Chapter 21: Plotting Against a Prince

Chapter 21: Plot to Harm the Prince

Fu'an and several capable eunuchs had quickly taken control of the situation.

Fu'an sternly directed the young eunuchs to rush and fetch clean water and cloth.

Then Fu'an turned to look at Xiao Yan, hunched over, his face as pale as a sheet, his voice trembling:

"Your Highness, how are you? Your servants deserve a thousand deaths!"

Xiao Yan had already steadied himself, his face frighteningly cold.

His right hand clenched into a fist, quickly hidden within his wide black sleeve.

A dark stain spread at the sleeve's edge.

The servants closest to him were now so terrified they dared not even breathe.

How could this have happened?

The scene was too chaotic at the time; no one had clearly seen how the esteemed Prince Yu had gotten hurt.

And there was blood.

Even ten heads wouldn't be enough to pay for this!

Xiao Yan's face grew tighter and tighter.

He paid no attention to the crowd wailing around him.

He thought calmly: "Xiao K, I'm not going to die from this, am I?"

"Host, what are you saying?" Xiao K was speechless, "Look at the wound on your hand—it's small enough to be covered by a Band-Aid. Why talk about dying?"

Xiao Yan silently lifted his hand.

On the web of his hand (between thumb and forefinger) was a fresh gash about half an inch long, oozing beads of blood.

It looked somewhat glaring, but it was only a superficial wound that would scab over in a few days.

Indeed, a wound that could be covered by a single Band-Aid.

Xiao Yan: "But ancient times don't have Band-Aids."

Xiao K: "But ancient times have herbal wound medicine!"

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth: "Ancient times don't have rabies vaccines, do they?!"

Was the size of the wound the important thing?

What mattered was infection!

Xiao Yan: "And tetanus! Even a scratch from an iron tool can cause infection. This was a dog bite! With ancient medicine being so poor, tetanus alone could kill! Not to mention sepsis—wound infection leading to sepsis in ancient times is pretty much a death sentence!"

Xiao K: "...Host, you sure know a lot! But if you're so afraid of death, why did you still pull Liu Qingci? ◠‿◠"

In that situation, no one else saw clearly, but as the system, it saw the whole picture!

Originally everything was fine, but Xiao Yan had to go and pull Liu Qingci, and then the dog bit his hand directly.

"I couldn't just stand by and let him die." Xiao Yan said flatly, "Besides, pulling him was pure instinct; I didn't think at all."

That vicious dog lunged straight for Liu Qingci's head.

If it had bitten him, he really would have died.

Xiao K: "Alright, alright, host, don't explain. Liu Qingci has plot armor; according to the plot, he wouldn't have been bitten anyway. But now, you've gone off script again. Ah ┓( ´∀` )┏"

Xiao Yan took a deep breath: "Stop being sarcastic. Tell me what to do now."

Xiao K: "Don't worry, as long as Xiao K is here, no infection! I already disinfected and cleaned it. I could even make it heal completely, but with so many people watching, host, you'll have to apply medicine and wait for it to heal naturally!"

Xiao Yan could feel that, at the moment Xiao K’s words fell in his mind, a very faint, brief coolness spread over the wound on his finger.

He instinctively moved his finger, and the once stinging wound edge seemed to calm down a little, at least no longer having that obvious dirty feeling.

Xiao Yan: "You're actually useful for once."

Xiao K: "Hmph!"

After huffing, Xiao K could only add worriedly: "Host, just keep completing the task! Don't cause any more trouble!"

In real time, only a moment had passed.

Fu'an was already trembling as he dipped a clean cloth in clean water, trying to wipe the blood from around the wound, his movements careful.

"Your Highness, this servant will clean it for you first; the imperial physician will be here soon..." Fu'an's voice was still quivering.

Xiao Yan didn't say anything, which was taken as tacit approval.

"Useless!"

A low, angry roar suddenly burst out.

Fu'an trembled in fright.

Xiao Yan swung his arm violently, knocking over the copper basin of clean water held by a nearby servant.

"Clang—splash—!!"

The copper basin overturned, drenching Fu'an and several nearby eunuchs, leaving a large puddle on the floor.

Everyone was so startled by this outburst that they trembled and fell to their knees with a clatter.

"A pack of useless idiots!" Xiao Yan's voice wasn't particularly loud, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness and brutality, "You couldn't even keep a beast in check! It spooked the royal carriage and wounded me!"

His gaze swept over the beast tamers, kneeling with ashen faces, then coldly glanced at Fu'an:

"What do I feed you for? How many heads do you have to lose?"

The beast tamers, drenched, knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, blood instantly appearing on their foreheads, their voices tearful:

"This servant deserves to die a thousand deaths! I beg Your Highness's forgiveness! I beg Your Highness's forgiveness!"

Xiao Yan stepped forward, the hem of his black robe brushing the water on the floor.

"Investigate! Go and investigate for this prince!" His voice was low but each word was clear, carrying undeniable authority, "One hour. I want to know what set that beast off."

Fu'an immediately understood, while carefully wiping the sweat from his forehead, he said sharply to those around him:

"Why aren't you going yet? Everyone present today must be thoroughly investigated."

An injury to a prince is no trivial matter—even the smallest wound that draws blood is a blemish on the prince's person.

Moreover, Prince Yu is the reigning emperor's most favored son. Even if Prince Yu himself did not press the matter, once the emperor learned of it, no one present today would escape blame.

Thus, when Xiao Yan ordered a full investigation, everyone cooperated fully, eager to clear themselves of suspicion.

Xiao Yan, carefully supported by Fu'an, sat down in a chair.

The imperial physician had already arrived and was meticulously treating the wound.

Xiao K mechanically prompted: "The 'Fright at the Beast Arena' plot mission is halfway done. 'Due to an accident at the beast-fighting arena, Prince Yu was startled and flew into a rage.'—Task completed. Please continue: 'Publicly punish Liu Qingci. Method of punishment: slap until he coughs up blood.'"

Xiao Yan's expression darkened. He subtly scanned the crowd, his gaze locking onto that elegant figure.

"Mm."

These people were very efficient.

Before long, an imperial physician approached, bowing:

"Your Highness Prince Yu, we have preliminarily determined the cause. Canine beasts have keen olfactory senses. The mastiff caught the scent of a spice called Mad Wave Grass, an extremely potent stimulant that induces brief madness and increases ferocity tenfold."

Several stifled gasps rose from the crowd.

They had assumed it was due to poor handling or an accidental trigger—but someone had actually drugged it!

This is attempted murder of a prince!

At that moment, another imperial physician approached, his head bowed even lower.

"Your Highness Prince Yu, I... I discovered some residual Mad Wave Grass powder on Young Master Liu's sleeve."