Chapter 1 The Starry Night
The Imperial Forbidden Ground, the Star Picking Tower.
Tonight was the full moon. The Emperor, setting aside his affairs, brought Eunuch Li to the Star Picking Tower to observe the celestial phenomena.
He gazed at the stars, a sense of unease filling his heart. He carefully located the Ziwei star, only to find its brilliance greatly dimmed. He then diligently searched for the Phoenix star and discovered it shone with dazzling radiance. His heart jolted. Disaster! His Han'er's wolf poison had flared up again.
"Eunuch Li, quickly arrange the carriage. I must make a trip to the Cold Prince's manor."
The Emperor shouted urgently to Eunuch Li, who stood below the tower.
"Yes, this servant will arrange it at once."
Eunuch Li replied respectfully, cupping his hands.
Moments later, the Emperor, accompanied only by a few elite imperial guards, rushed towards the Cold Prince's manor. He didn't even bring Eunuch Li, which showed how deeply he cared for Jun Mohan.
—
In the stone chamber of the Cold Prince's manor, four chains forged from thousand-year-old profound iron tightly bound Jun Mohan's limbs.
Jun Mohan gritted his teeth, his three thousand strands of ink-black hair disheveled. Waves of searing pain that invaded his internal organs spread throughout his entire body. The exposed skin of his body bulged with unsightly veins. At this moment, Jun Mohan resembled a demon.
The Emperor, who had just arrived at the stone chamber, felt his heart ache upon seeing his son in such a state.
He, as his father, bore immense responsibility for Jun Mohan's condition. If not for...
"Sigh—"
What use was it to dwell on these matters now?
At this moment, the Emperor suddenly recalled something.
"Where is the medicine to suppress the wolf poison? Why haven't you administered it to Your Highness?" the Emperor roared at the guards stationed in the stone chamber.
"Your Majesty, the few suppressive wolf poison medicines stored by His Highness have been taken back to Ghost Valley by Divine Doctor Chu for further research. It has been some time, and he has not yet returned to the Cold Prince's manor. Tonight, Ye Ying has also led people to Ghost Valley to invite Divine Doctor Chu back to the manor," reported Yin Chen, the leader of the hidden guards, respectfully.
"What? There isn't even any suppressive medicine now. How have you been protecting Your Highness?"
Upon hearing Yin Chen's words, the Emperor was furious. After a long while, his mood gradually calmed. He glanced at Jun Mohan again, who was enduring the pain. The Emperor's chest ached faintly. He then closed his eyes tightly, thinking inwardly: Could Han'er really not survive tonight?
"Where did Your Highness expend so much internal energy these past two days that caused his wolf poison to flare up tonight?"
More than a decade had passed. The Emperor had privately consulted countless renowned physicians for Jun Mohan, but they were all helpless against the wolf poison in his body. Only a pill developed by Ghost Valley could temporarily suppress Han'er's wolf poison.
Now, he was very clear about the cause of Jun Mohan's wolf poison relapse. If Jun Mohan hadn't expended a certain amount of internal energy, his wolf poison wouldn't have manifested so violently. His current appearance was definitely due to the massive depletion of his internal energy within the last two days.
Upon hearing this, Yin Chen felt a sense of fear. He didn't know whether he should tell the Emperor that His Highness had helped the eldest daughter of the Leng family detoxify last night. If he didn't tell the Emperor, the Emperor would surely fly into a rage and severely punish all the guards of the Cold Prince's manor. If he did tell the Emperor, would the Emperor directly order the eldest daughter of the Leng family to be executed?
However, the eldest daughter of the Leng family had saved his life a few days ago. Yin Chen truly did not wish to harm his savior.
But, after some thought, Yin Chen realized that if he didn't speak, the Emperor would soon send people to investigate the matter of the Cold Prince helping the Leng girl detoxify last night. The outcome would be the same. He might as well honestly tell the Emperor.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, last night on the way back to the General's manor from the Imperial Palace, the eldest daughter of the Leng family encountered an assassination. She was poisoned with the Iron Palm poison, a long-lost martial art. His Highness personally extracted the poison from her body, which caused him to expend a large amount of his internal energy," Yin Chen stated.
Unexpectedly, the Emperor did not fly into a rage after hearing this.
"So, it was that eldest daughter of the Leng family! No wonder."
Given Han'er's nature, he wouldn't casually expend his internal energy to save someone unless it was... Oh, why hadn't I thought of this?
At this moment, the Emperor slapped his own forehead fiercely.
Yesterday, the old immortal had personally told him that the Phoenix star's medical skills were extraordinary. He had also heard that the last full moon night, Han'er had been saved by her. Why shouldn't he let her try? Perhaps she could cure Han'er's wolf poison.
"Yin Chen, take some men to the Leng General's manor and bring the eldest daughter of the Leng family to the Cold Prince's manor to treat the wolf poison," the Emperor commanded after deliberation.
"Yes, your subordinate obeys." Yin Chen accepted the order and, with four hidden guards, flew towards the Leng General's manor.
However, upon arriving at the Leng General's manor and inquiring, they learned that Leng Ruoli had not yet returned to the General's manor. So, Yin Chen led his men to search for Leng Ruoli on the streets of the capital.
Moments later, Yin Chen finally spotted Leng Ruoli and her two maids strolling on the street at the East Street intersection.
Yin Chen immediately stepped forward to stop Leng Ruoli.
"Miss Leng, I've finally found you. The Emperor requests your presence at the Cold Prince's manor," Yin Chen stated directly.
"..."
This left Leng Ruoli feeling a sense of inexplicable confusion.
She raised her eyes and looked at the man leading the group blocking her path. She was slightly stunned. Although he held a long sword, he did not exude any killing intent towards Leng Ruoli and her companions.
Moreover, she felt very familiar with this leading man.
She thought for a moment, wasn't this man Yin Chen, the leader of the Cold Prince's manor's hidden guards, whom she had saved a few days ago?
"Yin Chen, aren't you the Cold Prince's hidden guard? How did you switch careers to work for the Emperor?" Leng Ruoli teased.
"Miss Leng, you've misunderstood. I am the Cold Prince's hidden guard, and I owe my loyalty only to His Highness the Cold Prince for life," Yin Chen immediately explained.
He was a hidden guard personally trained by the Cold Prince and only took orders from the Cold Prince, dedicating his life to him.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Why did the Emperor send you to find me and bring me to the Cold Prince's manor?" Leng Ruoli asked with some doubt.
"Miss Leng will know when you reach the Cold Prince's manor," Yin Chen replied.
"Alright, then have someone send my two maids back to the General's manor first. I'll return to the Cold Prince's manor with you now," Leng Ruoli said very cheerfully.
She then walked towards the Cold Prince's manor.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Leng Ruoli's eyes were covered with a black cloth by Yin Chen, and then he led her into a large stone chamber.
Yin Chen then removed the black cloth from her eyes.
When Leng Ruoli opened her eyes, she saw Jun Mohan tightly bound by four thick iron chains. His disheveled hair had turned white, covering half of his face. At this moment, he was moaning in pain, possibly unable to bear the immense agony within his body.
And standing in the corner beside her was the current Emperor. He had his eyes closed, his face full of sorrow and helplessness.
"Miss Leng, Han'er expended a large amount of internal energy to save you, which has caused the wolf poison to flare up," the Emperor said directly.
"Heavens! So Jun Mohan expended so much internal energy last night to force out the Iron Palm poison from her body."
This made Leng Ruoli's heart fill with a mix of emotions.
"Eldest daughter of the Leng family, I command you to save Han'er, or else you..."
The Emperor left the rest of his words unspoken and stood there with his eyes closed again.
However, Leng Ruoli understood the Emperor's meaning.