Chapter 16 Please tell Master Shen that the Marquis is willing to be with her...

Chapter 16

When Shen Suining returned to her room, Shen Fengyu had already disguised herself as a swordsman and was carrying a weapon, ready to go out.

"Where are you going?" Shen Suining asked, somewhat confused.

“Then,” Shen Fengyu tossed a sword to Shen Suining, “you tossed and turned all night last night, and I guessed that you wanted to get involved in this matter, but you couldn’t say it because of the rules. Now that we know that the family is a friend of the master and the manor lord, there are no more concerns, so of course I have no choice but to do my duty.”

"..." Shen Suining took the sword, drew it, and brandished it a couple of times. He was speechless for a moment, but his nature prevented him from saying anything nice. After a long pause, he said, "Are you planning to just rob it?"

"Is that not allowed?"

Shen Suining: "..."

Seeing that Shen Suining didn't speak, Miao Wei asked her, "Ningning, are you trying to outsmart me?"

Shen Suining hummed in agreement, placed the sword on the table, and sat down. "If you rob someone once, you can do it again. People who want to harm others always have a way. Besides, this is the capital city. There are soldiers and constables patrolling the streets and alleys. It's heavily guarded. Robbery? You make it sound so easy."

“Ningning is right, this isn’t our own territory after all,” Miao Wei agreed, taking out two porcelain bottles from her small box. “I’ve already prepared the antidote.”

"So fast?" Shen Suining was a little surprised, but then she remembered Miao Wei's abilities and smiled, "I had forgotten that as long as Sister Miao has tasted it, she can recreate the original prescription and the antidote."

"After all, it's not a potent drug, and the prescription is simpler. After taking the poison, it will cause nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and fainting. Although it won't kill you, it would be troublesome if all the guests at the banquet were poisoned," Miao Wei told Shen Suining about the antidote. "If Ningning has a way to pour the antidote into those jars of wine, the poison will lose its effect in a short while."

Shen Suining nodded and handed one of them to Shen Fengyu, "Just in case, we should both take them."

“However, this antidote is bitter, which will more or less affect the taste of the wine,” Miao Wei paused, “and it will become ineffective when it gets cold. If you eat iced food and drink wine at the banquet, even if you have the antidote, it will probably be useless.”

Shen Suining and Shen Fengyu exchanged a glance, both looking troubled.

It's summer now, and there are bound to be refreshing iced treats at banquets. With so many guests, you can't possibly persuade each one not to eat iced food, can you?

Shen Suining pondered deeply, then looked at Miao Wei, and suddenly remembered something, and everything became clear to her.

“I have a solution,” Shen Suining smiled, taking Miao Wei’s hand in his. “However, I need Sister Miao’s help.”

...

The Yong'an Marquis's Residence.

The princess's personal maid, Mingle, reported: "Your Highness, a blind girl is outside the door requesting an audience. She says she received your kindness yesterday. She doesn't know if Your Highness..."

"Let her in."

"yes."

Ming Le led Miao Wei into the Marquis's residence. "Your Highness, they've arrived."

Upon hearing this, Miao Wei immediately knelt down and bowed, "Yesterday on the street, I was fortunate to receive help from Her Highness the Princess, for which I am extremely grateful."

"Get up. You already thanked me yesterday, there's no need for such formalities," the princess said, looking slightly tired from being busy with the banquet these past few days. "It was nothing, a small favor, you didn't need to make a special trip to visit."

Miao Wei presented the gifts she had brought with both hands, saying, "It was nothing for Your Highness, but to me, Your Highness is my benefactor. I am not talented enough to give Your Highness any substantial gift, but I have a few Hundred Herbs Pills that I personally refined to express my gratitude. Please accept them."

"The Hundred Herbs Pill?" The eldest princess looked puzzled. "What is that?"

"It is a pill made by a woman from hundreds of herbs. It can cure many difficult diseases and has a miraculous detoxification effect."

“In that case, it is indeed a treasure,” the eldest princess winked at Ming Le, “Then I will accept it.”

Ming Le took the medicine bottle from Miao Wei's hand. Miao Wei slowly stood up, but showed no intention of leaving.

"Is there anything else, young lady?"

"This humble woman is terrified. But Your Highness sounds very tired. I wonder if Your Highness has been worrying too much lately, and is experiencing symptoms such as loss of appetite, palpitations, and shortness of breath?"

The eldest princess smiled and said, "It's been hot lately, and I have indeed lost my appetite. I often feel tightness in my chest, especially at night, when I toss and turn and have trouble falling asleep. The imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital have already treated me, so you don't need to worry about it."

"This is due to qi stagnation, which needs to be regulated from within. Medication can only address one aspect. Moreover, all medicines have some toxicity, so it is ultimately only treating the symptoms, not the root cause."

"Does that girl have any other ideas?"

While Miao Wei was at the Yong'an Marquis's residence, Shen Suining and Shen Fengyu hid in the alley outside the gate, peeking out furtively.

Seeing that Miao Wei hadn't moved for a while, Shen Fengyu asked worriedly, "Young Master, is your method feasible? Will something happen to Sister Miao?"

"It should be fine. I heard that the Princess and the Marquis of Yong'an have been depressed and their health has been deteriorating ever since the Marquis of Yong'an passed away. Sister Miao is knowledgeable in medicine. As long as she prescribes the right medicine, she can win the Princess's trust."

"But there are imperial physicians in the palace. Why should the princess trust a stranger she has only met once?"

“As long as Sister Miao sees the Princess,” Shen Suining said confidently, “the Princess will definitely believe it once she sees her.”

Just as Shen Fengyu was about to ask why, Jiang Yuchu returned in a carriage in front of the Marquis's mansion.

The two recognized each other immediately and hid behind the wall, but Jiang Yuchu, with her keen senses, still noticed them. "Who goes there!"

He Hansheng lifted the carriage curtain and gave her a look. Jiang Yuchu immediately called two guards and chased after him.

"Young Master, I'll distract him! You go back and meet Sister Miao!" After saying that, Shen Fengyu immediately ran in another direction, while Shen Suining circled back to the vicinity of the Marquis's residence.

Unexpectedly, He Hansheng did not enter the gate immediately after getting off the carriage, and was bumped into by Shen Suining.

The two were separated by a street. Their eyes met, and Shen Suining instantly turned and ran away like a mouse seeing a cat.

He Hansheng immediately followed.

The five chased each other in the alley, back and forth, evenly matched. Shen Suining was so closely pursued by He Hansheng that she had no chance to disguise herself and escape.

Shen Suining gritted her teeth, thinking that she never had a good day whenever she encountered this person.

Left with no other choice, Shen Suining turned from the alley onto the main street. The street was crowded, and as she ran, she grabbed a mask from a stall, put it on, and then suddenly stopped, turned around, and kicked.

Before He Hansheng could react, he used his arms to block her two kicks.

Using the momentum, Shen Suining leaped into the air in the opposite direction and threw a bag of flour into the air, scattering it.

Flour scattered everywhere, instantly creating a smoky effect that made it impossible for people to open their eyes. By the time He Hansheng came to his senses, the person was already gone.

He Hansheng did not linger in the fight and immediately returned to his residence.

The Marquis's residence was heavily guarded and had soldiers on hand, so no one dared to break in. When He Hansheng returned to the residence, he saw that Jiang Yuchu had also returned empty-handed. He felt a pang of anxiety and immediately went to the Princess.

Just then, Miao Wei massaged a few acupoints for the princess, and the princess, who was always depressed, immediately felt refreshed and praised her repeatedly.

Miao Wei knelt beside him, saying, "It is my honor to be able to share Your Highness's burdens. If Your Highness finds it helpful, you may massage me like this for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn each day. I have just taught the acupoints and techniques to my sisters. If Your Highness needs me, you may summon me at any time. I am willing to serve Your Highness at all times. In addition, Your Highness should keep a cheerful mood and be mindful of your diet, especially avoiding alcohol and cold foods."

The princess did indeed feel much lighter, and her mood improved as well. "You're so kind, Miss. Mingle, move all the ice from my room further away."

When He Hansheng entered, he saw Miao Wei there as well. He bowed to the Princess and said, "Mother."

The eldest princess nodded, "Ah Sheng is back."

Seeing this, Miao Wei stood up and said, "Then I will take my leave."

Miao Wei took a few steps back, as if she had thought of something, and emphasized again: "Your Highness, I have heard that Your Highness usually enjoys drinking alone. If I may be so bold, wine is most harmful to the body if consumed with ice."

After Miao Wei left, He Hansheng finally asked, "Is Mother feeling unwell again?"

"It's just an old ailment. Just now, that young lady came to thank me. I saw that she knew a bit about medicine. Although she can't see, her hands are quite nimble, so I let her try it," the princess took a deep breath and exhaled, then smiled. "It really makes me feel much better."

“It’s good that Mother is in good health. But we still need to be more careful in the future. We must find out more about the people who need to serve us closely,” He Hansheng reminded.

The eldest princess's eyes flickered for a moment. "I understand. I saw that Miss Miao was slender and spoke softly, not like someone with ulterior motives, so I let her in. From now on, I won't trust anyone except those you personally arrange."

"What did Mother just say... what's her last name?"

“Miao,” the princess had asked Miao Wei earlier, and answered, “her name is easy to remember, Cuihua.”

...

After leaving the Marquis's residence, Miao Wei walked eastward for quite a while before finally meeting Shen Suining, who was there to meet her.

"How about it?"

“I’ve said everything I needed to say, but I don’t know if it will work out,” Miao Wei said, taking off half of the Xuanwu-patterned jade pendant from her waist and returning it to Shen Suining. “I listened to you and pinned the master’s jade pendant in the most conspicuous place. When I got close, the princess even asked me about it. I think she took what I said to heart.”

Shen Sui Ning held the jade pendant in her palm and exhaled softly, "If the Princess believes it, at most she can only ensure that she herself will not eat anything cold that day, but she cannot guarantee that there won't be anything cold at the scene."

Miao Wei nodded in agreement, "As long as it's on site, there's no guarantee that others won't consume it. So after going around in circles, in the end, only the Eldest Princess can be saved."

Shen Suining pondered for a moment, and just as she was about to say something, she sensed that someone was following her. She glanced at Miao Wei and immediately hid in the shadows.

"Miss Miao!" Jiang Yuchu, who had caught up with her, was still out of breath when Miao Wei heard the voice and asked with a smile, "Is there anything else, Young Master Jiang?"

Jiang Yuchu scrutinized Miao Wei for a long time. Her appearance was indeed very similar to that of "Master Shen" whom he had met in Hangzhou three years ago, but it was also obvious that they were not the same person. Remembering his master's instructions, he straightened up and asked, "Judging from your accent, you don't seem to be from the North. When did you come to Huadu? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

Miao Wei paused for a moment, then gently shook her head. "I am an orphan. My father died in the war when I was young, and I depended on my mother for survival since I was a child. Not long ago, my mother also passed away. I was all alone and blind, so I came to Huadu to stay with a relative here."

Her words were perfectly tactful, clearly prepared in advance.

Jiang Yuchu pressed on, "Since you had relatives to take care of you, why were you alone on the street that day, being bullied by others?"

“Young master, what you’re saying is true. Even the best relatives have their own families to take care of. The fact that they took me in and gave me food is already a great kindness. I can’t expect them to stay by my side every day, can I?” Miao Wei asked with amusement.

Jiang Yuchu was stumped by the question and had no answer for a moment.

Yes, if the person in front of her were truly a helpless orphan, Jiang Yuchu's question would be offensive.

Such a striking resemblance and identical name could not be a mere coincidence. After a moment's hesitation, Jiang Yuchu lowered her voice and cut to the chase: "Shuyu Manor is new to Huadu. If there are any new missions related to the Yong'an Marquis's residence, we are happy to cooperate. However, the Marquis does not wish to involve the Princess. We hope you can convey to your Hall Master Shen that, whatever the conditions, our Marquis is willing to discuss this with her in person."