As he had guessed, the servants followed the imperial physician's orders and brewed some medicine for the Fourth Prince. The Imperial Academy's director had examined the medicine, which was a common remedy for fatigue. To everyone's surprise, the Fourth Prince's condition worsened with each dose.
Within just two days, he was unable to get out of bed. Even more distressingly, the Fourth Prince refused to eat or drink, his face had turned ashen, and he exuded an aura of listlessness.
The Emperor was stunned upon hearing the news. He immediately summoned his hidden guards to inquire about the Fifth Prince's recent movements. Upon learning that the Fifth Prince had not left his residence since returning to the palace, the Emperor raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The Emperor found it hard to believe that the Fifth Prince had no hand in the Fourth Prince's predicament. While he knew someone was setting the Fourth Prince up, he still felt uneasy about the Fifth Prince's growing influence. He had been a prince himself and understood that purity was a luxury in the royal court; those who were pure rarely survived. He had anticipated some action from the Fifth Prince, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.
Throughout history, the victor has been king and the vanquished, a bandit. However, having lost several sons recently, and with the Fourth Prince now on the brink of death, the Emperor's heart softened. He immediately sent his chief eunuch to summon the Fifth Prince to the palace.
As he made his way to the palace, the Fifth Prince understood the reason for his father's summons. He had already prepared his response, so he entered the grand hall without haste and knelt to pay his respects.
This time, the Emperor did not try to intimidate him. He quickly allowed him to rise and engaged him in casual conversation, reminiscing about the past.
As they spoke, the Emperor brought up the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince. He then mentioned the Fourth Prince's current condition, lamenting the imminent loss of yet another son.
The Fifth Prince looked at the Emperor with feigned surprise and exclaimed, "Fourth Brother is ill? I've just returned from the south and have been recuperating at home, so I haven't attended morning court. I had no idea what was happening outside. If I had known, I would have visited him sooner."
The Emperor felt a pang of frustration, unsure of what to say. He coughed twice and then remarked, "It's good that you know now. Since you've been away for a long time, do you happen to know any skilled physicians who could cure his illness? The Imperial Academy's director says he's been poisoned."
"Your Majesty, you jest. What skilled physicians could I possibly know in the capital? Even when I was in the south, I was there for disaster relief. I am willing but powerless," the Fifth Prince replied, his head bowed, avoiding the Emperor's gaze. He knew that all this talk was essentially an accusation, a plea for him to cure the Fourth Prince's poisoning.
However, the Fifth Prince was determined not to release the tiger back into the mountains. Although the Emperor suspected him, he had no evidence, and the investigation would not lead back to him. There was no need to confess.
"I heard that you encountered a plague while providing disaster relief in the south, and the medicinal herbs you provided were very effective, quickly suppressing the epidemic. You had the assistance of a master," the Emperor said, his expression darkening and his eyes sharpening as the Fifth Prince remained uncooperative.
"Ah, Your Majesty is referring to Liu Yi, who accompanied me. His martial arts and medical skills are both exceptional. If he hadn't been with me on that trip south, perhaps you wouldn't be seeing me now. However, he is a man of great compassion. He escorted me south to do something for the people. Once he saw that they were settled, he disappeared. I'm not entirely sure where he is now," the Fifth Prince replied with a sudden look of realization, followed by a hint of regret.
"Is there no other way? Must we simply watch your Fourth Brother die? Find a way to contact him. If you can cure your Fourth Brother, I promise to send him to his fiefdom in the north, never to set foot in the capital again." Despite everything, the Emperor still wanted to spare the Fourth Prince's life and was unwilling to give up.
The Fifth Prince immediately knelt and kowtowed to the Emperor, his voice laced with sadness. "It's not that I'm unwilling to help. If I could, I would gladly exchange places with my brother. At least then, it wouldn't arouse your suspicion, and we could have everlasting filial piety. But alas, I am truly powerless. I have no way to contact Liu Yi, nor do I know where to find him."
The Emperor slammed his hand on the table, startling everyone in the hall. The attendants immediately knelt, awaiting his command. The Emperor, filled with anger, declared, "What do you mean by that? Are you implying I am pressuring you? Don't think I don't know that you all have your eyes on my throne. I am not dead yet, and you already wish to usurp me. I don't care how fiercely you fight amongst yourselves, but you must not take lives."
After a moment of thought, the Emperor continued, "I have already said that he will never set foot in the capital again and will forfeit his claim to the throne. What more do you want? Do you wish to see me send my child to his grave before me?"
The Fifth Prince's eyes reddened, and he spoke with a tinge of sadness and disappointment. "Is this how you see me in your heart, Father? I can assure you that this matter has nothing to do with me. Yes, we are the only two adult princes left. If something happens to my Fourth Brother, it would seem I am the greatest beneficiary. But what if I also suffer the same fate as my Fourth Brother? Would the mastermind be aiming to kill two birds with one stone? I just didn't expect Liu Yi to suddenly appear and ensure my safe return."
The Emperor pondered for a moment, then looked at him with suspicion. "Are you sure it wasn't you?"
The Fifth Prince nodded firmly. The Emperor sighed and instructed him to visit the Fourth Prince if he had time, then dismissed him.
As he stepped out of the hall, the Fifth Prince squinted his eyes against the sunlight. He knew he had passed this hurdle. Fortunately, he and Wu Caiwei had made arrangements to leave Yan'er in a small town not far from the capital, where she lived under the guise of Wu Caiwei, while she herself, under the alias Liu Yi, protected the Fifth Prince.
When they traveled north, everyone noticed Liu Yi's disappearance. The Fifth Prince was then accompanied by another man, slightly shorter in stature. Although they didn't know his identity, the Fifth Prince's trust in him indicated his significance. With the precedent set by Liu Yi, they dared not act suspiciously behind his back and could only maintain a respectful distance.
As they neared the capital, the shorter man who had been accompanying the Fifth Prince also quietly departed. Since their return journey had been uneventful, and he hadn't displayed any extraordinary abilities, his departure went largely unnoticed, and those who did notice didn't give it much thought.
Upon reaching the small town, the Fifth Prince openly welcomed his future Princess Consort and returned to the capital together. As for Liu Yi's departure, when asked, he had given the same explanation, so he had no fear of the Emperor investigating.
He was confident that no one would ever suspect that the Fifth Prince Consort and the shorter man were the same person. He couldn't help but feel fortunate for their foresight.
Meanwhile, Wu Caiwei, after a few days of rest, felt as though she had come back to life. She boldly walked into the streets with Yan'er, noticing a crowd gathered, discussing something. Intrigued, she went to join them.