WK Chapter 22

The Imperial Palace.

 

Zichen Palace was far from Ju’an Hall, so news updates were relatively slow.

 

After waiting all afternoon until nightfall, Emperor Chongzhao lost patience and headed directly to Ju’an Hall.

 

Head Eunuch Yu hurriedly caught up from behind, bringing the latest news: “He still hasn’t been found.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “Keep searching.”

 

He lifted his robe and stepped over the threshold of Ju’an Hall’s main gate.

 

It was his first time entering this place in three years.

 

The sight that greeted him was cold and desolate. Even though it had improved considerably from before, compared to the living conditions of other princes of similar age, this place could still be described as ‘poor’.

 

After all, other young princes had their mothers to care for them, raised meticulously in the inner palace, while Qu Dubian never had that since birth.

 

In the cracks between the floor tiles, traces of weeds that had been cleared away could still be seen.

 

Emperor Chongzhao stood silently in the courtyard for a while. He had never seen the child’s face; the closest he had come was through the few sketches of the child drawn by Yi Shi’er, which lacked detail.

 

He entered his young son’s bedchamber.

 

The furnishings here were old and sparse. On the desk were basic primers and some practice writings. The bedding was still old; Ye Xiaoyuan thought the old quilt was softer than a new one, so he only had the cotton inside re-fluffed.

 

Head Eunuch Yu followed behind him.

 

The Astrology Bureau had once said that His Majesty shouldn’t get too close to the young prince, lest the dragon’s aura boost the ill-fated energy, not only affecting Consort Yun’s reincarnation but also disturbing the entire palace’s peace.

 

Of course, at this moment, no one dared to mention a word of this.

 

Actually, given His Majesty’s previous temperament, even if the Seventh Prince went missing, he would probably just wait for news in Zichen Palace.

 

But His Majesty had somehow changed recently, always showing more concern in matters related to the Seventh Prince. Thinking about it now, even his initial attention seemed a bit abrupt.

 

He stole a glance at His Majesty.

 

Emperor Chongzhao sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows on his knees, palms pressed against his forehead, lips tightly pressed into a straight line.

 

–

 

The princes’ search party had expanded. Originally just the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Princes, now the Crown Prince and the others had joined too. Whether sincere or not, they were all actively searching, not wanting others to find fault with them.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan and Wen Xiaochun searched together, not stopping all afternoon.

 

They even searched the East Garden and the Sixth Prince’s residence, places the prince often visited, but found nothing after thorough searching.

 

Passing by a group of hurrying guards, the conversation of the two at the back drifted over.

 

“Orders just came down to search the lotus ponds, mud pits, and such places. His Majesty ordered the path to Zichen Palace guarded, but the Seventh Prince is so young and feverish, who knows, he might have accidentally fallen in somewhere. It’s hard to say, hard to say.”

 

“Check the hard-to-notice cracks too. Didn’t you hear what the Imperial Hospital said? Even if he’s found alive now, he might be fever-addled.”

 

“This whole affair is just… sigh, don’t you think recent events all seem related to the Seventh Prince? Could it really be Consort Yun’s restless soul causing trouble in the shadows?”

 

“Nonsense! The Seventh Prince is Consort Yun’s child. If she were really causing trouble, would she make the Seventh Prince ill?”

 

“…”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan’s eyes reddened with irritation, and he punched the wall: “What rubbish!! His Highness will be fine!”

 

Wen Xiaochun held him back: “Calm down, calm down. You need to rest. You can’t hold out much longer like this.”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan’s face was deathly pale, his hands ice-cold. After searching all afternoon, under the pressure of anxiety and fear, he was already exhausted. Wen Xiaochun gave him a piece of candy and pulled him to sit on a nearby rock.

 

“Take a break.”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan kept taking deep breaths, looking down at the blood seeping from his knuckles. In the winter cold, blood flowed slowly, seeming to congeal almost as soon as it left the wound.

 

After making Ye Xiaoyuan sit down, Wen Xiaochun stood up, “I’m going somewhere.”

 

Ye Xiaoyuan paused, keenly sensing something in his tone.

 

He looked up.

 

Wen Xiaochun’s eyes were still habitually downcast, even the small scar at the corner of his eye had lost its aggressiveness. But now the pitch-black night generously draped over him, and due to the upward angle, it revealed a hint of suppression.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan opened his mouth but didn’t object as he had last time. Finally, he only said: “I know your temperament, I’ll just say one thing: don’t be too rash.”

 

Wen Xiaochun’s voice was soft, “Don’t worry, I understand.”

 

He turned and quickly disappeared into the darkness. Soon after, he appeared in the imperial kitchen.

 

The palace staff here had also been called to search, leaving only a few on duty. Wen Xiaochun easily slipped in, took out his small steward’s key, found a manure cart, and opened the storehouse door.

 

–

 

The garden near Ju’an Hall.

 

Qu Dubian hadn’t gone far. Being so small, he lacked strength and didn’t know the layout well. The area he was most familiar with was still this garden.

 

He was hiding in a fake mountain in the garden.

 

There was a tiny crevice here, narrow on the outside but wider inside. He crawled in and leaned against the inside, where others couldn’t easily find him. The fake mountain looked seamless at a glance, and being near Ju’an Hall, it was like the darkness under the lamp.

 

One dream planted the seed that the Astrology Bureau was the real disaster star, mainly to increase his presence in his nominal father’s mind, hoping life could be a bit better, ideally with everyone getting along peacefully.

 

If the Astrology Bureau hadn’t provoked him again, he wouldn’t have made the second dream to accuse them in such a direct and tragic way.

 

Analyzing the logic of how the Astrology Bureau gained his nominal father’s trust was simple.

 

They used the established fact that they would eventually cause Consort Yun’s death to guarantee the accuracy of the initial ill-fated child prophecy, thus gaining trust.

 

Now he was using their own tactics against them.

 

Using the established fact that he would definitely develop a fever, he pre-edited the prophecy in the second dream, allowing doubt to take root in his nominal father’s heart, shifting the balance.

 

The note he left was to stimulate the ‘fatherly love’ that might exist in his nominal father’s heart.

 

The plan was perfect, with only one flaw—

 

After the simulator simulated a level two fever and the real value dropped to zero, although he no longer felt uncomfortable, his body was still somewhat affected.

 

Originally, he had planned to appear after the note reached his nominal father’s hands.

 

Unexpectedly, after hiding here for a while, this body fell asleep, and when he woke up, it was pitch dark.

 

He checked the simulator’s time.

 

7:30 PM.

 

Qu Dubian yawned slightly, still a bit sleepy but not uncomfortable. [Will it always be like this?]

 

Simulator: [The simulator will block the host’s discomfort, but when sick, the body will produce instinctive protective reactions. The host is young and weak, without internal energy, and cannot completely suppress bodily instincts.]

 

Qu Dubian understood.

 

He was too weak.

 

But if this continued, as he improved his physical condition while frequently falling ill, he might become a Lin Daiyu with Lu Zhishen’s constitution, uh, or a Lu Zhishen with Lin Daiyu’s constitution[mfn]Lin Daiyu: A character from “Dream of the Red Chamber,” known for her fragile health and delicate constitution. Lu Zhishen: A character from “Water Margin,” known for his robust health and incredible physical strength. Both are the characters in classic chinese literature.[/mfn]…?

 

Qu Dubian was about to crawl out when he remembered something and asked, [Are there people around now?]

 

The simulator didn’t respond.

 

Fine.

 

He’d have to go out and look for himself.

 

After crawling out of the rock crevice, the surroundings were surprisingly quiet.

 

Those searching had gone to more distant places, making this area seem empty, especially at night. The crescent moon hung in the sky, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

 

The bare branches of the garden trees rustled in the cold wind, sounding like ghosts descending.

 

Qu Dubian cleared his throat, preparing to fake a cry, but when he opened his mouth: “Cough—” Let alone crying, he could barely squeeze out a whisper that was hardly audible.

 

“…” Qu Dubian couldn’t believe this ugly, crow-like sound came from him. He covered his mouth, silent for a moment, then adjusted the real value to ten percent. Immediately, he felt a dull pain in his throat.

 

After some thought, he understood. Fever also has a progression; he had only experienced the first half – dizziness, chills, and weakness. He hadn’t experienced the throat swelling that came later before submitting his ‘thesis’.

 

Not experiencing the full process, it was only natural that his lifespan value was deducted.

 

Qu Dubian reset the real value to zero. Unable to call out, he could only hope to encounter someone soon.

 

He walked out of the fake mountain area, supporting himself against a rock to catch his breath.

 

He was hungry, so hungry.

 

After walking a few steps, the simulator alerted:

 

[Yi Shi’er is 50 meters from the host.]

[Yi Shi’er is 32 meters from the host.]

[Yi Shi’er is 15 meters from the host.]

 

The simulator’s updates came very quickly, clearly showing that Yi Shi’er had discovered him and was rapidly approaching. Qu Dubian immediately crouched down on a rock, waiting for Yi Shi’er to pick him up.

 

[Yi Shi’er is 5 meters from the host.]

[Yi Shi’er is 3 meters from the host.]

 

Qu Dubian waited patiently for a full forty-five seconds, but no one appeared.

 

Qu Dubian: “…”

 

Confused.

 

Qu Dubian stood up and looked around. At a distance of three meters, he wasn’t blind, but he couldn’t see where this person was hiding at all.

 

After waiting another ten seconds or so, Qu Dubian sighed, finally resigned to standing up and walking towards the garden exit. Because it was dark and too dim here, he stumbled on the stone path several times, nearly falling.

 

Usually, Ye Banban would carry him on this path. Now that he had to walk it himself, it really hurt his feet.

 

Moreover, to be honest, after snow melts and refreezes, even a stone path isn’t slip-proof.

 

Tsk, Yi Shi’er must be a clumsy secret guard. Having discovered him here, why didn’t he go report? At his speed, it would be much faster than letting him walk here by himself.

 

While he had time to think about this and that, Yi Shi’er didn’t dare blink.

 

Without orders, secret guards couldn’t appear in front of people. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to quickly go report, but the young prince’s current state looked really bad.

 

He had just sat on the fake mountain rock, dazed for a long time, looking around blankly as if he couldn’t even remember this familiar small garden – typical of being confused by a high fever.

 

A small, thin figure, if not for his good night vision, he might not have even noticed.

 

He immediately planned to leave to notify the search party.

 

But soon, the young prince stood up shakily, stumbling every few steps, making one’s heart race. The key issue was that next to this small path was a lotus pond. Although it had a layer of ice now, if a child rolled in, it might crack.

 

Already feverish, if he accidentally fell into the lotus pond while he was gone, by the time they found him, he might already be in the underworld.

 

In this situation, there was no way he could leave.

 

Yi Shi’er kept his eyes fixed on him while planning to immediately go find someone once the young prince left this small path.

 

However, this small path was circular. In the dark night, Qu Dubian didn’t see the branching path at the end and circled back around.

 

Yi Shi’er: “…”

 

–

 

Perhaps because his legs were short, Qu Dubian felt this small path had no end.

 

His feet really hurt from the stones!!

 

Qu Dubian simply stopped and sat down to rest.

 

A minute later, he seemed to hear, as if by illusion, an almost inaudible sigh.

 

Qu Dubian slightly raised his eyes to see a pure black hem appear before him. The sleeves were tightly bound, embroidered with a winter orchid. Immediately after, he was picked up by this person, or perhaps ‘carried’ would be more appropriate.

 

The sound of whistling wind reached his ears as Yi Shi’er pressed his head against his chest. He heard the muffled sound of vibrations from within the chest cavity.

 

“Don’t be afraid, this subordinate will take you to His Majesty.”

 

Qu Dubian’s back was gently patted a few times in reassurance.

 

“Hold on a little longer, Young Highness.”

 

Qu Dubian temporarily set aside the latter half of his plan for meeting his nominal father. He tightly grasped Yi Shi’er’s shoulders, feeling the leaps, the borrowed force, and the cold air currents in the sky.

 

Qu Dubian’s eyes slowly widened.

 

Witnessing qinggong for the first time, it was — too cool!

 

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