Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Xue Fuguang awoke, it was already the afternoon of the following day.

He lay on his own bed with a person prostrated at his feet, his attendant Shao Jing, who had followed him since childhood.

Upon seeing him awaken, Shao Jing leapt up joyfully, directing the maids to inform the prince and the princess, summon those who were preparing the medicine, and hurriedly fetched a cloth to wipe Xue Fuguang's face, his tone filled with concern, "Young master, I insisted on accompanying you yesterday, but you refused, and such a grave error occurred... Are you feeling unwell anywhere now? The imperial physician said the drug you were given is extremely potent; had the antidote been administered any later, it might have caused irreversible damage."

Xue Fuguang watched him bustling about, and after drinking half a bowl of warm water he brought, he lay back down, gazing at the emerald bed canopy above him.

In the urgency of the moment yesterday, he hadn't the chance to think; now, it all felt surreal.

His gaze settled once more on Shao Jing.

Still alive.

In his previous life, Shao Jing had died in the autumn hunt of the nineteenth year of Tianzheng.

He had been torn in two by a fierce tiger released by the Crown Prince, and before his death, he still called out for the "young master to run." Xue Fuguang had watched helplessly as an arm severed by the tiger's maw rolled down to the slope's base, coming to a stop at his feet.

He closed his eyes.

Shao Jing arranged the items neatly, as a maid entered with a bowl of porridge.

He approached Xue Fuguang's bedside and whispered, "Are you tired, young master? Have something to eat, then drink the medicine before you sleep again, you've not eaten for nearly a day."

Xue Fuguang took the bowl of porridge and drank a few mouthfuls but had no appetite, reaching out to take the medicine and downing it in one gulp.

Shao Jing gazed at the clean bottom of the bowl, puzzled by how his master consumed the medicine so decisively, without any hesitation.

After placing the bowl back, he pondered for a while, concluding that the fear of the prince's reprimand must be the cause.

With this in mind, he reassured Xue Fuguang, "Do not worry, young master. This morning, the metropolitan prefect himself came to apologize to the prince. This matter was not your wish, and though the one who drugged you has not been found, when the young marquis returns tonight, there should be results soon."

Xue Fuguang wasn't worried about these matters.

Even if the person who drugged him wasn't traced back to the Crown Prince, the events of the previous night were enough to cause him significant distress.

But what he wanted was more than just that.

He asked Shao Jing, "How did I get back here yesterday?"

Shao Jing replied, "A shadow guard brought you back. You were delirious last night, trying to strip off your clothes, so your hands and feet were bound when you were brought back to the residence. The shadow guard was punished with a few lashes by the prince for his lapse in protection."

Xue Fuguang's eyes were downcast as he murmured softly to himself, "Is that so?"

Shao Jing, failing to catch his words, moved to ask again when Xue Fuguang instructed him, "Fetch the box of Zihen cream for him."

Shao Jing responded cheerfully, "Right away."

After acknowledging, he eagerly conveyed the day's events to Xue Fuguang, "Young master, you're unaware, but the Crown Prince was also present yesterday. Shortly after the shadow guard brought you back, the Metropolitan Prefect rushed over, and the Crown Prince threw a massive tantrum, smashing everything in the room!"

"It's said that someone close to the Crown Prince has killed a girl. When they were found, a young eunuch was still holding the corpse, the door wide open, and many have seen it."

He clicked his tongue in wonder.

The Crown Prince has always been praised for his self-discipline and adherence to propriety; how could he have done such a disgraceful act?

His trusted eunuch must have had audacious courage.

Xue Fuguang leaned against the bedside, his eyebrows and eyelashes drooping as he continued to force himself to eat the porridge, spooning it into his mouth slowly, his eyes under the shadow of his lashes dark and tinged with a cold light.

Feeling nauseated, he put the bowl back and asked Shao Jing, "How do you know all this when you didn't go with me yesterday?"

Shao Jing, lowering his voice, confided, "Now the whole capital knows. Last night, after the Metropolitan Prefect arrived, he went with the Crown Prince to see His Majesty. It's said the Emperor was furious and ordered the Fengyue Building to be sealed overnight."

As master and servant conversed, the door opened.

Prince Gong and Princess Jingrong arrived together.

Shao Jing quickly shut his mouth and stepped aside.

Prince Gong was over fifty, robust in build.

He strode briskly, reaching his youngest son's bedside in a few steps, and slapped the back of Xue Fuguang's head with such force that it nearly sent him tumbling into the bedding.

Had Prince Gong not seen the pallor of his son's face and softened at the last moment, the slap would have been even harsher.

Princess Jingrong, upon seeing this, cried out anxiously, "Father, please be gentle. Aru has just woken up! Besides, he's not at fault, and after being wronged, why hit him?"

Prince Gong, already somewhat regretful, heard his daughter defending his son and feared the boy would grow even more unruly. He blustered, "I've told him time and again to cut ties with those bad influences. Had he listened, would he be in this state now? And you're still defending him! Yesterday, it was an aphrodisiac; who knows if it might be poison next time, and this boy would gulp it down, dying out there with no one to even collect his corpse!"

Princess Jingrong grew frantic, "Father! How can you speak such words!"

As father and daughter seemed on the brink of quarrel, they didn't notice Xue Fuguang getting up abruptly and throwing his arms around Prince Gong, choking out, "Father... Dad, I know I was wrong."

Prince Gong stared, taken aback and at a loss.

Xue Fuguang would only call him "Dad" in a coquettish manner when he was young. As he grew older and learned more propriety, he gradually followed his brothers and sisters in addressing him as "Father King". It had been a long time since the prince had heard his youngest son call him in such a way.

He began to regret the slap he had just delivered, discerning the choke in his son's voice, he asked, "Has someone bullied you? You are the crown prince; if someone bullies you, bully them back, you have your father's support. What kind of man sobs and cries!?" Though his words were harsh, his hand comfortingly patted Xue Fuguang's back like one would soothe a baby.

Xue Fuguang momentarily lost control of his emotions but quickly composed himself.

Releasing his hold, he cast a few more glances at his elder sister, who was yet to marry and stood right before him, blinking away the mist in his eyes: "Why are you at home instead of the court, Father King, with my elder brother in session?"

The Prince of Gong rubbed his palms and sat down by the bed: "If someone can slip drugs into the meals of the prince of this manor undetected, this time it's merely an aphrodisiac, but who knows if next time it could be a lethal poison? I am too old to be frightened like this, so I have feigned illness to the emperor."

He spoke thus, and the Princess Jingrong frowned: "Father!"

The Prince of Gong waved his hand dismissively.

Xue Fuguang donned his robe and leaned against the headboard: "You are in good health, Father, what illness could you claim?"

The Prince of Gong raised his hand as if to strike him again: "What do you understand, you little rascal? Your father, I am—"

Before he could finish, Xue Fuguang interjected: "I know you are relinquishing power, but there is no need for this." A shadow passed over his eyes, but considering the presence of his kin, he suppressed it and said softly, "The one behind this is the crown prince."

Silence filled the room.

No one else was inside the chamber; his voice was faint, heard only by the Prince of Gong, Princess Jingrong, and Shaojing at his side.

The Prince of Gong's brows first froze, then shot up almost to cover Xue Fuguang's mouth: "What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Xue Fuguang knew his father to be a man of loyalty and valor, honored as the Prince of Gong by the previous emperor. But his steadfast heart should not be fooled and manipulated by the crown prince!

He closed his eyes, steadied his emotions, and spoke slowly: "I know you do not believe me, Father, but please think carefully. In the vast capital, who else could have lured away my personal guards and precisely calculated Shaojing's absence to drug me?"

"Do you know, Father? Yesterday, I was the one supposed to be lying beside that corpse!"

"If I hadn't retained a shred of consciousness, if a guard hadn't seen through their scheme in time to rescue and switch me, I might now be locked in the great prison. The poison would've weakened me, necessitating my elder brother's intervention to secure my release, which would have dragged him into this mess!"

After firing off these statements like a string of cannonballs, Xue Fuguang did not rush his father into making a decision.

"If you do not believe me, Father, feel free to observe for a few days."

Though his father had relinquished most of his authority, he was after all an experienced general who had secured the nation for many years. A little investigation on his part would not be difficult to uncover the truth.

The difficulty lies in the fact that these subtle clues might be obliterated by the unfolding plot.

Prince Gong furrowed his brows deeply: "You're saying that the person who was lying beside the corpse is you?"

Xue Fuguang replied firmly: "Yes!"

Seeing his unwavering tone, Prince Gong hesitated for a long moment, then covered him with a quilt and cautioned, "You must not speak of this matter to anyone else, not even your elder brother, understand?"

Xue Fuguang felt a slight relief seeing his father take his words to heart.

The father and daughter did not stay long in his courtyard; pressed by worries, Prince Gong left hurriedly after giving his daughter several instructions.

With the room emptied, Xue Fuguang's thoughts lingered on that shadow guard. He called out to Shaoling, "Never mind delivering the medicine. Call that man here; I have questions for him."

Shaoling was quick-witted: "I'll go at once, Master."

Xue Fuguang sat propped up against the headboard for a while, feeling as if the fire from the day before still burned within him, heating his innards. He gathered his outer garment and rose from the bed, sitting down by the corridor in front of his room, gazing up at the almond tree, which was full of pink and white blossoms.

A gust of wind passed, scattering petals all over the courtyard.

Xue Fuguang reached out, catching a petal lifted by the breeze.

His body, having been raised in luxury and never having suffered before the Xue family's downfall, was very pale. Having endured hardships the day before, his complexion was even paler, making it hard to distinguish whether his palm or the petal was whiter.

He gazed at the flower in his hand for a long time before slowly clenching his fist, grinding the petal to shreds and then casually brushing them away.

Perhaps chilled by the coolness of the early morning breeze, Xue Fuguang's throat itched, and he coughed. Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him.