By the time Ziqing finished speaking, her words broken and faltering, everyone finally snapped back to their senses, every gaze turning toward her at once.
Every physician present looked utterly stunned, mouths agape in disbelief—this girl… she had clearly been unconscious, on the very brink of death, mere hours away from drawing her last breath!
How could she possibly be conscious now, how could she possibly be speaking, how could she possibly even know what was happening around her?
There was no mistaking her pulse readings—there was no way this could have been faked. So how had she suddenly regained consciousness?
Physician Chen was not merely shocked but thoroughly panicked, breaking into a cold sweat instantly. Any physician would recognize this wasn’t some final flicker before death—this was, without question, nothing short of a miracle, a genuine turn for the better!
Eunuch Yin, still holding the edict, was left utterly at a loss, unable to decide whether to proceed or retreat. Ouyang Jingshi, unable to contain herself any longer, cried out in shock, “Impossible! This is impossible!”
Amid the uproar, Ziqing and Jun Beiyue seemed to share an unspoken understanding, both entirely indifferent to everyone else around them. He held her, letting her head rest in the crook of his arm, and she gazed up at him, her pale, weakened face still gentle and demure. “Your Highness… please, please set Ziqing down… Ziqing can manage on her own.”
He didn’t bother summoning the physicians again, merely nodding, carefully setting her down and helping her kneel. He waited a moment, and seeing that she could kneel steadily on her own, he stepped back, saying flatly, “Eunuch Yin, everyone is now present. Will you proceed with the edict?”
Eunuch Yin’s hands trembled as he held the unfurled scroll, his mind utterly blank, at a complete loss for what to do. He could see plainly enough that Han Ziqing wasn’t going to die after all.
The Emperor’s plan had failed. If this edict were read aloud now, the Emperor would surely fly into a rage. Yet if he didn’t read it, here in front of everyone, in front of Prince Yao himself, he had no authority to simply withdraw the edict, nor could he undermine the Emperor’s credibility by making him appear to go back on his word—an imperial edict was hardly something to be read or withheld on a whim!
What on earth was he supposed to do?
Eunuch Yin was practically on the verge of tears with anxiety, the scroll visibly trembling in his hands, drawing a mix of confusion, worry, and morbid curiosity from those watching.
Left with no other choice, he shot a pleading glance toward Physician Chen for help, but Physician Chen deliberately looked away—if Han Ziqing didn’t die, Physician Chen himself would be in serious trouble.
Just then, Ouyang Jingshi suddenly lunged forward, shouting furiously at Eunuch Yin, “You are not permitted to read that edict—”
But before she could finish, Jun Beiyue’s voice cut in coldly, “Ouyang Jingshi, how dare you show such disrespect toward an imperial edict—does General Ouyang’s household intend to commit treason? Someone, seize her and report this to the Emperor for judgment!”
The moment these words left his mouth, the entire hall erupted into astonished murmurs. Anyone with a discerning eye could immediately see that Prince Yao had once again turned his attack toward General Ouyang’s household! Ouyang Jingshi froze on the spot, only now realizing what she had just done, too stunned to react even as the guards dragged her away.
“Eunuch Yin, the edict is already fully unfurled—surely you don’t intend to…”
Before Jun Beiyue could even finish his sentence, Eunuch Yin cried out in a panic, “By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees…”
It was indeed an edict of conferment—and moreover, one conferring the title of primary consort!
A single decree settled everything. As the edict concluded, Han Ziqing’s name would be formally entered into the imperial family register—she would officially, unquestionably become Princess Consort of Prince Yao, the rightful consort of the Fourth Prince!
If anyone had still dared to refuse to acknowledge her or insult her before the selection, then after this formal conferment, refusing to acknowledge her would be tantamount to defying the imperial edict itself, and insulting her would mean truly insulting a princess consort, an imperial prince’s wife—a crime that, depending on its severity, could mean anything from punishment to the extermination of nine generations of one’s family!
Everyone present was utterly stunned, yet none dared voice any further objection.
The hall fell into complete silence. Only Ziqing, her frail body so weak it seemed she might collapse at any moment, her face utterly devoid of color as though already at death’s door, knelt upright before the eyes of everyone present, bowing three times with composed, graceful dignity—far from appearing humble or diminished, she instead radiated an extraordinary presence. Without so much as another cough, she declared in one smooth breath, “I thank the Emperor for his boundless grace! Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!”
Only then did Prime Minister Han finally recover his senses, hastily leading everyone behind him in a unified chorus, “We thank the Emperor for his boundless grace! Long live the Emperor, long live, long live!”
Ziqing bowed three times more, refusing any assistance, rising to her feet on her own and accepting the edict with both hands, composed and dignified. “Thank you for your trouble, Eunuch Yin.”
Holding the edict in both hands, she turned to look at Jun Beiyue, offering a faint smile—showing no trace of illness at all, but instead radiant beyond compare in that single moment, breathtaking beyond words.
No one quite knew who recovered first, but soon congratulatory voices rang out, everyone rushing to offer their congratulations to Jun Beiyue, Ziqing, and Prime Minister Han alike. The stunned silence quickly transformed into a room full of celebration.
Eunuch Yin seized the opportunity to slip away as quickly as possible, while Physician Chen had already vanished entirely.
In front of everyone present, Jun Beiyue had several imperial physicians check Ziqing’s pulse once more.
“Wonderful news, Prince Yao! Her Highness’s condition has genuinely improved! Her Highness must be blessed by fortune itself—this truly is a miracle!”
“Congratulations, Prince Yao, many congratulations! Her Highness has indeed weathered this crisis. With proper care and rest, avoiding any further agitation, she’ll surely make a full recovery!”
…
Jun Beiyue’s brow remained furrowed, whether out of caution or simple disbelief, and he had three or four more physicians check her pulse in turn, only relaxing once they confirmed her consumption had genuinely improved.
Ziqing lay languidly nestled in his arms, inwardly smiling coldly to herself. The poison she herself had administered—how could it possibly be so easily detected? With so many physicians unanimously confirming her recovery, wouldn’t those two scheming old fools back in the palace be furious beyond words?
Once everything had been confirmed, Prime Minister Han, Madam Han, and even Han Xi’er, despite their simmering resentment, had no choice but to come forward with obsequious smiles—the situation had changed drastically now that the edict had been issued, and if they failed to read the room, they would only bring trouble upon themselves.
Just as Prime Minister Han was about to speak, Jun Beiyue suddenly rose to his feet with Ziqing still in his arms, preparing to leave without so much as a word of farewell.
“Prince Yao, please wait, please wait a moment…” He hesitated, stammering, unsure how to phrase what he wanted to say. Seeing Jun Beiyue’s brow furrow, Madam Han quickly spoke up instead. “Prince Yao, that Ziqing has earned your favor is a blessing our Han family has cultivated over three lifetimes! Now that… now that the wedding date hasn’t yet been set, perhaps… perhaps you might allow Ziqing to stay here a while longer, so we might discuss the wedding arrangements together.”
If Ziqing left now, there was no telling when they’d have another chance to speak with her, to say a few flattering words.
Jun Beiyue, however, refused. “No need. Once the date is set, this prince will send someone to inform you.”
With that, without even asking Ziqing’s opinion, he strode off decisively, carrying her in his arms. Ziqing, nestled against him feigning unconsciousness, paid the matter no mind at all, her eyes lowered, lost in thoughts of her own…