Prince Yan was the pillar and core of the Prince's Mansion. If anything were to happen to him, the relatively stable order of the mansion would collapse.
Shen Wei quickly composed herself.
She instructed Cai Lian, "Go with Cai Ping to gather more information. I need to know the details of His Highness's condition."
Cai Lian hurried off to investigate.
Returning to the Liuli Pavilion, Shen Wei first drank a cup of tea to steady herself while formulating a plan in her mind.
If Prince Yan survived, she would play the role of the "devoted concubine" flawlessly, offering tender care and affection.
If he died, the eldest son of the Princess Consort would undoubtedly inherit the title, leaving Shen Wei in a precarious position. Without a powerful family to rely on and with a child in her womb, even her close ties to Zhao Yang wouldn’t shield her from the Princess Consort’s schemes.
Without much hesitation, Shen Wei had already resolved that if Prince Yan truly died, she would "fake her death in grief"—disappearing to secretly manage her shops in Yanjing under a new identity.
"Milady, I’ve found out!" Cai Ping rushed in, sweat beading on her forehead. "Prince Yan and Prince Heng were ambushed on the main street. The arrows were poisoned. His Majesty dispatched nearly all the imperial physicians to treat Prince Yan, who is currently unconscious in the Ministry of War."
"I sneaked to the Ministry of War to observe. By afternoon, most physicians had left, except for a few of the most skilled. Those who departed seemed relieved, so I assumed His Highness's condition must have improved."
Shen Wei exhaled quietly in relief.
Good. Prince Yan hadn’t succumbed to the poison.
She glanced at the sky. Autumn was approaching, the air growing cooler day by day, and today’s breeze was refreshing. "Let’s go to the front courtyard and await His Highness's return," she declared.
Since his condition had stabilized, Prince Yan would likely be brought back to the mansion to recuperate. As his "devoted" concubine, Shen Wei needed to make her presence known and reinforce her image of unwavering love.
News of Prince Yan’s assassination attempt had spread quickly through the inner quarters, eliciting varied reactions.
Liu Ruyan was painting in her study. The pristine parchment bore an exquisite *Ink Plum Blossoms in Snow*.
Xue Mei burst into the room, panting. "Milady! Terrible news! His Highness was ambushed—poisoned and unconscious!"
Liu Ruyan’s brush slipped, distorting a freshly painted plum blossom into an inky blot.
"Ambushed?" Her mind went blank.
Xue Mei urged, "Milady, should we go see him? If His Highness witnesses your concern, he’ll surely cherish you even more."
Liu Ruyan closed her eyes, two silent tears tracing down her cheeks and staining the parchment, further ruining the painting.
Shaking her head gently, she murmured as if resigned to fate, "Life’s changes are endless... Whether fortune or calamity, none can be avoided. It is destiny. If His Highness dies, I shall not linger—a white silk rope will follow him."
Life and death were fated.
She sat listlessly by the window, staring at the glaring sunlight outside.
Xue Mei pinched her own philtrum in exasperation.
**Huaxiang Courtyard**
Zhang Miaoyu was secretly indulging in a bowl of icy *sushan* in her room. Wealthy and pampered, she spared no expense, sending her maid Xiang Yu out daily to fetch delicacies.
Lately, she had become obsessed with the desserts from *Wei Yan’s Delights*, never missing a day without a bowl.
Unfortunately, Prince Yan had assigned an elderly matron to monitor her diet. Zhang Miaoyu now ate her treats in secret, terrified of being caught.
Xiang Yu slipped in, whispering, "Milady, they say His Highness was ambushed. It’s serious."
Zhang Miaoyu paused mid-bite. "Again? Ambushed during the Spring Banquet, again during the East Mountain Hunt, and now in summer? Is His Highness determined to be attacked every season?"
Was *that* the point? The point was His Highness was injured!
Zhang Miaoyu asked, "Is his life in danger?"
Xiang Yu: "I don’t know."
"Did His Majesty and the Empress send physicians?"
"When will His Highness return?"
Xiang Yu scratched her head sheepishly. "I... still don’t know."
Zhang Miaoyu rolled her eyes, poking Xiang Yu’s forehead. "Useless girl! All you do is eat! You’re almost as plump as me now!"
Xiang Yu touched her rounding double chin and hung her head in shame.
Sighing, Zhang Miaoyu’s plump face sagged with resignation. "Well, His Highness is blessed. With his guards, he’ll be fine. Even if he dies, my family’s influence will protect me from the Princess Consort."
Having concluded that Prince Yan’s fate hardly affected her, she resumed eating. "Xiang Yu, try this *sushan*. Wei Yan’s desserts are divine."
**Mingyue Courtyard**
Concubine Liu Qiao'er sat under the eaves, sewing clothes for her children. A maid rushed in with news of the assassination attempt.
Liu Qiao'er remained impassive. "No need to worry."
She remembered her past life.
Vaguely, she recalled Prince Yan and Prince Heng surviving a similar ambush around this time. The assassins were from Yue Kingdom, and Prince Yan had used the incident to secure military funds, fueling a victorious campaign that seized three Yue cities.
Her eyes turned icy. "Men like him, who play with power, are heartless."
Women in the inner quarters were mere tools for bearing heirs.
Take Shen Wei in the Liuli Pavilion—dripping in gold and jewels, yet nothing more than Prince Yan’s plaything.
The maid bowed her head in silence.
The Princess Consort received the news in her **Kunyu Courtyard** while praying in the family shrine. She nearly fainted.
"Quick! Prepare the carriage—I must go to the Ministry of War!" Clutching her prayer beads, she stumbled in her haste. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel⚑fire.net
Granny Liu steadied her. "Your Highness, calm yourself. The imperial physicians are already tending to His Highness."
Tears streamed down the Princess Consort’s face.
She and Prince Yan had been childhood sweethearts, once deeply in love. Though estranged now, she still held some affection for him.
"If anything happens to him..." Her voice broke.
A stark realization struck her: *If Prince Yan dies today, the title will pass to our son. Every concubine in this mansion will live at my mercy.*