’s eyelids lowered. He knew what Prince Yan meant, and he also knew Mianmian’s thoughts.
Composing himself, he cupped his hands and said, “Your Highness is too kind. It would be disrespectful to refuse.”
Prince Yan clapped his hands and laughed.
And so, Shen Ji’s party temporarily took up residence in the Prince Yan Residence.
Su Zhenyue was undoubtedly the happiest of them all.
Prince Yan held Shen Ji in high regard. All sorts of precious medicinal herbs flowed in like a river, never ceasing. With the Divine Doctor personally looking after them, Shen Ji and Ping An’s injuries gradually recovered day by day.
At the same time, the Crown Prince, far away in the capital, received news of the failed assassination.
The Crown Prince’s face was filled with disbelief. “What did you say? The mission failed?”
“Yes…”
“It’s such a long way from the capital to Anle County, and you couldn’t even kill a few people? How did I end up raising a bunch of good-for-nothings like you!”
“Your Highness, you ordered us to take care of it without a trace, but there were no suitable opportunities along the entire journey. When we finally found a chance, it was ruined by Prince Yan…”
The Crown Prince frowned. “Who? Prince Yan?”
“Yes.” The secret guard who had fled back to the capital to report recounted everything that had happened that night at the Dragon King Temple, adding at the end, “This subordinate saw clearly that it was Prince Yan. And afterward, Prince Yan sent men to escort them all the way and even had Shen Ji stay at the Prince Yan Residence.”
The Crown Prince’s expression grew even uglier. “Did Prince Yan recognize you?”
“I don’t know,” the secret guard stammered. “Probably not?”
—They had not announced their affiliation, but they had not made any special effort to hide their identity either.
The Crown Prince was furious. “You, you… Useless! A bunch of useless fools!”
Regardless of whether Prince Yan knew or not, the situation was extremely unfavorable for him. Prince Yan’s actions made it clear that he intended to protect Shen Ji. If it were an ordinary vassal prince, it would be one thing, but this was Prince Yan, who had troops under his command.
Never mind that Prince Yan’s power was immense within You Province, making it difficult for him to interfere. Even if his men did manage to successfully eliminate Shen Ji within Prince Yan’s sphere of influence, there was no guarantee that Prince Yan wouldn’t become suspicious of his motives for trying so hard to kill Shen Ji.
If he were to follow the clues and investigate, what if he found something…
Wait, what if Shen Ji had already told Prince Yan his secret? Then…
The Crown Prince was greatly alarmed, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He could barely sit still.
Just at that moment, a young eunuch came to report, “Your Highness the Crown Prince, the Emperor summons you. He requests your presence in the imperial study.”