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墨書 Inktalez
Song Yiyi was caught in a web of control by the Old Pharmacist, yet she had become a local sensation. When the Crown Prince rescued her, she was playfully singing on stage, her every word and gesture striking a chord in his heart. Her alluring demeanor was just a touch more innocent than it was now.
The notes collected by the Old Pharmacist indicated that he had sold six Pharmacist Girls. The Crown Prince dispatched people to investigate discreetly, and they had varying degrees of success. The notes also mentioned that the effectiveness depended on the qualifications of each Pharmacist Girl. Song Yiyi had the best qualifications, and the Old Pharmacist had always been reluctant to part with her.
Seeing was believing, and the Crown Prince grew more convinced. In his interactions with Song Yiyi, he found himself lost in her gentle charm. Under her soft-spoken advances, his doubts began to fade. After all, how could such a delicate girl, who viewed him as her savior, possibly deceive him?
"Yiyi, talk to me nicely," he urged.
Song Yiyi rolled up her sleeves, revealing scars on her arms.
With a feigned roar of anger, he demanded, "Who! Who hurt you?"
With a tone of grievance, she replied, "Your Majesty ordered me to serve him in bed. He was exhausted and took it out on me, torturing me on the bed wasn't enough; he kicked me to the ground and trampled on me. I was so hurt I couldn't get up and could only crawl away from his attacks."
In that position on the ground, she spotted something hidden beneath the cabinet. Once the Emperor fell into a deep sleep from exhaustion, she retrieved it.
From the bindings around her ankle, Song Yiyi pulled out a tube about the length of a palm and handed it to the Crown Prince. The tube was black and covered in intricate carvings of incomprehensible symbols. Upon first seeing it, the Crown Prince felt an unsettling aura emanating from it and hesitated to take it.
Song Yiyi chuckled softly and reassured him, "Your Highness, don’t be afraid. I've opened this long ago; see? I'm perfectly fine!"
Following her lead, the Crown Prince initially scolded her sternly for being so reckless but then softened his tone to check on her well-being multiple times before cautiously asking what was inside.
With a face full of emotion, Song Yiyi eagerly opened it for him to see. Inside were some odds and ends—dried twigs and strips of cloth with writing on them. "You know that old monster wouldn’t let us learn to read," she explained. "I only learned a little while performing and begged you to teach me some more."
Unfortunately, she still recognized very few characters and couldn’t make out much of what was written. However, there was a strand of hair wrapped in one of the ragged strips—gray and brittle—that must have belonged to Xuande Emperor.
The Crown Prince took advantage of holding Song Yiyi close to coax her into unwrapping the cloth further. The writing on it was partially obscured by red-black stains; he strained to decipher it and felt a surge of alarm.
Song Yiyi asked impatiently, "Is this thing useful? Is it like I guessed—something that can control Xuande Emperor's life or death?"
"You little girl," he thought in disbelief at how accurately she had guessed despite her earlier confidence.
"Your Highness," Song Yiyi continued earnestly, "I can recognize a few characters; I just can’t read them all." She pointed at the cloth strip excitedly. "Look here—this is 'death,' this is 'curse,' and over here it says 'transformation' along with timing combined with His Majesty's condition—eighteen or nineteen."
The Crown Prince praised her intelligence absentmindedly while his eyes remained glued to the writing as he pondered deeply. After contemplating for a moment longer and glancing at the sun's position outside before returning his gaze to the text again, he felt an inner stirring but was also filled with apprehension.
At that moment, Gentle and Sang Qingxiao arrived outside the Grand Prince's Mansion. There were secrets within; the mansion's steward and guards blocked their way—polite yet resolute in their refusal to let them enter.
Gentle insisted on entering the estate. All other princes were inside paying respects in mourning except for the Crown Prince who hadn’t shown himself since yesterday. When His Majesty awoke later and learned of this negligence, there would surely be consequences.
I came to invite you out of goodwill. Do you not know the current situation of the Crown Prince? Quickly open the gates; I am determined to extend this invitation. If we argue further, it will only lead to trouble for everyone.
The Steward did not wish to offend the Emperor's favored person, but he hesitated. "Your Highness, he is ill."
Gentle stepped closer. "What illness? Let me take a look at him for the Emperor."
The Steward broke into a cold sweat, relieved that the pretense was holding. "It's just a minor stomach issue, nothing worthy of such concern from His Majesty. The symptoms are improving; he is a bit weak but will definitely enter the palace before nightfall."
Old Vine, perched on the wall, noticed the Steward stalling and saw someone rushing in to report. In a moment of desperation, he pinched his throat and hummed a few lines of opera.
Sang Qingxiao stifled a laugh. Although Old Vine did not sound much like a dan performer, his pitch was accurate. He intentionally made his voice vague as it drifted from the courtyard, providing Gentle with an opportunity to make his move.
The Emperor has been bedridden for so long, and the Crown Prince is actually listening to opera! And this Languid Melody? What a devoted son!
The Steward vehemently denied it, insisting it must have come from another residence.
Old Vine immediately hummed a few more lines.
"My hearing is quite good," Gentle said with a smirk. "I always prefer diplomacy before force. Since the Prince's Mansion remains uncooperative despite my numerous pleas, I see no reason to spare you any face."
He raised his token. "The Office of Censors is here by royal decree to search! Step aside!"
Gentle led the way, kicking open a path. Just as he was about to order the gates to be smashed open, Old Vine secretly unlatched the door. Under his guidance, everyone approached the theater.
Outside the theater, the gates remained closed, indicating that the messenger had not yet arrived. Old Vine quietly climbed up to Sang Qingxiao's wrist and communicated with her. "The messenger has been dealt with; I tripped him, and he knocked himself out."
"Well done," Old Vine proudly recounted to Sang Qingxiao about the love-hate relationship between the Prince and the Actor. "That Actor doesn’t seem like an ordinary weak woman; be careful when you capture her."
Through Old Vine's detailed description, Sang Qingxiao confirmed that the Actor was indeed the woman who had escaped from the palace.
Gentle leaned closer to listen at the door but could only faintly hear laughter inside when Censor kicked open the gates.
As the door swung open, what everyone saw was shocking: a woman had been stabbed in the chest, and the hilt of the knife was gripped in the Crown Prince's hand.
At that moment, the Crown Prince looked utterly terrified.
"Your Highness," Yiyi said softly, "I know you had no choice. Accepting this wound is my repayment for your kindness. From now on..."
In his daze, the Crown Prince caught sight of Song Yiyi's provocative gaze and suddenly snapped back to reality. He threw her away from him, letting her head crash heavily against the ground. Pointing at her face in fury, he shouted, "You wretched woman! How dare you scheme against me!"
"Your Highness! Well... if you say it's scheming, then so be it," Yiyi replied with resignation. "As long as you're well, my worthless life is worth sacrificing."
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