The Xuanqing Prince’s Manor.
Today, an unusual stillness hung over the manor, yet beneath this silence lurked a sense of chaos, breeding an inexplicable atmosphere of anxiety. The study doors remained tightly shut, with two guards standing rigid watch outside. A beautiful woman stood before the doors, seemingly cursing something. She held a steel whip, striking the two guards forcefully, apparently trying to enter, but the guards remained unmoved. Despite the whip’s lashes, they wouldn’t let anyone pass.
“Move aside! I’m going in to save him!” the beautiful woman cried out in frustration when she couldn’t break through.
“Our apologies, Princess, but these are the Prince’s orders,” one guard responded.
The woman was Irina. Upon hearing this, she erupted in anger, “I am your Princess Consort! Princess Consort! How dare you disobey my orders!”
The guards remained steadfast, while several servant girls sweeping the courtyard exchanged knowing looks. Though this Western Rong Princess had moved into the Xuanqing Prince’s Manor and claimed the title of Princess Consort, the Prince rarely met with her. They often saw her storming about, demanding to know the Prince’s whereabouts from servants. The Prince showed no interest in this Western Rong Princess, having almost no interaction with her. Compared to his treatment of Fourth Young Lady Zhuang, the difference was stark. These maids, having lived in great households for years, naturally understood this reflected the Prince’s lack of interest in Irina.
People, especially servants, are typically skilled at reading the winds of favor. Seeing this Western Rong Princess out of favor, combined with Irina’s terrible temper and frequent abuse of servants, they gradually began to resent her, even secretly working against her. One should never underestimate household servants—though they might seem insignificant when it comes to causing trouble, they could inflict countless hidden injuries.
Irina grew increasingly anxious in this environment. Fu Yunxi’s cold attitude was one thing, but now even the servants were uniting against her. Back in Western Rong, everyone had flattered and praised her nobility and beauty, unlike now. Behind her back, servants called her a trophy from a defeated nation. Though furious, what could she do beyond punishing those who spread rumors? The gossip continued regardless—she couldn’t kill all the servants, even if she wanted to. She lacked that authority in the Xuanqing Prince’s Manor because Fu Yunxi wouldn’t support her.
Irina knew she had been able to move into the manor and replace Zhuang Han Yan because she could treat Fu Yunxi’s cold poison. Though she couldn’t cure it completely, she could at least provide some relief. But Fu Yunxi had refused. Irina knew he wasn’t just refusing her insect venom—he was refusing her. He would rather die than be with her. Thoughts of Zhuang Han Yan filled her with jealousy and resentment. Though she had left the manor and rumors circulated about her and Irina’s royal brother, tarnishing her reputation, why did her shadow linger everywhere?
Fu Yunxi’s condition had worsened significantly since his injury in the street. He had been bedridden these days, with the Imperial Physician visiting several times before finally taking up residence in the manor. Fu Yunxi’s days might be numbered if he continued refusing her insect venom—he could very well die. Irina wanted to save him, but he wouldn’t even see her, keeping her barred outside by guards.
She felt hatred, resentment, and pain, but was powerless to change anything.
“Fu Yunxi, you’ll regret this!” After these words, Irina stormed out of the courtyard, with the surrounding maids exchanging glances before reluctantly following.
Inside the study.
Cheng Lei sat at the desk, his expression unreadable between joy and anger: “She’s gone.”
“Mm.” The person on the bed responded flatly.
“You’ve cut off all hope,” Cheng Lei said emotionally. Nearby, Imperial Physician Wu busied himself with herbs, filling the study with a thick medicinal fragrance. Only the figure reclining on the bed, wearing just a long underrobe, remained still. The white garment emphasized his pallid complexion, its loose folds spreading across the floor, making him appear even thinner.
Seeing Fu Yunxi’s silence, Cheng Lei continued, “Why torture yourself like this? You’re at a critical point, and she knows nothing. Why keep the Western Rong Princess out? Even if you don’t like her, let her treat your illness first—we can figure out how to deal with her later.” The priority now was treating the illness, and the Princess could help. Cheng Lei thought principles needn’t always be maintained.
“She can’t cure me,” Fu Yunxi said, his expression serene, showing no trace of sadness.
“How do you know without trying?” Cheng Lei raised his voice. He disliked this version of Fu Yunxi, calmly accepting death. This wasn’t like him at all. Even in dire battlefield situations, he had never spoken this way.
“You fear becoming dependent on the insect venom, don’t you?” Imperial Physician Wu, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke. Fu Yunxi paused slightly but said nothing. Cheng Lei asked curiously, “What dependency?”
“The Western Rong Princess’s insect venom can counter cold poison, using poison to fight poison. But the insects remain in the body, requiring nurturing, feeding on the host’s flesh and blood, burrowing deeper. These insects aren’t harmless—with frequent use, people become dependent and addicted. Missing one dose causes unbearable pain throughout the body. More importantly, these insects gradually damage one’s consciousness.” At this point, Imperial Physician Wu glanced at Fu Yunxi: “You fear becoming addicted after using the insects, and even more, you fear your consciousness becoming clouded, leading you to do things you shouldn’t.”
Fu Yunxi neither confirmed nor denied this, which was as good as the agreement.
This was the first time Cheng Lei had heard such an explanation. Shocked at first, he quickly became dejected: “Then the insect venom is unusable. If a grown man becomes daily dependent on tiny insects, wouldn’t the Western Rong Princess gain leverage over Yunxi? Later, with his mind unclear, he might fall under her control.” He said angrily, “Why do Western Rong people always resort to such evil, unnatural methods!”
Yet even if it was an evil method, it could at least save Fu Yunxi. Now that the insect venom wasn’t an option, would Fu Yunxi just sit and wait for death? His condition worsened daily, becoming increasingly lethargic, sleeping entire days away. Cheng Lei worried that one day he might not wake up at all. But Fu Yunxi remained remarkably calm about it all, as if unaware of how critical his situation was. He still instructed Cheng Lei to handle various matters properly. He was always meticulous—even if he were gone one day, things wouldn’t fall into chaos. Those who needed to die would be trapped beforehand.