Consort Wei did not pretend ignorance. Instead, she gave a bitter laugh and sighed softly. “Why would Your Majesty go to such lengths? Surely one Consort Li hasn’t made Your Majesty lose faith in this concubine and the other sisters as well?”
“This concubine wouldn’t presume to speak for what is in others’ hearts. All this concubine knows is that for as long as she lives, she belongs to Your Majesty. As long as Your Majesty does not tire of her even for a single day, she will remain by Your Majesty’s side.”
Consort Wei tilted her head up slightly, her face full of tenderness, her eyes brimming with deep affection.
What man in this world could refuse such gentle, devoted affection?
Especially a man whose heart had just been wounded so deeply by betrayal from someone close to him?
Much of the killing rage and fury in the Emperor’s heart dissolved away in that moment. His expression softened unconsciously, and he reached out to take Consort Wei’s soft hand in his. “Good. As long as you devote your whole heart to me, I will never let you down.”
A glint of moisture flashed in Consort Wei’s eyes, her voice catching with emotion. “That Your Majesty places such trust in this concubine truly fills her heart with joy.”
So saying, she leaned willingly into the Emperor’s embrace.
With soft warmth in his arms, the Emperor’s mood settled considerably.
Ling Jingshu and Eunuch Ding, standing nearby, had long since lowered their heads.
Consort Wei’s masterful performance left Ling Jingshu silently full of admiration.
To remain favored in the palace for so long without falling from grace, a pretty face alone was never enough. The palace had never lacked for young, fresh beauties. That Consort Wei could win the Emperor’s favor spoke to considerable skill on her part.
Indeed, no woman in this place could be underestimated!
After a spell of tender, doting warmth, the Emperor’s expression had brightened considerably, his voice much gentler now. “I think I’ll go see the Crown Prince now. Come with me.”
Consort Wei answered softly in agreement.
…
Both the Crown Prince and Prince Yan were resting in the Emperor’s bedchamber complex.
Prince Yan’s wound, though severe, was only a surface injury, with no danger to his life. Each day he had his wound treated and bandaged and drank his medicine; he had only to rest quietly and recover.
The Crown Prince still had not fully cleared the lingering poison from his body; his condition fluctuated between better and worse, and he spent most of each day unconscious.
The Emperor visited each of them once in the morning and once in the afternoon every day, going first to see the Crown Prince, then Prince Yan.
Consort Wei accompanied the Emperor into the Crown Prince’s chamber, and Ling Jingshu, riding along on her coattails, was thus able to step inside as well.
She lifted her head and quietly swept her gaze around the room.
The Crown Prince lay on the bed, his mind clouded, while the attendants and maids serving him stood by in silence.
The Crown Grandson had kept watch by the Crown Prince’s side day and night without rest; his handsome, cold-cut face had grown noticeably thinner. His eyes were shot through with blood, the sharp, unstoppable edge of former days gone from them, replaced now with a calm, settled quiet.
These past days, Wei Yan had likewise not left the Crown Prince’s side even a single step. He had to monitor the Crown Prince’s condition at all hours, administering acupuncture to drive out the poison every day. Even the medicinal decoctions he fed the Crown Prince were never trusted to other hands, but always brewed by himself.
Strong and vigorous as Wei Yan was, even he had grown quite worn out from the exhausting work. His eyes were red and bloodshot, faint stubble had appeared on his smooth chin, and his clothes—unchanged for who knew how many days—looked rather unkempt.
Watching this, Ling Jingshu felt a pang of tenderness in her heart.
With everyone present, the two of them did not even have a chance to speak. They could only silently exchange a glance.
Take care of yourself! Please, whatever you do, don’t wear your body down to exhaustion!
Mm, I understand!
Between lovers, words were unnecessary—a single glance was enough to convey clearly what was in the other’s heart.
“A’Yao, has the Crown Prince woken today?” the Emperor asked in a low voice.
The Crown Grandson answered quietly, “He woke once this morning, took the acupuncture treatment, and drank his medicine. Then he fell asleep again.”
Wei Yan added, “It wasn’t unconsciousness—just sleep.” There was, of course, a great difference between the two. Before, the Crown Prince’s mind had been clouded and unconscious throughout; now, though his body was still weak, the periods in which he was lucid were growing more frequent.
The Emperor’s eyes lit up, and he pressed eagerly, “Does that mean the lingering poison in the Crown Prince’s body has been fully cleared?”
Wei Yan bowed with clasped hands and replied, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the poison His Highness suffered was exceptionally fierce and overwhelming. At this point, the greater part of the toxicity has been cleared, though some residue remains in the blood. This will need to be slowly resolved over time with medicinal decoctions. However, His Highness is now out of danger and there is no longer any threat to his life.”
The Emperor let out a long breath of relief. “As long as this life can be saved, that is enough. Let him rest and recuperate slowly from here, and his health will surely be restored in time.”
So saying, he turned to Wei Yan with a smile. “Imperial Physician Wei, you have rendered great service this time. I must reward you generously.”
Wei Yan repeatedly declined, though in his heart he silently nursed a quiet regret.
If the Emperor had never set his sights on Ling Jingshu, he could by now have brought up the matter of a betrothal openly and properly, without obstruction… As things stood, he could only regretfully let such a good opportunity slip away.
The Crown Grandson looked at Wei Yan with a complicated expression, and said evenly, “If Imperial Physician Wei has any wish in his heart, he need not hold back—simply speak it, and this prince will be sure to grant it.”
These past days, having tended the Crown Prince’s bedside without changing out of his robes, he had clearly witnessed the Crown Prince’s gradual recovery day by day, the periods of lucidity growing ever longer.
This life of the Crown Prince’s had been saved through the joint efforts of Ling Jingshu and Wei Yan.
For this, his heart was filled with boundless gratitude.
He was willing to step aside, to let Wei Yan and Ling Jingshu have their happiness together!
…
Wei Yan’s expression paused for a brief moment.
The same words, coming from the Crown Grandson’s mouth, suddenly carried a meaning worth pondering.
Wei Yan’s thoughts turned swiftly, and rather than declining, he smiled and accepted the offer with thanks: “This humble servant thanks Your Highness the Crown Grandson for such generous good will, and will gladly, though it feels presumptuous, accept it. If there should ever come a day when this servant must seek something of Your Highness, I hope Your Highness will be especially gracious.”
The Crown Grandson nodded, then quickly withdrew his gaze and said nothing further.
With this unexpected exchange having occurred, the Emperor laughed and said, “In that case, I’ll withdraw my reward, then.”
Wei Yan hastily replied with a smile, “This humble servant, as Imperial Physician, considers treating His Highness the Crown Prince his proper duty. He dares not ask for any reward—if Your Majesty insists, this servant would truly feel he had wronged you.”
Just as they spoke, the Crown Prince, lying on the bed, slowly opened his eyes.
“Father!” The Crown Grandson was the first to notice the Crown Prince waking, and his heart surged with excitement. He bounded to the bedside in a single step and gripped the Crown Prince’s hand tightly. “Father, you’ve woken up!”
The Crown Prince’s body was still very weak, but his consciousness was much clearer now. He gave the Crown Grandson a faint tug of a smile, then looked toward the Emperor. “This unworthy son has caused Father trouble and worry.”
The Emperor, who the previous night had killed without batting an eye, like some demon of slaughter, now looked at the lucid Crown Prince with a heart full of wild joy, his expression unusually gentle. “I am fine. As long as you have woken safely, my heart is at ease.”
After a pause, he gave a cold snort. “It was Consort Li and her son, Prince An, who attempted to assassinate me and you this time. Consort Li has already been killed by my own hand. Prince An is still far off in his fief. I have already sent men to deliver the decree summoning him to the capital. When he arrives, I will personally question him about just what manner of black-hearted, ungrateful wretch he has turned out to be! How dare he attempt to kill his father and brother!”
The Crown Prince’s thoughts were still somewhat muddled and slow; for a moment he failed to register this, and repeated blankly, “Consort Li and Prince An? How could it be them?”