Qin Yuanxi’s intentions were clear from the start. Yan Shaoning hesitated for a moment as he held the tea that His Majesty had personally handed to him, unsure of what the Emperor had in mind.
“The divine physician is Prince Lu’s man, so I naturally trust him completely,” Qin Yuanxi began when they were nearing the end of their tea.
His approach was straightforward, starting with Prince Lu, but Yan Shaoning wouldn’t be easily dealt with. Therefore, Qin Yuanxi needed something more sensational to gain Yan Shaoning’s trust and obtain valuable information.
“Physician Yan surely knows one thing already,” Qin Yuanxi said, holding the teacup, a faint smile on his face. Within that smile, there was a hint of awkwardness and helplessness. “The child in my belly does indeed belong to the Regent Prince or in other words, Zhao Tuo.”
He felt a bit embarrassed saying it himself.
But whether he said it or not, it made little difference. Yan Shaoning was a doctor, a very intelligent one at that. With a simple examination, he could determine the precise timing of the child, and with a little thought, he could deduce whose child it would be.
Moreover, Zhao Tuo had been at his side recently, his careful and attentive demeanor impossible to miss, even for a fool.
Yan Shaoning was no fool, and he wasn’t Prince Lu, but he definitely knew. So, saying it directly didn’t matter.
More importantly, Qin Yuanxi’s words were intriguing. He first mentioned the Regent Prince, followed by bringing up Zhao Tuo. In other words, Qin Yuanxi was convinced that Yan Shaoning knew the truth. This meant they both shared the same secret, and it was the Regent Prince’s secret.
At this moment, they were keeping this secret together, so it was necessary to share some information. Of course, the so-called sharing was just Qin Yuanxi’s personal idea; he had nothing to share with Yan Shaoning. His main goal was to get Yan Shaoning to talk, and the information he just dropped was probably something Yan Shaoning had already figured out. This deal was turning out to be quite profitable.
As expected, when Yan Shaoning heard this, his hand trembled slightly while holding the teacup, and some warm water spilled out. He feigned composure, but he couldn’t quite regain it.
It was just a guess on his part, a casual one. He had used a similar guess to bring out General Zhao earlier, and once the General appeared, he displayed exceptional loyalty. Yan Shaoning knew there must be something fishy about it, but he couldn’t be certain.
Who were these two people? One was the powerful Regent Prince, and the other was the puppet Emperor under his control. They were like fire and water, so how could they leave the palace and return with a new child? Wasn’t that a bit beyond common sense?
“Physician Yan?” Qin Yuanxi called him when Yan Shaoning had more or less accepted the situation, and then a hint of bitterness appeared on his face. “The matter involving Prince Lu, Physician Yan knows as well. He’s been acting so strangely lately, and it’s putting me in a difficult position.”
“Your Majesty, you worry too much,” Yan Shaoning replied, inwardly horrified.
Based on His Majesty’s current explanation, he probably had a long-standing secret alliance with General Zhao. Prince Lu was likely unaware of this, and even the matter of His Majesty leaving the palace might have been part of their prearranged plan.
Prince Lu mentioned wanting to investigate the truth, but what truth was there to investigate? After searching high and low, he had found nothing. That’s why he wanted Zhao Tuo to come and assist.
Looking at it from Yan Shaoning’s perspective, this whole situation seems downright absurd. Prince Lu suspects that His Majesty isn’t really His Majesty, and Emperor Qin Yuanxi, well, he might be suspecting that Prince Lu isn’t the real Prince Lu either.
Yan Shaoning had deep doubts. Could it be that Prince Lu was going through a bout of paranoia? He himself was living with two faces, suspecting Emperor Qin Yuanxi’s true identity. What he didn’t know was that Emperor Qin Yuanxi had long been aware of his secret. Not only had he kept that secret safe, but they had also shared an intimate relationship!
If Prince Lu ever found out about this hidden truth, who knew if he would continue to doubt the person in front of him?
“Your Majesty, rest assured, your health is not in great danger. I will prepare another calming and sleep-inducing remedy for Your Majesty. All that’s needed is to burn it in the incense burner,” Yan Shaoning stated matter-of-factly. He was here for medical purposes, and he preferred not to pry into the private matters of both His Majesty and Prince Lu. This was clearly a domestic quarrel, and he didn’t want to get involved and invite trouble.
“Very well, then I shall rely on Physician Yan,” Qin Yuanxi continued, “But there’s one matter that’s unclear, and I’d like to consult Physician Yan about it.”
“Please go ahead, Your Majesty.”
“It’s about Prince Lu,” Qin Yuanxi didn’t beat around the bush, getting straight to the point, “Our current situation, Physician Yan has seen it too. He’s been like this, and I want to ask, is there a way to treat him? I never knew Physician Yan was also an insider. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have kept everything to myself and gone through so many anxious days.”
Yan Shaoning sighed. “This ailment is a mental one. My teacher once treated Prince Lu and left behind a prescription to calm the spirit and soothe the mind. It worked fairly well in the past few years, but it seems to have lost its efficiency recently.”
“What about this time?” Qin Yuanxi seized the opportunity to ask his most pressing question, “When Zhao Tuo returned, he immediately knew about my pregnancy. Why is that?”
“Um,” Yan Shaoning hesitated for a moment, feeling a bit awkward. “I told him.”
“What do you mean, Physician?” Qin Yuanxi’s gaze sharpened. “What do you mean, you told him? Why did you tell him this? What are you two planning?”
Yan Shaoning had no choice but to explain that Prince Lu intended to bring Zhao Tuo in and reveal the truth about the incident outside the palace. But before he could finish, a stern voice interrupted from outside, “What did you tell him?!”
Following that, General Zhao, exuding a cold aura, entered and shot Yan Shaoning, a warning look filled with caution. Yan Shaoning was utterly baffled, not understanding the situation. Then, he saw General Zhao cradle Qin Yuanxi gently in his arms, comforting him with soothing words.
This scene left Yan Shaoning dumbfounded. It was the same face, but why was there such a stark difference? Was this really the same person?
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
