Chapter 82: Completely Exposed, Auntie's Reputation Ruined

Xie Mingan actually felt like he was used to hearing such disrespectful words coming from the mouth of King Jingbei.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty has arrived. Please forgive me for my injuries and my failure to come to greet you from afar."

He tried to salute, but he couldn't move. As soon as he sat up straight, he collapsed.

However, when Nanny Zhu beside him saw this, a trace of resentment flashed in her eyes as she looked at Prince Jingbei.

Xiao Yizi sat in the wheelchair as if he was back home, without even lifting his eyelids.

It was not until he saw Xie Mingan try to sit up for the second time and collapse again that he slowly spoke: "My Lord, there is no need to be so polite. You are the princess's father. Wouldn't it be embarrassing for me to bow to you?"

Xie Mingan wanted to vomit blood again.

Seeing the King of Jingbei appear twice in one day at the Wenchang Marquis's residence, the others held their breath nervously. Madam He and the other noble ladies gritted their teeth and saluted, "Greetings, King of Jingbei."

Even the crying Madam Liu shut up.

Xiao Yizi nodded to Madam He.

Mrs. He's husband is He Yu, the Minister of Rites. In his early years, he had a good relationship with Xiao Yizi's father, the old marquis, and was also a classmate of Xiao Yizi's third uncle.

Mrs. He nodded slightly. She didn't expect that the second young lady of the Xie family was not only calm, but also sent someone to invite King Jingbei early. She was really a smart and clever girl.

"Your Highness, you've arrived just in time," Xie Yao said, stepping aside. "The poison my father was poisoned with is very strange. Please ask the imperial physician to take a look."

Xie Yan briefly told the imperial physician what had happened before.

Imperial Physician Zhou is the imperial physician of the Shang Pharmacy. Among all the imperial physicians, his medical skills are only average, but he is the best at observing people's expressions and words, which is why he was assigned by the emperor to treat the prince.

He bowed and went forward to check.

He took Wenchangbo's pulse, shook his head and sighed in confusion, but said nothing.

It is rare for someone to vomit blood due to poisoning, but the tea and fish slices tested with a silver needle show no poison.

Xiao Yizi said to another doctor from Shengjitang, "You go too."

Rendong received Xie Yao's signal and took the medicine box from the doctor of Shengjitang: "I will hold it for you."

As she stepped forward, she mouthed the word "Mantuo" to the doctor at Shengjitang.

A doctor who has never seen Mantuo Powder will never be able to find out the cause, nor will he be able to guess it. Even if he takes the pulse, he will not be able to find any clues.

The doctor of Shengjitang nodded secretly. He was not a mediocre doctor who knew nothing. After being reminded by Rendong, he and Zhou Yuyi re-checked the roasted fish sashimi and disaster-removing tea on the table.

After a moment, the doctor at Shengjitang said solemnly, "It's Mantuo Powder. This poison is colorless and odorless and will aggravate the patient's original illness. If the dose is too high, it will be highly toxic. However, the fish meat is missing a medicinal ingredient, so it won't cause any symptoms after consumption. And the Disaster Relief Tea contains this medicinal ingredient."

Imperial Physician Zhou twirled his beard. In fact, he couldn't see anything, but he had heard of the name Mantuo Powder.

"Doctor Huang is right. I've seen Mantuo Powder in medical records. Judging from the contents of the tea, it's the poison that Master was poisoned with. I didn't expect a folk doctor to be so knowledgeable. I admire him."

"Imperial Physician Zhou is overpraising me. I am no match for him, the legendary doctor at the Shang Pharmacy."

"No, no, Doctor Huang is very knowledgeable and insightful. I admire him."

The two doctors bowed to each other and became close friends as if they had known each other for a long time.

Imperial Physician Zhou was originally treating Prince Jingbei in the palace. Suddenly, a man who claimed to be the princess' uncle came to the palace. Upon hearing this, Prince Jingbei took him to the Earl's Mansion. On the way, he learned that Earl Wenchang had been poisoned.

On the way, the princess' uncle stuffed him with a handful of silver bills.

He was a shrewd man. He saw that the princess's uncle was the owner of Shengjitang. As an imperial physician in the palace, if he boasted about it, Shengjitang's reputation in the capital would surely rise to a higher level. He was also doing the princess a favor.

When everyone heard what Imperial Physician Zhou said, they felt both relieved and frightened.

Fortunately, since it turns out that poisoning occurs only after eating fish and then drinking tea, they did not eat fish.

What's frightening is that Madam Liu calculated that only Lady Bo and the second daughter of the Xie family would eat the fish. She is really insidious and cruel.

Imperial Physician Zhou then asked who had cured Wenchangbo of the poison.

After all, this poison has been lost for a long time and he doesn't know how to cure it.

Nanny Zhu had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "It's just the detoxification pills that are commonly found in ordinary households."

Imperial Physician Zhou didn't ask any more questions.

Xiao Yizi said calmly, "There are so many talented people in the Wenchang Marquis's mansion. One maid can actually produce banned drugs, and another maid can even detoxify."

Nanny Liu knelt on the ground, sweating profusely and trembling all over.

Xie Mingan could only speak again: "Get rid of this old slave——"

Before he could finish, Xie Yao suddenly spoke up, "Mammy explained earlier that she thought the two poisons conflicted, causing father to vomit blood. But according to the imperial physician, the poison in the tea was clearly the trigger. How could she have poisoned him if she couldn't even tell the difference between the two poisons?"

Her face was covered with frost and her voice was clear.

Madam Liu, her face covered in blood from the kowtow, stammered, "This old slave only wanted to harm people. No, I didn't think that much."

Xie Yao asked again, "Excuse me, Imperial Physician Zhou, where can I find Mantuo Powder?"

Imperial Physician Zhou turned his head and looked at King Jingbei.

The prince sat upright in a wheelchair, not caring about his dying father-in-law. He just looked at the second lady of the Xie family with gentle eyes.

Imperial Physician Zhou understood.

"Reporting to the Second Miss, according to medical records, Mantuo Powder was made by the Shangyao Order of Emperor Taizu. It was used to relieve pain and paralysis, and is similar to Mafei Powder. The medicinal stones used are precious and are only circulated in the palace pharmacy."

"During the reign of the previous emperor, a female imperial physician discovered that Mantuo Powder was dangerously toxic and required careful control. Consequently, the previous emperor issued an edict forcing the Imperial Pharmacy to ban this substance."

When Rendong heard the word "female imperial physician", her fingertips trembled quietly.

Xie Yao raised her eyebrows and said in a loud voice, "What a coincidence! Aunt Sun's father is none other than Sun Yaoling of the Shang Pharmacy."

Madam He exclaimed in surprise, "This poison is so rare and venomous, how could a maid produce it? Could it be that Sun Yaoling gave it to her?"

The ladies around were also whispering.

"I'm afraid that Sun knows that I'm pregnant and wants to kill my mother and daughter so that I can be promoted to the rank of Earl's Lady."

"It's said that the Duke of Wenchang favors his concubine over his wife. Just now, the Duke wanted to kill Madam Liu, which shows that he also wants to protect Madam Sun."

"Poor Madam, luckily the second young lady of the Xie family was able to stand up."

Nanny Liu was already in despair and didn't know how to explain, so she could only curl herself up into a ball.

Seeing that the matter was getting more and more serious and even involving her father, Aunt Sun suddenly got the strength from somewhere and violently tore Aunt Liu's hair.

"You old bastard, you stole the medicine from my room to harm others, and even hurt my uncle. I will fight you to death!"

Nanny Liu didn't dare to resist and was beaten until she was covered in blood.

Aunt Sun was, after all, a famous concubine in the capital, but now she had her hair disheveled and looked like a shrew in the street, fighting with the servants.

After today, her reputation is completely ruined.

Aunt Sun turned her head away, tears streaming down her face. "Master, I have Mantuo Powder. It was given to me by my father to treat my illness in my early years. I would never dare to use it to harm anyone!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Liu kowtowed again: "It's my fault. I stole something from Auntie's room. I only had some poison..."

She kept knocking her head and stopped talking.

It's like knocking myself to death.

Bai Su stepped forward and checked her breath: "She just fainted."

Xie Mingan finally seized the opportunity and gave a hoarse order: "Drag her out, Benbo, and beat her to death with clubs."

Prince Jingbei laughed: "If he is beaten to death, wouldn't that leave the body intact?"