Chapter 25

Xie Yan, suffering from severe blood loss, drifted between semi-consciousness and sleep. His dark, fathomless eyes caught the sight of Jiang Yunchan and Gu Huaizhou clinging to each other in the corner by the wall. They had been reunited after a brush with death, their affection lingering and deep... Xie Yan watched it all with a mocking, enigmatic gaze until the palanquin moved away and they were no longer in sight.

Feeling a twinge of guilt, Jiang Yunchan lowered her eyes, avoiding the departing figure, and muttered to herself, "Was I wrong?"

"The Master saved us today." Gu Huaizhou looked at the blood-stained figure in the palanquin with eyes full of concern. Although Xie Yan was only three years his senior, he was far more knowledgeable and magnanimous. If not for Xie Yan’s guidance, Gu Huaizhou could never have achieved the top rank in the imperial examinations so quickly. In Gu Huaizhou's heart, Xie Yan would always be his mentor. This time, his mentor had once again stepped forward, shielding them from arrows to save them. Gu Huaizhou felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. "Once I am better, I must visit the Master personally."

"Right, right..." Jiang Yunchan replied awkwardly. Only moments ago, she had been prepared to fight Xie Yan to the death, nearly forcing him into a prison cell. Now that the truth had come to light, she was filled with a complex tangle of emotions; how could she ever face him again?

Gu Huaizhou was unaware of the dispute that had taken place in the woodshed. Seeing her troubled expression, he patted her hand to comfort her. "I shall go visit the Master alone." He could sense that Jiang Yunchan was deeply resistant to the Marquis's estate. Since she had married him, he wanted her to be able to follow her own heart and would never force her to do anything against her will. "In the future, if there are matters involving the Marquis's estate that you do not wish to face, you need not force yourself."

Jiang Yunchan felt a warmth in her heart. She would no longer have to force a smile for the people of the Marquis's estate. How wonderful! She smiled softly, her eyes reflecting the vast expanse of stars, and said, "Then let us go home!"

"Master Gu cannot leave!" At that moment, the imperial physician returned, accompanied by five guards who surrounded the pair.

"Everyone else, evacuate this area immediately and report to me to be registered!" A man dressed in the uniform of the Embroidered Uniform Guard shouted sternly in the courtyard.

"Why have the Embroidered Uniform Guards been alerted?" Jiang Yunchan asked in surprise.

The physician bowed, "Master Gu, the Imperial Hospital suspects that due to your prolonged stay in a damp, dark place and your severe injuries, you have been unable to resist external pathogens and have contracted the plague. Therefore, you cannot be moved at will, nor can you have contact with others. The Imperial Hospital will send specialists to treat you."

"Young lady, please leave as well!" The accompanying guard gestured for Jiang Yunchan to depart.

"I will take care of Huailang!" How could Jiang Yunchan bear to be separated after finally finding him?

The physician waved his hand. "This disease is highly contagious. Master Gu must be isolated, and anyone else who entered the woodshed must remain behind closed doors for half a month. Please do not make things difficult for us, young lady."

"I will look after him! He is already injured; if he contracts the plague, he will have no one to care for him. It won't do..."

"Young lady! The imperial court has its own laws. Even the Crown Prince and Prince Jin'an have returned to their residences to remain in seclusion. Who can defy this?" The guard, losing patience, grabbed Jiang Yunchan and began dragging her away.

She clung tightly to Gu Huaizhou’s hand, but despite her efforts, she was forced to let go.

"Chanan, rest easy. I will be fine." Gu Huaizhou struggled to pull his lips into a smile before collapsing to the ground. The effects of the ginseng slice had worn off, and his sickly appearance returned. As she was dragged away, Jiang Yunchan watched as Gu Huaizhou shivered, his body trembling, curled into a ball as he alternated between fever and chills. She was powerless to resist. Finally, a door slowly closed, blocking her view.

"Huailang! Huailang!" Jiang Yunchan rushed toward the door, pounding on it desperately.

In the courtyard, only the sound of panicked footsteps could be heard. "Master Gu has fainted again! Brew the medicine!"

"He is vomiting blood! What are we to do..."

The people inside were in a state of chaos. Jiang Yunchan could only peek through the crack in the door, but Gu Huaizhou had already been carried into the room, leaving only a pool of blood on the floor. Jiang Yunchan slid to the ground, gazing up at the boundless night sky. Dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and the summer night breeze tapped against the window frames, yet it could not blow open the tightly locked windows. Jiang Yunchan's heart felt like the moon in the sky, its radiance gradually shrouded, finding no path forward.

Gu Huaizhou was locked inside the Apricot Blossom Courtyard, and the entire Marquis's estate was surrounded by the Embroidered Uniform Guards; no one could leave. Where could she go? Like a desolate wanderer, she crouched in the corner of the wall, swallowed by the dark night.

She kept watch in the cold wind for the entire night until the chaos in the courtyard subsided. When the physician emerged from the room, he saw a frail figure sitting with her knees pulled up on the other side of the lattice door, shivering.

"Young lady!" The physician, speaking through the door, could not help but feel pity. "Master Gu has stabilized for now."

"Thank you, Physician!" Jiang Yunchan stood up, bowed, and sneezed repeatedly.

The physician sighed. "Master Gu asked me to tell you: return and nurse your health. If you are not well, he cannot focus on his recovery."

"But..." Jiang Yunchan stepped forward, but the guards at the door immediately drew their blades to stop her. She knew she could not get close to Gu Huaizhou and staying here would only add to his worries. She curtsied and said, "Please tell Huailang that I have returned to the Wen Zhu Pavilion, and that I... am well."

With that, she lowered her head and walked away with unsteady steps.

"Young lady!" Seeing the two lovers separated, the physician hesitated for a moment, moved by their plight. "Young lady! Let me tell you the truth. Master Gu is actually not doing well at all. He feared you would worry, so he forbade me from telling you the reality..."

Jiang Yunchan’s legs gave way. Seeing the physician’s ashen expression, she stood with her mouth agape, unable to speak for a long time. She dared not even ask another question, fearing she would hear the tragic news she dreaded.

The physician sighed heavily. "Master Gu’s illness has been dragged out for half a month; no matter how strong a body is, it cannot withstand such strain! If there is no targeted treatment within three days, I fear... he will not survive the summer."

"What is the targeted treatment?" Hearing the implication in the physician's words, Jiang Yunchan broke past the guards and lunged at the lattice window, staring at the physician unblinkingly.

"The prescription from the Imperial Hospital is no longer effective, but..." The physician stepped closer, lowering his voice from behind the door. "I have heard of a folk remedy from the west. Using turquoise in the medicine may have the effect of bringing someone back from the brink of death."

"Turquoise?" Jiang Yunchan shook her head. This gemstone was extremely rare in Northern Sheng, and she had only heard its name, never seen it. "May I ask where one might find such an item, Physician?"

The physician glanced toward the direction of the Xian Yun Courtyard. "Before the new year, a string of turquoise beads was offered as tribute from abroad, and the Emperor bestowed it upon the Heir. There are fifteen beads in total—just enough for two courses of treatment."

"The Heir..." Jiang Yunchan murmured, her expression not improving. She had burned her bridges with Xie Yan; how could she possibly ask him for such a precious item? Even if she were to beg, would Xie Yan ever put aside his grievances to grant it to her? The image of Xie Yan, drenched in blood, looking at her from his palanquin, made her shudder.

"Is there... is there any other way?"

"It’s bad! Master Gu is vomiting blood again! Physician, come quickly!" At that moment, a medical attendant ran out of the room, her hands covered in blood.

The crimson color stung Jiang Yunchan’s eyes. How much more of this heart-wrenching blood-vomiting could a frail scholar like Gu Huaizhou endure?

"If you truly wish to save Master Gu, the sooner the better! Every moment of delay is consuming his life!" The physician spoke in a rush before sprinting back into the room.

Jiang Yunchan stood under the scorching sun, staring blankly through the door for a long time. Beyond the cries of alarm, she could hear and see nothing else. Her shoulders slumped weakly, like a discarded rag doll, drained of vitality, and she began to wander aimlessly.

By evening, she found herself at the Xian Yun Courtyard. The cicadas in the woods were noisy, and the sounds of footsteps in the courtyard were chaotic. Servants and maids carried basins of bloody water and herbal medicine in and out. Mother Xu stood in the courtyard with her hands on her hips, lecturing the servants. "Whether the Heir recovers depends on tonight! You all had better be careful! As the saying goes, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. If something happens to the Heir, what good will come to any of you?"

"Mother Xu should say that to the cousin at the Wen Zhu Pavilion!"

"Indeed, that girl usually seems so meek, but she was truly ruthless when she acted! She was aiming for the Heir’s life!" The servants chimed in one after another.

Jiang Yunchan, just about to step into the courtyard, froze. She turned and hid behind the corner of the building. At that moment, Eunuch Deng emerged from Xie Yan’s bedroom, looking down at Fucang, who was following closely behind. "The Master has survived a brush with death, which is truly miraculous! The entire Marquis's estate is in turmoil. His Majesty, in his consideration for the Master, has decided that all matters of the Censorate will be handled by Master Li. The Master only needs to focus on managing his household affairs."

This was no gesture of consideration; it was clearly a move to seize Xie Yan's power while the Marquis's estate was in chaos! Xie Yan had always been gentle, respectful, and frugal, with never a blemish in his conduct; the Emperor had no reason to dismiss him. Although the imprisonment of Gu Huaizhou was not directly his doing, it involved the Marquis's estate, and the Emperor was naturally using this opportunity to weaken the Crown Prince's faction. This disturbance at the Apricot Blossom Courtyard had not only harmed Xie Yan’s health but had also stripped him of his power—truly, misfortunes never came singly.

Seeing the decline of the Marquis's estate with her own eyes, Jiang Yunchan felt her heart sink. In such a situation, how could she ask Xie Yan for help? Even if she swallowed her pride and asked, would he agree?

Lost and dejected, Jiang Yunchan circled from the corner of the wall to the back window of Xie Yan’s bedroom, carefully peering through a gap in the window. In the dim room, Xie Yan lay on the bed, dressed only in a white sleeping robe. His eyes were closed, his face etched with exhaustion, and a dark stubble covered his chin.

"Master, please endure this!" The physician beside him sighed, unwrapping the layers of gauze on Xie Yan's arm. "The white-feathered arrow narrowly missed piercing your heart and lungs. We must remove the necrotic flesh around the wound; otherwise, the poison will seep into your lungs, and the heart condition will be impossible to cure!"

"No need. It is... already beyond saving." Xie Yan’s hoarse voice slipped through his lips.

"Master, you should not have injured yourself for the sake of irrelevant people..."

"I said, get out!" Each word from Xie Yan was as gloomy as a dying man. Where was the heroic air of the man who usually held the world in his hands? It was true—a man who had been surrounded by stars, falling from the pedestal in a single night; it was no wonder that even those around him could not help but sigh.

"Then, Master, rest well. I will return later!" The physician shook his head, packed up his needles and tools, and quietly retreated.

The door creaked shut, the dull sound echoing in the room. A few shafts of sunlight filtered through the window lattice, flickering across Xie Yan’s face, casting dappled light and shadow that made his features appear and disappear, as if a storm were brewing within him.

Suddenly, a thunderclap erupted behind Jiang Yunchan. The previously clear sky turned overcast, and dark clouds spread, enveloping the entire Marquis's estate. Jiang Yunchan shivered, instinctively wanting to hide.

"Since you have come, sister, why not show yourself?" A gentle voice, calm and unhurried, drifted out from the room.

Xie Yan slowly opened his eyes. His expression was placid, like a god or Buddha on a lotus throne, devoid of sorrow or pain. Yet, those black pupils were as dark as an abyss and as cold as an ice cavern. To peer into them was to feel an urge to retreat...