Chapter 183

Dinner was held in an elegant little hall. As Xiao Qiyun had said, the dishes were mostly light and nourishing, exquisite and delicious, clearly the result of careful preparation. Xiao Qiyun personally served Su Zhelan the food, speaking gently, trying to dispel the unpleasant atmosphere brought on by the Second Prince earlier.

However, that brief interlude was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake; the ripples gradually subsided, but the tension of being disturbed did not completely dissipate. Su Zhelan ate his meal quietly, feeling Xiao Qiyun's gaze occasionally fall on him, carrying a hint of barely perceptible caution and worry.

After dinner, palace servants served tea. Xiao Qiyun picked up the teacup but did not drink it immediately. He pondered for a moment and looked at Su Zhelan: "It's getting late, I'll take you back."

Su Zhelan was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously said, "Your Highness, there's no need to trouble yourself. The Crown Prince's Palace can send someone to take me back."

Xiao Qiyun shook his head, his tone gentle yet unquestionable: "It's alright, I was just thinking of going out for a walk anyway." He put down his teacup, his gaze sweeping across the deep night outside the window, his voice lowering slightly, "Just now... my second brother is quick-witted and sometimes acts unpredictably. I'm worried about you going back alone."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Su Zhelan already understood. The Second Prince's probing and playful gaze clearly made Xiao Qiyun wary. He said no more and nodded: "...Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."

Seeing that he agreed, Xiao Qiyun's expression softened slightly. He stood up and instructed his men to prepare the carriage, but he specifically instructed, "Use that inconspicuous carriage, keep the procession simple, and don't make a fuss."

Before long, a plain-looking carriage silently drove out of the East Palace side gate and disappeared into the night sky of the capital city as the lights began to twinkle. The carriage was not spacious, but the furnishings were still comfortable. Xiao Qiyun and Su Zhelan sat side by side, the curtains drawn low, blocking out the noise and sight of the outside world.

The wheels rolled rhythmically over the cobblestones. The carriage was dimly lit, with only occasional glimpses of light from outside the windows illuminating the two figures indistinctly.

Xiao Qiyun didn't speak, but simply reached out and gently grasped Su Zhelan's hand in the dim light. His palm was warm and dry, carrying a reassuring strength. Su Zhelan didn't pull away, letting him hold her hand, the slight coolness at her fingertips gradually dissipating.

They walked in silence, yet a tacit understanding flowed through the small space. Xiao Qiyun's fingertips occasionally and unconsciously caressed Su Zhelan's hand, as if confirming his presence or silently comforting him.

The carriage finally came to a slow stop in front of the imposing vermilion gates of the Su residence. Xiao Qiyun alighted first, then turned around and naturally extended his hand to Su Zhelan inside the carriage. Su Zhelan took his hand and stepped off the carriage shaft. After regaining her balance, she tried to withdraw her hand, but Xiao Qiyun gently squeezed it before letting go.

"We've arrived." Xiao Qiyun's voice sounded particularly gentle in the night breeze. "Get some rest."

“Yes,” Su Zhelan nodded, “Your Highness should also return to the palace to rest early.”

Xiao Qiyun stood beside the carriage, not leaving immediately, his gaze fixed on Su Zhelan's face, as if he wanted to say something.

Su Zhelan turned around and knocked on the door knocker. The door opened quickly, and the gatekeeper, seeing that it was Su Zhelan returning, hurriedly bowed and invited him in. He then saw Xiao Qiyun standing by the carriage outside the door, who, though simply dressed, had an extraordinary bearing. Although he did not recognize the Crown Prince, he did not dare to be negligent and respectfully bowed.

Su Zhelan stepped across the threshold and couldn't help but look back. She saw Xiao Qiyun still standing by the carriage, the night wind blowing a few strands of hair on his forehead, and the dim light outlining a soft halo around him.

Seeing Su Zhelan turn around, he smiled slightly and waved his hand gently.

Su Zhelan nodded slightly to him before turning around and following the gatekeeper into the mansion. The heavy gate slowly closed behind him, shutting out the people and the night outside.

Only when he heard the door latch fall did Xiao Qiyun's smile fade, his eyes regaining their usual deep expression. He turned and boarded the carriage, saying in a deep voice, "Return to the palace."

The carriage slowly started moving, leaving the warm, lit area in front of the Su residence and merging back into the deep night of the capital. Inside the carriage, Xiao Qiyun sat alone, his fingertips still seemingly retaining the slightly cool touch from before, while in his eyes, a cold, sharp glint of thought belonging to the crown prince had already formed.

Inside the mansion, Su Zhelan walked along the familiar corridor towards her courtyard, her mind still replaying the silent companionship and tightly clasped hand in the carriage, as well as Xiao Qiyun's gentle yet worried gaze as he departed.

As night deepened, the lights in the study of the Eastern Palace remained on.

Xiao Qiyun stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the deep night outside, a lingering solemnity shrouding his brow. The brief warmth and relaxation he felt when he escorted Su Zhelan back to her residence had long since vanished, replaced by deep suspicion about the Second Prince's unusual quietness.

He knew his younger brother well; he was not one to swallow his anger or let things go easily. Today, in the hallway, the Second Prince's gaze towards Su Zhelan was filled with undisguised scrutiny and calculation—it was no mere whim. Yet now, everything was so calm, as if nothing had happened; this was hardly a good omen.

"Someone come here." Xiao Qiyun's voice rang out in the quiet study, carrying a hint of coldness.

A guard dressed in dark, close-fitting clothes, with a restrained aura, appeared silently at the door and knelt on one knee: "Your Highness."

"Send more men to secretly protect the Su residence, especially Su Zhelan's safety. It must be done in secrecy, without disturbing anyone in the Su residence, and even more so without letting the Second Prince's men find out."

Xiao Qiyun's voice was deep and clear, "Furthermore, thoroughly investigate the Second Prince's recent movements, who he has been in contact with, where he has gone, and report to me in detail."

"Yes!" The guard acknowledged the order and retreated silently like a ghost.

Xiao Qiyun rubbed his temples, but the unease in his heart did not dissipate. He knew that the Second Prince would not let this go so easily.

The days that followed seemed to return to a certain calm.

Crown Prince Xiao Qiyun would still occasionally send invitations to Su Zhelan, ostensibly to discuss medical principles or appreciate calligraphy and painting, but in practice, he always conducted the invitations with proper etiquette, sending officials to formally convey the message and making the reasons perfectly legitimate.

Every time Su Zhelan left, Xiao Qiyun would always find an excuse, such as "taking a walk to clear his head" or "checking the capital's defenses," to personally ride in that inconspicuous blue-draped carriage and escort Su Zhelan back to the gate of the Su residence. He would watch him enter the residence safely before leaving.

Initially, Xiao Qiyun was very wary of this, secretly arranging guards for each trip and constantly monitoring the surroundings, guarding against any possible trouble from the Second Prince. However, after several trips, nothing happened.

The Second Prince remained completely silent, as if the chance encounter and probing in the hall that day were merely a whim that he had forgotten about afterward. He didn't even bother Xiao Qiyun at the Eastern Palace as often as before.

This unusual calm only tightened the tension in Xiao Qiyun's heart. He knew his younger brother well; he was not one to give up easily. Such silence meant either he had truly changed his nature, or a greater storm was brewing in the shadows.

Su Zhelan also noticed the occasional hint of seriousness in Xiao Qiyun's brows, but he didn't ask any questions. He simply stayed quietly by Xiao Qiyun's side during the limited time they spent together while being escorted back to the manor.

Sometimes, he would gently hold Xiao Qiyun's hand, silently conveying a sense of comfort; other times, he would whisper about interesting things that happened at the Su residence, or novel insights he had read in medical books, trying to distract Xiao Qiyun. Xiao Qiyun sensed his intentions, felt comforted, and his tightly furrowed brows would relax slightly, and he would hold his hand even tighter in return.

Inside the study of the Second Prince's residence, the flickering candlelight illuminated his handsome yet somewhat sinister face.

Contrary to Xiao Qiyun's assumption, he was not plotting against Su Zhelan. At this moment, he was facing a secret report, a cold, confident smile playing on his lips.

"My dear imperial brother is truly loyal and protective." He scoffed and casually tossed the secret report onto the table. It briefly recorded the Crown Prince's recent "chance encounters" with the young physician and his personal escort of him back to his residence.

A trusted advisor whispered, "Your Highness, should we start with that junior physician? After all, he could be a breakthrough point..."

The second prince waved his hand, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes: "No need. To touch him? It would be like alerting the enemy, a loss that outweighs the gain. He's just a pampered plaything, not to be touched for now, and there's no need to touch him." He paused, tapping his fingertips on the table, a calculating glint in his eyes, "Right now, we have better cards in our hands, enough to make my elder brother overwhelmed and unable to take care of himself."

He was referring to the prince who was stationed in the distant vassal state—the King of the Southern Territory.

As far as he knew, several months ago, when Crown Prince Xiao Qiyun was ordered to patrol the border and suppress the cult, in order to ensure that nothing went wrong, he used future benefits and personal friendship as bargaining chips to borrow an elite cavalry force from the powerful Southern King. He also privately promised that after the matter was completed, he would hand over the cult's holy son to the Southern King.

However, after the battlefield was surveyed, although the cult's holy son was confirmed to have died in the chaos of battle, his body had been burned beyond recognition. Xiao Qiyun ultimately only sent a charred corpse to the King of the Southern Border, along with a sincere explanation and generous compensation.

This matter had already been resolved.

However, recently, the King of the Southern Border received news from an unknown source and suspected that the charred corpse was a substitute, and that the real Holy Son might have already been secretly disposed of or released by the Crown Prince. Feeling that he had been tricked, the King of the Southern Border was furious, but since he was far away in his fiefdom, it was inconvenient for him to confront the Crown Prince directly. So he secretly sent his confidants to the capital to find the Second Prince, who was at odds with the Crown Prince and whose maternal family had a close relationship with the King of the Southern Border's territory.

The Second Prince was overjoyed to receive the secret letter from the King of the Southern Border. It was like a godsend! Compared to targeting an insignificant physician, this matter was the perfect pretext to shake the Crown Prince's foundation and impeach him before the Emperor! "Secretly colluding with border generals," "deceiving relatives," "negligent handling of affairs"... any one of these charges would be enough to get the Crown Prince into serious trouble, especially given the Emperor's growing sensitivity to the Crown Prince's relationship with the border generals in recent years.

Therefore, the Second Prince's "peaceful" behavior during this period was not due to inaction, but rather because he was fully engaged in planning this matter. He secretly met with the envoy of the Southern Kingdom King to collect "evidence," colluded with censors who might be at odds with the Crown Prince, and meticulously crafted impeachment memorials, aiming for a decisive blow. He had no time to bother with causing trouble for Su Zhelan.

"Let him enjoy his freedom for a few more days." The Second Prince sneered, his gaze returning to the table. "Once I submit this memorial, I'll see if my elder brother still has the leisure to spend his days drinking tea and discussing philosophy with his little physician."

He could almost see Crown Prince Xiao Qiyun being severely reprimanded by his father in the imperial study, looking utterly overwhelmed. The smile on his lips grew even colder and more smug.

Meanwhile, in the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Xiao Qiyun vaguely sensed the impending storm, but he had not yet fully figured out where the Second Prince's sword was aimed. He could only be more cautious, strengthening the protection of Su Zhelan while secretly mobilizing forces to try to find out the Second Prince's true intentions behind his silence.