Chapter 7: Conspiracy?

Achoo... Achoo... Achoo...

Jiang Yan sneezed several times in a row, wondering to himself, "Who's thinking about me? Could it be some troublemaker plotting against me?"

A palace maid approached his table, carrying a pot of fresh tea. Suddenly, as if she had lost her balance, she spilled the tea all over Jiang Yan.

Trembling, she immediately apologized, "I'm so sorry, Second Prince, I didn't mean to!"

Here it comes, here it comes—the clichéd plot of a novel was actually happening to him. Jiang Yan felt powerless to complain. What could he do? He was simply too handsome, and that always made someone envious.

He brushed aside the tousled fringe on his forehead, putting on an air of nonchalance. "It's fine. The weather's nice today; it'll dry quickly."

The palace maid froze for a moment, at a loss. What was she supposed to say to that? Wasn't he supposed to let her lead him to change his clothes?

Recalling her instructions, she pressed on, apologetic, "Second Prince, please allow me to take you to change into something dry. I would feel terribly guilty letting you wear wet clothes."

Jiang Yan thought, "Ah, this maid hasn't given up yet."

Fine, he supposed. There was no harm in going to have a look. Hmph, no need to guess who was behind this—clearly the Crown Prince and the Empress.

Well then, he ought to go... Heh heh heh...

"Very well," Jiang Yan replied. "I suppose I may as well change."

"My lord... allow me to accompany you," An Yi said, not entirely at ease.

After the past few days, An Yi had realized that his master had forgotten even his martial arts.

Jiang Yan patted An Yi on the shoulder and shot him a meaningful glance. "I'll be back soon. Just wait here for me."

Catching his master's signal, An Yi understood immediately and said no more about coming along.

"I know a quiet, secluded annex where you can change in peace, Your Highness. No one will disturb you. Please, follow me," the palace maid said.

With that, she led Jiang Yan through a maze of winding paths, twisting and turning again and again.

Jiang Yan soon felt dizzy from all the turns. Who could believe there was no plot afoot here?

Only a fool would believe that!

No sooner had the palace maid and Jiang Yan disappeared from sight than An Yi quietly followed at a distance. He knew how to keep to the shadows and maintain the right distance—those ahead never noticed him.

At last, after leaving a small bamboo grove behind, they arrived at the annex the maid had spoken of.

Jiang Yan saw a wooden house of about two hundred square feet, with a waterwheel in front, exuding the charm of a rustic riverside home.

Calling this an annex was quite apt—without a guide, who could possibly find this place?

"Second Prince, this is the annex. Inside, there are clean clothes prepared for guests. Please go in and change as you like," the palace maid said respectfully.

Jiang Yan strode toward the cabin with an air of complete indifference. As he reached out to push the door open, his hand paused.

He glanced back—the palace maid had already vanished without a trace.

Never mind. Whoever comes, he'll handle it. He was a grown man—what did he have to fear from a little intrigue?

Drawing on his extensive experience from reading novels, he covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve before pushing the wooden door open.

Looking around, he saw the room was furnished with rosewood: a large square table, two chairs, a big bronze mirror, and a spacious wardrobe. In the far left corner stood a broad bed draped with gauzy curtains.

Suddenly, with a sharp click, someone closed the door from outside.

Jiang Yan hurried over to try the door, but it was already locked.

At that moment, a faint wisp of smoke drifted into the room. Fortunately, Jiang Yan had already covered his mouth and nose, so he was hardly affected.

He took out a tiny porcelain bottle and swallowed a pill.

It was an antidote—a detoxifying pellet he had managed to wrangle for free from Mo Shiyu, and he was quite pleased about that.

One pill would keep him immune from poison for two hours.

"Mmm...water..." A hoarse, faint female voice came from the bed.

The room was so quiet that Jiang Yan heard her words perfectly.

He shivered. Good grief, who was the unlucky soul caught up in this mess? Clearly someone else had been tricked into coming here.

He approached the bed and lifted a corner of the curtain.

There lay a young woman, her cheeks flushed red. Her collar was slightly disheveled, and her hands moved restlessly.

Startled, Jiang Yan instantly released the curtain and repeated to himself, "Do not look at what is improper. Do not look at what is improper!"

He knew the girl had been poisoned and that time was short. According to the usual script, someone would soon arrive to witness the 'scene'.

For both their reputations, he needed to administer the antidote as quickly as possible.

He poured out a pill, lifted the bed curtain again, and, in one deft motion, slipped the antidote into the young woman's mouth.

Her throat moved as she swallowed the pill.

Soon, the flush faded from her cheeks.

She slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself on a strange bed. Immediately, she sat up, warily scanning her surroundings.

When she saw Jiang Yan, her gaze sharpened. She drew three throwing darts from her sleeve.

"Miss, wait! I was lured here just like you. When I arrived, you were already on this bed. Besides, I was the one who cured your poison. You can't repay kindness with malice," Jiang Yan explained at once.

The young woman was Lin Yurou. Jiang Yan had already taken note of her face during the ceremony earlier today.

On hearing his explanation, she decided to believe him. He didn't have the look of a villain.

"Thank you for saving me, Second Prince. I am Lin Yurou, and do not dare accept the title of heroine," she said, putting away her darts and offering sincere thanks.

Lin Yurou... Wasn't she the notorious villainess who shattered the heroine's golden core in the original novel?

Her fate was even more tragic than his as the second male lead—she didn't even leave a whole corpse behind.

To avenge the heroine, the protagonist had cut off the villainess's limbs, crippled her cultivation, and locked her in a vat for three years of torment.

In the end, desperate for death, the villainess begged the heroine, who, in an act of supposed mercy, agreed. The male lead even praised the heroine's kindness. What a joke!

The 'kind-hearted' heroine then ordered the villainess thrown into the depths of the mountains, where wolves dwelled. The villainess could only watch, helpless and in tears of fury, as she was devoured by wild beasts.

Jiang Yan had no particular opinion about the villainess. At the moment, he bore her no grudge.

Seeing her in person, he found Lin Yurou possessed a regal beauty—much more attractive than Lin Ruyan's delicate, innocent looks.

"So it's Miss Lin. No need for thanks—it was nothing. Still, we should think about how to get out of here."

"Since the door is locked, perhaps we can escape through the window," he suggested.

Hiss... hiss...

A faint hissing came from the roof. Lin Yurou and Jiang Yan looked up.

Several tiles had been removed, and An Yi's face appeared in the opening.

"My lord, forgive your servant for being late. I've come to get you out."

"An Yi, perfect timing! I'll make sure you get an extra drumstick when we return!"

An Yi lowered a rope from the roof, urging, "Please hurry, my lord—someone is coming from afar."

Jiang Yan handed the rope to Lin Yurou first. "Ladies first!"

Without hesitation, Lin Yurou took the rope and climbed up with swift, practiced movements—truly the mark of a heroine.

Jiang Yan wasn't idle either. He intended to leave a 'gift' for whoever had set him up.

He took out a sheet of paper with a turtle drawn on it and placed it on the table, then set a black, bowling-ball-sized orb atop it.

Satisfied, he dusted off his hands and smiled wickedly. "Heh heh heh, hope you enjoy this little present!"