Chapter 21: Attending The Banquet

The doors and windows of the Eastern Palace’s sleeping hall were tightly closed, with water vapor swirling and condensing into fine, glistening droplets on the beams.

Behind the screen, a graceful silhouette was reflected. Zhao Yan gathered her semi-dry long hair from behind her neck, revealing her slender white neck. With one hand, she pressed against the soft and flexible white silk fabric in front of her chest, slowly winding it around and tightening it with each loop.

After half a year of binding with silk, her chest almost didn’t feel like her own anymore. However, as the weather warmed up and the spring clothes became thinner, Zhao Yan dared not relax her vigilance.

Frowning, Zhao Yan was momentarily choked by the tightness, only finding a gap to breathe after a while.

“After the toast, there is no need for the Crown Prince to appear. If the proceedings go quickly, His Highness only needs to endure for half a day.”

Liu Ying helped the princess put on a plain white inner garment, covering the layers of tight bindings with white silk. With lowered eyes, she said, “Spring and summer are the hardest times. Your Highness must endure.”

She was a palace maid personally trained by the Empress, and her conduct naturally mirrored that of the Empress: focused on results, indifferent to means, and rarely speaking her mind.

“Liu Ying, you are becoming more compassionate.”

Zhao Yan teased her while putting on a crimson robe and letting down her gathered hair. “I was mentally prepared before returning to the palace. Now that we’ve come this far, I have to endure even if it’s difficult.”

After dressing properly, Zhao Yan saw Liu Ji standing in the corridor wearing a veil.

She lifted a corner of the veil and said to Zhao Yan, “I want to leave the palace. Your Highness, please take me with you.”

Although Liu Ji had the token of the Eastern Palace, considering the close scrutiny from various factions in the court and the presence of people like Prince Su who had eyes and ears everywhere, her movements were not convenient. If she could hide in the Crown Prince’s carriage and leave the palace together, it would save a lot of trouble.

She would speak her mind and act accordingly, very decisive. Instead of asking “Can you take me out of the palace?” she had already made up her mind with “Take me out with you.”

Zhao Yan didn’t inquire about her purpose for leaving the palace; “trust without doubt” was the approach taught to her by her grandmother, the Empress Dowager.

The hairpin banquet was set in Penglai Garden north of the Imperial City. Departing from the side gate of the Eastern Palace, turning a corner along the outer wall of the palace, and walking for about two quarters of an hour along the side path, they would reach Penglai Gate.

Liu Ji lifted the curtain of the carriage and said, “This is far enough.”

Zhao Yan looked through the corner of the curtain and saw Liu Ji entering from Yongchang Alley, casually wandering around the street stalls, and then disappearing into the bustling crowd. She watched her go and then instructed Gu Xing to continue driving the carriage forward.

Liu Ji wandered through several streets aimlessly for half an hour, until she was sure that there were no suspicious people following her. Then she entered a rouge shop on Daining Street, left through the back door, and made her way to the back wall of Mingde Pavilion.

She boldly lifted her skirt to her waist, disregarding the exposure of her inner trousers and calves, and confidently stepped on the crooked-neck jujube tree, then climbed over the wall.

A bean curd seller passing by with his shelf was stunned to see a woman sitting boldly on the wall.

Liu Ji froze for a moment as she massaged her ankle, then lowered her skirt to cover the exposed area and snapped, “What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a woman meeting her lover before?”

With a disdainful roll of her eyes, she jumped into the backyard of Mingde Pavilion.

The birds on the wall fluttered away, and the bean curd seller muttered “morality is declining” before shaking his head and leaving.

Liu Ji hugged herself and hid behind the fake mountain in the corner of the courtyard, frowning as she waited for the group of poetic scholars to leave. Only then did she emerge and head straight for the Mirror Pavilion. Avoiding corners and hiding, she truly resembled someone who couldn’t bear to be seen.

During the Qingming Festival, Mingde Pavilion was on holiday, with scholars either returning home to visit their families or going out in groups for outings. Some would even seek picturesque places by the mountains and waters to drink and recite poetry. Therefore, the attic was empty at this time, with no one on duty.

Liu Ji climbed the spiral staircase of the old wooden tower and reached the top floor.

The top floor was an attic with windows on three sides. It had been abandoned for a long time, with thick dust covering the tables and wooden floor, making it almost impossible to distinguish the original colors.

The scent of decay lingered from all directions. Liu Ji brushed away a large cobweb above her head with her hand, clenching her fists several times before summoning the courage to step into this desolate darkness again.

The lotus-shaped candlestick had collapsed on the ground, and the paper lampshade was damaged, leaving only the bamboo frame, like a skeleton lying on the ground.

Liu Ji propped up the candlestick and vigorously brushed away the dust from the corners of the table, revealing the neatly written characters of “Dust the lamp.”

Memories from this time last year flooded back, with scholars surrounding the gentle and sickly Crown Prince discussing and debating with enthusiasm.

Unaware of fatigue, they would sleep in various positions, and sometimes, in the midst of sleep, a brilliant idea would emerge, prompting them to wake up, disheveled, and hurriedly write until the faint light of dawn, filled with great satisfaction before collapsing.

At that time, the lamps in the attic were bright all night long, just like the fervent flames burning in their chests. They all thought that the long night would end, and dawn was just around the corner…

Liu Ji furrowed her delicate eyebrows, plucked the hairpin from her hairline, and slowly scratched and cut the characters of “Dust the lamp” on the corner of the table until they were completely unrecognizable.

She rolled up her sleeves, squatted down, pried open an empty wooden board, and took out the items stored there for nearly a year.

It was a scroll, about the size of a palm. Untying the knots and unfolding a corner, the first thing that caught the eye was a crooked flower pattern, followed by several differently penned signatures.

Crown Prince Zhao Yan, Shen Jingming, Cheng Jixing, Wang Yu, and also Liu…

Liu Ji didn’t continue reading. She stuffed the heavy scroll into her bosom and turned to leave the attic.

The Eastern Palace had about a dozen gardens of various sizes, stretching from east to west. They were planted with peach, pear, apricot, cherry, and various other flowers, along with mountains, ponds, and pavilions, creating a picturesque scene, like a fairyland on earth.

The carriage of the Eastern Palace stopped at the main gate, and Zhao Yan stepped down from the carriage, suddenly pausing to rub her right eye. The tiny mole that resembled a teardrop had been rubbed into a bright red spot.

“Is Your Highness’s eye still uncomfortable?” Liu Ying asked with concern.

“My eyelid keeps twitching,” Zhao Yan frowned.

Liu Ying fetched a small sleeve furnace from the carriage and pressed it on the acupoint at the corner of her eye. “Perhaps Your Highness has been using your eyes too much these days and haven’t rested well.”

“I still feel something is not right.”

After thinking for a moment, Zhao Yan instructed Liu Ying, who was accompanying her, “When all the food and drinks are served at the banquet later, you must privately check them before presenting them. Also, the incense used in the censers should be replaced with our own.”

“Yes.”

Liu Ying replied, “I have already instructed Li Fu in advance. After sitting down, I will remind him again.”

The security at Penglai Garden was not as tight as in the palace, and it was wise to be more cautious at the banquet.

As they were talking, they heard the steady sound of hooves approaching from afar.

With the warm sleeve furnace still in her hand, Zhao Yan glanced sideways and saw Wen Renlin riding his horse with one hand holding the reins, approaching from beneath the pear blossoms growing out of the palace wall.

The Prince of Great Mystery preferred red and black colors. Today, he also wore a red-based outfit. The color was even deeper than the official robes, resembling the color of fresh blood, which outlined his strong and tall figure and made his face look even paler and more handsome than usual.

Of course, the Emperor, instructed him to choose a noble lady at the banquet, so he naturally had to dress more eye-catching.

Zhao Yan turned to avoid his gaze. She had received a letter from Huayang yesterday, written in the name of “Princess Changfeng,” expressing gratitude for the concern of the envoy from the palace and stating that everything was fine at the Huayang Palace…

The letter was tactfully written, implying that someone was indeed secretly inquiring about Huayang’s affairs.

Wen Renlin had been elusive lately, and Zhao Yan didn’t know what conspiracy he was brewing. Coupled with his repeated mentions of “Princess Changfeng,” Zhao Yan suspected that he wouldn’t let the matter rest.

No wonder her eyelid had been twitching since yesterday.

While pondering, Wen Renlin had dismounted and was walking towards them. His pear blossom-like complexion was fluttering by his boots. Without a trace of suspicion, Zhao Yan turned to face Zhou Ji, who had just gotten off the sedan chair.

“Master Zhou, your timing is perfect. There’s a part of the hairpin etiquette that I’m still not quite sure about. Could you please enlighten me?”

With that, she took a flower from the tray brought by the attendant, a vivid display of eighteen scholars.

In this way, she naturally and cleverly avoided a confrontation with Wen Renlin.

Wen Renlin’s steps didn’t pause.

The Little Prince always dressed elegantly, often in snow-white or apricot-colored clothes. However, today he wore a light crimson robe, a rare sight. The bright color made him look radiant, even the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye carried a hint of charm.

At this moment, she was holding a layered and blooming white camellia with great diligence, adjusting her posture according to Zhou Ji’s guidance, with a faint smile between her eyebrows and eyes.

Compared to her fingertips, the petals of the “Eighteen Scholars” flower seemed even whiter.

Wen Renlin glanced at it once, then withdrew his gaze, calmly stepping over the two smiling figures and ascending the stone steps. He didn’t come here for the Crown Prince and had no mood to play along.

The cool breeze brought by his passing disappeared in an instant.

Zhao Yan caught a faint scent of wood and something she hadn’t smelled before, like… the cold of ice and snow in the harsh winter.

“Your Highness?” Zhou Ji called out.

Zhao Yan came back to her senses and replied casually, “Thank you, Master Zhou. I have remembered.”

Since simply “using” Zhou Ji and letting him leave seemed somewhat impolite, she handed the white camellia to him. “Please accept this as a token of gratitude, sir.”

At the Hairpin Banquet, receiving flowers from the Crown Prince was a great reward and couldn’t be refused.

Zhou Ji reached out and accepted it, saying, “Thank you, Your Highness.”

The white camellia lay in his warm fingers, which matched his temperament quite well.

Satisfied, Zhao Yan walked away.

Watching her relaxed figure, a familiar scene floated into Zhou Ji’s mind.

In the Huayang Palace, with peach blossoms as bright as clouds, a lively and beautiful girl casually picked a budding branch and handed it over, saying, “The spring scenery is just right. It’s a waste to stay cooped up in the study. Mr. Zhou, don’t be so stubborn, take it! “

The breeze fluttered his cyan robe, and Zhou Ji felt puzzled by the sudden emergence of this memory. Although the voices were completely different, and their characters were worlds apart, why did he feel like the person in front of him was familiar?

It seemed that his face-blindness was getting worse.

Zhao Yan didn’t expect there to be so many female guests attending the banquet.

In addition to the unmarried noble ladies sent by various families, the idle palace ladies from the harem also gathered in the Panorama Pavilion in the northeast corner, enjoying the view and admiring the flowers from afar.

As soon as Zhao Yan appeared, the gazes of everyone at the table were cast in her direction. Among the numerous scholars dressed in blue and green robes, the Crown Prince’s crimson robe with gold embroidery stood out, especially considering his androgynous face!

With such outstanding looks, even among all the men present, only the Prince Su could surpass him.

However, the Prince Su held high authority and was unpredictable in his moods. He was not an easy person to approach. The noble ladies had been educated by their parents and elders, so they wouldn’t be foolish enough to throw themselves into danger. Just now, when the daughter of Minister Guo took the courage to “accidentally encounter” the Prince Su, she didn’t know what the Prince Su said to her on the painted bridge. Soon after, the daughter of the Guo family returned in tears, her hands and feet cold and trembling, as if she had lost her soul…

Seeing this, they completely abandoned any improper thoughts they might have had.

But the Crown Prince was different.

He was noble and beautiful, approachable, and although slender, he was not weak, which could evoke maternal feelings and pity in the hearts of women.

What if he was young? There were elder sisters!

The noble ladies were of marriageable age, and even though their faces were covered with veils, they couldn’t hide their blushing faces and pounding hearts.

Zhao Yuanyu stood in the shadow of the doorway, watching the Crown Prince, who was admired by all the beauties from afar, his face tinged with darkness.

“Why hasn’t that wench arrived yet? Hurry up and present the things!” He almost gnashed his teeth, impatiently wanting to pull Zhao Yan off her pedestal, along with the dignity of the Eastern Palace, and trample them into the mud.

The little eunuch dared not disobey and hurried off to deliver the message.

On the other side, Zhao Yan patiently nodded and smiled at each of the scholars who came to bow and pay their respects. After the long opening speech from the Ministry of Rites, they finally endured until the ceremony of receiving the royal hairpins.

Two rows of palace maids entered in succession, presenting trays of meticulously prepared golden and silver velvet flowers.

According to the old customs of the Great Xuan dynasty, the Zhuangyuan (top-scoring scholar in the imperial examination), Bangyan (second-ranking scholar), and Tanhua (third-ranking scholar) were given golden velvet flowers, while the other scholars were given silver velvet flowers. The Crown Prince was expected to personally adorn their caps with the flowers to show royal favor. Even the manner of holding the flower and the angle of pinning it had strict regulations.

Zhao Yan picked up the golden velvet flower for the Zhuangyuan.

The flower was extremely delicate and exquisite. Upon careful sniffing, even the fragrance seemed incredibly realistic. Without much thought, Zhao Yan followed protocol and pinned the flower to the cap of the Zhuangyuan, who was old enough to be her father.

The Zhuangyuan was deeply grateful, performing three kneels and nine bows before stepping back.

Finally done with the flower presentations and still before the banquet, the Ministry of Rites presented elegant music for the newcomers to enjoy. Feeling stifled in her chest, Zhao Yan sought out a cool spot in the corridor to catch her breath.

On the side, the noble ladies who had been restraining themselves approached in groups.

Some bold ones directly spoke up.

“Your Highness, please give us flowers too.”

“Yes, Your Highness! Even if it’s just a blade of grass, it would be a great honor for us ladies.”

Wen Renlin descended from the winding corridor of the curved waterway, only to witness this lively scene.

The Crown Prince was surrounded by a group of birds and swallows, joyfully presenting various freshly picked flowers to them. He was completely immersed in the activity.

Wen Renlin changed his direction and walked towards them. The lively laughter abruptly ceased, and even the warm breeze seemed to stagnate.

Zhao Yan raised her head, her slightly curved eyes freezing for a moment when she saw Wen Renlin walking towards them. Having learned from the experience with Minister Guo’s daughter, the noble ladies swiftly dispersed, making him the center of attention.

A slightly younger girl stood still, seemingly stunned and forgetting to react. Her older sister bit her lip and pulled her back forcefully.

Wen Renlin was quite satisfied with their tactfulness.

He shifted his gaze to Zhao Yan, scrutinizing her for a moment before saying in an indifferent tone, “Your Highness is quite diligent in giving out flowers.”

Zhao Yan didn’t believe he came here just to chat. He was probably enjoying destroying her mood and reveling in the fear of others. Most of the flowers picked by the palace attendants had been given out, leaving only a lonely early blooming pomegranate flower lying on the stone table.

“Giving flowers as rewards to loyal ministers and virtuous generals is the duty of the Crown Prince.”

Zhao Yan’s thoughts stirred, and she casually picked up the pomegranate flower and offered it, obediently saying, “This one is for the Grand Preceptor.”

Her response was quite clever. Wen Renlin’s gaze moved from her lips to the equally beautiful pomegranate flower.

With the dappled shadows of the flowers, they stood facing each other: one with hands behind his back, the other sitting upright; one in a crimson robe as if soaked in blood, the other in a bright scarlet attire.

The bestowing of flowers was a reward for loyal ministers and virtuous generals, given by the sovereign to the subjects. Unfortunately, he was neither a loyal minister nor a virtuous general. The distinction between sovereign and subject couldn’t constrain him in the slightest.

“Your Highness is thoughtful.”

Wen Renlin accepted the pomegranate flower and casually twirled it between his fingers. As the flower spun, Wen Renlin caught a faint fragrance that didn’t belong to the pomegranate flower.

Feeling something amiss, his gaze slightly narrowed.

“Your Highness.” Zhang Cang bowed to Wen Renlin, as if he had something to report.

Wen Renlin placed the flower behind his back and nodded slightly at Zhao Yan before leaving.

The fiery red pomegranate flower gently spun between his fingers, staining his frosty and slender fingertips with its vibrant color.

As the clouds dispersed and the warm sun poured down again, Zhao Yan’s vision blurred.

She hurriedly supported her head, exhaling a breath of heat.

“What’s wrong, Your Highness?” Liu Ying immediately supported her.

“I feel a bit dizzy,” Zhao Yan said.

Liu Ying looked up at the scorching sun and whispered, “Perhaps it’s because of the stuffiness. Let me help you to the Shicui Hall for a moment.”

The Shicui Hall wasn’t far, but Zhao Yan lay on the small couch, feeling dizzy and heavy-headed.

She thought it was because her corset was too tight, making it hard to breathe and causing dizziness. She said, “Go inform the Ministry of Rites. I may not make it to the banquet in time for the toast. Let them handle it themselves.”

Seeing that she didn’t look well and the toast wasn’t an essential part of the proceedings, Liu Ying nodded and said, “Your Highness, please wait here for a moment. I’ll go arrange it.”

Since the incident during the Minghua era when a prince brought his guards into the palace intending to assassinate the Emperor during a banquet, the palace had issued an order: except for generals who were disarmed and brought one deputy along to report to the palace, no other princes or sons of princes were allowed to bring guards or soldiers into the palace.

Therefore, even commander Gu Xing had to wait outside the gate of Penglai Palace.

Short of manpower, Liu Ying had to go find an eunuch to convey the message.

However, there was no one around, and waiting any longer might be too much for the Crown Prince. She furrowed her brows slightly and walked along the flower-covered path towards the banquet not far away.

As soon as Liu Ying closed the door, Zhao Yan’s body couldn’t hold up any longer. She gradually softened, her eyelids heavy as if filled with lead, and her consciousness seemed to sink into a muddy swamp.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and a palace maid supported a woman who looked like a concubine. Her hair ornaments were scattered, her breathing rapid, and her mind seemed unclear.

“Liu Meiren, please rest here.”

Zhao Yan heard the timid voice of the palace maid saying so. Her breath caught, and even in her dizziness, she realized what was happening. Although she didn’t know which part of the plan had gone wrong, she had indeed… fallen into a trap.

It was the dirtiest, most despicable trap.

Before she could even shout, the sweet fragrance emanating from Liu Meiren rushed into her nostrils, colliding with the fusion within Zhao Yan’s body, igniting an overwhelmingly strange and unfamiliar heat, like pouring fuel onto a fire, instantly burning with turbulent intensity.

In panic and confusion, Zhao Yan tightly clenched her fists.

On the small pavilion on the rockery, Zhao Yanyu took in everything.

It wasn’t until he saw the bribed palace maid escorting Liu Meiren into the palace that he snorted, confirming, “Zhao Yan has been very cautious lately. He doesn’t touch anything that goes into his mouth, not even incense, which must be provided by the Eastern Palace. Are you sure this drug has been administered?”

“This Yuanyang fragrance was personally prepared by our master. It comes in two types, male and female. The female one was added to Liu Meiren’s drink, and the male one, well, Qiu Niang has disguised herself as a palace maid and smeared it on the golden velvet flower. As long as the Crown Prince even touches it slightly when giving out flowers, he will undoubtedly be affected.”

The eunuch’s face revealed a lewd smile. “If only one fragrance is smelled, it’s harmless, at most causing a slight drunkenness. But once the male and female fragrances meet, yin and yang attract each other, and the reaction… Your Highness has seen it with your own eyes.”

Recalling the results of several attempts with the drug in the mansion, Zhao Yanyu smirked darkly.

If it weren’t for the fact that he couldn’t reveal his identity, he would have personally gone to see the scene of that little prince, devoid of moral and ethical principles, debasing himself with the emperor’s concubine, like a lowly beast.

What a relief!

The drug sent by the master and delivered by Qiu Niang was indeed to his liking!

Sensing that something was missing, Zhao Yanyu turned his head. “By the way, where’s Qiu Niang?”

The eunuch shook his head. “I wonder too. Qiu Niang should have returned after mixing in with the palace maids and administering the drug.”

Zhao Yanyu’s eyes narrowed, but soon he disregarded this little incident. He waved his sleeve excitedly. “Forget about her! Stick to the plan and lure those concubines to the Shicui Hall. We must catch them in the act!”

…

Where is this?

Qiu Niang sat trembling with her hands tied, looking around bewildered. She had only gone to handle matters for the Prince Yong’s son and was about to return to report, but she was suddenly captured and brought here forcibly…

Qiu Niang’s gaze froze as she stared at the handsome man shrouded in the shadows. She recognized the dark red attire, half of her face showing fear while the other half revealed an alluring nature that couldn’t be concealed.

“Where is your master hiding?”

His voice was very low, giving rise to a lingering illusion.

Qiu Niang’s pupils trembled, biting her lip as she said, “This servant… this servant doesn’t know any master.”

The man played with the pomegranate flower in his hand. In the dimness, only the silhouette of his dark red clothes and the burning red between his fingers could be seen.

“You will know.”

He said those words, even smiling at the corner of his mouth. Before a scream could fully erupt, it was stifled in her throat. Then came the sound of a dull thud as she fell to the ground.

“Take her back and interrogate her slowly,” Zhang Cang ordered the eunuch waiting outside.

The woman was quickly dragged away. In less than a quarter of an hour, she would be thrown into the dungeon of the Prince Su’s mansion.

“Your Highness, we…” 

Zhang Cang turned around, but his expression suddenly changed when he saw his master’s face.

His face was as pale as frost, except for the abnormal crimson on his lips. Wen Renlin lifted his eyes, his pitch-black pupils faintly revealing a sinister dark red, extremely enchanting.

Zhang Cang knew that this was a sign of the onset of the cold bone poison.

“Your Highness, your poison!”

Zhang Cang snapped out of it, frantically searching all over his body, but he found nothing. They had all thought that the poison would only take effect on the seventh day, so the pills for this month were still in the secret compartment of the mansion…

How could it happen in advance? And why today of all days!

“I won’t die immediately, so why panic?”

In the darkness, Wen Renlin’s voice was calm, almost cruel.

Just how fierce and terrifying this poison was when it fully erupted, even Zhang Cang, a tough and hardened man, couldn’t bear to see it again. Could he not be anxious!

“Can Your Highness still move? Let’s go back to the mansion immediately and take the medicine. There’s still time!”

He squatted down and patted his own sturdy shoulder. “Come on, Your Highness, lean on my shoulder and walk.”

Wen Renlin smiled. “If someone sees this dignified appearance of mine, will there be peace in the future?”

“What should we do then…”

“You go back to the mansion and fetch the medicine,” Wen Renlin said. “Half an hour is all it takes, and I can hold out.”

Slapping his forehead, Zhang Cang said, “I’ll go right away!”

With that, he ran off like a whirlwind, forgetting to close the door behind him.

Wen Renlin got up and went to the window, sitting in the warm sunlight.

He found a comfortable position to lean back, flexing and relaxing his fingers, carefully feeling the icy chill that permeated his bones and lungs. Even though the sunlight felt like a knife of ice, he remained unfazed.

Well, he was used to it.

In the Shicui Hall.

Zhao Yan’s face was flushed, panting as she held half of a flower vase. The other end of the vase shattered on the head of the now unconscious palace maid. With the palace maid dealt with, Zhao Yan turned her gaze to Liu Meiren, who was writhing and moaning on the soft couch.

And she was no less in pain than Liu Meiren.

This poison was exceptionally fierce. When she was alone earlier, she only felt dizzy. But when Liu Meiren arrived, an unnamed evil fire ignited in her heart, almost engulfing her reason. Fortunately, the person who poisoned her didn’t know she was a woman, so he had no interest in Liu Meiren, who was also a woman, allowing her to barely maintain a shred of consciousness and seize the opportunity to attack when the palace maid relaxed her guard.

She couldn’t stay foolishly here.

Even if it didn’t constitute a fact, her presence as the Crown Prince together with the disheveled concubine in the same room was a heinous crime. Revealing her true identity could prove her innocence, but how could she dare? The crime of deceiving the Emperor and engaging in illicit affairs was far greater than the crime of adultery!

The broken vase clattered to the ground as Zhao Yan hastily covered Liu Meiren with a piece of bedding, protecting her last bit of dignity. Then, relying on her last shred of clarity, she staggered to the door, leaning against the wall for support.

Zhao Yan’s steps were incredibly light, her vision distorted and blurry, relying solely on instinct to grope forward.

“Where are they? Why are they gone! Hurry up and find them, don’t mess things up!”

The sharp voice of the eunuch came from afar.

Zhao Yan’s heart panicked, instinctively staggering in the opposite direction.

She didn’t know how far she had walked, nor where this winding corridor, which seemed to have no end, would lead. She just wanted to stay away from the crowd as much as possible, not wanting anyone to see the Crown Prince in such a miserable state…

The voices gradually faded away, replaced by her own unfamiliar and rapid breathing. The raging fire burned from within her, rising to her cheeks and dripping as hot sweat. Zhao Yan felt as desperate as a fish out of water, suffering unbearably.

At the brink of collapse, she finally saw a secluded palace hidden behind the dense forest.

Zhao Yan hid inside.

Exhausted, she almost collapsed into the entire hall. Then, unexpectedly, she stumbled upon a piece of familiar, deep red fabric and fell. Zhao Yan hadn’t expected anyone to be in the hall and was momentarily stunned.

She had no strength to get up, so she could only bite her lip hard and, dazedly, look up along the piece of fabric—

In her blurred vision, the approaching cold white face seemed elusive and blurry. She desperately widened her eyes until the features slowly pieced together into the most familiar face to her.

Wen Renlin looked at the “Crown Prince,” with sweat-drenched hair and flushed cheeks, with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He was currently suffering from the poison, so naturally, his mood was not good. When he heard footsteps approaching, he harbored killing intent, but who knew that the one who bumped into him was…

“Your Highness?”

He raised his cold fingers and pushed aside the loose hair on Zhao Yan’s face, seemingly wanting to see her clearly. With a buzzing sound in her head, for a moment, Zhao Yan dared not look at his expression at this moment.

She closed her eyes in despair and humiliation.

As it turned out, there was something even more desperate. When Wen Renlin raised his hand, the unique cold breath on his body floated to her nose—different from Liu Meiren’s, it was a breath of the opposite sex.

Zhao Yan even suspected that he had also been subjected to some kind of powerful aphrodisiac, because the last shred of clarity she held onto shattered completely the moment she bumped into this man.

The suppressed and unfamiliar desire surged like a bursting dam, rebounding a thousandfold.

She uncontrollably reached out, trembling fingers passing through the sliver of sunlight projected from outside the hall, gently grasping the hem of that crimson robe.

A pitifully weak force.

Wen Renlin was stunned.

He looked at the Crown Prince’s watery, blurred eyes, as if understanding something, and a faint smile slowly spread across the depths of his eyes.

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