“Understood — I’ll go.” Nanmen Zhuo dipped his head, turned, and left.

“Young Master, I’ll go with you.” The guard turned and fell into step behind Nanmen Zhuo.

“Xiao Yingtao, stay and help. Zhao Yusheng, you go and take a look as well.” Feng Jiu’er began withdrawing the silver needles from General Cai’s body one by one.

Zhao Yusheng gave a nod and rose to his feet.

No one could fully grasp what Nanmen Zhuo was feeling — the surrendered soldiers he had brought back with such painstaking effort had, in the blink of an eye, been reduced to a single survivor.

Xiao Yingtao moved to General Cai’s side, crouched down, and helped with the treatment.

“Jiu’er, do you think it’s possible Nanmen Zhuo administered the poison?”

“The likelihood is not great.” Feng Jiu’er shook her head.

“Not great — but not entirely impossible either, is it?” Xiao Yingtao and Feng Jiu’er worked on General Cai’s acupoints from either side, one on the left and one on the right.

“Until the matter has come to light, who among the suspects is limited to Nanmen Zhuo alone?” Feng Jiu’er’s voice continued.

“Still, whatever one might say, it was we who took Yamu City. No one knows whether Nanmen Zhuo has truly submitted to us.” Xiao Yingtao pressed her lips together.

“If he still harbors resentment toward us, of course he would also want us and the Crown Prince to come to blows as quickly as possible.”

Feng Jiu’er took up a vial of medicinal liquid, placed the silver needles inside to soak, and continued working pressure points on General Cai’s chest.

“As things currently stand — if the Crown Prince truly attacks and breaks through, the soldiers of Yamu City are not ones he would spare either.”

“If one were to argue that Nanmen Zhuo is the Crown Prince’s man, that argument doesn’t hold up — have you forgotten that the Crown Prince gave us ten days?”

“If he truly intended to wage war, knowing the Crown Prince’s character, he simply would not have bothered to reply to the letter.”

Xiao Yingtao steadied her expression and fell silent, pressing the acupoints with firm concentration.

In the course of the two of them working together, General Cai brought up blood several more times.

Looking at the man barely clinging to life, Xiao Yingtao gave a faint sigh.

“Jiu’er, if he keeps bringing up blood like this, I’m afraid we won’t be able to save him.”

“There’s nothing to be done — the poisoning has gone on for too long.” Before the words had even finished leaving her lips, Feng Jiu’er continued to drive in needles.

While the needles were being administered, Xiao Yingtao could not help and could only sit to one side and wait.

She pondered in silence for a moment, then raised her gaze to look at Feng Jiu’er.

“Jiu’er, do you think it could be Feng Qingyin?”

“She can’t wait for the Crown Prince to send troops and attack us immediately. I think she is the most suspicious.”

“Suspicious is one thing, but everything must be decided by evidence.” Feng Jiu’er also let out a sigh. “At this rate, I’m afraid we won’t even have time to investigate.”

“Get ready — bring him back first and deal with it from there. Time is pressing, and we shouldn’t linger here.”

“Mm.” Xiao Yingtao rose to her feet and walked out.

Feng Jiu’er helped General Cai sit upright once more, placing her palm flat against the vital point on his back.

“General… Feng.” A voice, hoarse and rough, came from the man who had appeared to be unconscious.

Feng Jiu’er’s brow furrowed, and a current of true energy flowed from her palm and into his body.

“Don’t want to die? Then don’t speak!” She closed her eyes and warned him in a low voice.

“Don’t waste your… true energy on me. I know my own… condition.” General Cai’s breath was barely there, and every word that left him drained a fraction of his remaining strength.

Yet Feng Jiu’er paid him no heed and continued to channel energy into him.

“As a healer, I do not give up on a person lightly. If you don’t want to waste my true energy, you had best keep quiet!” Feng Jiu’er’s low voice rang out once more.

General Cai drew in a deep breath, his head lolled to one side, and he lost consciousness entirely.

In Zhan Yuheng’s war camp, Zhan Yuheng and Feng Qingyin were taking their meal together inside the tent.

The tent flap had not been drawn shut, and Qing Ye, as was his custom, stepped straight inside without ceremony.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.” He lifted his gaze and cupped his hands in salute.

“Qing Ye, can you not let Crown Prince elder brother eat a meal in peace? Must you come in and disturb him even at a time like this?”

Feng Qingyin shot Qing Ye a glare, then scooped up a piece of meat and placed it in Zhan Yuheng’s bowl.

“Speak.” Zhan Yuheng waved his hand.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince.” Qing Ye cupped his hands once more. “A scout has reported that the one thousand surrendered soldiers in the enemy’s hands have been entirely wiped out.”

With a clatter, the ladle in Feng Qingyin’s hand dropped onto the tabletop.

“How can this be? Were we not told there were ten days? Our army’s thousand soldiers — gone, just like that? Qing Ye, is this information reliable?”

“In reply to the Noble Consort, the information is reliable.” Qing Ye raised his gaze to glance at Feng Qingyin and gave a slight nod.

Shooting a sidelong glance at the person beside her, Feng Qingyin clenched her fist and covered her lips.

“Crown Prince elder brother, how could this happen? Did you not say you would give Jiu’er ten days?”

“How could you so disregard the lives of our brothers? Crown Prince elder brother — a thousand soldiers — they…”

Before she had even finished speaking, Feng Qingyin broke into sobs.

“I know you did it for our child’s sake, but I never imagined you would abandon our soldiers.”

“They went to the front lines without hesitation, all for the safety of our nation’s people. For us to treat them this way… it is far too heartless.”

“Crown Prince elder brother, I truly never thought you capable of this. Had I known, I would certainly have stopped you.”

Qing Ye looked at Zhan Yuheng, whose expression had grown dark, and then shifted his gaze to the weeping figure.

“In reply to the Noble Consort — His Highness the Crown Prince did indeed say he would exchange a ten-day ceasefire for the lives of the thousand surrendered soldiers. The letter was sent by me personally.”

He drew in a deep breath and turned his gaze back to Zhan Yuheng.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince — the letter was sent out the moment you gave the order.”

“It has been four hours since then. If the bird encountered no trouble, the other party should have received it by now.”

“Then did Jiu’er send a reply?” Feng Qingyin asked in a hoarse voice. “Did she find ten days insufficient?”

“If she was dissatisfied, could she not simply have negotiated further with Crown Prince elder brother? There was absolutely no need to resort to killing.”

Qing Ye gave a nod and cupped his hands.

“In reply to the Noble Consort, this subordinate has indeed received no reply from the other side.”

“How did they die?” Zhan Yuheng, who had been silent all along, spoke in an exceptionally low and heavy voice.

He gripped the cup in his hand, his gaze darkening ominously.

“In reply to Your Highness the Crown Prince, the scout reports that the soldiers all died from poisoning.”

With a sharp crack, the cup in Zhan Yuheng’s hand was crushed to pieces in his grip.

“Crown Prince elder brother.” Seeing fresh blood seeping from Zhan Yuheng’s fingertips, Feng Qingyin immediately produced a silk kerchief and closed her hand over his.

“Qing Ye — summon the imperial physician. Crown Prince elder brother is injured. Qing Ye — quickly! Summon the imperial physician! Crown Prince elder brother is injured!”

Feng Qingyin shot to her feet in agitation, gripping Zhan Yuheng’s injured fingers tightly.

“Prepare for battle!” Zhan Yuheng rose to his feet and pulled his hand free from Feng Qingyin’s grasp.

Feng Qingyin was knocked off balance, barely managing to catch herself by gripping the table’s edge.

“Crown Prince elder brother.” Watching the man walk away, her eyes were brimming with tears.

Yet Zhan Yuheng did not slow his steps and continued toward the exit.

Qing Ye dared not delay and immediately turned to follow as Zhan Yuheng passed by him.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince — does this matter not warrant investigation?”

“Do you think there is any other possibility?” Zhan Yuheng strode out of the tent, leaving behind only a single low, laden sentence.

Left alone in the empty tent, Feng Qingyin half-narrowed her eyes, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile laced with killing intent.