CHAPTER 64 — WHEN PRETENCE MET THE PRINCE'S PATIENCE
To Tang Ke Xin's astonishment, the Third Prince's smile was every bit as disarming as Nangong Yi's—perhaps even more so. Beautiful, yes, but also unsettling. There was something inexplicably strange about it, something that made her heart skip a beat.
Why is he smiling like that?
Anyone passing by would have been blinded by such a smile.
But she had no time to dwell on it.
"Imperial Physician Liu, can this method truly cure my wife?"
The Prime Minister's voice trembled with hope and fear in equal measure.
Imperial Physician Liu stroked his beard, his expression grave.
"The method is sound, but not potent. It may take time for Madam to awaken. And even if she does, her body is so weak that recovery will be arduous. She must be treated gently and gradually. Strong medicines will only harm her further. In truth… her condition is exceedingly difficult."
He sighed heavily, the weight of contradiction pressing upon him.
Tang Ke Xin had known this from the beginning—that was why she had poured away the medicine and changed the food.
"I still do not understand," Imperial Physician Liu murmured. "Madam was gravely ill with a cold, yet she took no medicine. How could she have improved so quickly?"
Dong'er's lips parted as if she wished to speak, but remembering her mistress's warning, she lowered her head and remained silent.
The Prime Minister, overwhelmed with worry, did not consider the matter deeply. He had never imagined that Tang Ke Xin might understand such things. The old madame remembered—but she refused to believe Tang Ke Xin possessed any skill at all.
"Just now, I heard that Miss Tang poured away the medicine and fed Madam something else," the Third Prince said suddenly.
Tang Ke Xin's head snapped towards him. The smile in his eyes had faded, but the faint curve at his lips remained—deliberate, provoking.
He was doing this on purpose.
He knew she wished to hide her abilities, yet he insisted on exposing her in front of everyone.
He wanted to see her slip.
He wanted to know whether she truly understood medicine.
"Yes, yes—Xin'er mentioned that earlier," the Prime Minister said, recalling her words.
"Is that so?" Imperial Physician Liu turned eagerly to Tang Ke Xin. "May I ask what you fed Madam?"
Had this been any other time, he would never have believed her. But after what he had witnessed in the Imperial Palace, he no longer dared underestimate her.
Tang Ke Xin inhaled quietly.
"Actually, it is nothing remarkable. When I was at the temple, my health was poor. Master Hui Yuan taught me a method. I thought it might help Mother, so I tried it."
Once again, she pushed everything onto Master Hui Yuan. In the eyes of the world, the venerable monk was omnipotent—an excellent shield.
She briefly described the medicinal dishes she had prepared.
Imperial Physician Liu's eyes widened.
"So that is it. These foods contain no harsh medicinal properties, yet they nourish the body perfectly. I have practised medicine for decades, prescribing countless remedies, yet I never considered that food itself could heal."
"I do not understand it either," Tang Ke Xin said quickly. "Master Hui Yuan taught me."
She repeated the monk's name again and again. The events in the Imperial Palace had already been shocking enough. If people discovered she understood medicine, they might suspect she was not the real Tang Ke Xin at all.
And indeed—her body was real, but her soul was not.
This secret could never be known.
"Master Hui Yuan knows everything, does he?"
The Third Prince narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed upon her. "This king recalls that Hui Yuan sent you back to your room to treat your injuries. Not much time passed, yet he seems to have taught you quite a lot. Tell me—what else did Master Hui Yuan teach you?"
Every time she encountered trouble, she pushed it onto Master Hui Yuan. The poison incident with Liu Ruyue—Master Hui Yuan. The cold-expelling method—Master Hui Yuan.
Since when had the monk become such a benevolent, talkative sage?
The Hui Yuan he knew was nothing like that.
And the Third Prince—once cold and sparing with words—was now speaking far more than usual. All because of her.
Tang Ke Xin saw the faint curve at his lips and knew he was doing it intentionally. He did not believe her. He had seen through her from the beginning.
He could have kept silent.
He could have let her hide.
But he chose to expose her.
He was deliberately making things difficult.
Her frustration surged. Seeing the teasing glint in his eyes only made it worse.
"You need not concern yourself," she snapped.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Everyone stared at her in horror.
She had spoken to the Third Prince—the Third Prince—in such a manner?
Was she tired of living?
"Xin'er! How can you speak so rudely to His Highness?"
The Prime Minister's voice shook with shock.
"Has this girl gone mad?" the old madame gasped, her face turning ashen. "Quickly—beg His Highness for forgiveness!"
Forgiveness?
Tang Ke Xin nearly rolled her eyes.
It was only one sentence. Must they exaggerate so dramatically?
Even Imperial Physician Liu was stunned.
Yet, strangely, he found her genuine temperament rather endearing—far more so than her usual meek facade.
"Your Highness, Xin'er is young and ignorant. She—"
The Prime Minister faltered, unable to read the Third Prince's expression.
"Come with this king."
The Third Prince's voice was low, each word deliberate. There was no coldness in his tone—yet the Prime Minister nearly collapsed from fear.
"Third Prince, she—"
A single glance from Ye Lan Jue silenced him instantly.
The Prime Minister's heart pounded. Xin'er had offended the Third Prince publicly. What would he do to her? Should he rush to the palace and beg the Empress for help?
But then he remembered—the Third Prince's temper was such that even the Empress could not sway him.
Still… Xin'er had only spoken one wrong sentence. Surely it would not be too serious.
Tang Ke Xin had no choice but to follow.
She did not realise how grave her words had sounded to everyone else.
So what if he is His Highness? Even if he were Her Highness, he cannot control my life.
She followed him, fuming silently.
He did not turn around, yet he could sense her expression perfectly. The corner of his lips lifted ever so slightly.
This woman…
She always made him want to laugh.
Tang Ke Xin, walking behind him, noticed none of it.
They reached the shadowed side of the artificial mountain, where the murmurs of the household faded into distant echoes. Only then did the Third Prince stop. Tang Ke Xin halted as well, her head bowed, her hands clasped before her, her silence a fragile shield.
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then, in a voice low and edged with authority, he said,
"If you are aware of your actions, then you should give this king an explanation."
Tang Ke Xin exhaled quietly. At least he was not demanding an impossible answer—yet. She lowered her gaze further and murmured,
"This humble girl should not have contradicted Your Highness. This humble girl apologises."
A soft huff of laughter escaped him.
"That apology is something this king finds quite impossible to accept."
She stiffened. He was smiling again—she could hear it in his voice. He was amused. At her. He knew perfectly well she did not wish to apologise, and he was enjoying every moment of her discomfort.
He truly was impossible.
Tang Ke Xin pressed her lips together and said nothing.
"Imperial Physician Liu's skills are exceptional," he continued, his tone shifting. "Had you remained in that room any longer, he might have discovered you."
Her head snapped up before she could stop herself.
"Discovered… me?"
His expression was unreadable, but his eyes gleamed with something sharp—too sharp.
Was he saying he had taken her away deliberately?
To prevent Imperial Physician Liu from realising she understood medicine?
Discovery?
What exactly did he think he had discovered?
Could he truly see through her?
Before she could form a coherent thought, he spoke again—softly, but with a sudden change of direction.
"This king requires an explanation—but not for that."
Tang Ke Xin blinked.
"What?"
If not that… then what?
What else did she need to explain?
He stepped closer—too close. His shadow fell over her, and he leaned in just enough that she felt the pressure of his presence, the weight of his breath.
"What do you think you must explain to this king?"
His voice was low, almost intimate, yet suffocating in its intensity.
Her heart lurched painfully.
Was he speaking of the temple?
Was he truly the man from that night?
No—she could not allow herself to believe that. If it was him, admitting it would be the same as digging her own grave.
"This humble girl does not understand what Your Highness means," she said steadily, though her pulse thundered in her ears.
His eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flickering within them.
"Tang Ke Xin… you dare continue pretending before this king?"
His voice was soft, but beneath it simmered a restrained fury—one born not of anger, but of frustration.
Good. Very good.
This woman's ability to feign innocence had clearly reached its peak.