The princess's murderous intent instantly froze, and she anxiously exclaimed, "Really?!"

His eyes were filled with unbelievable, ecstatic joy.

She came today to ask Jiang Xue for the antidote. The poison of the fire snake was so potent that even the imperial physicians could not completely eliminate it. Only the antidote pill in Jiang Xue's possession could temporarily suppress it, and one pill had to be taken every three days.

But... according to the information she had gathered.

Jiang Jiaojiao accidentally saved several people that Jiang Xue had failed to save.

Although it was rumored that Jiang Jiaojiao had stolen Jiang Xue's credit, the General's Mansion and the Duke's Mansion acknowledged this life-saving grace.

I'm afraid... the rumors are untrue.

So she came here today for two reasons: first, for the antidote pill in Jiang Xue's possession, and second, for the unknown hope that Jiang Jiaojiao held.

His anger was genuine, but his murderous intent was deliberate. He didn't expect to actually force Jiang Jiaojiao to react.

The princess veiled her face with a hint of doubt in her eyes. Her gaze fell on the woman in front of her, who looked wealthy and delicate, but who did not resemble a medical sage at all.

Her initial excitement cooled slightly. "Can you really completely remove the snake venom from my body?"

As he spoke, his gaze swept across Jiang Xue's wretched face, the threat blatantly obvious.

If that idiot Jiang Jiaojiao dares to play tricks on her.

She will make Jiang Jiaojiao suffer a hundred times worse than Jiang Xue!

Jiang Xue was so stunned by the slap from the princess that it took her a while to come back to her senses. Her vision was blurred, but when she heard the princess's threatening voice, she was overjoyed.

The princess was poisoned by a fire snake! Even the antidote pills she made based on the divine physician's medical records could only suppress the poison; even the imperial physicians were helpless.

Jiang Jiaojiao is even less likely to be involved!

Given the Princess's temperament, she would surely make Jiang Jiaojiao suffer even more than she did.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xue felt strangely at peace. Her eyes, swollen like walnuts, glared venomously at Jiang Jiaojiao.

Jiang Jiaojiao pulled off the pocket at her waist and rummaged through it, taking out four or five porcelain bottles. The bottles had different words on them: Ginseng Pills, Heart-Protecting Pills, Mind-Awakening Pills, Detoxification Pills...

"Give!"

Jiang Jiaojiao picked up the antidote pill and threw it over. The princess caught it in a fluster, looking at the extremely ordinary porcelain bottle in her hand, somewhat bewildered. "I planted the poison of the fire snake. Can this antidote really cure it?"

Although the bottle is labeled with the words "Detoxification Pills," it's still so crudely made that one might suspect it was just something bought randomly from an outside pharmacy.

Jiang Xue carefully protected each of her detoxification pills in a jade box, for fear of ruining their medicinal properties.

"Pfft—"

Jiang Xue sneered, "This seems to be..."

The sound startled everyone; it was rough and hoarse, a far cry from its usual gentle and pleasant quality.

Jiang Xue covered her mouth in fright, her eyes filled with even more jealousy and hatred. She bit her lip and tried to say, "Even the imperial physicians in the palace have no cure for the venom of the fire snake. If this pill you bought casually could cure it, wouldn't that be a joke?"

Just because your medicine doesn't work doesn't mean mine won't work either.

Jiang Jiaojiao rarely saw Jiang Xue so disheveled, and her face lit up with a bright smile. "You still haven't learned your lesson? Doesn't your face... hurt?"

"you--"

Jiang Xue glared angrily, disregarding even the last shred of dignity.

Jiang Jiaojiao smiled and pointed at Madam Zhao, who was trembling and hiding behind the crowd, "Perhaps you should have Madam Zhao, and your future good sister Miss Zhao San, oh, Aunt Zhao, remind you who really saved the person."

Startled by being called out by name, Madam Zhao's legs went weak, and she knelt before the Princess. Under the Princess's scrutinizing gaze, her face turned deathly pale. "Your Highness... Your Highness, the one who saved the person seems to be... seems to be Miss Jiang,"

"like?"

The eldest princess's voice was icy cold. Madam Zhao shuddered and immediately knelt down, saying, "It was Miss Jiang! It was Miss Jiang who saved them!"

Although Madam Zhao was unwilling to admit it, the Princess could easily find out who saved the person simply by sending someone to ask those present. She would not be allowed to fabricate anything.

The princess's face lit up with joy. Without further hesitation, she poured out the antidote pill from the porcelain bottle and put it in her mouth. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she figured Jiang Jiaojiao wouldn't dare to harm her.

The old woman next to him quickly brought over some tea.

Jiang Jiaojiao suddenly stopped her, "Wait! This antidote pill cannot be taken with water."

The princess glared, holding her breath, and could only force herself to swallow the pill. The pill was a bit too big, and the princess almost choked and rolled her eyes before she could barely swallow it. "Cough cough cough... cough cough cough... If this medicine... if it can't clear the fire snake poison from my body, I will hold you responsible!"

Having said that, he immediately felt the sickly man's icy gaze and guiltily looked away, "Hmph! I can protect you once, but can I protect you for a lifetime!"

Li Yan's gaze grew even colder.

Jiang Jiaojiao pressed his hand down again, unconsciously squeezing it, and smiled at the princess, "I'm more curious about why the princess was bitten by the fire snake? Fire snakes hibernate and only come out to move around in the summer. Did the princess perhaps dig a fire snake hole?"

"What?!"

The eldest princess's expression changed drastically, filled with disbelief. "Are you sure the Fire Serpent will only emerge when summer arrives?"

It's not even May yet, and summer is still a long way off!

"Of course! Unless..."

Jiang Jiaojiao glanced at Jiang Xue and, sure enough, saw the panic that she couldn't hide on her face. Her smile deepened. "Unless... someone deliberately dug it out of the cave!"

The princess's eyes instantly turned sinister.

Damn it!

As a princess who grew up in the harem, what kind of filth hadn't she seen?

They actually capsized in the gutter?

It was also her fault for being too complacent over the years and losing her vigilance. In an instant, the princess's sharp gaze swept over everyone around her, finally landing on Jiang Xue.

"That day, Miss Jiang said that you had escaped from the family temple and gotten lost, which is how you met me, the princess. You happened to see me being bitten by a fire snake, and you also happened to have some antidote pills on you?"

"No—it wasn't me!"

Jiang Xue hurriedly stepped back, bumping into the maid Yu Shu. Yu Shu knelt on the ground with a thud, her face deathly pale.

The eldest princess's gaze was fixed on Yu Shu. "You were there that day, weren't you?"

"Drag him away and beat him to death!"

These words were spoken.

Yu Shu instantly collapsed to the ground, terrified, and kowtowed repeatedly, "Princess, spare my life! I was only following orders, please spare my lowly life!"

"Speak! I want to hear the truth. If you make a single mistake, I will have your entire family executed!"

The eldest princess's voice was chilling.

Just as Jiang Xue was about to get up and argue, the old woman next to the princess gagged her and silenced her. The Fifth Prince's expression changed instantly. He glanced at Jiang Xue's panicked eyes and his heart sank.

Could it be...?

Yu Shu was so frightened by the snakes that she had nightmares for days. Now that the Princess had discovered the clues, she dared not hide anything. Before the Fifth Prince could defend Jiang Xue, she told him everything!