The courtyard of Taiping Medical Hall was unlit, save for the rising moonlight.

Sweat from Chen Ji’s head steamed into white mist in the cold air. The robust servants brought by Consort Jing had solemn expressions, looking as if they could attack at any moment. They watched Chen Ji indifferently, and Chen Ji watched them just as indifferently. She Dengke and Liu Quxing squatted by the kitchen door, at a loss, while Liang Gour was out drinking and nowhere to be found.

Liang Mao’er, ignoring the others, brought a bowl of rice from the kitchen and offered it to Chen Ji, saying simply, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Have a few bites to tide you over.”

Chen Ji looked at the white rice and neatly arranged slices of cured meat in the bowl. “Is this for me?”

Liang Mao’er smiled and placed a pair of bamboo chopsticks on the bowl. “Master said at noon that you’d be back, and he told me to save it for you.”

Chen Ji let out a slight sigh of relief. “Thank you, Brother Mao’er.”

Holding the bowl, he slowly ate his rice while leaning by the window outside the main room, secretly listening to the sounds inside. Faintly, Consort Jing’s suppressed sobs, along with Prince Jing’s voice and coughs, drifted from inside. Gradually, Prince Jing and Consort Jing’s voices grew fainter, and he seemed to have fallen into a stupor again.

After a long time, Chen Ji heard Consort Jing’s soft sobs from behind the paper window, as she asked, “Physician Yao, please tell me the truth, what is the King’s condition really like?”

Old Physician Yao casually replied, “Consort Jing, the King only needs some rest and quiet recuperation to recover. There’s no need to worry too much.”

The sobbing inside the room gradually ceased.

Chen Ji turned his head, looking through the paper window at the shadows cast by the kerosene lamp inside the room. Consort Jing seemed to hand something to Old Physician Yao, then asked, “Physician Yao, tell me the truth. How is the King really?”

Physician Yao hesitated for a moment. “The King’s constitution is inherently weak, and his previous cold never fully healed. Now, he has exhausted his vitality for the Crown Prince and Princess. According to his pulse, he has, at best, a month, or at most, three. It’s time to prepare for the inevitable.”

Chen Ji’s pupils contracted slightly. He instinctively glanced at the others in the courtyard, relieved only when he confirmed no one had heard the conversation inside. Prince Jing… is going to die? Could it be that he insisted on traveling incognito because he knew his time was short, and he wanted to take his children out to see the world one last time while he still could?

Under normal circumstances, the Crown Prince would naturally succeed the throne after Prince Jing’s death. But now, with the Liu family’s rebellion imminent, how could the Crown Prince possibly handle such a situation?

Consort Jing was startled and uncertain. “One month… won’t he even make it to the New Year?”

Old Physician Yao whispered, “If we could procure the ‘Sheng Yu Dan’ refined by the medicinal officials of Lao Jun Mountain Daoist Temple, he might be able to last another three years.”

Chen Ji was puzzled. What kind of elixir was so precious that his master used the word ‘procure’?

Consort Jing wondered, “I only knew that Sheng Yu Dan is a treasure of the Daoist Temple, but I didn’t realize it was so miraculous.”

Old Physician Yao explained, “That is the culmination of the medicinal officials’ efforts, a precious elixir. Currently, there are only two in the world. One was presented by the Huangshan Daoist Temple to the current Emperor. The other is held by the Lao Jun Mountain Daoist Temple, revered at Jade Emperor Peak, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. One Sheng Yu Dan extends life by precisely three years—not a day more, not a day less. Even with a grave illness, one can live and move like a normal person for those three years.”

Consort Jing made to leave immediately. “I’ll go seek the medicine for the King.”

Old Physician Yao added from behind her, “Sheng Yu Dan’s life-extending effect is merely a side benefit. Its true purpose is to help high-ranking officials overcome tribulations. If Cen Yunzi, the head of Lao Jun Mountain Daoist Temple, wishes to overcome a human tribulation and break through to the Divine Dao realm, this item is indispensable.”

Consort Jing was troubled. “Such an important item, would the Daoist Temple give it up?”

“That depends on what price Madam is willing to pay!”

Old Physician Yao then calmly said, “However, birth, old age, sickness, and death are the natural course of life. What should come will come, and what should go will go. There’s no need to force a change against fate.”

Consort Jing remained silent for a long time, then lifted her skirt and walked out. “Since the King insists on staying at the medical hall, I won’t say more. Physician Yao, please take good care of him. As for the Sheng Yu Dan, I will find a way…” With that, Consort Jing, eyes red, lifted the door curtain and emerged, the emerald pendants on her earlobes swaying. She cast a cold glance at Chen Ji, then, supported by Chunrong, walked away. Chen Ji noticed that the jade hairpin she had worn in her hair when she arrived was gone.

He carried his rice bowl, lifted the door curtain, and entered the room, just as he saw his master holding a kerosene lamp and putting the hairpin into a cabinet. He glanced at Prince Jing, then asked Old Physician Yao’s retreating back, “Master, can even you not save the King?”

Old Physician Yao scoffed. “I’m no immortal.”

Chen Ji felt a wave of regret.

Old Physician Yao closed the cabinet, turned, and looked at him. “Are you sad?”

Chen Ji shook his head. “No, I’m not familiar with Prince Jing, I just thought he was a decent person. It’s a pity for him to die so young, at only forty-five.”

“That’s truly disheartening. I thought we were quite familiar with each other!”

Chen Ji abruptly turned his head, only to see Prince Jing in the dim room suddenly open his eyes, sit up, and pluck out the silver needles from his chest one by one. Chen Ji: … He’d been fooled.

Prince Jing smiled at him, then looked at the half-eaten meal in the earthenware bowl in his hand. “Give it to me, I’m starving!”

Chen Ji silently handed over the bowl and chopsticks. Prince Jing didn’t mind that they were used, and quickly devoured the food with a few gulps, eating with great relish.

“The cured meat is a bit salty…”

Prince Jing handed the empty bowl back to Chen Ji. Chen Ji looked down and saw that not a single grain of rice was left in the bowl. He was puzzled. “You were spitting blood earlier. How are you acting like nothing happened now?”

Prince Jing chuckled. “We’re not that familiar, why should I tell you?”

Chen Ji: …

Prince Jing got up and straightened his clothes. He smiled and patted Chen Ji’s shoulder. “It’s a good thing you caught me when I fell off the horse. Otherwise, I would have had a terrible fall. Young man, tell me honestly, on the way back to the medical hall carrying me, were you worried that if I died, no one would pay you your annual 2,500 taels of silver dividend?”

Chen Ji answered truthfully, “Extremely worried. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have run so fast!”

Prince Jing chuckled softly. “You are honest, aren’t you!”

With that, he turned and pulled aside the bed inside the room, revealing a deep tunnel beneath it. The tunnel contained steps two feet wide, leading to an unknown destination. Chen Ji looked at Old Physician Yao, then at Prince Jing. So, there had always been a hidden tunnel leading outside from this medical hall. And the reason Prince Jing faked his death and insisted on staying at Taiping Medical Hall for treatment was to use the medical hall’s tunnel to escape just before the Liu family’s impending rebellion. And all of this, Master had known all along.

Chen Ji asked, “Where is the King going? Is he coming back? If you just leave like this, what about the Crown Prince and Princess?”

Prince Jing chuckled. “I’m just going out to meet someone; I’ll be back in a little while. What… did you think I was going to escape and wander the world?”

Chen Ji suddenly realized that Prince Jing was going out to conspire with someone to deal with the Liu family. But in Luocheng, who else would be worth a powerful feudal prince going to such lengths to make a secret escape? The Secret Service? Or that important figure he secretly met in Yichuan County?

Chen Ji asked again, “Your Highness, why are you not keeping this huge secret from me?”

Prince Jing said meaningfully, “Because you’ll know eventually anyway.”

Chen Ji fell into thought.

At this point, Prince Jing took the oil lamp from Old Physician Yao, lifted his robes, and walked down the steps one by one. Just before disappearing into the tunnel, he turned back to Chen Ji and smiled, “Young man, guard the door and don’t let anyone in. Also, for breakfast tomorrow, I’d like a bowl of quinoa porridge, a dish of fermented bean curd, and two steamed buns. Make sure the fermented bean curd is from ‘Heji’. Please bother to buy it for me tomorrow morning!”

Chen Ji raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure this is the time to be discussing this?”

Prince Jing chuckled happily as he entered the tunnel, his voice drifting lightly from within, “The sky hasn’t fallen yet. We still need to eat our fill, don’t we?”

Silence returned to the room.

Chen Ji looked at Old Physician Yao, who unhurriedly took out a tinder stick and lit another oil lamp. Old Physician Yao lifted his eyelids, his expression indifferent. “What are you staring at me for?”

Chen Ji pressed on, “Master, why did you come to Luocheng three years ago?”

Old Physician Yao casually replied, “Are you trying to manage me now? It’s not your turn to be in charge of Taiping Medical Hall yet. Stop asking silly questions! Some things you should know, I’ll tell you. Things you shouldn’t know, don’t ask.”

Chen Ji took a deep breath. “Are you ‘Sick Tiger’?”

The small main room fell silent, until the wick of the oil lamp crackled softly. Only then did Old Physician Yao slowly say, “If I were ‘Sick Tiger,’ the first thing I would do is expose you, a traitor from the Jing Dynasty.”

Chen Ji nervously glanced at the tunnel. “Please don’t spread rumors. Everyone who knew my identity is either dead or gone. I am no longer a Jing Dynasty spy.”

Old Physician Yao sneered, “Do you really think it’s that easy to leave the Jing Dynasty’s military intelligence? One day, people who know your identity will return to this land of the Ning Dynasty. What will you do then? Go on another killing spree?”

Chen Ji remained silent.

Old Physician Yao slowly stated, “You were too rash this time. You shouldn’t have acted impulsively for the Princess and offended those bald monks. If they were truly easy to bully, Buddhist coins wouldn’t have become hard currency across the land. When they clasped their hands at you, it wasn’t out of politeness; they were preparing to use their methods against you.”

Chen Ji asked, “…Are all Buddhists like that?”

Old Physician Yao smiled. “Of course not. The monks of Kujue Temple in the Jing Dynasty are true monks. They uphold all precepts and endure continuous ascetic practice.”

However, at that moment, Liu Quxing’s voice came from outside the door: “Consort Yun, Master just administered needles to the King, and he’s just fallen asleep…”

Consort Yun’s cold voice entered the room: “Get out of the way.”

Chen Ji and Old Physician Yao exchanged glances. “Master, what do we do?”

Old Physician Yao pursed his lips. “The King told you to guard the door, not me.”

Chen Ji was dumbfounded. “Is that how you interpret it?”

“Otherwise?”

Without time to think further, Chen Ji turned and lifted the door curtain to go out.

Outside the door, Consort Yun wore a magnificent brown gown, its edges embroidered with gold thread, and her hair was adorned with golden wire ornaments and flower plaques on both sides, giving her a dignified and imposing presence. She looked at Chen Ji expressionlessly. “Are you trying to stop me?”