"Alright, let's not talk about this. Even if the sky is about to fall, we still have to fill our stomachs first, right?" Han Xiangmei said with a beaming smile as she rolled the roast duck for the two of them. But before the roast duck could reach their mouths, the steward rushed in.
"Master, someone from the palace has arrived!"
Everyone was startled. Before they could go out to greet the guest, the person outside walked in.
Ye Shenyan took a look and saw that it was Eunuch Li, the chief eunuch of the harem, not the eunuch who served the emperor personally.
Eunuch Li coughed twice and scanned everyone with a smiling face.
"Grand Tutor Ye, I'm here this time to convey the oral order of Concubine Chen."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Shenyan knelt down first.
Seeing this, Eunuch Li quickly stepped forward to help him up. "Your Excellency doesn't need to pay respects. Concubine Chen said that she heard that the daughter of the Ye family is a miracle doctor, so she would like to invite her into the palace to treat the Crown Prince. Since the matter is sudden and it involves palace affairs, we still want to find a reliable person..."
As he spoke, he glanced at Ye Zhinan, with an ambiguous smile in his eyes.
Han Xiangmei tightly grasped Ye Zhinan's hand and replied preemptively, "Thank the Concubine for her favor, but my daughter is not a miracle doctor, nor has she seen much of the world. I'm afraid she won't be able to take on this great responsibility!"
"Ahem." Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li immediately put away the smile in his eyes. "Madam is being too modest. Who in the Northern Border doesn't know about the little medical fairy Ye Zhinan! If you keep saying so, aren't you deceiving the emperor?"
"Eunuch, you're being too serious. My daughter will go with you." Ye Zhinan immediately agreed.
If she continued to refuse, who knows what trumped - up charges might be imposed on her.
After Ye Zhinan left with Eunuch Li, Han Xiangmei slumped to the ground, her body going limp. "Master, what shall we do now?!"
"Concubine Chen is the Crown Prince's biological mother. By doing this, she wants to use Nan Nan to hold us in check, but I won't be threatened by others!" Ye Shenyan turned around and instructed the steward, "Go and invite Lord Qin!"
On the other side, Ye Zhinan followed Eunuch Li into the palace. It was her first time entering the palace. Although she was nervous, she was also more excited.
She had watched a lot of TV shows and visited the Forbidden City dozens of times, but this was the first time she had entered a real palace. It didn't seem that special after all!
"Miss Ye, after you get off the sedan chair, you can't look around like this. You have to keep your head down and only look at the ground in front of your feet. Otherwise, you'll get into trouble!" Eunuch Li's shrill voice made Ye Zhinan's skin crawl.
She didn't know how long she had been looking at the ground before she finally entered the main hall.
"Greetings to Concubine Chen!" Eunuch Li gave her a push, and Ye Zhinan felt her feet go soft. She knelt on the ground with a thud.
My knees! I should have worn knee pads.
Ye Zhinan was lying on the ground when suddenly she smelled a floral fragrance gradually approaching her.
"Lift your head up!"
Ye Zhinan obediently lifted her head and saw a graceful and luxurious woman standing in front of her. Her makeup and clothes were just like those of the female protagonist in an ancient idol drama, and she was the strong - willed type.
If it weren't for the current situation, she might have fallen in love with Concubine Chen at first sight.
"You're the daughter of Grand Tutor Ye. You're really extremely beautiful. You're indeed worthy." Concubine Chen smiled brightly, but there was an unfathomable emotion hidden in her eyes.
Ye Zhinan's good first impression of Concubine Chen disappeared completely after hearing her words.
What did she mean by "extremely beautiful"? And what did she mean by "worthy"?
She frowned and said coldly, "I heard that the Crown Prince is ill. You summoned me to treat him."
"How dare you talk to Concubine Chen like this!"
Eunuch Li scolded her harshly.
Concubine Chen didn't seem to care. "It doesn't matter. Take her there!"
Ye Zhinan was led into the inner chamber. It was completely different from the resplendent outer hall. Instead, it was comfortable and elegant.
Eunuch Li walked up to a screen, bowed, and whispered, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the person has arrived."
"Let her in!" A deep and rich voice came from inside.
Ye Zhinan was stunned. This voice, why did it sound so familiar?
The next second, she was pushed in by Eunuch Li again. She saw a slender figure lying on the bed, with a pair of lazy and blurred eyes staring at her.
Ye Zhinan felt uncomfortable all over under his gaze and subconsciously stared back.
This Crown Prince, why did he look a bit familiar? Thin lips, black eyes, long legs, and there was a hint of dissoluteness in his casualness.
If he dressed neatly...
She suddenly realized what was going on and gasped in her heart.
"What? Am I beyond cure? If so, you won't be able to go back!" The Crown Prince, Wen Jie, said in an ambiguous voice. The next second, Ye Zhinan was grabbed by a big hand and pulled to the bedside.
"Let go!" Ye Zhinan was furious and desperately tried to break free from his grasp. But the more she struggled, the tighter his grip became. Soon, there was a bruise on her wrist.
"Wen Jie!" Concubine Chen walked in from outside. A cold light shot out from her eyes, but this cold light was not aimed at the Crown Prince, but at Ye Zhinan.
"Mother, I've taken a fancy to this girl. Keep her!"
Wen Jie's ambiguous eyes lingered on Ye Zhinan's body, making her feel nauseous. She quietly reached for the dagger hidden in her shoe with her other hand.
"She still has a use. After that, you can do whatever you want with her." After saying that, Concubine Chen snatched Ye Zhinan from Wen Jie's hand and then whispered, "If you cure the Crown Prince's illness, I'll let you go."
Ye Zhinan nodded and walked towards the Crown Prince again.
"Your Highness, your hand!"
"You're interesting. I like it!" Wen Jie stretched out his hand and stared intently at Ye Zhinan while lying on his side.
This is...
Ye Zhinan looked up at the Crown Prince. "Forgive my rudeness."
After saying that, she reached out to lift the Crown Prince's clothes.
Sure enough, Wen Jie had a knife wound and was also poisoned.
"Do you have a way to detoxify?" Concubine Chen asked with concern.
Ye Zhinan was shocked. Concubine Chen didn't try to hide anything from her. This meant that she would die after treating the illness, and not a good death!
"I won't kill you. Treat me with confidence. If I die first, not only you, but also your clan and the common people in the Northern Border will be buried with me."
Wen Jie was smiling, but his voice was extremely cold.
"You won't die. This kind of poison is nothing." Ye Zhinan said as she took out a small bottle from her bag and applied it to the Crown Prince's wound. "This medicine needs to be applied for three days. You have to give me time and a room to refine the medicine."
She was so angry that she didn't want to bother with the formalities and spoke very bluntly.
Wen Jie frowned tightly, suppressing his inner anger, but Concubine Chen didn't make a sound at all. She just stood there coldly, constantly sizing up Ye Zhinan with her eyes.
"Eunuch Li, take Miss Ye to the small room next door." At Concubine Chen's order, Ye Zhinan was taken away.
She first asked for a bunch of medicinal herbs and pretended to refine medicine. But after everyone left, she immediately got into the space and rummaged around for some grenades and explosives.
"Threaten me? If it weren't for the fact that you're the Crown Prince, I would blow you up tonight."
It was late at night. The palace was so quiet that not a single sound could be heard. It was as if it was cut off from the rest of the world.
Ye Zhinan tossed and turned in bed. Suddenly, the door bolt was removed. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly grabbed her dagger.
After a while, she faintly heard footsteps approaching the bed. Then, a rapid breathing sound came from above her head.
"Tonight, I'll make you indulge in debauchery!"