Prince Yan was still in the Eastern Palace.
After two days of joint investigation with the officials from the Ministry of Justice, Prince Yan finally extracted the identity of the mastermind behind the assassination attempt from the two captured assassins.
The assassins who targeted Prince Yan were from the Yue Kingdom, and they had colluded with a mysterious faction from the Qing State, aiming to kill both Prince Yan and the Crown Prince.
However, for now, it remained unclear whether this faction from the Qing State had any connection to Prince Heng.
At the lunch table, the Crown Prince sighed deeply, visibly exhausted. "Aside from the Imperial Concubine and Prince Heng, I can't think of anyone else who would want to kill us brothers."
As he spoke, the Crown Prince was overcome by another fit of violent coughing, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.
Prince Yan quickly patted his brother's back and handed him a cup of light tea. "Brother, leave the matter of the assassins to me. Focus on recovering your health first."
The Crown Prince's illness was worsening. He coughed every night, and his condition was barely stabilized by the medicines from the Imperial Hospital.
Prince Yan was deeply concerned and had been sending people to search for Mo the Divine Physician in the martial world. However, the elusive physician was hard to track. It was said that he had recently been spotted in the Yue Kingdom but had disappeared shortly after.
The Crown Prince sipped some tea to soothe his throat, and the coughing subsided for the moment. He brushed it off casually, "It's just a minor ailment, nothing serious. Let's continue our meal."
The lunch at the Crown Prince's residence was naturally exquisite. A maid stepped forward and ladled two spoonfuls of fish soup into the Crown Prince's bowl. The Crown Prince loved eating rice soaked in crucian carp soup. Just as he was about to take a bite, Prince Yan suddenly spoke up, "Brother, eating rice soaked in soup is bad for your stomach. You should avoid doing that in the future."
The Crown Prince looked at Prince Yan with disbelief. "Yuanjing, you never used to know that 'soup-soaked rice harms the stomach.' Where did you hear that?"
Prince Yan, who spent most of his time riding horses and practicing archery, had even fought at the border in his youth, making him somewhat of a rough man. It was only after assisting the Crown Prince with official duties that he gradually adopted some refined habits.
But when it came to meals, he could still be quite careless.
Prince Yan replied, "Shen Wei told me. She said that soup-soaked rice puts extra strain on the stomach and can easily lead to stomach problems."
At the dining table, Shen Wei often shared such dining habits with Prince Yan, and over time, he had been subtly influenced by her.
Shen Wei's main concern was for Prince Yan to live a long life by adopting healthier eating habits and not die prematurely from stomach ailments.
The Crown Prince, recalling the fragrant barbecued meat Shen Wei had prepared, couldn't help but chuckle. "Your concubine seems deeply devoted to you. During the Eastern Mountain hunt, she braved the wilderness to find you despite all obstacles. Since you favor her, make sure to protect her and keep her safe."
Prince Yan replied, "She lives in my palace, right under my watch. Nothing will happen to her."
The inner courtyard of Prince Yan's palace was as calm as stagnant water—lifeless and devoid of the usual conflicts among wives and concubines.
Shen Wei enjoyed Prince Yan's favor, and aside from the occasional newcomer who didn't understand the situation and tried to provoke her, it was unlikely that the Princess Consort or the other concubines would target her.
The Crown Prince put down his chopsticks, reminiscing about the distant past. "Yuanjing, don't underestimate the cruelty of women in the inner courtyard. My late Crown Princess and I are the perfect example."
The Eastern Palace was filled with concubines, but the Crown Prince had favored only his gentle and dignified Crown Princess.
The Crown Prince had assumed that, given her esteemed position, the other women in the palace wouldn't dare to harm her. However, a few years ago, the Crown Princess, who had finally become pregnant, unexpectedly went into premature labor at eight months and painfully gave birth to a daughter.
The Crown Princess's health was severely damaged, and she was unlikely to conceive again. Their daughter, born prematurely, was frail and sickly from birth.
The Crown Prince found the situation suspicious and ordered a secret investigation. It turned out that three of his concubines had conspired to induce the Crown Princess's premature labor! They had even bribed the midwife, intending to kill the Crown Princess.
That was the first time the Crown Prince truly realized how ruthless the struggles among women could be. The concubines, who usually appeared cultured and polite, would stop at nothing to compete for favor, revealing their ugly sides.
The Crown Prince warned meaningfully, "Yuanjing, remember my words—appearances can be deceiving."
Prince Yan lowered his gaze and nodded slowly.
...
After leaving the Eastern Palace, Prince Yan rode back to his own palace. Along the way, he couldn't stop thinking about the Crown Prince's words.
Prince Yan was quite fond of Shen Wei and naturally wanted to protect her.
In the inner courtyard of his palace, the Princess Consort was preoccupied with her two children, and the concubines like Liu Ruyan rarely left their quarters.
Prince Yan believed Shen Wei's situation was safe, and no one would harm her.
Upon returning to the palace, Prince Yan stepped over the threshold and instinctively glanced at the eaves. On any other day, Shen Wei would be standing there, eagerly awaiting his return.
But today, the bright sunlight illuminated the empty space beneath the eaves.
Where was she?
"Perhaps she overslept and forgot the time?" Prince Yan chuckled to himself and strode toward the direction of the Glazed Pavilion. He wanted to see what had delayed the little lady.
The Glazed Pavilion was quiet in the afternoon. Ji Xiang and De Shun, two young eunuchs, were watering the vegetable garden, while Cai Lian and Cai Ping were sweeping the white jade mat. Looking toward the lotus pond and pavilion, there was still no sign of Shen Wei.
On such a hot day, would she really be napping in the stuffy rooms?
Prince Yan raised his hand to stop the maids and eunuchs from announcing his presence and quietly walked to the bedroom of the Glazed Pavilion.
In the summer, the clever Shen Wei had decorated the bedroom to feel refreshing. The curtains had been replaced with vibrant green bead curtains, creating a pleasing sight.
On the desk, a vase held freshly cut lotus flowers, filling the room with a delicate fragrance. However, Prince Yan noticed that the lotus flowers had already wilted—they must have been placed there the day before.
Strange. Shen Wei usually replaced the flowers daily. Why had she forgotten today?
Prince Yan approached the bed, where Shen Wei lay curled up under a thin mint-green silk blanket.
She seemed to be asleep.
Prince Yan smiled faintly, confirming that she had indeed overslept. He didn't disturb her and gently adjusted the blanket to cover her properly.
As his gaze swept over Shen Wei's wrist, Prince Yan's pupils contracted sharply. He noticed two distinct red marks on her fair skin.
"Your Highness, you're back," Shen Wei stirred awake, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Her beautiful eyes slowly opened, still tinged with red from exhaustion.
Prince Yan grasped her wrist, his voice low. "Why are there red marks on your wrist?"
A flicker of panic crossed Shen Wei's eyes, and she stammered, "This morning, I went to the White Tiger Temple to pray for blessings. Perhaps I was scratched by some leaves—Your Highness, I've obtained a protective charm for you."
Shen Wei deliberately shifted the topic awkwardly.
Prince Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Meanwhile, Shen Wei had already retrieved a sachet from the bedside, containing the protective charm she had obtained.
Shen Wei forced a smile. "Your Highness, the protective charms from the White Tiger Temple are the most effective. If you carry this with you, you'll surely be safe from any assassins."
Prince Yan held the sachet, but his gaze remained fixed on the red marks on Shen Wei's wrist. As someone trained in martial arts, he could tell that the marks were from being bound with rope.
Just as Prince Yan was about to press further, Granny Liu's voice came from outside the room. "Your Highness, the Princess Consort requests an audience."
Hearing Granny Liu's voice, Shen Wei's slender frame trembled slightly. This subtle reaction did not escape Prince Yan's notice.
Prince Yan was puzzled. Why would Shen Wei be afraid of a servant?
Shen Wei had already lowered her head, unconsciously rubbing the red marks on her wrist. Her timid demeanor reminded Prince Yan of a tabby cat he had raised in his youth.
That little cat had gone missing for ten days before being found, bearing signs of abuse. Prince Yan had investigated for a long time but couldn't uncover who had harmed his beloved pet.
Until one day, when Prince Heng came to visit. The moment the tabby cat saw Prince Heng, it shivered in fear.
Shen Wei's current demeanor was strikingly similar to that little tabby cat.
"Shen Wei, accompany me to the main hall," Prince Yan said, taking her hand.
As he held her hand, Prince Yan noticed a thin layer of sweat on her palm.
Shen Wei and Prince Yan walked to the main hall of the Glazed Pavilion, where the Princess Consort was already waiting. Behind the Princess Consort, two maids were restraining two bound individuals.
Prince Yan took his seat at the head of the hall, and a maid respectfully served him a cup of tea. Prince Yan picked up the teacup, his gaze sweeping over the two bound figures. His eyebrows raised slightly.
"Who are these two?"
