“Imperial Father, I have already tended to Fourth Imperial Uncle’s external wounds. Now, only Imperial Father’s channeling of energy into him can preserve his life.”

Though Jiu’er could not fathom why Imperial Father showed such coldness toward Fourth Imperial Uncle, he was still his own brother. Imperial Father ought not to stand by and watch him die.

“You wish for your Imperial Father to save him?” Feng Qiongcang raised an eyebrow.

Feng Jiu’er quickly said, “He is Fourth Imperial Uncle — Imperial Father’s own flesh and blood. Of course Jiu’er hopes that Fourth Imperial Uncle will survive.”

“Even if channeling energy into him would deplete your Imperial Father’s own power?”

“This…” Jiu’er could not help but glance back at Feng Jiang.

Although channeling energy to heal another did indeed deplete one’s own power, when faced with a gravely injured family member, what was a little depleted power worth?

Moreover, it was not as though what was depleted could never be recovered. With proper rest, it would return in time — it was not a true or lasting loss.

The way Imperial Father phrased it struck both their ears as somewhat… harsh.

“Ha…” Feng Qiongcang could see through the thoughts of these two children plainly enough.

It was simply that seeing them bring Feng Li back, and witnessing how much Jiu’er cared about Feng Li, had left him feeling a measure of displeasure in his heart.

He rose from his chair and walked to the bedside, looking down at Feng Li from above.

“If your Emperor declines to save him, I fear the two of you would both resent me for being heartless.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed, and a junior eunuch immediately came forward to arrange his robes.

Jiu’er also hurried over, and together with Feng Jiang, supported Feng Li into a sitting position.

Feng Qiongcang said no more. He placed both palms against Feng Li’s back at the vital pressure points, and then pressed with sudden force.

A deep, rich inner energy flowed steadily from Feng Qiongcang’s great palms and poured continuously into Feng Li’s body.

Feng Li’s face — so pale it was utterly devoid of color — gradually recovered the faintest trace of vitality.

Jiu’er would take up Feng Li’s hand from time to time, pressing her fingertips to the pulse point at his wrist.

Imperial Father’s power was far greater than she had expected. Half an hour later, Fourth Imperial Uncle’s pulse had finally grown more even, no longer threadlike and on the verge of fading.

Another half an hour passed, and Feng Qiongcang abruptly drew both hands back.

Feng Li fell back into Feng Jiang’s arms. Feng Jiang lowered him carefully.

“Thank you, Imperial Father!” Feng Jiu’er took Feng Li’s pulse once more, and joy lit up her face at once. “Fourth Imperial Uncle’s pulse is stronger again!”

“Then you no longer resent your Imperial Father?” Feng Qiongcang looked at her with his usual mild expression.

After channeling energy for a full hour, his own face had gone slightly pale.

Jiu’er took his hand, and remorse welled up in her at once. “I am sorry, Imperial Father. What I said before… I was far too presumptuous.”

She had even allowed herself to feel that Imperial Father was heartless toward Fourth Imperial Uncle.

Yet Imperial Father was the sovereign of the nation!

His Imperial body must be protected above all else. Asking him to deplete his own power — she truly had been asking too much.

After all, he was not an ordinary man. If his Imperial constitution were harmed, they would all be at fault.

“Imperial Father, Jiu’er knows she was wrong. Please forgive Jiu’er.”

“What wrong have you done? You were worried about your Fourth Imperial Uncle.”

Feng Qiongcang exhaled slowly, then said, “Very well. Your Emperor will have someone attend to him. The two of you may go and rest.”

“Imperial Father.” Feng Jiu’er still felt uneasy. She pleaded, “Please allow me to stay and look after Fourth Imperial Uncle. The wound I dressed for him…”

“It is so late already. Go and rest. You may come and see him again tomorrow.”

But Jiu’er was still unwilling to leave. Seeing this, Feng Jiang said, “Imperial Father, Jiu’er’s technique for needlework and medicine is quite exceptional. Why not…”

He glanced at Feng Li on the bed. For reasons he could not quite explain, leaving Fourth Imperial Uncle here in Imperial Father’s quarters left him feeling… uneasy.

Though he did not know why the feeling was there, it was simply there.

Feng Jiang lowered his voice. “Why not have Fourth Imperial Uncle stay in this minister’s own bedchamber for these few days? That way, it would be convenient for Jiu’er to look in on him often.”

Staying in the Princess’s quarters would not be appropriate and would invite gossip — but staying in his own chambers would be entirely without issue.

“That works for me too!” Feng Jiu’er tugged at the edge of Feng Qiongcang’s robe and implored, “Imperial Father, please let Fourth Imperial Uncle stay in Third Imperial Brother’s quarters!”

Feng Qiongcang’s expression remained as unreadable as ever. In the end, faced with the pleading of these two, he gave a wave of his hand.

“Very well. If you are confident you can look after him properly, then let him stay at Feng Jiang’s quarters.”

The two of them were overjoyed, and immediately said in unison, “Thank you, Imperial Father!”

Feng Jiang instructed the servants to carry Feng Li away, and the group hurried off to the bedchamber.

Jiu’er wanted to follow as well, but Feng Qiongcang called her back.

“Imperial Father — is… is there something else?” She was eager to follow Third Imperial Brother to the bedchamber and stay by Feng Li’s side.

Now that Imperial Father had called her back and she remained in his quarters, her heart had already flown away.

“You… care for your Fourth Imperial Uncle so much?” Feng Qiongcang accepted the tea that a eunuch brought him, took a small sip, and then said, “Before — had you ever met Fourth Imperial Uncle?”

Feng Jiu’er shook her head, then looked up with a face full of bewilderment.

“All memories of my past were wiped clean long ago. I do not know whether I have met Fourth Imperial Uncle before either, but…”

“But what?”

“Fourth Imperial Uncle has been so very good to me. The last time…” Although Imperial Father had long known of that incident, speaking of it now still made her feel a little guilty.

After all, she and Third Imperial Brother had slipped out in secret.

“Mm?” Feng Qiongcang was still waiting for her to continue.

Jiu’er took a deep breath and said, “I feel as though I was meeting Fourth Imperial Uncle for the very first time, yet he was unusually gentle and kind toward me — exceptionally so.”

Third Imperial Brother had said that Fourth Imperial Uncle was very cold and difficult to get along with.

Yet in her eyes, Fourth Imperial Uncle was the gentlest person in all the world.

Imperial Father was also gentle, but at times Imperial Father’s gaze would make her feel an icy chill — as though no matter what emotion he showed, he always held something in reserve.

But Fourth Imperial Uncle’s gentleness toward her was complete and total, holding nothing back at all.

So when she was with Imperial Father, she always felt a great deal of pressure — a sense that accompanying an emperor was like accompanying a tiger.

When she was with Fourth Imperial Uncle, she felt light and at ease. She could even be playful, and willful!

It was as though, at Fourth Imperial Uncle’s side, she could simply be cherished and indulged forever.

Still — why was she comparing Fourth Imperial Uncle with Imperial Father? If Imperial Father ever knew this thought, he would surely be angry again.

“Imperial Father, did I meet Fourth Imperial Uncle before?” The truth was, Feng Jiu’er’s past seemed to be something Imperial Father knew far more clearly than she herself did.

Feng Qiongcang glanced at her with a faint expression, then lowered his gaze to the clear tea in his hand. “You had not. Why do you ask? Has your Fourth Imperial Uncle said something to you?”

“What would Fourth Imperial Uncle have to say to me?” Jiu’er tried hard to recall, then shook her head again.

Feng Qiongcang finally gave a wave of his hand. “Go and rest.”

Jiu’er smiled brightly, made her curtsy, and then immediately hurried out of the Emperor’s bedchamber.

But once she had gone and stood beneath the night sky, the smile at the corners of her lips slowly faded, until only a face of cold composure remained.

Between Imperial Father and Fourth Imperial Uncle, there was surely some secret that others did not know.

This secret — did it concern her?