Yet, this proved entirely superfluous. Neither Luo Xiaofeng nor Ye Jingyu spared a glance for those gathered; they went directly to Luo Ling'er’s side.

“What is the matter with her?” Luo Xiaofeng asked Li Guifei, his voice deceptively calm.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, Ling'er was just chatting and laughing with everyone, but for some unknown reason, she suddenly fainted. Your Majesty, you must save Ling'er!” Li Guifei cried out, her voice laced with tears.

“You don’t know why?” Luo Xiaofeng raised an eyebrow. He swiftly grasped Luo Ling'er’s wrist, channeling a thread of profound energy into her to examine her condition. But he was no physician; he could discern nothing of substance.

Gazing at the tightly closed eyes of Luo Ling'er, Ye Jingyu was equally fraught with worry. The crescent moon symbol on his brow flickered, as he too attempted to understand what afflicted her, yet he remained just as clueless.

It was the other consorts whose attention had firmly settled upon Ye Jingyu. Even without introduction, anyone less dense than a block of wood could surmise his identity, especially the Empress, whose gaze toward him was layered with profound complexity.

“Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Wang requests an audience!” At that moment, Yan Lun’s voice cut through the air.

“Tell him to hurry the hell up and get in here!” Luo Xiaofeng roared, clearly exasperated by the imperial physician’s tardiness.

Moments later, a man in his early forties, his face a mask of panic, rushed in. As he began to bow to Luo Xiaofeng, Ye Jingyu seized him and pulled him forcefully toward Luo Ling'er.

“Quickly, examine the Princess! What is her situation?”

Imperial Physician Wang was instantly startled. Who dared interrupt his obeisance to the Emperor? Did this man court death? He wanted to shout a sharp rebuke, but catching the thunderous scowl on Luo Xiaofeng’s face, he dared not utter another word. Instead, he fumbled inside his robes, drawing out a thin red thread.

He prepared to take her pulse…

“What time is it, and you’re still fussing with a pulse thread? Can you even get an accurate reading that way?” Seeing Imperial Physician Wang meticulously unwrapping the silk, Ye Jingyu erupted in fury. He wasn't native to this world; he knew nothing of the strict segregation between sexes, nor did he believe one could accurately diagnose a complex ailment from such a distance.

“Do as the Duke of Zhenguo commands!” Luo Xiaofeng spoke up, his voice heavy. He deeply understood Ye Jingyu’s devotion to Luo Ling'er. Given Ye Jingyu’s current formidable power, if anything truly dire happened to the Princess, heaven knew what rash actions he might take—actions even the Emperor might struggle to contain.

Hearing the Emperor’s directive, Imperial Physician Wang finally realized the man before him was none other than the Duke of Zhenguo, the one who had vanquished the generation’s War God, Xuanyuan Xiaozhan. A wave of profound respect washed over him, instantly erasing his earlier displeasure. Without another word of hesitation, he swiftly moved forward and took hold of Luo Ling'er’s wrist.

The scene fell into a heavy silence. Everyone watched the Imperial Physician attending to the Princess, each face reflecting a different shade of anxiety.

“Well?” After a moment, Imperial Physician Wang released Luo Ling'er’s wrist. Ye Jingyu pressed, unable to wait any longer.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, to the Duke, the Princess is not ill…”

“Not ill? Then why has she collapsed?” Luo Xiaofeng frowned deeply. Though Luo Ling'er wasn't a martial arts prodigy, her physical constitution was robust; she rarely even caught a common cold, let alone suddenly fainting.

Ye Jingyu stared at the Imperial Physician, equally bewildered. If it wasn't illness, could it be pregnancy? But it had been months since he and Luo Ling'er had last shared intimacy. If she were pregnant, it certainly wouldn't manifest now, would it?

“The Princess has been poisoned!” Imperial Physician Wang said, his gaze flickering anxiously toward Luo Xiaofeng as he uttered those three words.

“What?!” Luo Xiaofeng and Ye Jingyu roared almost simultaneously. Poisoned? A Princess of the realm, raised within the very confines of the Imperial Palace, poisoned? How was that possible?

Every morsel of food the Princess consumed was sampled by attendants beforehand; poisoning should have been impossible. Moreover, this was the heart of the palace—who would possess such audacity to target the Princess with poison?

“What sort of poison is it? Can it be cured?” Suppressing the shock churning within him, Luo Xiaofeng pressed on. The most immediate concern was not investigating how she was poisoned, but waking Luo Ling'er.

“Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble official can only diagnose that the Princess fainted due to poison. Pinpointing the specific toxin, however, proves exceedingly difficult. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness!” Imperial Physician Wang immediately sank to his knees. Though hailed as a divine doctor, he was not truly infallible. To diagnose poisoning purely through pulse reading was already an extraordinary feat.

“Useless! You can’t even identify the poison. What purpose do I keep you for?” Luo Xiaofeng was furious, ready to issue an order for the physician's execution, but Ye Jingyu cut him off sharply.

“Your Majesty, I have a master of toxic arts by my side. Permit me to bring her here to examine the Princess…” Upon hearing the word ‘poison,’ Ye Jingyu’s eyes had already begun to gleam with killing intent, though he concealed it expertly. The priority now was saving Luo Ling'er, and in all the known world, who could surpass Gongsun Xiangyi’s mastery of poisons?

Therefore, he wasted no further time, turning to Luo Xiaofeng.

“Very well, go quickly. I will use my profound energy to seal Ling'er’s meridians.” Luo Xiaofeng said calmly, then pointed a finger at Luo Ling'er’s brow. A soft, milky-white light flashed forth.

As for Ye Jingyu, his figure vanished instantly, leaving no trace behind. Imperial Physician Wang naturally retreated as well; failing to awaken the Princess, he dared not linger any longer.

Soon, Gongsun Xiangyi was escorted into the palace. Luo Ling'er had already been moved back to her own chambers, attended only by her birth mother, Li Guifei. Luo Xiaofeng and Ye Jingyu remained outside, awaiting the results of Gongsun Xiangyi’s diagnosis.

Outside, a light snow had begun to fall—tiny flakes, a rare sight in the southern lands. Yet, neither Luo Xiaofeng nor Ye Jingyu felt inclined to appreciate the delicate beauty. Even Luo Ruofeng remained quietly nearby, his face etched with deep concern.

Luo Xiaofeng looked at the ice-cold expression on Ye Jingyu’s face. He opened his mouth, intending to speak, but the words caught on his tongue. As the Emperor of a nation, he certainly had suspicions regarding the poisoning of Princess Yongle. He was certain Ye Jingyu had guessed some of the likely culprits as well. But without concrete proof, he dreaded causing further upheaval for the Nanyun Empire. How could he possibly restrain Ye Jingyu?

“Your Majesty, you need not say anything. Regardless of whether Ling’er survives this, I will personally seek justice. No one can harm her, absolutely no one…” Seemingly sensing the Emperor’s internal struggle, Ye Jingyu stated heavily.

(Still writing. Two more chapters this afternoon. A new month, everyone please show lots of support—don't neglect the Golden Bricks or the collections!)

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