A few days later, at the beginning of the month, Song Jinzhao left the manor to inspect her shops. When she walked into the Hotpot Palace, she happened to see Gong Linjue eating hotpot by the window on the second floor.
Their eyes met, and Gong Linjue spoke with a faint, enigmatic smile.
"I heard that this hotpot restaurant was opened by the Princess of Linghui. The cooking method is quite similar to the copper pot boiled mutton of our Shuobei State. It is a pity that I cannot order beef here."
Song Jinzhao's lips curled up, but the smile did not reach her eyes.
"The Dongzhao State prohibits the slaughter of draft cattle. Eating beef depends on luck. Your Highness can buy some hotpot base to take back and boil. I am sure Shuobei State does not lack beef to eat."
Gong Linjue cast a cold glance at Song Jinzhao, then put down his chopsticks and left.
Song Jinzhao walked to the window and looked down, only to see them enter the weapon shop across the street.
It had been several days since the Emperor's birthday banquet. Why hadn't the Shuobei delegation left yet?
At the dinner table that evening, Song Jinzhao asked Song Qiming, "When is the Shuobei delegation leaving the capital?"
Song Shixue, who was picking up food, paused her chopsticks to wait for Song Qiming's answer.
Lan Xi was still hiding at the estate, not daring to return. She also wanted to know when the delegation would leave.
Song Qiming replied, "They say that the roads are hard to travel now that winter has arrived and it is snowing. They want to wait until the weather gets a bit warmer before leaving."
"Doesn't that mean they will wait until February or March of next year?" Song Shixue exclaimed in astonishment.
It was only November, the beginning of winter, and the first snow had not even fallen yet. For it to be warmer than it was now, they would have to wait until at least February of next year.
Song Qiming nodded.
"Lord Fei said that there are pros and cons to Gong Linjue staying in the capital. The advantage is that we do not have to worry about Shuobei starting a war. The disadvantage is that we have to constantly guard against him. The Imperial Guards stationed outside the city will probably have to spend the New Year at the royal estate."
Song Jinzhao frowned slightly, feeling a bit worried.
"Over a long period of time, it is inevitable that some people will let their guard down. Gong Linjue will not just sit around doing nothing while in the capital. We must be strictly on guard."
Song Qiming said, "Lord Fei said the same thing. I have this lingering feeling that they are planning to secretly pull some underhanded tricks."
After learning that Xiao Rongche's eye could not be cured and that his other eye would also go blind, the gates of the Prince Qi Manor became thoroughly deserted.
Every day, only imperial physicians came to treat him. Originally, the Emperor sent people to check on him every few days, but unfortunately, after half a month, he stopped paying much attention.
The massive fall from grace and the resentment of being abandoned made Xiao Rongche's temperament increasingly volatile.
He would smash things at the drop of a hat, beating and cursing the servants.
His emotional instability caused the healing of his eye to be highly pessimistic.
The pain in his head and face intensified. He spent his days in a daze, looking like a vengeful ghost crawling out of a gutter.
It was past midnight, the time when people were the sleepiest.
Dressed in black nightclothes, Gong Linjue climbed up the rockery inside the Huitong Guesthouse, then used a willow tree near the wall to vault over the high courtyard wall.
A dry leaf fell onto a guard's face, making him jolt awake.
Realizing it was just a leaf, he hugged his sword and went back to dozing, muttering a complaint to himself, "So sleepy, why isn't it dawn yet?"
Gong Linjue stealthily made his way to the back door of the Prince Qi Manor and jumped in from the lowest point of the wall.
Ever since Prince Qi was crippled, the manor's guards had become much slacker. He easily found the room where Xiao Rongche was sleeping.
Two guards were dozing at the door. Looking around, there were no other shadows. Even the lanterns were scarce, making the area look very dim.
After waiting for a moment and confirming that the surrounding defenses were lax, Gong Linjue jumped down from the eaves. His footsteps were so light that the two guards did not notice a thing.
With a few quick steps, he closed in and delivered two backhanded chops.
The guards opened their eyes but fainted before they could even make out his figure.
Pushing open the door, Xiao Rongche, who had been throwing tantrums all day, was sleeping soundly. Approaching him, one could even hear his snoring.
It was not until he felt a stinging pain on his neck that he jolted awake, as if he had suddenly fallen into an abyss.
Gong Linjue's dark red pupils were like a blade stabbing straight into Xiao Rongche's heart.
He was just about to scream when the dagger pressed against his neck moved a fraction closer, scaring him so much that the words died in his throat.
Trembling, Xiao Rongche asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you? Who sent you to kill me?"
He had already been reduced to this state, yet someone still wanted to kill him.
Was it Prince Ying, or someone else?
A cold sneer curled the corners of Gong Linjue's mouth.
"His Highness Prince Qi has stayed in the manor ever since returning to the capital. Unable to meet you, I had no choice but to come at night. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
He asked for forgiveness, but his eyes were full of mockery. He did not take the other party seriously at all.
The pupil of Xiao Rongche's throbbing left eye contracted. He stared fixedly at the person in front of him, his tone filled with disbelief.
"You are Gong Linjue, the Prince of Wei from the Shuobei State?"
The only person who would refer to himself as a prince, whom he did not recognize, could only be the Prince of Wei from Shuobei, who had come to celebrate the Emperor's birthday.
But why would a dignified prince sneak into his manor in the middle of the night?
They did not even have a grudge against each other.
Gong Linjue withdrew the dagger and straightened his upper body.
"I came here today to discuss a deal with Your Highness. I wonder if you are interested?"
Xiao Rongche sat up in bed, looking at Gong Linjue coldly.
"As a prince of an enemy nation, what deal do you want to discuss with me?"
Gong Linjue scoffed. "An enemy prince, indeed. Your Highness speaks quite bluntly."
A cold, self-deprecating smile appeared on Xiao Rongche's face.
"I am already blind. I have no mood to beat around the bush with you. If you have something to say, say it directly."
Gong Linjue pulled over a chair and sat down. "I have a way to save Your Highness's other eye."
Hearing these words, Xiao Rongche, whose heart had been as dead as ashes, was instantly energized.
As if grabbing a lifeline, he eagerly asked, "Is what you say true?"
Gong Linjue gave a slight nod.
"Of course it is true. I have seen someone exactly like Your Highness. However, his left eye was injured. Ten years have passed, and his right eye remains clear and bright, completely unaffected."
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Rongche frowned.
"But Song Jinzhao said my eye cannot be cured. Does Shuobei State actually have a doctor with more superb medical skills than hers?"
Gong Linjue raised his long eyebrows.
"As far as I know, Your Highness once sent assassins to kill Song Jinzhao. If it were you, would you save someone who once tried to kill you?"
Xiao Rongche could not help but clench his fists.
Of course not.
"But the imperial physicians also said it cannot be cured."
Gong Linjue's tone dripped with sarcasm. "If their medical skills cannot even compare to a woman's, how superb could they possibly be?"
"If Your Highness does not believe me, the moment I return to Shuobei, I will have that person come see you immediately. I can also bring along the doctor who treated him."
After a long silence, Xiao Rongche raised his head, staring at Gong Linjue with burning eyes.
"What do you want me to do for you?"
Gong Linjue replied, "I want a cartload of potatoes. This should not be difficult for Your Highness."
Xiao Rongche took a deep breath. After thinking for a moment, he nodded in agreement.
"I can give you a cartload of potatoes, but you must cure my eye first."
Gong Linjue leaned back in his chair. "Your Highness is a prince of an enemy nation, and that doctor is an imperial physician from my Shuobei State's Imperial Hospital. Without the Emperor's permission, it is impossible for him to travel thousands of miles to the capital to treat Your Highness's eye. If the Emperor does not see your sincerity, he will not agree."
