A large group of palace attendants rushed into the hall in response to the call.

Ning Rushen’s inner robes, which had slipped off, had already been neatly adjusted, covering the frost-like pale skin. His crimson outer robe was also pulled tightly around him, leaving no gaps.

The palace attendants hurried forward. “Your Majesty!?”

Li Wuting scooped him up by the waist and placed him gently on a low couch nearby. “Open the window and summon the Royal Physician.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

As Ning Rushen was laid down on the couch, he seemed to stir slightly. He let out a pained groan, reaching out with his hand, which landed right on Li Wuting’s belt.

Li Wuting: “…”

He glanced at those frail, almost breakable fingers. After trying to pry them off a couple of times without success, he finally gave up and sat on the couch himself, allowing Ning Rushen to lean weakly against him.

The Royal Physician quickly arrived in response to the summons.

Right behind him came Li Yingtang, who had heard the news. “What happened to Lord Ning—”

Li Wuting glanced at him with a frown. “Keep your voice down.”

Li Yingtang promptly shut his mouth and behaved.

“Your Majesty.” The Royal Physician stepped forward and saw that Ning Rushen was practically draped over the Emperor’s lap. He tactfully took over the situation. “It’s better if this humble servant handles—”

“No need,” Li Wuting said calmly. “Diagnose him as he is.”

The Royal Physician said no more.

After a moment of checking his pulse, the Royal Physician spoke. “This humble servant will need to administer acupuncture.”

…

Ning Rushen’s mind floated in and out of consciousness, submerged in a hazy fog.

It felt like he was curled up in a soft, cozy nest. Unable to resist, he rubbed his head against it.

As he nuzzled in, the warmth beneath him seemed to tremble slightly.

Suddenly, he was firmly held in place. “Proceed with the acupuncture.”

The next moment, a sharp sting pricked his hand! Ning Rushen flinched violently. “Mm…”

The pain pulled him slightly back to his senses. Faint voices drifted in from nearby, the words barely registering.

Above him, a deep and steady voice asked, “How is he?”

Another voice, careful and tentative, replied, “Lord Ning… took some medicine. The Baidie Xiang… it clashed, causing mild poisoning and dizziness. But Lord Ning seems to be unusually sensitive, so…”

“Unusually sensitive?”

“Yes… it’s not his physical constitution… Perhaps a psychological factor.”

The cryptic conversation ended there.

The Royal Physician mentioned administering more acupuncture. Li Wuting fell silent for a moment before looking up. “De Quan stays. Everyone else, leave.”

“—Including you, brother.”

Li Yingtang: “…”

The people in the hall dispersed in a flurry.

Ning Rushen felt a chill as a gust of wind blew in. Then he noticed a hand peeling off his robes. He shivered from the cold and instinctively let out a soft whimper, burrowing toward the nearest source of warmth. “Mm…”

His loose hair cascaded down, wrapping around a firm forearm.

That hand pressed him down again. “Stop squirming. Do you want me to misplace the needle?”

Ning Rushen let out a faint whimper from his throat.

The sharp, pinprick sensations came quickly and spread throughout his body.

As the silver needles pierced his skin, a peculiar warmth and chill alternated through him. Sometimes, he turned his head, trying to avoid the warmth nearby. Other times, he leaned his face forward, nuzzling closer.

Then, he was firmly gripped by the back of his neck.

The rough pad of a thumb pressed against the tender flesh at the side of his throat, applying gentle but firm pressure.

“Ugh…” Ning Rushen shuddered, finally going still.

In the side hall, Ning Rushen finally settled down. The Royal Physician, however, was sweating profusely, not daring to glance around carelessly.

In front of the low couch, the Emperor’s usually neat dragon robe was now disheveled from being rubbed against, and his tightly tied belt had been loosened. The person in his arms was unconscious, his disheveled black hair spreading over the Emperor’s knee. His slender nape was completely enveloped by a strong, large hand, extending down to his trembling, pale shoulders.

His crimson outer robe had slipped down to his waist, its sleeves entangled around his arms, piling on the bright yellow fabric of the knee.

After finishing the acupuncture, the Royal Physician, sweating, bowed and reported, “Your Majesty, the needles should be removed in about fifteen minutes.”

“I understand,” Li Wuting replied, his gaze averted, his hot palm remaining motionless over the fabric on the side of the person’s waist.

…

When Ning Rushen opened his eyes from his dizziness, he found himself lying flat on the low couch. His gaze met Li Wuting’s cold, handsome face.

A lingering fragrance teased his nose as he spoke groggily, “Your Majesty, am I turning into a butterfly and flying away?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Li Wuting retorted.

“But I feel so light,” Ning Rushen murmured.

Li Wuting turned his head and ordered, “Give him two more needles.”

Ning Rushen jolted awake, “Ah, I seem to have floated back.”

Li Wuting let out a soft chuckle, “Heh.”

Seeing him awake, the Royal Physician then excused himself.

Ning Rushen propped himself up, noticing his clothes had been neatly arranged. He touched his collar: It must have been one of the young servants who dressed him while he was unconscious. They did a tight job.

Suddenly, a voice came from nearby, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing…” Ning Rushen regained his composure and inquired, “Your Majesty, what happened to me?”

“You had a reaction between the medicine you were taking and the incense burned in the brazier,” Li Wuting explained.

Ning Rushen opened his mouth slightly.

After a moment, he feigned annoyance, “Ah! I knew I shouldn’t have taken that medicine.”

Meeting his eyes, which brimmed with concealed delight, Li Wuting skillfully closed his jaw, “Indeed, you shouldn’t have, which is why I had the Royal Physician prescribe you a new one.”

Ning Rushen’s lips quivered: …

Then tears nearly spilled over, “You really are too kind.”

Li Wuting graciously accepted the compliment, “Heh…”

Ning Rushen’s complexion was still a bit pale, his eyes tearful and reddened, lending him a somewhat pitiful, sickly look.

Li Wuting’s gaze lingered for a moment, “Alright, get some rest.”

With that, he turned and left the hall.

…

Outside the hall door, Li Wuting stated calmly, “That kind of incense, do not use it in the palace anymore.”

De Quan nodded understandingly, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Li Yingtang, still waiting outside, asked, “How is Lord Ning? May I go in to see him now? I won’t see anything improper, right?”

“What do you think you shouldn’t see?” Li Wuting glanced at him.

Li Yingtang quickly scurried away, “Nothing, nothing.”

Inside the hall, Ning Rushen leaned on the couch, lost in thought. He mourned inwardly: That Royal Physician’s needles were so harsh, could the medicine he prescribed possibly be sweet?

While he was feeling sorry for himself, Prince Xuan breezed in, “Lord Ning, how are you feeling?”

Ning Rushen weakly replied, “I feel emptied out.”

“Oh no!” Li Yingtang immediately felt sympathetic, “You need to take good care of yourself, otherwise how will your body withstand such—”

Ning Rushen snapped back to reality, “Withstand what?”

Li Yingtang, “…the constant hard work.”

Ning Rushen reassured him, “Your Highness is too concerned.”

When did he ever work hard?

Li Yingtang, “…”

The two men looked at each other for a moment, then tacitly changed the subject.

Ning Rushen remarked, “Speaking of which, the Royal Physician’s skills are truly exceptional, able to deduce the cause of my poisoning from the incense.”

“Oh, that.” Li Yingtang recalled, “His Majesty had already extinguished the incense burner when I accompanied the Royal Physician in. It must have been His Majesty who did it.”

Ning Rushen: ?

“How did His Majesty know it was the incense?”

Li Yingtang restrained his expression, sighing helplessly, “Do you think His Majesty could have survived this far in the throne struggle… He senses potential dangers more keenly than anyone.”

Ning Rushen was struck by a sudden realization, recalling something Li Jingyu had said:

Back then, the Emperor was in a difficult position. He had to protect me, the Second Prince, and the Empress Dowager, while also guarding against those around him.

He hummed thoughtfully.

After humming, a wave of nausea surged up again. Ning Rushen leaned over the edge of the couch, “Er—”

Li Yingtang, “…”

He made his exit timely, “Alright, rest up.”

Before leaving, he paused, turning back to Ning Rushen, “Ah, right, from the moment you were found until you woke up, it was His Majesty who took care of you.”

“He did not delegate it to anyone else.”

Ning Rushen wanted to reflect on the situation further, but his dizzy brain couldn’t keep up. As soon as Prince Xuan left the hall, he collapsed back into sleep. He slept for about half an hour.

When he woke up, rubbing his head, he prepared to formally bid farewell to Li Wuting. But as soon as he stepped out of the hall, he was greeted by Xiao Rongzi, who was waiting outside.

Xiao Rongzi smiled, “Lord Ning, His Majesty is currently discussing state matters with Prince Xuan. He said there’s no need for you to say goodbye when you wake up. I’ll escort you out of the palace directly.”

Ning Rushen nodded and thanked him, then followed him out.

When he returned home, he was greeted by an overwhelming sight—an entire courtyard filled with medicine packets delivered by the Royal Physician. Piles upon piles, big and small, littered the space.

Ning Rushen stopped in his tracks, visibly taken aback.

Yuan Liu gasped in shock. “My lord, where did you go to come back with this much!?”

Xing Lan chimed in, nagging, “Good heavens! With this much medicine, it’s enough to soak you in a tub full of it!”

Ning Rushen: …

What am I, an Oreo?

He replied curtly, “I was in the palace. It’s unnecessary.”

Despite his dismissive tone, the two continued fussing over him with endless concern. Meanwhile, Shi Yi, who had been quietly observing from the sidelines like the opportunistic wallflower he was, began gauging the situation with careful glances.

Ning Rushen waved his hand dismissively, “I’m fine. I’ll go take a nap.”

He stepped into his room and shut the door behind him. Standing by the bed, he began to unfasten his outer robe.

But as his fingers brushed his collar, a thought suddenly struck him—the words Prince Xuan had spoken before leaving: It was His Majesty who took care of you the entire time. He didn’t let anyone else handle it.

“…”

The dim light by the bedside seemed to intensify his delayed realization.

Did that mean, when he was lying disheveled on the couch, it was Li Wuting who had dressed him?

As the idea passed through his mind, a strange heat crawled up his back.

He continued to unfasten his outer robe, mulling it over. Considering Li Wuting’s personality, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Someone like him wouldn’t just leave a person sprawled out like a ragdoll. Dressing him out of convenience sounded plausible.

With his outer robe removed, Ning Rushen casually tossed it onto a spring bench, revealing a meticulously crafted new garment beneath. He paused, then remembered something—his official robe had been left behind in the palace.

Luckily, the residence had spares. As for the one left in the palace, De Quan would probably take care of it.

After a night of rest, Ning Rushen was dragged out of bed the next morning to attend court. He wasn’t seriously ill, after all.

The medical leave policy in Da Cheng was quite strict, and it was rare to see someone like him intermittently absent from morning court.

Ning Rushen consoled himself: Well, that’s what makes him a shining star among men.

When he arrived at court, Prince Xuan was unsurprisingly absent, likely already on his way back to Jiangnan. Ning Rushen sighed—he hadn’t been able to see Prince Xuan enjoy his favorite moment, the mid-morning leisure at noon.

But his musings didn’t last long. On the court floor, new regulations for attracting business investments from noble families were being introduced with incredible momentum.

Li Wuting sat above, composed and dignified, delivering an artful mix of imperial persuasion, grand promises, and a masterful distribution of benefits. His rhetoric left the court officials utterly dumbfounded.

Ning Rushen’s gaze remained calm and distant. This had nothing to do with him. He had always remained pure as snow.

He drifted off into his thoughts while standing in the ranks, not realizing how much time had passed until the hall suddenly quieted. Then, De Quan’s soft voice echoed:

“… By royal decree, Lord Ning Rushen is appointed as Supervisor of Commerce, responsible for overseeing investment and trade. Granted the rank of Third-Class Official, under the Ministry of Rites. Thus decreed—”

The words landed like a bombshell, and the hall erupted in an uproar.

Promoted to a third-rank official before the age of twenty!

Ning Rushen was stunned, his gaze shooting toward Li Wuting: You’re setting me up to fail!

Their eyes met across the court. Li Wuting’s gaze seemed to say: What are you waiting for?

“…” Ning Rushen braced himself and bowed stiffly, “Your servant thanks Your Majesty for the grace.”

The court was abuzz with mixed reactions—some curious, others awed, and a few resentful. Among the chaotic stares, one gaze stood out like a sore thumb.

Ning Rushen looked up to meet Guan Fan’s warm expression: We’re family now, huh?

Ning Rushen: …

It seemed he had fallen right into someone’s carefully laid plans.

The position of Supervisor of Commerce was one Li Wuting had specifically created, and placing it under the Ministry of Rites, which handled publicity, was not unreasonable. Balancing the interests of major noble families required finesse.

After court adjourned, Li Wuting called a meeting with the Six Ministries. Ning Rushen, exempt from duty at the Imperial Study, quickly made his way back home.

Returning to the Ning Residence, he entered the main courtyard with his hands tucked into his sleeves. Just as he stepped in, two shadows suddenly swooped overhead. Moments later, there was a loud fluttering noise—

Two large, plump pigeons landed on the stone table in front of him.

Ning Rushen was startled, “…”

Why are there more pigeons now?

Drawing on his previous experience, he fished a small cylinder out from the feathers of one pigeon, opened it, and unrolled the note inside. Written in a hurried scrawl, it read:

To Lord Ning, Greetings upon receiving this letter.

Since we parted, how have you been? By the time you read this, I will already be bouncing along the endless official roads (as evidenced by the shaky handwriting). Oh, the suffering…

After our last exchange, I’ve come to understand both His Majesty’s nature and Lord Ning’s refined tastes. This time, I’ve sent two plump pigeons your way.

Kindly reserve one for correspondence and feel free to use the other… for soup.

Awaiting your reply,

Yingtang

Ning Rushen: “…”

He folded the letter and looked at the two pigeons in front of him.

The two pigeons tilted their heads, staring back with innocent, clear eyes: Coo, coo, coo?

Ning Rushen fell into silent contemplation.

Author’s Note:

The cat contemplates the birds, weighing the options.

Pigeons: ??? Why us?

(P.S. The “clashing medicine” is pure fiction! But some incense can indeed be unsuitable for long-term use. If you enjoy burning incense, please research beforehand. Also, cats are sensitive to smells, so cat owners should be cautious!)