Chapter 037

Chapter 37: What if He Drops Me to My Death?

Forget it. Yun Wan Ye decided to take his little sister to see His Majesty first.

Little Fourth had said His Majesty would die soon. That alone stirred his curiosity. When she saw the Emperor, what would her heart voice reveal. His Majesty was young and strong. Why would he die suddenly.

Besides, there were no consorts in the palace, not even a single prince or princess. If His Majesty passed away, Great Wu would fall into chaos. What would become of the people.

In the front hall of the manor, the two royal brothers and Yun Zhan sat together, talking and laughing as if the outside commotion did not exist. The manor bustled, and nobles hurried about, yet these three were calm and unhurried.

His Majesty was especially interested in Yun Zhan and Yun Wan Chen’s recent journey to Jingzhou. He asked many questions about the local officials, their governance, and the customs of the people.

Yun Zhan answered truthfully. His Majesty listened with care.

Footsteps approached. All three looked up. Yun Wan Ye stood at the doorway, a small baby in his arms. He widened his eyes in feigned surprise and called: “Oh, His Majesty and Prince Qi are here too. May this subject enter.”

[What.]

[Why are His Majesty and the male lead here. Second Brother, where are you taking me.]

[Could you at least warn me before throwing me in front of the male lead.]

Realizing she was about to meet the famed male lead, Yun Wan Ning grew nervous. Her tiny body trembled. She had not prepared her heart. How was she supposed to face him like this.

A low, composed voice answered. Gentle and calm, yet full of quiet power that made people want to kneel: “This is your home. You may go where you please. There is no need to ask me.”

Mo Yuan Lin raised a brow, his gaze falling on the little bundle in Yun Wan Ye’s arms with mild interest.

“In that case, this subject shall enter,” Yun Wan Ye said with a bright smile as he stepped inside. He at once tossed Yun Wan Ning into Yun Zhan’s arms and said in a rush: “Seventh Uncle, hold her for me. I have carried her for ages, my arms are about to fall off.”

[Am I heavy. You have held me less than an incense stick, and you are already tired. Second Brother, are you really that weak.]

[If you are this frail, I suggest cordyceps, cinnamon bark, oysters, deer antlers, eucommia bark. You need to nourish your strength.]

[Oh wait, I forgot. You are underage. You cannot handle those yet.]

Yun Zhan: “…”

Yun Wan Ye: “…”

Yun Zhan took the little milk bun in silence. Yun Wan Ye’s handsome face turned red. He was not weak at all. It had been an excuse to rush in. He wanted to explain, but there was no way to say it out loud.

“So, this is Duke Ning’s youngest daughter,” Mo Yuan Lin said as he set down his teacup. “Let me hold her.”

Yun Wan Ning froze.

[Why does everyone want to hold me. Are human babies really so lovable.]

[I do not get it.]

Yun Zhan looked down at the baby’s darting eyes. After a pause, he said quietly: “Your Majesty, perhaps it is best not to. Little Fourth is still very small. If she startles or offends you by accident, what then.”

[Yes, yes, Seventh Uncle is right. Better not. What if I offend him and he drops me.]

[Do not hold me, do not hold me. I am not a Ginseng Fruit. Holding me will not grant immortality.]

Yun Zhan: “…”

What was this child thinking. His Majesty was not heartless.

“It is fine. She is a little one. How could she offend me. Even if she did, I would not blame her,” Mo Yuan Lin said with a soft laugh.

This was exactly what Yun Wan Ye wanted. He had brought her for this moment, but he could not say that before the Emperor.

“Very well,” Yun Zhan said as he gently coaxed the baby: “Little Fourth, let His Majesty hold you. Do not be afraid.”

[Fine, fine.]

[But Seventh Uncle, please keep watch. If His Majesty dares drop me, you must save me right away.]

Yun Zhan: “…”

Why did she keep imagining His Majesty would drop her.

Yun Wan Ye pursed his lips and sulked to the side. Why did she only trust Seventh Uncle. Did she not trust him at all.

Soon, Yun Wan Ning was in Mo Yuan Lin’s arms. Her tiny fingers clung to his sleeve. She had no sense of safety with men outside her family.

“Do not be afraid. I will be careful. I will not drop you,” Mo Yuan Lin said with a low chuckle. For a month-old child, she was keen. It almost felt like she understood his words.

[Huh, who would have thought. This emperor, fated to die young and suddenly, is actually so gentle.]

Yun Wan Ning relaxed a little and looked up at him. His presence held a sacred weight. The longer she looked, the sharper her gaze grew.

Crack.

A sudden sound snapped the air. Yun Zhan stared at the teacup in his hand. A crack ran across it. Shock rolled through him.

His Majesty dying young. Sudden death.

Both royal brothers turned at the sound. Yun Zhan calmed at once and set the cup down: “This teacup is poorly made.”

[Hmm. Something is off.]

Yun Wan Ning narrowed her brows, eyes still fixed on Mo Yuan Lin.

[His look does not fit sudden death. It looks like long-term illness or poison.]

[Pupils slightly purple, darkened lips, pale skin with faint blue. These are signs of slow poisoning.]

[Ordinary people would not notice, but any skilled doctor should see it. Have the imperial physicians done nothing.]

Poisoned.

Yun Zhan and Yun Wan Ye both looked at Mo Yuan Lin again, eyes wide. Under Little Fourth’s hint, everything seemed strange. His eyes, his lips, his skin tone, all looked wrong.

“Why are you both staring at me,” Mo Yuan Lin asked with a frown. No one ever stared at him like this.

Yun Zhan recovered and said with a casual smile: “It is nothing. It is only odd to see Your Majesty holding a baby. Since you seem fond of children, why not take a consort and have princes and princesses.”

Mo Yuan Lin: “…”

Across Great Wu, perhaps only this man would speak to him that way.

“Then tell me, Brother Ming Che, why have you not married and had children. Do you dislike little ones,” Mo Yuan Lin asked in return.

Yun Zhan fell silent.

[There is no saving this talk.]

If he said he disliked children, would Little Fourth ignore him from now on.

“Enough, Your Majesty. Let us change the topic,” he said.

“Ah, I am this close to marrying Yao’er, yet Imperial Elder Brother still calls Lord Yun brother. At this rate, our family tree will be a mess,” Mo Yuan Hao said with a soft sigh.

He could already imagine the chaos once he married Yao’er, and when Imperial Elder Brother and Yun Zhan had children too. Now a little milk bun sat in His Majesty’s arms. It would only grow more tangled.

[Oh, is that the male lead speaking.]

[He has not even proposed yet and is already dreaming of marriage. How bold.]

[Go chase your destined female lead and stop bothering my elder sister. She would never marry someone like you.]

[Let me sneak a look at the male lead’s face. Ah, the Emperor’s sleeve and the table are in the way. I cannot see a thing.]

Until now, Yun Wan Ning had only watched the Emperor. The male lead’s voice caught her interest. She turned her head, but her view stayed blocked.

“Have you set a wedding date. Why did I not hear of it,” Mo Yuan Lin asked his brother.

Before Mo Yuan Hao could answer, Yun Wan Ning shouted in her heart:

[No, no, he has not proposed yet.]

“The date is not decided,” Mo Yuan Hao said calmly. “After Yao’er comes of age, I plan to propose. It will not be long.”

[No, that is not how it goes. You are supposed to fall hopelessly for the female lead.]

She stopped short.

[Wait. The storyline has collapsed.]

[The first key meeting that should have bound the leads already went wrong.]

[The drugged female lead should have stumbled into the male lead’s path, but she was intercepted and sent to a physician. That stopped the famous twist. He should have lost face, then sent assassins, then grown intrigued when she escaped.]

[Today should have been their second meeting. The female lead should have pushed the princess into the lake, then shifted blame with wit, stunning everyone and catching the male lead’s eye.]

[Instead, it flipped. The one who fell was the female lead. She was so cold she could barely speak.]

[Since the princess did not fall, neither the Emperor nor the male lead showed up. Another key moment was ruined.]

[Now that everything falls apart, the male lead will not fall for the female lead anytime soon. What happens now.]

[Without the female lead to keep him busy, he will turn to Elder Sister. But if he marries her and then falls for the female lead later, dragged by the plot, Elder Sister will become the tragic villainess again.]

[Oh no. This is a dead end. No matter what, the female lead threatens Elder Sister, unless she does not marry the male lead at all.]

[But Elder Sister is the villainess. Her role was written to love him madly and ruin herself. How could she choose not to marry him.]

[Ugh, my head hurts.]

Yun Wan Ye was used to this anxious stream. Yun Zhan was not. His thoughts whirled like a storm.

“Oh,” Mo Yuan Lin said mildly as he looked down again. An awkward quiet settled.

Only the Yun men had no quiet, for the little milk bun’s voice chattered in their minds without pause.

[Forget it. I will not wrestle with these knots. Better to figure out the poison in His Majesty.]

[His Majesty treats Father well and is close to Seventh Uncle. If I can save him, maybe he will become the Yun family’s guardian charm.]

[Wait a second. Why do I always forget that I cannot speak yet.]

[Even if I find the cure, how do I help. I cannot even sit up. How do I gather herbs, brew decoctions, or do anything useful.]

Though she grumbled, Yun Wan Ning’s little hand moved on its own. She loosened her grip on the Emperor’s sleeve and reached for his wrist, brushing it with soft fingers.

Mo Yuan Lin looked down, curiosity dark in his eyes. The more he watched this milk bun, the more fascinated he grew. Her awareness was far too sharp for a babe.

[Hmm.]

[It feels like heavy metal poisoning, lead and mercury. Has the Emperor been taking pills. Or is his pulse unclear and I am misjudging.]

Inside his body, signs of multiple heavy metals showed. This pattern came from overusing pills. Ancient medical texts recorded many such cases.

Yun Wan Ning hesitated, then steadied.

[No, I am right. The pulse is feeble and hollow under pressure, scattered and unrhythmic. These are life-support pills.]

[So His Majesty’s body is weak by nature. The pills keep him going, lending strength on the surface, but the residue was not cleared. Over time, it built up, and now it is out of control.]

[That is it.]

[If the imperial physicians dared give such pills, why did they not detoxify. They only buy time and patch leaks without fixing the root.]

[No wonder the story says he dies overnight. When the poison reaches its limit, he will collapse.]

[It is not even hard to treat. Why did no one act. Is it because this is a novel and the author did not know medicine.]

[Or did the author simply want the Emperor to die so the male lead could rise.]

She had no answers.

[If they had acted earlier, one week would have cured it. But now…]

[Sigh.]

She went on and on, complaining in that soft tone, but refused to speak a single word of the actual prescription. Yun Wan Ye’s fingers twitched. He almost blurted out a question to beg her for the treatment.