Wolf King And His Fox Consort

Xiao Zai knew there was no hope of salvaging the rest of his day then.

Xiao Yuan looked genuinely scared, as if he feared all the recent death hovering around him like a hungry vulture was ready to claim another victim.

"What is it? Is he suddenly nauseous and unable to keep food down?" Xiao Zai asked, shooting Chu Yun a knowing smirk that he acknowledged with a glare.

One never knew. It might be catching.

Xiao Yuan just looked confused. "What? No, he started complaining of a pain in his chest, then it was his back, and then he just fell to the floor," he looked up into Xiao Zai's eyes. "He's unresponsive but his eyes are open," he shook his head, trying to dispel the image like water from his ears.

"Please send one of your doctors over, I have a few servants watching over him, but I don't trust anyone in my house," Xiao Yuan said, one step away from begging.

Xiao Zai despised him, when he looked at his brother he saw only a pathetic simpering man who  refused to take responsibility for his actions. He would tell everyone who'd listen that he'd never raped his dam, but he knew, as well as anyone, that each time he made one of his desperate attempts at seducing him, Gu Wei would be beaten black and blue for it.

Xiao Yuan had never apologised for that, for all that he worried that people would think he was a rapist as well as a drunkard.

It wasn't sympathy for his brother that made Xiao Zai call over a servant and ask him to fetch Physician Song and have him meet them at the First Prince's estate, but pity for Fan Jiang. A deep sorrow for how everyone who came into Xiao Yuan's orbit ended up worse for it.

Xiao Yun barely thanked him before climbing into his own carriage and setting back towards his estate.

Chu Yun climbed up back onto his horse as well. Xiao Zai tried to stop him.

"I'm going," he said with a frown. "I'm not going to drink or eat anything," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Besides, something really odd is happening there, and we need to get to the bottom of it before it causes more problems."

He spurred his horse towards the gates. "It seems we're spending the day today visiting your siblings," he said with a smirk over his shoulder.

Xiao Zai smiled and went after him at a gallop. The only sibling he really wanted to see was tucked away in a cosy village away from all of this, and all the better for it.

---

The Second Prince's estate looked no different than the last time Chu Yun had been there, although there was a more frantic energy to it.

Xiao Yuan led them through the hallways of the estate's sleeping quarters until they reached a finely decorated pear wood door. A richly dressed concubine was kneeling on the floor, hanging on the door handles, tears streaming down her face.

Chu Yun recognised her as the pampered concubine from the feast at the estate, the omega who'd lost the baby. 

"Your royal Highness," she exclaimed as soon as she saw Xiao Yuan, crawling on her knees towards him, hugging his legs. "They won't let Rui-er in, even though I've begged them to let me see A-Jiang! Rui-er is so scared for him! There's has been so much death in this house!"

She was almost hysterical, but Xiao Yuan ignored her, pushing her to the side and walking into the room as if she wasn't even there.

Chu Yun knelt next to the crying concubine and helped her to her feet. "Please don't cry, Lady, ah, Rui-er is it?"

She smiled self-consciously at him, dabbing at her reddened eyes with sleeves that covered her hands. "This one is called Peng Rui, your Grace," she curtsied politely, bending her knees and lowering her neck, "pleased to make your acquaintance."

They had already met each other but they hadn't been introduced, a slight a woman with Lady Peng's temperament wasn't sure to have forgotten.

Xiao Zai cleared his throat, "We should go in," he said, cutting in between Chu Yun and the concubine, and not acknowledging her in any way.

Chu Yun held back a sigh at his childishness. He couldn't be jealous just because Chu Yun exchanged two words to an omega?

He followed him into the room, where Xiao Yuan was already kneeling by Fan Jiang's bedside. It was obvious the room they were in was Xiao Yuan's own, from the lavish decoration and the many wolf motifs carved into dark lacquered furniture, and painted onto wall hangings.

A room fit for a Crown Prince, but Xiao Yuan looked like a small child among all the splendour, clinging to Fan Jiang's pale hand with red eyes.

The sight was just has perturbing as he had described. Fan Jiang was laying on his back with his eyes wide open, completely unnmoving. A faint, trembling breath passed through his lips, the only indication he was alive. 

Only Concubine Peng's sobs cut through the silence in the room. Moments later, Physician Song arrived, a servant carrying his medicine chest.

He started examining Fan Jiang right away, pronouncing at once, "even his pulse is sluggish," after a quick examination. He peered into Fan Jiang's eyes, asking for a candle to examine them more closely.

Everyone waited in breathless anticipation as he took blood samples, saliva samples, and mixed them with all kinds of powders and herbs from his portable chest of drawers.

Finally, he announced. "He's been poisoned." Which wasn't really news to anyone present, but he went on to elaborate, "it's an uncommon poison, I've only seen its effects once before. It's made from blue cap mushrooms, and it works as a paralysing agent. If untreated it can lead to a painful and slow death as the person wastes away."

Xiao Yuan closed both hands around Fan Jiang's wrist. "So there is an antidote?" 

The Physician nodded. "Thankfully, yes. It's a long decotion process but we can find all the ingredients here in Haolin, and I know the recipe."

Before the breath of relief was even out of Xiao Yuan's lips, Chu Yun turned to the Physician. "Thank you for your help, please wait outside with my maidservant, Physician Song, we'll call for you shortly."

Chu Yun turned to the confused Xiao Yuan with an enigmatic smile.. "There are some things we need to discuss with his Royal Highness first."