A’an gritted his teeth and took the bottle: “Since this humble one has agreed to Your Highness’s request, I will certainly carry it out.” As he was about to open the bottle, Li Jiancheng pressed his hand: “Remember, if that person asks you, just say you accidentally consumed a flower that was slender as a needle, red as blood, and had not a single green leaf. Don’t say anything else.”

A’an silently repeated his words: “This humble one remembers.”

Li Jiancheng gave a few more instructions, and after A’an acknowledged them all, he drank the poison in the bottle. Li Jiancheng put away the empty bottle: “Remember, only go over when the poison begins to take effect. Don’t be too hasty, lest you reveal the deception.”

After A’an agreed, Li Jiancheng instructed Xue Wanche to keep watch here before returning to the Eastern Palace with Li Yuanji.

Over an hour after they left, the sky gradually darkened, and A’an began to feel something was wrong. Following Li Jiancheng’s instructions, he came to the gate of the Xia Hou mansion, clutching his chest and deliberately intensifying his groans. The gatekeeper, seeing his condition, came down and asked: “What’s wrong with you?”

“I… I feel terrible, can’t catch my breath!” Seeing A’an’s pale face and cold sweat on his forehead, the gatekeeper was frightened and quickly said: “Then you should hurry to see a physician! What’s the point of sitting here?”

A’an said weakly: “I want to go too, but… I really can’t walk, big brother. Could you help me find a physician?”

This was the script Li Jiancheng had prepared. If the gatekeeper really went to fetch a physician, Xue Wanche, who was hiding in the shadows, would find a way to prevent it.

Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper immediately shook his head: “I’m on duty here. How can I help you fetch a physician? Besides, it’s already dark now.”

“But I really… can’t walk!” Seeing A’an was indeed extremely weak, the gatekeeper said: “My master does know medicine, but I don’t know if he’s willing to treat you. How about this – wait a moment, I’ll go in and report.”

The gatekeeper hadn’t been gone long when a man in an azure robe came out – it was Xia Houduan. “Master, it’s him. He was walking and collapsed at our gate, doesn’t even have the strength to see a physician. He looks like he’s ill.”

“How are you?” Xia Houduan asked while taking his pulse.

“I don’t know either. I just suddenly… felt chest tightness and nausea, and breathing… breathing is very difficult.” By this time, the poison in A’an’s body had begun to spread, and cold sweat the size of beans continuously dripped from his forehead.

At the same time, Xia Houduan also diagnosed A’an’s condition from his pulse, saying with surprise: “Wind Eggplant flower?”

A’an said with difficulty: “I… I don’t know what Wind Eggplant flower is.”

Xia Houduan asked gravely: “What did you consume earlier?”

A’an struggled to endure the discomfort in his body: “I went out of the city earlier with some people for pleasure. We saw a flower that was entirely red, slender as a needle, and very beautiful. We bet on whether it could be eaten, so I ate a few blossoms. That’s… that’s all!”

Xia Houduan asked nervously: “What other characteristics did that flower have?”

“Nothing else…” A’an said, then pretended to suddenly remember: “Oh right, that flower… had no leaves!”

“It really is Wind Eggplant flower, but when did this type of flower appear in Chang’an’s suburbs?” Xia Houduan couldn’t think about it carefully and said to the bewildered gatekeeper: “Immediately help him inside, and also…” He hesitated for a moment, then said: “Go to the Prince of Qin’s mansion and see if they can spare a dose of medicine.”

The gatekeeper nodded repeatedly: “This humble one will go right away.”

A’an was fortunate. Duan Zhihong and the others had searched everywhere and found quite a bit of medicine, enough to spare a few doses for Xia Houduan to treat A’an. A’an stayed overnight at the Xia Hou mansion before leaving unsteadily with the remaining medicine.

Xue Wanche kept watch outside all night. After leaving the vicinity of Xia Houduan’s mansion, he immediately brought A’an to the Eastern Palace. Li Jiancheng had been waiting in the Eastern Palace ever since returning from court, not leaving even once, just waiting for them.

As soon as he saw A’an enter, Li Jiancheng immediately showed a hint of a smile. Because A’an was physically weak and unable to stand alone, he exceptionally granted him a seat, then said: “Xia Houduan – he indeed cured your poison.”

“Not only did he cure the poison, this humble one personally heard him instruct his servants to get medicine from the Prince of Qin’s mansion. Before leaving, he gave me several doses of medicine and said to come back to him for more after finishing these.” A’an handed over the medicine he was holding.

“Excellent!” Li Jiancheng said approvingly: “You’ve rendered great service this time. I certainly won’t treat you poorly.” He then said to Xue Wanche: “Immediately go invite the Prince of Qi over.”

When Li Yuanji arrived, A’an had already left, but the former knew that Li Jiancheng calling him over so urgently must be about A’an’s matter. As soon as he entered, he impatiently asked: “Elder Brother, A’an has returned, hasn’t he?”

Li Jiancheng pointed to the medicine package on the small table: “Our speculation was correct. Your Wind Eggplant flower poison was indeed cured by Xia Houduan.”

Li Yuanji said hatefully: “To think this old fox ruined our plans – how detestable.”

Li Jiancheng said slowly: “What he ruined isn’t just this one thing.”

Hearing this, Li Yuanji asked puzzledly: “Not just this? What else?”

“Father Emperor summoned Xia Houduan overnight, mostly asking about matters concerning the throne. The result was that Shimin remained safe and sound. Without asking, Xia Houduan must have said that Shimin has no connection to the throne, but whether it’s truly no connection or falsely no connection, only he himself knows.”

Li Yuanji said in shock: “You’re saying he deceived the sovereign?” Without waiting for Li Jiancheng to speak, he remembered something else and said in horror: “If Xia Houduan truly deceived the sovereign, doesn’t that mean… Second Brother will ascend to the throne?”

Li Jiancheng gritted his teeth: “It seems we weren’t wrong to guard against him. On one hand, he keeps saying he respects me, while on the other hand, he covets the throne!”

“He’s truly devious!” At this point, Li Yuanji said: “Elder Brother, let’s go to the palace right now and tell Father Emperor everything. Then let’s see how Second Brother and Xia Houduan can escape!”

Li Jiancheng said quietly: “This matter must naturally be told to Father Emperor, but how to say it requires careful consideration.”

That afternoon, despite it being autumn, the weather was unusually hot. Li Yuan came to Consort Yin’s palace, intending to take a short nap, but the summer cicadas outside kept chirping incessantly, making it impossible for him to sleep. After finally having someone drive away the cicadas, he lost his sleepiness and could only chat with Consort Yin to pass the time.

Consort Yin cut a piece of honeydew melon and brought it to Li Yuan’s mouth, saying softly: “Your Majesty, please try this honeydew melon. It’s not only crisp and sweet, but I specially had someone chill it in well water – it’s most refreshing and thirst-quenching.”

Just as Li Yuan was about to eat, a palace attendant entered and said: “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and Prince of Qi request an audience.”

“What are they doing here at this hour?” Li Yuan muttered, then said: “Let them in.”