Chapter 92 Chapter 92 Wait for me to come back

After Ji Yun left, Meng Yutong sat alone on the stone bench. The sunlight in the courtyard was just right, but she felt a chill in her heart.

What is the relationship between Qing Shu and Jin An? Why is Jin An so determined to kill him? Is it because of Ji Yun?

Because Jin'an favored Ji Yun, and she herself occupied the position of Ji Yun's legal wife, she became a thorn in Jin'an's side and a nail in her flesh, and Jin'an was determined to get rid of her as soon as possible.

While this reasoning seems to have some inconsistencies, it appears plausible at first glance.

So why did Jin'an poison Princess Jingfu?

Suddenly, memories of her past life flashed through Meng Yutong's mind. Not long after Princess Jingfu's death, the palace was attacked by assassins. It was Jin'an who risked her life to protect the emperor during the chaos. Only after that did she truly escape her obscurity and neglect. Her favor with the emperor grew daily, and she was no longer the invisible princess that no one cared about.

This is somewhat similar to the process by which Gyeongbokgung gained imperial favor back then.

Meng Yutong suddenly realized that perhaps it was not a coincidence!

Gyeongbok's death was a carefully orchestrated move by Geun-an. She knew the Emperor's sentimental nature and calculated that after Gyeongbok's death, she could use similar methods to regain the Emperor's favor and seize power and status by appearing loyal or as a victim.

She had been so unknown before that she couldn't even decide her own marriage and ended up marrying someone she didn't love... Only by wielding power could she truly control everything she wanted...

A chill suddenly rose from the bottom of her heart, and Meng Yutong felt a coldness running down her back. She looked at the pigeons and live chickens that were still unconscious on the stone table and slowly exhaled.

Right now, the only thing to do is to develop an antidote as soon as possible to revive Princess Gyeongbok and prevent the events of the previous life from repeating themselves.

Meng Yutong didn't have to wait long. Ji Yun returned, followed by Shen Bing.

Shen Bing stepped into the backyard and saw Meng Yutong, a hint of gentleness flashing in his eyes.

Because of her previous act of giving away lotus seeds for free, and the kindness and superb medical skills she showed during their fight against diarrhea, he had already begun to look at this young junior with new respect and admiration.

Therefore, when Ji Yun went to invite him today, he did not refuse and came without hesitation.

"Doctor Meng," Shen Bing greeted him politely with a cupped-hand salute.

Meng Yutong stood up and returned the greeting: "Thank you for coming in person, Doctor Shen."

Shen Bing sat down on the stone bench next to Meng Yutong, carefully taking out an old book with yellowed pages and worn edges from his bosom, his expression solemn.

"Dr. Meng, Physician Ji has already told me about your situation." He spoke slowly, his voice old but steady. "Although I don't know why you got involved in this turmoil, based on my understanding of you over the past few days, I firmly believe that you are not the kind of person who would do such underhanded and malicious things."

"The case of Consort Min's poisoning back then involved palace secrets and should not be mentioned again. I have long since retired and should take these old stories with me to the grave... However, I do have an unresolved obsession with the poison of the begonia. If I can take this opportunity to find a way to control this poison, perhaps I can also resolve a regret that has been weighing on my mind for many years."

Shen Bing gently stroked the yellowed pages, his gaze gradually drifting away, as if returning to many years ago, his voice filled with vicissitudes and sorrow:

"Back then, Consort Min did not come from a prominent family; she was just the daughter of a minor official. She was innocent, lively, and adorable. She entered the palace at a young age, and because of this pure nature, she was greatly favored by the Emperor."

"She was kind-hearted and treated everyone in the palace equally, regardless of their social status. Even Consort Li, who came from Nanzhao to marry into the royal family and was not well-liked by many of the other concubines and noblewomen in the palace at the time, was often visited by Consort Min to sit and talk with her, easing her loneliness in a foreign land. She genuinely pitied that woman for leaving her homeland and for her difficult situation."

"Later, Consort Min was fortunate enough to conceive a prince. From the time she became pregnant, I was responsible for examining her pulse and other signs of health. Consort Min was young and in good health, and her pregnancy was stable. I thought she would be able to give birth to a prince smoothly and continue the royal lineage... But fate is cruel, and the unexpected happened on the day she was about to give birth."

Chen Bing's voice lowered, carrying a heavy sigh: "After the Empress was sent to the delivery room, before the prince was born, she suddenly succumbed to the poison and died. The poison she was poisoned with was the strange poison that was later called 'Begonia'."

"His Majesty was furious afterward and ordered a thorough investigation, but nothing unusual was found in the Empress's food, clothing, or utensils, and the source of the poison remained a mystery. No one had ever seen this kind of poison before. It was named so because when the Empress was poisoned, blood gushed from her seven orifices and her face withered instantly, just like a begonia in autumn that had been withered by frost."

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if to suppress the turmoil in his heart: "When Consort Min was alive, she treated the palace servants kindly and also treated me with great courtesy. But when she was poisoned, I had all the medical skills I needed, but I was helpless and could only watch... After this incident, I felt that the palace was a place of treacherous intrigues and dangers, not a place for doctors to practice medicine and save lives. So I became disheartened and asked to leave the Imperial Medical Academy."

"After leaving the palace, I could never let go of this poison. I searched through ancient books, trying to find a clue. Heaven helped me and I finally found a similar record in a fragment of a scroll that described the customs and medical principles of the southern border. I copied it into this book. I thought it was useless for the rest of my life, but I never thought that it would see the light of day again today."

He solemnly handed the booklet, which embodied so much of his hard work, to Meng Yutong.

Meng Yutong carefully took the book, turned the yellowed pages, and read it intently. It stated that this poison originated from a rare flower called "Golden Marigold."

The flower was strangely beautiful: its leaves were long and narrow, as black as ink, and its branches were clustered with several bowl-sized, reddish-gold flowers. The petals were layered and overlapped, and the texture was like oil-soaked silk, which shimmered with a dazzling golden-red hue in the sunlight.

Its scent is different from ordinary floral fragrances, emitting a unique, sweet, and cloying aroma mixed with a fishy smell.

This poison is obtained by extracting its pollen and petal juice through a special secret process. Depending on the dosage, those poisoned may experience mild symptoms such as coma or paralysis, or severe symptoms such as bleeding from all seven orifices, rapid fading of appearance, and death.

The booklet also records the antidote for this poison. Most of the herbs listed are not rare, except for one called "Seven Star Grass," which is extremely rare and hard to find. It is said that this plant grows in the shady crevices of cliffs thousands of feet high. Herb gatherers must cut it with a long pole and a jade or copper knife attached before the mountain mist dissipates at dawn to preserve its medicinal properties.

Shen Bing pointed to the text in the book, his brows furrowed: "If we want to prepare the antidote, some of the auxiliary ingredients are rare, but we can still try our best to find them. However, this 'Seven-Star Grass' is the most troublesome. Not only does this grass grow in extremely dangerous places, but it is also guarded by strange beasts and poisonous insects. To obtain this grass is no different from snatching food from a tiger's mouth, which is extremely dangerous. If we want to collect this herb, perhaps we can go to Phoenix Mountain to look for it."

Phoenix Mountain?

Meng Yutong paused slightly; this was indeed the place she had gone to pick Purple Snow Ginseng. Once, it was winter, when heavy snow blocked the mountain, making the ascent and harvesting incredibly difficult. In her previous life, picking Purple Snow Ginseng from Phoenix Mountain had nearly cost her her life. Another time, just two months ago, she had gone up the mountain to pick it with He Haochuan and Bai Zhi.

It sounds like the Seven Star Grass grows in a similar environment to the Purple Snow Ginseng, but its harvesting methods and requirements seem to be more stringent, and it cannot be collected by anyone other than a professional physician.

She needs to find a way to go to Phoenix Mountain again.

Meng Yutong snapped out of her reverie and turned her gaze back to the booklet in her hand, her eyes lingering on the difficult descriptions and the strangely shaped illustrations of "Golden Cup Red Jade" drawn beside it.

Ji Yun stood quietly behind her, following her gaze as she browsed the contents of the book.

He leaned slightly forward, his tall figure naturally looming over him, carrying a faint, cool aura. His finger pointed to the eerie flower on the map, his voice low and certain: "I've seen this flower before."

Meng Yutong's breath hitched.

He didn't say anything more.

Shen Bing, being a perceptive man, immediately understood that what was about to be said was beyond his comprehension. Having told them everything he knew and could do today, he did not linger any longer, rose, bowed to the two of them in farewell, and quietly departed.

Once only the two of them were left in the courtyard, Meng Yutong turned her head to look at Ji Yun, who was standing close by, and asked, "Where have we met before?"

The two were extremely close at this moment, their breaths could be heard, and they could almost touch each other if they moved forward half an inch.

A surge of emotion welled up in Ji Yun's eyes, as if a thousand thoughts were churning within him. However, he did not answer. Instead, he slowly straightened up, creating some distance between them, and steered the conversation back on track: "Let's discuss the antidote first."

He spoke swiftly and clearly: "The medicinal herbs listed on it are all stored in the Imperial Medical Academy's pharmacy; I will go and retrieve them immediately. As for the most crucial Seven-Star Grass..."

He paused, then looked calmly at Meng Yutong. "You don't need to worry. I will go to Phoenix Mountain and retrieve the medicine. You should rest well in the inn for the next two days and wait for my news."

Meng Yutong frowned: "This matter ultimately started because of me. Since that herb is so dangerous, I..."

“My aunt’s condition is critical. Every day we delay increases the danger.” Ji Yun interrupted her, his eyes calm and his tone unwavering, carrying a reassuring strength. “Since I said I could get it, I’m confident. You are a woman after all, and I have an advantage over you in terms of physical strength. You should stay here and focus on the other steps of preparing the antidote. Conserving your energy is the best course of action.”

Seeing that Meng Yutong was still about to speak, he softened his voice slightly and added, "Don't always think that this is your responsibility alone. My aunt is currently unconscious in bed, and it is my duty to find medicine to detoxify her."

Hearing him say this, Meng Yutong finally nodded slowly in agreement. "I once went to Phoenix Mountain with Xiao Chuan to collect herbs. He is quite familiar with the terrain and conditions on the mountain. If needed, you can ask him for help."

“Alright,” Ji Yun said no more and turned to leave to make preparations.

"Ji Yun," Meng Yutong called softly from behind him.

He stopped and looked back.

Looking at his tall, straight back, Meng Yutong's lips moved slightly, but in the end she only uttered one sentence: "Be careful."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yun turned to look at her. It was evening, and the sky was ablaze with color. He stood under the tree, looking just as he had when they first met—handsome and refined, yet with a touch more gentleness. A slight smile played on his lips, and his voice was deep and resolute:

"Wait for me to come back."

The courtyard was quiet for a moment, with only the gentle breeze rustling through the branches and leaves. The sunset on the horizon was like fire, dyeing the courtyard with a warm orange-red hue, and the dappled shadows of the trees swayed gently on the ground.

The sweet and refreshing fragrance of osmanthus blossoms wafted from not far away, gently permeating the air.

Meng Yutong stood alone in the twilight, watching his figure disappear into the clinic.

For some reason, the tension and unease that had been building up in my heart for days suddenly found a moment to catch my breath and gradually subsided.