“This is… hurry, give it to me…”
Seeing the panicked expressions of the few people trying to rescue Leng Mingye, the commotion naturally caught Feng Moli’s attention. He arrived at the scene and, upon seeing Leng Mingye’s condition, his expression changed drastically. In a flurry, he grabbed Bai Yu and Qing Feng, who were channeling their energy to help, and carried Leng Mingye away.
“Mingye… I’m going to kill him, Xie Shaojun.”
Watching her uncle carry Leng Mingye away with a face full of panic and tension, Wan Qing recalled the moment she had seen him still breathing. Though she had no idea how skilled her uncle was in medicine, she held no hope for something she herself had already deemed hopeless.
Thinking of the detestable and arrogant Xie Shaojun, she chased after them to the door. She saw Feng Moli hastily instructing them to take Leng Mingye to the hot spring in the forbidden area of the Daqi imperial palace for treatment. Though she wanted to follow, her uncle’s carriage had already sped away by the time she reached the front.
Although the servants her uncle had brought assured them that everything would be fine—that with his abilities, he could surely save Leng Mingye—Wan Qing was consumed by indescribable terror and despair. Blaming Xie Shaojun for all of this, she gritted her teeth in anger, lifted her skirt, and stormed toward Xie Shaojun’s quarters.
“You…” But before she could take another step, Bai Yu, who stood behind her with an equally anxious and flustered expression, struck her with a swift chop to the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious.
As she collapsed backward, she saw that it was Bai Yu who had struck her. Despite knowing that Leng Mingye was their master, he had stopped her from confronting Xie Shaojun. Furious and resentful, she glared at him, wanting to demand an explanation, but her consciousness quickly faded.
“Bai Yu, what are you doing? Why did you knock out the princess? How could you—”
As Wan Qing fell backward, the maids Hong Lian and Wan Chun rushed forward to catch her. They turned to Bai Yu, who had handed her over to them upon their arrival, utterly bewildered and angry at his actions.
“Actually, all of this was a ruse planned by our master and Prince Fengye. Though I’m truly worried about the master’s injuries, I trust Prince Fengye would never deceive us or harm the princess. Our task now is to wait patiently and send word back to Daming and the Bo Kingdom.”
Despite the maids’ confusion, Bai Yu remained composed as he explained and instructed them to take Wan Qing back.
“Bai Yu, you’re saying this was all prearranged by Lord Leng and Prince Fengye? But Lord Leng’s injuries—his wounds wouldn’t stop bleeding. Even the princess’s medical skills couldn’t help. How—”
Though Bai Yu’s words shocked them—revealing that even the princess had been kept in the dark by Prince Fengye—they still couldn’t shake their concern over Leng Mingye’s condition.
“I know, but I trust Prince Fengye, and so does the master. Otherwise, the master wouldn’t have provoked Xie Shaojun into attacking him. Now, take good care of the princess. If she wakes, make sure she doesn’t cause any more trouble. Prince Fengye and the King of Daqi will ensure justice is served. I’ll go draft a letter and arrange for it to be sent.”
Though Bai Yu himself didn’t fully understand Prince Fengye’s plan—how their master had deliberately provoked Xie Shaojun to sell the act—he still trusted that Prince Fengye wouldn’t let them suffer. With that, he turned and left, despite his own unease.
“Prince Fengye is treating the princess like a fool! Who knows what she’ll do when she wakes and learns the truth. It’s strange—why would he hide something so important from her? Isn’t this just making her worry more? Do you think Lord Leng’s injuries are truly beyond saving?”
After Bai Yu left, Hong Lian and Wan Chun exchanged uneasy glances. Though they were upset by the news, they could only watch helplessly as Wan Qing lay unconscious on the bed. Frustrated with Feng Moli’s actions, Hong Lian sighed and turned to Wan Chun.
“I don’t know. But after everything the princess and Lord Leng have been through, now that they’ve finally understood each other’s hearts, I just hope fate will be kind to them. I hope this is just a false alarm. Otherwise, who knows how the princess will react…”
Wan Chun sighed, thinking of all the trials the two had endured. The thought of the worst-case outcome filled her with dread as she looked at Wan Qing.
Bai Yu’s letter was sent, and within days, both Daming and the Bo Kingdom received the news. The letters were delivered to Prince Ning—Wan Qing’s closest ally—and the head of the Nangong family in Bo, Leng Mingye’s biological father, Nangong Haotian.
Prince Ning immediately dispatched troops to the Daqi border, as did the Bo Kingdom. But that was a matter for later.
Nangong Haotian, upon receiving Feng Moli’s letter, rushed toward the Daqi capital with his men. Before he even arrived, he received another letter from Feng Moli, informing him that his son was critically ill.
Nangong Haotian, though the head of the Nangong family, had only one son—who had fallen ill and lost his senses. Now, to learn he had another son—the renowned Prince Ji of Daming—was both shocking and joyous. But before he could even reach the capital, he heard his son was on the brink of death.
Though he didn’t understand the situation, he hurried to the Daqi palace in a panic. After Feng Moli explained everything, though furious, he was relieved to hear his son would survive. With Feng Moli’s urging, he stormed into the throne room, demanding answers from the King of Daqi—placing all blame squarely on the Xie family.
Within days, letters from the King of Bo, the King of Daming, and Prince Ning arrived.
The King of Daqi, already aware of the plan—which had been arranged with Prince Ning, the King of Daming, and the Nangong family—summoned the head of the Xie family and Xie Shaojun’s father.
“This…” Hearing the king’s explanation—that their son had gravely injured Leng Mingye in a dispute, sparking tensions between Daming and Bo—the Xie family patriarch was stunned. When he questioned his son and confirmed the truth, genuine fear set in.
“Elder Brother, Shaojun is one of the few promising young talents in our Xie family—the sole heir of our bloodline. To let him die for Leng Mingye would mean the end of our lineage!”
Though the Xie patriarch assured the king he would handle the matter and provide an explanation, the thought of sacrificing his nephew was unbearable. He turned to his elder brother for counsel.
“The king is forcing our hand! To make us sever our own line—never! It seems the only path left is to act now. Otherwise, when will the Xie family ever rise?”
Though furious at his son’s recklessness and the king’s stance, the elder Xie refused to let his only son be condemned. After deliberation, the two brothers resolved to revolt.
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