Secret Medicine and a Midnight Palace Uproar

Serena Feng hadn’t expected Prince Samuel Zhai to come. She thought Dominic Zhai would go back and talk to his grandfather privately.

Not sure why Prince Samuel had come, Serena sought out Dominic before meeting him, just in case she said the wrong thing.

It was indeed Dominic who had called his grandfather here, because...

"I don’t know how to tell Grandpa. Can you go talk to him for me?" Dominic pleaded pitifully.

"Me? I’m a doctor, not a miracle worker. This is your problem—how am I supposed to explain it?" Serena protested, visibly annoyed as she looked at Dominic.

Seriously... this guy just can’t be pitied. If she’d known, she would’ve acted like the Valley Master—treat the patient and leave it at that.

"I... I just can’t say it. I’m afraid Grandpa will be heartbroken." Dominic’s eyes reddened again as he spoke.

Serena admitted her heart softened. A big, tough guy like Dominic, tearing up at the drop of a hat—he was unusually sentimental. Resigned, Serena went to see Prince Samuel.

Serena had met Prince Samuel before, so she wasn’t intimidated. Still, she felt a bit anxious—worried that the news about Dominic’s infertility would be too much for him.

After exchanging formal greetings with Prince Samuel, Serena buried her head in thought, trying to figure out how to break the news with the least hurt. She ran through several versions in her mind, none of them satisfactory—sometimes nodding, sometimes shaking her head.

“Drugged?” Prince Samuel’s breath caught, and he pressed urgently, “Is Dominic all right?”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. The drug wasn’t lethal, but…”

“But what?” Prince Samuel relaxed a little, but his nerves stayed taut. Being drugged was never good.

Serena knew there was no soft way to say it, so she went straight to the point: “It’s just that the Young Lord’s body was damaged. He’ll have trouble leaving heirs.”

After speaking, Serena watched Prince Samuel, worried about hypertension or worse. But he sat calmly, and Serena relaxed, silently admiring him: He really had weathered storms—much steadier than Dominic.

But the next second, Serena saw Prince Samuel topple over.

“Your Highness…” Serena rushed forward, but with her small frame, she couldn’t hold him up. They both fell to the floor as servants burst in.

“Your Highness…”

“Miss…”

The crowd rushed forward and helped both Serena and Prince Samuel up. Serena was just bruised, but Prince Samuel had passed out.

Serena got up, ignored her own bruises, and hurried to examine Prince Samuel. Once she confirmed it was rage, not a cerebral hemorrhage, her worry eased.

“You, carry His Highness to the sickroom. You, go get the Young Lord.” Serena began directing Prince Samuel Manor’s staff.

Some had suspected Serena caused Prince Samuel’s collapse, but seeing her take charge, they dropped their doubts and followed her instructions.

Dominic rushed in as soon as he heard Prince Samuel had fainted. He grabbed Serena’s hand, ignoring that she was busy treating Prince Samuel, and asked, “Serena, is Grandpa all right?”

With just the two of them left in the Zhai family, Dominic’s worry was understandable. Serena gently pulled her hand back: “Once he wakes up, he’ll be fine. Afterward, explain things to him properly. If you cooperate with treatment, there’s a chance you’ll recover.”

Dominic didn’t dare disobey, nodding repeatedly. After Serena gave Prince Samuel his medicine, Dominic stayed by his side.

Serena hadn’t slept for two days and a night, and Prince Samuel’s collapse had drained her. After greeting Simon, she went to rest.

She slept until the lanterns were lit. Prince Samuel woke, looking much older, but instead of giving in to despair, he actively sought out the Valley Master, Redwater, and Guile for answers.

These three respected Serena for her medical skill and regarded Simon as a promising student, but toward Prince Samuel?

Sorry, they gave him no respect at all. The Valley Master bluntly declared that even if they could cure Dominic, they weren’t interested—it would waste years, and Dominic’s illness couldn’t be fixed in just three or five.

The Valley Master didn’t mince words: “Even if we could cure him, we wouldn’t bother—Dominic’s condition would take years, and it’s not worth our time.”

Prince Samuel was so furious he nearly ordered his guards to seize all three doctors.

Simon couldn’t watch any longer and finally spoke up for Prince Samuel.

Under Simon’s mediation, the three masters reluctantly agreed to one condition: if Prince Samuel could uncover exactly what secret medicine was used on Dominic—the name, origin, or formula—they would take the case.

Truth was, they were more interested in the mysterious drug than Dominic’s fate.

Prince Samuel was stunned, but he immediately understood: if he could find the original drug, his grandson could be cured.

After confirming this several times, Prince Samuel made up his mind without hesitation.

With trusted guards, he marched straight into the imperial palace, already suspecting who had poisoned Dominic years ago.

Serena heard about his move and silently offered a moment of sympathy for the Emperor.

With famine, corruption scandals, foreign pressure, the Eighth Prince’s surgery, and now an enraged Prince Samuel coming for him, the Emperor’s string of misfortunes was about to get even longer.