"Ridiculous!" Xiao Tianchi's face darkened. "The case of the Crown Prince's assassination remains unsolved, and the culprit is still at large. This matter cannot be delayed any longer. Someone must stay here to oversee it. Moreover, the tasks the Crown Prince intended to accomplish during his southern journey are unfinished. You can't expect me, a useless man, to run around, can you?"
Xiao Yixuan looked conflicted. "But..."
Sighing, he relented. Turning to Doctor Wang, he said, "Please take good care of Uncle Royal Highness, Doctor Wang. Don't let him suffer too much."
Doctor Wang nodded. "I will do my best."
Xiao Yixuan couldn't help but glance at Ye Wanmian. She still kept her head down and didn't look at him. However, she gently touched the handkerchief hidden in her sleeve with her finger, her brows slightly furrowed.
As she had expected, both the Prince of Mu and the Prince of Xuan seemed to have confirmed that the corpse was that of the Crown Prince, without the slightest doubt about its identity.
Did they really not notice, or were they deliberately promoting this?
If it was the latter, then this handkerchief must not be handed over at any cost.
The Prince of Mu, exhausted, dismissed everyone. Xiao Yixuan stopped Eunuch Wang from seeing them off. Smiling, he said, "Eunuch Wang, just take good care of Uncle Royal Highness. I'll see Doctor Wang out."
The three of them walked outside together. Ye Wanmian was sandwiched between Doctor Wang and Xiao Yixuan. Doctor Wang rounded the corner of the stairs. Just as Ye Wanmian was about to follow, a strong force came from her arm. Xiao Yixuan pulled her back, and their figures disappeared on the stairs.
In the empty room, Xiao Yixuan covered Ye Wanmian's mouth with one hand and tightly grasped her wrist with the other. They were extremely close, so close that Ye Wanmian could even see the roots of Xiao Yixuan's eyelashes.
But the next moment, Xiao Yixuan let out an "ouch" and let go of his hands, covering his leg and stepping back. A yellow figure darted between them, standing in front of Ye Wanmian and growling threateningly at Xiao Yixuan with its body lowered.
"Ye Wanmian, control your dog!" Xiao Yixuan was caught off guard and bitten. Furious, he couldn't help but shout.
Ye Wanmian suppressed her laughter and blinked innocently. "Who told you to suddenly pull me in? You know my Dahuang is loyal to its master."
Ye Wanmian's smile faded, and her tone became a bit colder.
"Prince of Xuan, if you have something to say, say it quickly. If Master finds out I'm missing, he will surely come looking for me. If he sees us two together, it will be hard to explain."
Hearing her mention Doctor Wang, Xiao Yixuan said, "Doctor Wang will accompany my uncle back to the capital. What about you, Mian'er?"
Ye Wanmian replied, "I'll follow Master's instructions. I'll do whatever he tells me to do."
"Mian'er..." Xiao Yixuan was about to say something else when Ye Wanmian interrupted him. "Your Highness, I'm a widow. Please don't be so affectionate in your address. Otherwise, it may spread rumors and make your fiancée sad."
Xiao Yixuan's pupils constricted, and his face showed a bit of astonishment. "Mian'er, you know about it?"
No, how did she know?
Xiao Jingcheng watched Xiao Yixuan gloatingly.
This pretender, calling her Mian'er so affectionately. Now he's in trouble, isn't he?
There was an irreconcilable feud between her and the Ye family. Since he was so close to the Ye family, how could she treat him nicely?
"Mian'er, listen to my explanation."
Xiao Yixuan reached out his hand to touch Ye Wanmian, but she took a step back and smiled. "Your Highness, please go back quickly and find a royal physician to treat your wound. This humble woman will take her leave now."
With that, she turned around and was about to leave. Xiao Yixuan instinctively wanted to chase after her, but the yellow dog jumped out and bared its teeth at him threateningly. The wound on Xiao Yixuan's leg still hurt. He stepped back to avoid it, and Ye Wanmian took this opportunity to go out of the door and downstairs.
The yellow dog also flicked its tail and neatly followed her.
Chasing after her at this moment would only attract attention, and then Ye Wanmian's identity would be exposed. Xiao Yixuan's face changed several times. He had no choice but to put aside his thoughts for the time being and go back to find a royal physician to treat his wound.
The dog's teeth were sharp. Although he was wearing clothes and boots, they still left marks on his skin. Fortunately, it was just a scratch and there was no bleeding. He just needed to apply some golden sore medicine.
"Don't let anyone know that I'm injured, or I'll hold you accountable." Xiao Yixuan admonished.
Doctor Jin quickly agreed.
When Ye Wanmian walked out of Liuxiang Tower, she saw Doctor Wang waiting there.
Doctor Wang glanced behind her and asked, "Why are you so late?"
Ye Wanmian replied without blinking, "The Prince of Xuan asked me about the Prince of Mu's condition."
Although Doctor Wang had doubts in his heart, he didn't say anything. He took her and left together.
On the way, Ye Wanmian kept turning her head to look at Doctor Wang beside her. Doctor Wang noticed that she had something to say. After they returned to the medical clinic, he casually found an excuse to dismiss Qi Wen. Then he looked at her.
"It's quiet here now. If you have something to say, just say it."
Ye Wanmian frowned. "Master, are you really going to follow the Prince of Mu to the capital?"
Doctor Wang said impatiently, "The Prince of Mu has already given the order. How can I bargain? What are you worried about?"
Ye Wanmian told the truth. "I'm worried that you won't be able to come back after you go to the capital. The Prince of Mu now relies more on you, and Doctor Jin has become a mere decoration. What if they invite you to the Imperial Medical Academy when you get to the capital?"
So that's what she was worried about.
"Oh, how do you know about the Imperial Medical Academy, girl?" Doctor Wang asked deliberately.
Ye Wanmian hesitated for a moment and said, "I heard it from the opera!"
Doctor Wang smiled and couldn't help but ruffle her hair. "Don't worry. I still have my apprentice here. I haven't taught her all my skills yet. How could I not come back?"
Ye Wanmian always felt that since she learned that the Crown Prince had been attacked and gone missing, her life had become turbulent. The people around her, including herself, were once again connected to the capital.
Was this fate? Could she never escape it?
Gritting her teeth, she said, "How about I go with you, Master? You need someone to assist you."
But Doctor Wang said, "If you go with me, what will happen to the medical clinic in Dongli Town? Besides, it's inappropriate for a widow like you to follow the prince back to the capital."
"But I'm still not skilled enough. I'm really worried about running the medical clinic alone."
Doctor Wang thought for a while and said, "Alright. Later, I'll write a letter to find you an assistant. With him around, you'll be able to relax a lot."
Since there was no room for change, Ye Wanmian had no choice but to accept it. Her finger touched the handkerchief in her sleeve. Ye Wanmian lowered her voice and leaned a little closer to Doctor Wang.
"Master, do you really think the corpse in the morgue is the Crown Prince?"
Doctor Wang paused and looked at her with a meaningful look in his eyes. "What? Do you suspect that it's not the Crown Prince's corpse?"
Ye Wanmian didn't dare to say that she had seen the Crown Prince before and had secretly visited the morgue at night. She said euphemistically, "I just think things are a bit too coincidental."
"Why couldn't those people find the Crown Prince's whereabouts before? As soon as the Prince of Mu and the others arrived in Dongli Town, the corpse surfaced. Even though the corpse was wearing the Crown Prince's clothes and the age and height matched, the face was unrecognizable. How can we be sure that it's the Crown Prince?"