Chapter 13: As a Hostage

Madam Gu took the string of prayer beads the maid had picked up, looking somewhat distracted, and muttered to herself, "So soon?"

Eight years ago, while the late Emperor was still alive, the Great Jing Dynasty signed a truce with the Yue Kingdom in the south. To show his sincerity, the late Emperor sent his eldest imperial grandson, Chu Yi—who was only ten years old at the time—to the Yue Kingdom as a hostage. That departure lasted for eight whole years.

At the end of last year, the late Emperor passed away. The current Emperor ascended the throne at the beginning of this year and negotiated with the Yue Kingdom for Chu Yi’s return.

This was a matter of national importance, and it had become the talk of the capital. Many people were worried, saying that the Yue Kingdom would likely not let the eldest prince return home safely.

Madam Gu had originally thought the same, and had even secretly hoped for it.

But reality had struck like a bucket of cold water poured over her head: the eldest prince had actually returned to the country safely!

Nurse Xu, unaware of Madam Gu’s inner thoughts, flatteringly chimed in, "It is truly Heaven’s blessing. The Emperor has been waiting for eight years; he has finally lived to see this day."

"..." Madam Gu’s expression darkened instantly, and she cast a gloomy, sidelong glance at Nurse Xu.

Nurse Xu felt her scalp tingle and hurriedly reported, "Madam, it seems His Highness the eldest prince has fallen gravely ill. The guards accompanying him requested a doctor on their own to treat His Highness, but unexpectedly, not only did they fail to cure him, his condition worsened. The guards had no choice but to alert the Prefect, and today, the Prefect invited His Highness to the Danyang Prefectural Office."

Gravely ill?! Madam Gu’s eyes lit up, and her heart began to beat faster.

If the eldest prince were truly to die of a serious illness, that would be wonderful.

The current Emperor had always been frail and sickly, with little hope of a long life. If something were to happen to the eldest prince as well, then in the future... according to ritual and law, the ministers would have to ask the Empress Dowager, the Clan Court, and the Grand Secretaries to select a suitable new monarch from among the imperial clan.

The current Empress Dowager was the late Emperor’s second wife.

Prince Kang was her only biological son. He held the status of a legitimate son and had long enjoyed a reputation for virtue; it was easy to imagine that he would be the first choice to inherit the throne.

Madam Gu seemed to see the grand occasion of Prince Kang’s ascension, a scorching light flashing in the depths of her eyes.

Her Rong-jie’er would surely marry Prince Kang, and in the future, by virtue of her husband’s status, she would become the Empress of the great Great Jing Dynasty, the mother of the world.

At that time, their Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, as the Empress’s maternal family, would surely return to its former glory... no, it would rise even higher!!

Madam Gu turned slightly and looked up toward the direction of the Danyang Prefectural Office.

High above, the sky was cloudless.

The weather had been very hot lately; the air was stifling, without a breath of wind. Everything, from the trees to the people, was listless and sluggish.

Only the Danyang Prefectural Office in the center of the city was an exception; the entire yamen was on high alert due to the arrival of the distinguished guest.

An octagonal palace lantern was lit in the main hall, its candlelight glowing softly.

"Cough, cough..."

The handsome young man sitting at the head of the table pressed his fist against his lips, his face half-lowered, coughing continuously.

He wore a snow-white robe, spotless, his ink-black hair loosely half-tied and half-loose.

The warm, glowing candlelight poured gently over him, gilding him with a layer of gold dust. A faint golden luster shimmered on his skin, making his face appear as pale as paper. The tear mole at the corner of his eye was as red as blood, giving him a beauty that was both sickly and elegant.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" A middle-aged man standing to the side, dressed in a fourth-rank crimson robe embroidered with wild geese, asked cautiously while bowing.

Chu Yi wiped his mouth with a white handkerchief. A sickly flush appeared on his pale cheeks, and his thin chest rose and fell with slight urgency.

"I am well enough. Thank you for your concern, Prefect He." He smiled slightly, his voice somewhat hoarse, his demeanor gentle and refined.

This eldest prince’s personality was indeed as gentle and humble as the rumors suggested, Prefect He thought to himself, while saying aloud, "I shall have someone go and fetch a doctor immediately..."

Before he could finish, a servant of medium build walked in quickly and reported to Prefect He, "Master, Doctor Cheng has arrived."

Half a cup of tea later, a doctor in his fifties, wearing a cyan *zhiduo* robe, walked into the hall in a hurry, following the servant. He had a square face, a goatee on his chin, and wore a black headscarf. Beads of sweat covered his forehead and neck.

Doctor Cheng had already been warned that today’s patient was a person of high status, so he bowed to the two men in fear and trepidation.

Prefect He commanded with an air of authority, "Doctor Cheng, examine His Highness carefully."

Doctor Cheng agreed repeatedly. He then asked Chu Yi to extend his left wrist and, with great respect, took his pulse, focusing his eyes and lowering his gaze.

The pulse beneath his fingers was thin, soft, and deep; weak and slippery. It was a deficiency syndrome caused by a lack of *qi* and blood, and even a sign that his lifespan would not be long.

The hall was silent.

A moment later, Doctor Cheng finally withdrew his hand, wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, and said tactfully, "His Highness is suffering from a deficiency of *qi* and blood, and his pores are not firm, leading to an invasion of wind-evil. Please allow me to prescribe some warming and nourishing medicine for Your Highness."

Chu Yi turned his face slightly, covered his mouth with his handkerchief, and coughed a few more times.

Xiao Shi gently rubbed his back and, venting his anger, shouted at Doctor Cheng, "You doctors keep saying the same thing about *qi* deficiency and blood loss—when exactly will our Highness’s condition improve?"

"..." Doctor Cheng was covered in sweat, stammering, "That... that will only be known after taking a few doses..."

Xiao Shi wanted to say more, but saw Chu Yi raise his hand to signal him to be silent.

Chu Yi smiled gently, "Doctor Cheng, my subordinate has a hasty temperament..."

"No matter, no matter." How could Doctor Cheng dare to argue with someone from the eldest prince’s entourage?

Soon, a servant prepared brush and ink. Prefect He, standing to the side, instructed in a condescending tone, "Doctor Cheng, if you need any rare or precious medicinal herbs, just say so."

Doctor Cheng agreed submissively several times. He quickly wrote out the prescription, gave instructions on how to decoct the medicine, and told Chu Yi to rest well. From beginning to end, he did not dare to look Chu Yi directly in the eye.

Chu Yi seemed to feel that his subordinate had been rude, so he instructed another guard, "Sihai, you escort Doctor Cheng out."

The plain-looking young man in gray robes cupped his hands in acknowledgment and personally escorted Doctor Cheng out.

The sunset was golden, so bright it made one unable to open their eyes, and the thick air seemed to have frozen.

After passing through a moon gate, Sihai suddenly stopped, stretched out an arm to block Doctor Cheng, and asked, "Will the eldest prince recover?"

There was no one else around them.

Doctor Cheng looked at Sihai, feeling somewhat uneasy. He swallowed hard and said, "My medical skills are limited... however, the imperial physicians should have a way."

Sihai stared at Doctor Cheng without blinking. After three breaths of silence, he added in a cold voice, "You should have a way to let him weaken naturally and then pass away from his illness, right?"

The sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, casting mottled shadows on Sihai’s face, making his otherwise ordinary features appear exceptionally eerie.

Doctor Cheng: "!!!"

Even though he tried to remain calm, his eyes widened uncontrollably, his pupils flickered, and his body tensed up.