On her way to Prince Chen's Mansion, Ye Chutang bought some pastries.
It wouldn’t be proper to visit someone empty-handed.
When she arrived, she happened to run into officials from the Ministry of Justice leaving the estate.
One of them was the subordinate who had previously escorted Ye Chutang to see Qi Yanzhou.
He greeted her warmly, "Miss Ye, good day."
Ye Chutang nodded and asked, "How is Prince Chen? Were his injuries severe?"
"We didn’t get to see His Highness. The steward said he needs rest and asked us to return tomorrow."
The man immediately realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly corrected himself.
"Miss Ye, your timing is perfect. With your exceptional medical skills, you’ll surely help His Highness recover swiftly. We have official matters to attend to, so we’ll take our leave."
After the officials departed, the gatekeeper hurried over to Ye Chutang.
"Miss Ye, please come inside."
He led her directly to Qi Yanzhou’s courtyard.
Concubine Chen and the Old Prince were both there, listening to Doctor Jiang explain Qi Yanzhou’s condition.
"His Highness hasn’t woken yet because the fire poison flared up again, compounded by severe internal injuries. He requires thorough rest."
Hearing that their son’s fire poison had resurfaced, the couple grew deeply distressed.
"Doctor Jiang, surely… he won’t fail to wake up?"
Though they had long known this day might come, they still couldn’t bear the thought.
Doctor Jiang understood that Qi Yanzhou’s body was already at its limit.
Without a cure for the fire poison, he wouldn’t last much longer.
But it wasn’t time yet.
He quickly reassured Concubine Chen and the Old Prince.
"Your Grace, please don’t worry. The prince’s fire poison has been suppressed. His pulse is weak but not fatal. He will wake soon."
Concubine Chen pressed a hand to her chest and exhaled in relief.
"That’s good to hear."
Just then, she noticed Ye Chutang approaching with pastries in hand, her face lighting up with joy.
"Miss Ye, you’re here! Yanzhou is inside—go on in."
As she spoke, she took the pastries from Ye Chutang’s hands.
Ye Chutang: "…"
Was Concubine Chen being a little too welcoming?
After paying her respects to Concubine Chen and the Old Prince, she explained, "His Highness suffered these injuries saving me. Since I have some skill in medicine, I’ve come to examine him."
"Examine him as much as you like. Take a good, long look."
Ye Chutang didn’t know how to respond.
The Old Prince tugged at Concubine Chen’s sleeve and whispered, "Won’t she discover the fire poison if she examines him?"
Concubine Chen trusted her son’s judgment.
If he allowed Ye Chutang free access to Prince Chen's Mansion, she must be trustworthy.
She gave Ye Chutang a gentle push.
"Go on in, Miss Ye. With your care, Yanzhou will surely wake up soon."
Even if her son wasn’t destined to marry, spending time with the one he loved was still a blessing.
"I’ll do my best," Ye Chutang replied before entering Qi Yanzhou’s chamber.
From the courtyard, Concubine Chen called after her, "Miss Ye, you must stay for dinner this time!"
Then, with a meaningful glance at Doctor Jiang, she hurried off with the Old Prince in tow.
When Ye Chutang glanced out the bedroom window, the three of them had already vanished.
But she knew Qi Yanzhou wasn’t alone in the room.
"Come out. You’ll get a better view from beside the bed."
Nan Xiao hadn’t expected Ye Chutang to detect his presence so quickly.
He stepped out from behind the screen and bowed.
"Greetings, Miss Ye."
Ye Chutang acknowledged him with a nod, then sat by the bed to take Qi Yanzhou’s pulse.
After the examination, she began acupuncture.
As the last silver needle was placed, Qi Yanzhou’s eyes fluttered open.
Nan Xiao looked at Ye Chutang in surprise, never expecting her medical skills to be so exceptional.
Had she detected the fire poison in the prince?
And could she even cure it?
No longer daring to underestimate her, his wariness eased slightly as he retreated behind the screen.
Qi Yanzhou studied Ye Chutang, recalling what had happened before he was knocked unconscious.
"Miss Ye, are you alright?"
Ye Chutang pressed down on Qi Yanzhou, who tried to sit up. "Don’t move, or the needles will shift."
Obediently lying back, Qi Yanzhou scrutinized her. Seeing no signs of injury, he relaxed.
"Miss Ye, why did you knock me out? Is Huaixuan safe? How did we escape Prince An’s mansion?"
Ye Chutang sidestepped the heavier details.
"I traded everything valuable in Ningchu Courtyard with the 'Ghost Thief' in exchange for rescuing the three of us."
Qi Yanzhou wasn’t convinced. Skeptically, he asked, "Does the 'Ghost Thief' know medicine? Or how to suppress fire poison?"
"I’m not sure if he knows medicine, but before I passed out, I told him to leave you in an ice cellar for a while."
"I didn’t realize Miss Ye was so familiar with the 'Ghost Thief.'"
Meeting Qi Yanzhou’s gaze calmly, Ye Chutang parted her lips.
"It was mutual benefit and sheer luck. Thankfully, we ran into him while he was robbing Prince An’s mansion—otherwise, the consequences would’ve been dire."
Qi Yanzhou doubted it was mere coincidence. But since she avoided elaboration, he decided to investigate quietly.
Noticing his disbelief, Ye Chutang added,
"The 'Ghost Thief' razed the guest courtyard to the ground. Amid the chaos, he looted the entire mansion, then burned it all down."
Qi Yanzhou’s expression turned incredulous.
"He emptied the entire mansion?"
"Yes. Prince An’s residence was left uninhabitable. Worse, the 'Ghost Thief' stripped Prince An bare, tied him to a carriage, and paraded him through the streets—making him the laughingstock of the capital."
Qi Yanzhou’s lips twitched. "Do you know why you were attacked, Miss Ye?"
This was the question Ye Chutang had been waiting for.
She pulled a pre-written note from her sleeve and handed it to him.
"I didn’t before, but now I do."
Unfolding the slip, Qi Yanzhou winced at the sloppy handwriting but wasn’t shocked by the content—he’d already suspected as much.
The note read: The damned emperor plans to frame Prince Chen for treason through his marriage, then annihilate Prince Chen’s Mansion.
"Miss Ye, where did this come from?"
Ignoring his question, Ye Chutang removed the needles from his body. Only after storing them did she reply.
"I found it on my bedside after waking in my chamber. Likely left by the 'Ghost Thief.' What will Prince Chen do now?"
Once the emperor set his mind on destroying Prince Chen’s Mansion, he wouldn’t relent until it was done.
Sitting up, Qi Yanzhou reduced the note to dust with his inner energy.
The royal family’s vendetta against Prince Chen’s Mansion wasn’t new—only their methods had been subtler before.
Like poisoning him.
This time, their relentless aggression suggested desperation.
And why wouldn’t they be?
He was supposed to die in the southern frontier, condemning the Qi family as "traitors." Yet not only had he survived, he’d reclaimed the territory and seized command of 200,000 troops.
When the victory reached the court, the panicked emperor immediately summoned him back to the capital under the guise of marriage—while sending assassins after him.
If he died, the false charges of treason would still stick.
Yet against all odds, he survived and returned safely to the capital.
Thus came the imperial decree of marriage, forcing him to relinquish his military power willingly and idle away his days at the Court of Judicial Review.
But even so, the emperor still sought to eradicate the Qi family root and branch!
At this thought, Qi Yanzhou lifted his gaze to Ye Chutang.
"Rest assured, Miss Ye, Prince Chen's Mansion will never drag you into this. Thank you for the warning."
Ye Chutang couldn't help but ask curiously, "The damned emperor is incompetent and tyrannical, plunging the people into misery while still scheming to wipe out your entire family. Why don't you just prove his accusations true and seize the Zhao Family's throne?"
In her eyes, Qi Yanzhou, with his compassion for the realm and prowess in both letters and arms, would undoubtedly make a great emperor.
