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The pitch-black night sky was filled with fluttering snowflakes.

The hand on her cheek moved very gently, its owner wearing a serious face, an expression he had never before seen on any other woman.

Due to the height difference, Xiao Jinyan had always been looking down, his gaze naturally falling on those nearby delicate lips, impossible to avoid.

Big snowflakes sprinkled down generously, easily gliding past her nose to land on her lips.

He extended his hand, intending to wipe it away for her, but before his fingers could touch her lips, he saw the firmly closed lips suddenly open, and the snowflake on her lips was ingested.

Shen Chuwei felt the snowflake cool and tantalizing, her craving unbearable; she decided that once strawberries were in season again, she would have strawberry ice cream.

Heat seemed to gather at the bottom of Xiao Jinyan’s eyes, and even the oncoming cold wind felt like it carried a trace of warmth.

"Why would you eat snow? What if it upsets your stomach?"

Shen Chuwei’s eyes curved in amusement, "Your Highness, rest assured, it’s just a snowflake, I will be fine."

Xiao Jinyan neither agreed nor disagreed.

Shen Chuwei, by the light of the palace lanterns, stared at that handsome face for a while to ensure she had applied the ointment to all the reddened areas.

"Your Highness, it’s done."

Xiao Jinyan stood up straight, and instantly the distance between the two grew much wider.

The effect of the medicine came especially quickly; within a short while, the reddened areas had healed.

"Let’s go."

Shen Chuwei packed up the ointment, her short little legs following behind Xiao Jinyan.

By the time they arrived at Fengyi Palace, it was filled with Palace Maids and Eunuchs kneeling on the ground.

Three or four Imperial Doctors were gathered around the bed, examining and discussing among themselves, each looking tense.

The Emperor paced back and forth at the bedside, his face dark and foreboding.

Xiao Jinyan stepped forward to pay his respects, "Father Emperor, how is Mother Empress faring?"

Shen Chuwei gave a graceful bow, standing demurely behind Xiao Jinyan.

The Emperor stopped pacing and looked up at his son, "It’s still unclear; the Imperial Doctors are diagnosing her."

"Your mother’s face suddenly became red for some unknown reason, and she was quite startled," said the Emperor worriedly, his gaze turning towards the Empress on the bed, lingering on her flushed cheeks, his eyebrows furrowing.

Without the Imperial Doctors’ diagnosis, Xiao Jinyan could not be certain; he could only wait.

The Emperor had been waiting for quite a while and was becoming impatient. He asked in a cold voice, "Imperial Doctors, how is the Empress’s condition?"

The Imperial Doctor bowed in respect and reported, "Your Majesty, the Empress’s face redness is simply a reaction to the Fragrant Powder. It will subside in a couple of days and is not a major concern. However..."

The Emperor pressed, "However what?"

Xiao Jinyan raised his eyes towards the Imperial Doctor, his eyebrows tightly knit.

"Your Majesty, judging from the pulse, the Empress seems to have been poisoned with a slow-acting poison," said the Imperial Doctor cautiously.

The Empress, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, was frightened upon hearing of poison, her eyes widening as she gazed at the Imperial Doctor.

In her daily life, her clothing, food, accommodation, and travels were all personally checked by Qing Ying; there was no opportunity for poisoning.

With so many concubines in the three palaces and six courtyards, naturally, there were quite a few who wished to become the Empress.

She furrowed her brows, thinking back over the past half year, considering who might have the biggest motive to poison her.

The Emperor was furious, "How could the Empress have been poisoned with a slow-acting poison?"

"Your Majesty, the Empress has been afflicted with this poison for half a year now. Fortunately, it was discovered in time. If the antidote is found quickly, there will be no serious consequences," said the Imperial Doctor.

The Emperor urgently said, "Then hurry up and prepare the antidote. If anything happens to the Empress, you will be held accountable."

"Your Majesty, the Empress has been poisoned with a toxin extracted from Mandala flower pollen, which requires the root and stem of the Mandala to be extracted as a medicinal guide for the antidote."

"Mandala flowers grow in cold and shady places and are extremely difficult to find. The time it would take to get there and back could delay the best opportunity for administering the antidote." The Imperial Doctor finished speaking and knelt on the ground with a thud, his body trembling.

Upon hearing this, the Empress, even though she didn’t understand the poison, felt a chill run down her spine just from listening.

She hadn’t yet held her grandchild, and at such a young age, she hadn’t lived long enough. She couldn’t die.

The Emperor swept his cold gaze toward the kneeling palace maids and eunuchs, resting it on Qing Ying, the managing mama, "The Empress has always been personally attended to by you. How could you be ignorant of her being poisoned with a slow-acting toxin?"

"Your Majesty, this servant has always been personally attending to the Empress and did not detect anyone poisoning her. This servant deserves to die." Qing Ying prostrated on the ground.

Xiao Jinyan stepped forward a few paces, made a formal bow with his hands folded in front, and said, "Father, your son is willing to lead people in search of the Mandala and to return as quickly as possible."

Upon hearing this, the Empress looked unbelievingly toward the Crown Prince, stunned for a long time.

The Emperor looked somewhat relieved at the Crown Prince, showing a look of approval, "Then this task of finding the Mandala falls to you. You must hurry back as soon as possible."

Xiao Jinyan bowed his head in acknowledgment, "Your son obeys."

After leaving Fengyi Palace, Xiao Jinyan instructed, "Liu Xi, summon Prince Jinyu to see me."

"As you command." Liu Xi quickly headed towards Qiancheng Hall.

Shen Chuwei clutched her handkerchief, stealthily sizing up Xiao Jinyan with a glance, perceiving his urgency and worry for the Empress’s condition.

Mandala might have been extremely rare in ancient times, but it is not a rare species in modern times.

Conveniently, she had some Mandala flower seeds in her space.

Even more conveniently, a few months ago, when she was planting chrysanthemums, she accidentally scattered two seeds, and by now, they have grown to more than twenty centimeters.

Xiao Jinyan turned his head towards Shen Chuwei, relieved he had brought her to visit his mother that day; otherwise, he might not have so easily discovered that his mother had been poisoned with a slow-acting toxin.

And there was the Fragrant Powder.

He had applied Fragrant Powder on his younger brother, Xiao Jinyu, because his brother and mother were very close, making it easy for her to come into contact with the Fragrant Powder.

That’s why the Empress’s face turned red with symptoms.

"Fortunately, you discovered it in time, or mother’s life would have been in grave danger."

Shen Chuwei responded, "Your Highness is too kind. I simply happened to smell it. It was Your Highness’s wisdom that quickly had the Imperial Doctor diagnose and treat the Empress."

Xiao Jinyan let out a soft chuckle; he had experienced Shen Chuwei’s sharp tongue, unlike others who blandly flattered him, something he didn’t loathe.

Shortly after entering the East Palace, they reached a fork in the road; one path led to Xiyun Pavilion and the other to the Crown Prince’s sleeping chambers.

Xiao Jinyan stopped, turned around to face Shen Chuwei, and seeing her black hair covered with snowflakes, he reached out a hand and helped her put on her fox fur hat.

"You go back and rest first, I have matters to attend to." Xiao Jinyan said, then he headed in the direction of his sleeping chambers. Just as he took a step, his sleeve was grasped, and he turned back puzzled to look at Shen Chuwei, "Little Jiu, is there something else?"

"Your Highness, I wish to show you something," Shen Chuwei had hesitated before because she didn’t know how to explain the origin of the Mandala.

Actually, even without the Mandala, the Spiritual Spring Water could detoxify any poison; it was just difficult to explain the origin of the Spiritual Spring.

Xiao Jinyan asked, "Show me what?"

Shen Chuwei played coy, "Follow me and you shall see, Your Highness."

Xiao Jinyan hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Shen Chuwei took Xiao Jinyan back to Xiyun Pavilion, carrying a lantern, and made their way towards the back of the courtyard.

Xiyun Pavilion was originally a remote and warm pavilion, occupying not a small area, with a bamboo forest at the deep end of the backyard.

Next to the bamboo forest was a rockery, a place seldom visited by anyone. Let alone palace lanterns, there wasn’t even a stone to be seen.