He Lan Tianxia

Murong Junlan didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble. He set up several protective barriers and then leaned against the cave entrance, listening intently to the sounds outside. Closer, closer, the footsteps grew louder and louder, seemingly stopping at the cave entrance. After a moment, they continued walking. Just as the people inside the cave breathed a sigh of relief, the footsteps returned.

"Your Highness, Prince Murong, are you there?" It was the shopkeeper's voice. When no one responded, he walked away.

The shopkeeper? Why is he in here instead of serving the pale-faced scholar outside? Has the pale-faced scholar disappeared? Murong Junlan pondered to himself. But he couldn't answer. The shopkeeper was an outsider; he didn't know where the scholar's heart lay. It was likely that neither the pale-faced scholar nor the shopkeeper were their people yet. Once the antidote was concocted, they could leave at any time. They were currently forced to follow them, and these two were actually quite dangerous; one of them could poison them to death at any moment if they were unwilling.

"I'm going out to take a look. My beloved concubine, Xiao Yezi, you two stay here to look after the two elders." After saying that, Murong Junlan broke through the barrier and went out, but he turned back after only a second. Then he heard noisy footsteps outside.

"Grab him." It was the abbot's voice.

"They turned back so quickly?" Murong Junlan couldn't understand the reason, but the abbot and the others turning back made it much more difficult for him to rescue the abbot and the old man. He gestured for everyone to wait and see, guessing that the phrase "catch him" most likely referred to the manager who had just left. If it were Jiang He and the others, it would be "catch them."

"Little Yezi, is there anything else to eat in here?" Murong Junlan suddenly realized that the old man probably hadn't eaten anything.

"Yes. Lots of them." Xiao Yezi nodded firmly. Murong Junlan always felt that this little kid had a strategic and shrewd way of handling things, and Xiao Yezi seemed to be even better than Xiong Bao in the snow.

"Alright, I'm going out now. Look after each other and wait for me to come back."

Xiao Yezi immediately stepped in front of Murong Junlan: "Big brother, let me go. I know the terrain here better than you do."

Murong Junlan refused: "No, it's dangerous outside."

Xiao Yezi insisted, "I understand their weaknesses."

Murong Junlan took a long stride and was about to step out when the old man's voice came from behind: "Your Highness, let Xiao Yezi go."

Murong Junlan was overjoyed: "Old man, you're awake?"

The woman and Murong Junlan helped the old man to a comfortable position, and Xiao Yezi took the opportunity to run out.

Murong Junlan exclaimed "Ah!" and Xiao Yezi had already disappeared.

The old man breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much better. He gestured for Murong Junlan to stay, and said slowly, "Give him a chance; he needs to train eventually."

Murong Junlan could only nod, but his worries only grew stronger.

"Your Highness, if I may ask, is this your princess consort?" the old man asked bluntly.

"Mm." Murong Junlan nodded.

"Old man, don't listen to his nonsense. I only met him by chance." The woman was unwilling to be wronged.

The old man smiled, then became serious again: "She's been poisoned."

"You noticed it too?" Murong Junlan admired the old man's keen eyesight.

"She was poisoned, but the scent on Young Master Bai, who was with you, is the same, but he doesn't seem to be able to cure it."

"I'd like to hear the details." Murong Junlan looked at the old man with even greater respect at this moment.

“During your stay at my humble abode, that young master Bai not only failed to give her the antidote, but also added new poisons every day to confuse the princess.”

Murong Junlan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be? He'd been watching his Yan'er every day, practically never leaving her side, while the pale-faced scholar lived next door and hadn't left the house either. How could he have poisoned her?