The senior doctors looked at each other, staring at each other, and then burst into a murmur of surprise.
"How could this be datura poison?"
"The poison of the datura flower is..."
The man hesitated, then stopped, not daring to say anything more.
Danqiu clenched his fist and pressed it against his chin. Ordinary people might not know about Datura poison, but they did. He continued after the silent old doctor, saying, "Using Datura poison privately is a capital offense, punishable by slow slicing."
"This poison is not lethal. Miss Sun and I inhaled so much, and we are fine today. Why is the sentence so severe?"
Wang Xueru was deeply shocked after hearing this and couldn't help but blurt out what was on her mind.
Fu Yuchi stood in front of the door, blocking a ray of sunlight, plunging the entire room into shadow. He said, "Decades ago, there was a foreign demon concubine who was deeply favored by the late emperor. The late emperor almost abandoned the government because of her and even wanted to learn the art of ascending to immortality from her."
He paused briefly, then continued, "The demon concubine used a certain medicine and told the late emperor that as long as he took it day and night, he would be able to fulfill his wish and ascend to the immortal realm after several years."
"The late emperor was in a coma every day, only waking up for a few hours. The Imperial Medical Academy was helpless. Finally, an eunuch who had been to the Western Regions found this drug in the palace of the evil concubine. It was called Datura poison. This drug is mild but ruthless. It is not serious if taken for a short time, but if taken for a long time, it will eventually become ineffective."
"Although the medicine was found and the concubine was executed, the late emperor was poisoned to the heart and there was no cure. After the current emperor ascended the throne, he hated this medicine and ordered that anyone who used it privately should be executed by slow slicing. The superiors set an example for the inferiors, so for more than ten years, there has been no more cases of Datura poisoning in our dynasty."
A barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed across Shan Qiu's face, but it was quickly replaced by calmness. He said composedly, "It seems that you, this itinerant doctor, know quite a lot, even the secrets of the palace."
Fu Yu suddenly stopped speaking, his expression calm, and smiled, "When you come out to practice medicine, you must have some skills. Using medicine is like going to war; you must know yourself and your enemy to win every battle."
Upon hearing these words, the senior doctors blushed and lowered their heads, remaining silent.
"Please come with me to the pharmacy immediately, Physician Fu. This matter concerns the safety of Pingnan City and cannot be delayed."
Dan Qiu was giving orders, but his aura was overshadowed by Fu Yuchi, making his orders sound more like requests.
The imposing presence of his physique could not compare to the innate towering stature of Fu Yuchi.
After Fu Yuchi left the inner office, Wei Jingnian started chattering incessantly, "Miss Sun, how did Brother Fu end up here? And why didn't you acknowledge him? Was I the only one kept in the dark?"
"What? So you know Doctor Fu, Miao'er?"
Wang Xueru was also shocked.
Sun Miao'er made an excuse: "The matter was urgent, and I didn't want to cause any complications, so I kept it a secret. Mr. Fu and my grandfather had some old friendship, so my grandmother asked me to recognize him as my master and learn some knowledge about herbs."
“I see. Mr. Fu seems to be a reliable person!” Wang Xueru nodded. “However, he is still a bit inferior to Brother Jingnian.”
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and that's no exaggeration.
Before the medicine was returned, Hu Tingzhi stood outside the inner office, howling for half an hour. The autumn heat was intense, and he almost fainted from the sun. Fortunately, the servant brought ice to cool him down.
"My Xiaoxiao, what am I going to do? I can't live without Xiaoxiao!"
Hu Tingzhi's voice grew weaker and weaker. Sun Miao'er remembered that he had helped her before and felt sorry for him. There was no one on duty in the inner office at the time, so she took it upon herself to welcome him in.
As soon as Hu Tingzhi entered the inner yamen, he felt as if he had seen a savior. "Miss Miao'er, Miss Wang, Xiaoxiao is missing. This huge yamen doesn't even have anyone to stand up for me!"
Seeing his grief, Sun Miao'er comforted him, "Manager Hu, be careful not to strain your liver by grieving too much. Let's wait for Constable Shan to come back and ask him. We were summoned here to cooperate with the investigation. In broad daylight, the yamen will definitely give you an explanation."
"Master has already gone with Constable Shan to get medicine, and he should be back soon. You can take this opportunity to catch up later."
Hu Tingzhi's sorrowful expression vanished instantly. He sat up straight and stammered, "Fu... your master is here too?!"
"Yes, otherwise who could cure this Datura poison except my master?"
Sun Miao'er observed Hu Tingzhi's expression. This was not how a person should behave towards the person who saved her father's life. Rather than being flustered, Hu Tingzhi looked more like terrified.
Is the master really that terrifying?
Hu Tingzhi was flustered and said hastily, "Miss Sun, I have other matters to attend to at the gambling house, so I must take my leave now!"
Sun Miao'er wanted to speak to stop him, but Hu Tingzhi had already disappeared. Was he avoiding seeing his master, or was there another reason?
When Fu Yuchi returned to the inner office, the sun was high in the sky.
Danqiu went to deliver the medicine and did not return with him. Wei Jingnian went with Wang Xueru to Weixianlou to buy food, simply because Wang Xueru looked down on the food provided by the inner court.
"Master, how is it? Manager Hu came by just now."
Sun Miao'er reported everything that had happened that morning.
When Hu Tingzhi was mentioned, Fu Yuchi's expression remained unchanged, calm and composed.
Fu Yuchi took some cool water from the yard and washed her hands. "Everything's fine now, nothing serious."
Sun Miao'er wanted to say something more, but the image of taking medicine last night lingered in her mind. Even though the bitter taste remained in her mouth, the shyness swirled in her heart.
She just couldn't bring herself to say it.
He spoke first, his slender, fair fingers glistening with water droplets that, under the sunlight, were like sparkling gems embedded in his hand.
Suddenly, the hand was raised, and with a swift movement, water droplets fell to the ground and evaporated instantly.
"If you behave, go home."
Fu Yuchi said calmly, taking out a faded handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his hands.
Sun Miao'er never expected that he would come to persuade her to go home, but how could she possibly go home?
She had worked so hard to get this opportunity, and she finally had a glimmer of hope to establish herself in Pingnan City. Since she had already promised Xue Ru, she could not go back on her word.
"You don't want to?"
Seeing that she didn't say anything, he asked again.
His tone was flat. Normally, Sun Miao'er would have felt the coldness emanating from his eyes, but today, he was very gentle, from his eyes to his heart.
The calmer he was, the more uneasy Sun Miao'er felt.
Sun Miao'er hesitated, "Master, I have many things to do, as I've told you."
Before she could finish speaking, he abruptly interrupted her.
"Alright, I'll stay with you." He sat in the courtyard of the inner office, dressed in a long blue robe, smiling and chatting, amidst the mountain breeze and bright moon.
Sun Miao'er could never forget what he had said: he did not want to marry and have children, nor was he willing to be burdened by worldly affairs. He only wanted to be a carefree hermit. But was it worth it to abandon his original aspirations just for his own sake?
Or will you not regret it?
She dared not draw any conclusions prematurely.
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