Gruel and Salt
Yi Liang found the bracelet in the kitchen. The needle that had pricked me had been coated with poison.
The only reason why I was alive was because I had only pricked my finger. If it had gone into my wrist, I would have died.
In hindsight, my refusal to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing me hurt saved my life.
By the time Prince Zheng returned from his visit to the Emperor, however, I was already on the floor.
The Prince wanted to find me in the kitchen, but when Yi Liang had returned with the bracelet and I was nowhere to be found, he realised something was wrong.
He found me in the study hall. Dead to the world and breathing shallowly.
It took me two days to recover. I slipped in and out of consciousness, catching glimpses of the people who came to tend to me: Matron Ji and Xiang.
But the person I saw most was Prince Zheng.
I found him resting his head on his palm on the second night, propping his elbow on the arm rest as he slept in his wheelchair.