She got up and led her men to the storeroom first, then sent people to search the entire mansion inside and out.
Everything that enters the mouth must be carefully inspected by her.
When Xu Lingqing found several bags of yellowed rice in the warehouse, which smelled musty, her pupils contracted in disbelief.
How did this rice end up here?
Shouldn't they be on the front lines?
"What exactly is going on?" Zhao Zhiyan followed closely behind.
Xu Lingqing pursed her lips: "There is a traitor in our manor. Those commoners may not be the real commoners. Your Highness, we have been tricked. This rice is not southern rice at all. It is produced in northern Anhui. Something has been added to it."
Zhao Zhiyan looked over and his face turned ashen.
"Does Your Highness trust me?" she asked.
Zhao Zhiyan said, "At a time like this, why bother saying these things anymore?"
She whispered a few words in his ear, her face solemn: "Your Highness, this is the only way to win people's hearts and quell public anger, but we will have to suffer some hardships."
"I am not afraid."
One hour later
Zhao Zhiyan, his body burning with fever, leaned against the couch, his eyes lowered, watching the Crown Prince storm in, ready to interrogate him.
"Your Highness, the Prince has been eating and sleeping with the common people these days, and somehow, an epidemic has broken out in his residence."
Xu Lingqing, her face veiled and one hand protecting her lower abdomen, stared at the Crown Prince with a puzzled look: "It's such a coincidence that the plague has appeared in the Eighth Prince's residence. I urge Your Highness to investigate thoroughly and give the Eighth Prince's residence justice."
Upon seeing Zhao Zhiyan's weak appearance, the officials behind him all stepped back in disgust, covering their mouths and noses, wishing they could turn around and leave immediately.
“If the Crown Prince wants to kill me, then kill me. Why go through all this trouble?” Zhao Zhiyan smiled weakly, covering his mouth. “I’m tired. I don’t want to fight anymore.”
The Crown Prince stepped forward and took Zhao Zhiyan's hand: "What are you saying, Uncle? I will not abandon you."
"Your Highness, this is impossible!" the guard exclaimed in alarm.
The Crown Prince acted as if he hadn't heard: "From this day forward, I will personally take care of my uncle until he recovers."
A hint of surprise flashed deep in Zhao Zhiyan's eyes.
"The Eighth Princess Consort is still pregnant, so it's really inconvenient for her to travel back and forth..."
"I will stay with Your Highness through life and death, I will never live a life of dishonor!" Xu Lingqing raised her neck with a resolute expression.
The Crown Prince sighed, thoroughly investigated the Eighth Prince's residence, and ordered people to sprinkle lime powder inside and out of the residence, and set up a stove at the entrance of the Eighth Prince's residence.
"Gentlemen, there is no need to worry. The court will distribute prepared herbal medicines every day. I will fight the epidemic alongside you!" the Crown Prince declared from the steps.
Immediately afterwards, the soldiers brought in cartloads of herbs.
Put it into a pot and simmer.
Free of charge.
The people from the Eighth Prince's Mansion can drink first.
When the medicine was served to Xu Lingqing, she took a sniff and her expression changed drastically. It was actually an antidote for the plague!
"Your Highness, the Crown Prince has tried it himself, please have a bowl too," said Mo Xiang.
Enraged, Xu Lingqing smashed the medicine bowl on the ground, her breathing rapid: "Despicable and shameless!"
Since the heavy snow began, the imperial court had never intended to provide disaster relief. They only made a show of distributing rice and grain for the first few days, which misled her into thinking she should take the lead.
Song Yue was also reborn; how could she not know to take precautions?
Xu Lingqing kept a straight face, forcing herself to calm down. So what if she was preventing the epidemic? She had spent so much money hoarding rice and grain; how could it be wiped out by Song Yue's few doses of medicine?
"I heard that this medicine was developed by the Third Prince and the Crown Princess together. The Third Prince also provided the Crown Princess with a lot of herbs. When the first snow fell, the Crown Princess sent people to buy medicine from all over the place," Mo Xiang explained carefully.
Xu Lingqing was stunned: "What, what did you say?"
"Your Highness, the Third Prince helped the Crown Princess."
Xu Lingqing felt a sudden darkness before her eyes. She clutched her chest in disbelief. Had Xuan Yuan Ye gone mad? Northern Chu was an enemy of Eastern Ying!
Why would he provide Song Yue with the antidote?
"Go and send a message to Xuan Yuan Ye, saying that I am ill and must see him! If I don't come, there is a high possibility that both I and my unborn child will die!" Xu Lingqing roared furiously, her eyes red.
Startled, Mo Xiang scrambled to her feet and stumbled out.
Inside the mansion
Upon hearing the news, Xuan Yuan Ye's eyelids twitched. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't bear to stand up. As soon as he took a step, he caught sight of the carriage parked at the door. A woman in a plain dress stepped out. She was extremely beautiful and looked flustered: "The medicine I prepared is slightly wrong. Would the Third Prince be so kind as to take a look and see what's wrong?"
Xuanyuan Ye stopped in his tracks: "Very well."
"Third Prince?" Mo Xiang said anxiously, "My princess is waiting for you."
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