102. Under House Arrest in the Imperial Palace

Yuan Tianci gave her a profound look and then sighed, a trace of sorrow in his expression.

He murmured, "Tell me, why did you have to fall for him? If you had fallen for me, I wouldn't care if you were the Ghost Doctor or not; I would have married you right away."

Le Qianxue’s face darkened at these words. She gave a light huff and replied, "If I weren't the Ghost Doctor, you probably wouldn't have taken a liking to me either."

Yuan Tianci’s expression stiffened; Le Qianxue had hit the nail on the head. The people of Medicine King Valley were inherently arrogant and generally looked down on others. When he first met her, he hadn't thought much of her; it was only after she displayed her extraordinary skills that his opinion of her changed.

However, Yuan Tianci truly considered her a friend now. He said, "Qianxue, think about this carefully. I have always felt that Prince Zhan is not the right person for you. He carries too much on his shoulders. You are different; you only seek a carefree life, right?"

Le Qianxue understood this herself and nodded. It was true; she and Zhan Lianjing were still worlds apart. Take the matter of Zhan Yunguo, for example—she hadn't known anything about it. Had she been aware, such a blunder wouldn't have occurred. This went to show that Zhan Lianjing rarely spoke of his own affairs. That he was a descendant of the former dynasty was something she had uncovered step by step, yet even now, he had never explained it to her in detail. Her heart was in a state of confusion. Did Zhan Lianjing love her? She couldn't even say for certain herself.

As they were talking, Haoyue came looking for them. Seeing the pair, he called out, "Divine Physician Yuan, the patient is awake. His Highness requests that you come and check her pulse again."

Yuan Tianci nodded. As he turned to leave, he whispered to Le Qianxue, "Think this over carefully. Whether or not you tell him is your own decision." If Zhan Lianjing really intended to harm her, he would risk his life to stop him.

Zhan Yunguo was still dazed when she woke up. She opened her eyes only slightly for a moment before drifting back into unconsciousness. After checking her pulse, Yuan Tianci found nothing amiss and said, "She is out of danger. I will administer the Seven-Colored Spirit Herb now."

Because the treatment had been delayed for so long, Zhan Yunguo had fallen into such a perilous state. Zhan Lianjing signaled to Zhui Xing to retrieve the herb, and without hesitation, he handed the entire stalk to Yuan Tianci.

Holding the Seven-Colored Spirit Herb, Yuan Tianci said, "There is one thing I must state clearly first." Zhan Lianjing nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

Yuan Tianci sighed inwardly and spoke with chilling clarity: "This young girl has been plagued by this illness for over a decade. While this spirit herb will allow her to survive, it will be impossible for her to ever become a mother."

The room fell silent at these words. Le Qianxue, however, remained calm; she had already anticipated this. Although Zhan Yunguo appeared fine, her constitution was extraordinarily weak. In truth, she felt that saving her life was enough, and whether she could bear children was secondary. But people in this era did not think that way. She hoped Zhan Yunguo would be able to find peace with it.

Zhan Lianjing gripped the armrests of his chair tightly. After a long silence, he finally nodded. "This Prince understands," he said. Zhui Xing’s expression looked pained, though he quickly composed himself.

On the way back to the manor, Le Qianxue glanced at the Seven-Colored Spirit Herb. Her bond with Zhan Lianjing had been forged because of this very herb. Once, she had fought tooth and nail to claim it, but now, Zhan Lianjing had handed it to her personally.

Yuan Tianci cast a sidelong glance at her. "Stop looking at it; you’ve already used one of the petals."

Le Qianxue closed the box and pressed her lips together, a thought forming in her mind to find Zhan Lianjing and clear things up. But what if... what if he truly intended to kill her? It wasn't that she feared a confrontation, but the feeling itself... She closed her eyes, her thoughts in a complete tangle.

Upon returning to the General’s Mansion, she saw Eunuch Chen waiting anxiously. He was overjoyed to see her.

Le Qianxue asked, "Eunuch Chen, why are you here?" She sensed that nothing good could come of this.

As expected, Eunuch Chen said, "Eldest Miss Le, it is good that you have returned. The Emperor has summoned you to the palace."

After the commotion of last night, she was weary of palace visits. She frowned and said, "Why does the Emperor summon me? I am not feeling well; the journey to the palace is too taxing."

"Oh, I understand, but this concerns the General’s Mansion. General Le has already gone to the palace. Eldest Miss, please do not delay," Eunuch Chen urged. "The Emperor would not have sent me if it were not urgent."

Le Qianxue did not care much for Eunuch Chen, but since her father, Le Yongcheng, was already there, she had no choice but to go. It was likely about handling the matter regarding Le Linglong—a troublesome affair indeed.

She nodded and said, "Very well. Let me have a word with my master, Tianci." After giving some instructions, she felt reassured, knowing Yuan Tianci had heard her explain how to use the herb.

Yuan Tianci said, "You are only going to the palace, not on a long journey. What is there to fear? Go and return quickly."

Le Qianxue nodded, though she felt something was off. Even if it was to punish Le Linglong, that had nothing to do with her. Why summon her?

She boarded the carriage sent by the palace. Having been tossed about all morning, she had yet to eat. Upon arriving at the palace, Eunuch Chen led her to a side hall. She walked in and saw only Yu Zhiyang; there was no sign of the Emperor.

When she turned to ask what was happening, Yu Zhiyang stood up. "Father will be here shortly. Please, take a seat. I have ordered some food; come and eat."

The table was indeed laden with food, including her favorite pastries. Since she had already arrived, she could not simply leave. Le Qianxue walked over, sat down, and eyed the delicious spread.

Seeing this, Yu Zhiyang handed her a pair of chopsticks. "Eat. Why be so formal with me?"

Le Qianxue smiled faintly, took the chopsticks, and looked around. "Where is my father?"

"General Le is discussing some matters with Father; he will join us shortly," Yu Zhiyang said. "Eat something first. You have been running about all morning."

Le Qianxue raised an eyebrow. "It seems you have had quite a few people keeping an eye on me."

Yu Zhiyang looked at her, his smile devoid of any impurity, yet he replied, "Indeed. One naturally keeps an eye on those one cares about."

Le Qianxue gave a noncommittal hum. She knew that while she and Yu Zhiyang maintained a pleasant facade, they were fiercely at odds behind the scenes. Although it wasn't an open war, with Zhan Lianjing and the Emperor at odds, she could not remain uninvolved.

What was strange was that Yu Zhiyang knew she and Zhan Lianjing had reconciled, so why did he still try to get close to her?

Yu Zhiyang seemed not to care at all, placing some food on her plate. "Eat first, don't worry about other things."

Le Qianxue knew the food was not poisoned; she would have detected it if it were. She took a bite, found it quite good, and nodded. "It's delicious."

Yu Zhiyang said, "Then have more."

Eventually, Le Qianxue was full, but the Emperor and Le Yongcheng had yet to appear. She grew puzzled. "Why hasn't my father come yet?"

Yu Zhiyang remained as gentle as jade, saying calmly, "Wait a little longer. The time is not yet right."

Le Qianxue noticed it was already noon. What could they be discussing for so long? She asked, "What are the Emperor and my father discussing?"

"How would I know Father's business?" Yu Zhiyang replied. "Perhaps they are dealing with your sister's matter. You know, she caused quite a catastrophe."

Le Qianxue frowned. "Isn't that just a matter of sentencing? Does it really take an hour to discuss?"

Yu Zhiyang shrugged. He asked a eunuch to bring fresh fruit and began peeling it with a small knife. "One cannot rush these things. It is, after all, a major affair."

Le Qianxue paused. She stared at Yu Zhiyang, catching the glint in his eyes, and narrowed hers. "Third Prince, you certainly know what this 'major affair' is. It surely isn't just about my sister."

Yu Zhiyang looked up, not giving a direct answer. "You will know soon enough. I told you, one cannot rush."

Le Qianxue frowned. "I am going to find my father." She had a bad feeling that Yu Zhiyang was stalling for time.

But as she moved, over a dozen Wind Shadow guards suddenly appeared, blocking the door with drawn blades that glinted coldly!

Le Qianxue stopped in her tracks. She turned to look at Yu Zhiyang, who was calmly peeling the fruit, completely unfazed.

She grew angry and demanded, "What is the meaning of this?!"

Yu Zhiyang did not look at her, only saying, "I told you, the time has not yet come."

"What time?! How long do you intend to delay me?!" she snapped.

Yu Zhiyang pushed the fruit platter toward her, answering with a question, "No need to rush. Come, have some fruit, and I will tell you slowly."

Le Qianxue couldn't care less. She charged forward, but the Wind Shadow guards, acting under orders, would not let her take a single step out of the side hall. She was obstructed, but her martial arts had improved significantly of late. Knowing the guards would not dare to truly harm her, she acted with even greater recklessness, snatching a sword from one of them in a flash!

She moved with extreme speed, but just as she prepared for a second strike, Yu Zhiyang’s cold voice cut through the air: "Qianxue, do you really think you can escape the palace on your own? Or do you no longer care about your father?"

Le Qianxue’s hand froze. In that split second, she was forced back. She glared at Yu Zhiyang and asked coldly, "What have you done to my father?!"