Chapter 221: The Arrival of the Antidote

The embrace lingered long, so long that through the thinning mist, many figures gradually emerged—attendants Qingfeng and Yanyun, soldiers from Jinzhou Prefecture, and even a middle-aged man clad in a general's uniform. He appeared to be about fifty, his stature not as imposing as other generals, yet his posture was rigid and his back taut, marking him unmistakably as a military man. Though years had passed, Li Ce recognized him immediately—Bai Fanxi, the current commander of the Imperial Guard.

A sudden tension gripped Li Ce's heart. Reluctantly, he released Ye Jiao, straightened his attire, and waded across the river while raising his voice to inquire, "Commander Bai, what brings you to Jinzhou? And His Majesty? How fares the court?"

Li Ce's focus on who had succeeded the Imperial Guard command stemmed from a need to discern reliability—whether the palace could be stabilized amidst King Wei Li Chen's rebellion. He had even sent a letter urging Bai Fanxi to stand guard before the emperor's chamber. Unexpectedly, here Bai Fanxi stood before him.

Bai Fanxi bowed and replied, "His Majesty, in his profound filial devotion, disregards personal peril and has sent me to assist Your Highness. I can do no more than obey."

As the mist dissipated, Bai Fanxi regarded the approaching Li Ce with shock. This was the Prince of Chu, Li Ce! Their last meeting was years ago at a palace banquet, where the prince had seemed taciturn and weary, as if burdened by chronic illness. Yet now, he appeared as a towering pine, a soaring wild goose, or perhaps a dragon veiled within clouds.

At about twenty-one or twenty-two, tall and slender, his garments disheveled yet his bearing composed and valiant, Li Ce commanded respect at first glance—too imposing to meet his gaze directly, yet impossible to look away from upon closer inspection. His visage resembled his birth mother's, but his demeanor mirrored that of the emperor himself—undaunted in crisis, a master strategist, decisive in judgment, yet deeply concerned for his people.

Upon hearing Li Ce's explanation, Bai Fanxi's eyes flickered briefly with emotion before the prince stepped from the water and nodded, "Father reigns in the capital; I ought to rest assured. My worries were unfounded—I should not burden him with concerns for me."

This statement conveyed Li Ce's reluctance to interfere in politics, his trust in the emperor, and his filial devotion. Though his clothes were soaked and his hair slightly askew, his presence commanded silence and solemn respect from the soldiers who had traveled thus far.

Bai Fanxi's thoughts swirled. He recalled Li Chen, the Crown Prince, and most of all, his own son, Bai Xianyu. Were that foolish boy here, he would surely deliver a sharp kick. He had long warned that the capital was no simple place, unfit to be dragged into such turmoil. Yet Bai Fanxi's expression remained unchanged as he smiled, "Finding the Prince of Chu and returning him safely to the capital means I have fulfilled my duty."

"Though I fear my strength may fail soon..." Li Ce faltered, turning his head to cough harshly. What began as a hoarse clearing of the throat rapidly worsened into violent hacking, as if his lungs were pierced or his throat blocked. His face flushed crimson, and he bent over, gasping for breath.

Bai Fanxi hurried forward to support him, Qingfeng lightly patting his back. Suddenly, Li Ce clutched his chest; his Adam's apple bobbed as he spat a mouthful of blood.

"Your Highness!" Bai Fanxi exclaimed, summoning an Imperial Guard medic to take Li Ce's pulse. But Li Ce waved him off, "No need, no need. The imperial physicians in the capital know well my fragile constitution. I have overexerted myself these days. Perhaps I must recuperate here in Jinzhou for a few days."

Bai Fanxi shook his head. "I have heard that Your Highness's health suffered since falling into the imperial tombs at age seven, poisoned by a sinister toxin. Though your condition has improved during these recent years in the capital, how can this still happen..." Regret softened his voice, though relief lingered beneath it.

Li Ce had already straightened himself and was gazing across the river where Ye Jiao was bending over to tend to Ye Changgen's wounds, unaware of the conversation here. Bai Fanxi finally felt some ease.

"Please, send the medic to see Doctor Ye at once," Li Ce instructed.

"Brother," Ye Jiao murmured, crouching beside Ye Changgen, who had kept his eyes closed.

"You've come!" Ye Changgen reached out, grasping Ye Jiao's arm. "How is Mother? How is the court?"

Ye Jiao snorted. "Better than you!" she snapped, irritated. "Have you forgotten your surname is Ye, not Li? How have you come to this?"

The realm belonged not only to the Ye family, yet every time, Ye Jiao gave her all—this empire was not just the Li family's but the people's.

Ye Changgen forced a smile. "I'll recover soon, I'm sturdy..."

"I have brought the antidote," Ye Jiao interrupted.

To the gravely ill, nothing comforts more than the promise of a cure.

"You—" Ye Changgen faltered. "Where did you—"

From her sleeve, Ye Jiao produced Gesang Meiduo's necklace, flinging it to the ground with a sharp snap, then withdrew a vial of medicine, pressing it into her brother's hand.

Hearing the clatter of the necklace, Ye Changgen's understanding deepened.

"She actually gave you medicine?"

A swirl of emotions troubled Ye Changgen, who responded sheepishly.

"She dared not refuse after I stabbed her once," Ye Jiao said, standing.

Her words silenced Ye Changgen. Lin Jing, understanding well, toyed with a dagger in hand and quipped, "If I were a mere servant, I'd stab her ten times."

Ye Jiao nodded toward Lin Jing, "And twist her head off."

Their banter was interrupted as the Imperial Guard waded across the river. They lifted Ye Changgen, and the group crossed back to the opposite bank. Ye Jiao glanced at Li Ce and abruptly ordered the soldiers, "Carry the Prince of Chu as well."

"I require no assistance," Li Ce deliberately stepped forward. "I am well."

"Prince of Chu well?" Ye Jiao's gaze caught sight of the ground, where a patch of earth was carefully covered with sand and stones, concealing bloodstains. "I don't believe it."

When Qingfeng returned with a stretcher, Ye Jiao forced Li Ce to comply. The two men were carried side by side, with Ye Jiao walking between them, alternating between questioning Ye Changgen and admonishing Li Ce.

"I see you can only move one hand. Is the other broken?"

"Once we return to the capital, no more reckless risks."

"And Prince of Chu, it took us twenty hours to find you here. Qingfeng said you worked nonstop day and night."

"Do you want to die? Don't you know your body? Do you want to collapse from exhaustion again? It took so long to get you better..."

At first, the two men replied, but soon they fell silent. Ye Jiao looked down and noticed Li Ce's eyes were closed, his arm dangling from the stretcher—he had fallen asleep. Her anger vanished; she gently placed his hand back and looked toward Yanyun.

Yanyun was puzzled, but Qingfeng had removed his cloak and covered Li Ce. Ye Jiao smiled gratefully, "Thank you."

Yanyun understood and also removed his cloak to cover Ye Changgen. Yet, for some reason, Ye Jiao glanced at Ye Changgen and asked, "Brother, are you pretending to sleep?"

Ye Changgen grinned, "Jiu Lang is pretending too."

Ye Jiao then checked Li Ce's breathing closely and confirmed, "The Prince of Chu is truly asleep. You're the only one faking. Now listen—I'll tell you what happened in the capital these past two days."

Ye Changgen was willing to hear about the capital's affairs but deeply suspected Li Ce was deceiving Ye Jiao. The Ninth Prince was far too cunning.

The situation in Jinzhou had stabilized. Hedong Circuit's military governor Zheng Fengan was managing Jinzhou, using much of the刺史 Zhou Ci's family fortune to compensate families of prisoners who died. Additionally, he imprisoned the rebellious Puzhou captain Peng Jinrui but kept Zhou Ci bound in the刺史's residence with doors wide open to show impartiality. Though Zhou Ci was distant from the door and guarded by soldiers, a well-aimed egg could still reach him—provided it was fresh, as rotten eggs and worse were forbidden, much to the crowd's frustration.

Despite this, Jinzhou's eggs were sold out overnight.

Zhou Ci lay gravely injured on the刺史's doorstep, enduring sun and rain, and incessant bombardment of eggs. Bai Fanxi suspected Zheng Fengan might wish Zhou Ci dead to silence his testimony against Li Chen. After all, Zheng had married a lady from the Lu family and was among the officials detained after the palace coup, per the emperor's orders.

Bai Fanxi did not intend to stay long; after a day's rest, he planned to return to the capital with Zhou Ci and Zheng Fengan.

Though seriously ill, Li Ce penned a memorial by hand and entrusted it to Zheng Fengan.

"Deliver this to His Majesty," Li Ce said, pale but composed. "His Majesty will handle it accordingly."

Zheng Fengan gratefully accepted and knelt on one knee. "Your Highness, delivering this may invite impeachment for leveraging merit to meddle in politics, corrupting officials, and inciting factional strife. Though I fear death, I am honored by Your Highness's trust."

Li

Ce smiled wanly. "If His Majesty is indeed unjust, I accept my fate. Otherwise, I must take responsibility for these years of suffering by the court and people."

The next morning, the imperial courier galloped into the city with an urgent summons from the capital for Li Ce to return immediately.

Li Ce smiled faintly and looked at Ye Jiao. "The capital beckons, but I will not rush."

"Why not?" Ye Jiao demanded.

"I need rest, and the antidote must be taken slowly. When I recover fully, I will return to the capital to stand beside the throne."

Ye Jiao silently nodded, though her concern deepened.

The prince's road was long and uncertain, but the dawn of hope had finally begun to brighten on the horizon.