The imperial physicians in the palace had all said that his eyes had no hope of regaining sight in this lifetime.
Now, just falling into water could make him see again? Such a strange occurrence seemed impossible.
"Summon Prince Xian for an audience, and bring the palace physicians to examine him."
Qi Tan complied, "This old servant will go summon His Highness Prince Xian at once."
Xuanyuan Yan had already anticipated being summoned by Xuanyuan Sheng. He tidied his attire and followed the palace attendants to the imperial court.
In Yangxin Hall, several venerable old imperial physicians stood with bowed heads, awaiting Xuanyuan Sheng's orders.
Xuanyuan Yan entered the hall, "This younger brother pays respects to Your Majesty."
"Third Brother, no need for such formalities. I hear that after falling into water, your eyes can now see. Is this true?"
Xuanyuan Yan replied, "In response to Your Majesty, it is indeed true."
"I have specially summoned the imperial physicians to examine Third Brother. Your ability to see again is truly fortunate," Xuanyuan Sheng said warmly.
Xuanyuan Yan responded, "Your Majesty is most kind."
"Imperial Physician Lin, come check Prince Xian's pulse and see if his eye affliction has truly been cured."
Imperial Physician Lin approached Xuanyuan Yan nervously, "May I request Your Highness to extend your hand."
Xuanyuan Yan complied, and Imperial Physician Lin took his pulse before bowing to Xuanyuan Sheng.
"Your Majesty, although Prince Xian's eye condition has improved, his body has been weakened over the years and still requires rest and recuperation."
Upon hearing Imperial Physician Lin's words, Xuanyuan Sheng looked at Xuanyuan Yan.
"If that's the case, Third Brother should heed the physician's advice. Rest well and focus on recovering your health. If you need anything, inform the Imperial Medical Office directly."
Xuanyuan Yan sat to one side and said, "Thank you for Your Majesty's concern. If there are no other matters, this younger brother will take his leave."
"You may go," Xuanyuan Sheng waved his hand.
After Xuanyuan Yan left, Xuanyuan Sheng turned to Imperial Physician Lin, "Did you notice anything unusual about Prince Xian regaining his sight after falling into water?"
Imperial Physician Lin replied, "According to his pulse, it seems Prince Xian has been taking some medications to help restore his vision over the years."
"Those medicines are warming in nature and require long-term use to be effective."
"This time, when Prince Xian fell into water, the shock stimulated the effects of the medicines in his body, thus turning misfortune into a blessing and allowing him to see again."
"I understand. You may withdraw." Was it really just an accident?
After the physician left, Xuanyuan Sheng felt somewhat uneasy.
"Qi Tan, have someone keep an eye on Prince Xian and report any unusual activity immediately!"
Before, when he was blind, Xuanyuan Sheng didn't think he could cause much trouble. But now the situation was different, and it was better to be cautious.
Qi Tan replied, "This old servant will dispatch someone to watch Prince Xian right away."
"Qi Tan, what kind of person do you think Prince Xian is?"
"...This old servant does not know Prince Xian well, but as the saying goes, 'you may know a man's face but not his heart.' It's not a bad idea for Your Majesty to be extra cautious."
Having served by Xuanyuan Sheng's side for five years, Qi Tan knew how to respond to his questions, and it was best to go along with his inclinations.
In Changle Palace, Yan Lan supported Murong Yan as they strolled in the courtyard.
"My Lady, how are you feeling today?"
Murong Yan touched her belly, "This child is quite well-behaved, not giving me much trouble."
"The little prince will surely become a great support for My Lady in the future," Yan Lan said.
"I hope it's a boy." So he won't have to live as difficult a life as she did.
Yan Lan replied, "My Lady's wishes will surely come true."
"Where has His Majesty been resting these past few days?" Murong Yan suddenly asked about Xuanyuan Sheng.
Yan Lan answered, "His Majesty recently encountered Consort Mei, and has been resting in her palace these past few days."
"Consort Mei, she does have some skills."
Last time she failed in her attempt to drag Murong Yan down by drugging Qin Yuchuan, and now she had regained the Emperor's favor.
Yan Lan said, "This Consort Mei appears indifferent on the surface, but she has many tricks up her sleeve!"
"It's said that since entering the palace, she's always maintained a cool and aloof attitude towards His Majesty. No doubt she's using this push-and-pull tactic to keep His Majesty obsessed with her."
"My Lady, if you find her disagreeable, this servant can help you deal with her."
Murong Yan shook her head, "No need to waste energy on such matters. We have more important things to do. How are things at the border?"
"The situation is not optimistic. Nanwu has fallen, and the Third Prince was never skilled in military strategy. If it weren't for General Rong acting as his military advisor, the casualties would have been even more severe."
Murong Yan said, "We must act now."
"But My Lady, the child in your womb..." Yan Lan was very concerned.
Murong Yan replied, "I will protect the child. Notify our people to enter Shengjing as soon as possible and proceed according to the previous plan."
Yan Lan wanted to say more, but seeing Murong Yan's determined expression, she ultimately remained silent.
...
At Jing University, spring had arrived, dispelling the harsh winter cold. Everything was bursting with life.
Shen Hanyue picked up a flyer from somewhere and handed it to Feng Qingyi.
Feng Qingyi took the flyer and looked at it, "Why are you showing me this?"
Shen Hanyue exclaimed, "Look at the prize money – 500,000 yuan! Aren't you tempted?"
"...Oh, and then what?" Feng Qingyi replied indifferently.
Shen Hanyue took back the flyer, "This is 500,000 yuan we're talking about! Don't you want it? I think with your painting skills, winning first place shouldn't be a problem at all."
"You certainly have a lot of confidence in me." For this type of major competition, there would be many strong contenders. Even making it to the finals would be quite an achievement.
Shen Hanyue insisted, "Tomorrow is the registration deadline. Hurry up and sign up online. I have complete faith in you."
"I'll think about it," Feng Qingyi took the flyer.
At that moment, Lou Xi approached them carrying a stack of colorful flyers.
"Take a look at these and see if there's anything you're interested in. You can register for some of them first."
Shen Hanyue flipped through the flyers, "What's going on this year? There are so many competitions!"
"There are competitions every year, but this year they're concentrated in the spring. The ones on top are organized by various school clubs and societies, they don't carry much weight."
"The ones at the bottom are the academic and technical competitions that the school values more. Winning these can be beneficial for various aspects of your future. You might want to consider them," Lou Xi explained.
Feng Qingyi took a few flyers from the bottom and looked at them. There were competitions for college student mathematical modeling, programming design, robotics, and more.
"Hanyue, do you have any thoughts?"
Shen Hanyue shook her head, "I think I'll pass on these. There will be so many experts participating, I'd just be cannon fodder. I know my limits, so I won't go join the crowd."
Lou Xi pulled out the mathematical modeling competition flyer, "Qingyi, let's team up for this one."
"Alright, typically these big competitions require a team of three. Who should we find as the third person?" Feng Qingyi asked.
Lou Xi thought for a moment, "We still have plenty of time, we can look for someone gradually."
"...How about asking Qiu?" Feng Qingyi suggested.
Lou Xi replied, "I've already asked her. She's signed up for the literature competition, so there's a scheduling conflict."
Shen Hanyue said, "This modeling competition doesn't specify that we have to find someone from the Mathematics Department. You could look in other departments, like Computer Science, since they're the experts when it comes to programming."
