Fafa replied: “But what the Prefect had not anticipated was that Mu Xi, after marrying Mu Rong, failed to conceive for several years. In the end, with no other recourse, he had no choice but to bring Yi’an back and have him adopted under Mu Xi’s name.”

Fafa: “In the book, Mu Xi was deeply grateful to Mu Rong for not despising her inability to conceive, and the two of them lived in devotion to each other for the rest of their lives. Little did she know, her infertility was caused by Mu Rong himself — and for that, Mu Rong had even harmed Mu Cheng, who had known the truth.”

Fafa: “Mu Xi spent her entire life believing she was happy, and died without ever knowing. Mu Rong never took a concubine and treated her well. On her deathbed, Mu Xi pledged her next life to him as well.”

Fafa: “In truth, everything Mu Rong did was for Xiao Yi. Deceiving Mu Xi was only ever to give Yi’an a mother — because Mu Xi felt guilty toward Xiao Yi, she would naturally treat Yi’an well.”

Yan Yunning frowned. “How did Xiao Yi die?”

Fafa: “Xiao Yi had hired assassins to kill Mu Xi. At that time she was only a few months from her due date. The assassins she hired were no match at all for the guards of the Minister of Revenue’s residence.”

Fafa: “She reasoned that since the assassins were hired by herself, they would not truly harm her. So she made a show of shielding Mu Xi from a sword thrust, hoping to win Mu Rong’s sympathy and affection. But it resulted in premature labor, and she did not survive.”

Yan Yunning: “…… She brought it upon herself. So Mu Rong never knew the truth? Xiao Yi died giving birth to his child at what should have been the height of their love, and so he spent his whole life scheming against Mu Xi?”

Fafa: “Yes, my lady.”

“But hasn’t the wedding of Mu Xi and Mu Rong not taken place yet? What happened today?” Yan Yunning rubbed her temples with a headache.

Fafa: “My lady, a deviation from the original story must have occurred. In the book, Yan Shiyao never brought Yi’an back to the Prime Minister’s residence, and there was never any incident of Mu Rong going mad and wounding all of you.”

Fafa: “Now that Mu Xi knows Yi’an’s true identity, given Mu Xi’s nature, she is certain to call off the engagement — which is not a bad outcome at all, brought about by accident. Mu Xi can now find real happiness.”

“Second Young Miss Yan.” Ye Jian did not knock — he simply pushed open the side room door without ceremony.

Yan Yunning looked at him. “What is it?”

“Second Young Miss Yan, you should go and check on His Highness quickly.” Ye Jian could barely restrain himself from grabbing Yan Yunning by the arm and pulling her along.

Yan Yunning gripped the edge of her sleeve. “What’s the matter with him?”

“He… he — His Highness is almost treating Qilan as if it were Xuanzhao. Mu Rong is the son of the Prefect. If he has committed offenses, they should be handled by the garrison magistrate’s court, not by His Highness.”

This was Qilan — not Xuanzhao!

If something went wrong because of Mu Rong, how were they to extract themselves from this?

Yan Yunning looked at him in confusion. “?”

“Second Young Miss Yan, please follow me.” Ye Jian went ahead to lead the way, moving at a brisk pace, and brought Yan Yunning to the uppermost side room, opening the door.

At the scene before her, Yan Yunning felt a tightness seize her chest. Mu Rong was trembling, curled in on himself, blood still dripping from his palm — the wound placed precisely where Mu Rong had cut her own hand. Except his wound was far more severe than hers. His fingertips were shaking, and there was not a trace of color left in his face, his eyes filled with nothing but despair.

Xuan Yanyu slowly twirled his long sword, clearly far from finished.

“Ye Jian, take her out.” The man’s voice was low and rough.

She had a timid constitution and still came running to look.

“Second Young Miss Yan, let’s go, let us step outside.” Ye Jian turned his back to Xuan Yanyu and gave Yan Yunning a meaningful look.

“Xuan Yanyu.” Yan Yunning called out softly, her voice sweet and coaxing. “Will you walk me back?”

A flicker passed through Xuan Yanyu’s eyes. He stared at Mu Rong crouching on the ground for a long while. “Follow Ye Jian back.”

Yan Yunning shook her head. “I don’t want to go back with him. Walk me back yourself.”

“I have matters to attend to. Ye Jian, take her back.” Xuan Yanyu turned his gaze to Ye Jian, his displeasure unmistakable.

“What matters?” Yan Yunning stepped closer to him and said under her breath in a mock-disgruntled tone, “If you won’t walk me back, then I’m not leaving.”

“Yan Yunning, he wounded A’Yao.” Xuan Yanyu bent close to her, his voice low and unhurried. “This Palace is avenging this Palace’s Crown Princess.”

Yan Yunning: “……”

“Go back.” The man straightened, and tapped her lightly on the head.

“What revenge are you taking on my sister’s behalf? Send him to the garrison magistrate’s court and let the magistrate avenge my sister.”

Xuan Yanyu gave her a sidelong glance.

“……” Yan Yunning closed her hand over the hand that held the sword, her fingertips deliberately tracing light strokes across his fingers. “Enough. Look how heavily he’s been wounded — he’s worse off than my sister.”

Xuan Yanyu looked at her blankly, and with a cold face said curtly, “Out.”

Yan Yunning pressed her lips together and thought carefully back over what he had just said. “Yan Yunning, he wounded A’Yao.” “This Palace is avenging this Palace’s Crown Princess.”

She had not misunderstood, had she? Why was he displeased now?

He was currently angry at her — and the Crown Princess he spoke of could not possibly be referring to her.

“Ye Jian!”

“No need for Ye Jian.” Yan Yunning snatched the sword from his hand and tossed it to Ye Jian. “Send Mu Rong to the garrison magistrate’s court. He wounded the daughters of the Prime Minister’s household and the Minister of Revenue’s household. The magistrate would not dare cover for him.”

The magistrate would not risk offending her father and the Minister of Revenue’s household for the sake of the Prefect, and what’s more, her brother served at the side of the Qilan King — the magistrate would know what to do.

Ye Jian took the sword. Without a word from Xuan Yanyu, he did not dare to act.

“Let’s go.” Yan Yunning took Xuan Yanyu’s hand and pulled him outside.

She dragged him along all the way until they walked into the side room where Yan Shiyao was.

“Why has A’Yao not yet woken?” The man looked visibly anxious. “Why has she still not come to?”

Yan Yunning pursed her lips. He was making his noise from so far away from her sister’s bed — if he truly cared, why not go to her bedside and look in on her?

“Yan Yunning, why hasn’t A’Yao woken yet? She…”

“Ah — my hand… my hand really hurts.” Yan Yunning’s brow creased sharply, and she let out a sudden low cry.

“Imperial Physician Wen, get in here.” Xuan Yanyu bellowed at the door.

Yan Yunning bit her lip. He had rented out the entire floor of the inn, so he was not disturbing anyone else — but there was a patient lying on the bed. What was the point of him shouting like that?

“Your… Your Highness.” Imperial Physician Wen came running in from the adjacent side room, a pair of chopsticks in his right hand, grains of rice still clinging to his beard, without time to compose himself.

“Your Highness, this humble subject has erred.” Imperial Physician Wen dropped to his knees on the floor with a thud.

Though he had no idea what wrong he had committed, when His Highness the Crown Prince was furious, it was certainly because he had done something wrong.

“If even a sword wound cannot be properly treated — after Xuanzhao has cultivated you all these years, you cannot even mend a sword wound? This Palace ought to appoint someone else to the post of imperial physician.” Xuan Yanyu’s voice was cold as ice, the fury in his eyes impossible to contain.

Imperial Physician Wen shuddered. “Your… Your Highness, First Young Miss Yan is only sleeping. She will wake by early morning tomorrow.”

Xuan Yanyu’s temper flared. “This Palace speaks of Yan Yunning. Such a minor wound — why does she still feel pain?”

Imperial Physician Wen’s mouth twitched inwardly. His Highness himself had called it a minor wound!

And yet he had been so anxious before, insisting that Second Young Miss Yan be bandaged first.

Though these thoughts ran through his mind, his outward expression was one of alarm. “Your Highness the Crown Prince, this is impossible. This humble subject used the finest analgesic available. Second Young Miss Yan should not still be feeling pain.”

Yan Yunning felt rather awkward. She had simply not wanted to listen to Xuan Yanyu speak in affected, hollow pleasantries, so she had feigned pain to interrupt him — she had not expected it to come to this.