Volume One, Chapter Thirteen: I Am, Of Course, Your Princess Consort

Lin Wanti walked to the door and asked softly, “Who is it?”
A deep voice responded from outside, “It’s me.”
Lin Wanti started—this voice… it was…
She slowly opened the door.
Standing outside was none other than Murong Yunyi.
He wore a dark, flowing robe, his presence in the dim light exuding an even colder, more aloof air.
Lin Wanti hurriedly stepped aside, allowing Murong Yunyi into the room.
The simple, shabby chamber was a stark contrast to the prince’s status. Murong Yunyi’s brow furrowed slightly, but he said nothing.
“Your Highness, coming at such a late hour—is there something you need?”
Lin Wanti closed the door, discreetly hiding the dagger in her sleeve.
Murong Yunyi’s gaze swept across the room, finally resting on Lin Wanti’s slightly weary face. “Why did you visit the pharmacy today, Princess?”
Was it to see when he would die?
Lin Wanti’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained calm. “Did Your Highness come at this hour just to ask that? You are discerning, Your Highness; I merely went to consult medical texts for your illness.”
Murong Yunyi walked to the table and picked up the paper Lin Wanti had set down earlier.
He scanned it quickly, a fleeting, almost imperceptible ripple passing through his eyes.
“The princess seems… quite interested in my illness?”
Lin Wanti admitted openly, “Since I am now married into the prince’s household, naturally I am concerned about Your Highness’s health.”
Murong Yunyi set the paper down and turned to look at her, his gaze as sharp as a blade. “And what have you discerned?”
Lin Wanti paused, choosing her words carefully, striving to explain in simple terms. “Your Highness’s illness is not merely a case of physical weakness.
The pulse indicates a disruption of yin and yang, and stagnation in the flow of vital energy and blood. This is not the result of a congenital deficiency—it’s more like…”
She hesitated, watching for any reaction, and seeing that he did not interrupt, continued, “It’s more like the effects of long-term use of some medicine.”
Murong Yunyi’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. “Are you suggesting, Princess, that I have been poisoned?”
Lin Wanti did not answer directly. Instead, she walked to the table, picked up a brush, and wrote the names of several medicinal herbs on a sheet of paper. “Does Your Highness recall which medicines you have taken? Especially those containing these herbs.”
Murong Yunyi studied the names, his gaze growing distant as if lost in memory. After a long silence, he finally spoke. “These herbs—I have never seen them.”
Lin Wanti frowned inwardly. Had she misjudged?
Yet, recalling his symptoms and the key herbs missing from the prince’s pharmacy, she became even more convinced of her deduction.
She looked at Murong Yunyi again, her eyes probing. “Are you certain? These herbs are rare, but if taken over a long period, they would undoubtedly affect the body.”

Murong Yunyi did not reply, only watched her in silence.
The room grew heavy with tension, the atmosphere stifling.
Lin Wanti’s heartbeat quickened; she realized she might have stumbled upon a secret—one hidden deep within the prince’s residence.
She drew a steadying breath, forcing herself to remain calm. “Your Highness, if you would permit me, I would like to take your pulse again. Perhaps I can discover something new.”
Murong Yunyi regarded her, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes.
At last, he slowly extended his hand.
“Please, Princess.”
Lin Wanti’s slender fingers rested on his wrist, her touch delicate, feeling the rhythm of his pulse.
This evening, his pulse was even more chaotic than she had anticipated—a weak, abnormal force surged beneath her fingers, a hidden current portending grave danger.
The room was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, their shallow breaths the only sound.
Murong Yunyi lowered his eyes to watch her, his gaze a mix of curiosity, doubt, and a trace of barely discernible tension.
Lin Wanti closed her eyes, gathering all her focus on the sensations at her fingertips.
Modern medical knowledge and ancient diagnostic art intertwined in her mind, gradually sketching a clear picture of the pathology.
She was nearly certain—Murong Yunyi had been poisoned with a rare, chronic toxin.
This poison was exceedingly uncommon, with a long incubation period and subtle early symptoms. Gradually, it would erode the body, ultimately destroying the meridians and upsetting the balance of yin and yang.
Even a skilled physician would most likely misdiagnose it as a cold poison and treat it accordingly, unwittingly making matters worse.
She slowly withdrew her hand, her mind awhirl.
This discovery shocked her, and a thread of fear crept in.
Murong Yunyi was a man of high status, the residence tightly guarded—who could possess such skill, administering poison without leaving a trace?
Moreover, for someone to use so rare a toxin, they must have an extraordinary background.
Lin Wanti opened her eyes, looking at Murong Yunyi, hesitating over whether to reveal the truth.
She knew such a revelation could unleash a storm and even put her own safety at risk.
However, as a healer, she could not stand by and watch him suffer, nor ignore the lurking danger.
“How is it, Princess?”
Murong Yunyi’s voice shattered the silence, calm yet tinged with subtle urgency.
Lin Wanti drew a deep breath, steadying herself.
“Your Highness’s pulse…”

She paused, searching for the right words.
Murong Yunyi’s brow knit slightly, suspicion flickering in his eyes. “Have you discovered something, Princess?”
Lin Wanti did not answer at once. Instead, she rose, went to the table, and wrote down the names of several herbs.
These were crucial antidotes, and also the basis for further verifying her judgment.
“Are these herbs available in the prince’s household?”
She handed him the prescription, her tone calm but carrying an undeniable firmness.
Murong Yunyi took the list and studied the names intently.
His face grew increasingly grave, a complicated emotion shadowing his gaze.
These herbs—he had never heard of them, much less taken them.
“What are you implying, Princess?”
He looked up at her, his voice probing.
Lin Wanti met his gaze, her eyes steady and clear.
“Your Highness, forgive my bluntness, but your illness is not as simple as it appears. I need to observe further before I can make a final diagnosis.”
“Princess,”
Murong Yunyi suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse, “just who…”
“Just who are you?”
His words were quiet but piercing, as if intent on seeing through her facade.
Lin Wanti’s heart gave a jolt, but her expression remained serene, her smile composed.
“Your Highness, I am, of course, your princess.”
Murong Yunyi gave a cold laugh, clearly unconvinced by her answer.
“Your medical skills seem far beyond anything the Prime Minister’s household could have taught.”
He referred to those unheard-of herbs and her unusual confidence in diagnosis.
Lin Wanti sighed softly, understanding that it was impossible to conceal everything.