The injured person was indeed Zhan Yuheng. Though she had anticipated this possibility before setting out, seeing it with her own eyes still left her with a measure of helplessness.

Fate truly had a way of toying with people. She had no wish to deal with officialdom, the imperial court, or the people of the deep palace — yet once she had made a name for herself, such figures were unavoidable.

Moreover, if she had any intention of growing her business, contact with high-ranking officials and noble lords was equally impossible to avoid.

She could choose not to proactively seek out their favor — but when they delivered themselves to her door, was she to turn them away?

Even if she could turn them away, it depended on the circumstances. Given Zhan Yuheng’s current condition, how could she possibly refuse?

“His Highness the Crown Prince insisted on coming here. Immediately summon your establishment’s finest physician! Quickly!”

Qing Yun’s face was smeared with bloodstains — though quite clearly, the blood was not his own.

Feng Jiu stepped out from the inner hall, and two page boys immediately came forward to meet her: “Young Master, it is… it is His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Feng Jiu’s expression did not change in the slightest. Unlike before, she was not at all inhibited by the title of Crown Prince. She remained exactly as she always was — when facing a patient, she paid no mind to distinctions of rank or status, only to the severity of the injury.

Zhan Yuheng was still conscious. When he heard the page boys call out “Young Master,” he immediately looked up.

He had not left the imperial palace for half a year — first because he had been recuperating, and afterward, because he had been cultivating his mind and temperament, and studying the Ice Arts.

As for all manner of rumors circulating among the people, he had not paid them much heed. But on this occasion of venturing out, he had heard someone say that a divine physician had come to the imperial capital, known by the name Ghost Doctor Feng Jiu.

Feng Jiu… was Feng Jiu not Feng Jiu’er?

Word had come from the border region that Feng Jiu’er had gone missing during the battle between the Longqi Army and the forces of the Mehe, and her fate remained unknown to this day. The majority of people believed she had already died.

The scouts Zhan Yuheng had sent out had also returned with reports that Feng Jiu’er had perished in the chaos of battle, and even the Ninth Prince had been unable to find any trace of her.

She was no longer at the Ninth Prince’s side. Zhan Yuheng had originally despaired — if Feng Jiu’er were still alive, how could she possibly not have gone to the Ninth Imperial Uncle she loved most?

Yet now, a Feng Jiu unknown to him had appeared in the imperial capital. He had originally planned that after formally welcoming the Ninth Prince into the city today, he would personally venture out the following day to go and see this legendary divine physician Feng Jiu.

He had not expected that he himself would end up wounded by an assassination attempt, and that the location happened to be not far from Feng Jiu’s Heavenly Mechanism Hall — so he had insisted on coming here.

But now, having seen Feng Jiu at last, she was… an equally refined and handsome face, yet entirely unfamiliar — a bearing that though carrying a somewhat similar air, was of a vastly different build — and a voice that struck him as wholly unknown.

“Help him inside. I need to administer acupuncture to stop the bleeding. Quickly!”

A trace of bitter disappointment spilled from the corner of Zhan Yuheng’s lips. In the end, all of it was false.

From excessive blood loss, his eyes fell shut and he lost consciousness.

The page boys and Qing Yun together helped Zhan Yuheng inside. Feng Jiu immediately administered acupuncture, with one sole condition: she did not like having anyone watch while she treated a patient.

Qing Yun had initially refused to comply, but the blood continued to pour steadily from the Crown Prince’s abdominal wound, and in the end he frightened himself, hastily stepping outside.

No one knew exactly what Feng Jiu did within to treat the Crown Prince — but by the time the Imperial Physicians arrived, within the span of one incense stick’s burning time, the bleeding had been miraculously staunched.

Such medical skill — even the Imperial Physicians from the palace were filled with admiration and a sense of their own inadequacy.

“The Crown Prince’s injuries, though severe, are confined to the flesh and skin — no vital organs have been struck. You may transport him back now, though the journey must not be jolting.”

Feng Jiu finished gathering her things, and as she turned to leave, did not forget to instruct: “The consultation fee is twelve taels of silver. No credit.”

The page boy immediately looked over at Qing Yun, feeling somewhat awkward. The people standing before him were all from within the palace — would they possibly care about a mere twelve taels of silver?

But since the Young Master had said to collect it, collect it they must. If it was not collected, she would certainly be scolded when she returned.

Qing Yun’s expression also became somewhat peculiar. To treat His Highness the Crown Prince — that was their honor. And yet a consultation fee was being charged. This Physician Feng Jiu truly had bold audacity to even open her mouth and say such a thing.

But the page boy was staring at him now, eyeing him with a look of guardedness, as if afraid he might slip away without paying. Was he worried that someone would be unwilling to pay a mere twelve taels?

Though still — to treat the Crown Prince, and only charge twelve taels. Was that not a little too little?

If the Crown Prince woke and learned his injuries were worth only twelve taels, one wondered whether he would cough up blood from sheer vexation and die on the spot.

Qing Yun tugged loose the coin pouch from his belt and stuffed it directly into the page boy’s hand, then turned to join the others in carrying the Crown Prince out toward the palace.

Suddenly, from ahead came the sound of imperial guards saluting in unison: “We pay our respects to His Highness the Ninth Prince!”

The Ninth Prince had arrived!

Feng Jiu, who had just walked out into the courtyard, stiffened in her tracks. Her breathing fell into disarray for a single instant — but she swiftly regulated it again, and before the Ninth Prince could enter, she quickened her steps toward the rear courtyard.

“Physician Feng Jiu — His Highness the Ninth Prince may have sustained injuries. Please stay!” Qing Yun suddenly thought of something and hurried after her.

Earlier, the Ninth Prince had been walking alongside them. But then the people of the Nanmen clan appeared, and the Ninth Prince, who had little regard for the Nanmen clan, took one look at them and decided not to enter the palace — going instead directly back to his Ninth Prince’s Manor.

Just like that, his footsteps had separated from those of the Crown Prince by some distance.

None of them had expected that the moment the Ninth Prince left, the Crown Prince would immediately be struck by an assassin. Qing Yun did not know why the Ninth Prince had suddenly appeared here — perhaps he had learned of the Crown Prince’s injury and turned back to check on him. Or perhaps… he himself had also been attacked by assassins.

With assassins appearing in the imperial capital, the Ninth Prince being such an important figure being targeted for assassination was not at all far-fetched.

Feng Jiu’s footsteps faltered. She still wanted to leave — but to force herself to go at this precise moment, would that not appear far too suspicious?

Caught in that moment of deliberation, a group of people came surging in. Among them, the figure at their center wore a suit of silver-white armor — just as she had seen on the battlefield that day, so dazzlingly brilliant it made it difficult to look upon directly.

Feng Jiu only cast a brief glance before lowering her gaze and looking no further.

Her heart’s lake had already fallen into turbulence — yet when she caught sight of the middle-aged man being pushed forward in a wheelchair behind the Ninth Prince, the heart that had just been thrown into disarray instantly settled into stillness once more.

It seemed that now, the Ninth Prince was more imperious than he had been half a year ago, more unafraid of Emperor Qiwen and the power of the imperial family — so even Emperor Ji could appear openly at his side without any need for concealment.

It appeared that his return this time was indeed with even greater audacity and arrogance, even greater contempt for all beneath him.

Yes — this was the Ninth Imperial Uncle she was familiar with, the Ninth Prince whom all regarded with reverence as a god-like being!

Half a year — he had finally returned. This time, with a new bearing, a more commanding air, and also in a new identity.

The identity of Crown Prince of the Di imperial house.

Having returned bearing such an identity, what exactly was he intending to do?

The Zhan imperial family’s God of War — the Ninth Prince. The Di imperial family’s Crown Prince. Two identities that could not coexist — so what, then, was his decision now?

Feng Jiu’s breathing had only just steadied when suddenly, a cold and piercing gaze swept across her, so forceful and commanding it was impossible to withstand!