With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

The next morning, when Yun Nian woke up, her side was empty.

She touched the spot next to her that still retained warmth, and a strange sense of loss welled up in her heart.

Just as she was about to get up, she saw a white jade hairpin on her pillow.

This is the one she wore yesterday; I don't know when he took it off.

Beside the hairpin, there was a small sprig of fresh osmanthus, carefully tied with silk thread, its petals still glistening with morning dew.

Yun Nian picked up the osmanthus flower, brought it to her nose and took a light sniff, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up.

It turns out that he had picked flowers early in the morning.

She carefully put away the osmanthus flowers before calling Qiluo to wash and dress.

When the little girl came in, her eyes were bright and her face was filled with undisguised joy.

"Miss, Chensha specially brought some freshly steamed osmanthus cake from the kitchen this morning, saying it was ordered by the Prince."

As Qiluo combed her hair, she said happily.

Looking at the little girl's blushing face in the bronze mirror, Yun Nian understood, but only smiled and said, "Then bring it here."

When breakfast was served, there was indeed a plate of osmanthus cake, which was exquisitely made and had a wonderful aroma.

Yun Nian picked up a piece and took a small bite. It was sweet but not cloying, with a rich osmanthus aroma.

As she ate slowly, a corner of her heart, like the osmanthus cake, gradually became sweet.

-

In the following days, Yun Nian stayed obediently in the courtyard, keeping in mind Qin Jiuchen's instructions, and did not step out of the mansion.

Occasionally, she would ask Chensha about the situation outside, and Chensha would always calmly reply, "Nothing's wrong, Miss Yun, just trust the Prince."

Even so, Yun Nian still felt uneasy.

Qin Jiuchen specifically instructed her not to go out that night and arranged for his bodyguards and Chen Sha to protect her closely, which must have been because he anticipated some kind of trouble.

For several days in a row, Qin Jiuchen did not come.

At first, Yun Nian was able to calm down and do some embroidery or dry the newly picked osmanthus flowers, but as the days went by, the longing and worry in her heart grew quietly like vines.

That afternoon, she finally couldn't hold back any longer and said to Chensha, "If His Highness has time, could you please have him come and see me?"

Chen Sha was taken aback, then respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Highness."

Two more days passed, and there was still no news.

On this sunny autumn day, Yun Nian had Qi Luo move a bamboo sieve to the courtyard and spread freshly picked osmanthus flowers on it.

The delicate, golden petals gleamed warmly in the sunlight, their fragrance becoming even more intense and intoxicating under the gentle warmth of the sun.

She was carefully turning the petals to ensure each side received even sunlight when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps.

Looking up, I saw Chen Sha walking quickly towards me, his expression unusually flustered.

"Miss Yun,"

Chen Sha stopped a few steps away, hesitating as if to speak. "Your subordinate... has something I'm not sure if I should tell you."

Yun Nianxin's heart sank.

She had known Chen Sha for so long, and she had never seen him like this before.

Her fingertips felt slightly cold. She put down the bamboo sieve in her hand and stood up: "Speak quickly."

Chen Sha gritted his teeth and lowered his voice: "Your Highness... is currently unconscious, and keeps calling your name. I thought... perhaps you could go and see him; it might be of some use."

"What?!"

Yun Nian felt a buzzing sound in her head, her vision went black, and she almost lost her balance.

She grabbed Chensha's sleeve, her voice trembling, "What's going on? Take me to the Prince!"

"Don't worry, young lady."

Chen Sha quickly helped her up, "I'll arrange it right away."

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the carriage was ready.

Chen Sha drove the carriage himself, while Yue Xing rode a horse to protect him.

The carriage sped out of the palace.

Yun Nian lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the street scene rushing past outside the window, her mind in turmoil.

"Chensha,"

She finally couldn't hold back any longer and leaned forward to ask, "Your Highness, what happened? What's going on outside?"

After a moment of silence outside the carriage, Chen Sha's voice finally came, "This matter shouldn't be my concern. But since the young lady has asked..."

He paused, seemingly considering his words: "The Prime Minister's residence has been ransacked."

Yun Nian's breath hitched.

"In Yun Xiang's study, letters exchanged privately with the Northern Kingdom were found. Upon investigation, it was discovered that Yun Xiang had been involved in several previous border battles and had leaked military secrets. The Emperor was furious and has imprisoned Yun Xiang in the Imperial Prison."

Yun Nian was not surprised by this news.

Those letters were secretly placed in Yun Chengming's study by her, as instructed by Qin Jiuchen.

She knew this was a crucial step in bringing down the Yun family, and she also knew that Qin Jiuchen had been waiting for this day for a long time.

She then asked, "How did the prince get injured?"

Chen Sha sighed: "On the very day we were besieging Yun Xiang, something went wrong. Another group of men were the Third Prince's men. Through the Crown Prince's tip-off, they leaked the Prince's whereabouts, which led to Yun Xiang's counterattack."

Yun Nian gripped the carriage curtain tightly, her knuckles turning white.

"What's even more hateful is..."

Chen Sha's voice was filled with anger, "Prime Minister Yun actually found someone who looks like you to impersonate you and try to get close to the prince in the chaos, so as to distract him."

"Although the prince quickly saw through the deception, his momentary hesitation led to an ambush and injury."

Yun Nian felt as if she had been hit in the chest with a heavy hammer, making it hard to breathe.

Qin Jiuchen was injured while saving "her"?!

"How is Your Highness's injury now?"

Her voice trembled.

Chen Sha remained silent for a moment before saying with difficulty, "The prince has been poisoned and is unconscious. The imperial physician has examined him and said... said that this poison is strange and that an antidote cannot be found for the time being."

Yun Nian closed her eyes, forcing herself to calm down.

"When will you arrive?" she asked.

"Your subordinate should speed up; we'll definitely arrive before dark."

The carriage sped along the official road, raising a cloud of dust.

Yun Nian leaned against the carriage wall, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

She remembered that night when he leaned wearily against her, letting her rub his temples.

She remembered the tenderness with which he kissed her.

I remember the osmanthus blossoms with morning dew on my pillow this morning.

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by something, and the pain was excruciating.

As darkness fell, the carriage finally stopped in front of a secluded villa.

This courtyard is hidden in the mountains and forests on the outskirts of the city, and it is extremely difficult to find without someone to guide you.

Chensha jumped off the carriage, and Qiluo, supporting Yun, read aloud, "Miss, be careful."

As soon as the courtyard gate opened, a strong smell of medicine wafted out.

Yun Nian didn't care about anything else and ran inside, lifting her skirt.

"Where is the prince?" she asked urgently.

"This way." Chen Sha led her through the corridor to a side room.

The door was tightly closed, but the smell of medicine was even stronger.

Yun Nian reached out and pushed open the door, and the scene inside made her heart tighten.

The room was small and simply furnished.

Qin Jiuchen lay on the bed with his eyes closed, his face deathly pale.

Two guards stood by the bedside, and an elderly man with white hair was taking his pulse.

The flickering candlelight cast his shadow on the wall, making him appear exceptionally thin.

Yun Nian walked over step by step, stopped by the bedside, and looked down at him.

This man, who was usually so dignified and aloof, was now as quiet as a child.

A few stray hairs fell across her forehead, making her face appear even paler.

His brows furrowed slightly, as if he were enduring some kind of pain even while unconscious.