Who put the yellow robe on me?

Ninth Prince Jiang Yu stopped a hurried eunuch. His bright eyes were filled with anxiety and confusion. He whispered, "What's going on right now? Why are you rushing to the bedroom?"

The eunuch's face was pale, and his voice was trembling with urgency: "Your Highness, His Majesty's health has suddenly worsened. Lord Shi ordered us to quickly send medicinal herbs to the palace. I'm afraid..."

His fingers gripping the eunuch's wrist trembled slightly, his knuckles turning pale blue. "Keep talking! Tell me everything you know!"

The young eunuch's black boots rolled over the newly emerged moss in the cracks of the blue bricks, and the strong smell of mugwort seeped out from the medicine bag in his arms: "Replying to Your Highness the Ninth Prince, His Majesty coughed up blood and fainted. Lord Shi said... that he was afraid..." He suddenly caught a glimpse of the dark red stain on the hem of the Sixth Prince Jiang Fu's python robe, and swallowed the second half of his sentence back.

When Jiang Yu released his hand, cold sweat had already seeped into his palms. He clenched his fists involuntarily, his heart pounding in his chest, and the hurried footsteps of the imperial physicians seemed to echo in his ears.

The Sixth Prince, Jiang Fu, leaned over and whispered to the Ninth Prince, "Ninth brother, the situation is dire right now. Father is afraid... we must take action, otherwise we might miss the chance to salvage our situation."

His voice, though soft, weighed heavily on the Ninth Prince's heart. The two men stared at each other for a moment, their eyes filled with worry and determination, as if the unspoken plan had already silently formed within their minds.

The Ninth Prince pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Sixth Brother, you and I are in a dangerous situation today. Why don't we take this opportunity to investigate the situation? Remember that before Concubine De was banished to the cold palace, she swore an oath to the Yang family of Bozhou. That oath was sonorous and powerful, and it was by no means empty words. Perhaps we can go to Ningbo Palace first to investigate her whereabouts and background, and see if there is still evidence of the sincere oath she once made." As he finished speaking, his tone was excited and tentative, as if seeking the Sixth Prince's approval.

The Sixth Prince frowned, his eyes deep, and he said hesitantly, "I'm worried. If Father is truly too weak, and Sixteenth Brother is able to seize the will, then perhaps the trap he's secretly laid will leave us with no chance of recovery."

Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince's heart trembled, a mixture of fear and determination flashing across his face. He responded hastily, "Sixth Brother, this is indeed a dangerous statement, but the situation is extremely urgent now. We must act separately. Since Zhong Xiaodan has fled to the northern border, the capital is temporarily empty. This is the perfect time for us to secretly plan our strategy."

The two men looked at each other, sparks of conspiracy flashing in their eyes, as if the gradually solidifying air was filled with an invisible battle.

Just as the two were plotting, it was already late at night when the imperial doctors came out of Emperor Liang's bedroom.

The moonlight sprinkled on the corridor like water, illuminating the tired and hurried backs of the imperial doctors. The worried Lord Shi and his entourage whispered silently within the palace walls.

Soon, Shi Baixia and other imperial doctors returned to the Imperial Hospital.

As soon as he entered the room, Shi Baixia was greeted by a young imperial physician. He said in a low and urgent voice, "Master Shi, His Highness the Sixteenth Prince has been waiting for a long time. He has been waiting in the main hall for a long time."

Shi Baixia was slightly stunned, and then a meaningful look appeared in his eyes: "Oh? Then please invite him in quickly."

Shi Baixia and the Sixteenth Prince, Jiang Chen, sat facing each other in the main hall of the Imperial Hospital. The lights were dim, and the air was filled with the fragrance of herbs and a hint of bitterness.

"Master Shi, do you know what kind of tea this is?" He suddenly asked, startling the old doctor so much that the wolf hair brush in his hand left ink marks on the pulse table.

When Shi Baixia looked up, she met the sixteenth prince's eyes reflected in the candlelight.

"Is... is it Wuyi Rock Tea?"

Jiang Chen chuckled, the Buddhist beads on his wrist brushing the rim of the teacup: "This is cloud tea brewed with meltwater from the Kucha Snow Mountain."

He casually struck up a conversation with Shi Baixia, discussing everything from Emperor Liang's illness to Prime Minister He and General Zhong Wenbin's attitudes towards him. There was a hint of ease and sarcasm in his tone, as if all the troubles were not worth mentioning.

Suddenly, Jiang Chen frowned slightly and said in a low voice: "Master Shi, I have been suffering from insomnia and nightmares recently, and I am restless. Can you ask the young doctors to prepare some calming Chinese medicine for me?" When he said this, his eyes flashed with fatigue and bitterness, as if the torture of sleepless nights was eroding the secrets in his heart bit by bit.

Upon hearing this, Shi Baixia said in a gentle and steady voice: "Your Highness the Sixteenth, don't worry. I will prepare a prescription for you right away."

However, Jiang Chen quickly waved his hand, with a sly smile in the corner of his eyes, and said: "Alas, it's such a small matter, why bother you, it's better to let those young doctors write it themselves." There seemed to be an unintentional understatement in his voice, but Shi Baixia caught a hint of subtle meaning behind the words of the Sixteenth Prince.

Shi Baixia paused for a moment upon seeing this, then whispered to the young imperial physician beside him, "Quickly go and gather some tranquilizing herbs. Remember, they must be pure and elegant, without any impurities."

Upon hearing the order, the young doctors followed and left. Their footsteps echoed in the corridor, as if urging the passage of time to speed up.

Afterwards, Shi Baixia quietly closed all the doors of the main hall, and the room instantly fell into silence.

After everything calmed down, he asked in a low voice, "Sixteenth Prince, do you have anything to discuss with me?"

Under the dim light in the room, Jiang Chen slowly stood up and bowed deeply, his eyes revealing gratitude and determination. "Master Shi, three days ago, you secretly helped me. I, Jiang Chen, will never forget this friendship."

Although his voice was soft, it was filled with a heart-shaking firmness, as if the secret had long been engraved in his bones and blood.

Shi Baixia quickly stood up to return the greeting, and said with a complicated expression: "Your Highness, nothing in the world can be hidden from your keen eyes. May I ask how you found out about that incident?" There was a sigh and a bit of helplessness in his words, as if the secret of that year was still difficult for him to let go.

Jiang Chen smiled slightly. "Master Shi, I have actually devoted myself to studying medicine. One time, when I was preparing a medicinal soup, I discovered that adding alum or clear oil to a bowl of water made it very different from ordinary water. I was able to discern some clues from this."

As he finished speaking, his tone seemed to be filled with unintentional wit, which not only demonstrated his extensive knowledge but also hinted at that unspeakable past.

Upon hearing this, Shi Baixia looked at Jiang Chen with a complicated expression and said slowly, "Your Highness, if that is the case, please put this past behind you. The reason I secretly helped you back then was out of careful consideration and a helpless decision after weighing all the factors."

There was a hint of regret and heaviness in his words, as if the past had become a shadow in his heart that could never be erased.

Jiang Chen took a deep breath and whispered, "Master Shi, why did you secretly help me back then?" His voice was soft, but filled with doubt and inquiry, as if that kindness concealed an unknown secret...

Shi Baixia was silent for a long time, and the atmosphere in the room became extremely solemn.