Chapter 36 Covert Struggle

Upon entering the Prince's residence, Zhuang Dongqing keenly sensed that something was different.

Security is tight...

Normally, the gates are guarded by servants, but now it's different. From the moment you enter the palace, there's a guard every fifty paces. They wear narrow-sleeved military uniforms, carry swords, their right hands on the hilts, heads held high and chests out, all looking strong and powerful.

Looking at them one by one, Zhuang Dongqing's face was familiar to many of them.

"Did they transfer people back to Beijing from the camp?"

Ahead, Eunuch Feng also noticed the unusual situation inside the Prince's mansion and asked about it.

Liu Qi gave a bitter laugh and said, "I'm sure you've heard the rumors about the capital recently. My lord shouldn't have stayed in the capital for so long. Thanks to His Majesty's grace, he has stayed in the capital for so many years and has been appointed as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review... He has made countless enemies over the years. We must be wary of the current situation of the lord."

Eunuch Feng solemnly replied, "Under the Emperor's nose, who dares to act presumptuously!"

“You’re right, sir. We’re in the capital now, and this is nothing like the spring hunt. Just consider it our overreaction. Our master has never suffered like this before. If we don’t keep a close eye on him, how will we face the old prince after we die?!”

When the scene in the hunting grounds was mentioned, Eunuch Feng choked up and couldn't say anything more for a moment.

Liu Qi continued, "Back then, when the prince was only ten years old, he was granted the privilege of going to the capital to accompany the prince in his studies. Before leaving, the old prince repeatedly instructed us to entrust the prince to his care..."

Although they were some distance apart, Zhuang Dongqing could still hear Liu Qi and Eunuch Feng's conversation carried by the wind.

Zhuang Dongqing was astonished, never expecting Liu Qi to have this side to her.

As Liu Qi recounted his past sorrows with great emotion, the more emotional he became, the more silent Eunuch Feng remained.

Zhuang Dongqing realized that the old emperor was in the wrong in this matter.

Soon they arrived at the main gate of the west wing. They saw their group from afar, and the tightly closed gate was opened by the guards on both sides.

Liu Qi led Eunuch Feng inside. Zhuang Dongqing paused before entering and couldn't help but look at Hao San.

Knowing what Zhuang Dongqing was thinking, Hao San lowered his voice and said, "Young Master, don't worry. With the old prince protecting you and so many imperial physicians overseeing things, the prince will surely turn misfortune into good fortune and safety."

Zhuang Dongqing understood.

It means that Cen Yan is alright.

With her heart slightly at ease, Zhuang Dongqing whispered again, "I'm afraid I'm not good at etiquette and might offend my father-in-law."

The two exchanged a glance, and Hao San understood. He reassured them, "It's alright. Just follow behind me and keep your head down."

It's practically like he's got everything covered.

Zhuang Dongqing nodded and assured him, "I will obey the commander's orders."

The more he says, the more mistakes he makes; he should just quietly be a follower.

Despite having made ample mental preparations, Zhuang Dongqing entered the West Wing, but what followed still far exceeded his expectations.

He had been to both the study and the reception room in the west wing. The study was confidential and no unauthorized personnel were allowed in. Therefore, apart from Eunuch Feng and several imperial physicians who were to examine Cen Yan, the eunuchs and many apprentices from the palace were all arranged to wait in the reception room to be informed.

As Zhuang Dongqing followed Hao Sanlu through the reception area, she glanced at the crowd and saw a huge throng of people. There were quite a few people there.

Turning to the main house at the back, it was Zhuang Dongqing's first time there.

When she came to visit, she hadn't thought much about it, but as she was about to enter, Zhuang Dongqing felt a bit awkward and embarrassed, as if she had trespassed into Cen Yan's private territory.

Before Zhuang Dongqing arrived, the Prince's Mansion only had one master, Cen Yan, so his residence was naturally spacious.

Most of those who were able to come here were left outside the door. A few eunuchs and medicine boys were left to wait in the outer room. Only Liu Qi, along with Eunuch Feng and a few imperial physicians, actually entered the inner room.

Zhuang Dongqing followed Hao San, while Liu Fu and the two guards were also left in the courtyard.

The first impression upon entering is that it's very simple.

The interior furnishings were unlike those of a wealthy family in Beijing, but rather had a touch of... The gaze shifted from the tie-dyed curtains to the intricately carved wooden eagle, and a dagger with many inlays hung on the wall, exuding a strong ethnic flavor.

This should be a characteristic of the princely fiefdom.

After lifting the curtain and entering the inner room, Hao San did not approach. Instead, he stood at a distance between the inner and outer rooms, where he could see what was happening inside but not get too close to the people in the palace.

This was exactly what Zhuang Dongqing wanted.

With some distance between them, the tension eased considerably, and Zhuang Dongqing looked up to see.

Upon closer inspection, his pupils contracted.

As Zhuang Dongqing looked up, she saw the imperial physician frowning and reaching out to check Cen Yan's breath, and her heart jumped again.

The imperial physician's actions not only frightened Zhuang Dongqing, but also gave Eunuch Feng quite a fright.

"What's going on?" Eunuch Feng took a step closer, his eyes wide, and asked in a low voice.

It should be noted that if the imperial physician needs to check the patient's breath, he will usually inform the physician in advance. However, the moment the physician placed his hand on the pulse, he immediately went to check the patient's breath. The profound meaning behind these actions could not be ignored by Eunuch Feng.

The Imperial Censor said, "Please calm down, Your Excellency."

As he spoke, he stopped and let out a long sigh of relief, saying, "His Highness is still breathing, but..."

"only?"

The abbot wiped the sweat from his forehead. "His breathing is weak. We need to clear the room a little so I can examine him carefully."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Feng's expression darkened. He then went to check on Cen Yan, only to find him lying on the bed with pale lips and a bloodless face, looking far from unharmed.

For a moment, he felt burning inside, but having experienced all sorts of storms in the palace, Eunuch Feng did not show it at all. He simply stepped back slightly as instructed and looked at the Imperial Physician with an air of authority, saying, "Your Highness is a descendant of the Phoenix and the Dragon, so the Imperial Physician must take a good look at him."

The Imperial Censor said, "His Majesty also gave me these instructions before I left the palace, and I understand."

He spoke respectfully, and in the blink of an eye, another layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Then Eunuch Feng waved his hand and, together with everyone around him, took a few steps back.

Zhuang Dongqing had rarely seen Cen Yan look like this before. He was so pale that he looked as if he had just been pulled out of the water. Even though she knew he should be alright, she was still caught up in the atmosphere, her left hand clasped around her right, waiting anxiously.

The abbot beckoned the apprentice in, wiped his sweat, and composed himself before continuing the treatment.

After taking the pulse again, another two or three cups of tea's time had passed in the blink of an eye.

The room was silent, and the quiet atmosphere silently nurtured the rampant growth of panic in people's hearts.

"May I take a look at the snake bite wound on Your Highness?"

"Let go," the academy envoy asked.

Liu Qi nodded, stepped forward and lifted a corner of the sheet, revealing her calves. Zhuang Dongqing opened her mouth slightly.

Yesterday, there were only two holes in the calf that hadn't fully healed, but now it was completely swollen, and the wounds were turning black, spreading outwards from the bite site.

As the academy director gasped for breath, Zhuang Dongqing also swallowed hard.

It really looks like someone who has been bitten and poisoned by a snake.

The imperial physician pressed around the wound, and large beads of sweat poured from his forehead again. The eunuch Feng, who was following him, felt a chill run down his spine. Even without medical knowledge, he knew what snake venom looked like, and now…

Eunuch Feng frowned and waited.

“Your Highness…it seems the poisoning is quite severe.” The imperial physician wiped his sweat and said, “Please forgive my incompetence, but I would like to ask a few of my colleagues to come forward and treat him together.”

Eunuch Feng immediately looked at a royal physician. The head of the Imperial Medical Academy was in charge of the Imperial Medical Academy, but his expertise was not in detoxification.

However, the Imperial Medical Academy does have such talents, such as the one that Eunuch Feng is looking at.

The imperial physician received the order and immediately stepped forward, examined the wound, and took the patient's pulse.

As soon as he touched her, he looked at the academy head in surprise and did the exact same thing as the academy head before, reaching out to check her breath.

Upon seeing this, Eunuch Feng closed his eyes, having already made up his mind about the trip.

After examining the physicians, he summoned the last imperial physician to come forward.

The last one couldn't maintain his composure as well as the first two old physicians. His eyes widened as he took the pulse, and he kept wiping sweat with his sleeve. Before Eunuch Feng could speak, Liu Qi cried out, "Is my lord...?"

Zhuang Dongqing was also disturbed by what she heard.

Eunuch Feng could only soothe him, saying, "Manager Liu, don't be anxious. Let the prince rest first. Shall we go outside to talk?"

The abbot readily agreed, "Yes, yes, let's go outside and talk."

Liu Qi, however, refused to listen and demanded a definite answer from the Imperial Hospital. He spoke earnestly, recounting Cen Yan's merits and discussing Cen Yan's relationship with His Majesty. He was practically begging for help on his knees. The room descended into chaos. Eunuch Feng tried to persuade him, and the imperial physicians tried to soothe him. Finally, they managed to convince Liu Qi to come out and talk. Eunuch Feng wiped his sweat and turned around to see Zhuang Dongqing on the verge of tears. His heart clenched again.

Zhuang Dongqing quickly lowered his head. Hao San looked serious and didn't say anything, only raising his hand to bow.

Eunuch Feng, along with several imperial physicians and Liu Qi, finally managed to leave the inner room.

After the footsteps faded away, Zhuang Dongqing lowered her head and went straight to pull the blanket up for Cen Yan. Then she turned around and faced Hao San, her appearance startling Hao San.

"Young Master, you..."

No wonder Hao San was speechless. Zhuang Dongqing looked so pitiful, with tears welling up in her eyes, her nose and lips red. When she lowered her head, she looked like she was about to cry but couldn't, and she looked extremely aggrieved.

As soon as he opened his mouth, Zhuang Dongqing even sniffled, startling Hao San into swallowing the rest of his sentence.

Not daring to speak, but being perceptive, she quickly found a stool and had Zhuang Dongqing sit next to Cen Yan to calm herself down.

But there's no need for him to explain.

As soon as Zhuang Dongqing sat down, her hand was grasped.

Seeing that the hand holding her wrist was coming from under the covers, Zhuang Dongqing looked up. Cen Yan, who was lying down, had opened his eyes at some point and weakly comforted her in a gentle voice, "It's alright, Qingqing."

*

Eunuch Feng returned to the palace.

Along with three imperial physicians.

The carriage sped along, passing through several gates, and was almost upon His Majesty's palace when the group disembarked and hurried on foot.

After passing through the main hall, we entered His Majesty's bedroom.

Upon entering the inner room, the heavy smell of medicine mixed with the scent of pressed medicine incense created a rotten and strange odor that permeated the air.

After the greetings were exchanged, an aged voice came from inside the room, "How is Ayan doing?"

Eunuch Feng swallowed hard and said with a forced smile, "The poisoning is severe; I'm afraid we can only leave it to fate."

After Eunuch Feng finished speaking, the Imperial Physician quickly added, "At the Imperial Palace, everyone who was poisoned died suddenly within a short time, including Consort Shu. Your Majesty witnessed it all..."

"The prince has held on for so long and is still breathing. Oh right, the prince's mansion also has a renowned physician from his fiefdom. Surely, good fortune will protect him, and perhaps... he will be able to turn misfortune into good fortune..."

As he said this, his voice trailed off, clearly indicating that even the abbot didn't quite believe these auspicious words.

Silence fell over the room.

After a long silence, followed by a sigh, the voice asked again, "Really?"

Upon hearing this, for some inexplicable reason, Eunuch Feng didn't think of Liu Qi, but instead thought of that tearful face, which was truly...

Eunuch Feng prostrated himself deeply and reported, "The Imperial Physician examined the wound. The distance between the two teeth matches the bite marks of the poisonous snake found in the palace and the people who died from poisoning..."

Eunuch Feng closed his eyes: "It's probably... the answer."

Another oppressive silence fell, and the sounds from inside became very soft.

"So what should we do then?"

*

Inside the Prince's Mansion.

After exchanging only a few words, Eunuch Feng and the imperial physicians hurriedly departed. Liu Qi tried to stay a while, but seeing that he couldn't persuade them to stay, he sent someone to see them off. He only said that he had to come back to tuck the prince in. Eunuch Feng was already in a state of confusion and didn't suspect anything.

Turning around and entering the inner room, Liu Qi was also taken aback when he saw Zhuang Dongqing's appearance.

He was immediately at a loss and asked, "What happened? Is the young master alright?"

"Did you cry? It's alright, it's my fault, my fault. I thought I wouldn't run into the young master, so I figured it was better to avoid trouble and didn't inform him beforehand..."

Zhuang Dongqing shook her head.

He couldn't speak for a moment, but after a while, he felt better and said, "It's none of your business."

"I...I know it's okay."

Her voice was trembling with tears, and she even sobbed a little.

Cen Yan hesitated: "Then you..."

Zhuang Dongqing sniffed again and said sincerely, "Manager Liu's acting was so good that I accidentally got involved with it."

"Oh, it looks so tragic."

As he spoke, he wiped his eyes, thought about it for a moment, and realized that the more he thought about it, the worse it got!

Hao San: "..."

Liu Qi: "..."

Cen Yan: "..."

Cen Yan was both amused and exasperated, pressing his temples: "I understand, I'll just treat it as a show."