I Married a Disabled Prince in Prison

Chapter 78

"Hey, young lad, what are you doing alone out here in the wilderness? There are too many snakes, rats, and ants in the grass by the shore around here. Except for occasional fishing boats passing through the river channel, no one dares to stay here." The middle-aged man spoke.

Yan Shuixin was still dressed in men's clothing, but the intentionally ugly makeup on her face had been washed off when she washed her face, and she said with a deliberately low mood, "Originally, I rented a boat to come here for an outing, but it's my fault. The boatman went back first. So, I'm left alone, at a loss. Uncle, could you take me to the nearby village junction? I'm willing to pay."

The young lad on the boat docked it. "Come aboard. You're lucky to run into us. According to this weather, it's going to pour soon."

"Thank you, young man." Yan Shuixin stepped onto the boat, and the young lad even helped 'him' up.

However, he felt that 'his' arms were slender, and even through the clothes, they felt soft. The young lad couldn't help but stare blankly for a moment, blushing at Yan Shuixin's stunning appearance.

"Let's take you to the junction near Li County." The middle-aged man also glanced at Yan Shuixin a few more times and said, "From there, it's about ten miles by water. Taking you there will delay our work, so one or two silver coins will do."

"Alright." Yan Shuixin hurriedly took out a small lump of silver from his pocket and handed it to him.

The middle-aged man took it and put it in his pocket. "That's settled, then. We didn't come here for nothing."

The young lad hastened to say, "Dad, why are you asking for so much money? That's almost half a month's wages. A hundred copper coins would be enough, and you can get back the extra."

The middle-aged man glared at his son. "Get back what? If it weren't for us, he wouldn't know how long he'd have to stay here. He might starve to death."

Yan Shuixin wasn't in danger of starving in the wilderness; she could set up some traps to hunt and make a fork to catch fish in the shallow water.

If she hadn't encountered these two people, she would have just waited for another boat.

Not liking the middle-aged man's harsh words, she said, "Uncle, it's not good to curse people to death, is it?"

The middle-aged man also realized he had spoken harshly: "We country folks are a bit blunt. Please don't mind."

Yan Shuixin thought she had insulted rural people, so she didn't speak again. The young lad, seeing that his father insisted on charging more money, could only sit at the bow of the boat but couldn't help sneaking glances at Yan Shuixin from time to time.

After a while, the boat arrived at Hejiatun and docked. Yan Shuixin stepped onto the land.

The young lad couldn't stop staring at her graceful figure.

"What are you looking at? That woman isn't suitable to be your wife." The middle-aged man scolded angrily.

"She's a woman?" The young lad looked surprised.

"Of course." The middle-aged man said, "She has delicate skin and no Adam's apple."

"Dad, I like her. Why couldn't you be nicer to her just now?"

"Don't get involved with her. A woman, with her whole body covered in dried blood, in that godforsaken place. Do you believe she was just out for a stroll? If you get too close to her, you might lose your life without knowing it. We'll just make a quick profit and call it a day."

The young lad was obedient and replied, "Yes."

Yan Shuixin heard the conversation behind her but didn't mind.

Indeed, getting close to her might mean losing one's head at any moment.

Hejiatun was a large village with over a thousand households. There were several tea shops, tailors, and inns by the main road outside the village where people passing through to the capital could rest.

The dark sky flashed with lightning and thunder. 'Boom, boom...' Suddenly, it started pouring rain.

Yan Shuixin's clothes were stained with a lot of blood. Seeing several new men's shirts hanging in a tailor's shop, she walked in.

"Hey, sir, why is there so much blood on your clothes?" The middle-aged woman in the shop asked.

"Oh, I accidentally fell off the road." Yan Shuixin lied and pointed to one of the suits hanging on the wall. "Boss, are you selling this suit?"

"Of course." The boss didn't even bargain: "It's not made of good material, three hundred wen each."

"Give me a set."

"Alright." The boss took down the model Yan Shuixin wanted.

Yan Shuixin went to the changing room next to her and changed into a clean men's shirt. After tying up her hair again, she paid and stood at the door of the shop, watching the pouring rain. "I don't have an umbrella. I want to take a break at the inn next door."

For the sake of her baby in her belly, she shouldn't walk too far at once.

"You can rest at my place. There are two extra guest rooms in the backyard of my shop. The price is cheap, thirty wen coins per night, and it's quieter than the roadside inn." The boss lady was good at doing business.

"What about food?"

"I'll take care of that. We have vegetables at home, and the price for food is also reasonable."

Yan Shuixin thought it was alright, so she temporarily stayed at the tailor's shop.

After the rain stopped, she heard at the roadside inn that the court had issued announcements to various towns and even villages that King An had returned to the capital on his own.

People from the capital also saw the emperor sending someone to escort Xiao Yeheng to King An's residence.

So, Yan Shuixin speculated that after she fell off the cliff, the emperor arrived in time and saved Xiao Yeheng.

Then she felt relieved.

The checkpoints set up by King Jin in various places couldn't catch anyone anymore, so they were all removed.

Now, the road to the capital was clear.

Everyone was lamenting and searching for King An's promised reward, but surprisingly, no one received it; they all went back on their own. What a pity.

Hejiatun was only about forty miles from the capital, so she wanted to return to the capital immediately to see Xiao Yeheng. However, her stomach began to ache faintly again.

Thinking that the baby in her belly was Xiao Yeheng's only heir, she was especially cautious.

There was no pharmacy in this village, so she had to go to the nearby Li County, five miles away, to buy some medicine. She gave some silver to the boss lady at the tailor's shop to find someone to help her buy some prenatal medicine. She wasn't afraid of the boss lady finding out that she was cross-dressing as a woman. Anyway, King Jin's people probably thought she had fallen off the cliff, so no one would arrest her. The boss lady at the tailor's shop even kindly washed her blood-stained clothes and sewed up the torn areas with two bamboo stitches.

Yan Shuixin brewed a dose of prenatal medicine every day.

For safety's sake, she stayed at the tailor's house in Hejiatun for three days, eating and drinking well every day.

It wasn't until she had nourished the baby in her belly well that she settled the bill and took a passing merchant's carriage back to the capital.

She left early in the morning, and by noon, the carriage had entered the gate of the capital and stopped in front of an inn.

Yan Shuixin got off the carriage with several other passengers. After paying her own fare, she finally looked at the main street of the capital.

Shops lined the spacious streets, and buildings with flying eaves stood tall. Many vendors with large umbrellas enthusiastically shouted about their merchandise. The streets extended in all directions, bustling with people despite the scorching noon sun. It truly lived up to its reputation as the emperor's city, bustling and prosperous everywhere!

Walking in the crowd, Yan Shuixin occasionally heard passersby discussing how the current emperor, Xiao Jinglian, and a group of ministers had been poisoned by some strange drug. Many people were concerned about the future of the empire.

But more people just continued with their lives, because if the emperor fell, someone else would take his place.

Yan Shuixin thought that news of the emperor being poisoned must be kept secret. If it were exposed, it would definitely be the work of King Jin.

From Duanji City, more than 1,300 kilometers away, she had been thinking of returning to the capital every day. Now that she was standing on the land of the capital, she suddenly felt a sense of disconnection.

She wasn't an ancient person, and the original family of this body was strange to her.

She didn't intend to acknowledge the Yan family of the Ministry of Rites.

A woman in a gorgeous green silk shirt, wearing several shiny gold ornaments on her head, walked past. She had a melon-seed face, arched eyebrows, and big eyes, and she was none other than her former best friend, Li Xiangling, from modern times!

There was also a maid beside her, fanning her.

Yan Shuixin had a boyfriend named Zhao Shen in modern times. Because she refused to sleep with Zhao Shen before marriage, one day she caught Li Xiangling and Zhao Shen in bed together.

She decisively cut ties with these two people, and later, the unfaithful couple got married. It took her a long time to get over the pain of the breakup.

And then she was reborn.

"What are you looking at? Our young miss is the legitimate daughter of Yan, the Minister of Rites. Can you, a commoner, even look at her directly?" The maid beside the woman in the green shirt scolded Yan Shuixin.

For convenience, Yan Shuixin was dressed as a man. She guessed that the other party misunderstood her as a pervert.

But the identity of the woman with the melon-seed face mentioned by the little maid was unexpectedly the older sister of the original owner of this body!

Minister of Rites Yan Qing had two daughters, the eldest of whom, Yan Xiangling, was born to his legal wife.

The second daughter, Yan Shuixin, was the daughter of his concubine, Pei Yu.

Yan Shuixin thought of Pei Yu's death, feeling a little heavy-hearted.

"Many young men have been eyeing our young lady's beauty."

A trace of pride flashed in Yan Xiangling's eyes. "You don't need to bother with them."

The little maid who scolded Yan Shuixin responded with a "yes."

Yan Shuixin said, "So, you're the legitimate daughter of Minister Yan. My apologies."

Yan Xiangling glanced at 'him' in coarse male clothing and confirmed that he was a poor beggar. She snorted disdainfully, "I'm of noble status. If you keep staring at me, then I'll have your eyes gouged out!"

Several people nearby stopped to watch the scene.

Yan Shuixin suddenly realized two things: her half-sister Yan Xiangling from the same father didn't recognize her as her sister. Well, that made sense. The previous Yan Shuixin was weak-willed and had acne all over her face. Now that her acne was gone and her appearance was stunning, even in men's clothing, it was understandable that the other party didn't recognize her.

Secondly, Yan Xiangling wasn't Li Xiangling, her scumbag former best friend from modern times, because the latter liked it when men looked at her and flirted with her. She even pretended to be innocent. That wasn't the behavior of someone with an arrogant personality.

After understanding the situation, Yan Shuixin stepped aside and didn't block the way.

Yan Xiangling raised her chin and walked into the rouge shop nearby. "Only the rouge from Treasure Pavilion is worthy of me."

Her maid followed behind. "Miss, watch your step on the stairs."

Yan Shuixin withdrew her gaze and walked towards King An's mansion. Passing by the Yingtian Mansion Yamen, she saw a notice posted in the announcement area. It was recruiting famous doctors. If anyone could cure the strange poison, a reward of eight taels of gold and eight hundred mu of good land would be given, regardless of whether they were commoners or officials.

A crowd of onlookers surrounded the notice. Someone said, "This poison, when His Majesty was alive, had been studied by the Imperial Hospital for a while, but they couldn't find a cure. Moreover, His Majesty ordered all the imperial doctors to consult together, but they were helpless. That's why they had to post notices to the public."

Someone else added, "The best doctors from the common people have been selected and brought into the palace these days, but more than a hundred of them have come out with their heads hung low. Now His Majesty has ordered that if there's no certainty, one shouldn't easily apply; otherwise, they'll be punished with thirty heavy blows. Today I heard that no doctor dares to go and cure the poison."

Yan Shuixin regretted that she wasn't skilled in medicine and couldn't produce a cure for the strange poison. Otherwise, she could have received a great reward, and Xiao Yeheng wouldn't have had to suffer so much along the way.

Feeling a bit low, she adjusted her mood. As a pregnant woman, she had to stay cheerful.

King An's mansion was relatively far from here. Yan Shuixin hired a sedan chair carried by four people, which was carried to the gate of King An's mansion.

After paying, she asked the sedan bearers to leave first.

King An's mansion was located in a bustling area of the capital. The surrounding walls seemed endless, and on both sides of the vermilion gate stood tall stone lions. The three characters "King An's Mansion" were majestic on the plaque. The guards on both sides of the gate were imposing, showing that the master of the mansion was exceptionally noble.

Yan Shuixin stepped onto the steps of King An's mansion. One of the guards reached out to stop her. "King An's mansion is heavily guarded. Outsiders are not allowed to enter!"

"I'm Yan Shuixin, here to see Xiao Yeheng." She explained her purpose.

The guard sternly reprimanded, "Bold commoner, His Highness's name cannot be addressed so directly by you!"

Yan Shuixin was angry. Did Xiao Yeheng not inform the guards in advance so that she could be allowed to pass smoothly? Thinking that he was deeply poisoned, she feared there might be other mishaps.

With this in mind, she felt extremely anxious. "I'm quite familiar with King An. Can I please see him?"

"Go away." The guard waved his hand, like shooing away a fly. "Our prince is not seeing any guests right now."

"In that case, I'll find Fang Yi and tell him that I can suppress the poison King An is suffering from."

Fang Yi was Xiao Yeheng's trusted confidant and the steward of King An's mansion.

The guard looked suspiciously at 'him' and saw that although he was dressed in coarse cloth, his features were extremely handsome, and his demeanor was extraordinary. It was obvious that he was not an ordinary person.

Moreover, hearing 'him' say that he could suppress the poison afflicting King An, the guard became much more polite. "I'll inform Steward Fang immediately."

Shortly after, a young man in his twenties, with average looks but a mature expression, walked out from inside the mansion gate. He glanced at Yan Shuixin and found his appearance pleasing to the eye. "Is what you said true?"

Yan Shuixin looked at his appearance and the carved bamboo jade hairpin on his head, confirming that he was Fang Yi. She understood what he meant. "The poison can be suppressed, but not cured."

"Oh?" Fang Yi's eyes lit up with hope, but he remained cautious. "How can I trust your goodwill?" Nowadays, within three days, two groups of people attempted to assassinate King An, so he had to be cautious. He would rather miss out than put His Highness in danger again.

"As a child, I had frequent encounters with hailstorms, and as an adult, I often experienced frost and snow. Bitterness and sweetness abound, tasting the flavor of life. Cold and warmth linger, experiencing both warmth and coldness." Yan Shuixin asked calmly, "Fang Yi, how's this poem?"

Fang Yi suddenly recalled a few years ago when King An wrote this poem in his study and asked the same question, "Fang Yi, is this poem good?"

"Very good. His Highness is quite talented, and I admire you." He remembered how he had answered back then.

"If someone recites this poem and speaks to you in this way, then they are someone I trust." Xiao Yeheng finished speaking and burned the poem he had just written. No matter how many setbacks he faced in life, he never revealed them to outsiders.

"Yes." He respectfully noted it down, feeling emotional about King An's childhood loss of his mother and later the disfigurement of his face. Indeed, fate was cruel.

Seeing Fang Yi's slightly absent-minded look, Yan Shuixin didn't rush him.

Fang Yi snapped out of his memories and quickly made a gesture of invitation. "Mr. Yan, please come in this way!"

Yan Shuixin, dressed in men's clothing, followed Fang Yi into King An's mansion.

The mansion of King An was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, with porcelain lamps hanging and magnificent pavilions and terraces exuding a majestic atmosphere. The courtyard was spacious, with various precious flowers and trees neatly arranged and trimmed. The patrolling guards highlighted the incomparable nobility of the owner.

Fang Yi led Yan Shuixin to the grand main hall of King An's mansion. Exquisite rosewood tables and chairs were sturdy and stable; valuable calligraphy and paintings adorned the walls; and elegant potted plants decorated the corners, exuding a sense of luxury.

"Mr. Yan, please have a seat." Fang Yi, assuming 'he' was a man, gestured towards one of the chairs in a row.

Yan Shuixin sat down without ceremony. "How is Xiao Yeheng?"

Although Fang Yi was displeased with 'his' direct address to the prince's name, he did not comment. "His Highness is deeply poisoned. King Jin has already secretly spread the news, so it's not a secret."

"Where is he?" she asked directly.

"He's in the Rain Pavilion."

From her previous conversations with Xiao Yeheng, Yan Shuixin knew that King An's mansion was divided into many courtyards, such as the Floating Cloud Pavilion. He often resided in the Rain Pavilion.

Before entering the backyard, she went to the side hall. Even without someone leading the way, she quickly entered the courtyard of the Rain Pavilion, relying on the map of the mansion she had seen before.

Unconcerned with admiring the beautiful scenery of the courtyard, she stepped towards a side room on the left.

Fang Yi, seeing 'him' moving around the mansion as if it were 'his' own home, was surprised but understood that 'he' was the prince's confidant. Before opening the door of the first side room on the left, he stopped. "Mr. Yan, please wait a moment!"

Yan Shuixin looked at him in confusion. "What's the matter?"

Fang Yi's face showed concern. "Since you are a doctor, be mentally prepared."

At that moment, a beast-like roar came from the room, as if there was a mad, trapped animal inside.

Yan Shuixin could tell that it was Xiao Yeheng's voice. Could it be that he had gone mad?

In a panic, she pushed open the door of the side room, only to see Xiao Yeheng in tattered clothes, still wearing the same blue shirt as when they last parted. His body had several scabbed wounds peeking out of the ragged clothes.

Three thick chains extended from the corners of the wall, restraining his limbs except for the left leg, which was severed. His wrists and right ankle were chained, forming a lock resembling the Chinese character '大' (meaning big).

His hair was disheveled, and his prosthetic eye in the left eye socket was missing, leaving an empty hole. His right eye was bloodshot like blood. When he saw someone open the door, he roared angrily, rushing towards the door but unable to move forward due to being chained. The thick chains were pulled out a bit due to the brute force, leaving deep blood marks on his wrists and right ankle.

Tears instantly welled up in Yan Shuixin's eyes, uncontrollable like beads on a broken string. "How did he end up like this?"

Seeing 'him' shed tears of extreme sorrow, Fang Yi felt that 'he' truly cared for the prince and explained with a heavy heart, "Four days ago, King An was rescued by His Majesty and treated by imperial doctors. His Highness has been poisoned for at least a month. If it were an ordinary person, they would have gone mad long ago. I don't know who provided the medicine to suppress the poison all this time. The imperial doctors said that if that person had continued to provide medicine, perhaps His Highness wouldn't have gone mad. But His Highness went mad suddenly, probably due to some kind of shock. His Majesty said it might be because someone called Xin'er fell off a cliff, and His Highness couldn't bear the blow, so he went mad instantly."

"Four days ago, I also rushed over with His Majesty. I witnessed King An trying to jump off the cliff at all costs, saying that his Xin'er was down there and he wanted to accompany her."

As Fang Yi spoke, his eyes moistened. "King An has always been unrestrained with women. I don't know if this Xin'er person is a man or a woman. All I know is that for that person, His Highness can throw away his life."

Yan Shuixin was deeply moved, unable to express her emotions. She looked at Xiao Yeheng's frantic appearance and felt heartbroken. "Why are you so foolish? What merits and abilities does Xin'er have to deserve your deep affection?"

Her words were directed at the mad Xiao Yeheng.

However, Fang Yi was shocked. "So, you are Xin'er? His Majesty sent people to search for you under the cliff for three or four days without any results." Staring at her in men's clothing, with no Adam's apple and unusually fair skin, he suddenly realized, "You are a woman! In that case, you helped King An suppress the poison."

She nodded slightly. "Three days ago, I arrived at Hejiatun through the waterway from under the cliff. There were some delays, so I came rushing here only now."

Fang Yi waved his hand towards the back, letting the guards go to inform the emperor that the person had been found.

Yan Shuixin walked towards the frantic Xiao Yeheng.

Fang Yi anxiously reached out to stop her. "Miss Yan, please don't get close to King An. Four days ago, His Highness woke up from a coma and suddenly became insane and bloodthirsty. Several servants who were taking care of him were directly killed by him in a fit of rage, and their bodies were torn apart into several pieces. He has no reason and kills on sight. Fortunately, he didn't have a knife in his hand, or the consequences would have been even more severe. Hundreds of experts in the mansion couldn't restrain King An, and eight of them were killed. When His Majesty came to visit and saw this, he had no choice but to send people to shoot several arrows dipped in a drug to subdue King An."

"What about his food and drink?" Yan Shuixin saw the messy bowls and plates on the ground, with the food inside spoiled.

"We tried to feed His Highness, but he would hit anything he saw and bite anyone who came close. Even though he's chained, as long as someone approaches, his profound inner strength can send them flying." Fang Yi's face was full of sadness. "He hasn't eaten or drunk for almost four days."

Yan Shuixin looked at Xiao Yeheng's frenzied appearance and cracked lips, and tears fell once again.

"Although he hasn't had food or water for four days, His Highness is still extremely irrational and violent. This state of mind might continue until he exhausts himself and... dies." Fang Yi suddenly kneeled down in front of Yan Shuixin and said, "Miss Yan, I beg you to save His Highness! As long as you can save him, you can ask me to do anything."

"I am his woman; I am more distressed than you!" Yan Shuixin covered her mouth, crying with blurry tears in her eyes. Being pregnant, she feared for her baby's safety, yet she dared not approach Xiao Yeheng recklessly.

Fang Yi was shocked, but he thought that if it weren't for romantic feelings between a man and a woman, how could His Highness willingly die for her when he still had some sanity?

There lay a bamboo armor split in half on the ground, and Yan Shuixin immediately understood, "Someone tried to assassinate him."

Fang Yi nodded. "Three days ago, there was a rebellion among the guards in the mansion. We did our best to suppress it, but someone still managed to get close to the chained King An and attack him with a knife, slashing his shoulder. Just when we thought His Highness was severely injured, he used his inner strength to send the assassin flying. His Highness was unharmed, and we then realized he was wearing armor. There was also a physician who claimed to treat His Highness's wounds, but it turned out he intended to poison him. Fortunately, I had other imperial doctors check the medicine he brewed, and we discovered the problem."

"I made this bamboo armor myself." Yan Shuixin slightly pulled open her clothes to reveal the bamboo armor inside. "He and I each have one."

Fang Yi saw the bamboo armor on her and the one on the ground that had been split in half, finally fully believing that she was indeed someone very close to King An.

Otherwise, why would King An wear clothes made by her?

Xiao Yeheng continued to roar frantically, his eyes devoid of any trace of human rationality.

Yan Shuixin recalled the more than one hundred lunatics in the prison back then who were equally terrifying.

"Miss Yan, what should we do? If this continues, His Highness will really die."

Yan Shuixin rolled up her sleeves, wiped away the tears from her face, cleared her throat, and gently called out to Xiao Yeheng, "Husband, Xin'er is here by your side. Husband, husband..."

As she called out, Xiao Yeheng, who was roaring and swinging the heavy iron chains, miraculously slowed down his ferocious movements.

Fang Yi was amazed to see this.

Emperor Xiao Jing appeared at some point outside the door. Fang Yi was about to greet him when Xiao Jing waved his hand, indicating that he should remain silent.

Yan Shuixin spoke to Xiao Yeheng again: "Husband, do you miss me? Xin'er wants to hug you; is that okay?"

Xiao Yeheng gradually calmed down.

"Husband, I'm here now. You can't hurt me." She approached him step-by-step.

Fang Yi admired her courage but was also deeply worried for her.

King An was incredibly strong, and if he accidentally tore her apart... the consequences would be unimaginable.

But King An hadn't had food or water for many days. If no one got close to him, he would either die of thirst or hunger.

While hesitating, Yan Shuixin had already entered halfway into the room.

"Husband, do you remember the good news I told you?" Her steps were slow, as if afraid of startling her precious one, and her melodious voice was exceptionally pleasant to the ears.

At this moment, Xiao Yeheng was completely irrational, but the familiar voice that he loved deeply seemed to have an invisible power that could soothe his agitation.

He stood there like a wooden statue, listening carefully to her gentle tone.

Emperor Xiao Jing watched the slender figure approaching the Third Prince and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. To be honest, even he, as the emperor, didn't dare approach Xiao Yeheng at this moment.

Fang Yi was also nervously on edge. As the assistant to King An, he naturally didn't want anything to happen to the woman His Highness was risking his life to protect.

Xiao Yeheng also heard the approaching footsteps, so light and silent yet so familiar.

It seemed like he often heard it.

Yan Shuixin finally reached Xiao Yeheng, extending her slender arms to encircle his thin waist. She didn't dare make any big movements, as if afraid of startling him.

Fang Yi truly feared that Yan Shuixin would be sent flying by the prince's inner strength. Emperor Xiao Jing couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat of fear.

Usually, anyone who got close to King An would have been sent flying long ago.

Yan Shuixin deeply understood her different position in Xiao Yeheng's heart. She never expected that, even in his current madness, he wouldn't harm her.

Just how much does this man love her?

Unconsciously, Xiao Yeheng caught a whiff of a pleasant fragrance, and the soft female body pressed against him tightly. He must have often embraced her like this.

With one hand holding a pre-prepared pill, Yan Shuixin wrapped her arm around Xiao Yeheng's back and pressed his neck, forcing him to lower his head. She stood on tiptoe, taking the initiative to press her lips against his.

She sucked on his lips, pushing his teeth apart with her tongue and delivering the pill into his mouth.

The scalding tears slid down her pure white cheeks, the hairpin on her head came loose and fell, and her dark hair cascaded down, accentuating her picturesque features, making her extraordinarily beautiful!

She was like a pear blossom drenched in rain, slender and graceful, her emotional eyes and brows captivating.

Emperor Xiao Jing and Fang Yi couldn't help but be mesmerized.

Both of them were well-traveled and knowledgeable, yet they had never seen anyone as stunning as her.

The kiss between Yan Shuixin and Xiao Yeheng was mixed with the taste of medicine and the saltiness of tears, rich with deep pain. Xiao Yeheng's blood-red eyes seemed to regain a moment of clarity.

The kiss seemed like it would last forever. Yan Shuixin only stopped when she could no longer stand still.

Xiao Yeheng, feeling anxious, lowered his head to continue seeking her lips. His hands were bound by iron chains, unable to embrace her, yet it seemed like something he instinctively loved.

She leaned in again.

After a while, she weakly leaned on his shoulder and asked, "Husband, would you like to eat something?"

Emperor Xiao Jing, who was beside them, immediately waved his hand to let Fang Yi fetch food.

Understanding, Fang Yi left quietly.

Xiao Yeheng seemed to be completely focused on Yan Shuixin, unaware of the people around him.

Fang Yi quickly returned with a tray. On the tray were two large bowls of meat porridge and a bowl of warm water. Yan Shuixin reached out and took them. She scooped up a spoonful of porridge and offered it to Xiao Yeheng's lips. "Husband, be good; open your mouth."

Xiao Yeheng seemed unaware, but when she fed him the spoonful of porridge, perhaps due to hunger, he instinctively swallowed.

Yan Shuixin fed him another spoonful, which he quickly ate. He finished both bowls of porridge in just a few bites.

She then fed Xiao Yeheng a large bowl of water.

Only then did she stop him from eating more because someone who had been hungry for so long shouldn't eat and drink too much at once to avoid harming the stomach.

Xiao Yeheng hadn't slept for four consecutive days. Perhaps having her by his side made him feel particularly at ease. He gradually closed his lone eye and leaned on her shoulder, falling asleep.

Fang Yi collected the bowls and handed them to the servant outside the door.

Yan Shuixin was afraid of waking Xiao Yeheng up, so she softly asked Emperor Xiao Jing, "Could you please unlock the chains on my husband?"

Even if the Emperor disagreed, she would never let Xiao Yeheng be chained up like a beast again. It broke her heart!

Emperor Xiao Jing was also afraid that Xiao Yeheng would continue to kill people indiscriminately, so he had no choice but to chain him up. Seeing him calm down, he immediately nodded.

Fang Yi picked up the keys and approached Xiao Yeheng, carefully inserting the keys into the locks on his wrist.

Xiao Yeheng suddenly opened his blood-red eyes wide, overflowing with a murderous aura.

Fang Yi was so scared that he fell to the ground.

Yan Shuixin hurriedly gently patted Xiao Yeheng's back and whispered, "Husband, Xin'er is here, you can't hurt anyone, okay?"

Xiao Yeheng quieted down again.

Seeing Fang Yi trembling on the ground, she picked up the keys herself and unlocked the shackles on Xiao Yeheng.

To her surprise, he miraculously cooperated very well.

Fang Yi shed a tear of heartbreak in his heart. He and King An grew up together; their bond was more than just that of brothers; they were definitely not ordinary masters and servants. It felt like the prince was rejecting him, hitting him with a thunderstorm of ten thousand strikes.

Emperor Xiao Jing was also deeply affected. Wasn't the Third Prince the one who loved his elder brother the most?

Why was it that only that woman named Xin'er could soothe him?

Emperor Xiao Jing couldn't help but shudder at the thought that he would soon become as crazed and terrifying as the Third Prince. He couldn't help but wonder: if he went mad too, would anyone be able to calm his frenzy?

Perhaps not. Before completely losing his mind, he might as well end it himself.

The room was filled with spoiled food, spilled all over the floor, emitting a foul odor. Xiao Yeheng had actually lost control of his bladder and bowels.

Fang Yi immediately began to clean up the floor himself, wiping it several times.

Yan Shuixin ordered someone to bring several buckets of cold water, preparing to bathe Xiao Yeheng.

At this time, using hot water might exacerbate his madness. Cold water, on the other hand, could help physiologically cool him down.

Perhaps Xiao Yeheng's body was already exhausted to the limit.

It seemed fitting to let her bathe him.

Emperor Xiao Jing and Fang Yi helped out on the side. They were surprised that she didn't mind the foul smell emanating from King An.

Yan Shuixin cleaned Xiao Yeheng from head to toe, then helped him put on a clean white robe before assisting him to lie down on the bed.

Only then did she have the chance to look around this oversized chamber.

The walls were all carved from top-grade sandalwood, with intricate designs of gold dragons in each corner on the Hanbaiyu pillars, exquisitely embroidered eight-panel folding screens, and majestic landscape paintings hung on the walls.

It was said that King An Mansion was the most magnificent mansion in the entire Fengxiang Kingdom outside of the palace itself.

Yan Shuixin thought it was not wrong at all; it was truly luxurious and splendid!

Emperor Xiao Jing and Fang Yi left the room, leaving Yan Shuixin and Xiao Yeheng to lie together on the carved bed, closing their eyes to sleep.

Her heart seemed to be so painful that even in her dreams, it was filled with vivid bloodstains.

(they're back together again 🥹✨)