The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

She hadn't come here to chat, and after sitting for a short while, she found an excuse to get up and leave.

Once the figure in emerald green had disappeared into the distance, Zhou Chenxi let out a soft breath and said to Shen Tinghe in a low voice, "This princess is truly persistent in her pursuit of your brother."

Shen Tinghe was somewhat bewildered: "So much time has passed... Now that she has asked for a marriage decree, shouldn't she have let it go?"

Zhou Chenxi shook her head, her voice even softer: "It's precisely because she's asking Guan Yi that she can't let go."

Seeing Shen Tinghe's confusion, she then remembered.

"Oh, by the way, you probably haven't met Guan Yi. Some people in Beijing call him 'Little Shen Chengbo' in private."

Shen Tinghe: "...What?"

"Gentle yet approachable, learned yet not pedantic."

Zhou Chenxi explained in detail: "These features do indeed bear some resemblance to your elder brother, but of course, they are ultimately no match for Young Master Shen."

Shen Tinghe only knew that her brother was the top choice for a son-in-law in the eyes of the noble ladies of the capital before his engagement, but she did not know that there would be such a "sequel" after his engagement.

Zhou Chenxi: "You have no idea how many noble ladies in the capital envied and resented Miss Xu after she got engaged to your older brother."

Shen Tinghe chuckled upon hearing this; her brother was indeed highly sought after back then.

The two chatted for a while longer, and seeing that the sun was setting, they decided to get up and return to the palace.

Shen Tinghe had just straightened up while holding onto Qinglan's hand when a sudden wave of dizziness hit her and her vision went black.

She swayed, and before she could utter a sound, she softly fell backward.

"Princess!"

Qinglan's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly stepped forward to catch her firmly.

Zhou Chenxi was also startled and stood up, calling out repeatedly, "Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"

The pavilion was immediately thrown into chaos.

Inside the Cuiyao Palace, the lights were bright, but they could not dispel the gloom that shrouded everyone's hearts.

Xie Yanzhao sat on the edge of the bed and held Shen Tinghe tightly in his arms.

Her eyes were closed, and her face was a chillingly pale.

Xie Yanzhao's arm steadily supported her shoulders and back, while his other hand intertwined with hers, as if in doing so he could transfer some of his life force to her.

The imperial physician knelt before the footstool, his fingertips resting on that slender wrist. Cold sweat had already slid down his forehead, soaking the collar of his official robe.

The pulse was steady and gentle, and apart from some digestive issues, there was nothing else unusual to be found.

But the person remained unconscious, and this calm pulse was more terrifying than any serious terminal illness at that moment.

Behind him knelt four or five colleagues, all the elite medical personnel from the Imperial Medical Bureau brought from the palace, yet they were all helpless.

No one dared to utter a sound.

"What exactly happened?"

Xie Yanzhao's voice was icy, laced with anger: "It's been so long, and you still say you don't know?"

The imperial physician taking her pulse trembled, bowed down, and touched his forehead to the ground: "Your Highness, please calm down... The Crown Princess's pulse is truly strange. This humble servant is foolish..."

"Strange?" Xie Yanzhao raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the trembling crowd on the ground like a sharp blade.

"I've been keeping the Imperial Hospital under my wing, not so you could come back and report anything suspicious. A bunch of useless trash!"

He struggled to suppress the rage and panic that threatened to burst forth from his chest.

It was only for a short while, just a short walk outside to clear her head, and when she came back, Yuan Yuan was in this state.

Xie Yanzhao lowered his eyes and looked at Shen Tinghe's quiet face.

He gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek with his fingertips.

"Yuan Chi, Jing Cang."

He spoke again, his voice now cold and hard, with an added chilling edge.

"Your subordinate is here."

"Investigate." Xie Yanzhao said, each word distinct and forceful.

"Today, I will meticulously examine every step the Crown Princess took after leaving Cuiyao Palace, every place she visited, every person she met, every item she ate, and every object she touched… Leave no stone unturned. If anything is missed…"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the silent imperial physicians on the ground, "You shall all be dealt with together."

"Yes, sir!" Yuan Chi and Jing Cang accepted the order and quickly and silently withdrew.

The imperial physicians felt as if they had been granted a pardon, yet they were also terrified. They quickly kowtowed and retreated to the outer room with trepidation.

They began to carefully inspect all the food, spices, cosmetics, and clothing that had been stored in the palace recently.

Finally, only the two of them remained in the bedchamber.

Xie Yanzhao's straight shoulders relaxed slightly, but he hugged the person in his arms even tighter.

He lowered his head and gently pressed his thin lips to her smooth but cool forehead, where they lingered for a long time.

The Crown Prince, who had always been in control of everything and had no miscalculations, now had an undisguised look of fear and vulnerability in his eyes.

"Yuan Yuan..." He buried his face in her neck, his voice low and husky, with a slight tremor.

"Don't scare me, please."

About an hour later, Shen Tinghe slowly woke up in Xie Yanzhao's arms.

Upon seeing her awake, Xie Yanzhao anxiously asked, "Yuan Yuan, how are you feeling?"

Shen Tinghe hummed twice, half-asleep, and subconsciously shrank back towards the source of warmth, reaching out to hug his lean waist.

Xie Yanzhao dared not move, afraid that she might be uncomfortable, so he supported her back and gently patted her back.

"Yuan Yuan, is there anything wrong with you?"

Shen Tinghe then looked up and shook her head: "No... I'm just a little hungry, and I feel inexplicably nauseous."

"Imperial Physician!" Xie Yanzhao immediately called out.

The imperial physician, who was waiting outside, entered in response and knelt before the bed to take the patient's pulse.

"Your Highness," the imperial physician said, bowing.

"The Crown Princess's pulse is generally stable, with only slight signs of disharmony in her spleen and stomach. All medicines have some toxicity, so she can eat some light and refreshing foods, avoiding spicy and greasy foods. With careful recuperation for two days, she will be fine."

Xie Yanzhao then asked, "How is the search of all the items inside the palace going?"

"We have carefully inspected the incense burner, dressing case, fabrics, and even tea utensils in the palace, and found nothing wrong with them, nor any items that would conflict with the medicinal properties of the medicines."

Xie Yanzhao had anticipated this outcome.

If even their own bedchamber could be tampered with, then he might as well not be the crown prince.

His gaze was cold and detached: "Investigate the Crown Princess's route today, inch by inch."

"Your subject obeys."

Shen Tinghe only then remembered that she seemed to have fainted, but she didn't feel scared. She just felt like she had taken a deep nap.

She suddenly remembered Zhou Chenxi and hurriedly asked, "Where's Axi?"

Xie Yanzhao gently stroked her slightly pale face, his movements soft, but his tone was indifferent: "I sent someone to escort her back to her residence."

"Why?" Shen Tinghe tugged at his sleeve.

"This matter definitely has nothing to do with A-Xi."

When Xie Yanzhao saw her unconscious, he felt only worry and anger.

Yuan Yuan had such an incident on Zhou Chenxi's very first day there. Even if it had nothing to do with her, Xie Yanzhao still didn't like her.

"I know. If I truly doubted her, then it wouldn't be a matter of simply sending her back to her residence."

His implication was clear: he would not let go of any suspicious activity that had occurred around her at this moment, and this was the greatest restraint he could muster.

Shen Tinghe wanted to argue, but when she looked up and saw the deep weariness between his brows, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

Her heart softened, and she nestled back into his arms: "Brother, I'm really alright, don't worry."

Xie Yanzhao didn't speak, but tightened his arms, rested his chin on her hair, and held her in a long, silent embrace.