Before dawn · Prince Dai's Residence
The sky was still dark, not yet light. A room in the front courtyard was spacious and brightly lit, furnished with writing desks and tables, the four treasures of the study all complete, with several stacks of documents piled up. Wild Daoist, Jian Qu, and Cen Rubai seemed to be handling official business, while several residence guards waited with lowered heads at the courtyard entrance.
The wind beyond the window stirred the trees, their shadows swaying indistinctly. The silence was so deep that not a human sound could be heard. The three either sat or paced, occasionally glancing toward the inner room beyond the hanging curtain.
Wild Daoist gazed at the ceiling, seemingly sunk in deep thought. Suddenly, someone emerged and lifted the curtain. The three immediately looked over and saw a gaunt old man in a robe of green satin.
"How is he?" Jian Qu asked.
The physician spoke quietly, his voice slightly hoarse. "His Highness is not seriously ill. He is merely overworked and fatigued, perhaps due to irregular meals. In my humble opinion, he should wake normally this morning."
Wild Daoist knew this physician. His name was Du Haihan. Originally a Cultivated Talent, he had failed the Imperial Examinations and taken up medicine instead, becoming highly skilled. Wild Daoist smiled. "That reassures me. But you know the rules as well. You must not spread word of His Highness's condition to outsiders. Otherwise, no one will be able to save you."
"Yes, yes!" Cold sweat abruptly beaded on Du Haihan's brow. "Though I failed the examinations, I still know the rules. I would never dare speak recklessly and invite punishment upon myself and bring calamity upon my family."
"Good. It is late, and dawn is nearly here. You need not go home