Chapter 736: Chapter 736: The Punishment of Solitude Upon hearing the words, all the Shadow Guards knelt: “We implore our Master to return to the Imperial Palace immediately!” Baili Zhengrong looked at Leng Yu Yan, “Commandery Princess, I fear I must attend to family affairs first before I can make arrangements for you.” Leng Yu Yan inquired, “What is the cause of your Father Emperor’s ailment?” “I’m not sure about that,” Baili Zhengrong turned to the messenger, “How exactly is my Father Emperor’s condition?” The messenger respectfully replied, “The Emperor’s headache has flared up. The Imperial Physician says it will be within these few days.” “Let’s do this, I will accompany you back to the Imperial Palace first,” Leng Yu Yan patted Baili Zhengrong’s shoulder, “and then we’ll see if I can be of any help.” Baili Zhengrong bowed gratefully, “I thank the Commandery Princess!” Leng Yu Yan lifted his arm, “You and I are no longer master and servant, such formalities must not continue in the future.” Baili Zhengrong whispered, “In my heart, I will forever be a subordinate to the Commandery Princess!” On the other side, Ye Yiheng had already been in Jiangzhou for a few days. Ten days ago, he left Linqing Pavilion and headed for Jiangzhou. Although he knew that a certain woman would not be in Jiangzhou, he still went there and decided to stay temporarily. The first time she fled from him, Jiangzhou was where she went. Just as he was pondering where to go next, Mo Chen Ruofeng arrived to report. “Your Highness, we have identified Xiaoshan’s identity,” Mo Chen said. Ye Yiheng replied coolly, “It took this long?” Ruofeng hastened to explain, “Xiaoshan has been concealing his name and living in hiding for many years; it was indeed difficult to find.” “Xiaoshan, fifteen years old, is actually Baili Zhengrong, the son of Emperor Baili Shuo of Nandian,” Mo Chen presented a stack of documents, “This contains information on Xiaoshan’s eighteen generations of ancestors, as well as his personal details.” Ruofeng continued, “At the age of two, Xiaoshan was escorted by guards as he fled to Tiancheng. He has never known his true identity. After his guard was killed, he has been destitute and on the run…” Ye Yiheng read through the data at a glance, a hint of sarcasm soon rose on his lips. “Set out for Nandian immediately.” He had neglected, unaware of the hidden threat by his side—how had he not noticed? He vaguely sensed that the young white-haired boy had some… feelings for a certain woman. Ye Yiheng didn’t want to think about it anymore, the more he thought, the more irritable he became, and the hostility in him could no longer be contained. Leng Yu Yan, you shall bear my punishment whether you can endure it or not! After three consecutive days of forced marches, Baili Zhengrong and his party finally arrived at the Nandian Capital City in the dead of the night. The Imperial Palace was heavily guarded. To prevent any incidensts, Baili Zhengrong and Leng Yu Yan donned night clothes and carried a medical box. Under the guidance of brothers Lv Zhong and Lv Yong, they silently entered the Nandian Emperor’s bedchamber from the rooftops. The spacious bedchamber seemed empty; the dragon bed was obscured by curtains, and one could vaguely see a person lying on it, rigid as if barely breathing. Not far away, an eunuch was dozing off. Lv Zhong walked over and raised his hand like a knife, striking the eunuch on the back of the neck, causing him to instantly collapse to the ground. Leng Yu Yan looked around; seeing no one else in the hall, she quietly walked behind the chamber doors to take a look. She saw that many Concubines were kneeling outside the bedchamber, many also dozing off, many silently crying. Lv Yong went to the side of the dragon bed and lifted the curtains, allowing Baili Zhengrong to see. “Master, look, the Emperor has been waiting for you for so long that his hair has turned white,” Lv Yong said, only to realize that his own master’s hair had already become entirely white, so he lowered his head, pretending not to see. Baili Shuo twitched his fingers, and soon an elderly voice asked, “Has Zhengrong returned?” With no memory of what the Father Emperor looked like, Baili Zhengrong stood frozen, not moving an inch. Upon hearing the sound, Leng Yu Yan hurried to the bedside with a medical kit in hand. Lv Zhong pulled the collapsed eunuch to the doorway to block the entrance to the sleeping chamber, then quickly stepped forward, kneeling on one knee before the bed, respectfully saying, “Emperor, we have brought the master back!” Baili Shuo’s hand trembled as he tried to grasp Baili Zhengrong’s hand, but he caught nothing but air. A tear slipped from the corner of his eye, and a hoarse and strained voice spoke, “I have already prepared the imperial decree for succession. After I pass, the throne of Nandian will be yours. My only worry is the faction of the Imperial Concubine and their factionalism within the court. Their influence is widespread, and I fear that you alone will not be able to contend with them after I am gone. This is what I cannot rest easy about in death.” “Over the years, I have not raised you, and I do not know if your virtues and character are now sound. Even if you must be a mediocre monarch, you must guard the realm of Nandian, and not let it fall into hands of others!” He sighed, “With the Imperial Concubine’s family around, such a request is indeed too much…” Before he could finish, breathing became difficult, and his head hurt so badly that his body started shaking violently. Finally, Baili Zhengrong knelt on one knee, taking Baili Shuo’s hand, “Father Emperor, your son is here; it is I who have returned.” Baili Shuo strained to look to the side of the bed, only to see a silver-haired youth holding him, and he couldn’t help but shed tears again. “My son, how much have you suffered?” How could his hair be whiter than his own? “I have not suffered, Father.” It must be the bond of blood that made Baili Zhengrong’s eyes well up with warmth. Baili Shuo turned his head and noticed a young girl standing by the bed. He struggled to smile, “Zhengrong has become accomplished, bringing his wife to see me; this brings me great comfort.” Stepping forward, Leng Yu Yan placed the medical kit on the bedside table and spoke indifferently, “The Nandian Emperor is mistaken; I am a doctor.” Baili Shuo looked at Baili Zhengrong with a puzzled gaze. Baili Zhengrong shook his head, signaling him not to speak. Understanding, Baili Shuo’s eyes returned to Leng Yu Yan, looking at the girl before him, more convinced than ever of his son’s achievements—not only had his son returned, but he also brought him a daughter-in-law. His initial worries that his son would not secure the throne and find a wife were now reduced to only one concern. Leng Yu Yan put on her gloves, her voice clear and cold, “Please allow me to take your pulse.” Baili Shuo extended his hand, self-mockingly saying, “A dying horse may yet serve as a living one; they’ve been crying outside for three days.” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝~𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖~𝕟𝕖𝕥 Leng Yu Yan’s face was expressionless as she placed her fingers on his pulse, quickly withdrawing her hand, then lifted his eyelids, and soon after felt his neck. Lv Zhong asked in a low voice, “Commandery Princess, is there hope for our Emperor?” After a moment’s contemplation, Leng Yu Yan spoke plainly, “There is, but I don’t know if you’re willing to cooperate, most importantly, is the Nandian Emperor himself willing to cooperate?” Baili Shuo was astonished, “The doctors of all Nandian have looked, and indeed no one can cure me. How can you, a young girl, do it?” With a faint smile, Leng Yu Yan replied, “The Emperor just said ‘a dying horse for a living horse,’ do you not trust my medical skill?” Unable to help himself, Lv Yong asked, “Commandery Princess, how will you treat him?” “Your Emperor has a tumor in his brain that oppresses the nerves, affecting all organs. The only way now is to open the skull and remove this tumor, thus enabling recovery.” Leng Yu Yan’s delivery was steady and level, yet it left everyone present utterly astonished. Lv Yong’s lips trembled as he anxiously asked, “Does this mean cracking open the skull and removing the tumor from within?” Leng Yu Yan slowly nodded, calmly saying, “That is more or less the idea.” Lv Zhong and Lv Yong knelt before Leng Yu Yan together, “Commandery Princess, is there no other way to save our Emperor?” “There is no other way.” With that, she took a small hatchet and a hammer from the medical kit. Baili Shuo nearly rose from what seemed his deathbed, such methods unheard of. How was this any different from what an executioner would do?