The Imperial Palace.
The Zichen Hall was far from the Juan Hall, so the speed of information exchange was relatively slow.
After waiting all afternoon until the sky grew dark, Emperor Chongzhao lost patience and directly had his carriage prepared for the Juan Hall.
Eunuch Yu hurriedly caught up from behind, bringing the latest news: "He still hasn't been found."
Emperor Chongzhao: "Keep searching."
He lifted the hem of his robe and stepped over the threshold of the Juan Hall's main gate.
For the first time in three years, he set foot in this place.
His eyes met a scene of cold desolation. Even though it had improved somewhat compared to before, when contrasted with the living conditions of other princes of similar age, this place could still be described as 'poor'.
After all, the other young princes had their mothers to care for them, raised meticulously within the inner palace. Qu Dubian had never had that since birth.
In the cracks between the floor tiles, one could still see traces of sporadic weeds left behind after being cleared away.
Emperor Chongzhao stood silently in the courtyard for a while. He had never seen the child's face; the closest he had come was through those few, detail-lacking sketches of a young child that Yi Shier had painted for him.
He entered his youngest son's bedchamber.
The furnishings here were old and sparse. On the desk lay some basic introductory books and some practiced calligraphy. The bedding on the bed was still old; Ye Xiaoyuan felt the new quilts weren't as soft as the old ones, so he had only asked for the cotton inside to be re-fluffed.
Eunuch Yu followed behind him.
Someone from the Astrological Bureau had once said that His Majesty must not get too close to the young prince, lest the imperial aura fuel the growth of the malignant force. Not only would it affect Consort Yun's reincarnation, but it could even plunge the entire palace into unrest.
Of course, at a time like this, no one dared to mention a word of it.
Actually, judging by His Majesty's previous temperament, even if the Seventh Prince went missing, he would probably just wait for news in the Zichen Hall.
But for some reason, His Majesty had recently shown a bit more concern in matters involving the Seventh Prince. Thinking back now, even his initial attention seemed somewhat abrupt.
He stole a glance at the Emperor.
Emperor Chongzhao sat on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, palms pressed against his forehead, his lips pressed into a tight, straight line.
-
The search parties formed by the princes also expanded. Originally, it was only the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Princes; later, the First Prince and the other two also joined. Whether sincere or feigned, they were all genuinely searching, not wanting to give the others any grounds to fault them.
Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun searched together, not stopping all afternoon.
They even searched the Six Halls of the Eastern Garden, as the prince often went there, but they turned the place over and found nothing.
Passing by a group of guards hurrying past, the conversation of the two at the back drifted over.
"Orders just came down from above, saying to search all the lotus ponds, mudflats, and such places. His Majesty ordered the palace paths to the Zichen Hall guarded, but how old is the Seventh Prince? And with a fever... it's hard to say, he might have accidentally fallen into one of those places. Hard to predict, hard to predict."
"Let's also check the hard-to-notice cracks. Didn't you hear what the Imperial Hospital said? Even if he's found alive now, he'll likely be addled by the fever."
"What a mess this is, it's just... Hey, come to think of it, it seems all the recent incidents are related to the Seventh Prince. Could it really be Consort Yun's restless spirit causing trouble in the shadows?"
"Nonsense! The Seventh Prince is Consort Yun's child. If her spirit were really causing trouble, would she make the Seventh Prince fall ill?"
"..."
Ye Xiaoyuan's eyes stung, turning red. He punched the wall: "What kind of crap are you talking about?! His Highness will be fine!"
Wen Xiaochun pulled him back: "Calm down, calm down. You need to rest. You can't hold on much longer like this."
Ye Xiaoyuan's face was deathly pale, his hands icy cold. After searching all afternoon under the pressure of panic and fear, he was already exhausted. Wen Xiaochun stuffed a piece of candy into his hand and pulled him to sit on a nearby rock.
"Stop for a while."
Ye Xiaoyuan kept taking deep breaths, looking down at the blood seeping from the knuckles of his fist. In winter, blood flows slowly; it seemed to congeal almost as soon as it welled from the wound.
After pulling him to sit down, Wen Xiaochun himself stood up. "I'm going somewhere."
Ye Xiaoyuan paused, keenly sensing something from his tone.
He looked up.
Wen Xiaochun's eyes were still habitually lowered, even the small scar at the corner of his eye lacking its usual edge. But now, the pitch-black night generously spilled over him, and from this upward angle, he faintly revealed a hint of repression.
Ye Xiaoyuan opened his mouth but didn't obstruct him like last time. In the end, he only said, "I know your temperament. I'll just say one thing: don't be too radical."
Wen Xiaochun's voice was soft, "Don't worry, I understand."
He turned and quickly disappeared into the darkness. Not long after, he appeared in the main kitchen.
The palace servants here had also been called away to search, leaving only a few on duty. Wen Xiaochun slipped in easily, took out his small key for managing affairs, found a manure cart, and pushed open the storeroom door.
-
The garden near the Juan Hall.
Qu Dubian hadn't gone far. At his age, with no stamina and unfamiliar with the layout, the area he knew best was still this garden.
His hiding place was inside the rockery in the garden.
There was a narrow crevice here, narrow on the outside but wider inside. He squeezed in and leaned back; others would have a hard time spotting him. The rockery looked like a solid mass at a glance, and being right near the Juan Hall, it was a case of the darkest place being under the lamp.
One dream had planted the seed that the Astrological Bureau was the real harbinger of misfortune, mainly to increase his presence in his cheap father's mind, so life could be a bit better, with everyone living in peace.
If the Astrological Bureau hadn't provoked him again, he wouldn't have made the second dream deliver its accusation against them in such a brutal and direct manner.
Actually, analyzing the logic of how the Astrological Bureau gained his cheap father's trust was simple.
They used the established fact that they would later cause Consort Yun's death to guarantee the accuracy of their initial prophecy about the illegitimate child, thereby gaining trust.
Now, he was simply giving them a taste of their own medicine.
Using the established fact that he would definitely get a fever, he preemptively edited the prophecy within the second dream, allowing suspicion to take root and the balance to shift in his advantageous father's heart.
The note he left was to stimulate whatever paternal affection might exist in his cheap father's heart.
The plan was perfect. The only flaw was—
Although the simulator simulated a Level 2 fever, and he no longer felt uncomfortable once the real value dropped to zero, his body was still somewhat affected.
His original plan was to reveal himself once the note reached his cheap father.
He hadn't expected that after hiding here for a while, this body of his simply fell asleep, and he woke up to pitch-black darkness.
He checked the simulator time.
7:30 PM.
Qu Dubian let out a small yawn, still somewhat sleepy but not uncomfortable. "Will it always be like this in the future?"
Simulator: [The simulator shields the host's uncomfortable sensations. However, during illness, the body produces instinctive protective reactions. The host is young and physically weak, lacking internal energy, and cannot completely suppress these physical instincts.]
Qu Dubian understood.
He was too weak.
But if things continued like this, with him improving his physical fitness while frequently falling ill, he might end up with the constitution of a Lu Zhishen with the fragility of Sister Lin... or rather, the fragility of Sister Lin with the constitution of Lu Zhishen...?
Qu Dubian was about to crawl out when he remembered something and asked, "Is there anyone around now?"
The simulator gave no response.
Alright.
He'd have to go find someone himself.
After squeezing out from the crevice in the rocks, the surroundings were unexpectedly quiet.
Those searching for him had gone to more distant areas, leaving this place feeling empty, especially at night under the crescent moon, desolate and bleak.
The branches of the withered tree in the garden rustled like ghosts descending as a cold wind blew through them.
Qu Dubian cleared his throat, preparing to fake a cry, but as soon as he opened his mouth: "Ahem—" Forget crying, the faint, strained sound he managed to squeeze out was barely audible if one didn't listen carefully.
"..." Qu Dubian couldn't believe that such an ugly, crow-like sound had come from him. He covered his mouth, fell silent for a moment, then adjusted the realism level to ten percent. Instantly, he felt a dull ache and swelling in his throat.
After a moment's thought, he understood. Fever has its progression. He had only experienced the first half—dizziness, feeling chilled all over, and weakness in his limbs. The subsequent throat inflammation and swelling hadn't set in yet before he submitted his 'thesis'.
It was only normal for his lifespan to be deducted since he hadn't completed the entire experience.
Qu Dubian reset the realism level to zero. Shouting was out of the question now; he could only hope to encounter someone soon.
He walked out from the area of the rockery, leaning on a stone with one hand to steady himself briefly.
He was so hungry, so very hungry.
He hadn't walked more than a few steps when the simulator alerted him:
[Yi Shier is 50 meters from the host.]
[Yi Shier is 32 meters from the host.]
[Yi Shier is 15 meters from the host.]
The simulator's announcements came rapidly. Clearly, Yi Shier had spotted him and was closing in quickly. Qu Dubian immediately squatted down by the rock, waiting for Yi Shier to pick him up and take him away.
[Yi Shier is 5 meters from the host.]
[Yi Shier is 3 meters from the host.]
Qu Dubian waited patiently for a full forty-five seconds, but no one appeared.
He: "..."
Bewildered.
Qu Dubian stood up and looked around. At a distance of three meters, and him not being blind, where on earth was this person hiding? He couldn't see a trace.
After waiting another dozen seconds, Qu Dubian sighed and finally resigned himself to standing up, starting to walk out of the garden. Because it was dark, the area was too dim, and he stumbled several times on the gravel path, nearly falling.
Usually, it was Ye Xiaoyuan who carried him along this path. Having to walk it himself, it really was a bit hard on his feet.
And, to be honest, after the snow melted and refroze, even the gravel path wasn't slip-proof.
Tsk, Yi Shier must also be a bit of a dull-witted imperial guard. Having found him here, why not go report it? At his speed, it would be much faster than letting him walk on his own, right?
He had the leisure to think about all this, while Yi Shier dared not even blink.
Without orders, an imperial guard must not reveal himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to hurry and report, but the little prince's current condition looked truly dire.
He had just been sitting on the rockery stone in a daze for a long time, looking around blankly as if he couldn't even remember this familiar little garden—a classic sign of being addled by fever.
A small, thin, weak figure; if not for his excellent night vision, Yi Shier might not have even spotted him.
He immediately intended to leave and notify the search party.
But soon, the little prince staggered to his feet, stumbling every few steps, a sight that made one's heart pound with fear. The crucial point was that this small path ran right beside the lotus pond. Although it was now covered with a layer of ice, if a child rolled into it, the ice could still crack.
Already feverish, if he accidentally fell into the lotus pond during the gap when Yi Shier was away, by the time he was found, he might have long since entered the underworld.
Under these circumstances, leaving was simply impossible.
Yi Shier, staring unblinkingly, prepared to go find someone the moment the little prince walked out of this small path.
However, the path was circular. In the dark of night, Qu Dubian didn't see the branching fork at the end and ended up walking back around the circle.
Yi Shier: "..."
-
Perhaps because his legs were short, Qu Dubian felt this small path had no end.
His feet really hurt from the stones!!
Qu Dubian simply stopped and sat down on the spot to rest.
A minute later, he thought he heard, as if an illusion, an almost imperceptible sigh.
Qu Dubian slightly raised his eyes. Before him appeared a section of pure black robe, its cuffs tightly bound and embroidered with a cold orchid. Immediately after, he was picked up by this person—'lifted' might be a more fitting word.
The sound of rushing wind whistled past his ears. His head was pressed against Yi Shier's chest, listening to the muffled sound of vibrations from within.
"Don't be afraid. This subordinate will take you to His Majesty."
Qu Dubian's back was patted a few times in a soothing manner.
"Hold on a little longer, Your Highness."
Qu Dubian temporarily set aside the latter part of his plan for after meeting his nominal father. He tightly gripped Yi Shier's shoulders, feeling the leap, the push-off, and the cold, sharp airflow as they moved through the air.
Qu Dubian's eyes slowly widened.
Witnessing qinggong (lightness skill) with his own eyes for the first time—this was just too cool!
