That’s right...

As a member of the Imperial Family, you’re a pawn in the schemes of powerful officials, dead or alive. As long as you’re of any use, they’ll fight over you.

What do ancestral teachings about disabilities matter? The rules are always set by the living.

"Then you’d better remember to stay alive until I get my reward." Ye Qianning placed the small box on the table.

"Mm," Sang Zhi nodded emphatically.

Ye Qianning was amused by his dull yet earnest expression. Her small hand opened the box and took out a pill. "Here, eat this."

Sang Zhi took it and, without hesitation, obediently swallowed the pill.

"Aren’t you going to ask what it is?"

"You wouldn’t harm me."

"Wrong. What I just gave you was a poison. From now on, you must obey me. If you don’t, you’ll bleed from all seven orifices and die a gruesome death."

Sang Zhi’s expression didn’t change.

Seeing he wasn’t the least bit afraid, Ye Qianning sighed. ’He really is as dull and rigid as they say, far too quick to trust people.’

"Come, let me see your eyes." Ye Qianning climbed onto a chair.

Sang Zhi froze for a moment, subconsciously averting his gaze.

"Don’t move. I just want to take a look." Ye Qianning used her small hands to turn his head toward her.

Sang Zhi’s gray eyes flickered, and he seemed reluctant to meet Ye Qianning’s gaze. "They all say that too much eye contact will bring bad luck."

"Don’t listen to their nonsense. Your eyes are just sick, and they can probably be treated." Ye Qianning held his head in place. "Look at me. Don’t look away, and don’t close your eyes."

Sang Zhi hesitated for a moment before letting his gaze fall on her chubby little face. They were so close they could almost feel each other’s breath.

"Third Brother invited many famous doctors, but none of them could cure it." His face flushed slightly, and he looked a little embarrassed.

"That’s because they’re stupid." Ye Qianning held his eyes open with her small hands, observing them closely.

’Last time at the academy, I vaguely saw a transparent film on the surface of his eyes. Why is it gone now?’

Furthermore, his eyes were even grayer than they had been a few days ago.

"Close your eyes." Ye Qianning used her small hands to press around his eyes.

He had just taken the medicinal pill, and it would take a few minutes for the effects to kick in. In truth, she had two suspicions.

First, he was afflicted with the Food and Color Gu. Second, someone had tampered with his mother’s eyes.

There are many types of Gu worms. When the Food and Color Gu enters a person’s body, it can fuse with their very blood and bones over time. The Gu worm had already fused with Princess Consort Zhen’s blood and bones before she became pregnant, so the child she bore was naturally the same as her.

The other possibility was that there was some ulterior secret within Princess Consort Zhen’s eyes, which was why their color had been hidden away, a trait her offspring would inherit.

"Open your eyes," Ye Qianning said, letting go.

Sang Zhi opened his eyes. Sure enough, the transparent barrier that had disappeared before had reappeared, clinging tightly to his eyeballs. Whether it could be removed would depend on the results of the fumigation treatment.

"You don’t have to waste your effort. My eyes can’t be cured." Seeing Ye Qianning frown, Sang Zhi couldn’t help but speak up.

"They can be treated," Ye Qianning stated.

Sang Zhi’s pupils constricted, as if he were hearing things. "What did you say?"

He could hardly believe it.

"Your eyes are just covered by something, which is why you can’t distinguish colors. If we remove it, you’ll be able to see." Ye Qianning was very certain, but to prevent any mishaps, she still had to perform the fumigation first.

"R-Really?" Sang Zhi’s heart pounded with uncontrollable excitement.

"Yes. It’s just that I’m missing a certain herb right now. Otherwise, I could confirm the diagnosis and prescribe the medicine today." The Furong Grass that Ye Qianning had sent Du Yi to find had yet to turn up.

It couldn’t be found anywhere in the Capital City, and no one had even heard of Furong Grass.

Furong Grass is only truly effective when used in fumigation treatments for the eyes; it doesn’t have many other uses, so it’s not surprising that people don’t know of it.

To find it, she would have to leave the city herself.

Sang Zhi was so excited his knuckles were trembling. ’Can my eyes really be cured?’

"In three days, I’ll have my master take you out of the palace. We can administer the medicine then." As Ye Qianning spoke, she suddenly thought of something. "Back at the Changyang Prince Mansion, were you able to see color?"

Sang Zhi froze, hesitating a moment before nodding. "Only for an instant."

That was the first time he had ever seen color. He didn’t recognize the vibrant hue as a color itself; he only knew it was purple based on the descriptions and pictures of flowers he had read in books.

"Does it happen often?"

Sang Zhi shook his head. "I’ve only seen it that one time."

It was the instant she picked up the flower...

He would never forget the sight of her that day, dressed in pink silk, her smile like a blossoming flower as she held the iris...

Ye Qianning fell into thought at his words. ’Why would color appear for just a moment?’

’Could it be that it’s not just his eyes? Does he have a Gu in his body as well?’

It was said that the Food and Color Gu would temporarily recede when it encountered something that counteracted it. Based on what Sang Zhi said, there was a fifty percent chance this was the case.

"Is something wrong?" Sang Zhi asked quietly.

"A little, but don’t worry. I guarantee I’ll let you see this brilliant, flourishing world," Ye Qianning promised.

"Why are you helping me?" Sang Zhi couldn’t hold back his confusion.

"Because... the world is like a painting, covered in a myriad of colors. If you want to add your own stroke to this painting, you must be able to distinguish all its vibrant shades. Only then can you make a beautiful mark."

The eyes see the scenery, the heart creates the painting. Lacking either one makes it imperfect.

Sang Zhi pondered this. After a long moment, he seemed to understand her meaning, and his gray eyes couldn’t hide their newfound brightness.

"But I still don’t understand why you’re helping me."

"You still don’t get it? It means that when you achieve great success in the future, you can’t forget our General’s Mansion."

Sang Zhi stared at her.

"What? You’re not willing?" Ye Qianning stood up from the chair.

"Of course not. I am willing."

Ye Qianning huffed and then hopped down from the chair.

"Young Miss." Luo Wen suddenly knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Luo Wen entered and knelt, whispering something in Ye Qianning’s ear.

Ye Qianning’s expression immediately soured. The Seventh Princess of East Shu had no reason to pay a visit to the General’s Mansion. She obviously knew Sang Zhi had left the palace.

She had already found it strange that East Shu would send a princess, who was supposed to be married off, with the delegation to Beili to offer birthday congratulations. Now it seemed East Shu’s target was very likely Sang Zhi.

"Send her away. Tell her my father isn’t home, and the mansion isn’t receiving guests."

"Yes." Luo Wen departed.

"Was someone visiting?" Sang Zhi asked.

"Just someone unimportant. It’s almost time for dinner. Come on, I’ll take you to get something good to eat." Ye Qianning stretched, but just as she reached the door, she turned back.

She took some gauze from a drawer, wrapped it around her hand a few times, and finally held her little hand out to Sang Zhi.

Sang Zhi reached out and tied a knot in the gauze.

"There, that’s better. Let’s go."

Sang Zhi understood perfectly. When you tell a lie, you have to do things to maintain it. Everything she was doing was for the sake of treating his eyes.

She had done so much for him...

"Hurry up, Big Brother! I can already smell the food." Ye Qianning turned back and waved at him.

Her smiling face was reflected in Sang Zhi’s eyes. His heart beat rapidly as he quickened his pace, secretly making a decision in his heart.