Chapter 1: The Little Prince

The numerous maids and servants could not help but tremble, and they all knelt down on the ground, shouting in unison

The townspeople walking outside the door are dressed in mourning attire, not daring to speak or laugh

Rest assured, esteemed steward, we will devote ourselves wholeheartedly to ensuring that this final task is executed to your satisfaction

At this thought, Li Fu suddenly turned around, disregarding the panic of the attendants in the room, and walked straight towards the bed.

The thought halted at this moment, and he then turned to the kneeling maids and commanded, "What are you all still dawdling for? Hurry and assist the young prince with the cleaning!"

The quiet room was suddenly disrupted by a violent fit of coughing, followed by a sudden tremor among the row of maids, who involuntarily looked up at the young prince in bed who had made the sound.

Li Haoran did not open his eyes, but nodded and said: "Hmm! Go ahead!"

Li Fu's heart raced, startled by the sound, his body swayed, nearly falling to the ground. Fortunately, he stomped his left foot on the floor, which steadied him: "Young Prince, this is your room, you... you have awakened..."

Just as the doctor had left, a general clad in armor emerged from another room. He respectfully bowed to Li Fu and handed him a seal covered with a military emblem.

Li Fu was solely focused on listening to the pulse and did not think much about it, casually saying a few words. However, his expression gradually became more and more awkward

Before long, Li Fu regained a semblance of composure, picked up the warm soup on the table, and with a hint of a smile, brought it to Li Haoran.

In the room, the maids stood in a row, their heads bowed, not daring to look at the young prince on the bed, who had his eyes tightly shut, trembling all over, and was continuously oozing drops of foul-smelling, sour liquid from his pores

At this moment, an unexpected change occurred. As soon as Li Fu's words were uttered, a discordant sound, reminiscent of a ghostly wail, immediately echoed through the room

The medicine is meant for others to see and for illustrations and books; Li Fu had never intended for Li Haoran to drink it. However, now he wants to leave and send out the news of Li Haoran's revival, yet it is not appropriate to leave at this moment, so he can only use this as an excuse

At this moment, everyone was in deep shock, and not a single person noticed Li Haoran's abnormality, not even Li Fu, who was also oblivious to it.

Since the founding of the Jiuding Heavenly Dynasty, the town has been the territory of King Anle, home to over three hundred simple and honest families, and stationed with a hundred elite soldiers of the Heavenly Dynasty

No!

At this moment, the doubts lingering in everyone's hearts were completely dispelled; how could the young prince's return be merely a fleeting glimpse of light? Was this not a true resurrection from the dead?

In this manner, the silence of everyone lasted for less than half an hour. The young prince opened his eyes again, still carrying a hint of confusion. His trembling hands slowly propped up his body, and his gaze, tinged with unfamiliarity, scanned the surrounding environment. He slightly parted his dry lips and asked, "Where is this?"

This is the court's deep favor towards Prince Anle, and it is also to ensure that the lineage of Prince Anle can live without worry for the rest of their lives

Hmph! What is there to be flustered about

Anle Town, located within the Anle Valley of the Eastern Ridge of the Jiuding Celestial Empire, is surrounded by mountains on all sides. The area is characterized by clear waters and lush mountains, and it is home to many primordial ferocious beasts. There is only one winding mountain path that leads out of this place

Li Haoran unsteadily got out of bed and, with the assistance of the maidservants, stepped into the bathing tub, disregarding any notions of modesty, allowing these maidservants to help him wash.

Li Fu, who was preoccupied with his thoughts, was greatly puzzled and felt a sense of confusion in his heart. Fortunately, he was quite astute and did not show too much of his feelings. After a moment, he finally released Li Haoran's hand, briefly mentioned something about health, and then took two steps back to stand aside

Li Fu, unable to discern Li Haoran's mood, hurriedly withdrew, fearing that any delay might hinder Li Haoran's medication schedule

In fact, he did not wish for it to be this way, but now his entire body is in severe pain, making it impossible for him to engage in prolonged activity, and he can only allow the maidservants to do as they please.

"Butler, it is terrible, it is terrible! The young prince has coughed up a lot of blood and suddenly lost his breath. It seems that..."

Huh ! ... ...

Li Haoran breathed a sigh of relief as Li Fu departed. He gazed at the surrounding environment, which felt both strange and familiar, his eyes flickering with a vague light. He paid no attention to the people in the room before him; instead, he was focused on calming the somewhat chaotic memories in his mind. After a long while, he murmured to himself: "I have actually become a prince..."

The humble general understands

Young Prince, this Bai Lian Qi Yao Soup is a miraculous medicine for invigorating qi and promoting blood circulation. It should be consumed while hot. I see that the soup has cooled down now; would you like me to have the kitchen heat it up for you again

Although it was said this way, Li Fu took a swift step forward, grasped the young prince's hand, and without caring about any unpleasant stains, earnestly began to feel his pulse

On the table beside him, hot water, towels, medicinal soup, and neatly arranged clothing were placed, yet no one went to wipe the young prince's body or to feed him a spoonful of the medicinal soup

The general clasped his hands and left quickly, leaving only the butler, who stood outside waiting quietly with a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth

Hmm? What is that terrible smell?

Hello! Is this the underworld

The young prince suddenly opened his eyes, filled with panic. His head moved back and forth like a rattle drum, glancing around in all directions, his body trembling slightly. After a moment, he closed his eyes again, a movement that frightened those around him into complete stillness.

Cough! Cough!

After giving his instructions, Li Fu walked to the door of the room, forcing out two drops of tears, and shouted in a slightly sorrowful tone.

The middle-aged maid had not yet run out of the room when Li Fu, who had entered upon hearing the noise, pushed her aside with a single palm. She stumbled and lost her balance, falling to the ground.

At this moment, the residence is bustling with activity as they rehang the white silk that has just been taken down

The people in the room were like sculptures, all staring intently at Li Haoran on the bed. At that moment, no one dared to approach, even Li Fu was dumbfounded, his mind a blank.

The physician sighed and lamented, shaking his head as he hurriedly left along the path of the courtyard

The people in the room who had just been looking up suddenly lowered their heads as soon as Li Fu entered, and some even began to tremble involuntarily

Indeed! Go and bring over the items left by the old prince! Since he has already been laid to rest, those items should be presented to me!

"Steward, the young prince's vital energy is in reversal, and his life force is fading. I fear he may not survive the night..."

"Butler Li, I have already prepared the documents. When do you think we should send them out?"

Ah ... ...

The servants in the room are all specially trained attendants; it is impossible for them to make such sounds at this moment. The only possibility is that it is the one lying in bed...

No! I am not dead, I still have a heartbeat... But where is this? ... My head hurts so much... Who am I? ... Why are there so many things in my head? What exactly happened to me? ...

Everyone could see that the young prince's breathing was steady, and his complexion gradually returned to a healthy hue. His voice still carried a hint of panic and confusion, which left them both astonished and fearful, constantly wondering in their hearts: "Could it be a moment of clarity before the end?"

This sound is not long-lasting, almost fleeting, yet it is extremely loud, causing everyone in the courtyard to hear the strange cry

A middle-aged maid cautiously approached the bedside, placing her hand on the young prince's forehead. After a moment of waiting, she suddenly turned and quickly left, her words devoid of sorrow yet slightly tinged with joy. It was unclear what heinous act the young prince had committed to incite such eagerness among the servants for his swift demise.

Just as Li Fu had stepped to the threshold with his left foot, Li Haoran opened his eyes and commanded Li Fu.

Alas! It is entirely due to my limited medical skills that I am unable to cure this illness. If only the young prince could come out of seclusion... Alas! The mountain roads are treacherous; I fear he may not be able to leave after all! Steward, you should start making preparations for the young prince's final arrangements.

Immediately, Li Haoran was attracted by the foul smell emanating from his body. He raised his emaciated arm and looked at the sticky, black, acidic sludge on it, which made him feel exceptionally uncomfortable. His brows gradually furrowed as he looked at the people in front of him and said, somewhat awkwardly: "I would like to take a shower. Is there hot water available here?"

Li Fu quickly approached the bedside, feeling the pulse of the young prince. His brow furrowed at first, but then relaxed. He turned to glance at the people in the room and slowly let out a sigh of relief. With a tone that carried a hint of ease, he instructed, "Listen carefully, everyone. The young prince's funeral must be conducted with utmost seriousness; there must be no mistakes! Afterwards, each of you will receive one hundred taels of silver, along with official documents from the government, allowing your entire family to move to the main city, thus escaping suffering from now on! However, if anyone dares to disrupt this matter, you should be well aware of my methods!"

At this moment, Li Haoran's mind was still in a state of confusion, and he had no inclination to consider matters related to herbal medicine. He needed to take this opportunity to organize the chaotic memories in his head.

The crowd's faces appeared slightly pale as they spoke, and then they became flustered and began to move about in a chaotic manner

The young prince has departed! He is wearing the garments of the dead

Li Fu, whose thoughts were somewhat chaotic, was taken aback, and it was only then that he awakened from his tangled confusion. Although he did not know how the poison within Li Haoran had disappeared, he, along with *Tushu*, knew that Li Haoran was alive

Li Fu nodded, took out ten taels of silver, and handed them to the doctor. He sighed and said, "Alas! Who would have thought that just after the old prince was buried, the young prince would be struck by falling rocks in the valley on his way back, and now he has contracted this strange illness! Is it truly impossible to cure this disease?"

A physician stood in an ancient room within the royal residence, casting a worried glance at the youth on the bed, who was emanating a foul odor. He clasped his hands and addressed the butler, Li Fu, who stood outside the door, his expression inscrutable.

The young prince, whose body was still trembling, felt a throbbing pain in his head as images continuously revolved in his mind when he closed his eyes

How is this possible? My Nine Herb Blood-Invigorating Pill has actually lost its efficacy...

The young prince, upon opening his eyes, was startled by Li Fu's actions. He instinctively tried to pull his hand away, only to realize that Li Fu was very strong, and he was utterly unable to break free. It was then that he turned his head and, with a hint of panic, asked Li Fu: "Who is the young prince? ... What are you doing?"

At the entrance of the courtyard, a long white silk banner hung down, and above the door frame, the golden imperial plaque prominently displayed the four large characters: "Anle Wangfu"

On weekdays, these elite soldiers practice in the training grounds outside the town, but today they are encircling the most luxurious courtyard within the town

Little Prince, do not blame this old man for being ruthless; this is your fate. No one from the Li family should be allowed to live!

Li Fu casually took the seal, glanced at it carelessly, nodded slightly, and said: "Hmm! You should go prepare for a while, remember to clean up all those traces, and leave no evidence behind! By the way, burn those letters as well, especially those records! ... After we bury that little beast, I will notify you of the day to send the letter!"

Hmm? ... ...

"It is! It is! You are the young prince Li Haoran! You asked me to take your pulse and examine your illness!"