Chapter 74: Daring to Touch Even the Solitary One

Nan Xueyin stopped her movements, only to see blood gushing out, sliding down her arm, soaking the cuff and staining it red, finally gathering at her fingertips, dripping fresh red onto the floor.

"Are you done?"

Xiao Youlan's voice came from outside the door.

Nan Xueyin did not answer; she lowered her head, tugging at her sleeve to try and pull off the riding outfit, but the moment she moved, the pain intensified.

"Hua Lianying?"

Receiving no response, Xiao Youlan's voice rose a notch.

Nan Xueyin could not attend to him; she took a deep breath, endured all the pain, and forcibly gave the sleeve a fierce tug downward.

The riding outfit tore away, bringing with it a long string of blood beads, splattering the floor with fresh red.

Nan Xueyin did not care about the wound on her arm for the moment; she first squatted down and used her uninjured hand to flip the garment open, discovering that not only the sleeve she had just worn, but the other sleeve and the waist as well, were all secretly embedded with many sharp spikes.

It was also at this moment that the door was pushed open from the outside.

Xiao Youlan strode into the room, originally intending to ask why she wasn't speaking, but he caught the scent of blood in an instant.

He saw the bloodstains on her arm, his gaze turned stern, and he stepped forward quickly, "How did you get injured?"

Nan Xueyin threw the riding outfit at his feet.

The spikes inside had already been flipped out by her, and Xiao Youlan saw them at a glance.

"In the Eastern Palace, someone would dare to pull such a stunt?"

Nan Xueyin said, tilting her head, looking at him as if she were very interested.

Xiao Youlan's brow furrowed, and he said, "I will have an Imperial Physician come."

"No need, right?"

Nan Xueyin rolled up her sleeve and raised her arm, "It's almost healed."

Indeed, her wound was healing, even if very slowly.

"Crown Prince, are you ready? We should be setting off." Shu Yu's urging came from outside the door.

Xiao Youlan did not reply to him; his expression was solemn as he said to Nan Xueyin, "I will have someone send a new riding outfit; this time there will be no problems."

"And as for who tampered with the original riding outfit, I will certainly get to the bottom of it."

Nan Xueyin asked in confusion: "Aren't we going to the military camp?"

Xiao Youlan said: "We will go once it is cleared up."

After saying this, he turned and left.

Nan Xueyin heard him instruct Shu Yu: "Pass down the order to seal off the Eastern Palace."

Shu Yu acknowledged the order and went to handle it immediately.

Wei Nian was also outside, and upon hearing this, he was very surprised: "Your Highness, what has happened?"

Xiao Youlan said coldly: "Someone tampered with Hua Lianying's clothes, and she is injured."

Wei Nian fell silent for a moment, then could not help but advise: "Your Highness, forgive your subordinate for speaking too much, but this is merely a trivial matter of women vying for favor, far less important than inspecting the military camp. You must not lose sight of the big picture for the sake of the small."

Nan Xueyin heard it clearly from inside, and she felt it was very familiar.

Back then, not long after Hua Lianying had come to the Prince's residence, she was not yet aware of Nan Xueyin's identity as an Assassin.

Hua Lianying usually accompanied Xiao Mingyu everywhere, enjoying the treatment of a favored concubine in the Prince's residence.

Until that day when Xiao Mingyu was to leave the city, he said he would not take Hua Lianying, and designated Nan Xueyin to accompany him.

Hua Lianying felt resentment over this and secretly added medicine to Nan Xueyin's tea.

At the moment of departure, the medicine took effect; Nan Xueyin's face turned deathly pale, cold sweat poured down, and she knelt on the ground, unable to even walk.

At that time, Xiao Mingyu was right beside her; what did he say?

"Your constitution is special and can repair itself, so it shouldn't be much of a problem."

Wu Zhui could not bear to watch and said sternly: "Prince, Miss Nan has always been in good health; today there must be someone framing her! It must be investigated!"

Xiao Mingyu stared at Nan Xueyin for a while.

At that time, her body was still in good condition, and her complexion slowly turned rosy at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He touched her forehead and said: "Official business is important, so let's not waste time investigating; you aren't in any trouble anyway. Rest for a while longer and then we will set off. One cannot lose sight of the big picture for the sake of the small. Don't you agree?"

"In my eyes, the military camp is a small matter, and being injured is a big matter."

Xiao Youlan's voice came again, much colder this time, "Feihong, go and bring Zhong Yun here."

Feihong acknowledged the order and went.

Wei Nian also heard that the Crown Prince was determined today; truly helpless, he could only shut his mouth.

Nan Xueyin lowered her eyes, looking at her injured arm.

The wound was healing so slowly.

Yet she clearly remembered that day, she knelt on the ground alone, biting the bullet to endure the most difficult stage, and before she had fully recovered, Xiao Mingyu pulled her up.

In fact, at that time, the bones and flesh all over her body were still aching.

"What are you thinking about?"

Xiao Youlan's voice came again.

Nan Xueyin turned her head and saw that he had returned after arranging the matters.

This time, he was also holding Ointment in his hand.

"You..." Nan Xueyin moved her lips.

"Weren't you injured? I'm here to apply medicine for you."

As he spoke, Xiao Youlan pulled her to sit on a stool, placed her arm on the table, scooped up a large amount of Ointment with his fingers, and gently and meticulously applied it to her wound.

Nan Xueyin did not know what to say for a long while.

Once the Ointment was smoothed on, Xiao Youlan thoughtfully draped an outer garment over Nan Xueyin's shoulders.

"Your Highness, the Eastern Palace has already been sealed off."

Shu Yu returned after finishing his tasks, stood outside the door, and twitched his nose, "Why is there a smell of blood in the room?"

He immediately asked, "Your Highness, are you injured?"

Xiao Youlan did not answer, and then Feihong returned.

"Your Highness, Miss Zhong has arrived."

Xiao Youlan gave a hum of acknowledgment and said to Nan Xueyin in a gentle voice, "Wait for me here."

Having said that, he rose and walked toward the outside.

Zhong Yun still looked sickly today; she pinched her throat and called out softly, "Brother Youlan..."

"I am not your brother."

Xiao Youlan's voice was cold and clear as he interrupted her, "Zhong Yun, I allowed you to stay in the Eastern Palace out of respect for your grandfather. But now, your courage is growing ever greater; you even dare to touch my people."

Shu Yu asked, "Miss Zhong, what have you done?"

Zhong Yun felt extremely aggrieved, "Brother Shu, I haven't done anything! And Crown Prince, what exactly are you talking about? I really don't understand..."

"Is that so."

Xiao Youlan did not waste words, "Feihong, slap her face."

Zhong Yun was suddenly stunned, "Your Highness?!"

Wei Nian was also stunned; he stepped forward, held Feihong back, and tried to dissuade him, "Your Highness, you cannot!"

After all, this Miss Zhong was the granddaughter of the Grand Preceptor, and her staying here was also the will of the current Emperor.

"I said, slap her face."

Xiao Youlan repeated it simply, his voice betraying neither joy nor anger.

But the more it was like this, the more it carried an indisputable air of authority.

Wei Nian dared not obstruct him further; he let go of his hand, his brows tightly furrowed.

Feihong therefore walked in front of Zhong Yun; seeing the tears in her eyes and her gently shaking head—a gesture of begging for mercy—Feihong still had to obey the Crown Prince's order, so he simply looked away, hardened his heart, raised his hand, and slapped it toward Zhong Yun's cheek.

"Smack!"

A crisp sound.

Nan Xueyin listened, her brows twitching slightly.

Zhong Yun took the blow, her voice choked with grievances, "Your Highness, I really haven't done anything..."

"Slap her again." Xiao Youlan's voice was flat, without any rise or fall.