As night fell, the rain poured heavily. Inside the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince held a brush, writing something between the blank pages of a book. He continued to write, unaffected by the increasing downpour outside. The sound of rain hitting the stone slabs gradually became clear and loud.
The book was filled with ink characters. The wind blew, flipping through the earlier pages, where the handwriting matched the freshly written ink characters.
The Crown Prince used a ruler to press down on the page's corner, waiting for the ink to dry. However, a black-clothed men emerged from the dark room and approached him.
He set down his brush and looked at the kneeling shadow in front of him. "What is it?"
The black-clothed person spoke, "Your Highness, Miss Ye Feiyan's assassination attempt on Prince Yan failed. Vice Commander Tang shot her wrist and she was taken to Prince Yan Mansion. During this time, Master Ye attempted to intervene but was intercepted by Commander Tang and failed to save Miss Ye."
The Crown Prince furrowed his brows slightly. "I only sent her to the Changle Palace to protect the Empress Mother. Why did she attempt to assassinate Prince Yan?"
"I don't know... but it seems to be Miss Ye's impromptu idea," the person replied.
After receiving the answer, the Crown Prince remained silent. He picked up the brush again and wrote something on the small book.
Rain threads drifted in from the window.
The black-clothed men knelt on the cold floor until his legs became numb, but the master didn't tell him to leave, so he didn't dare to go. He didn't dare to speak up, and before taking his leave, he cautiously asked, "Your Highness, should we send someone to infiltrate the Prince Yan Mansion and rescue Miss Ye? After all, she is Master Ye's niece, and if..."
"No need," the Crown Prince interrupted.
The Crown Prince finished writing and put down the brush. "She made a mistake, but she also misunderstood my intentions. It's only appropriate for her to receive some punishment."
"Understood." Since things had come to this point, the black-clothed men couldn't say anything more and retreated.
After the black-clothed men left, Shen Guichen walked out from behind the folding screen. She was still dressed in red, but her face carried a hint of unhealthy paleness.
She stood before the desk, frowning. "Your Highness, what exactly do you intend to do?"
The Crown Prince looked up at Shen Guichen and asked, "Why do you ask?"
Shen Guichen met the Crown Prince's gaze and spoke softly, "When Prince Yan returned to the capital to conquer Yao Country, Your Majesty sent you to abduct Princess Roujia, but you changed the order on your own and falsely claimed that Your Majesty wanted to abduct Princess Shao. If it weren't for Shen Lan mistaking the person, I'm afraid the one currently in the Eastern Palace would be Princess Chu Shao, which would have contradicted Your Majesty's intentions."
"I have defied Father Emperor's will more than once or twice." The Crown Prince closed the book, placed it beside him, and replied.
Shen Guichen lowered her gaze and looked at the book the Crown Prince placed by his side. "Your Highness, I thought you were infatuated with Princess Shao, which is why you took such actions. But now it seems that's not the case."
The Crown Prince smiled, neither confirming nor refuting her statement. He simply said, "Princess Shao? I have seen her portrait, and she is indeed beautiful. Anyone who sees such a woman would surely be captivated."
Shen Guichen's expression remained calm as she asked, "So, are you infatuated with her as well?"
The Crown Prince shook his head. "Throughout my life, I haven't had any likes or preferences. Falsely delivering Father Emperor's order was merely out of curiosity."
"Curiosity about what?" Shen Guichen didn't understand.
The Crown Prince said, "On the eve of Prince Yan's expedition, we drank together. At that time, she said she was leaving, conquering Yao Country and would never return to Qi Country. After finishing a cup of wine, she said I had a deep bond with her and had saved her life. She asked me about my wishes, saying she would do her best to fulfill them."
Shen Guichen asked, "What happened afterward?"
"Afterward..."
The Crown Prince recalled the past and said, "Afterwards, I played a joke with her, saying that I have no unfulfilled wishes, but I regret not finding a suitable person to take charge of the Eastern Palace after establishing the Yao Country. I asked her if she would be willing to give me the first beauty of Yao Country."
Shen Guichen knew that the first beauty of the Yao Country was actually Chu Shao, not Princess Roujia, so she asked, "Did Prince Yan agree?"
"She didn't agree, nor did she refuse. She just made an excuse that she couldn't hold her liquor and couldn't accompany me for drinks. She also asked me to take back the hundred pots of mint from the Prince Yan's residence, saying that she doesn't know how to raise flowers, let alone grass. If she's no longer here, those mints will wither in vain, which would be a waste."
Shen Guichen sighed softly and said, "It's also difficult for Prince Yan. She wants to leave, yet she still cares about those flowers."
The Crown Prince smiled and remained silent, and after a moment, he said, "So I'm very curious. What kind of grace and charm does that first beauty of Yao Country possess to make Prince Yan avoid the subject and refuse to let her go?"
This matter was actually irrelevant.
However, when another matter was mentioned, Shen Guichen's tone became serious. "Your Highness, earlier you said that His Majesty did not want you to become the ruler of Qi Country, so you supported the Fifth Prince. But afterwards, why did you invalidate his position?"
The Crown Prince didn't rush to answer Shen Guichen's question; instead, he corrected her statement.
"You're mistaken. I am not the master of the Blood Rain Pavilion. I am merely hidden behind the scenes, an unseen existence."
"But in my heart, you are the Crown Prince of Qi Country, the true person in power at the Blood Rain Pavilion."
The Crown Prince shook his head. "Power given by others, how long can it last? If Father Emperor can hand over the Blood Rain Pavilion to me, he can naturally take it back at any time. If Grandfather values Princess Zhao Yang so much, he would do the same. How could I believe that Father Emperor truly wants to pass the throne to me?"
"As for the matter involving the Fifth Prince, I have made my decision in my heart. You will naturally know once everything settles."
Shen Guichen looked at the Crown Prince for a long time and then sighed, "Then, Your Highness, what do you plan to do now?"
The Crown Prince put the books on the desk into a hidden compartment and locked it, then said to Shen Guichen, "Summon Su Tan to the Yanyu Building. I still have a promise here that I haven't fulfilled for her."
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Shen Guichen hesitated slightly, "In what capacity do you want to summon her?"
"As the master of the Yanyu Building," the Crown Prince replied.
After giving these instructions, the Crown Prince put on his cloak and set off for the Yanyu Building.
The rain continued throughout the night.
When the carriage arrived at the Yanyu Building, the Crown Prince's cloak got wet, and Bai Zheng was already waiting in the elegant pavilion, offering a cup of freshly brewed tea.
In the past, Bai Zheng didn't know who was behind the scenes at the Yanyu Building, repeatedly helping her investigate information.
Now that she saw the Crown Prince appear and learned that he was the master of the Yanyu Building and the heir to the throne of Qi Country, she wasn't particularly surprised.
Bai Zheng stood by and looked at the woman in the red dress wearing a butterfly mask, and said to the Crown Prince, "If you want to see Miss Su, the vice master of the Blood Rain Pavilion is standing here. It may expose your identity."
The Crown Prince took off his cloak and picked up the tea, taking a sip. "It doesn't matter. I believe Miss Su must have already guessed it. Please invite her in."
Bai Zheng nodded and left the elegant pavilion.
In just a short span of time, Su Tan arrived. She knocked on the door and entered the elegant pavilion, seeing Shen Guichen wearing a butterfly mask. Her expression remained unchanged.
Su Tan paid her respects to the Crown Prince but didn't take a seat.
She stood in place and calmly said, "I have completed the task you assigned to me. Princess Shao captured Bai Lidan, and Prince Yan has extracted something from Bai Lidan's mouth. Now, she and Princess Zhao Yang are estranged. Shouldn't you fulfill your promise to provide me with the antidote?"
Upon hearing Su Tan's words, Shen Guichen looked at the Crown Prince through the two holes in the mask.
She never knew that her master not only concealed the identity of the Blood Rain Pavilion's master from Su Tan but also deceived herself.
At that time, when the Crown Prince learned of Su Tan's whereabouts, he only instructed her to bring people to capture Su Tan but didn't tell her that Su Tan was actually a pawn he personally set up.
Deception on both ends.
What exactly did the Crown Prince want to do?
The Crown Prince knew that Su Tan had already guessed that he was the master of the Blood Rain Pavilion.
And Su Tan had always detested the methods of the Blood Rain Pavilion, which was why she spoke to provoke him and Shen Guichen's relationship.
However, the Crown Prince didn't mind and smiled, "Miss Su, I have no intention of causing discord between Prince Yan and Princess Zhao Yang."
"Furthermore, I know that you are aware that Prince Yan will not develop any animosity towards Princess Zhao Yang because of this matter. If not, given your character, you wouldn't have agreed to my request."
Having guessed his intentions, Su Tan was slightly taken aback but then coldly asked, "So what exactly do you plan to do?"
The Crown Prince smiled and said, "Miss Su, no need to be nervous. I simply want to use Bai Lidan to let the Third Brother know the truth. And, I want to see what will happen in the end and how it will all conclude."
Su Tan didn't care about what the Crown Prince wanted to see. She only wanted to obtain what she desired.
"Give me the antidote, and we can settle our debts," Su Tan said calmly.
The Crown Prince smiled, "Miss Su, why are you so certain that I have a medicine that can delay the effects of the Gu poison? You are already one of the top experts in Yao Country. If you can't find a cure for yourself, how can you easily believe my promise?"
In his words, there was a hint of possible reneging on his promise.
However, Su Tan didn't mind and said indifferently, "Your Highness, although I grew up in Yao Country, I also know that the Bai family in Beiqi has produced two renowned physicians."
"Bai Lidan excels in poison, while Bai Liyan excels in medicine. Bai Lidan follows the orders of Princess Zhao Yang and collaborated with me to develop the Gu poison. And Bai Liyan serves the Emperor of Qi Country and has become the head physician of the imperial medical institute."
The Crown Prince nodded, "Bai Liyan indeed has exceptional medical skills and has cured many people of poison. But I have also told you before, he may not be able to cure the Gu poison completely, only temporarily delay its effects."
"That is sufficient," Su Tan coughed a few times, lifted her sleeve, and wiped away the bloodstains from the corners of her mouth, a touch of pain flickering between her eyebrows.
"The Gu poison I developed myself, the poison I inflicted upon myself, I know that there is no cure in this world. If someone else had used the Gu poison on me, by the time the poison reached the first stage, I would have long lost my consciousness and become a walking corpse."
The Crown Prince held the tea and took a sip. "If you were so eager to unlock all the poisons in the world back then, why do you still want to continue living now?"
Su Tan smiled and remained silent.
In her lifetime, she had traveled to many places and should have been content. She had witnessed the peach blossoms bloom in Yao Country and the heavy snowfall in Qi Country.
She had originally planned to go to the small countries in the south once the poison reached the second stage. There, she would find wild geese and warm ponds. It would be great if she could die in the south.
But unfortunately...
"That day, when I was about to die, I arrived in Qi Country and fell in the snow. I couldn't get up anymore."
"I felt that I was about to die, but the lanterns on Cangjin Lane suddenly lit up. A couple rescued me from the snow, gave me a blanket, and found a physician to brew medicine for me. I woke up, tears fell into the bowl of medicine, and I couldn't taste any saltiness. I just felt that being alive was truly wonderful."
The Crown Prince held the tea and remained silent.
However, Su Tan continued with a smile, "Since then, I started practicing medicine on Cangjin Lane to repay the kindness of the people on that street. And then, I waited, waited for someone to come and settle the old debt I owed."
The Crown Prince set down the teacup and said, "Miss Su, someone like you might be better off living. If I can find the antidote, I will give it to you."
"No need," Su Tan shook her head. "If I can settle this debt, I will have no regrets."
At this point, the Crown Prince didn't say anything more and had Shen Guichen bring a small box made of rosewood, containing the medicine that could delay the effects of the poison, to Su Tan.
Shen Guichen said, "There are two pills inside. Taking one can delay the effects of the poison for a year. However, even if you take two pills or more, the medicine will not have any effect. Please use your own judgment, Doctor Su."
"Thank you," Su Tan accepted the box made of rosewood.
As she left, it was still raining outside the Yanyu Building.
Bai Zheng escorted Su Tan out and handed her an umbrella. Then, she asked softly, "Doctor Su, when did you meet the Crown Prince?"
Su Tan paused for a moment and replied, "A few months ago, during the incident when the Fourth Prince searched the Yanyu Building, we happened to meet. The next day, there was a note on my desk."
"A note?" Bai Zheng furrowed her brows slightly. "What did it say?"
"It said that he knew who I was and that I wanted to find Bai Liyan to get the medicine to unlock the Gu poison. And he said he could help me, as long as I helped him with a few things," Su Tan explained.
Bai Zheng looked at Su Tan. "The Crown Prince shouldn't have known you."
Su Tan sighed, "Of course, the Crown Prince of Qi Country shouldn't have known me. But if he is the mastermind behind the Blood Rain Pavilion, it wouldn't be surprising."
Bai Zheng nodded.
The Blood Rain Pavilion was knowledgeable about secrets from all over the world, so it was unlikely that they knew nothing about Su Tan, the daughter of the Marquis of Pengcheng.
Su Tan recalled that incident and continued, "Moreover, on that day, I followed the Crown Prince's arrangements and went to the tavern to find Bai Lidan. The people from the Blood Rain Pavilion came then. If it was all a coincidence, it would be too much of a coincidence. The only possibility, aside from coincidence, is that."
Bai Zheng pondered, feeling that there was more to this than just a coincidence.
Bai Lidan's entry into the capital that day should have been under the orders of Princess Zhao Yang. He was a secretive poison doctor, but at this crucial moment, he readily agreed to Su Tan's invitation. His attitude was also very strange.
But what Bai Zheng wanted to ask was not about this. She wanted to know another thing. "What exactly did the Crown Prince make you do?"
Su Tan looked at Bai Zheng, knowing that she wanted to find out if she had done anything detrimental to Xiao Jin.
Recalling the conditions set by the Crown Prince, Su Tan said, "Miss Bai, there's no need to worry. They were just a few trivial matters."
Then she opened the umbrella and walked into the night rain, gradually moving further away.
It was not until her figure in the blue robe disappeared around the corner of the street that Bai Zheng adjusted her shoes soaked in the water.
Turning around, the singing girls of the Yanyu Building were still singing in the pavilion.
The rain tonight was still falling.
....
Inside the imperial palace.
No one dared to ask why Chu Shao appeared here.
Just as when she walked out holding Xiao Jin, no one dared to step forward and inquire.
Chu Shao didn't have a long sword hanging at her waist. However, the palace maids had no doubt that the white-clothed woman walking into the rain could conjure a sword at any time, sever their hands, or stop the rain.
The rain soaked her clothes and hair, and the sound of splashing hooves came from behind.
Chu Shao knew that the person who had come might be the imperial physician or someone from the Prince Yan's residence, but she kept walking forward without stopping.
Someone hurriedly caught up from behind and shouted, "Princess, please wait..."
Chu Shao held the person in her arms tightly.
She turned around and said, "Go away."
Chu Shao didn't even know what kind of expression she had just shown that scared the group of people in the rain, immobilizing them.
She just kept walking, walking towards the palace gate.
It wasn't until she walked out of the brightly lit palace that Chu Shao lowered her head, looking at those eyes, and lifted her sleeve to wipe away the blood constantly flowing from the person's mouth.
Her snow-white sleeve was dyed a bright red. Chu Shao suddenly remembered that Bai Zheng had once said that she hated rainy days.
At that time, she didn't understand the reason, but now she seemed to understand it somewhat.
When Chu Shao regained her senses, she found that Xiao Jin's hand was still gripping her sleeve.
That hand, adorned with a white jade ring, was stained with blood. It tugged at her clothes, as if it wanted her to lean down and listen to what she had to say.
Chu Shao leaned down to listen and heard only one sentence.
Xiao Jin said, "It hurts."
Xiao Jin said to her, "Shao'er, it hurts. I want to go home."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator's note: Sigh...
TO BE CONTINUE...