The chamber smelled of smoke and burnt resin, a reminder of the flames that had nearly swallowed the West Residence. Heavy silk curtains had been drawn back to let fresh air in, but the bitter tang of herbs now thickened the space, mingling with the faint char clinging to XiaoQi's hair.
She lay still on the couch, her figure fragile beneath layers of silk. Her skin, usually warmed by the faintest flush of temper or mischief, was now pale as porcelain. A greyish tint clung to her lips, and when the Imperial Physician touched her wrist, his expression darkened.
DongZe stood close, hands clasped tightly behind his back, his broad shoulders tense. His gaze fixed on her unmoving face with the intensity of a hawk. He had not sat since carrying her in, and the hem of his robe was still dusted with soot and ash.
The Imperial Physician adjusted his spectacles and bent lower, pressing two fingers firmly to her pulse. His brows knitted deeper with every passing breath. "This is no illness born of chance," he muttered. His voice was soft, yet it carried enough weight to still the room. "A hand placed this poison carefully. It was meant to appear harmless at first, but its roots run deep."
DongZe's voice cut through the air, low and cold. "How much time does she have?"
The physician looked up, startled by the question. The Crown Prince's tone was measured, but the fury that flickered in his eyes was unmistakable. He swallowed and lowered his head quickly. "If left untreated, the toxin will reach her heart before dawn. Once it reaches the core, no remedy under Heaven will save her."
Bai Hu, crouched by XiaoQi's side, let out a low growl. His golden eyes glowed, and his fur bristled as though the very air offended him. "Who dares poison her in this place? In your walls, Crown Prince?" His tails lashed, scraping across the polished floor in agitation.
DongZe did not flinch at the rebuke. His gaze never left XiaoQi's face. "Can she be saved?" he asked again, his voice quieter this time, though it carried the sharp edge of command.
The physician bowed lower, fumbling open his case. Tiny jade bottles rattled within, alongside neatly bound rolls of needles. His hands trembled slightly as he began setting them out. "If treatment begins now, perhaps. But the poison is stubborn. Her body must endure the purge, or she will not survive it."
"Then begin," DongZe said. The words rang like an order to an executioner.
His eyes flicked nervously toward the low table where Bai Hu sat, his snow-white tail curled neatly around his paws. The fox spirit's amber eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, unblinking, fixed entirely on the physician.
The man swallowed hard, fumbling with the roll of his sleeves. "Y-Your Highness," he stammered, bowing low toward DongZe who stood stiffly at the bedside, "this old servant will do his utmost, but... but the creature..." His voice cracked as his gaze darted back to Bai Hu. "It glares at me like a blade to my throat."
DongZe's eyes darkened. "That 'creature' is XiaoQi's companion. If you value your life, do not insult him again." His voice was sharp as steel, yet beneath it ran a current of barely restrained fury.
Bai Hu's ears twitched, his eyes narrowing, and for an instant, the air in the chamber grew heavier, pressing down on the physician's shoulders until he bowed even lower, sweat trickling down his temple.
The physician dared not protest further. With shaking fingers, he took XiaoQi's wrist and pressed his fingertips gently against her pulse. His brow furrowed deeper with every passing beat, his lips moving silently as he counted. Then he reached for a thin silver needle, but his hand hovered mid-air when he noticed Bai Hu's fur bristle ever so slightly.
"I-I must insert the needle to release the poisoned heat," the physician whispered, his voice cracking. "If not, her meridians will continue to collapse."
Bai Hu's amber gaze flared brighter, like embers fanned to sudden flame. He rose, tail lashing once, the faint sound of claws tapping against the wooden floor. The physician froze, the needle slipping from his grasp and landing with a soft metallic chime.
"Enough," DongZe said coldly, kneeling beside the bed himself. His hand brushed a damp strand of hair from XiaoQi's temple, lingering longer than he meant to. She looked far too still, her breaths shallow. The memory of finding her unconscious in the burning residence clawed through his chest like a blade. "Bai Hu, allow him to do his work. For her sake."
The fox spirit flicked an ear, gaze shifting to XiaoQi's pale face. A low rumble built in his throat, not unlike a growl, before he settled back onto the table, though his eyes never left the physician.
Only then did the physician dare to breathe again. He retrieved his needle with fumbling haste, wiped it, and carefully inserted it at the proper point along XiaoQi's arm. Another, then another, until her skin glimmered with fine silver threads.
"The toxins burned through her blood and spread quickly because of the smoke she inhaled. It is a miracle she still breathes at all." His eyes darted to DongZe and then quickly away. "If she had been found any later..."
DongZe's jaw clenched. "She would have died." His hand tightened into a fist against his knee, nails digging into flesh until they drew blood.
The physician bowed his head. "I will prepare an antidote decoction immediately. But it will take time. Three days of rest, perhaps longer. Her body is fragile from the flames."
XiaoQi stirred faintly, her lips parting as if to speak, but only a broken whisper left her. DongZe leaned closer, straining to catch it, but it faded into silence.
Bai Hu leaned closer, his tails twitching. "Her strength is already fading. Will she withstand the pain of this?"
"She must," the physician replied firmly, though his voice shook faintly. "If her will falters, there is nothing I can do."
From his case, he uncorked a jade vial and poured dark powder into a porcelain cup of steaming water. The mixture turned black and bitter, its pungent scent filling the air until even Bai Hu wrinkled his nose.
"This will draw the poison out," the physician said. "But she must swallow it herself."
DongZe lifted XiaoQi gently into his arms, her head lolling weakly against his shoulder. He steadied her chin with one hand as the physician pressed the cup to her lips.
The liquid touched her mouth, but her throat resisted. The draught spilled, running down her chin.
"Again," DongZe said.
The physician obeyed, tilting the cup more carefully. Still, the bitter medicine pooled against her lips, refusing to pass.
Bai Hu's ears flattened. His voice cracked with desperation. "She cannot. She is too far gone."
"She will." DongZe's tone left no room for doubt. He brushed his thumb against her jaw, coaxing her lips apart, then leaned close so his voice carried directly to her.
"XiaoQi. You have never let me win a single battle with you. Not when I tease, not when I provoke. Do not betray that stubbornness now. Drink. You will not defy me on this."
A faint sound escaped her throat, no louder than a sigh. Her lashes quivered, and though her eyes did not open, her lips parted just enough. The liquid slipped past, bitter and heavy, and her throat gave a weak swallow.
The physician's hands stilled, his shoulders sagging with relief. "She has taken it. That is enough."
Time passed in torturous increments. The incense burned low, its smoke curling faintly toward the rafters. Sweat broke across XiaoQi's brow as her chest heaved in uneven rhythms. Slowly, painfully, a flush began to creep back into her cheeks. The bluish tint receded from her lips, leaving behind a fragile trace of colour.
"She fights it," Bai Hu whispered, his voice trembling with awe. His tails lowered, curling around his paws.
DongZe did not answer. His thumb still rested against her pulse, feeling the faint beat grow steadier beneath his touch. His expression did not shift, yet the tension in his shoulders eased, as if a great weight had lifted.
At last, the physician drew back, his robes damp with sweat. He bowed deeply, his knees nearly touching the floor. "Your Highness, she will live. But she is weak. She must not be disturbed. The slightest strain may undo what progress we have gained."
DongZe's gaze flickered to him, sharp and unyielding. "Her medicines will be prepared every day, exactly as you prescribe. If her condition changes, you will be summoned, no matter the hour. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Highness." The physician bowed lower still, relief and terror mingling on his face.
DongZe lowered XiaoQi gently back onto the cushions, brushing soot-darkened strands of hair from her temple. His fingers lingered there, uncharacteristically tender.
At once Bai Hu leapt lightly onto the bed, curling protectively at XiaoQi's side. His soft fur brushed her arm, and though she remained unconscious, her breathing seemed to steady, just a fraction. The physician's eyes darted to the fox again, and he nearly toppled backward when Bai Hu's golden gaze caught his own, glowing like fire in the dim chamber.
DongZe exhaled slowly, some of the iron tension in his chest loosening. His hand smoothed once more over XiaoQi's brow, a rare tenderness in the motion. He turned to the physician, voice low and dangerous.
"If she worsens, no prayer to the heavens will save you."
The physician's knees hit the floor, his forehead pressed against the cold wood. "This servant understands. I will not fail."
Bai Hu gave a low chuff, tail curling more tightly around XiaoQi. His eyes never blinked.
The West Residence still reeked of smoke. Charred air clung to the curtains, the rugs, even the bed where XiaoQi lay unmoving. The physician had left for the moment, leaving behind a bitter-scented brew that cooled untouched on the table.
DongZe had not moved from his place at the window. His silhouette was carved sharply by the lantern light, his hands clasped tight behind his back. He did not allow himself to look at XiaoQi again, because every time his gaze fell on her pale face, rage clawed at his chest until it was difficult to breathe.
She should have been safe here. And yet, someone had slipped poison into her cup and set fire to her sanctuary.
The scrape of claws on wood pulled him from his thoughts. Bai Hu leapt from the bed to the floor, tail swishing, golden eyes fixed on him. The fox spirit gave a low growl, deep in its throat, as if demanding action.
DongZe turned slowly. His own eyes were dark with storm. "Do you think I will let them go unpunished?" he said, voice quiet and sharp as a blade's edge. "No. I will find the hand that dared touch her."
The door slid open with a hesitant creak. The chief eunuch stepped in, head bowed so low his forehead almost brushed the floor. "Your Highness, the servants of the imperial palace have been gathered in the side hall. They await your questioning."
DongZe's cloak swept the floor as he strode out without another word. Bai Hu did not follow. The fox spirit returned to XiaoQi's side and curled against her arm as though to shield her, his gaze burning at the door even after it closed.
or three days, XiaoQi lingered in uneasy sleep. Her skin remained cold even under heavy quilts, and her lips stayed pale, stained faintly with the poison that clung stubbornly to her veins. At times, she stirred and whispered in her dreams, but the words broke apart before reaching her lips.
Bai Hu never left her side. His white fur gleamed faintly in the lamplight, his tails curled protectively over her arm as if guarding her from the world. Every time a servant entered the chamber, his amber eyes followed them, unblinking, a silent warning that no hand would reach her again.
DongZe remained close as well, though not as openly. When summoned to the Hall of Government, he appeared, but his gaze wandered to the doors every few breaths, and his replies to ministers were curt, clipped, and impatient. Each report, each matter of state grated on his ears, for none of it mattered while XiaoQi's life still dangled between the heavens and the abyss.
When he did return to her chamber, it was only when the palace was hushed and the braziers burned low. He would sit beside her bed, elbows on his knees, his sharp face drawn with sleepless shadows. Once, he brushed a damp strand of hair from her cheek. The gesture was gentle, almost reverent, but his hand curled into a fist the moment it left her skin.
Someone had done this. Someone within his own palace.
By the fourth night, his patience broke.
The ruins of the West Residence stood like a carcass beneath the waning moon. DongZe walked through the wreckage with a single lantern in hand, the faint glow casting long shadows over the charred beams and collapsed roof. The air still smelled of burned wood and smoke, though three days had passed. His boots crunched over ashes as he stopped before the blackened remains of the maple tree.
This was where she used to sit, her quiet refuge from the venom of the palace. He had seen her here once, her hands working carefully over a poultice as if coaxing life back into the sickly tree. And now it was nothing but dust.
DongZe crouched, running his fingers along the brittle bark until it crumbled between them. His jaw tightened.
Behind him, Captain Ren of the Imperial Guard cleared his throat. "Your Highness. Every servant has been questioned. They all deny tampering with the tea. They all deny setting the fire. Many wept until their throats were raw. None confessed."
DongZe's gaze lingered on the blackened tree. "Of course they did not confess." His voice was low, hard. "Fear binds their tongues more tightly than chains. Someone has taught them silence."
Ren shifted uneasily. "We searched their belongings. The kitchens as well. No trace of poison, no fire starters hidden in their quarters. Whoever did this... left nothing."
DongZe turned, his dark eyes gleaming like obsidian in the lamplight. "No one poisons so precisely without leaving a trail. Someone knows the craft. Someone close to the stores of medicine." He rose to his full height, his robes whispering against the ashen ground. "Bring me the apothecary servants. Every herb master, every assistant, every hand that touched a vial. I want their records, their faces, their loyalty. Leave no one unturned."
Ren bowed deeply, relief and dread mingling on his face. "At once, Your Highness."
When he departed, DongZe stood alone in the ruin. The night wind pressed against his robes, stirring embers buried in the ashes. He closed his eyes, and unbidden, XiaoQi's pale face filled the darkness behind his lids, her hand limp, her lips parted in a half-formed word. The sight clawed at him, sharper than any blade.
His breath caught, but his voice, when it came, was steady, a vow whispered to the ruins. "Whoever dared to touch you will not live to see another dawn."
The following day, the palace rattled under his command.