The man sensed the unusual atmosphere acutely. Just as Lin Xiao was about to approach, Ye Qingcheng’s urgent voice called out from the mountain path.
"Lin Xiao, come quickly and help!"
The princess consort was more important. As her bodyguard, Lin Xiao rushed towards Ye Qingcheng.
The man retracted the flying knife in his hand and remained in the bushes for a while longer.
After the boisterous search party passed, the mountain forest fell silent again.
Before long, dusk was approaching.
The man stood up from the bushes and walked in the direction Ye Qingcheng had indicated.
It was the same *Wujiu* tree, but after walking a hundred paces in the direction of the setting sun, he changed directions twice more.
Taking out his short blade, he lay on the ground and began to dig.
Ye Qingcheng had called for Lin Xiao to hasten his descent down the mountain. Seeing that her guards and Lin Xiao had arrived, she immediately ordered everyone to return to the prince's mansion. Bixi's injuries required prompt and effective treatment.
At night, Xiao Wangye listened to the reports from his hidden guards in his study.
"So, by the time you arrived, Bixi had already been rescued by someone else?"
"Yes, by the time this subordinate arrived, the two human traffickers were already dead. Those girls said it was a chivalrous guest in black who saved them."
"Have the identities of those human traffickers and that chivalrous guest been investigated?" Ye Qingcheng actually had such a helper.
"This subordinate has only managed to ascertain that those two human traffickers are connected to the Duke's brothel. As for the chivalrous guest in black, this subordinate is incompetent and has not yet uncovered his background."
"Continue the investigation."
"Yes, Your Highness."
At that moment, Xiao Si, who was outside the door, knocked. "Your Highness, Miss Huang from the mansion has arrived."
"You may withdraw," Xiao Wangye said, putting down the book in his hand.
"Let her in."
"Your Highness," a figure approached. "You have worked day and night for the nation's affairs. I have specially brewed some soup for you, hoping Your Highness will sample my culinary skills."
"Leave the soup, and you may withdraw," Xiao Wangye said without even looking at her, gesturing for Xiao Si to take the soup and escort her out.
Huang Liuting gritted her teeth. She had been in the mansion for so long without receiving the prince's favor. If this continued, her master would surely blame her for her ineffectiveness.
She did not hand the soup to Xiao Si but placed it on a nearby tea table.
"Your Highness, although state affairs are numerous, you must still pay attention to rest." Seeing Xiao Wangye reading at his desk, she slowly walked over. "I am not talented, but I am willing to share some of your burden."
"I said, leave."
Stunned by Xiao Wangye's gaze, Huang Liuting halted. With the fate of the previous concubine as a warning, she could only lower her head.
"Then, Your Highness, I shall not disturb you. May Your Highness rest early." With that, she bowed and left.
Xiao Wangye put down his book. For some reason, his thoughts were entirely occupied by Ye Qingcheng.
Today, at the entrance of the teahouse, the way she lowered her head to speak to him, and her unrestrained demeanor at the tea gathering.
"Xiao Si," Xiao Wangye said to the attendant beside him, "has the princess consort returned to the mansion today?"
"Your Highness, the princess consort returned today. She has already taken the injured Bixi back to her courtyard."
"Let's go take a look." What was that woman doing now?
Ye Qingcheng settled Bixi in her own room. After returning from Ye Village, she re-dressed Bixi's wounds and asked a maid to fetch medicinal herbs for her.
Bixi remained unconscious, but after being given the medicine, her breathing stabilized considerably.
Fearing that Bixi might develop a fever from her wounds that night, she had a maid prepare several towels and a basin of cold water.
"Princess Consort, Princess Consort!" A maid entered from outside. "His Highness has arrived. Princess Consort, please stop what you are doing."
She took the towel from Ye Qingcheng's hand and quickly tidied her clothes and hair.
"If he's here, he's here. Why all the fuss?" Ye Qingcheng waved her hand, signaling the maids to disregard the matter.
Thus, when Xiao Wangye entered Ye Qingcheng's small courtyard, all the maids were in the courtyard paying their respects.
Except for Ye Qingcheng.
"Where is your princess consort?"
"The princess consort is in her room."
Xiao Wangye said nothing and had Xiao Si push the wheelchair inside.
Ye Qingcheng looked up as Xiao Wangye entered. "Is there something?"
"This is the prince's mansion. I can go wherever I please." Xiao Wangye glanced at Bixi, who was sleeping in the room, and frowned slightly.
"If a maid is injured, others can attend to it." Why did she have to care for her herself?
"Bixi is not my maid; she is my sister." Ye Qingcheng was grinding herbs in a stone mortar beside them. Hearing Xiao Wangye's words, she immediately retorted.
"I am staying here tonight." Xiao Wangye maneuvered his wheelchair towards Ye Qingcheng's bed.
"Apologies, Your Highness, but I need to care for Bixi tonight." Ye Qingcheng quickly stood up to block him. What was this Xiao Wangye trying to do? Didn't he see Bixi was still here?
"Have Bixi go rest in the adjacent courtyard."
Seeing Xiao Wangye's insistence on staying there, Ye Qingcheng reluctantly relented.
"Then Your Highness may rest here. I have other matters to attend to and will not disturb Your Highness." With that, she took away the stone mortar.
Watching Ye Qingcheng prepare to leave, Xiao Wangye thought, Was he that detestable? She didn't even want to share a room with him.
By the time he emerged, Ye Qingcheng was nowhere to be seen.
"What are you doing?" Not having seen Ye Qingcheng, he had come to investigate after hearing movement from the side courtyard.
Looking at the furnace and the fiercely burning charcoal below, Xiao Wangye felt a headache coming on. Where had this woman gotten this contraption?
She looked like Taishang Laojun refining elixirs.
"I am refining elixirs," Ye Qingcheng replied matter-of-factly, sitting beside the furnace and throwing more firewood into it.
Bixi's injuries this time would require a good period of recuperation. She needed to make some tonics for her.
Xiao Si watched the princess consort stoke the fire. "Princess Consort, perhaps we should call some maids to help?"
"It's alright; I can do it myself." Primarily, she feared that the maids would not understand the dosage or the heat, and would ruin a batch of medicine.
"You seem to have a good understanding of elixirs as well."
"It's all medicine; knowledge naturally extends to related fields."
Xiao Wangye was curious. "Where did you learn these formulas?"
"Of course, they were passed down from our ancestors." The crystallization of the wisdom of our ancestors, passed down for thousands of years.
"How could you, a庶女 (daughter of a concubine), be exposed to such things?" Xiao Wangye observed Ye Qingcheng's practiced movements. A daughter of a concubine possessing such high medical skills to save lives and heal injuries, coupled with the art of elixir refining, was not something a woman confined to the inner chambers could achieve.
"Life forced me. Just because you don't know or understand doesn't mean everyone else lives their lives the way you imagine."
"Refining elixirs takes a long time. Your Highness, perhaps you should go back and rest."
Xiao Wangye smiled. "It's nothing. I can learn some elixir refining techniques by watching here."
"As you wish." The time for refining elixirs passed slowly. It took two hours for the first batch to be completed.
"Would Your Highness like to try it?" Ye Qingcheng offered a pill.
"Your Highness," Xiao Si was still concerned about the elixir. Although the princess consort's acupuncture had helped with His Highness's leg ailment, he still worried that this medicine might be detrimental to him.
"It's nothing." Xiao Wangye placed the still-warm pill into his mouth. At first, it was sweet, but after chewing, a spicy flavor surged forth.
"Cough, cough."
"Your Highness!" Xiao Si quickly patted Xiao Wangye's back.
"Why are you biting it? You're supposed to swallow it whole," Ye Qingcheng said, looking at him speechlessly.
Seeing Xiao Si's concern, she simply said, "It only contains some warming medicinal ingredients. Rest assured, it poses no harm to Your Highness."