Chapter 5: The True and False Heir of Dingyuan

He was, after all, more calculating than Jia Huizu, steadier and calmer, able to suppress the fury burning within him.

Xie Ning must not die.

At least not now, and absolutely not within the Marquis’s residence.

Regardless of whether Xie Ning’s words about the Princess Royal were true or false, there had to be an explanation given to Prince Jing’s side.

“Huizu, stay calm. Now is not the time. Let him be arrogant for a couple more days. When the prince’s household sends for him and he enters the mansion, sooner or later, he will suffer beyond misery!” Jia Yibo said grimly, narrowing his eyes.

“Should I just let him humiliate me like this?” Jia Huizu’s anger flared uncontrollably, and he gritted his teeth and shouted.

But just as his words trailed off, whether from a sudden rush of anger or something else, his eyes rolled back abruptly, and with a thud, he slumped unconscious in his chair.

Jia Yibo was immediately alarmed and shouted repeatedly, “Huizu! What’s wrong? Don’t scare your father! Someone, hurry! Go fetch the doctor!”

Outside the main hall, Xie Ning had just stepped into the courtyard when he heard Jia Yibo’s panicked cries from inside.

A faint smile crept across his face.

“I didn’t expect Li Qingning’s curse to be this potent, with such immediate effect. That Jia Huizu fellow couldn’t hold up for long.”

When he had just regained consciousness inside the hall, his body was still extremely weak.

When Jia Huizu came in and reached out to strike him, Xie Ning had summoned all his strength just to block the blow.

But the moment he caught Jia Huizu’s hand, the mysterious power of the Innate Bagua Diagram manifested again.

The dark energy and misfortune he had absorbed from Li Qingning were transmitted through his hand into Jia Huizu.

It was precisely because of transferring these dark energies to Jia Huizu that he suddenly found the strength to counter him.

The palm strike on Jia Huizu’s back was Xie Ning releasing all the dark energy he had absorbed from Li Qingning into Jia Huizu’s body.

That was something that had nearly destroyed Li Qingning, a woman born with great fortune and the aura of a sovereign.

How could Jia Huizu possibly endure it?

As the anxious servants of the Marquis’s residence hurried into the main hall, Xie Ning was about to leave when a young servant rushed in hastily from the gatehouse.

Xie Ning’s expression shifted as he grabbed the boy. “Who’s outside?”

The servant instinctively wanted to retort but faltered when their eyes met, a sudden wave of guilt washing over him.

“It’s the imperial physician from the palace, sent by the Princess Royal.”

At that moment, Jia Yibo emerged from the main hall carrying Jia Huizu.

Hearing the servant’s words, a flush of hope appeared on his anxious face. “The imperial physician? Quickly, bring him in. Just in time for the young master’s treatment!”

The servant glanced at Xie Ning, lips moving as if to say something.

Jia Yibo snapped at him, “What are you standing there for? Hurry!”

“Yes,” the servant replied helplessly and went to fetch the physician.

Xie Ning watched silently, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The imperial physician from the palace must have been sent by Li Qingning to tend to him—this promised to be interesting.

Jia Yibo’s face darkened immediately upon seeing him standing there. He said coldly, “What have you done to Huizu? You unfilial wretch! If I had known you were this cruel, I would have dealt with you and your vile mother long ago—”

He stopped mid-sentence, as if suddenly recalling something.

Xie Ning narrowed his eyes.

His previous incarnation’s mother had died suddenly less than a year after giving birth, and shortly after, Jia Yibo had brought both her and the child Xu Shi into the Marquis’s residence.

Now, it seemed there were hidden conspiracies at play.

“The Marquis, the imperial physician has arrived.”

While he was pondering, the gatekeeper had already invited the physician into the residence.

Jia Yibo, upon seeing the physician, no longer paid Xie Ning any mind and hurried forward.

“Imperial physician, please examine my son at once. He suddenly fainted without cause and cannot be awakened. I am at my wit’s end...”

“The heir has fainted?” The physician’s expression changed instantly. “Where is he? Let me see him immediately.”

“Here.” Jia Yibo led the physician toward Jia Huizu.

Xie Ning chuckled softly, arms crossed. “Imperial physician, healing is no problem, but before you save anyone, you should first decide if the person deserves saving.”

The physician frowned, halting in his steps, and looked at him. “Who are you?”

“Xie Ning, Marquis of Dingyuan’s heir,” Xie Ning said calmly.

“You are the Marquis of Dingyuan’s heir?” The physician’s expression shifted, then he turned to Jia Yibo. “Marquis, what is going on here?”

“Let’s not discuss that for now. Imperial physician, please focus on treating my son. He—”

Jia Yibo knew full well the imperial physician had come under the Princess Royal’s orders to treat Xie Ning.

According to Qi’s court protocol, imperial physicians only treat members of the royal family. Others, even high-ranking ministers or nobles, have no such privilege unless explicitly decreed by the emperor.

Princess Li Qingning’s unique status allowed her to command an imperial physician to leave the palace for treatment.

However, the physician’s mandate was to treat only Xie Ning.

Jia Yibo deliberately withheld Jia Huizu’s identity, fearing the physician would refuse treatment if he knew.

Now that Xie Ning had revealed himself, Jia Yibo had no choice but to endure and let the physician attend to him.

Yet the physician showed no deference to the Marquis. His face darkened as he said, “I have been instructed to treat the Marquis’s heir, Xie Ning. Even if you request otherwise, I must not overstep my orders. I beg your understanding.”

With that, he ignored Jia Yibo and turned directly to Xie Ning.

“I did not recognize the heir and nearly made a grave mistake. Please forgive me.”

“No matter. I happen to feel unwell. Imperial physician, shall we move somewhere quieter for the examination? This place is too noisy,” Xie Ning said with a faint, amused smile.

“As you command, heir,” the physician said, bowing.

Xie Ning said no more and turned toward the back courtyard.

Jia Yibo grew anxious and called out, “Wait! Ning’er, Huizu’s condition is critical. For the sake of brotherhood, let the imperial physician examine him first.”

The physician’s expression shifted, then he said, “If the heir so commands, I shall comply.”

“Imperial physician, no need to trouble yourself,” Xie Ning smiled faintly, eyes fixed on the unconscious Jia Huizu. “I wouldn’t dare claim brotherhood with Marquis’s eldest son. Just now, he was threatening to kill me.”

“But Marquis, you need not worry. He will soon regain consciousness.”

Though Jia Yibo was seething inwardly, he dared not insult Xie Ning in front of the imperial physician.

After all, this physician was personally sent by the Princess Royal to tend to Xie Ning. If word of his ill treatment of Xie Ning reached her, it would be disastrous.

What puzzled Jia Yibo most was how Xie Ning, who had only just met the Princess Royal today, had managed to attach himself to such a powerful protector.