The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

Chapter 515

Dusk crept silently up the windowpanes, bathing the candlelight in a warm yellow hue. Dongfang Wan'er, head bowed, hunched over her desk, her delicate hands holding a brush, sketching herbal illustrations on rice paper. Her slightly furrowed brows and gently pursed lips reflected her deep contemplation of medical principles. The Regent, reclining in his carved rosewood chair, found his gaze unconsciously drawn to her focused figure, a stirring within him. These past few days spent together had witnessed her passion for her herbal research and her courage in the face of danger; this unique affection, like a vine, was quietly growing within him.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps shattered the silence of the room. A guard, looking flustered, knelt on one knee, holding a secret report: "Your Highness! Our intelligence has discovered that the Prime Minister's former subordinates have been frequently associating with martial arts forces recently, holding all-night gatherings in an abandoned workshop in the west of the city, seemingly preparing a large quantity of firearms and poison gas. Furthermore, letters have been sent to the border, raising suspicions of collusion between insiders and outsiders!" Before he finished speaking, the Regent abruptly rose, his black robes billowing in the wind. He unfolded the report and examined it closely, his handsome face turning frosty. Years of experience in court intrigue told him that this was no ordinary revenge; behind it lay a shocking conspiracy to overthrow the court.

Dongfang Wan'er put down her brush, her old ankle throbbing slightly as she stood up, but she seemed oblivious. The candlelight illuminated her eyes, making them shine like stars, and her tone was firm: "Your Highness, although I am not skilled in martial arts, the art of herbal medicine has its uses in both offense and defense. Those enemies lurking in the shadows could be distracted with sleeping potions, and our soldiers could be healed with ointments." She turned and took out her medicine box, arranging the bottles and jars neatly, her fingertips brushing against the ancient texts containing pharmacological records. "I have seen a sleeping potion made with datura and Buddleja officinalis in ancient prescriptions. If we can improve it, it will surely be able to subdue the enemy at a crucial moment."

The Regent gazed into the flickering flame in her eyes—a flame of unwavering commitment to justice, a courage that defied all danger. A warmth filled his heart, and he nodded heavily. "In that case, I entrust this to you, young lady. From now on, we will advance and retreat together." His voice was deep and powerful, a promise, even more so a vow.

In the days that followed, the courtyard became a silent battlefield. Dongfang Wan'er spent her days buried between the medicine stove and her books. Before the first rays of sunlight fell in the morning, she could be seen picking fresh herbs in the courtyard; in the dead of night, when all was quiet, a small candle still burned in the room as she repeatedly adjusted the proportions of the medicinal powder. Using datura as the main ingredient, mixed with saffron and asarum, after countless experiments, she finally developed a colorless and odorless drug that could make a person weak in the limbs and lose consciousness with just a light sniff. At the same time, based on common battlefield injuries, she also formulated a highly effective ointment for stopping bleeding and promoting tissue regeneration. The ointment was lustrous and emitted a faint herbal fragrance; when applied to wounds, it could quickly relieve pain and accelerate healing.

The Regent shuttled between the palace and the secret guard outposts, methodically deploying countermeasures with his exceptional military talent and keen insight. He secretly mobilized elite troops to strengthen the defenses of the palace and key strongholds; he also dispatched capable secret guards to infiltrate enemy camps and gather intelligence.

Every night, he would analyze intelligence and discuss countermeasures with Dongfang Wan'er. One approached the issue from a military strategy perspective, while the other focused on pharmacological offense and defense. Through the clash of their ideas, they gradually pieced together the full picture of the enemy's conspiracy.