Over the course of three days, Feng Jiu’er had barely caught a glimpse of Zhan Yuheng.

Now that the fighting had finally paused, she had searched through several encampments before she found her Crown Prince brother.

At this moment, Feng Jiu’er was lying on the bed, clutching the hem of Zhan Yuheng’s robe.

“Crown Prince brother, I haven’t been feeling well these past two days. I don’t know if something is wrong with me.”

Feng Jiu’er gazed at the man seated beside her, her voice not only tender but frail.

“For anything that comes up, you can always find an Imperial Physician.” The man sitting at the writing desk replied in a low, steady voice.

Feng Jiu’er had instructed the guards to move the bed in the tent behind the writing desk before she was willing to lie down and rest.

Zhan Yuheng had not objected, but he had not fussed over her either. His attitude remained just as it had always been.

“Crown Prince brother, not everything can be solved by an Imperial Physician. Even the Imperial Physician said that ailments of the heart must be cured by medicine of the heart. What I have is an ailment of the heart.”

Feng Jiu’er clutched Zhan Yuheng’s robe tightly, hoping only that he would turn back and glance at her.

But Zhan Yuheng remained as he was, still leafing through the letters in his hand.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Qing Yun’s voice drifted in from outside, making Feng Jiu’er even more irritable.

“Enter.” Zhan Yuheng said in a low voice.

When Qing Yun lifted the curtain and stepped inside, Feng Jiu’er sat up and leaned against Zhan Yuheng’s back.

Zhan Yuheng merely furrowed his brow slightly, then raised his eyes to look at Qing Yun, paying no attention to the person behind him.

“What is it?”

“Your Highness, enemy troops have entered the encampment again and are scattering medicinal powder everywhere.” Qing Yun’s voice was very subdued.

Zhan Yuheng’s thick brows drew together as he stood up.

Feng Jiu’er, having lost her support, cried out softly and tumbled forward.

But Zhan Yuheng paid her no heed, as though he had not heard her cry at all, and strode out in long steps.

Barely managing to steady herself by gripping the chair, Feng Jiu’er was so furious she stamped her feet.

When she looked up again, Zhan Yuheng was already gone.

Zhan Yuheng strode out of the tent and mounted his horse.

“Your Highness.” Qing Yun waved a hand and immediately mounted up, riding after him.

“Do we know who is responsible?” Zhan Yuheng asked, his brow creased, his voice low and pressing.

“According to the guards’ reports, no trace has been found yet.” Qing Yun answered quietly. “Your Highness, you should stay behind. I can go in your stead.”

“If you leave the main camp and run into assassins, the consequences would be unthinkable.”

Zhan Yuheng showed no sign of slowing his pace, and even quickened it.

“Have the Imperial Physicians produced an antidote?” His voice was heavy, matching his cold and distant silhouette.

“Not yet.” Qing Yun shook his head. “The assassins we sent out have gone silent. They must have walked into an ambush along the way.”

“Your Highness, Feng Jiu’er is full of schemes. We should not try to outmaneuver her. We ought to meet her with force. This battle should not be paused.”

“Are you giving this Crown Prince orders?” Zhan Yuheng gripped the reins tightly. “Why can her people get through, while ours cannot?”

“Your Highness, please forgive me! It is this subordinate’s failure.” Qing Yun lowered his head.

“Go and assess the situation on the other flank.” As though sensing something, Zhan Yuheng waved a hand and gave the reins a hard pull.

He had never intended to come to blows with her. Why had things come to this?

Why did she choose to risk herself again and again rather than give him a single promise?

Perhaps, if only she were willing to give him one chance, he could let everything else go.

Qing Yun did not dare guess at what was in Zhan Yuheng’s heart and could only follow orders, heading off toward the other flank.

Just when Zhan Yuheng thought the one coming toward him was Feng Jiu’er, a man’s face appeared before him instead.

Before the guards following behind Zhan Yuheng could even react, Jian Yi’s sword plunged into Zhan Yuheng’s chest.

As the man clutched his heart and slipped from the saddle, a series of beautiful scenes drifted through his mind.

“Crown Prince brother, the little golden chrysanthemums here are so lovely.”

“Crown Prince brother, Jiu’er likes you.”

“Crown Prince brother, when Jiu’er grows up, will you let her marry you?”

“Crown Prince brother, Jiu’er misses you, Crown Prince brother…”

Zhan Yuheng pressed hard against his chest, barely managing to hold himself upright on the grass. Fresh blood seeped between his fingers.

Jiu’er, this time, would you still be willing to come and save your Crown Prince brother?

Zhan Yuheng gazed at the sky and curved his lips ever so slightly.

“Your Highness!”

“Protect the Crown Prince!”

“Seize the assassin!”

“The Crown Prince is wounded — summon the Imperial Physicians!”

“Quickly! Summon the Imperial Physicians!”

The camp erupted into chaos.

Watching as the dark figure disappeared into the trees, Xue Gu finally turned from her vantage point on the high ground and made her way back toward her own camp.

The moment she returned, Xue Gu went straight to Feng Jiu’er’s tent.

When she lifted the curtain and stepped inside, Feng Jiu’er and the others were in the middle of planning their battle strategy.

“Xue Gu, what happened?” Feng Jiu’er frowned and rose to her feet.

Xue Gu was normally composed and steady. Seeing her in such a state, still dressed in her night-black stealth garments, Feng Jiu’er could not help feeling a surge of unease.

“The enemy has been dealt a blow. The Crown Prince has been attacked. Jiu’er, now is absolutely the moment to strike.” Xue Gu’s voice rang out.

Feng Jiu’er stepped forward and gripped her arm.

“Xue Gu, who was it? Who entered the enemy camp?”

Turning to sweep a glance around the room, the crease between Feng Jiu’er’s brows deepened.

“Xiao Yingtao, do you know where Jian Yi is? Have you seen him?”

“Jian Yi?” Xiao Yingtao shot to her feet. “Jiu’er, didn’t you send Jian Yi to my quarters to collect the medicinal powder? My powder is missing, and the guards said only Jian Yi had been in.”

Before Xiao Yingtao had even finished speaking, everyone’s gaze had already shifted to Xue Gu.

“Xue Gu, was it Jian Yi? Where is he now?” Feng Jiu’er’s delicate brows drew together sharply, her face filled with disbelief.

Xue Gu did not conceal it. She gave a small nod.

“He did not want to hold you back. He will not be returning for some time.”

“Xue Gu.” Feng Jiu’er released her grip, turned, and made to leave.

“Jiu’er.” Xue Gu turned back and said gently, “Now is the critical moment. I need you to give the order to advance immediately.”

“He has already gotten away. He will not come to harm for now.”

Feng Jiu’er stopped in her tracks and closed her eyes.

“But you know his condition, Xue Gu. What exactly happened?”

Jian Yi’s situation, Feng Jiu’er understood very clearly.

Even before he was injured, infiltrating the enemy encampment to wound Zhan Yuheng would have been no easy feat. With the severity of his current injuries, there was no way he could have suddenly recovered to do something like this.

“He asked me to channel my inner energy into him, drawing his martial power together into a concentrated surge. His strength could be elevated to a higher level within a short span of time.” Xue Gu’s voice carried through the silence.

“But once that window has passed, his constitution will deteriorate rapidly. Not only might he lose all his martial power — he might not even survive. That is it, isn’t it?”

Feng Jiu’er could not bring herself to turn around and face Xue Gu. She knew that everyone here was doing it for her sake. What right did she have to lay blame?

Yet what of Jian Yi? Like the story of the elephant she had heard as a child — hiding away, dying quietly, so as not to burden those around him.

Her heart ached. It ached deeply. Feng Jiu’er could not find words to express what she was feeling.

Xue Gu turned and came to stand before Feng Jiu’er, looking at her steadily.

“This was his choice. But if you delay any further, you will only waste what he gave.”