A Quiet Homecoming
“And now, is the Crown Prince planning to repay a life-saving favor by offering himself in marriage?”
With all the servants gone and only the two of them remaining, Jiang Lingxuan still flushed with embarrassment at Chen Yao's bluntness.
She averted her gaze slightly and gave a barely perceptible nod before murmuring softly, “His Highness said… he holds me in his heart.”
She wasn't truly in love with the Crown Prince, but when a man of great power and devotion openly confessed his affection, it was hard not to feel a flutter of joy.
“So, has the Crown Prince done anything to show it?”
Caught off guard by this juicy revelation, Chen Yao immediately assumed the air of a strategist and began to advise, “Since he's already confessed to you in private, there should be some follow-up, right?”
“Like what?” Jiang Lingxuan looked at her, a bit bewildered, as if she hadn't quite caught on.
“For example, asking His Majesty to issue a betrothal decree for you two, or holding a consort selection banquet but secretly designating you as the Crown Princess… something like that.” Chen Yao tilted her head as she listed examples.
Otherwise, if the Crown Prince just spouted a single “I hold you in my heart” with no action to back it up—that was far too unreliable.
“His Highness said that when he returns from Lingdong Commandery, if he can achieve merit, he will use that as a reason to petition His Majesty.” Jiang Lingxuan twisted the silk handkerchief in her hands and spoke softly.
“That's more like it—that shows some sincerity.” Chen Yao nodded, then turned to ask seriously, “And what are your thoughts? Do you like the Crown Prince? Or is it just that his status is so lofty that you don't dare refuse?”
Jiang Lingxuan slowly shook her head. “I don't know either.”
Chen Yao recalled the Crown Prince she'd glimpsed at the palace banquet. He seemed decent-looking, presumably having fully inherited the Empress's good looks.
But he looked rather frail, especially in the elaborate, flowing robes he'd worn that day, which only made him seem all the more sickly—like a gloomy, sickly little dog.
“Well then, take this time to think it over carefully. After all, it's a matter of lifelong importance.”
Chen Yao chuckled lightly and patted her shoulder, adding, “Since I've got nothing better to do anyway, how about we secretly investigate the Crown Prince's character on our own? See if he's worth entrusting your life to.”
“How could we do that?” Jiang Lingxuan was alarmed, especially seeing the eager look on Chen Yao's face. She quickly waved her hands. “Privately investigating the Eastern Palace is absolutely not allowed.”
“Of course it's not allowed.” Chen Yao nodded in agreement, but before Jiang Lingxuan could breathe a sigh of relief, she immediately added with a beaming smile, “So we'll do it quietly.”
“That's still not allowed.” Jiang Lingxuan firmly opposed.
As if Chen Yao would ever obey. She let out a light snort. “Then I'll investigate quietly on my own. I'll make sure to avoid you, don't worry.”
Jiang Lingxuan was speechless.
She was clearly no match for Chen Yao, and in the end, she had no choice but to reluctantly join her in the secret inquiries.
Fortunately, Chen Yao wasn't as reckless as she seemed. The “investigation” she proposed ultimately relied on the shadow guards Xie Qingyan had assigned to her to gather intelligence.
She also consulted the rumors about the Crown Prince circulating among the common folk, as relayed by Yun Niang, the proprietress of Yunwei House, in which she held a stake. These were weighed together as part of the overall assessment.
It wasn't overly out of line, which made Jiang Lingxuan sigh in relief.
*
Since he'd gone to deal with the flood disaster, and Xie Qingyan had said before leaving that he'd be away for about two to three months, Chen Yao hadn't expected that just over a month later, news would arrive of unrest and rebellion breaking out in Lingdong Commandery.
And amid that chaos, which was clearly orchestrated by hidden hands behind the scenes, Xie Qingyan, to protect the Crown Prince, had taken an arrow meant for him and fallen into a grave coma.
Of course, the news was heavily sealed. It wasn't until the Crown Prince dispatched a portion of his guards to escort the still-unconscious Xie Qingyan with great care all the way back to the Xie residence…
When Chen Yao heard that the Xie household had sent someone to deliver the message to her, she was naturally still staying at the Pingyuan Hou mansion.
The cup of milk tea in her hand slipped and fell, shattering into pieces on the ground.
“Miss, please don't panic.” Chuntao, seeing her mistress frozen in place, hurriedly tried to comfort her.
“Arrange a carriage right away, and go tell Mother—I'm returning to the Xie residence now.” Chen Yao snapped back to herself, urging urgently.
When she reached the entrance of the Xie residence, everything looked much the same as usual, still calm and peaceful.
But the moment she stepped through the gates, an oppressive, anxious atmosphere pressed down on her from all sides.
“Young Madam.”
Gathering her skirts in her hands, Chen Yao didn't bother acknowledging the servants she passed along the way. Barely pausing for breath, she rushed straight back to Fufeng Courtyard.
By now, the entrance to Fufeng Courtyard was tightly guarded by the guards the Crown Prince had arranged for the escort. Inside were Dr. Xue, summoned from the palace, along with the Xie household physician.
Even as worried as Chen Yao was, she was stopped at the courtyard gate.
Lord Xie wasn't at the mansion at the moment, and Madam Xie, who was also standing outside, looked utterly dazed—she didn't even seem to notice Chen Yao's return.
Chen Yao looked up and saw servants in the courtyard carrying brass basins in and out. Basin after basin of clean hot water went in, only to come out moments later filled to the brim with startlingly vivid red.
Occasionally, bloody water dripped from the basin's rim, leaving dark brown stains soaked into the bluestone slabs.
Chen Yao clenched her hands tightly, feeling as if a stone were lodged in her chest, making it hard to breathe.
“System, the male lead—he won't die, right?” she subconsciously asked System 04 in her mind.
System 04 hesitated for a moment before saying, “Hard to say. After all, from the moment the male lead chose you over the female lead, he lost his original status as the male lead in this small world, and naturally also lost the male-lead-only invincibility halo.”
Chen Yao was stunned. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said,” System 04 replied. “This is a derivative world from a female-focused novel. The one ultimately chosen by the female lead is the male lead, and clearly, he no longer is.”
Chen Yao stood frozen in place, feeling as if her fingertips were trembling.
In truth, what System 04 said was a fact she'd always been well aware of. But now that it had been bluntly spelled out at this very moment, she felt as if her entire heart had been filled with lead, sinking straight down.
As a delicate young lady of the era, Chen Yao's constitution was naturally frail to begin with. Especially since she'd been staying up late reading new storybooks recently…
With her emotions churning so violently, she felt her head spinning, a wave of dizziness washing over her mind.
The storyline did seem to have this segment, but in it, Xie Qingyan hadn't been injured while accompanying the Crown Prince to manage the flood. Everything had gone smoothly, and he'd even been promoted for it.
It wasn't like this—grave injuries and a coma. This made her feel a gnawing guilt, as if she were the one responsible for it all…
“Miss!” Chuntao cried out in fright, quickly steadying her mistress, whose body was swaying.
But Chen Yao's vision still went black in an instant. Her consciousness grew hazy, and as the voices around her gradually faded, she soon lost consciousness entirely.
*
When she woke up again, she was in the western side chamber of Fufeng Courtyard.
Xia He's eyes were red and swollen, and even the usually composed Chuntao's voice sounded hoarse and low—clearly both had been frightened by her sudden fainting.
“What happened to me?” Chen Yao slowly sat up in bed with Chuntao's help.
Xia He, quick-witted, also slipped a soft cushion behind her to lean against.
“The physician said you fainted from an excess of emotion—overwrought anxiety and worry,” Chuntao said.
“How long was I unconscious? And Xie Qingyan—how is he?”
The sky outside the window had already darkened completely, and candles had been lit inside the room. Chen Yao frowned as she asked.
“The imperial physician said that although the young master's wound had been dressed beforehand, the medicine used was rather ordinary, so its efficacy was somewhat lacking. They carefully cleaned the wound again, removed the dead flesh, and re-applied the tribute medicine from the palace. If he doesn't develop a persistent high fever and wakes up on his own, there should be no major concern.”
In other words, if he developed a high fever or failed to wake for a long time, he might not make it through…
Images of modern antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs flashed through Chen Yao's mind, but she truly didn't understand those, and messing around on her own might actually end up harming him instead.
She closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and then asked, “Did the physician say whether I can go in to visit him?”
“The lady has already gone inside to see the young master, so it should be permissible,” Chuntao replied after a moment's thought.
Chen Yao didn't say anything more. She simply turned sideways and slowly got out of bed, draped a plain-colored robe over her shoulders, and walked toward the doorway.