Chapter 666: Chapter 666: Reunion

Inside the box, a row of jade bottles was arranged neatly.

A faint medicinal fragrance wafted out.

Shen Yanchuan paused. "This is..."

"Some pills and ointments. They’ll come in handy for everyday things like headaches, fevers, insomnia, or scrapes." Ye Chutang’s lips curved slightly. "They aren’t worth much, but it might be convenient for the Princely Heir to have them, just in case."

Shen Yanchuan looked up and met her gaze.

He knew, of course, that these were far from the "worthless, common medicines" she claimed them to be. Any single one of them would be priceless, nearly impossible to obtain.

She had given him the best medicines she had.

"Did you make all of these yourself?"

Ye Chutang chuckled and nodded. "Of course."

Shen Yanchuan was quiet for a long moment. "What have you figured out?"

Ye Chutang blinked. "Why does the Princely Heir say that?"

They looked at each other for a moment, and in that instant, they both understood what the other was thinking.

Internal strife had broken out in Wazhen. On top of that, it was revealed that someone in the court had been selling them weapons, and no one knew how long this secret collusion had been going on.

Then, the Nanhu had launched a surprise attack, sending men to secretly seize Long City. If not for their swift reaction, King Yan Nan might have met a disastrous end.

Furthermore, Emperor Muwu’s health was, after all, not what it used to be.

—The days of peace might not last much longer.

The Capital City was already shrouded in dark clouds. On the surface, it appeared calm, but turbulent undercurrents were already stirring beneath.

Ye Chutang had brought these medicines today to save Shen Yanchuan’s life.

Even if it was just a precaution, she refused to accept that "one-in-a-million" chance of disaster.

"If the Princely Heir never has to use these, then nothing could be better," Ye Chutang said meaningfully, a smile in her clear, dark eyes.

Shen Yanchuan smiled too.

His gaze fixed on Ye Chutang as he said, word for word, "This gift you’ve given me is very precious. I will be sure to treasure it."

Ye Chutang’s eyes crinkled. "There’s another layer underneath. The Princely Heir can open it and see."

"Hm?"

Shen Yanchuan glanced down and pressed a small catch on the bottom of the box.

CLICK.

A hidden compartment in the second layer suddenly popped open.

Shen Yanchuan froze when he saw what was inside.

Inside lay a few pieces of white gauze, a pair of sharp scissors, an oddly shaped blade, and several more bottles of medicine.

It looked like a kit for treating wounds.

He stared at it for two seconds, then suddenly remembered something.

"This doesn’t seem to be for me."

"The Princely Heir is sharp."

’It really is easier talking to an intelligent person.’ A smile touched Ye Chutang’s lips.

"That person... he’s still in the Marquis Mansion, isn’t he?"

Shen Yanchuan knew who she was referring to—the death row inmate he had secretly taken from the Ministry of Justice Prison!

Shen Yanchuan nodded, having already guessed the purpose of Ye Chutang’s visit.

"You want to see him?"

Ye Chutang nodded.

"It just so happens that I was recently developing a prescription for a friend with a leg injury, and it made me think of him. Speaking of which, it was my suggestion to bring him out in the first place, but so much time has passed and I haven’t been able to make time to see him. It’s truly a bit rude of me. Since I’m free today, I brought some medicine for his wounds. I was wondering if it would be convenient?"

"For you, it is never inconvenient," Shen Yanchuan replied.

Ye Chutang’s eyelashes fluttered.

’This man...’

Shen Yanchuan considered for a moment. "Wait for me."

With that, he turned and retrieved an exquisitely crafted, iridescent Mother-of-Pearl Box from a shelf behind the screen.

Then—he took everything out of the hidden second layer and placed it inside the Mother-of-Pearl Box.

Ye Chutang was a little confused. "Princely Heir?"

Shen Yanchuan said, "We’ll be taking these things with us shortly. It’s more convenient to have them in a box."

Ye Chutang: "?"

’Doesn’t it already have one?’

’Couldn’t he just take out the top layer she gave him? Why go through the trouble of—’

"This Mother-of-Pearl Box must be quite expensive..." Ye Chutang could tell it was valuable with just a single glance.

’Her tools and medicine were important, but surely not so important they needed to be kept in such a lavish box?’

Shen Yanchuan seemed a little surprised himself. "Weren’t you giving this box to me as well?"

Ye Chutang: "...???"

She slowly lowered her head, glanced at the cheap wooden box she had picked out from a street stall, and fell silent.

’Well... I guess this is fine!’

"Since the Princely Heir likes it, you should keep it," Ye Chutang said sincerely. "If you like it that much, I can buy a few more for you."

In the end, Shen Yanchuan took the medicines along with the box.

Ye Chutang watched him put her jumble of things into the Mother-of-Pearl Box and sighed internally.

’They say the Dingbei Marquis Mansion has deep foundations, and today, I’ve finally seen it for myself.’

’What a perfect example of a wanton waste of fine things!’

’This is it, right here.’

’But the Young Master is rich enough to be willful. Oh, well!’

She hadn’t forgotten the second important reason for her visit today.

"He’s been here for so long. Has he said anything?"

"Nothing."

Shen Yanchuan said,

"Since coming here, he has spoken no more than five sentences."

Aside from sending Su Mu and others to treat the man’s injuries at the very beginning, Shen Yanchuan hadn’t done much else.

Ye Chutang grew thoughtful.

"I found him to be quite talkative... Shall I go have a look?"

Shen Yanchuan grunted in affirmation and turned to look to the side.

"Xiao Wu, the mansion made several kinds of your favorite pastries today. Do you want some?"

Xiao Wu’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously—’Yes, yes!’

...

「A secluded room in the backyard of the Dingbei Marquis Mansion.」

The surroundings were empty, as if no one was there.

But as soon as Ye Chutang reached the door, she felt several gazes on her.

—She didn’t need to ask to know they were the Black Cavalry Guard members Shen Yanchuan had stationed here.

’So meticulous even on his own territory. That was certainly his style.’

Shen Yanchuan stepped forward to her side and raised a hand to knock on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK.

The feeling of being watched by several hidden gazes immediately lessened.

The next moment, Shen Yanchuan pushed the door open.

CREAK—

Shen Yanchuan and Ye Chutang exchanged a brief glance before he stepped inside first.

Ye Chutang followed close behind.

The man’s kneecaps had been gouged out, so it was naturally inconvenient for him to open the door.

It was afternoon and the sun was quite bright, yet the room was dim. Only a single sliver of light spilled silently inside as the two of them entered.

A stuffy, dusty smell drifted out, as if they had opened a long-sealed, abandoned space. Fine dust motes even danced in the air.

Shen Yanchuan turned his head slightly and explained, "Ever since his wounds scabbed over, this door hasn’t been opened."

’Just as I thought,’ Ye Chutang said to herself.

She stood her ground and peered inside.

The room wasn’t large, so she could immediately see the man sitting in a chair.

He was leaning against the back of the chair with his eyes closed, seemingly asleep.

Ye Chutang sized him up. Compared to when she had seen him in the prison cell, his complexion had improved, but he was still extremely thin.

If he had looked like a ghost before, he at least looked somewhat human now.

Ye Chutang took a step forward and said with a beaming smile:

"Senior, long time no see. Have you been well?"

The man’s fingers trembled slightly, and he finally, slowly, opened his eyes.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.