On Our Wedding Night, I Discovered the Crown Prince's Hidden Illness

Mrs. Feng's face flushed with anger and her nostrils twisted when she heard that. In a fit of rage, she picked up a teacup from the tea table with the intention of smashing it.

Then she remembered the teacup was bought with a considerable amount of silver and set it down again.

Instead, she picked up some worthless broken bowls to smash.

But it still wasn't enough to calm her anger.

She couldn't even touch or handle the items bestowed by the Emperor and Princess, but that little girl dared to demand all of Mrs. Zhang's dowry back.

Not only that, but she also demanded a dowry from her!

"What audacity!" Mrs. Feng trembled with anger, her eyes brimming with resentment.

When Lai Manting heard from the servants that her mother was extremely angry, she hurried over to console her.

Upon reaching Lanxiang Court, she heard the crisp sound of porcelain shattering and quickly rushed inside.

"Mother, that little girl has been scared by poverty after five years in the mountains. As long as that wealth is in our residence, obtaining it is just a matter of means and timing."

Mrs. Feng calmed down slightly, "You make sense. She probably hasn't even seen a silver note worth a hundred taels."

The mother and daughter analyzed the situation for a long time, and Mrs. Feng felt increasingly that she shouldn't have lost her temper in Qingyu Residence.

"Today, I was really angered by your second brother, and that's why I lashed out at her in Qingyu Residence."

That caused the little girl to be on guard, unwilling to reveal her rewards and even indirectly demanding her dowry back.

Lai Manting comforted her, "Mother, after all, she is just one person, with only a maid and a deaf and mute old woman by her side. However strong she is, what can she really achieve? Today, she was only showing off because Eunuch Ye was there to relay the imperial decree."

If there hadn't been people from the palace there, would Leng Yu Yan have been able to do that?

At that moment, she truly was blinded by the exquisite jewelry. If asked for it afterward, how could Leng Yu Yan, the fool, refuse?

Even if she refused, with a bit of scheming, wouldn't the fine items still end up in her hands?

--

Not long after Eunuch Ye returned to the palace to report, news of the events at the Leng Family reached Ye Yiheng's ears.

After Song Guo finished recounting the information he gathered, he asked, "Your Highness, does Miss Lai truly wish to marry you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Previously, in Xinya Academy, she defended Your Highness by slapping Miss Xu from the Xu Family four times, the sound still echoes in my ears. Inside Xingning Palace, Your Highness, you first said the Divine Doctor was fake, and she helped you expose the fake divine doctor. Now, she wants her mother's dowry back—isn't it because she wants a more substantial dowry when marrying Your Highness? Moreover, she also mentioned that managing that wealth was to prepare her for managing the Eastern Palace's properties in the future."

Ye Yiheng spoke in an indifferent tone, "Song Guo, how many years have you been with me?"

"Your lowly servant started following Your Highness at the age of seven, and it's been twelve years now."

His family had too many brothers, and the older ones had reached the age to marry, yet no one came to propose marriage. The reason was no other than their extreme poverty.

Driven by financial needs, his family sent him to the palace in exchange for silver.

That year, he was only seven.

Also, that year, Ye Yiheng was officially designated the Crown Prince and needed to leave the Empress Dowager to reside in the Eastern Palace.

The Empress wanted to select a little eunuch of similar age to the Crown Prince.

Just then, there was a suitably aged boy who had just undergone castration; unfortunately, he lost too much blood, and the Empress lamented the pity upon hearing this.

At that moment, Ye Yiheng was eating pine nuts. He pushed the plate of pine nuts in front of him towards a eunuch and said, "Send these pine nuts, and tell him if he can survive, he can accompany me to the Eastern Palace."

Ye Yiheng, though not knowledgeable in medicine, had read in books that pine nuts had anti-inflammatory and blood-stopping properties, as well as strengthening benefits.

It was convenient since he was eating them, so he decided to do a kindness.

Anyone sent to the palace to be a eunuch, if they encountered accidents during castration, had no money for treatment.

Song Guo was no exception back then.

But he ate the pine nuts sent by the people of the Crown Prince and miraculously survived.

Since then, he had been faithfully by Ye Yiheng's side, even changing his name to Song Guo.

He had so many brothers, yet his biological parents chose only him to send to the palace.

When his castration went awry, his family disregarded him. That moment erased any illusions he had about his birth family.

Later, the family told me they had used the silver he acquired by leaving home to build a bungalow, which even helped his first two brothers find wives.

Since then, he had barely been in touch with his family.

In his view, it was the Crown Prince who had given him a new chance at life.

Now, there was a noble lady willing to marry the Crown Prince, and he was genuinely happy.

Ye Yiheng shook his head, "You are still naive."

Song Guo bowed respectfully, "I am dull, please enlighten me, Your Highness!"

"He's just using the opportunity to take back what belongs to her," Ye Yiheng said, and without realizing it, a faint smile curled the corners of his lips, almost imperceptible.

Song Guo still confused, "Doesn't Miss Lai want to marry Your Highness? With so many women in the world, why would none want to marry him?"

Ye Yiheng coughed violently, Song Guo quickly tried to ease his breathing, but to no avail.

His coughing wouldn't stop, and his body became colder and colder.

Song Guo sent for the Imperial Physician and had people assist the Crown Prince into the house, covering him with silk quilts.

When the Imperial Physician arrived, he prescribed a remedy and prepared the medicine.

After Ye Yiheng had taken the medicine, his condition somewhat improved.

"It's this body of mine that's the reason no one's willing to marry me."

Tears unwelcomingly filled Song Guo's eyes as he turned away to wipe them.

It was February now, and the weather grew warmer, but the Crown Prince's condition only seemed to worsen.

Jian Lecheng, upon hearing the news, hurried to the Eastern Palace.

Seeing Ye Yiheng wrapped up like a dumpling, he frowned deeply, "I've said it before, even if it costs a hundred thousand gold, it would be worth it if the Divine Doctor could cure you."

Ye Yiheng remained silent, his whole body felt as if it had been encased in ice.

The eye disease had persisted for a long time, and the cold symptoms were aggressive.

Whether there was a connection between the two wasn't clear to Ye Yiheng, and even the Imperial Physicians couldn't explain it.

Ye Yiheng coughed a few times and slowly said, "Perhaps there's no such thing as a Divine Doctor in this world."

Seeing his normally handsome face now seemed frosted over, Jian Lecheng's frown deepened, "How could that be?"

"Maybe the one from Linqing Pavilion is just a con artist with better tricks."

"Your Highness, we still need to hold on to hope, don't we?"

Although Jian said this, he didn't feel very confident himself.

Ye Yiheng leaned his head to the side and closed his eyes to rest.

--

That afternoon, Leng Yu Yan entered the palace again.

This time, Consort Xian had sent for her.

Leng Yu Yan had a rough idea of Consort Xian's purpose and remained silent throughout the journey.

The palace maid sent by Consort Xian observed her the whole way, trying to anticipate what Leng Yu Yan might ask her, but she didn't utter a single question.

The maid thought to herself that the ugly Leng girl, having entered the palace twice on a holiday, must be tired.

Thinking this, she felt even more contemptuous; ugly and frail, truly good for nothing.

Why would Consort Xian instruct her to serve her well?

Consort Xian's Chenglan Palace was splendidly decorated with carved beams and painted rafters. Suddenly, a breeze came, carrying a whiff of fragrance.

Leng Yu Yan wrinkled her nose, disliking the scent.

Following the palace maid, she entered the main hall.

Inside the main hall stood Chen's throne, flanked by screens and a curio shelf, with an incense burner in the center.

A crystal bead curtain cascaded down, and Consort Xian came out with a gentle laugh, "Has Yu Yan arrived?"