Chapter 638: Chapter 638

Xie Xun galloped all the way to the Feng Mansion, and by the time he dismounted at the gate, his usual composed demeanor was nowhere to be seen. His mind was in chaos, his heart pounded erratically, and his body was ice-cold. He dreaded hearing bad news about Fengyu. Clearly, she only needed to make it past midnight to escape the curse of her 18th birthday. Why had things taken such a sudden and grim turn? Both he and Fengyu believed that the curse had long since lost its power. Lately, everything had been calm and uneventful, and with so many capable guards by her side, how could anything have gone wrong? Zhang Lingzheng had practically taken her pulse every three days and assured them she was in fine health.

Fengyu lay pale and lifeless on the bed, her face ashen, her body cold as if she were a corpse. Zhang Lingzheng and several Imperial Physicians stood around the bedside, utterly helpless. Feng Changqing and Su Yuejiao, her eyes swollen from crying, stepped aside to make room. Xie Xun sat on the edge of the bed and grasped Fengyu’s icy hand. The Imperial Physicians knelt in unison, begging for forgiveness. Xie Xun raised a hand, striving to appear calm, and said in a steady tone, "Diagnose her. Pay no attention to me."

Zhang Lingzheng was at an absolute loss. Fengyu’s hand was as frigid as ice, while Xie Xun, having rushed there in such urgency, radiated heat from his palm. Clutching her hand, he seemed to be trying with all his strength to warm her, but it was in vain. Were it not for the faint rise and fall of her breath, she might as well have already been dead.

"Your Majesty, we have never encountered symptoms like Miss Fengyu’s before. There are no visible injuries, and her pulse is relatively steady. We... we cannot determine the cause of her illness."

"Her pulse is steady, and there are no wounds. Then how could she have fallen into such a state of unconsciousness? Bring in more physicians to examine her," Xie Xun’s voice trembled slightly as he spoke. Su Yuejiao had already sent people to search the city for additional doctors. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novᴇlfire.net

Everyone present knew that the Imperial Physicians from the palace represented the pinnacle of medical expertise. If they were unable to diagnose the illness, it was very likely that the civilian doctors would also fail to discern the problem.

Gazing at Fengyu lying on the bed, Xie Xun’s heart ached. He slowly released her hand and stepped outside, where Zhang Da and his personal guards were waiting. His expression darkened. "What exactly happened here?"

In truth, the situation was a series of coincidences. Communications between Sannan and Beiman had been ongoing, especially since they had joined forces in a campaign against Beining. Unexpectedly, their efforts had ended in utter failure. Beiman’s swift surrender was beyond Han Ziqi’s expectations. According to their initial plan, the Beiman forces were supposed to tie down the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry for at least a year or two, doubling the chances of success by coordinating attacks on the Twelve States.

After Sannan’s defeat, several young generals from the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry deliberately spread rumors to stir animosity between Sannan and Beiman. They claimed that Beiman’s quick surrender was a calculated move to exhaust Sannan, rather than an earnest effort to cooperate with them. This narrative painted Sannan as having chosen the wrong ally, bringing about its own downfall by instigating unnecessary conflict. Naturally, Han Ziqi was incensed. Now, with both Dugu Jing and Han Ziqi in the capital, the court sought to orchestrate the surrender of both Sannan and Beiman—but their schemes would need to be clever. Although the two delegations were housed in separate guest residences, the buildings were not far from one another.

Since arriving in the capital, Han Ziqi had also caught wind of rumors that Dugu Jing was intent on negotiating a surrender. The martial contest was a mere façade; if Dugu Jing intended to capitulate, all he had to do was intentionally lose to Beining.

In recent days, Dugu Jing had been living a carefree and wanton life in the capital, seemingly having forgotten the hardships endured by Beiman’s people in their icy, snowy homeland.

Han Ziqi, narrow-minded as he was, took these rumors to heart and clashed with Dugu Jing on multiple occasions. Dugu Jing, brash by nature, was easily provoked. The tension between them escalated, culminating in a violent altercation when they encountered each other in the streets after leaving their respective guesthouses.

That day, this confrontation unfolded on the very road Fengyu had to take to enter the palace. Zhang Da, observing from a distance, saw the chaos between the two factions. Fengyu, curious, alighted from her carriage. She was acquainted with both Dugu Jing and Han Ziqi, having met them several times before. Her intention was to mediate, urging them not to brawl in the streets. The Capital Governor would not dare intervene, but if innocents were injured, it would be disastrous.

No one could have anticipated what happened next. Fengyu collapsed suddenly from an acute illness as she approached them, losing consciousness before Zhang Da or the guards could react.

"Was she injured by anyone?"

"No. She was still some distance away from them. Initially, we planned to send subordinates to mediate. The people around her were all our own, yet she suddenly fainted. We were caught completely off guard."

Xie Xun questioned a few more of the trusted guards in succession, and they all provided the same account. Swallowing hard, he asked through gritted teeth, "Where are Han Ziqi and Dugu Jing now?"

"They have each returned to their respective guesthouses."

Since the incident had no direct link to either party, as no harm had been inflicted on any bystanders, Zhang Da and the others could not detain envoys from two nations. However, as a precautionary measure, Zhang Boxi had already deployed the Jinyi Guard to tightly encircle the guesthouses, ensuring that Han Ziqi and Dugu Jing remained within their sight at all times.

While Xie Xun was interrogating the guards, Xie Jue arrived with Ruyi in tow.

His trusted aides, ever well-informed, had already delivered the news early on. Upon entering Fengyu’s room and taking a close look at her, Xie Jue uttered in a detached tone, "Go question Dugu Jing about the matter of the蛊虫."

"This resembles the symptoms of蛊 poisoning."

Xie Xun responded in a cold, firm voice, "Bring Dugu Jing here for me immediately!"

He refused to move even a step away from the Feng Mansion. If anything were to happen to Fengyu, he could not bear the thought of not being by her side for her final moments.