Tiangyuan trembled in fear. It was an open secret throughout the court that the Crown Prince wasn’t destined for longevity. All these nobles had been waiting for His Highness’s death to fight over the Eastern Palace and the realm, and now there was also the matter of the Princess.

“Just thinking about those who harbor such intentions…” Xiao Huayong’s deeply concealed pupils suddenly grew dark. “Makes me want… to kill them all.”

Tiangyuan’s back went cold. He knew well that His Highness wasn’t joking. He hurriedly said, “Your Highness, you must trust the Princess. She’s not that kind of person.”

In fact, not only was the Princess not that type of person, she didn’t even want to marry in the first place. If possible, she would probably prefer to grow old alongside the Prince of the Northwest and the Heir Apparent. If such a Princess were to become a widow, it would likely be a lifelong commitment.

Xiao Huayong’s expression softened slightly, but he remained silent. No one knew what he was thinking.

The competition field was bustling with activity. By now, Princess Yangling had emerged from the palace. Her face was dark, her mind filled with the words she had heard earlier. She hadn’t done anything inappropriate, and her affair with Munuha had been Shen Xihe’s scheme.

She had inexplicably become pregnant, and the Emperor had forced her to abort. She hadn’t had her monthly cycle for a month, and after taking the medicine, she indeed bled. She had been wondering what went wrong all this time, and only now did she realize that she might have been manipulated by Shen Xihe again.

Shen Xihe’s goal was to keep her under control. If Munuha learned of this matter, he would surely claim that she had schemed against him that day, and he might not marry her. Everyone who needed to know about her affair with Munuha already knew – if she couldn’t marry Munuha, who could she marry?

Those from lesser families couldn’t protect her – Shen Xihe had even killed Noble Lady Liang!

She had to find evidence of how Shen Xihe had harmed her and expose Shen Xihe before the Emperor. This was her only way to survive!

She had cornered the Imperial Physician who had misdiagnosed her and extracted information about where such medicine could be bought. She wanted to send someone but feared her people had been bought by Shen Xihe, especially after what happened last time with Munuha – that had been because Shen Xihe had bought off one of her palace maids.

However, that palace maid had already committed suicide, and she could do nothing. When she sent people to investigate the maid’s hometown, she discovered the maid’s family had been in trouble. Shen Xihe had given her a choice: one life for another.

With this precedent, she didn’t dare send anyone. As for whether the Imperial Physician was lying to her, she didn’t think he would dare – she had evidence of his misdiagnosis! If the Imperial Physician dared deceive her, she would present the evidence to the Emperor. When it came to matters of life and death, the Imperial Physician wouldn’t dare mislead her.

But Princess Yangling never imagined that this trip outside the palace would be her last.

She had barely entered the medical clinic arranged by Shen Xihe when, not long after, Munuha also came in.

Munuha had been forced to leave the field, and his mood was extremely poor. Those around him wouldn’t stop chattering, but he couldn’t let them know his condition – otherwise, they would no longer follow him. A prince who couldn’t have heirs didn’t even qualify to compete for the throne.

After ordering everyone not to follow him, Munuha wandered alone through the streets. He was trying hard to remember when he had been attacked, and who had used such an underhanded method against him when he overheard street doctors whispering with someone.

They were selling virility medicine. He was about to walk away when he heard the buyer secretively asking if there was a medicine that could help impotent men regain their potency.

The street doctor made a few teasing remarks and then demanded a large sum of money before mysteriously leading the person in a certain direction. Munuha inexplicably followed them and watched them enter a medical clinic.

After hesitating for a moment, he also entered the clinic. Faced with the doctor’s questions, he couldn’t bring himself to speak. The doctor thought he didn’t understand the Han language and said he would find a translator, asking him to wait, but Munuha stopped him – he didn’t want this matter to become known.

They were at an impasse when the person who had come with the street doctor earlier walked out with a delighted expression, carrying medicine. Munuha immediately pointed and said, “I want the same medicine as him.”

The doctor finally showed a look of understanding, his gaze sweeping down to Munuha’s lower body. Before Munuha could get angry, the doctor invited him inside: “Please come in for an examination. Medicine can’t be prescribed carelessly – even the same symptoms might not be caused by the same illness.”

Munuha followed him in, and the doctor asked him to wait a moment while he fetched a specialist.

Sitting in the room, Munuha noticed an incense burner releasing spirals of smoke. His thoughts were all on the hope of curing his condition, and he even found the fragrance particularly sweet and pleasant. He couldn’t help but take a deep breath.

Soon he felt his whole body growing weak. Realizing he had been tricked again, he immediately stood up and reached for the whistle on his person. But his hand holding the whistle dropped powerlessly before he could bring it to his lips, and he collapsed.

Before losing consciousness, he realized that both times he had been attacked involved incense…

“The Princess said this incense’s effect won’t last long, we must give him some sleeping draught,” Mo Yuan ordered, and the doctor administered the prepared draught to Munuha.

“General, rest assured. The dose is slightly higher than normal – he should wake up in about half an hour,” the doctor said after administering it.

“Proceed according to the Princess’s instructions,” Mo Yuan nodded, then hoisted Munuha up. Carrying him, he waited for the signal from the back door guard, confirmed no one was around, and quickly left through the back, followed by someone carrying Princess Yangling.

As the polo match was nearing its end, someone with a pale face hurriedly came to whisper something in Liu Sanzhi’s ear. Liu Sanzhi’s expression became grave as he carefully went to find Emperor Youning. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Youning’s face darkened, and he abruptly stood up.

At this moment, Wang Erlang on the field had been pushed to a position directly opposite Xiao Huayong. Emperor Youning’s standing had drawn everyone’s attention, and his dark expression had caused the game to stop.

It seemed someone hadn’t noticed and was still passing the ball, sending it directly to Wang Erlang. Faced with the incoming ball, Wang Erlang instinctively swung his mallet, sending the ball flying toward Xiao Huayong. The crowd immediately burst into shocked cries.

Emperor Youning, who had been about to leave, turned back to look, his gaze turning cold. Shen Xihe also involuntarily stood up.

As the ball approached Xiao Huayong’s face, Tiangyuan chopped it apart with one palm. Before people could sigh in relief, the shattered ball released some white powder that sprayed onto Xiao Huayong’s face, causing him to immediately faint.

“He’s fainted again…” Shen Xihe said expressionlessly.

She suddenly realized that Xiao Huayong’s fainting was similar to whenever she used incense – it never meant anything good and was surely part of some scheme against others.

Her gaze followed the ball’s trajectory to the person who had fallen from his horse with a thud.

Finding him somewhat unfamiliar, she asked Zhenzhu, “Who is that?”