He was none other than the sole recognized male consort of the Heavenly Dynasty — Song Shang Yuan.
Until then, Yan Si had believed RongCheng was the most beautiful, yet he had never imagined…
"No wonder... Brother loves him so much." Gradually, he realized one thing: he could never compare.
Yan Si sighed inwardly, sat by the bed, checked Shang Yuan's pulse, and examined his condition.
The man's injuries were grave. His chest and thighs had been seared with heated steel, his body lashed with whips, and all ten fingers crushed. On top of that, he had been struck by a cold affliction, which caused pneumonia and left his breath faint.
Perhaps RongCheng had returned just in time; a moment later, and even the man's body might not have been found... Seeing Shang Yuan in such a state, Yan Si truly felt frightened.
Was he not a noble imperial consort? Why had he come to such a plight?
RongCheng's head was nearly fuming with anger, but he still tried to remain calm and said, "My little brother, can you save him? I beg of you, please, save him... You must save him at all costs!"
RongCheng's earnest plea made Yan Si momentarily flustered. He quickly stammered in reply, "I... I will try my best."
Yan Si checked Shang Yuan's pulse again and said, "Brother, lend me paper and a brush."
"Of course... of course..." RongCheng immediately nodded.
At once, someone brought paper and brush. Yan Si quickly listed the necessary items and handed the paper to RongCheng. "Please fetch these. There may still be a chance to save him."
A glimmer of hope shone forth, and RongCheng, overjoyed, immediately ordered his people to follow the instructions on the paper.
There was one thing that even Yi Chang Hua had to admit: Yan Si was terrible at learning everything, save for his medical skills, which he absorbed with incredible ease.
Though Shang Yuan's condition was severe, if Yan Si put all his effort into saving him, even the King of Hell would have to let go. This was because he, just like his master, was a medical prodigy.
While the medicine was being prepared, Yan Si gave Shang Yuan a small black pill. It nourished the lungs and dispelled cold, meant only to sustain his life briefly, though with little effect.
Half an hour later, a small eunuch brought the medicine. Yan Si took the bowl, intending to feed it to the man, but the man's lips were tightly sealed. The medicine simply spilled out.
Seeing this, RongCheng grew anxious and said, "Give me the bowl of medicine."
Yan Si nodded, handed the bowl to him, and stepped aside.
RongCheng immediately sat by the bed. He took a mouthful of medicine, then lowered his head, pressing his lips against Shang Yuan's, pushing the medicine in little by little... He continued this patiently until the bowl was empty...
The sight left Yan Si speechless. It turned out that such intimacy could exist between two men. He repeatedly asked himself, "What... what is that?"
A vague, indescribable feeling surfaced, sending Yan Tu's heart into a rapid beat. He could not comprehend why he was so greatly shaken.
After feeding Shang Yuan the medicine, RongCheng stood up and urged, "Little brother, he has finished the medicine. Please come and see how he is."
The call brought Yan Si back to reality. His heart suddenly ached with a strange pang. He nodded slightly and sat back down on the bed, applying medicine and carefully bandaging the man's external wounds.
Meanwhile, RongCheng paced back and forth restlessly with worry. However, his fury seemed to have gradually subsided, for with Yan Si here, he finally felt a little at ease.
Two hours later, more medicine was brought in. RongCheng continued to use the same method to feed Shang Yuan. By now, Yan Si had already treated and carefully bandaged the man's wounds, so he did not need to step aside anymore.
Seeing this, Yan Si, ever sensible, stood in a corner at a distance to observe.
Time passed slowly. RongCheng's worry never ceased. He gently lifted Shang Yuan's hand, kissed it softly, and then pressed it against his own cheek. The gesture was incredibly sweet and tender.
For some unknown reason, RongCheng's gentle action stirred Yan Si's heart into a frenzy, a feeling he couldn't put into words. In that moment, he only wished he were the person lying there, to be cared for and cherished by him in that way, no matter how much pain it brought.
Thinking this, Yan Si sighed. In the past, no matter how badly he was hurt or how much pain he endured, no one had ever cared—let alone shown such affection.
It was better to forget it.
Yan Si shook his head slightly, then gently walked over to the side of the bed and called, "Brother."
RongCheng, who had been staring intently at Shang Yuan, was startled by the call and turned to ask, "Ah... what is it, little brother?"
Yan Si hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Imperial Consort... why has he come to this plight?"
Thinking of it, RongCheng suddenly sighed... The days he had spent worrying in the cave were not unfounded. "Someone plotted to accuse him of hiring assassins to harm me, and so..."
"And so?"
At this, RongCheng's body suddenly trembled. He gritted his teeth and said, "My Father-emperor and Mother-empress, in their anger, listened to the slander and had him thrown into prison to await investigation. Those villains took advantage of the situation and used extreme torture to force a confession from him."
When RongCheng returned and heard the news, it was as if he had been struck by lightning. He immediately rushed to the prison to rescue Shang Yuan and, in his fury, dragged all the culprits out to be punished... At that moment, even the Emperor and Empress could only sigh and shake their heads.
Indeed, their First Prince was a headache for everyone... Upon hearing that their son had been harmed, the two of them were overcome with grief. They then listened to the slander that Shang Yuan had masterminded the plot to harm their son, and without a second thought, had him imprisoned.
Now that RongCheng had suddenly returned, they realized the truth. What more could they say?
In the end, they didn't care about Shang Yuan's safety. They were simply overjoyed that their son had returned unharmed, and they left the rest of the matters for him to handle.
No one knew which daring person had the audacity to plot against both the First Prince and the Imperial Consort. Once the truth was exposed, they would surely face a deserving punishment.
The imperial palace was truly terrifying—schemes ran deep, plots were venomous, and unseen dangers lurked everywhere. Yan Si, drawn into this place because of RongCheng, truly did not know what the future would hold.