“Mistress! Oh no! Imperial Physician Gu, come quickly!” Hongyi cried out in alarm, rushing to help Ziqing up. But Ziqing subtly pushed her hand away—the motion was gentle, but it made Hongyi freeze in place, not daring to move again. Imperial Physician Gu stopped short as well.

Ziqing’s face was set with stubborn resolve as she let the blood trickle freely down, dripping onto her long lashes. She didn’t even blink, her gaze fixed with bitter scrutiny on Chu Feiyan.

Silent, wordless, yet radiating an unmistakable air of accusation that made Chu Feiyan feel small and guilty, as though that gaze alone could pierce her through with a thousand holes—she couldn’t even meet it directly, couldn’t even bear to glance at it from the corner of her eye.

Chu Feiyan sat frozen in her chair, with nowhere left to retreat, her body leaning back further and further until she nearly toppled backward, chair and all. Fortunately, Consort Yi rushed to steady her, pressing a hand firmly on her shoulder to help her regain her composure.

Consort Yi, after all, had spent decades navigating the treacherous waters of palace life. She lacked Chu Feiyan’s overbearing arrogance, but possessed a decisiveness Chu Feiyan sorely lacked.

She couldn’t quite read Han Ziqing’s true intentions, but it likely came down to one of two possibilities: either she was yielding to Chu Feiyan, taking the injury herself to shield Imperial Physician Gu from harm, or she was seizing this opportunity to openly break with Chu Feiyan—which would also scuttle the very mission Prince Nanzhao had personally entrusted to them.

Consort Yi was gambling—betting that Han Ziqing wouldn’t sabotage this mission. Last time she’d gone to Nanzhao herself, she’d nearly had her true origins discovered, and this time, with Jun Beiyue agreeing to go himself, he would surely use the opportunity to search for the secrets of the Lonely Isle.

Han Ziqing wasn’t the type to lack patience—how could she possibly throw away such a golden opportunity over Chu Feiyan’s provocations?

“Someone, what are you all standing around for? Hurry and help the princess consort up! Imperial Physician Gu, examine her at once! What kind of service is this? When Prince Yao returns, he will surely hold you all accountable!”

Consort Yi scolded furiously, personally stepping forward to help Ziqing up. But Ziqing subtly pushed her hand away too, rising to her feet on her own, then suddenly leaned forward toward Chu Feiyan!

Chu Feiyan flinched violently, nearly crying out for help. She couldn’t deny it—she was terrified of that look in Han Ziqing’s eyes, that stubborn, accusatory look, determined to see this through to the end. She genuinely feared what Han Ziqing might do to her!

Believing she had lost her gamble, Consort Yi threw caution to the wind, squeezing in between them to plead, “Princess Consort, the princess imperial didn’t mean it—she meant to punish the servant, never expected you would fall like that. Princess Consort, please be magnanimous, don’t let this sour relations between us!”

“Exactly, exactly! Prince Baxian, hurry and mediate this, don’t let the misunderstanding grow worse. With Prince Yao away, you must take charge!” the Second Prince immediately pushed the responsibility onto Prince Baxian.

Only then did Prince Baxian come back to himself, hurrying forward but not daring to touch Ziqing, pleading, “Princess Consort, it’s all a misunderstanding, let’s not sour relations over this.”

But Ziqing paid no attention to anyone, her voice cold as ice. “Let go.”

At this, Consort Yi instinctively released her grip at once, unable to control herself. Chu Feiyan, who had been rising, froze mid-motion, and under Ziqing’s cold scrutiny, with nowhere to escape, every hair on her body stood on end, terror bringing her to the verge of tears!

Prince Baxian too was thoroughly cowed by Ziqing’s icy tone, not daring to say another word.

The room fell utterly silent, no one knowing what might happen next, the tension unbearable.

Suddenly, Ziqing took a step forward. Chu Feiyan, terrified, immediately dropped back into her seat, staring at Ziqing in fear, unable to utter a single word.

But Ziqing showed no violent reaction at all, her eyes filled only with stubborn resolve, saying word by word, “Princess Imperial, Prince Yao has a cleanliness compulsion. The Prince Yao estate never keeps guests overnight—there are no guest rooms. Do you understand clearly?”

“Y-yes… yes, I understand,” Chu Feiyan stammered, the answer coming almost involuntarily, her mouth moving before she could stop it.

“Then does the princess imperial have any other business at the Prince Yao estate?” Ziqing asked again, with utmost seriousness.

“N-no! None!” Chu Feiyan certainly didn’t dare claim otherwise now!

“Then please, princess imperial, take your leave. After such a long, tiring journey, you should rest. Once Prince Yao returns, we’ll arrange the departure plans,” Ziqing said, stepping aside to let her pass.

Chu Feiyan rose timidly, took a few hesitant steps, and the moment she was clear of Ziqing’s immediate presence, as though fearing Ziqing might change her mind, she practically fled through the door in a panic. She didn’t even bother with a proper farewell, not daring to so much as glance back at Ziqing, hurrying away in a rush.

Only then did Ziqing turn a cold gaze on Consort Yi and Jun Beichen, asking coldly, “And you two?”

“N-nothing’s wrong here, we just came along to see the princess imperial off, that’s all!”

“Princess Consort, please tend to your wound quickly, we’ll… we’ll take our leave first.”

Consort Yi and the Second Prince hurried out one after the other. Though not quite as undignified as Chu Feiyan’s flight, they moved swiftly enough, nearly stumbling in their haste.

Ziqing’s expression remained resolute throughout—under her watch, no one at the Prince Yao estate would be bullied, not by anyone.

Only once every last figure had vanished from sight did she finally turn, immediately bracing one hand against the table to steady herself. Being struck on the head by such a heavy bronze mirror—how could that not leave her dizzy?

“Mistress, please don’t scare this servant like this… Mistress, you… please sit down right now!”

Hongyi was so frantic she could barely form coherent words, tears streaming down uncontrollably. Imperial Physician Gu, with no time to spare for gratitude, hurried forward as well. “Your Highness, please bear with it—this wound isn’t shallow, it’s going to hurt.”

But Ziqing paid it no mind at all—she’d endured far worse injuries than this; why would something so minor concern her?

“I’m fine. Where’s the burn medicine? Hurry and treat her,” she said urgently, taking hold of Hongyi’s right hand. The tea that had spilled earlier hadn’t landed on Chu Feiyan at all—it had all scalded Hongyi’s own hand, red and swollen and burning. The girl had been quietly enduring it this whole time as though nothing had happened.

Hearing Ziqing’s words, Hongyi’s hand ached, but her heart ached even more, and she suddenly burst into loud sobs, unable to say anything at all, just crying.

“What are you crying for? They’re all gone now, aren’t they? Imperial Physician Gu, treat her wound,” Ziqing said, displeased, frowning—which immediately sent a sharp pain through her forehead, making her eyes twitch involuntarily.

But Hongyi glanced at Ziqing and, undeterred, only cried harder.

She wasn’t crying from being scolded—she was crying from the ache in her heart, hating herself for being so useless, for giving Chu Feiyan the opening she needed.

Seeing Hongyi like this, Ziqing sighed helplessly, leaning back wearily. It was the usually mild-tempered Imperial Physician Gu who suddenly snapped, “Have you finished your crying yet? Hurry and apply the medicine—Her Highness is waiting for you!”

At this, Hongyi immediately quieted down, knowing she could never win an argument with her mistress, and hastily let Imperial Physician Gu apply the medicine.

Ziqing watched silently, unconsciously frowning again from the pain, gently touching the wound, thinking to herself: when would Jun Beiyue finally come back?

Just then, a figure suddenly rushed in, stopping abruptly before Ziqing—it was none other than Yingzi, who had just brought the poison master back and had run into the fleeing, disheveled Chu Feiyan at the doorway, nearly scaring him witless.

He hadn’t even properly looked at Ziqing yet, blurting out in his panic, “Princess Consort, you didn’t do anything to the princess imperial, did you?”