It was simply a nightmare.
Gao Yuexing was afraid of water—everyone knew it. Every time she was submerged, the icy river water from her childhood seemed to flood back into her nose and mouth, suffocating her.
And this scrawny man with his bony frame was surprisingly ruthless. Gao Yuexing flailed desperately, grabbing onto his hair that hung over his shoulders.
She had to use some force to make him feel pain.
Gao Yuexing’s hands were no longer gentle, and she had no idea how much strength she was using. Li Fuxiang must have felt the pain because he let go of her neck and, instead, started pulling her hair.
The two of them went at it, you pulling mine, I pulling yours. Li Fuxiang’s rough tug forced her head back, her face turning toward him. Gao Yuexing straightened up, her hands and hair entangled together, soaked and difficult to separate.
Finally, she saw his face clearly. Li Fuxiang was stunned and released her: “I…”
Gao Yuexing raised her hand.
Li Fuxiang instinctively closed his eyes, bracing for a slap…
He waited for a long time, but no pain came. Instead, he suddenly felt a ticklish sensation on his eyelashes. Gao Yuexing leaned in and lightly brushed something away with her fingers.
He opened his eyes.
Gao Yuexing’s apricot-shaped face was close, so close. She said, “I forgive you.”
From the capital to Medicine Valley, then to Xiang City, and further west to Fox Hu, most of their bond had been worn down along the way.
Whenever Gao Yuexing faced Li Fuxiang, she could never quite summon that spark in her heart.
Thinking back, the so-called uncontrollable feelings described in books were probably nothing more than this.
Li Fuxiang lowered his head and began carefully untangling their hair.
At that moment, Gao Yuexing’s mind flashed with countless images.
She remembered the day of their wedding, when her aunt had cut a lock of their hair to symbolize eternal unity, placing it in a brocade pouch to hide under the pillow. Later that night, after the guests had left, Li Fuxiang had secretly retrieved the pouch from under the pillow and tucked it into his own chest.
She remembered their childhood in the library of the Xiaoshan Palace. Li Fuxiang had rested his head on her lap, and she had playfully tousled his hair while he wound a strand of hers around his finger.
Just as she marveled at how fortunate she was in this life.
Li Fuxiang suddenly froze while untangling their hair. His gaze shifted to the surface of the water.
Gao Yuexing, unaware, followed his line of sight. In the misty hot spring, she was still wearing the old clothes she’d been traveling in for days across the Gobi Desert. The filthy yellow mud and dust spread murkily in the water, radiating outward, surrounding Li Fuxiang’s freshly cleaned body.
Gao Yuexing: “…”
Her little highness was so obsessed with cleanliness. Even when imprisoned in the Xiaonan pavilion in the freezing depths of winter, he would draw well water himself to wash his clothes with soapberries. This was unacceptable.
Gao Yuexing covered her face.
Li Fuxiang finally untangled their hair. He lifted Gao Yuexing out of the water and placed her against the warm jade wall of the pool. After a moment of thought, he decided it wasn’t appropriate, so he picked her up again and carried her into the inner room, letting down the curtain.
Gao Yuexing heard him outside, instructing someone to change the water.
She was still savoring that embrace from just now.
Li Fuxiang’s body was nearly at its breaking point, yet the hands holding her remained steady.
Taking the opportunity, Gao Yuexing checked his pulse—he was all show and no substance.
His frailty had been present since birth, worsened by inadequate care in childhood. During his growing years, he hadn’t tasted a drop of breast milk. It was the mute maid who had exhausted all means to ensure that sympathetic palace attendants occasionally brought goat’s milk, which was mixed with rice broth to feed him. His weak constitution was fundamentally ill-suited to the rigors of military life, yet he had pushed through desert raids. Gao Yuexing guessed he might have used some rare medication to sustain himself.
The row of maidens waiting outside finally found a reason to act, eagerly coming in to change the water for him.
Li Fuxiang, draped in a simple black robe with a wide neckline that revealed much of his chest, drew fiery gazes from the maidens. Even through the curtain, Gao Yuexing could feel the heated atmosphere. She abruptly pulled the curtain aside and leaned out to look.
—Li Fuxiang was watching them!
Whenever a maiden deliberately passed by him, Li Fuxiang did not hesitate to let his gaze linger.
Gao Yuexing spoke in a chilling tone, “Do you find it enjoyable to look?”
Li Fuxiang replied, “Not enjoyable.”
As he said this, another maiden passed by, and his eyes were once again drawn to the glazed pipa-shaped ornament hanging from her waist.
Gao Yuexing snapped, “Still looking!”
Like a mischievous child playing in the village square, unwilling to come home for dinner until the adults were truly angered, Li Fuxiang finally stopped and slipped behind the curtain, facing Gao Yuexing. “I won’t look anymore.”
But Gao Yuexing wasn’t done. She pressed on, “What’s so fascinating about her?”
Li Fuxiang replied, “Rare in the capital.”
Rare in the capital—so if given the chance, he wanted to see more. Li Fuxiang truly seemed to possess an insatiable curiosity.
But Gao Yuexing couldn’t comprehend it. She sneered coldly, “Then why don’t you bring one home?”
Unexpectedly, Li Fuxiang waved his hand grandly and said, “Bring them all home.”
Even tolerance had its limits.
Gao Yuexing gave Li Fuxiang a hard shove, turned her back to him, and refused to speak.
A quarter of an hour later, the maidens, having replaced the water with clean, clear spring water, filed out one by one. Only then did Li Fuxiang tap Gao Yuexing’s shoulder, his tone cautious as he tried to placate her. “I brought them all back—for you.”
Gao Yuexing turned her head skeptically, only to see rows of glazed and jeweled ornaments arrayed before her—all taken from the maidens who had just left.
These trinkets…
Were indeed rare in the capital.
In the Great Xu dynasty, the noble families favored jade, disdaining such opulent, vulgar items. The women, too, refrained from adorning themselves with heaps of gold and jewels. Their ornaments were chosen for their elegance and craftsmanship. Even the courtesans in the brothels wouldn’t be caught wearing such gaudy accessories.
But Li Fuxiang was an eccentric. Perhaps it was because he started his education late, missing the optimal time for discipline, that social norms and propriety didn’t bind him as tightly.
When he saw such large, radiant gems and gold, he found them dazzlingly beautiful.
What others disdained, he completely ignored.
Rumors spread in the Fox Hu imperial city: the young general who had stormed the city wasn’t interested in women, but he had an insatiable love for gold and jewels. As a result, various parties began scheming in response.
The royal family had been captured and imprisoned.
Some officials or wealthy merchants, though not of royal blood but intricately connected to the royal family, had been restless for days. Finally, they found an opportunity to curry favor.
Jewels and ornaments flowed in like water, and they didn’t even blink an eye.
Even more exaggerated, the decorations adorning the outer walls and columns of the royal city were carefully pried off by craftsmen overnight, completely intact, and presented to the palace.
After Li Fuxiang conquered the royal city, he left everything to others to handle. The aftermath, including these miscellaneous matters, was managed by Zheng Qianye.
Early one morning, Zheng Qianye stood before the stairs, looking at the dazzling array of treasures, and felt a headache coming on. “What kind of nonsense is this? We’re not bandits robbing houses…”
Zheng Yan commented, “I heard it’s because the young master likes it.”
Zheng Qianye snapped, “Even if he likes it, he can’t cause such a fuss. Where is he now?”
Zheng Yan pointed behind him. “Seems to be resting.”
Taking advantage of Li Fuxiang’s slumber, Gao Yuexing carefully took his pulse again. This time, she was almost certain—he must have taken some kind of medicine that made his body appear normal but had already caused severe internal damage.
In the morning, General Ji Wei was pacing outside Li Fuxiang’s hall. Gao Yuexing approached to pay her respects and seized the chance to gather information.
Ji Wei didn’t know her identity but knew she had come with General Zheng, so he treated her with special care, answering all her questions. Upon learning she was a physician who had been traveling with the army, he slapped his thigh regretfully. “If only I’d known earlier! A missed opportunity indeed. If I’d known you were in Xiang City, I should’ve taken one of you with me… You wouldn’t believe it, but our young master fell seriously ill on the road and nearly lost his life.”
Gao Yuexing quickly asked what had happened.
From Ji Wei’s description, it seemed like a severe asthma attack had occurred during the journey—an illness Li Fuxiang had never managed to fully cure.
Ji Wei revealed that Li Fuxiang had a prescription in his possession. During their travels, he visited many pharmacies to gather the necessary ingredients, and miraculously, once he took the medicine, his symptoms never reappeared.
Gao Yuexing frowned. She knew of a type of medicine that could suppress the symptoms of illnesses in the body. Originally developed to counteract snake venom, it temporarily delayed the onset of toxins, giving physicians more time to formulate an antidote. However, it was a desperate measure and only used as a last resort. The medicine was potent and required careful dosage. Just like debts must be repaid, the body would eventually demand payback—with interest.
This won’t do, she thought.
Li Fuxiang was only in his teens. He had a long life ahead of him. If he continued to recklessly push himself like this, was he planning to abandon the idea of living to old age altogether?