But Second Young Miss Yan had also been wounded — so why was she unharmed?

“Poison?” A faint tremor stirred in Xuan Yanyu’s chest. He studied Yan Yunning’s complexion carefully. “Do you feel any discomfort?”

Yan Yunning shook her head. “No.”

“Your Highness, could it be that Second Young Miss Yan’s wound wasn’t serious enough, and that’s why she’s all right?” Ye Chen offered his analysis.

Xuan Yanyu’s voice grew taut. “Go ask Mucong — what exactly was done to the blade.”

Ye Chen replied, “Your Highness, the Secretariat’s manor sent people to the prefectural yamen first thing this morning. Ye Jian went along as well, and by now he has likely returned to the inn to report to Imperial Physician Wen.”

Xuan Yanyu turned to look at Yan Yunning and said gently in a soothing tone, “I’ll go to the inn to check on things. You stay here and wait nicely — don’t worry, everything will be fine.”

He would not let anything happen to her.

Yan Yunning gave a nod. “Go on then.”

After Xuan Yanyu left the chamber, Yan Yunning leaned back in the wooden chair, tilted her head up, and gazed at the ceiling beams. [Fafa, what’s going on now?]

Fafa: [You’ve been poisoned. In the book, it’s Mu Cheng who gets poisoned — that’s why she passes away.]

Yan Yunning sat bolt upright. [My A’Jie and Second Young Miss Mu were both stabbed with poisoned blades — so why am I fine?]

Fafa: [Mistress, maybe you’re just lucky?]

Yan Yunning: […]

……

The inn.

Ye Chen pushed open the wooden door, and he and Xuan Yanyu stepped inside.

In the room, Ye Jian stood holding the antidote, exchanging hesitant glances with Imperial Physician Wen — neither dared to administer it to Yan Shiyao.

“Your Highness.”

“Your Highness.”

The two gave respectful bows.

Xuan Yanyu’s gaze settled on Yan Shiyao, whose face looked haggard and wan. “What happened?”

“Your Highness, Mucong had applied poison to the blade. The eldest young miss of the Mu family retrieved two vials of antidote from Mucong and gave one to this subordinate.” Ye Jian’s hand holding the antidote was faintly damp with sweat. “This subordinate asked the eldest young miss of the Mu family — Mucong has only these last two vials of antidote.”

“What poison?” Xuan Yanyu’s brow tightened further.

Ye Jian said, “This subordinate doesn’t know.”

Xuan Yanyu hooked his fingertip around his jade thumb ring and glanced toward Imperial Physician Wen. “You don’t know either?”

Imperial Physician Wen bent at the waist, looking somewhat ashamed. “Your… Your Highness, this old subject couldn’t tell.”

He hadn’t detected that the eldest young miss was poisoned yesterday at all; it was only when he took her pulse this morning that he realized. He couldn’t determine anything at a glance — he needed a bit more time.

The man tapped the jade thumb ring on his finger. Fury crept over his handsome face.

“Your Highness, this old subject is incompetent.” Imperial Physician Wen was so frightened he dropped to his knees on the floor, trembling as he said, “Your Highness, give this old subject some time — this old subject will certainly be able to produce the antidote.”

“Go to the prefectural yamen and bring Mucong out. This palace will question him personally.” Xuan Yanyu held his anger in check.

“Your Highness.” Ye Jian’s body went rigid for a moment. “Going to the prefectural yamen to take someone out — wouldn’t that be provoking Qilan?”

The prefectural yamen was the equivalent of an imperial prison. To go in and take someone out at will — wasn’t that tantamount to disregarding the Qilan Emperor entirely, slapping the Qilan Emperor in the face?

“So what? What can the Qilan Emperor do to this palace?” The man’s tone was overbearing.

The hand Ye Jian held the antidote with grew even sweatier.

“Your Highness, before you came to Qilan, Prince Xuan instructed this old subject to have you restrain yourself and not go……” Catching Xuan Yanyu’s cold, ominous gaze, Imperial Physician Wen swallowed the rest of his words.

Prince Xuan had said he had no plans to attack Qilan at the moment, and had asked him to keep an eye on His Highness and ensure no trouble was stirred up.

He hadn’t dared to say so, but Prince Xuan couldn’t even keep His Highness in line himself — asking him to do so was frankly laughable.

“Cough.” On the bed, the still-unconscious Yan Shiyao coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The blood at the corner of her mouth made her complexion look even more ghastly pale.

“Your… Your Highness, shall we give the antidote to the eldest young miss? Second Young Miss Yan appears to be unharmed.” The moment the words left his mouth, Ye Jian’s heart rate quickened.

The words had barely fallen when he felt a chill wash over him.

“Give it to Yan Yunning.” The man said without a moment’s hesitation. “Her appearing unharmed may be only that — an appearance.”

Her wound was lighter, which perhaps only meant it hadn’t yet taken effect. He couldn’t take the risk.

Ye Jian lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.

Xuan Yanyu turned to look at Imperial Physician Wen, still kneeling on the floor. “Find a way — you cannot let anything happen to Yan Shiyao.”

Imperial Physician Wen’s scalp prickled. In such a short time — how was he supposed to find a way?

This wasn’t Xuanzhao’s Imperial Physician Court; medical supplies were scarce and manpower limited. How was he supposed to produce something in such a short time?

“Your Highness, the eldest young miss cannot wait for this old subject to produce an antidote. But Second Young Miss Yan… she can wait.” Imperial Physician Wen wiped the perspiration from his forehead. “Your Highness, this old subject believes Second Young Miss Yan was not poisoned — the poison on the blade was entirely absorbed by the eldest young miss and Second Young Miss Mu……”

“You believe?” Xuan Yanyu’s expression was impatient. “Go produce the antidote and spare us the unnecessary words.”

“Your Highness……” Imperial Physician Wen was still on the verge of offering a few more words of counsel.

Xuan Yanyu’s dark, cold gaze swept over him.

Imperial Physician Wen rose on trembling legs. “This old subject will begin at once.”

He didn’t even know what the poison was — how was he supposed to produce an antidote?

Ye Jian looked at Yan Shiyao on the bed, her breathing faint and shallow. While Xuan Yanyu’s attention was fully on Imperial Physician Wen, he tightened his grip on the antidote, strode quickly to the bedside, and administered it to Yan Shiyao.

Watching her swallow it down, Ye Jian’s hands shook even more violently.

“Ye Jian, what are you doing?” A single kick from Xuan Yanyu connected squarely with Ye Jian.

Merciless, the blow sent Ye Jian clutching his chest, curling up in pain on the floor.

“Your… Your Highness, this subordinate knows he was wrong.” Ye Jian’s gaze lost its focus.

In all the time he had followed His Highness, this was the first time His Highness had been like this with him.

“You dare defy this palace’s orders.” The man’s lips curved into an icy smile. The dagger at his waist plunged into the back of Ye Jian’s hand. “Defying this palace for the sake of Yan Shiyao?”

Ye Jian bit down hard against the pain. “Your… Your Highness, this subordinate feared Prince Xuan would assign blame.”

The eldest young miss could not wait. If something happened to the eldest young miss, there would be no way to account for it to Prince Xuan.

Prince Xuan would not bear to punish His Highness. He and Ye Chen would inevitably become Prince Xuan’s outlet for that anger.

Whereas Second Young Miss Yan wasn’t in serious danger — she could wait a little.

“Your Highness, please spare Ye Jian.” Ye Chen’s voice was trembling. He fell to his knees on the floor and repeatedly knocked his head against the ground with heavy, resounding thuds. “Please, Your Highness, spare Ye Jian. He will never dare do this again.”

“Please, Your Highness, spare Ye Jian. He knows he was wrong.”

Looking at Ye Chen’s forehead turning red, Ye Jian’s eyes burned with an aching sting. His Highness wouldn’t let him stay by his side anymore……

“Your Highness, he knows his mistake, he truly does.” Ye Chen pressed down the sourness rising in his throat.

“Your Highness, please calm yourself — if this matter becomes too large, the Chancellor will come to see the eldest young miss after court, and then… please spare Ye Jian for now.” Imperial Physician Wen added his voice to the pleading.

“All of you, be quiet.” Xuan Yanyu fixed his gaze on Ye Jian, his voice cold with fury. “If anything happens to Yan Yunning, this palace will not forgive you. Return to Xuanzhao. From this moment on, you are no longer needed at the Crown Prince’s residence — your post will be taken over by Ye’an.”

Ye Jian’s heart stopped for a single beat. He had originally thought His Highness would only refuse to keep him at his side……

He hadn’t expected that His Highness… would not want him at all. From now on, he and Ye Chen would likely never see each other again.

“Leave.”

“This subordinate takes his leave of Your Highness.” Ye Jian knelt on the floor and touched his forehead to the ground in a deep bow. Tears streamed from his eyes, beyond his control.

Ye Chen turned his head away, eyes reddening.