However, at this moment, his brows were furrowed into a deep knot. What was going on? Why had the already congested meridians suddenly become completely unobstructed? In all his years of medical practice, he had never heard of such a phenomenon—truly strange indeed. He kept stroking his beard, trying to find a reasonable explanation.

Emily Clark watched Dr. Brooks's every move nervously. Ever since she had been assigned to serve the Seventh Prince, she knew that her entire life would be tied to this frail and sickly royal. Although this prince was not highly regarded, she understood that no other prince would ever treat her as gently as he did. Every word he spoke to her seemed to carry a special charm. She knew she had probably fallen in love with him, but there could never be any result—her lowly status meant she was not even qualified to be his concubine. Still, as long as she could remain by his side, that was enough. “Your Highness, you mustn’t come to harm. Bodhisattva, I beg you, if there must be punishment, let it fall on me instead!” Emily Clark prayed in a low murmur.

Dr. Brooks was silent for a long time before finally arriving at a shocking conclusion: the Seventh Prince’s illness seemed to have been cured. This realization sent a chill down his spine. “Emily Clark, could you have everyone else leave? There are too many people here.” He spoke to Emily Clark with apparent displeasure. “The Seventh Prince’s illness is not a matter of a day or two. There’s no need for everyone to be so anxious. Don’t you trust my medical skills?”

Emily Clark immediately understood. “Everyone, please step outside. I can handle things here.” The maids and eunuchs of Fenghua Palace were all eager for a bit of leisure, so in no time, only Emily Clark and Dr. Brooks remained in the spacious bedchamber.

“What exactly happened, Minister Brooks?” Emily Clark couldn’t help but ask. “His Highness was perfectly fine when he woke up this morning!”

“I don’t know either,” Dr. Brooks shook his head. “But, Emily Clark, there’s something I must ask you. Has Consort Yu from Lingbo Palace sent over any more lotus seed soup recently?”

Emily Clark thought carefully, then nodded. She immediately realized what Dr. Brooks was getting at. “Didn’t you promise that the medicine in the lotus seed soup wouldn’t endanger His Highness’s life?” Her expression instantly became tense. “Could it be that Consort Yu has changed the poison in the lotus seed soup again?” Her voice rose slightly.

“Do you have a death wish?” Dr. Brooks scolded angrily. He glanced around cautiously—fortunately, no one was eavesdropping. He had nearly been killed by this reckless girl. “Are you trying to get the Seventh Prince killed? I know perfectly well that Consort Yu is poisoning him. Why don’t I expose her? Why don’t I cure his illness? Have you forgotten?” The veins on Dr. Brooks’s face bulged. “I thought you were cautious enough to keep the Seventh Prince safe, but who would have thought you’d be so rash!”

Emily Clark had only spoken out of anxiety. The moment the words left her mouth, she realized she had said too much. If even Dr. Brooks were to leave in anger, then His Highness would truly have no hope left. At this thought, she dropped to her knees with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. “Minister Brooks, this servant knows her mistake. Please, I beg you to save His Highness! Punish me however you wish!” With that, she collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Dr. Brooks let out a long sigh and helped her up. “Ah, you’re just too impatient. Did I ever say His Highness was beyond saving? To tell you the truth, what puzzles me most is this: by all rights, His Highness’s meridians have been congested for years. Although I’ve been treating him in various ways for the past three years, and have taken that bowl of lotus seed soup into account, it shouldn’t have led to such a sudden and complete recovery…”

He had only spoken halfway when he saw the look of joy and surprise in Emily Clark’s eyes. Clearly, the girl was too caught up in her happiness. “Don’t celebrate too soon. The fact that His Highness’s illness suddenly vanished overnight is highly suspicious. Coupled with the strange behavior you just mentioned, in my opinion, we need to keep observing for a while. But you must not let this matter slip out, or the consequences will be unimaginable!”

Of course, Emily Clark understood what Dr. Brooks meant. If even Consort Yu, his own mother, could plot against her son for some unspeakable purpose, what else might happen? She had better be careful.

Chapter Two: First Meeting at Lingbo

When he opened his eyes again, Jason Clark was surprised to find himself still in this luxurious place. His gaze swept over every corner of the room, and a sense of familiarity brought tears to his eyes. In last night’s dream, he had suddenly learned everything about the owner of this body—all his experiences, all his feelings, whether joy or sorrow, he could recall them clearly. Ethan Foster, the Seventh Prince of this vast empire, weak and sickly since childhood, son of the most beautiful and favored consort in the harem, Consort Yu. This sudden identity had caught him completely unprepared. Thinking of the dreams he had repeated every day, he finally understood the truth: at the moment the lightning struck, he and the Seventh Prince had switched identities. This realization filled him with terror. They had been dreaming each other’s lives every day. The one now lying in his own humble home—Jason Clark—was probably Ethan Foster himself.