Ning Wanwan was adamant: “Whether you’re fine or not isn’t up to you, but what Uncle Zhou says.”
“Uncle Zhou carried his medicine box and rushed to Zhuo Hua Yuan. Upon entering, he saw Si Zhan pale-faced and half-lying on the bed.
“What happened?” Ning Wan Wan asked anxiously, “Uncle Zhou, His Highness suddenly started coughing up blood.”
Uncle Zhou’s expression changed dramatically. “How is he coughing up blood again? Didn’t the cold syndrome get controlled by the Fire Lingzhi?”
He quickly sat on a stool by the bed and began taking Si Zhan’s pulse. His expression shifted from panic to bewilderment, then understanding.
Ning Wan Wan stood nervously behind him, watching in silence: “Uncle Zhou, is His Highness alright?”
Slowly, Uncle Zhou withdrew his hand and looked at Si Zhan. Si Zhan maintained a proper smile, silent as he met Uncle Zhou’s gaze.
“Nothing serious,” Uncle Zhou finally said. “Your Highness doesn’t need to worry. The young prince has always been physically weak; he just needs some rest.”
Ning Wan Wan sensed something odd in the exchange between Si Zhan and Uncle Zhou. After offering some advice, Uncle Zhou prepared to leave with his medicine box. Feeling the illness was more complex, she seized the opportunity to ask him while seeing him out.”
“Uncle Zhou, did His Highness frequently cough up blood before taking the Fire Lingzhi?”
“The young prince has had a cold syndrome since childhood, making him more cold-sensitive than ordinary people. The most serious issue is that his cold syndrome, which initially occurred once every three months, has increased to several times a month. Each attack causes cold qi to accumulate in the chest. If warm qi cannot disperse the cold, blood coagulates, blocking the meridians and leading to continuous coughing up blood.”
Uncle Zhou sighed: “Each time the cold syndrome attacked, the young prince was tortured by the bone-chilling cold. Fortunately, the Fire Lingzhi given by the princess controlled his internal cold syndrome. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”
Si Zhan was stunned, probably not expecting Ning Wanwan’s question. His tense face relaxed, and his gaze at her was a mix of reproach, melancholy, and expectation. “Indeed, you don’t remember anything.”
Ning Wanwan was taken aback. “Did we really meet before?”
Si Zhan nodded. “Yes, we met and also… went through hardships together.” He stared at her intently after speaking.
Ning Wanwan frowned, trying hard to recall.
Si Zhan raised his eyebrows, a hint of grievance in his beautiful eyes. “I’m also curious why you don’t remember me at all.”
Ning Wanwan stammered, “Well, my grandmother said when I was ten, I had a high fever. Perhaps during that time, I burned my brain and forgot many things…”
Si Zhan smiled without speaking. This excuse might fool a child, but not him. He could understand her forgetfulness, as she was just a seven-year-old girl at the time.
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Ning Wanwan urged, “Quickly tell me, how did we know each other before?”
“It’s quite a coincidence, we met at a…” Si Zhan began, but his gaze drifted, lost in memories, a faint smile on his lips. Just as Ning Wanwan was about to listen closely, he suddenly stopped. The light in his eyes dimmed, and he sighed, “Forget it. It’s just an unbearable memory. Since you don’t remember, let’s not mention it.”
Feeling disappointed, Ning Wanwan saw that Si Zhan did not want to discuss it further, likely due to its painful nature.
The Empress Dowager looked displeased, glancing at Si Zhan and Ning Wanwan.
She picked up her teacup and warned, “Zhan’er, as a prince, continuing the royal lineage is a major matter. You cannot neglect this due to personal preferences.”
Zi Zhan scoffed and raised his head, speaking self-mockingly, “Mother is joking. Continuing the royal lineage is the matter of my brother and the crown prince. My body has no connection to offspring. So now, I…”
He paused and looked at Ning Wan Wan with tender eyes, “I only want to live a peaceful life with my princess consort.”
Ning Wan Wan understood that Zi Zhan was signaling to the Empress Dowager that he had no interest in imperial power and only wished to live peacefully, hoping she would spare them.
The Empress Dowager’s gaze darkened, silently observing Zi Zhan.
At that moment, a young eunuch burst into the hall, shouting, “Empress Dowager!”
The Empress Dowager frowned, reprimanding, “What impropriety is this?”
“Forgive me, Empress Dowager,” the eunuch prostrated himself.
The Empress Dowager took a sip of tea, set down her cup, and asked, “What is it?”
The young eunuch replied, “Supervisor Xu encountered Pure Consort on the way to Bao Ci Palace while looking for Snow Ball. For some reason, she suddenly fainted.”
Zi Zhan’s pupils shifted slightly as he lowered his eyes, maintaining a calm demeanor.
Si Suo abruptly stood from the throne, “What did you say? Pure Consort fainted?”
The young eunuch turned and kowtowed, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“How is she now? Where is Supervisor Xu?” Si Suo and the Empress Dowager asked in unison.
The young eunuch hesitated before responding, “Reporting to Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, Wan Shun has taken Supervisor Xu to Rui’en Hall to treat Pure Consort, so Supervisor Xu won’t come to Bao Ci Palace for a while.”
The Empress Dowager’s face darkened. This Pure Consort, always falling ill, seemed to use some bewitching tactics to win the Emperor’s favor, wishing to relocate all the imperial physicians to Rui’en Hall.
Si Suo said anxiously to the Empress Dowager, “Mother, I’ll go check on Pure Consort.” Despite her displeasure, she allowed him to go.
Ning Wan Wan furrowed her brow, lost in thought.
“Pure Consort? And Wan Shun… This seems too coincidental.”
Suddenly, Zi Zhan coughed, and she snapped back to reality, grabbing his hand nervously. “My Lord?”
“It’s nothing,” Zi Zhan said, smiling softly.
In that moment, Ning Wan Wan understood something. She urgently turned to the Empress Dowager, saying, “Mother, the Lord’s medicine needs to be taken every two hours. It’s about time now…”
The Empress Dowager looked at Zi Zhan, noticing his pale lips and poor complexion. Realizing Supervisor Xu would be delayed at Rui’en Hall, she said, “In that case, you may leave.”
They rose and bowed. After Zi Zhan led Ning Wan Wan away, Xu Man Yao stood up. Before turning, the Empress Dowager gave her a deep look. Anxiously, she took off her bracelet and hurried out.
The Empress Dowager’s eyes blazed with fury as she commanded, “I don’t want anything like that. I want absolute certainty! Use any method necessary, but you must implant the life-binding curse into Sihan’s body.”
“But, the King of Yi detests me as one of the Empress Dowager’s people, and I don’t even have a chance to get close to him,” Xu Manyao knelt before the Empress Dowager, kowtowing several times. She pleaded tearfully, “Your Majesty, I beg you, I truly do not want to harm anyone. Please let me and my brother Lu Chuan return to Miaojiang.”
The Empress Dowager helped Xu Manyao up and smiled softly: “I promise you, as long as you successfully implant the life-binding curse into Sihan’s body, I will release you and your lover.”
Xu Manyao replied, “But the King of Yi has ordered me to stay in the Qingwu Courtyard and not come within half a step of Zhuohua Courtyard. I really have no way to approach him.”
“If there’s no way, then find a way!” the Empress Dowager suddenly roared.
Xu Manyao was stunned by the Empress Dowager’s sudden change.
The Empress Dowager turned her back, threatening coldly: “I didn’t bring you from Miaojiang to be a concubine or a spy. What I want is Sihan’s life. If you can’t implant the curse, then you and your lover can leave your lives behind!”
Xu Manyao’s face drained of color.
*
