Xiao Xuan didn't ask any more questions, he just nodded, and the two of them made their way to a dark room.

Yang Shuhuan was seen crouching on the ground with her eyes closed in a sorry state. When Qingying saw the Crown Prince and Ningyin coming over, she gave a wink to the Qingyu Guards beside her.

A bucket of ice-cold water was poured directly over her head, and the biting cold instantly woke Yang Shuhuan from her coma.

After a scream, Yang Shuhuan's body trembled uncontrollably. Once she regained some strength, Qingying ordered someone to bring up the wooden stool for the execution.

Xiao Xuan waved his hand, and the Qingyu Guards immediately dragged Yang Shuhuan over and made her kneel in front of the two men.

Yang Shuhuan finally regained her senses and looked up to see Xiao Xuan and Ning Yin.

Filled with resentment, his fingertips gripped the ground, making a piercing sound.

Her eyes flashed with hatred. She hadn't even gotten Shen Yun yet, but now she was being tormented like this by this despicable couple. She was clearly the most noble legitimate daughter of the Marquis's mansion, yet she was being humiliated like this.

She hadn't done anything wrong. She had loved Shen Yun since she was a child. It was this bitch who took everything from her. Why should she get whatever she wanted?

Even the Crown Prince is protecting her now. She has neither family background nor status. What makes her comparable to me?

She was just a woman Shen Yun didn't want, so why did Xiao Xuan care about her so much?

Or perhaps she appears reserved on the surface, but is actually quite adept at seducing men.

Yang Shuhuan cursed the two people in front of her a thousand times in her heart, but now she needed to survive, so she could only lower her head.

"Qingying, make your move..."

Xiao Xuan spoke casually, not even glancing at the woman on the ground.

"Your Highness, I am innocent! I did nothing wrong! You have wronged me... I beg you to investigate thoroughly..."

Yang Shuhuan cried with tears streaming down her face, her fox-like eyes darting around. Then she crawled over and hugged Ning Yin's leg.

"Sister, please speak to His Highness for me, for the sake of our acquaintance. I am truly innocent."

"Back then, if Brother Yun and I hadn't been on our way to Huguo Temple to offer incense and hadn't passed by the lake, you probably... you probably..."

Yang Shuhuan clung tightly to Ning Yin's leg, trying to continue playing the victim, but Ning Yin unexpectedly kicked her away.

"Yang Shuhuan, how does it feel to reap what you sow?"

Yang Shuhuan was kicked to the ground, but she quickly got up and kept kowtowing to the two of them, begging for mercy.

"Sister, I promise I'll never do it again, please! I'll never fight you for Chen Yun again..."

Upon hearing Yang Shuhuan's words, Xiao Xuan and Ning Yin exchanged a glance and let out a sneer.

"Take away Shen Yun? You must still be dreaming..."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a loud slap was heard as Ning Yin slapped someone across the face, the crisp sound echoing in the dark room.

Yang Shuhuan's face, which had just scabbed over from the dagger wound, was now bleeding again from the slap. The five finger marks that Consort Chen had left before had not yet faded, and the face was now even more red and swollen.

"Ning Yin...you!"

Yang Shuhuan was furious and wanted to stand up to argue, but a Qingyu Guard easily pinned her down and made her unable to move.

Xiao Xuan stood to one side, resting his chin on his hand, seemingly quite satisfied with Ning Yin's vengeful nature.

His deep eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped forward and embraced Ning Yin, asserting his ownership while also making it clear to Yang Shuhuan that Ning Yin now had a powerful backer.

"You lowly servant, how dare you speak so recklessly! You are not worthy to call Ning Yin's name! Qingying, drag her away!"

Ning Yin blinked, thinking to herself, "I haven't taught him enough yet, why is this dragging on?"

However, seeing that Yang Shuhuan's buttocks were already a bloody mess after enduring fifty lashes, it's likely that she wouldn't have survived if she hadn't regularly taken tonics like ginseng and deer antler.

Yang Shuhuan had lost consciousness and was barely clinging to life.

Thinking back to the day Yang Shuhuan arrogantly ordered people to smash her clinic, she felt that her current situation was entirely her own fault.

"Throw them into the slave camp."

Xiao Xuan casually uttered a sentence, then quickly left this filthy place with Ning Yin.

The next day, Mr. Cai took Ning Yin's pulse and felt that some of the toxins from the Hehuan Powder had entered her heart and lungs, and it would probably be difficult to expel them all.

The most dangerous thing about this poison is that there is no good way to completely remove it from the body; even a small amount of residual toxin can occasionally cause an attack.

The only way to completely eliminate toxins from the body is to get pregnant. When the baby is born, the toxins will be expelled along with the lochia.

Ning Yin had seen this case before in medical journals, but she never imagined that one day she would become one of these rare cases herself.

She did not tell Xiao Xuan about this only antidote.

…

Three days later, Ningyin's health had slightly recovered, and Zhuang Dahai arrived at the East Palace with the Emperor's decree, saying that His Majesty wanted to personally meet this mysterious candidate for Crown Princess.

That day, Xiao Xuan disregarded the emperor's dignity, picked him up, and left without looking back, leaving the emperor feeling somewhat humiliated.

In addition, Xiao Xuan had previously told him that this woman was the only one he would marry, and she was also a candidate for Crown Princess.

The emperor naturally remembered her identity; she was just a merchant.

But how could someone who is clearly just a first-class merchant have captivated Xiao Xuan to such an extent?

Thinking of this, the emperor became even more eager to meet the woman.

Zhuang Dahai, with his nostrils flared, finished reading the emperor's edict. Then, glancing down, he was surprised to find that the woman in front of him was actually Physician Ning.

Those arrogant eyes suddenly widened several times, as if they thought they were seeing things.

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