A person clad in a moon-white brocade robe, immaculate, leaving no room for imagination of the battles he had endured.
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince," Xue Lan bowed slightly towards him.
Xue Zining saw the Crown Prince turn his head, his eyes sparkling like stars.
She paused for a moment.
"You've come," the Crown Prince said faintly.
"Yes," Xue Zining nodded.
"Come here," the Crown Prince instructed.
Xue Zining was startled. Though she didn't know what the Crown Prince was up to, she still walked over.
"You all may leave!" the Crown Prince looked at Xue Lan, who stood there, and spoke in a casual tone.
Xue Lan bit her lower lip and bowed, "If Your Highness requires anything, Xue Lan will be outside."
Xue Lan departed.
Xue Zining was even more confused. She turned to look at the mysterious Crown Prince, only to find he had already removed his brocade robe.
She retreated in fright, stammering, "Your Highness, you..."
"Help me apply the medicine," the Crown Prince raised his eyes and looked at her calmly.
Her gaze stopped. She looked up and saw a deep, shocking knife wound on the Crown Prince's back. The blood had coagulated, indicating it was not long ago.
"The medicine is beside you," the Crown Prince said faintly.
Xue Zining turned and saw the medicine bottle and white cloth prepared on the table.
"Your Highness, I don't know how to bandage wounds. Shall I call for Sister Xue Lan?"
As she spoke, she prepared to leave.
"Miss Feng..." the Crown Prince called out to her.
She halted her steps, hearing the Crown Prince say faintly, "If you leave, Prince Xue Fu will know this Prince is injured. I can save you today, but perhaps not now."
Xue Zining looked up at the Crown Prince, who happened to be looking at her as well. His dark eyes shone like stars, incredibly brilliant.
Her heart inexplicably softened, and she blurted out, "But I don't know how."
"Sprinkle the medicine on the wound," the Crown Prince instructed.
Xue Zining held the medicine and approached the Crown Prince. She couldn't see clearly from a distance earlier, but now she noticed intricate whip marks on the Crown Prince's back.
However, as they were old, only traces remained. If not for being close, they would have been undiscoverable.
Yet, this surprised her greatly. Who could have left these whip marks on the Crown Prince's back?
As if sensing her thoughts, the Crown Prince spoke faintly, "These whip marks were left by those who regard this Prince as an enemy."
Xue Zining was stunned. An enemy? This enemy was quite formidable to whip the Crown Prince of Xue Kingdom.
Sprinkling the medicine on the knife wound, though she hadn't experienced it, she could imagine the pain.
After bandaging it with white cloth, the Crown Prince put on his clothes.
Xue Zining bowed slightly and said, "I'll go call for Sister Xue Lan."
The Crown Prince nodded slightly.
She quickly opened the door and saw Xue Lan standing outside, her face full of worry. "Xue..."
Xue Lan walked straight inside, not even looking at her.
She smiled and left.
Returning to her room, Xue Yan had also just come back from outside. Seeing her, she whispered, "Young Master Qiao doesn't know what Prince Xue Fu intends to do, but Young Master Qiao asked this servant to convey that you should be careful."
Xue Zining nodded, thinking it was merely another assassination attempt after the previous one failed.
The next day
Under Xue Lan's icy gaze, Xue Zining accompanied the Crown Prince for breakfast. Indeed, for an unknown maid like herself to dine at the same table as the Crown Prince was a great fortune.
However, she knew the Crown Prince was doing this merely for Prince Xue Fu to see.
Fen Zhou had a prayer platform built by the founding emperor of Xue Kingdom. The Crown Prince's visit this time was to pray for blessings for Xue Kingdom, wishing for favorable weather and peace for the nation in the coming year.
The Emperor of Xue was bedridden and unable to come, so he specially sent the Crown Prince to perform the prayer ritual.
The prayer platform was built in a relatively secluded area of Fen Zhou.
Upon reaching the temporary palace, it was already close to afternoon, and the prayer could only be held the following day.
This night was eerily quiet.
But Xue Zining knew it was the calm before the storm.
The morning light spread across the land as the prayer began.
After the sacrifice, as the Crown Prince was about to descend the prayer platform, Prince Xue Fu approached, bowed with a smile, and said, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince, you have worked hard. I have prepared a small feast."
With a wave of his hand, a maid brought two cups of wine.
Prince Xue Fu picked up one cup and handed it to Xue Zining, "Miss Feng, please present this cup to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Xue Zining was startled. She looked at the wine in the cup, then at Prince Xue Fu, and suddenly understood. It was here.
In front of the officials and the watching populace, this wine had to be drunk, even if it were poison, because this was Fen Zhou.
"Miss Feng," Prince Xue Fu reminded her.
She looked up at Prince Xue Fu, who also looked at her, his gaze icy.
So this was what Prince Xue Fu meant by seizing the opportunity to act yesterday.
If she presented the wine to the Crown Prince, she would be the assassin. If she didn't, her cooperation with Prince Xue Fu would end, and he would not let her go.
All of this was secondary. What mattered was that Hua Yunjin couldn't wait any longer.
"Miss Feng..." Prince Xue Fu narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming sharper.
Xue Zining stepped forward, picked up the wine cup, and walked towards the Crown Prince. She saw the eyes beneath the silver mask sparkling, like stars in the night sky, breathtakingly beautiful.
But within the stars was an expanse, she couldn't see the bottom.
She saw him walk over and accept the cup. He looked at it, then suddenly smiled, his eyes filled with a brilliance followed by dimness. He smiled like this, and the world seemed to lose its color. He looked at the wine in his hand, then suddenly looked up and said to her faintly, "Should this Prince drink this wine?"
Xue Zining was startled. He looked at her, his gaze devoid of brilliance, of stars, replaced by a void, like an abyss with no end.
It was as if a single glance could lead to eternal damnation.
She instinctively took a step back, her right foot hanging in the air, only then realizing there was nothing behind her.
After a long while, she saw him chuckle softly, his smile tinged with sadness.
He raised the wine cup towards his lips.
Her heart suddenly skipped a beat. This wine must not be drunk. Suddenly, a flood of memories washed over her. This scene was just like that day when she saw Yan Zhao bring wine to his lips, and she neither stopped him nor refused.
She stepped forward, snatched the wine cup with one hand, and drank it down in one gulp.
The fiery taste of the wine overwhelmed her senses. She smiled, seeing his astonished expression.
The world spun, accompanied by a destructive pain.
As she collapsed, she fell into an embrace, warm and comforting.
"Why?"
She saw his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.
"Before, someone collapsed before me like this. This... this time, I don't want that..."
"You..."
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, seeing me try so hard, will you grant me one condition?"