35: Chapter 35 The Tragic Little Prince's Nobleman 17
"Imperial Physician Wang, the task I have for you today is of great importance. If even a whisper of this leaks out, I will ensure not a single soul among your nine generations survives. Of course, if you handle this well, as long as I am on the throne, I can guarantee the prosperity of your Family forever. Do you understand?"
As these words, filled with both majesty and thinly veiled threats, reached his ears, Imperial Physician Wang felt a surge of nervousness. Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately bowed his head to pledge his loyalty.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. No matter what you need this old subject to do, I will brave any danger and face any fire for you. I will bury this secret deep in my stomach and take it with me to the grave."
Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan watched the reaction of the man below and nodded slightly, satisfied.
"The secret palace aphrodisiac, 'Chunqing'. I have heard that you accidentally concocted this medicine when you were young. Due to its peculiar properties, it was banned and removed from official records. Very few people know of it. Is this true?"
Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan looked sharply at Imperial Physician Wang, as if he would not tolerate a single word of denial.
"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. However, so much time has passed that I may not remember the formula clearly."
Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan frowned, his expression darkening. He stood up, walked directly to Imperial Physician Wang, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Imperial Physician Wang, what I need you to do is to concoct that medicine. No matter what method you use, I must see it before me tomorrow. Otherwise..."
By the end of his words, the Emperor's voice had turned menacing with a hint of evil Qi. Imperial Physician Wang trembled at the sound and knelt to salute.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. This old subject has always had the habit of keeping notes. Although much time has passed, I will certainly not fail your commission. It is just that I do not know where you intend to use this medicine..."
Before he could finish, he was interrupted by the young Emperor.
"Imperial Physician Wang, you are talking too much. If you no longer want your tongue, I can help you with that."
Imperial Physician Wang's forehead beaded with cold sweat. He already had a vague understanding in his heart; he feared the person for whom the medicine was intended was that person. Not daring to say anything more, he hurriedly shook his head and replied.
"It was this old subject's slip of the tongue. I beg Your Majesty to forgive my sin. I will return home now to search for the formula and will certainly deliver the medicine tomorrow."
Having said this, Imperial Physician Wang did not dare to delay further and hurriedly rose to withdraw. But before he could leave the palace gate, the Emperor's calm and majestic voice came from behind.
"Whatever you need, let Eunuch assist you. There must not be a single trace left of this matter. If even a whisper of it leaks out... if you do it well, I will keep the promise I made earlier."
Imperial Physician Wang trembled all over, and his aged face showed a rare trace of agitation and excitement.
At his age, the only thing he cared about was the rise and fall of his Family. He turned, bowed, and said respectfully.
"This old subject obeys. I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's expectations."
Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan waved his hand, signaling him to withdraw, and Imperial Physician Wang walked out. The journey was extremely discreet, heading straight for his residence outside the palace, and accompanying him was none other than Eunuch, the Emperor's personal attendant.
Inside the palace, Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan's murmurs echoed.
"Soon, it will be soon. Do not be impatient, be a little more patient. I am about to get it. He is about to truly belong to me. Ha... Ha..."
In the silent palace, a low, eerie, and excited chuckle rang out.
The next day, the young Emperor, who had promised to return for dinner, sent word that something had come up in the palace that needed handling, so he would not be able to return to have dinner with his master. He would come to see his master later after finishing his business.
Lu Zhan did not pay much attention to the message. He finished his dinner alone, just as he always did.
Sitting on the arhat bed by the window, he held a cup of clear tea and sipped it slowly. The taste was pleasant—pure, mellow, and sweet. His indifferent eyes were fixed on the scriptures in his hands.
Unconsciously, time slipped away bit by bit until the sun had completely set behind the mountains. A servant knocked and entered, lit the candles, and then quietly withdrew.
The moon quietly climbed into the sky, and the courtyard seemed to be sprinkled with a layer of silver light.
Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan walked with a steady, unhurried pace, approached, and pushed the door open. At a glance, the scene that met his eyes was, as expected, just as he had anticipated.
Inside the brightly lit room, Lu Zhan was sitting on a cushion, performing his daily pre-sleep routine: burning incense and meditating.
The sandalwood incense drifted out like wisps of white mist from the censer on the table in front of him. Accompanied by the cold, clear sound of chanting, it permeated the space around his body, and with every breath, Lu Zhan inhaled it into his lungs.
Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan knew all of his master's habits well, so as soon as he received the medicine from Imperial Physician Wang today, he had already ordered Shadow Guard An Yi to secretly slip the medicine into the sandalwood incense that his master used every day.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Lu Zhan knew it was Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan who had arrived, but he did not stop his actions. His face remained as cold and indifferent as ever; he simply continued to chant, eyes closed, twisting his prayer beads.
Under the candlelight, Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan was unusually dressed in a crimson robe, and his face seemed to have been carefully made up. His already exquisite and beautiful countenance appeared even more alluring.
His porcelain-white skin, lips like painted rouge, face like a peach blossom, and long, curled eyelashes were distinct. His long, narrow Phoenix eyes were painted with light red eyeshadow, the corners slightly upturned, and with the carefully drawn eyeliner, his features were overflowing with seduction.
It was a pity that, other than him, there was only Lu Zhan, who was focused on meditation, so there was no one to appreciate this beautiful sight.
Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan saw that Lu Zhan hadn't spared him a single bit of attention, but he did not mind. He did not go up to disturb him, but instead deliberately kept his distance.
Standing far away, he just watched his master's back quietly. In his ears was the sound of his master's cold, clear chanting, and before his eyes was the figure surrounded by wisps of white mist.
A strange excitement gradually stained Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan's eyes, shining with an inscrutable light, and his face wore an irrepressible joy.
It should be soon, right? He didn't know what his master would look like when completely bewildered. He must take a good look later. Thinking of this, his slender fingers trembled a few times from sheer excitement.
Lu Zhan didn't know what was wrong; he was just doing his evening lessons as usual, but he couldn't calm his heart down.
In his mind, a lingering face kept appearing—that was Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan in various states: sometimes the exquisite and beautiful youth, sometimes the majestic and overbearing young Emperor, or the obedient and cute little Disciple...
It had appeared too many times, and with it, his heart softened, giving rise to a sense of tenderness.
His usually indifferent desires, for some reason today, suddenly made him want to touch and stroke that little kitten who was majestic and overbearing in front of outsiders, but acted spoiled and begged for pity in front of him.
The more he thought, the more his body seemed to flush with heat. Even though his body was usually cool year-round and carried a hint of chill at night, he now began to feel scorching hot, which made Lu Zhan feel uncomfortable.
He recited Buddhist scriptures, his hands twisting the prayer beads, but he could not calm his heart at all. He could hardly control himself, and in his heart, the craving only intensified.
Could he have been drugged with something? Lu Zhan recalled, but everything seemed normal. Fifth Prince Qi Yuxuan had been busy all day and had just arrived in the room, seemingly afraid of disturbing him, as he could hear his footsteps from quite a distance.
He carefully felt the sensations in his body again; it seemed like just a normal, instinctive reaction. Comparing it with his extremely clear consciousness, it didn't seem like he had been drugged.