Ye Yining's heart raced as she watched Jun Jiuji depart.
Explosions echoed from a distance, turning this stretch of road into a battleground.
Amidst the chaos, she discerned that Jun Jiuji had led the black-clad men and hidden archers away by revealing himself as a target.
After a while, Ye Yining realised that she was alone in her vicinity.
She began to feel a tad uneasy; Jun Jiuji must have drawn the attackers' attention to protect her.
Determined not to be a hindrance, she returned to the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence, retrieved a black night-travelling outfit from her clothing box, and changed into it.
Subsequently, she left the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence and stealthily made her way towards the outskirts of the battlefield.
To avoid detection, she flashed and retreated repeatedly, occasionally returning to the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence to relay information to Ling Gui about nearby movements.
After several trips, she stumbled upon a considerable amount of gold and silver strewn along the roadside. As she passed by, she casually collected it all and stashed it inside the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence.
She also gathered a few scattered arrows from the ground and placed them in the craftsman's room.
Just as she was about to locate Jun Jiuji, she heard voices to her left.
"The Crown Prince has no mercy. First, we'll locate the carriage, then make off with the goods."
Ye Yining quickly concealed herself in the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence to avoid being detected.
She only emerged once the voices had faded.
Since the person mentioned using a carriage to transport the stolen goods, she made her way toward their direction.
Before long, she discovered a sizable pit filled with crates of various sizes. From their markings, she could tell they were the Crown Prince's possessions that the thieves had pilfered.
Without hesitation, she waved her hand, causing everything to vanish into the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence.
Once she'd cleared the area, she made a swift exit.
Just as she was beginning to discern Jun Jiuji in the distance, she heard the sound of approaching hooves.
Ye Yining peered in that direction and noticed the approaching figures wore the uniforms of nearby prefecture guards.
Their presence signified they had heard the gunpowder explosions and that Jun Jiuji's men had nearly vanquished the black-clad assailants, prompting her to abstain from returning to the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence.
However, as she neared Jun Jiuji, she was alarmed by the blood on his body. Had he been wounded?
Without second thoughts, she sprinted towards him.
Before she could reach him, Jun Jiuji was already at her side.
After ensuring that Ye Yining remained unharmed, his cold eyes finally softened with warmth.
"Where are you injured?" Ye Yining's voice quivered slightly.
Jun Jiuji raised his hand and gently caressed her anxious face, reassuring her,
"I'm fine. It's someone else's blood."
Ye Yining breathed a sigh of relief but couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
"You're not deceiving me, are you? Are you truly unharmed?"
"Do you want to check?" Jun Jiuji teased, his tone lighthearted.
Ye Yining hesitated briefly but proceeded to examine him.
However, as soon as she began, Jun Jiuji grasped her hand. Despite the discomfort in his body, he changed the subject.
"Someone is approaching."
Ye Yining's hands halted, and she glanced around.
She saw her elder brother, Yunlai, Ye Ze, and Hoshino approaching from the left.
Ye Yining withdrew her hand and confirmed with Jun Jiuji once more.
"Are you genuinely uninjured? Why do I feel your complexion is a tad pale?"
Jun Jiuji smiled and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine. But I'll have to feign injury in front of the Crown Prince later, understood?"
Ye Yining nodded.
"Yes, I understand."
Ye Hanxiao breathed a sigh of relief upon spotting his sister. However, his relief turned to concern when he saw the Desolate King covered in blood.
"Your Highness Jun Jiuji, are you alright?"
Jun Jiuji replied casually,
"I'm fine."
Ye Yining also turned to her elder brother and Yunlai.
"You two aren't injured, right?"
Ye Hanxiao shook his head. "No."
"I'm fine with the young general protecting me," Yunlai chimed in hastily.
"It's a relief that you're all unharmed. Let's take a moment to rest!" Ye Yining helped Jun Jiuji sit down, and he cooperated.
After settling, he glanced at Ye Ze.
"Go to the Crown Prince's side and assess the situation."
"Yes," Ye Ze acknowledged and promptly departed.
Hoshino observed his master with hesitation.
His master had indeed been injured when the cold poison flared up earlier, but now he was pretending not to be hurt in front of Princess Consort.
Jun Jiuji sensed Hoshino's gaze and cast a warning glance at him.
Hoshino quickly averted his gaze, refraining from saying anything that might cause Princess Consort to worry.
Master's intention was clear; he didn't want to trouble Princess Consort with concerns about his condition.
Ye Yining remained oblivious to their exchanged glances. She pondered how to retrieve the items she had concealed within the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence and assist Jun Jiuji in changing his bloodied attire.
Just as she was lost in thought, Ye Ze returned.
"Master, the Crown Prince has only sustained minor injuries. Three of his hidden guards are still alive. At the Imperial Academy of Medicine, five survivors remain."
Jun Jiuji nodded slightly.
"Try to find a carriage. If we can't locate one, we'll proceed on foot."
"Understood."
"I'll help you look too!" Ye Yining also stood up, eager to contribute.
"No need to trouble yourself. Stay with me," Jun Jiuji said gently, holding her hand.
However, Ye Yining noticed that Jun Ji didn't want to go and whispered in his ear,
"I found many things and concealed them. I'll go retrieve them."
Jun Jiuji sighed helplessly. "Go ahead."
With permission granted, Ye Yining dashed away promptly.
Jun Jiuji was momentarily lost in thought. This girl showed no fear after what they had just experienced.
Ye Yining moved swiftly. She ventured far and, using the cover of surrounding foliage, retrieved a large bag of clothes from the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence. She then rushed back to Jun Jiuji's side.
She selected a set of Jun Jiuji's attire and handed it to him.
"Ninth Brother, change your clothes!"
Jun Jiuji looked at the clothes in his hands, a slight surprise in his eyes. Nevertheless, he didn't question it and merely ruffled her hair gently.
"I'll change my clothes. Don't wander off!"
"Yes, I won't. I'll wait for you here." Ye Yining nodded obediently.
After Jun Jiuji left, Ye Yining had little to do, so she delved into the Spirit Medicine Immortal Residence and inspected the crates that could only be placed in the courtyard.
She willed the chest open and saw an array of items inside. There were abundant silver, several boxes of silver notes, as well as gold, silver, and jade items. Furthermore, there were dozens of boxes containing various medicinal herbs, silk, fabric, porcelain, and even five boxes of top-grade bird's nests, typically reserved for the royal family and nobility.
Ye Yining mused on how the Crown Prince seemed to enjoy life to the fullest, bringing such a wealth of top-grade bird's nests to Cloud Border City. However, now they belonged to her, and she would be the one enjoying them in the future.
While she contemplated this, the kitchen autonomously collected the bird's nest.
As for the medicinal herbs, she didn't need to issue any directives; the medicine cabinet in the space automatically stored them.
The gold, silver, jade, and porcelain were sent to the craftsman room to be refashioned. This way, they would become her property, and she needn't fear discovery.
There was an ample amount of silver, and the Medicine Spirit Immortal Residence had no suitable storage space. Consequently, Ye Yining resolutely had all the silver transformed into silver containers and sent them to the kitchen for use.
The most challenging items were the silk, fabric, and silver notes. These couldn't remain in the courtyard indefinitely, as they might be mistaken for trash and discarded.
At that moment, the Crown Prince approached, his expression dark.
Beside him, Su Yu 'er, her eyes clearly reddened from crying, accompanied him.
Upon seeing Ye Yining, the Crown Prince inquired in a peculiar tone,
"Jun Jiuji has been taking good care of you. I heard he was injured?"