"No need—"

The young man’s eyes were slightly lighter than usual, making his brows and eyes as delicate as apricot blossoms.

"I just coughed those two times today, and happened to be heard by you, sister." He smiled gently, with a hint of youthful mischief.

"Better take a look," Li Yao said, turning her head to instruct, "Summon Imperial Doctor Feng—"

The Crown Prince didn’t stop her, watching her with a gentle smile.

However, nobody moved to follow her orders, even the maidservant she brought seemed to have met some obstruction when trying to leave, returning silently.

A chill rushed up her spine, and Li Yao suddenly wanted to escape.

"Sister is so keen to see Imperial Doctor Feng, is there some discomfort?" The young man softly held her hand, his tone rather concerned, "Sister’s hand is so cold..."

Li Yao abruptly withdrew her hand and forced a smile: "I think the Princeling’s hand is colder..." Perhaps due to prolonged illness, the young man’s hand was icy and slippery, like a venomous snake.

"It’s already September, the mountains are chilly, your body is so cold, why haven’t you returned to the capital?" Li Yao hastily changed the topic.

The Crown Prince sat up, pulling the soft blanket to his slender waist, speaking softly, "His Majesty didn’t allow me to return to the capital."

Li Yao recalled the recent fright and couldn’t help but scoff internally: "The Princeling could submit a memorial to request returning to the capital."

"What if His Majesty gets angry?" Timid and uneasy.

"Is the Princeling afraid?" Li Yao couldn’t help but sneer.

The young man chuckled softly, saying: "Ren Zhi Palace is fine too, with sister accompanying me. When I was in the Crown Prince Mansion, no one accompanied me."

The more pitiful he acted, the more Li Yao’s anger was provoked: "Weren’t you quite fond of Duke Yan Mansion’s Second Miss—" She was cut off by the sudden intense coughing of the Young Crown Prince.

Li Yao was taken aback, watching him with caution for a moment.

Seeing his face turn red from coughing, tears flying out, seemingly genuinely uncomfortable, she became flustered: "Quick, summon Imperial Doctor Feng!"

Initially intentional, this time it was unintentional.

"No need, cough cough..." The Crown Prince coughed while stopping her, "I just, just choked..."

He liked that little girl...

So terrifying!

"Second Miss Tang damaged Emperor Hui Zhao’s relics, every time I think about it, it pains me deeply, please don’t mention it again, sister!"

Li Yao’s heart tightened, not responding to her earlier words.

She had always kept an eye on the Crown Prince’s movements, and today heard that it’s been five days since the Crown Prince summoned Feng Hua.

Li Yao swallowed and said, "I indeed... have not been feeling well these past few days... could I have Imperial Doctor Feng take a look at me?"

The Crown Prince, while coughing, slanted his gaze at her, eyes filled with a subtle smile.

Li Yao was drenched in cold sweat under his gaze.

After finishing his cough, he leaned against the cushion, the intricate patterns of his robe draping over his slender body.

Long brow and light eyes, fragile under the weight of the garments.

"Sister probably doesn’t know, before I met Imperial Doctor Feng, everyone said I was waiting to see Emperor Hui Zhao day by day, and it’s true, some famous doctors determined my lifespan was adequate—" He paused, raising his eyes to smile at Li Yao, "Sister, guess where those conceited, arrogant doctors went?"

Li Yao didn’t dare to guess.

She had never been so afraid of anyone, not even Zhao Jing.

But this young man, seemingly weak and easily bullied, smiling harmlessly, filled her with fear to the core.

"Sister wants to steal my doctor too?" He looked at her with a hint of grievance.

"No!" Li Yao shook her head instinctively.

The young man laughed, his icy soft hand brushing over the back of her hand, gently saying: "Ah Wu believes sister, Ah Wu likes sister the most—"

"Ah Wu?" she subconsciously murmured.

"Yes, Ah Wu is my pet name. Sister didn’t know?" he murmured with a hint of blame, "Remember it in the future..."

...

As Li Yao stepped out of the Crown Prince’s palace, her legs weakened, and if not for the support of her maid’s hand, she might have tumbled down the steps.

She leaned on her maid, regulating her breath in short gasps, feeling as if her whole body was detaching.

"Princess..." the maid’s voice trembled, seemingly fearful too.

"Don’t blurt out titles!" Li Yao scolded in a low voice, taking a deep breath as she swiftly descended the steps back to her residence.

After walking a short distance, she sensed something was amiss.

She halted her steps.

The maid stopped with her, casting a nervous glance behind.

She took a deep breath and turned around.

Five steps behind, two of the Crown Prince’s trusted aides stood, expressionless...

...

"Ah Wu? From Ren Zhi Palace?" Tang Ziqian asked.

Just a stand-in, he certainly didn’t know the name.

"Yes."

"Does the Princeling trust him that much?"

At this moment, it was Feng Hua, diagnosing his pulse, who chuckled and said, "Ah Wu is cunning and astute."

Tang Ziqian smiled and asked, "How astute?"

"If Pingyang really sensed something, Ah Wu would keep them confined in Ren Zhi Palace," Li Mu said.

"Don’t let him bully Pingyang," Tang Ziqian warned.

"Ah Wu knows his limits."

Tang Ziqian was surprised by this trust, raising his eyebrows slightly, asking, "Where did the Princeling find such a stand-in?"

"Duke Yan Mansion."

Tang Ziqian was a bit surprised, was his family such a cradle of talents?

"Who did His Highness the Crown Prince find?" A voice inquired from outside the door.

Soon, a slender, shadowy figure darted into the room.

Removing the face covering, revealing a delicate, charming face, her eyes sparkled, seemingly curious and expectant.

It was Qin Rong.

Upon hearing Qin Rong’s voice, Li Mu opened his eyes, his gaze landing on Mo Huan and Xin Yi who had returned clad in night clothes alongside Qin Rong.

Xin Yi held a dark bundle in her arms, stained with mud, exuding a rotten, unpleasant smell.

Yet she held it tightly, as if it were a rare treasure.

"Got it," Mo Huan reported.

Xin Yi silently walked towards Li Mu, her eyelashes suddenly dampened, then placed the bundle in front of Li Mu.

Unwrapping a layer of oiled paper, followed by a layer of coarse cloth, opening about four to five layers, the contents of the bundle were revealed.

It was a set of old women’s garments.

Li Mu picked up a fish-shaped talisman, flipping it to the back, seeing the words "Yu Xin Niang of the Yu Family."

Yu Family, the Eastern Palace lady-in-waiting title.

Yu Xin Niang, a confidante entombed after his birth mother’s death.

Barely surviving, she was rescued by Duke Yan but never disclosed anything to him.

The secret she wouldn’t tell Duke Yan was taken to the grave by Yu Xin Niang, leaving only one message for Xin Yi: "If the Crown Prince Li Mu finds you, tell him Xin Niang is buried here."

Thus, during this trip to Hedong, he brought Xin Yi under the pretense of the opportunity through Tang Ziqian, to retrieve the secret Yu Xin Niang left at the grave in Fengxian County.

The secret wasn’t the palace clothes and fish talisman proving Yu Xin Niang’s identity.

Li Mu, setting the fish talisman aside, found a piece of jade among the old textiles.

The jade carved with a Flying Phoenix, an emblem only empresses were allowed to wear.

Yet on this jade, the Flying Phoenix pattern was deeply scarred.

These scars formed a word.

Li Mu glanced at it, then clutched the Flying Phoenix jade pendant in his palm.

"What did Yu Xin Niang leave behind?" Tang Ziqian asked.

"The one who forced Empress Xiao’ai to her death."

As he spoke, Li Mu’s eyes were dark and his expression indifferent, as though he was not the son of Empress Xiao’ai. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Tang Ziqian was stunned for a moment then asked, "What now...?"

Would they continue in Hedong or seek vengeance for his mother’s death first?

Li Mu lifted his gaze to him, his eyes calm and tranquil.

In the calmness, a sudden glint of cold flashed, coalescing into a sharp blade, poised at Tang Ziqian’s throat.

And the other end of the blade was firmly grasped in Li Mu’s hand—