Chapter 54

For the next few days, imperial physicians came to the Crown Prince's residence every day. Aside from treating Cheng Yun's injuries, they also had to examine Wen Biesang's ears, and a few of the more unfortunate ones had to risk their lives to treat Shen Yuerong.

Cheng Yun made a point of telling Wen Biesang all about these happenings, as his ears were completely useless now, bringing his chances of gathering information on his own to nearly zero.

For Wen Biesang, this was a rather bizarre experience. He was clearly still alive in this world, yet he felt as though he had been abruptly detached from it. When he woke up in the morning, the bed curtains seemed to greet him and report: "Cheng Yun didn't sleep well at all again last night. Look at his dark circles—if they turned into a little dark cloud, it would surely rain all day."

Wen Biesang would then look over at Cheng Yun and, sure enough, see dark, bruised shadows beneath his eyes that made them look several times larger.

His normally handsome face and bright complexion also revealed distinct skin texture, a testament to how haggard his heart had been.

Wen Biesang was actually aware of things. After losing his voice, his other senses were infinitely magnified, and he knew every single time Cheng Yun stroked his ears.

During the morning consultation when the imperial physician came by, Wen Biesang sat to one side and watched the physician ask, "Is His Highness troubled by something?"

Cheng Yun glanced briefly at Wen Biesang and replied, "How are his ears?"

"Young Master Wen's ear canals show no new injuries. It is likely intermittent deafness caused by exposure to irritating sound waves. We have already prescribed medicine for him, and he may recover at any time."

"Then why, after three days, is there still no improvement?"

"Your Highness," the physician said helplessly, "the matter of utmost urgency right now is yourself. Your internal injuries are severe. If you continue to heap worry upon worry, I fear even immortals would find it hard to save you."

The hanging bead curtain was lifted at one corner, and Wen Biesang turned his head to see the Empress's furrowed brows.

Wen Biesang stood up.

In the corridor, the Empress leaned against a pillar with a slightly weary and relaxed posture. The look she gave him was full of worry: "Had I known this would happen, I would have waited until you came out of the dungeon before speaking of those matters with her."

Wen Biesang had already heard from various sources that Shen Yuerong had suffered another fit of madness in the dungeon that day, the manic fury of her rage even knocking over several stone lamps.

Although Wen Biesang had not heard it, those sounds must have dealt a certain blow to his ears, causing his deafness to persist until now.

Yet Wen Biesang had gone to see her over the past two days as well, and each time she wore a smiling face, showing not the slightest trace of madness.

"None of us knew those things would stimulate her to such an extreme."

"If she can recover, let her leave with your friend."

Reading the information from her lip movements, Wen Biesang nodded immediately, broke into a smile, and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

The Empress smiled and asked, "Aren't you going to ask why I am letting her go?"

"Though I don't understand the full picture, I know that the events of over twenty years ago involve a wide web of people. While the Empress wishes to bring down Zhou Cangshu, you must desire even more to deal a heavy blow to Shen Xufeng. Aunt Rong was imprisoned for twenty-three years, her heart steadfastly waiting for him to come rescue her. If she learns that it was most likely he who abandoned the spider silk and caused her to be imprisoned for over two decades, how could her heart not be filled with hatred?"

"It was you who reawakened her sanity," Chang Hezhu said. "Over the years, it wasn't that I never thought of communicating with her, but she was utterly mad and trusted no one at all."

"The person who reawakened her sanity was my mother," Wen Biesang refused to take any credit. "She was a spy of Qi, once turning Great Liang upside down, which shows how formidable and steadfast her mind and methods were. Since she stood as your enemy, naturally she could not easily believe your side of the story... What a pity."

"It is indeed a pity," Chang Hezhu said. "Shen Xufeng abandoning her is despicable from an emotional standpoint, and utterly foolish from the grand perspective."

Wen Biesang was somewhat surprised that she held such a high evaluation of Shen Yuerong: "Your Majesty holds Aunt Rong in high regard."

"In high regard, yes, but I am even more glad that Shen Xufeng abandoned her." Chang Hezhu smiled again. "Had Shen Xufeng exchanged her back, we would have gained a powerful adversary. But now, the downfall of Northern Qi is only a matter of time."

Wen Biesang pressed his lips together, shifting the topic, "Since you came, why didn't you speak with the Crown Prince?"

"Do you want to ask why I don't care about him?"

In truth, the Empress had come every single day over the past few days and was fully aware of Cheng Yun's condition, yet she rarely spoke to him and completely refrained from urging him to take care of his health.

Wen Biesang nodded.

Chang Hezhu's gaze flickered slightly. "Little Ah-Sang, what kind of person do you think... Cheng Yun is?"

Wen Biesang thought for a moment, trying to be as fair and objective as possible: "Proud, um... motivated. Aside from having a bad temper, he's good in every single way."

Chang Hezhu burst into laughter.

Wen Biesang rarely saw a woman laugh like this, especially when the person before him was the mother of the nation.

The Empress in his imagination had always been full of grace, poised and luxurious. While Chang Hezhu possessed those expected traits, she simultaneously embodied something entirely different from his imagination.

Her demeanor was never submissive, her poise knew no boundaries, and beneath her luxury lay a distinct kind of... boldness, rebellion, and even a touch of nonchalant irreverence.

When Chang Hezhu finished laughing, she said, "Do you think he looks anything like me?"

"He..." Wen Biesang paused. "Is not as magnanimous as you."

Chang Hezhu laughed even harder. She shifted a couple of steps and sat upon the railing, saying, "Him? He's actually exactly like I was when I was young—proud, deeply self-conscious, unable to let go of his pride, speaking in circles when trying to say something nice, and making him admit he's wrong is harder than cutting off his head."

Wen Biesang looked at her, seemingly finding it hard to believe.

"But he has his good points, too." When she said this, Chang Hezhu's expression suddenly grew very tender, and Wen Biesang could almost imagine that her voice must have been soft and gentle as well. "You said he's good in every way, but the truth is, I never demanded that he excel at everything. He is steadfast and ambitious, always feeling that his position as the Imperial Grandson was obtained through my compromises. When he was little, he was terribly foolish, always wanting to make it up to me, always feeling that if he tried just a little harder, he might perhaps win the Emperor's favor and get the Emperor to visit the Empress's courtyard more often..."

"Yet he never took the initiative to show goodwill toward his father. Every time his father came to see him, he would put on an icy-cold expression. Back then, he was only this tall." The Empress gestured with her hand. "Whenever you saw him, he was either glued to a book or practicing with his unsharpened little wooden sword. He would deliberately run over to the path his father took and practice with extra diligence, but the moment his father drew near, he would walk away without looking back... In truth, he merely hoped his father would look at his mother a little more. I remember one time, when his father didn't return on schedule, he actually practiced on that path the entire day until he completely exhausted his physical strength and fainted from fatigue. It took him three days of resting to recover. After that, probably feeling it was too embarrassing, he never went back."

Wen Biesang couldn't help smiling either. "So foolish."

"Indeed," Chang Hezhu said, a hint of maternal affection lingering in her expression as she looked at him. "Actually, when he is truly devoted to someone, he is willing to do anything and can push it to the absolute limit. It's just that he's awkward, always saying harsh things with his mouth that make people uncomfortable... I am very worried about him, and it's not that I haven't thought of urging him, but given your current state, it is impossible for him to set his mind at ease."

"In the past, he always treated my words as imperial decrees. If I were to speak up and urge him, he would feel both that he had made his mother worry and yet still be unable to stop worrying about you, adding even more pressure for no reason... I might as well just pray earnestly for you to get better quickly."

Wen Biesang fell silent for a moment, then softly said, "Mn."

On his way back to the bedchamber, he ran into Xie Lingshu, who stopped before him with a concerned expression, "Are you feeling any better?"

Wen Biesang shook his head. Xie Lingshu glanced past him and asked, "Are you still sharing a room with him tonight?"

"Mn," Wen Biesang replied. "He worries about me a lot. As long as he can keep seeing me, his injuries should heal a bit faster."

Wen Biesang's logic was something very few people could decipher. Xie Lingshu seemed as though he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only said, "We went to see Aunt Rong. Perhaps because she's been taking her medicine consistently, her emotions feel much more stable now, and we were able to have a proper conversation with her."

Wen Biesang nodded. "If she truly can control herself, you can take her away."

"Empress Chang agreed?"

"Mn." Wen Biesang rolled his eyes and beckoned mysteriously. Xie Lingshu leaned down close, and Wen Biesang whispered in his ear, "The Empress and Aunt Rong may have reached some kind of agreement to kill Shen Xufeng."

Xie Lingshu immediately straightened his back, looking at the rippling smiles in the depths of Wen Biesang's eyes, and said, "And Zhou Cangshu as well, no doubt."

Wen Biesang's smile instantly blossomed wider. "If Shen Xufeng is on the verge of death, how could he not go searching for a straw to clutch at?"

Xie Lingshu asked, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Not yet," Wen Biesang said. "But you should probably prepare yourself mentally. If Aunt Rong leaves Shengjing, the state of Qi will surely fall into chaos."

Xie Lingshu sighed softly. "As expected."

The two walked together toward the bedchamber. Xie Lingshu chatted with him about other things, and Wen Biesang had to keep his eyes fixed on the other's lips in order to respond appropriately in time.

As they neared their destination, Xie Lingshu suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked ahead.

Wen Biesang lifted his gaze to find a pair of deep, dark eyes and a face completely devoid of any color.

Cheng Yun was leaning against the door frame, gazing quietly in their direction. His eyes were like an abyss, concealing all emotion.

Xie Lingshu withdrew his gaze, smiled at Wen Biesang, and said, "Go on back. Make sure to eat well and get plenty of rest these days."

Wen Biesang nodded and walked straight toward Cheng Yun.

The Crown Prince stood there in silence, his gaze fixed on Xie Lingshu's retreating back until the other disappeared without a single backward glance, before finally lowering his eyes to look at Wen Biesang.

Wen Biesang looked back at him, his eyes still resembling those of a cat or a deer, showing not a trace of concern, but rather a hidden hint of probing curiosity.

Cheng Yun reached out a hand to him, and Wen Biesang placed his hand in it while supporting his weight, saying, "Why aren't you lying down properly? What are you doing out here?"

Cheng Yun had originally intended to remain silent, but sensing his gaze, he was forced to move his lips. "Wanted to see you."

"If you wanted to see me, why did you stare at Xie Lingshu the whole time just now when I was standing right in front of you?"

Cheng Yun: "?"

He sat down on the edge of the bed while Wen Biesang looked at him with earnest seriousness, showing no sign of joking whatsoever.

"What kind of question is that?" Cheng Yun said. "The two of you were laughing and chatting, and you kept staring right at him. I... I was jealous."

The final sentence was a blur of indistinct lip movements, and Wen Biesang failed to read it. "What did you say?"

"..." Cheng Yun said, utterly drained of energy, "The doctor told me to lie down."

"You were standing for so long already; sitting for a bit longer won't hurt." Wen Biesang asked, "What did you say just now?"

There was always a stubbornness to him that hardly belonged to a mortal, and Cheng Yun sometimes felt that he might truly be a dream demon or some other kind of spirit—he certainly never quite seemed like an ordinary person.