049. All Efforts in Vain

Within the residence of the War King, the security had grown even more stringent. As Le Qianxue passed through, she felt as though a hundred pairs of eyes were fixed upon her, yet she walked forward with an air of perfect composure.

When she arrived at Zhan Lianjing’s chambers, Hao Yue and Zhui Xing had already been waiting for quite some time. Hao Yue, being a woman herself, showed a trace more gentleness; upon seeing Le Qianxue, she spoke directly, “The prince awoke this morning, but his mood has not improved. He even refuses to see the divine physician Tianci.”

“Then why call for me?” Le Qianxue found it a bit odd—surely Zhan Lianjing was no longer in any real danger.

Hao Yue hesitated before replying, “Miss Le, have you not noticed that the prince has always treated you somewhat differently?”

Le Qianxue frowned. “Not in the least.”

Hao Yue drew her aside. “Then why would the prince accompany you to rescue Yuan Tianci? And when Yang Ning’er tried to frame you, the prince saw through her schemes but said nothing. Why do you think that is?”

Having watched closely, Hao Yue felt she understood a little. She might not know others well, but she knew Zhan Lianjing thoroughly—he was not one to invite trouble upon himself without cause. It was true that he regarded Le Qianxue differently, though he seemed to have his own reasons for keeping his distance from her lately.

Le Qianxue mulled it over and admitted there might be some truth to it. “Perhaps your prince simply appreciates talent. But why bring me here now? When it comes to medicine, Master Tianci is far superior to me.”

She lied without a hint of shame.

Hao Yue paused, then spoke in a low voice, “Let me tell you something, Miss Le, but you must not let it slip to anyone.”

She glanced at the crowd in the corridor, but trusted Le Qianxue’s discretion. After all that had happened to Zhan Lianjing this time, Hao Yue was determined to take matters into her own hands, just this once.

Le Qianxue nodded. “Go ahead. If I let anything slip, I suppose your prince won’t spare me anyway. I do value my life, you know.”

Hao Yue’s lips quirked into a smile, and she relaxed a little. “The truth is, eight years ago, the prince lost something of great importance—something that has never been recovered. Last night, the assassin said the prince was worthless, and he already blames himself. Now, because of those words, he can’t get past this.”

Le Qianxue was perplexed. With Zhan Lianjing’s abilities, was there really anything he couldn’t recover? Suddenly, she recalled the matter of the ancestral scroll.

She asked, “May I ask, what exactly was lost?”

Hao Yue’s gaze darted away. “Better not to ask, Miss Le. For now, just think of how to comfort the prince.”

“Do you trust me, Hao Yue?” Le Qianxue asked.

Hao Yue was taken aback. “If I didn’t, would I be telling you all this?”

“Exactly. I just want to understand the situation. Your prince is ill; if he doesn’t soon resolve this knot in his heart, it will only worsen his condition. If it leaves a lasting mark, that would be a disaster.” Le Qianxue deliberately exaggerated, hoping to alarm Hao Yue.

Zhui Xing, unable to hold back, came over and said, “Hao Yue, don’t hesitate any longer. The prince’s health comes first.”

Hao Yue finally nodded. Zhui Xing was right—everything must come after Zhan Lianjing’s wellbeing. Besides, Le Qianxue and Zhan Lianjing had some rapport by now. If she could be won over to their side, so much the better.

She explained, “It’s actually the prince’s ancestral heirloom—something of the utmost significance. But eight years ago, it was stolen. The prince never found the thief, nor the treasure.”

“Your prince was actually swindled?” Le Qianxue couldn’t help but laugh. “I always thought he was the one who tricked others, not the other way around.”

Hao Yue could only smile. “That was in the past. The thief…”

Zhui Xing nudged her. “Don’t talk about that person. You’ll only upset everyone.”

Hao Yue sighed and fell silent.

Zhui Xing said, “The person last night… may be a distant relative. He said the prince was unworthy to safeguard the family heirloom, which is why the prince is like this now.”

Le Qianxue nodded. She understood. But what kind of object could plunge Zhan Lianjing into such gloom?

Hao Yue glanced at the room. “Miss Le, would you go in and try to persuade the prince? He won’t even take his medicine.”

Le Qianxue thought to herself that she was not a physician of the mind and knew little of comforting others. But with Hao Yue and Zhui Xing both beseeching her, she could hardly refuse. Wandering in for a while couldn’t hurt.

She entered the room to find Zhan Lianjing sitting on the bed, lost in thought, his eyes dark and shadowed. After considering for a moment, she approached.

The medicinal decoction on the bedside table had long since gone cold. She glanced at it and said, “Prince Zhan, you’ve just walked the border of death—why refuse your medicine? Are you hoping to stay ill forever?”

Zhan Lianjing was startled by her voice. Turning to look at her, his handsome face—though tinged with pallor—was enough to captivate anyone. Truly, he was beautiful, Le Qianxue thought.

“Who let you in?” Zhan Lianjing could barely be bothered to look at her. “Get out.”

Le Qianxue ignored him and sat down. He caught a faint whiff of medicine from her and frowned.

“Prince Zhan, it’s really nothing. Why not take your medicine first?” Le Qianxue’s voice was as gentle as possible. Zhan Lianjing could be stubborn; sometimes, he needed a soft touch.

Indeed, though he was injured, his temper was as fierce as ever.

He said, “I don’t want to see anyone. Leave!”

Le Qianxue paid him no mind. “Fine, just pretend I’m not human. Lost treasures can always be found again. Why don’t you tell me who stole it and what it was? I have some connections—maybe I can help you recover it.”

At this, Zhan Lianjing’s gaze turned suddenly dangerous, his eyes sharp as blades fixed on her. “Who told you?”

Le Qianxue’s heart leapt. She realized she had said the wrong thing. Hao Yue hadn’t revealed the details, and yet Zhan Lianjing was furious.

He abruptly seized her by the throat, his whole being radiating icy menace. “Why bring her up? Are you here to mock me as well?!”

Frightened and caught off guard, Le Qianxue struggled to breathe as his grip tightened. Her face turned pale and she tried to pry his hand away, but Zhan Lianjing seemed possessed, treating her as an enemy.

Through a haze, Le Qianxue saw only hatred and disdain in his eyes.

She managed to gasp, “Let me go… let me go…”

If this continued, she would suffocate—she would surely die.

Zhan Lianjing’s eyes reddened, but before she could break free, a sharp pain struck his chest, draining his strength. He had no choice but to release her; his internal injuries were far from healed, and such fury only made things worse.

Le Qianxue gulped in fresh air, coughing violently.

Her color slowly returned. Seeing Zhan Lianjing writhing in pain on the bed, she was tempted to leave him be, but couldn’t help herself. She roughly flipped him over and forced him to lie down properly.

“How dare you strangle me! Try it again and you’ll regret it!” she huffed, pressing several acupoints on his body to ease his pain.

With a casual pinch, Zhan Lianjing grunted, opening his eyes to look at her. His gaze had returned to normal.

He recalled what had just happened and, seeing the red marks on her neck, realized how hard he’d gripped her. Self-reproach filled his face. “I’m sorry.”

Le Qianxue paused in surprise. She had never heard Zhan Lianjing apologize before.

Her anger dissipated. “It’s nothing. Take care of your own health.”

With his pain lessened, his complexion improved as well.

Le Qianxue continued, “It was Hao Yue who told me. Don’t blame her—it was my own curiosity. Losing your heirloom wasn’t your choice; there’s no need to torture yourself.”

Zhan Lianjing lowered his eyes, unwilling to speak further.

Le Qianxue understood. If she pressed the issue, she might well be struck dead by him. She wisely let the matter drop.

But Zhan Lianjing said quietly, “That item must be found. Without it, I cannot die in peace.”

Was it really so grave?

Le Qianxue was intrigued. “What exactly is it?”

He glanced at her, and she immediately covered her mouth to show she would ask no more.

Seeing this, he wasn’t angry—her bright, guileless eyes held no hidden motives.

He said, “It’s not truly important. Forget it—go.”

Le Qianxue breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Zhan Lianjing wasn’t angry, all would be well.

But as she had come here, she had already devised a way to probe him.

She said, “Prince Zhan, there’s something I’ve never told you.”

“What is it?”

“When Young Lord Mu’s tendons were severed and Master Tianci treated him, I happened to find this slip of paper.” She handed it to Zhan Lianjing.

He took it, eyes narrowing as he read.

He couldn’t help but say, “So they’ve traced it to this…”

Le Qianxue tilted her head. “May I ask—what is this?”

Zhan Lianjing’s face darkened, cold as frost. “This is the ancestral scroll you were so interested in earlier. But I lost it eight years ago, and now the Mu family wants to get their hands on it—they must be fools.”

Le Qianxue was filled with regret. So it really was the ancestral scroll—meaning all her previous efforts had been in vain!