Li Fengqi saw that Ye Yunting had already understood, so he handed him another sheet of letter paper and wrote the characters "绕" and "为" on it. After writing, he stamped it with his personal seal. This way, even if the letter were intercepted midway, no one would be able to discern the true message concealed within.
Ye Yunting watched as Li Fengqi carefully rolled up the letter and sealed it inside a specially crafted scroll tube. Finally, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, he asked, “Your Highness, you’re entrusting me with this cipher just like that—aren’t you afraid I might leak it?”
“Trust those you employ, and employ not those you doubt,” Li Fengqi replied, passing the sealed letter to him with unwavering certainty. “Besides, after these past few days together, I know that the eldest young master is a wise man.”
Ye Yunting was no fool. From the moment he stepped into the prince’s mansion, he had been fully aware that his fate was bound to Li Fengqi’s.
Moreover… from their recent interactions, Li Fengqi could see clearly that Ye Yunting was a man of insight.
He was gentle in temperament but not one to be easily manipulated; intelligent and calculating, yet not given to scheming; if not forced into such dire circumstances, he would have been better suited to a quiet academy, holding a book and savoring its contents like the gentle spring breeze of March—warm and bright.
Though it might seem inappropriate to say aloud, Li Fengqi felt that meeting Ye Yunting at this moment was truly a blessing for him.
Had it been anyone else, his plan would never have gone so smoothly.
Li Fengqi lowered his gaze and pondered for a moment, then patted the spot beside him, signaling Ye Yunting to sit and talk.
Ye Yunting obeyed, sitting down beside him. Unconsciously, they found themselves close—one reclining against a soft pillow, the other sitting sideways on the edge of the bed. Their arms were less than two fists apart, and even the faint scent of the bitter medicine on their bodies seemed to blend into one.
But after days of Ye Yunting tending to him, it no longer felt overly intimate. In fact, Ye Yunting leaned in slightly, lowering his eyes as he looked at Li Fengqi. “Your Highness, is there more you wish to say?”
Li Fengqi let out a soft hum through his nose. After carefully choosing his words, he spoke solemnly, “Once this letter is delivered, the crisis in the Northern Frontier will be resolved. As long as the Northern Frontier remains secure, the Yong’an Prince Mansion will stand firm.”
His phoenix-like eyes lifted, locking onto Ye Yunting’s gaze with intensity. “Do you understand what I mean?”
The pillar of strength for the Yong’an Prince Mansion—indeed, for Li Fengqi himself—was the Northern Frontier Governor’s Office and the hundreds of thousands of border troops under its command. As long as the military power remained in his hands, even if temporarily hindered, escape and recovery were only a matter of time.
Naturally, Ye Yunting understood perfectly. He nodded gently. “I understand.”
Seeing his clear comprehension, a faint smile curled at the corner of Li Fengqi’s lips as he continued, “Previously, Li Zong has already torn ties with me. Once I suppress the poison within my body, the open and covert struggles between us will be relentless. Even if you are only my nominal consort, you will inevitably be caught in the midst of it all.”
Li Zong was the emperor, yet he was a puppet raised by Li Fengqi’s own hands. Still young and naive in both mind and method, his foundation in court was not yet solid. His firm hold on the dragon throne was entirely due to Li Fengqi’s ruthless bloodshed over the years—eliminating rivals and intimidating all who opposed them.
Although Li Fengqi now finds himself fallen from grace, bedridden and immobilized by poison, the officials who follow him have received messages at the fifth watch and dare not act rashly. Many other officials, whose loyalties are uncertain, fear his days are numbered and choose instead to watch the situation unfold from the sidelines.
Once everyone realizes that he won’t die so easily for the time being, and that the military power in the northern border still firmly rests in his hands, the entire situation will instantly be turned on its head.
And when that day comes, Ye Yunting—personally appointed as the Princess of Yong’an by Li Zong and brought in to counteract the poison—will inevitably be caught in the middle, becoming the target of everyone’s hostility.
Li Zong will loathe that his "remedy" truly cured Li Fengqi’s "illness," seeing him as a thorn in his side; meanwhile, the officials loyal to Li Fengqi’s faction will suspect Ye Yunting of being a spy planted by Li Zong.
“You’ve been a timely help in my hour of need. I never intended to drag you into this courtly power struggle. But since you’ve already been appointed Princess of Yong’an by Li Zong himself, and have entered the prince’s residence, returning to the Guogong Mansion is simply impossible,” Li Fengqi lifted his eyes to meet his, his gaze deep yet sincere. “Besides, even if I were to send you back, Ye Zhili wouldn’t protect you.”
He truly appreciated Ye Yunting’s assistance and was genuinely concerned for him.
In these turbulent times, only the Yong’an Prince’s residence—and only he himself—could ensure Ye Yunting’s safety.
“So you’ll have to endure this for a while longer, staying here in the prince’s residence as my princess.” Li Fengqi extended his hand toward him. “Does the eldest young master trust me?”
The outstretched hand was slender and fair, like that of a pampered noble, but the palm and the fleshy area between thumb and index finger were calloused, the nails trimmed short, and the knuckles somewhat thickened. Yet the hand was not unattractive; rather, it carried a steady, powerful strength.
Ye Yunting lowered his eyes and hesitated for a moment before slowly placing his own hand into Li Fengqi’s, their palms meeting in a firm grasp. “I trust you, my lord.”
In his previous life, he had never taken the initiative to do anything; he had merely died from drinking a bowl of poisoned soup by accident. Back then, Li Fengqi still remembered his promise to him, and even years after his death, he had honored that vow.
Now, having shared hardship together, he trusted Li Fengqi would not break his word.
Their hands lingered briefly before Ye Yunting withdrew his. Li Fengqi rubbed his fingers thoughtfully and promised, “Once all is settled, I will give you a proper home.”
……
In the afternoon, visitors arrived again at the Guogong Mansion.
This time, it wasn’t the second young master himself, but his personal servant. A strong falcon perched on the servant’s arm, and behind him trailed two attendants carrying a cage of gray rabbits.
“These are falcons the young master specially sent for the princess to keep her company. Be careful with them.”
The servant had intended to deliver the gift personally, but the guards refused him entry, their tone growing increasingly curt. “The rabbits in the back were bought from mountain hunters. They’re wild rabbits, so be careful feeding them—one every two days.”
He rambled on, but seeing the guards’ faces grow grimmer by the minute, he snorted and pulled out a booklet. “This book records the proper care instructions for the falcon. Be sure to pass it on to the princess.”
The guards, unwilling to cause a conflict, begrudgingly accepted the booklet.
The young servant was used to Ye Wang’s domineering ways and couldn’t stand the chaotic rules of the prince’s mansion. After handing over the falcon to the guards, he rolled his eyes dramatically before striding away.
The two guards were simmering with frustration but had no choice but to deliver the falcon to Ye Yunting. They feared that if Ye Wang found out otherwise, he wouldn’t let the matter rest easily.
Ye Yunting hadn’t expected Ye Wang to act so swiftly. Only half a day had passed before the falcon was brought to him. Seeing the speckled falcon perched on the guard’s arm, the joy on Ye Yunting’s face was impossible to hide.
The falcon had often been brought to his courtyard by Ye Wang to show off, so it naturally recognized him. After Ye Yunting wrapped a protective leather cover around his arm, the falcon spread its wings and settled comfortably on his arm.
Ye Yunting felt the weight on his arm, followed by the soft nuzzle of the bird’s furry head.
He absentmindedly smoothed the falcon’s feathers, signaling Ji Lian to secure the cage of rabbits, then carried the falcon inside.
Although Li Fengqi had never raised a falcon before, he was somewhat familiar with the art of taming birds. After spending two days getting acquainted with the falcon, on the third evening, they finally released it.
During those two days, the falcon circled the courtyard constantly and occasionally flew out of the prince’s mansion. The guards had long since grown used to this.
Ye Yunting stood by the window, his gaze following the falcon as it soared higher and farther away. He exhaled softly, a long breath escaping his lips. Only after the falcon disappeared from sight did he close the window and whisper, “I hope the letter arrives safely.”
At that moment, Li Fengqi was sorting through medicinal herbs. Hearing Ye Yunting’s words, he looked up and reassured him, “The falcon is sharp and often travels to Weizhou. There’s no need to worry too much. Once the letter arrives, Zhu Wen will surely find a way to reply to us promptly.”
He finished sorting the herbs just as he spoke.
These herbs had been purchased by Ji Lian two days prior. To avoid suspicion, the herbs needed by both of them were mixed together. After bringing them back, Li Fengqi carefully separated them—one batch for Ye Yunting to help regulate his health, and the other for Li Fengqi to suppress the poison within himself.
Tonight would mark Li Fengqi’s third medicinal bath.
During the second bath, he had regained some sensation in his upper body. This time, he adjusted the dosage of the herbs; if all went well, his upper body should return to normal.
He wrapped the two batches of herbs and handed them to Ye Yunting. “Please stay with me tonight, Young Master,” he said.
To suppress the poison as quickly as possible, after two attempts, he had dared to increase the dosage this time. The pain and risks he would endure would undoubtedly be greater.
Ye Yunting frowned thoughtfully at the request. “Isn’t this too risky?”
Li Fengqi shook his head. “Counting the days, Mother should be returning from Rongyang soon. Once Li Zong receives the news, he will surely take action. I must suppress the poison quickly.”
Seeing the determination in Li Fengqi’s expression, Ye Yunting knew he couldn’t dissuade him and reluctantly nodded in agreement.
Late into the night, Ji Lian quietly brought over warm water from the kitchen under the cover of darkness.
With his strong arms, he carried two large buckets of hot water swiftly and lightly. After making two trips in the dark, he filled the waist-high bath tub with water.
Ye Yunting placed the medicinal herbs into the hot water. After the herbs had steeped thoroughly, he tested the temperature and said, “It’s ready.”
Hearing this, Li Fengqi removed his clothes, leaving only his undergarments, and gave him a slight nod of thanks. “Thank you for your trouble.”
Ye Yunting, together with Ji Lian, carefully lifted him and placed him into the bathing tub.
The water was still very hot. Li Fengqi’s upper body had just regained feeling, but as soon as he entered the water, his skin twitched involuntarily. He bit his teeth tightly, enduring the initial sting of the heat.
Once Li Fengqi was settled, Ye Yunting instructed Ji Lian to wait outside, then moved a stool to sit quietly by the tub’s edge, keeping a watchful eye on Li Fengqi.
Li Fengqi spoke softly: the third medicinal bath would have an increased dose, and the pain would intensify significantly. If he couldn’t bear it and fainted, Ye Yunting was to wake him immediately. The bath required changing the herbs twice during the hour-long treatment and could not be interrupted under any circumstances.
The room was thick with steaming mist, the air heavy with the strong, bitter scent of the herbs.
Li Fengqi bit down on a cloth, letting out occasional pained groans from his throat. His hands, resting on the tub’s edge, had been wrapped in cloth by Ye Yunting to prevent him from injuring himself as he had before.
Ye Yunting sat silently beside him. Though he couldn’t truly feel Li Fengqi’s pain, watching the veins bulging on his neck and arms, he could imagine just how intense it must be.
His eyes widened anxiously, fixed unblinkingly on Li Fengqi.
But the longer he watched, the heavier his heart grew. Every subtle expression, every vein that throbbed beneath the skin, even every drop of sweat that slid down—all spoke of the torment Li Fengqi was enduring.
Ye Yunting’s heart tightened painfully. He dared not move him, only managing to suppress his worry and gently say, “Sitting here in silence is dull. How about I read you some passages from your book?”
With that, he reached for the medical text Li Fengqi had been reading these past two days, flipped to a page, and began to read aloud carefully, word by word.
