In a warm pavilion within Qionghua Pavilion, Liu Chaoming lay half-reclined on a couch with his eyes closed, allowing the physician to bandage his wound.

The medicine that palace attendant from the Palace Front Hall had given him was taken before the banquet began. Earlier there had only been some discomfort, but now, probably because of the injury, the medicine’s effects had finally dispersed. His internal organs felt as if burned by raging fire, the searing pain nearly robbing him of his soul.

After the physician finished bandaging the wound and taking his pulse, fine beads of sweat had already seeped out on Liu Chaoming’s forehead.

Seeing him like this, Su Jin couldn’t help but ask worriedly: “Physician Fang, is Lord Liu’s condition serious?”

Physician Fang’s brow was tightly furrowed: “Lord Liu has the symptoms of cold wind invading the bones. Normally, ordinary cold wind wouldn’t come on so fiercely. This old one speculates this should be due to the injury. Though the wound isn’t severe, unfortunately the blood loss has damaged his constitution. Or perhaps due to days of exhaustion, this has completely triggered the illness within his body. Therefore his pulse is deep and weak—a sign of serious illness.”

Hearing these words, Su Jin found herself momentarily speechless.

After Shen Xi had left earlier, she had used the excuse of a relative’s passing to refuse several officials who had come to propose marriage. It was still that sickly Shu Wenlan who came over to mention that Liu Chaoming’s complexion didn’t seem good.

Su Jin looked up and saw Liu Chaoming slowly walking out from a noisy crowd. His complexion wasn’t just not good—it could be called deathly pale and colorless.

She walked over and had only asked two sentences when she saw a palace attendant approach with his head lowered to pour wine.

After returning to the capital, Su Jin had visited the Third Prince’s residence once. She had seen the twelve sword-bearing young masters in Zhu Jiyou’s household. This wine-pouring palace attendant had red lips and white teeth. She found him familiar, and suspicious doubts arose in her heart. She was about to pull Liu Chaoming away when, from beneath the wine cup, cold light flashed. Liu Chaoming grabbed her wrist with his other hand and shielded her behind him, taking the attendant’s blade strike directly to his chest.

The wound wasn’t deep. The short blade in the attendant’s hand was immediately knocked away by Wei Jiang, the quick-witted Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

But for the Left Censor-in-Chief to be assassinated at the year-end banquet—how could people continue eating? Moreover, quite a few court officials who had visited the Third Prince’s residence had already recognized this assassinating attendant as one of those twelve sword-bearing young masters. They all speculated that Zhu Jiyou harbored resentment toward Su Jin and had therefore sent someone to assassinate her, but unfortunately the Left Censor-in-Chief had blocked this blade for her.

After Zhu Minda came over and had the assassin arrested, he dismissed the banquet.

Even now, Su Jin’s heart remained suspended. Though self-reproach and guilt intertwined in her chest, they were oddly growing within a belly full of doubts and suspicions. A thousand thoughts and ten thousand considerations seeped from her eyes, transforming into a brow full of desolation.

Seeing her like this, Physician Fang thought she was only worried about Liu Chaoming and consoled her: “Lord Su need not worry. Though Lord Liu’s illness looks dangerous, his life is not threatened. This old one will immediately go prepare a prescription to regulate the cold wind, supplemented with medicinal soup to stop bleeding and dissolve blood stasis. As long as he recuperates for a full month, he will certainly recover.”

Su Jin said: “Thank you for your trouble, Physician Fang.”

Physician Fang had just packed up his medicine box and hadn’t yet reached the doorway when he saw Shen Xi burst directly into the warm pavilion carrying a body full of cold air, saying to the group of palace attendants busying about inside: “All of you get out.”

Seeing his eyes cold and stern, the attendants dared not disobey and silently withdrew outside the pavilion.

Shen Xi said again to Su Jin: “Su Shiyu, you go out too. I have questions for Liu Yun.” He added: “If you’re worried, you can wait outside.”

Liu Chaoming actually hadn’t fallen asleep. Hearing the commotion, he slightly opened his eyes and said weakly: “I’m fine. You go out.”

A charcoal brazier burned in the warm pavilion, crackling in this silent snowy night.

Shen Xi looked at Liu Chaoming’s weary face as if he were truly gravely ill and laughed coldly: “What, already claiming illness?” He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, stopped, and asked: “The Zhu family’s Ninth, Zhu Yutang—is he your man?”

Hearing this, Liu Chaoming was silent for a moment before slowly answering: “Lord Shen jests. The Ninth Prince is an imperial prince—how could he be my man?”

A storm was rising between Shen Xi’s stern brows, his tone cold enough to freeze: “Wasn’t it you who had Zhu Yutang lure Zhu Jiyou to the women’s area on the opposite bank, while arranging an assassin here to deliberately injure yourself? In any case, Zhu Jiyou wasn’t present. When questioned afterward, he would have no way to explain himself.”

Liu Chaoming glanced at him. After seeing his appearance clearly, he suddenly laughed: “Oh, Chamberlain Shen is anxious?” He paused: “What do you want to know?”

Shen Xi strode to the couch in two or three steps and grabbed Liu Chaoming by the collar: “I saw you were fine yesterday—how could you possibly be this ill today? You’ve always been a master strategist. If there truly was an assassin, wouldn’t you have retreated to safety from a hundred paces away? Using Zhu Jiyou, this discarded chess piece, not hesitating to set up a scheme to injure yourself under the pretext of assassinating Su Shiyu, painstakingly trying to stay out of it—why?”

Liu Chaoming had been sitting reclined on the couch. When Shen Xi grabbed his collar, the burning sensation inside his body churned like overturning seas and rivers in this jolt. Before he could speak, violent coughing erupted from his chest.

The coverlet slid from his shoulder. Shen Xi’s gaze dropped and he saw that Liu Chaoming’s already-bandaged wound was bleeding again, soaking through half his garment.

He was slightly stunned, rage burning even hotter in his heart. The hand gripping Liu Yun’s collar shoved back, letting him fall back onto the couch.

But Liu Chaoming laughed out loud completely. The violent coughing caused an unhealthy flush to rise on his face, his eyes full of mockery: “Zhu Jiyou has committed countless evil deeds and deserves to die. I’m using him to set up schemes, merely sending him on his way early. What, when did Chamberlain Shen learn compassion for all beings, even questioning the life of a discarded piece?”

Shen Xi knew he was evading the issue and was about to explode when someone outside suddenly knocked three times on the door. In a moment, a palace attendant said timidly: “Lord Shen, this humble one, on Physician Fang’s orders from the Imperial Medical Academy, has brought the prepared medicinal soup for Lord Liu. The physician said Lord Liu’s condition cannot be delayed.”

Shen Xi didn’t answer. The palace attendant took this as tacit permission, pushed the door open, and while placing the medicinal soup on the hexagonal table in the center of the warm pavilion, glanced slightly sideways toward the sleeping couch.

Most of Liu Chaoming’s hair had slipped from its topknot. Set against his flushed cheeks, pale lips, and cold jade-like brows and eyes, he was captivating as a demon in a painting.

He lay askew on the couch, blood stains seeping through the clothing on his chest, yet he was smiling.

It was a smile without sorrow or joy, as if all the seven emotions and six desires of this world had melted into the mockery in his eyes.

The palace attendant stared foolishly for a moment until Shen Xi said: “Won’t you scram?” Only then did he scramble out.

Shen Xi walked to the hexagonal table, picked up the medicine bowl, and sniffed it, laughing coldly: “It truly is good medicine to cure illness and save people. Using it on you is really a waste.” He added: “Speak. You’ve gone to such great lengths to stay out of it—what exactly do you want to do?”

Liu Chaoming gasped mockingly: “Shen Qingyue, are you so anxious you’ve become confused? If you and I switched places, in today’s situation, wouldn’t the one staying out of it be you?”

He laughed again: “Naturally, your anxiety is understandable. You always leave yourself a way out, thinking you can secure yourself three burrows for retreat and escape unscathed. Not until today when there’s no avoiding it do you think to turn back and manipulate the chess game? It’s too late. Look carefully at the black and white pieces in your hands—haven’t they long been overturned by someone else?”

Shen Xi’s gaze froze. After a moment, he lowered his eyelids, a layer of frost and snow covering his eyes, and said softly: “Enough. No need to say more.”

But Liu Chaoming ignored him and continued: “Actually, I know why you always leave yourself a way out. Because in your heart, Zhu Minda is not the best successor to this throne. He’s obstinate and self-willed, overprotective of his own, values his own realm more than the common people of the world. He’s too much like Zhu Jingyuan. Though he may work hard at governing, harsh policies, cruel punishments, and massacres will certainly not be fewer than in the Jingyuan years.

“In your heart, you constantly hope for a wise ruler to govern, who can break with old ways and establish new ones, making the people prosperous. But you’re forced by circumstances, bound by family ties, and have no choice but to assist Zhu Minda. Trapped by your conscience, in this dilemma you’re caught between advance and retreat. You can only maneuver and shift in your narrow world, hoping that with your unparalleled strategic wisdom, you can break through mountains and pierce seas, carving out a clear path.”

He turned his face to look at Shen Xi, saying softly word by word: “Breaking through mountains and piercing seas will inevitably be bloody. It’s because you’re not ruthless enough that—”

Before Liu Chaoming could finish, with a thunderous crash, Shen Xi raised his hand and overturned the hexagonal table. The medicinal soup, blue and white porcelain bottles, ink, brushes, and paperweights all tumbled to the floor.

The enormous sound made the entire pavilion seem to tremble. At the same time, the door to the warm pavilion was pushed open. Su Jin stood in the doorway, looking at the mess on the floor, then at Liu Chaoming. Her brow furrowed slightly as she said to the physician behind her: “Quickly go examine Lord Liu’s wound.”

“Everyone stand still and don’t move!” Before Physician Fang could enter, Shen Qingyue roared angrily.

He turned to stare at Su Jin, pointing at Liu Chaoming and saying coldly: “Su Shiyu, look carefully. Do you really think this person blocked a blade for you? Do you think he’s truly ill? How do you know he hasn’t done something to himself!”

The frost and snow in Shen Xi’s eyes froze into solid ice. He said to the servants kneeling all over the floor: “All of you get out. Without this official’s orders, no one is permitted to enter.”

Then, with his hands behind his back, he looked coldly and distantly at Liu Chaoming: “This official wants to see whether the Left Censor-in-Chief’s illness is real or fake. Perhaps if we just leave it alone, in another moment it will get better on its own?”

Just then, the servants who had withdrawn outside suddenly called out: “Thirteenth Prince.”

Zhu Nanxian walked into the warm pavilion. Seeing the scene inside, he frowned and immediately ordered: “Physician Fang, go change Lord Liu’s wound dressing.”

Physician Fang acknowledged and was about to step forward when Shen Xi coldly said: “Stop.”

Physician Fang’s steps paused, and he looked back pitifully at Zhu Nanxian.

Zhu Nanxian said: “Just go ahead. Pay him no mind.”

Then he stepped forward and grabbed Shen Xi’s arm, lowering his voice: “Come outside with me.”

Shen Xi’s voice was no less cold: “Get lost.”

Zhu Nanxian said: “Have you forgotten what you promised after you and Third Sister were pursued and nearly killed that year?”

Hearing these words, Shen Xi’s expression suddenly became somewhat bewildered. After a moment, he lowered his eyes, pulled his arm from Zhu Nanxian’s grasp, went around him, and walked out.

Only then did Zhu Nanxian look at Su Jin, pausing slightly before saying: “I’ll leave Lord Liu in your hands. I’ll wait in Qionghua Pavilion. If anything happens, feel free to send someone to find me.”

After the physician rebandaged Liu Chaoming’s wound, shortly after, freshly prepared medicine was also ready.

The palace attendant delivering the medicine set down the soup bowl and was about to step forward to help Liu Chaoming take the medicine when he heard Su Jin say: “You may withdraw. This official will handle it here.”

She knew Liu Chaoming most disliked strangers. Just as she was about to help him sit up herself, the moment her hand touched his shoulder, he suddenly trembled and opened his eyes with some astonishment. After pausing, he asked: “What are you doing?”

Su Jin recalled his saying “men and women shouldn’t touch hands when giving or receiving.” Though she had cared for Chao Qing and Zhou Ping this way before, Liu Chaoming knew she was a woman after all.

Su Jin explained: “I know you’re not accustomed to being attended by strangers. I only wanted to help you sit up to take your medicine.”

Liu Chaoming’s eyes seemed filled with deep autumn mist. After a moment, he lowered his gaze and said: “I’ll do it myself.”

Su Jin placed a soft pillow behind him, and he propped himself up with one hand to sit up.

Winter medicine cooled quickly. In just this short time, it was no longer scalding. Liu Chaoming took the medicine from Su Jin’s hands and, as if not feeling the bitterness at all, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

Then he just sat there, neither lying back down nor speaking anymore.

Su Jin didn’t know what to say either. She set the medicine bowl aside and crouched down to clean up the ink, brushes, and paper the palace attendants hadn’t had time to clear away earlier.

The charcoal brazier in the room burned with popping sounds. After a long silence, Liu Chaoming turned his head to look at her profile illuminated by firelight—the desolation between her refined brows. He had noticed it earlier. He asked softly: “Don’t you believe me either?”

Su Jin’s hand picking up the brush and paper paused slightly: “I know you want to stay out of it.”

Then, after a silence, she added: “But I believe you wouldn’t deliberately harm me.”

Liu Chaoming pulled his mouth into a smile that quickly disappeared: “Aren’t you afraid I’m deceiving you?”

Su Jin stood up, placed the brush and paper on the table, and pressed them down with a paperweight. On the paper, in someone’s wild, careless handwriting, was written: “Deep kindness betrayed to the end, in life and death, teacher and friend.” Su Jin, with her back to Liu Chaoming, said quietly after a long while: “To Shiyu, you are family.”

So even if she had doubts, she would still believe.

Liu Chaoming’s hand hidden beneath the coverlet suddenly clenched tight, veins bulging.

He turned his face away, no longer looking at her: “You should go. I’m tired.”

Su Jin gave a low “Mm.”

When she reached the doorway, she heard Liu Chaoming say again: “You’re too close to the Eastern Palace. This isn’t good.”

Su Jin didn’t answer.

She thought she understood what Liu Chaoming meant. With vassal princes entrenched and the situation critical, now that Emperor Jingyuan was gravely ill and about to pass on the throne, if something truly happened, the Eastern Palace would be the target of all arrows.

But ordinary people were all flesh and blood—inevitably bound by emotions of the heart, driven by deeply buried desires, walking onto a vast and uncertain path. Before they could even react, they had already traveled far, with no way to turn back.

Su Jin only said: “I’ve already arranged for An’ran to enter the palace to care for you.”

The implication was that tomorrow she would still go to the winter hunt.

She would not stay out of anything.