HomeAfter I Bloom Hundred Flowers DieChapter 691: Unless He's Not the Crown Prince

Chapter 691: Unless He’s Not the Crown Prince

Afterward, Xiao Huayong visited the Princess Imperial of Ruyang’s residence. Though Shen Xihe didn’t know how he persuaded them, both the Princess Imperial and Xiao Fuhing agreed. The Princess Imperial even personally visited the Eastern Palace to meet with her, entrusting Shen Xihe to help reconcile with Bu Shulin, acting as if she didn’t know Bu Shulin was female, truly seeking a marriage arrangement.

Just as Shen Xihe was planning when to meet Bu Shulin, Xie Yunhuai returned and requested an audience with her and Xiao Huayong.

The once-refined gentleman now appeared somewhat unkempt. His once jade-like complexion was even darker than the weathered lords from the northwestern deserts. Yet his eyes remained bright and clear, his tall, slightly thin frame wrapped in blue robes, resilient like bamboo, radiating an open-minded generosity from within.

“Crown Prince, Crown Princess, I’ve brought someone back from beyond the frontier to diagnose the Crown Prince,” Xie Yunhuai announced with enthusiasm.

Shen Xihe’s heart leaped with joy. Xie Yunhuai’s reaction suggested progress with Xiao Huayong’s mysterious poison. She couldn’t hide her delight: “Quickly, bring them in.”

The benefits of Shen Xihe’s control over the inner palace became apparent – she could admit anyone into the palace. Otherwise, they would need to request permission from His Majesty and obtain a token from the palace authorities.

Xie Yunhuai brought in a tall, robust man with striking facial features and extremely dark skin. Though Shen Xihe had been to Shunan and seen many dark-skinned people, she had never seen anyone this dark. He spoke in a language Shen Xihe couldn’t understand, yet Xie Yunhuai conversed fluently with him in this strange tongue.

The physician didn’t check Xiao Huayong’s pulse but requested a bowl of water with coarse salt, asking Xiao Huayong to add some blood to it.

“I borrowed Lang Jun Qi’s ship and sailed out to sea, accidentally encountered a storm, and drifted to a mysterious land where I met local tribespeople. Ale is their tribe’s physician. When I discussed Your Highness’s strange poison with him, he showed me an insect – the poison in Your Highness’s body is made from roasting this insect’s eggs,” Xie Yunhuai briefly explained. “Now, Ale wants to confirm if this is the poison in Your Highness’s body and how deep it has penetrated.”

Xiao Huayong stood, wiped his palm with a warm plain cloth, and took a knife that had been sterilized with strong alcohol from Tianyuan. Without changing expression, he cut his palm and held his fist over the bowl, letting the blood drip in.

His blood appeared normal at first glance, but closer inspection revealed it was thicker than usual, spreading very slowly when it fell into the water.

Ale shook his head as he watched, pulled out a leather pouch from his awkwardly worn robe, and added a drop of unknown liquid to the bowl, then gestured to Xiao Huayong that enough blood had been added.

Xiao Huayong opened his hand, and Xie Yunhuai quickly cleaned the wound, applied styptic powder, and bandaged it efficiently.

Meanwhile, Ale stared intently at the bowl. The blood gradually changed color, with golden light floating atop the dark red as if someone had sprinkled gold powder on the surface.

“How can this be?” Shen Xihe’s expression grew serious.

Xie Yunhuai began questioning Ale, who frowned deeply as he responded.

Xie Yunhuai asked something else with some urgency.

Ale raised both hands, shaking them at Xie Yunhuai, speaking words neither Shen Xihe nor Xiao Huayong could understand.

Xie Yunhuai’s gaze faltered before he turned to Xiao Huayong: “Ale says Your Highness has been poisoned for a long time. He will do his best.”

Though steady Xie Yunhuai’s words and actions revealed no flaws, he faced Shen Xihe and Xiao Huayong, who both sensed there was more to it.

Before Shen Xihe could ask, Xiao Huayong spoke first: “Ruogu, did you receive Youyou’s letter?”

Xie Yunhuai quickly asked: “What did the Crown Princess need?”

He hadn’t received it – his return was coincidental.

“Cui Shaoqing has been poisoned. Neither Zhenzhu nor Axi know what to do. Elder Linghu Zheng is traveling and cannot be found. Since Ruogu has returned just in time, I must ask you to postpone your rest and visit the Cui residence,” Xiao Huayong said. “Zhenzhu and Axi are at the Cui residence. They said they could only keep Cui Shaoqing stable for five to seven days, and four days have already passed.”

Indeed, there was no time to waste. Xie Yunhuai said: “I’ll go to the Cui residence right away.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Xiao Huayong said, and seeing Shen Xihe step forward, he turned to her: “Youyou, stay in the palace in case anything happens.”

Shen Xihe gave Xiao Huayong a deep look before agreeing as he wished: “Alright.”

Xiao Huayong left with Xie Yunhuai and Ale, who followed closely. Once outside the palace gates, they all rode in Xiao Huayong’s carriage. He asked: “Can my poison be cured?”

Xie Yunhuai met Xiao Huayong’s calm, deep gaze. His eyes held hidden brilliance, like concentrated moonlight, as deep and unfathomable as the night. After a pause, he answered truthfully: “Ale says this poison doesn’t kill immediately upon entering the body, but gradually erodes it. The poison transforms as it penetrates deeper, going through five stages of transformation, requiring five different stages of treatment with different methods for each stage.

The poison in Your Highness’s body has reached a critical point. Though their tribe has studied this poison’s cure for generations, no one has yet found a way to break the final stage.”

They had come too late. Earlier, Ale could have managed the cure, but now he had no solution.

Xiao Huayong closed his eyes, his long lashes casting shadows beneath them, trembling slightly. When he opened them again, his eyes showed both clarity and unfathomable depths: “Is there truly no way, no hope at all?”

Xie Yunhuai looked at Ale and conversed with him briefly. Ale couldn’t help glancing at Xiao Huayong, admiring his composure in the face of imminent death. He spoke quietly to Xie Yunhuai.

Xie Yunhuai’s expression remained grave: “Their tribe has proposed some methods to try, though many have failed. There are still two untried methods…”

“How can we try them?” Xiao Huayong asked.

Xie Yunhuai hesitated before saying: “The methods are somewhat horrifying, and one mistake means death with a mutilated body…”

Hearing this, Xiao Huayong understood. The methods likely damaged the body. As Crown Prince, he represented the inviolable dignity of their dynasty. Even for treating illness and neutralizing poison, such violation couldn’t be tolerated. His Majesty could honorably refuse. Moreover, with these untested methods, His Majesty wouldn’t agree, and secret treatment wouldn’t work – he would surely need long-term care and recovery.

Unless he wasn’t the Crown Prince.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest Chapters