A sudden realization dawned on Xiao Huayong – he had never understood how Shen Xihe always managed to guess his identity, but now he knew!

It was the bathing fragrance!

Due to his poisoning, he was a walking medicine cabinet. If he weren’t truly taking medicine, he couldn’t have fooled His Majesty for so many years. The medicines were real, and he had to take them, which left a strong medicinal scent on his body.

Every time he disguised himself, he would bathe in fragrant water to wash away the medicinal smell. He hadn’t expected that while this fooled others, it failed to deceive her alone.

The fragrance after bathing wasn’t strong – at least neither Tianyuan nor he could smell it – but that didn’t mean Shen Xihe couldn’t detect it.

So was this heaven’s will?

Of all people, it had to be her, and only her!

To confirm his suspicion, Xiao Huayong asked softly: “You knew the Dai Wang’s consort met Fourth Brother also because of this…”

Shen Xihe nodded gently: “Everyone has a different scent to me. Even with the same incense and perfume ingredients, I can detect differences in proportions. Yesterday, the Dai Wang’s consort had… Fourth Prince’s usual sandalwood scent and the smell of burning incense.”

Shen Xihe was being honest about this based on their future long-term cooperation. She could deceive him now, but after marriage, living together day and night, someone as intelligent as Xiao Huayong would surely notice. Since it couldn’t be hidden forever, there was no point in being mysterious about it.

Xiao Huayong’s heart was caught between ice and fire. The cold part was knowing he was finished – with Shen Xihe’s sensitivity to scents, she hadn’t yet seen the agarwood bracelet from his coming-of-age ceremony. Such premium agarwood was rare, and he was currently using agarwood derived from the same sandalwood root, with identical scents.

As soon as she saw the bracelet, his identity would be exposed.

The burning part was that Shen Xihe would voluntarily reveal her gift to him, which meant his recent actions must have moved her somehow. Otherwise, given her personality, even knowing she couldn’t hide it forever, she wouldn’t have told him in advance.

For the first time in his life, he felt such panic. He wanted to tell her everything but couldn’t muster the courage. She had only just begun to warm up to him slightly – if he opened up about this now, wouldn’t everything return to square one?

The gentleness she had shown him was so scarce that having tasted just a little, he feared losing it again.

He knew he couldn’t hide it forever, knew that being honest now might be the best opportunity, knew that such concealment was wrong, but he was too attached to this slight kindness from her. He just wanted to enjoy it a moment longer, that was all.

“I…” His mouth opened with difficulty, but the words stuck at his lips. He despised himself and hated himself for this, but the inexplicable panic in his heart made him swallow the words he wanted to say.

“Your Highness, are you unwell somewhere?” Shen Xihe noticed Xiao Huayong’s sudden pallor, with fine sweat beading on his forehead. Very worried, she immediately stood up to support his arm.

“Axi, Zhenzhu…” Shen Xihe called out hurriedly.

“Yaoyao, I…” Xiao Huayong opened his mouth, only to cough up a mouthful of black blood.

“Not good, His Highness’s poison is acting up!” Tianyuan’s face drained of color as he shouted outside, “Quick, summon the Imperial Physician-in-Chief—”

Xiao Huayong clutched Shen Xihe tightly before suddenly fainting.

“Your Highness!” Shen Xihe’s face changed in fright.

Zhenzhu and Sui Axi disregarded proper etiquette and hurried forward. They both checked Xiao Huayong’s pulse simultaneously, exchanging confused glances. Sui Axi took out silver needles to diagnose Xiao Huayong while Zhenzhu ran to write a prescription, handing it to Tianyuan: “Quickly get these medicines, and tell the kitchen to boil several vats of water. His Highness’s cold poison is flaring up.”

Xiao Huayong’s internal poison was already most severe and difficult to control in winter, but sudden emotional turmoil had caused the poison to run wild. Fortunately, Sui Axi was present, otherwise the Crown Prince’s situation would have been dire.

“Why is His Highness’s body so cold?” When Xiao Huayong fainted, he fell into Shen Xihe’s arms, his hand still gripping her. Shen Xihe didn’t pull away. This was her first time experiencing his poison attack – he was as cold as winter snow, terrifyingly so.

“This happens when His Highness’s poison flares up,” Tianyuan said, managing to calm down somewhat as he watched Sui Axi apply needles.

By the time the Imperial Physician-in-Chief arrived from the Imperial Medical Office, sweating profusely, Sui Axi had already finished applying needles. He warmed his hands before checking Xiao Huayong’s pulse again, his eyes full of despair: “Why did His Highness suffer such emotional turmoil?”

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Even Shen Xihe didn’t know why – he seemed to have thought of something that triggered the poison attack.

Tianyuan had some guesses but dared not speak.

Unable to determine the cause, the Imperial Physician-in-Chief couldn’t do much. He asked about Zhenzhu and Sui Axi’s treatment plan, finding their suggestions quite precise: “I had considered medicinal baths and acupuncture to open meridians, but opening the meridians is extremely risky…”

The acupoints that needed to be needled could be fatal if handled incorrectly. The Imperial Physician-in-Chief wasn’t worried about his own life, but rather that he didn’t have more than fifty percent confidence. Placing Xiao Huayong in a bath while maintaining a high water temperature would create steam, making needle placement rely mostly on touch – visual guidance might not be accurate enough.

Sui Axi glanced at Shen Xihe: “I have seventy percent confidence.”

“Try it then,” Shen Xihe looked at Xiao Huayong in her arms, who was ice-cold without any warmth of a living person.

Just as the medicinal bath was prepared, the Empress Dowager and Emperor Youning arrived after hearing the news. After learning what had happened, both their expressions darkened.

“Only seventy percent confidence?” Emperor Youning was displeased.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble servant only has seventy percent confidence,” Sui Axi maintained under the emperor’s angry gaze.

Emperor Youning turned to look at Shen Xihe, then asked the Imperial Physician-in-Chief: “Are there any other options?”

“His Highness’s poison flared up unusually violently this time. If not for the capable people by the Princess’s side applying needles in time, I’m afraid…” The Imperial Physician-in-Chief dared not speak the inauspicious words.

“Treat him, let them treat him!” The Empress Dowager made the final decision, and spoke sternly to Sui Axi, “Proceed with the treatment freely, neither His Majesty nor I will blame you.”

Then, the Empress Dowager turned to Emperor Youning: “Your Majesty, since Seventh Son is fond of Shaoning, and I’ve heard Shaoning has asked Your Majesty for marriage. Rather than choosing another day, why not grant their marriage now?”

Shen Xihe glanced at the Empress Dowager but said nothing.

Sui Axi and Zhenzhu were Shen Xihe’s people. The Empress Dowager openly relieved their pressure so they could focus on treatment. Yet by asking Emperor Youning to arrange the marriage at this moment, she was guarding against Shen Xihe secretly harming the Crown Prince.

Once they were betrothed, if anything happened to the Crown Prince during treatment by Shen Xihe’s people, even if she and Emperor Youning didn’t punish them for failing to save him, they could still make Shen Xihe remain faithful to Xiao Huayong for life!

In the royal family, no one was simple.