When Shen Suifeng asked, Feng Lezhen guiltily looked up at the sky. He let out a helpless laugh, “Right now, I’ve only confirmed that the roots of this orchid are poisonous. Whether it’s related to the plague still requires further investigation. Your Highness, don’t get ahead of yourself.”
“I believe Mr. Shen will surely uncover the truth,” Feng Lezhen replied with utmost seriousness.
Shen Suifeng raised an eyebrow. “Your Highness is certainly fired up.”
“Of course, I’m eager to recover quickly so I can accompany Mr. Shen home for a family visit,” Feng Lezhen smiled.
Shen Suifeng chuckled softly and, for once, didn’t tease her further. “I need to take the orchid with me.”
“Please, go ahead,” Feng Lezhen generously allowed.
Shen Suifeng didn’t waste words either. He picked up the orchid and left. Feng Lezhen quietly watched him until he reached the doorway, where he suddenly turned back, finally showing a faint smile. “Is there something else?” she asked.
Shen Suifeng paused. “Your Highness, rest early.”
Feng Lezhen’s expression softened. “Mm.”
Once the door closed, the smile on her face completely disappeared.
In truth, no one could say whether the orchid had anything to do with the plague—those two things should have had no connection whatsoever. But they had already reached a dead end. If they didn’t turn back now and seek a new path, even if they killed Liu Mingde to protect the people at the training ground, it would only be temporary.
One step at a time, then. She sighed softly and went back to bed to rest.
At dawn, her fever returned—this time more fiercely than ever. The burning heat seemed as if it would reduce her to ashes. Half-conscious, she vaguely saw a figure in a brocade robe approaching her. In a daze, her fingers moved slightly, and he immediately held her hand.
“Why… are you here?” Her voice was hoarse.
His warm reply came, “I was worried about you, so I came to check on you.”
Feng Lezhen closed her eyes. Even her breath felt scalding hot. “Will I die?”
A soft laugh came from beside her. “Your Highness will not die.”
Feng Lezhen silently curved her lips into a slight smile. Only when the hand holding hers was released did she force her eyes open again with great difficulty. “Fu Zhixian, where are you going?”
The figure, who was just about to leave, paused for a long time before answering, “To fetch medicine for Your Highness.”
Feng Lezhen barely managed to respond, and then she knew nothing more.
She slept in a muddled state for who knew how long. When she awoke again, she only felt weak, with a dry mouth and parched throat. The dream from the previous day had already blurred in her memory.
Why did she suddenly dream of him?
Feng Lezhen gave a helpless smile. As she pushed herself up from the bed, she suddenly noticed something strange—
The dense rashes on her hands had mostly faded.
“What is Your Highness looking at?” Shen Suifeng’s voice suddenly sounded.
Feng Lezhen frowned and looked up at him.
Today, he was as usual, still dressed in his white robes.
“I investigated all night, and finally confirmed it,” Shen Suifeng smiled, his eyes seemingly glowing faintly, “Your Highness may really not have the plague—this could be the poison from the orchid.”
“… Poison?” Her voice was extremely hoarse at first.
Shen Suifeng lowered his head to pour a cup of water, quickly walked over, and helped her drink it. Feng Lezhen only felt as though her throat was like farmland suffering from three years of drought—the first mouthful of warm liquid actually felt like a sharp pain.
“More,” she said lazily.
Shen Suifeng poured her another cup.
After drinking two cups, Feng Lezhen slowly let out a breath. “Are you sure?”
She was asking about the plague.
“Although I don’t know exactly what’s going on, the medicine I gave Your Highness was indeed an antidote, and it clearly worked. Not only did Your Highness’s fever subside immediately, but the rashes on your body also lessened significantly,” Shen Suifeng explained.
Feng Lezhen paused. “You came back last night?”
Shen Suifeng was silent for a moment, then smiled. “No.”
“Then you—”
“This morning, I gave Your Highness the medicine,” Shen Suifeng explained before she could finish. “It’s already been two hours since then.”
Feng Lezhen quietly met his gaze, then shifted the topic. “But if it’s just poisoning, why did it affect so many people?”
The key difference between a plague and other illnesses is its contagiousness—that’s why entire cities could be overrun by it. Poisoning, on the other hand, usually only affects those who touched or ingested the toxin; others should not have been implicated.
“This kind of orchid has extremely poisonous roots. Even the soil where it grows becomes toxic. Perhaps the commoners came into contact with the soil and that’s how they got sick?” Shen Suifeng analyzed.
Feng Lezhen lightly shook her head. “The commoners in the city aren’t all farmers—how could all of them have touched the soil? And among those who got sick, there were even infants still in swaddling clothes. Surely they weren’t working in the fields?”
“Your Highness means—the poison from the orchid is contagious?” Shen Suifeng frowned.
Feng Lezhen smiled. “You’re a doctor—don’t you know whether such a thing is possible?”
Shen Suifeng was helpless. “After so many days without finding a cure, how can I still call myself a doctor?”
“You must trust your own judgment, Mr. Shen,” Feng Lezhen smiled sweetly. “You’ve practiced medicine for so many years—how could you be tripped up by something like this?”
Shen Suifeng met her eyes for a moment, then gradually smiled. “If the poison came from livestock, it might be contagious. But in all my years of practice, plant-based toxins—especially from the roots—should never be contagious.”
“Exactly. Which means there must be something we don’t know about that caused the entire city to be poisoned,” Feng Lezhen murmured. “What could possibly poison so many people at once…”
She paused, then looked up at Shen Suifeng. “Water.”
“Water.”
They spoke in unison.
Shen Suifeng’s throat bobbed as he stared at her. “The day before Your Highness fell ill, didn’t you drink some unboiled water?”
“Why aren’t you checking already?” Feng Lezhen raised an eyebrow.
Shen Suifeng immediately turned and ran.
Feng Lezhen smiled and, after sitting on the bed in thought for a moment, got up and dressed to go out.
Shen Suifeng hurried to the well behind the kitchen, just in time to see two young patients fetching water. He immediately pushed them aside and threw a handful of silver needles into the wooden bucket.
The young patients exchanged glances, then couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. Shen, what are you doing?”
“Shh!” Shen Suifeng frowned tightly, and they immediately dared not speak further.
After a while, the silver needles in the bucket gradually turned black. The two young patients were wide-eyed with shock. “Th-this… Mr. Shen, we didn’t poison the water!”
They hadn’t studied much, but they knew that when silver needles turn black, it means the water is poisonous. But they had clearly done nothing just now!
“I didn’t say you poisoned it.” Shen Suifeng smiled easily, not even bothering to fish out the needles before he was about to leave. But suddenly thinking of something, he turned back. “Is there any boiled water in the kitchen?”
“There is… it was prepared for Your Highness.” The young patient answered honestly.
Shen Suifeng immediately entered the kitchen.
At the training ground, Feng Lezhen had just finished questioning the gathered townspeople when Shen Suifeng appeared. He waited until everyone had left before he could finally contain his excitement enough to speak. “Your—Your Highness, it’s confirmed. The unboiled water is indeed poisoned. Once it’s boiled, the poison is gone. No wonder I and the other doctors haven’t gotten sick—it’s not because we’re physically stronger, but because we never drink unboiled water!”
He was panting heavily, clearly having run all the way here. His bloodshot eyes stared at the figure on the platform, as if looking up at a deity.
Feng Lezhen’s expression remained calm as she extended her hand toward him. Shen Suifeng, though unsure why, instinctively went to support her.
As Feng Lezhen gracefully descended the platform, she said, “When I gathered the townspeople earlier, I noticed that most of their clothing was made of rough cloth. Among so many sick people, there were only a handful dressed in fine silk.”
Shen Suifeng paused. “Why is Your Highness suddenly paying attention to the fabric of their clothing?”
“You were born into the Shen family, as wealthy as a nation. Surely you know the quality of one’s clothes says a lot,” Feng Lezhen countered.
Shen Suifeng was slightly startled, then suddenly understood. “Your Highness means—the so-called ‘plague’ only affected the poor?”
“Those wealthy families are all finicky and particular. How many of them would, like me, drink unboiled water? No wonder that beast Liu Mingde has remained untouched,” Feng Lezhen said with a smile. “Xijiang City lives by the West River, which flows from west to east. The so-called plague this time is also most severe in the west. The people who died earlier mostly drank directly from the river. Even boiling the water left some toxins.”
“Most of those who survived now have their own wells at home. This shows that even if the river water is poisoned, the toxins in the wells are far weaker. And in the eastern part of the city, almost no one got sick—proving that as the river flows east, the concentration of the toxin decreases. By the time the water reaches that side, it’s been diluted. Fortunately, that’s why the soldiers stationed outside the East Gate haven’t fallen ill.”
“I’ve already asked around. Liu Mingde planted three acres of orchids by the river on the west side of the city. It seems this so-called plague was caused by those orchids,” Feng Lezhen said.
Shen Suifeng’s steps grew slower and slower, and by the time he heard the last part, he came to a full stop. Feng Lezhen stopped with him, puzzled as she asked, “Why aren’t you walking?”
“…I just went to test the well water, and Your Highness has already investigated the entire cause and effect?” Shen Suifeng couldn’t help but laugh in exasperation.
Feng Lezhen looked completely innocent. “You don’t understand. People like us, with some power and status, always find things easier to handle.”
Faced with her teasing, Shen Suifeng merely gave her a calm look. “Now that we’ve figured it out, it’s easy to deal with. All we need is the right treatment and to pull out those orchids.”
“Start with the treatment. As for the orchids—” Feng Lezhen looked up to meet his eyes, “—there’s no rush to pull them out.”
Shen Suifeng paused, his brows slowly furrowing. “Why not?”
“Hiding the truth about a plague is already a serious crime. If he finds out the plague was caused by those three acres of orchids, what do you think he would do?” Feng Lezhen countered.
Shen Suifeng locked eyes with her, suddenly feeling a chill spread through his body.
Seeing that he understood, Feng Lezhen gave a faint smile. “Tell Ah Ye to strictly guard the training grounds. No one is allowed to enter or leave.”
“Your Highness is worried someone might try to report it?” Shen Suifeng immediately realized.
Feng Lezhen said calmly, “One cannot be too careful.”
Shen Suifeng nodded, indicating he understood.
“Before we leave, this must remain a plague.”
“…Understood,” Shen Suifeng answered in a low voice.
Feng Lezhen said no more and turned to return to her quarters.
That afternoon, the large pots on the training grounds still boiled medicine using the old formula, but Shen Suifeng quietly added detoxifying herbs when no one was watching.
By early the next morning, everyone’s symptoms had significantly improved. For the people who had been losing hope, this was like a miracle. Soon, even more prayer cloths were tied to the trees by the roadside.
“They seem to think their recovery is thanks to the bonfire prayer two nights ago.” The medicine Shen Suifeng personally made for Feng Lezhen was stronger, and now her body was fully cleared of rashes, with only a few traces left on her hands—which she didn’t mind. She found it amusing. “Your credit has been claimed by the gods. Do you mind, Mr. Shen?”
Shen Suifeng was tidying her room as he calmly replied, “If it weren’t for the bonfire prayer, we wouldn’t have thought of the connection between the plague and the orchids. Strictly speaking, the credit does belong to the gods.”
Feng Lezhen raised her eyebrows slightly. “When did Mr. Shen become so superstitious?”
Shen Suifeng chuckled. “Probably from the moment Your Highness’s hands became covered in rashes.”
The smile in Feng Lezhen’s eyes deepened. As he swept the floor near her, she knowingly lifted her feet. Shen Suifeng’s lips curved into a smile as he quickly cleaned the spot beneath her feet.
Although the orchid’s roots were highly toxic, the poison was greatly diluted by the river water. By the time it seeped into the wells, the concentration was almost negligible. The reason it was so difficult to treat was because the wrong medicine had been used before, and because the people continued drinking unboiled water. Now that the true cause was found, treatment became much easier, and the patients improved visibly day by day.
The commoners didn’t understand medicine. They assumed the medicine they were drinking was the same as before. But the residue left after boiling the herbs didn’t fool the other doctors. After noticing the addition of detoxifying herbs, the doctors had complicated thoughts. Sure enough, someone tried to sneak away to report it, but was immediately caught by Ah Ye after barely stepping outside the training grounds.
“Your Highness, spare me! I just wanted to go home to see my elderly mother, I—”
Feng Lezhen had no interest in hearing his excuses and simply ordered Ah Ye to drag him away.
Moments later, a miserable scream echoed from outside.
The candlelight flickered in the room. Half of Shen Suifeng’s body was hidden in the shadows, and he remained silent for a long time.
Feng Lezhen quietly sipped her tea, then asked unhurriedly, “In a bad mood?”
Shen Suifeng raised his eyes to look at her and, after a long while, finally smiled helplessly. “Not really. I’m just a little surprised. Doctor Li is highly skilled and has always been patient with his patients. When he came to the training grounds this time, he had fully prepared himself to die. I didn’t expect…”
“You didn’t expect that such a virtuous doctor would go to Liu Mingde to betray us?” Feng Lezhen finished for him.
Shen Suifeng fell silent.
“He’s a doctor, but he’s also an ordinary person. Faced with a secret that could bring him unimaginable wealth, it’s only natural that he would be tempted,” Feng Lezhen played with her empty cup, her tone indifferent. “Once tempted, he must pay the price. Everyone is the same.”
Shen Suifeng’s gaze flickered, and after a while, he looked at her again.
Feng Lezhen smiled softly and met his eyes gently. “So, what should I do to make Mr. Shen a little happier?”
“I’m not that fragile. But if Your Highness wants to do something for me, I certainly won’t refuse.” Shen Suifeng leaned back in his chair, once again acting as if nothing mattered.
Feng Lezhen thought for a moment, then actually walked over to him. Shen Suifeng’s gaze followed her the entire time, until she stopped in front of him and slowly leaned down. Only then did he sit upright, no longer as relaxed as before.
The air suddenly went quiet. The temperature seemed to rise.
Shen Suifeng watched her face draw closer and closer. His throat bobbed involuntarily.
When they were almost breathing the same air, he instinctively closed his eyes.
A soft laugh sounded beside his ear. He opened his eyes in confusion, only to see Feng Lezhen had already stepped back.
“It’s getting late, Mr. Shen. You should go rest,” she said calmly, watching him with ease.
Shen Suifeng stared at her for a long time, then suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Feng Lezhen hadn’t expected him to do that. Caught off guard, she was pulled right onto his lap.
“Mr. Shen is getting bolder and bolder.” Her expression was blank.
Shen Suifeng hooked his lips into a smile, just about to speak when Ah Ye suddenly burst in. “Your Highness, everything has already—”
She didn’t finish her sentence. When she saw the posture of the two, her eyes instantly widened in shock.
“Y-you two—”
Being stared at like that, they couldn’t continue doing anything. Feng Lezhen silently stood up, and Shen Suifeng lazily walked out. The two of them were calm, making Ah Ye’s reaction seem overly dramatic.
Ah Ye suddenly gasped, “Your Highness, what is going on with you two?!”
“A man and a woman alone—what else could it be?” Feng Lezhen looked completely innocent.
Shen Suifeng, who had just walked out the door, caught her words, and a faint smile flickered in his eyes. The next second, he heard Ah Ye cry out indignantly, “Even if Your Highness likes pretty boys, you can’t wrong yourself like this!”
The smile on his face instantly vanished.
