Chapter 135 Stripping of Titles, Source of Poison
Once this news spread, Princess Jiaoyang's reputation for cruelty and tyranny instantly overshadowed the news of Lady Zheng's poisoning.
When Emperor Xiaozhao learned of this, he immediately stripped Princess Jiaoyang of the title she had been given since birth and imprisoned her.
That wasn't all. A few days later, Lu Ming, the newly appointed top scholar and current compiler of the Hanlin Academy, subtly expressed to Emperor Xiaozhao his desire to break off his engagement with Princess Jiaoyang.
Oh no, there is no Princess Jiaoyang now, only the Seventh Princess Li Sanqi.
Of course, Emperor Xiaozhao did not agree to the annulment of the engagement. However, the news that Lu Ming wanted to annul the princess's engagement spread quickly.
So, before the matter of Madam Zheng was even cleared up, Li Sanqi got himself involved in it as well.
Min Qiao received Wei Jia's second letter when she stopped at the first port of call after leaving Jiangnan to purchase supplies.
Madam Min Qiao originally planned to drop Mu Jin off at this place, but after receiving a letter from Wei Jia, informing her that Madam Zheng had been poisoned and that all the doctors and imperial physicians in the capital were helpless, she sought out Mu Jin.
Because Wei Jia knew that Madam Min Qiao was concerned about Madam Zheng's condition, she personally made several trips to the Duke of Jin's residence and observed Madam Zheng's condition firsthand. She then wrote down all the information she had gathered from the doctor in a letter.
This actually made things convenient for Madam Min Qiao.
Following the instructions in the letter, she told Mu Jin about Madam Zheng's poisoning, and looked at Mu Jin with hopeful eyes, "Can you cure this poison?"
After listening to Madam Min's account, Mu Jin asked for Wei Jia's letter and carefully read through the part about Madam Zheng. Then, she looked at Madam Min with a strange expression and said, "Yes."
"What are the odds?" Madam Min asked with delight.
Mu Jin smiled awkwardly, "Ten percent."
Upon hearing this, Madam Min's joy instantly diminished. "You haven't even seen the person, yet you dare to claim you're 100% certain?"
Could it be that Mu Jin is deliberately spouting lies so that she'll take her and the children back to the capital?
Seemingly guessing what Madam Min was thinking, Mu Jin smiled sheepishly and rubbed her hands nervously. "Madam, judging from the various signs after Madam Zheng was poisoned, I suspect that the poison she was poisoned with... was actually the one I developed before."
After saying this, Mu Jin quietly took two steps back, increasing the distance between herself and Min Qiao Shi.
Madam Min was startled and jumped up from her chair. She looked at Mu Jin in disbelief, "What did you say?"
Mu Jin shrank her neck guiltily. "Years ago, when I was locked in a secret room, I developed a lot of poisons... The poison that the Grand Madam's friend was poisoned with is very similar to one of the poisons I developed back then."
"So, you really can cure my friend's poison?"
"Of course! I am the best in the world!" Mu Jin said with some pride.
Seeing the questioning look from Madam Min, Mu Jin quickly explained, "My medical skills are second to none. As for making and detoxifying poisons, I'm number one, even better than my master. No problem!"
Madam Min rolled her eyes speechlessly. But hearing Mu Jin's confident words, Madam Min felt somewhat relieved.
But then she thought of a very serious problem.
The poison that Mu Jin had developed years ago has now appeared in Madam Zheng's food...
It is known that Mu Jin belongs to an assassin organization. This assassin organization is affiliated with a local power in Jiangnan. The Jiangnan power currently has the Minister of Works as its backer in the imperial court.
Meanwhile, the grandson of the Minister of Works got engaged to Min Yuerui.
Meanwhile, Min Yuerui's mother, He, acted as a matchmaker, introducing Wu and Yu to each other, and suggested that Wu visit Madam Zheng to ask her to act as matchmaker...
Therefore, all of this was the Lu family's retaliation against the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion!
Madam Zheng was just unlucky; she was on good terms with them, so she became a pawn to be used by them!
Having figured all this out, Madam Min Qiao was instantly enraged.
She wouldn't stop the Lu family from retaliating against the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion and anyone in the mansion except her.
That's what the Min family owes the Lu family.
If the Lu family wants to hurt her and her friends, then sorry, she's not made of clay.
Moreover, even clay figures have a touch of earthiness!
Although Min Qiaoshi had guessed from the beginning that the matter was inextricably linked to He Shi, she did not expect that the poison would actually come from the suicide organization and be made by Mu Jin.
Mu Jin once said that she had developed many poisons for an assassin organization...
Therefore, it's best to bring this portable antidote back to Beijing!
Seeing that Madam Min Qiao remained silent for a long time, Mu Jin carefully observed her for a while before saying ingratiatingly, "Madam, please take me and the children back to the capital. I guarantee I can cure your friend's poison. From the information in the letter, your friend's poison is only temporarily suppressed. If I don't intervene, your friend will not live for more than two years."
Madam Min had already decided to bring Mu Jin back to the capital. Hearing her pleading words, she couldn't help but add, "I can take you back to the capital, but if you want me to bring all the children back, just to detoxify my friend isn't enough."
Upon hearing Madam Min's words, Mu Jin immediately exclaimed with delight, "Madam, what else do you want me to do? Just tell me. As long as it's within my power, I will do it without hesitation."
Madam Min thought for a moment, then said seriously, "First of all, you not only need to detoxify my friend, but also restore her to her original state. Can you do that?"
Mu Jin thought for a moment, then hesitated and said, "It will be at least another month before we reach the capital. By then, it will already be difficult enough for me to detoxify your friend, let alone ensure that she fully recovers..."
Madam Min's face darkened. "You can't do it?"
Mu Jin gritted her teeth and said, "Okay. But it will require a long period of conditioning, and many rare medicinal herbs will be needed."
Madam Min breathed a sigh of relief, "As long as she can recover her health and it doesn't affect her lifespan, the medicine and such are minor matters."
She was willing to spend hundreds of thousands of taels of silver to detoxify Ajiu, so why would she be afraid to spend money on medicine for Madam Zheng? These are all minor matters.
"Secondly, from now on you will be my and my friend's personal doctor. You will need to check our pulse regularly to ensure we are in good health, and you must be available whenever we need you in an emergency. Can you do that?"
"Of course," Mu Jin nodded. Isn't this just being treated like a slave? She had brought it up before, but Madam Min Qiao hadn't agreed then.
"Thirdly, after we arrive in the capital, I will open a clinic for you there. You can select a few qualified children from among those kids to learn medicine from you. As for the rest, I will send them to the estate."
"Thank you so much, Madam!" Mu Jin quickly expressed her gratitude.
“I haven’t finished speaking yet.” Madam Min Qiao raised her hand to interrupt her, “Just in case, your son will live with me in the Marquis’s mansion from now on.”
Mu Jin's lips twitched. "Does the Grand Madam not trust me?"
Madam Min chuckled lightly, "Trust between people is too idealistic. Rather than believing in your loyalty, I'd rather believe in your love for your son and that you won't betray me."
Mu Jin's face twitched. Who told her that Madam Qiao was a kind person? This was clearly an extremely wary old lady who could not be fooled at all.
"Dr. Mu, you won't betray me, will you?" Madam Min Qiao squinted, tilting her head to glance at Mu Jin.
Mu Jin quickly shook her head, "No, of course not! Don't worry, Madam, as long as you take me and those children in, I promise to be loyal to you to the death."
Madam Min smiled and said, "You don't need to be so nervous. As long as you can do what you promised me, I won't mistreat those children, and I certainly won't mistreat you and your son."
He then sent Mulan's son and Xiao Hongbao together to study at the academy.
...
P.S.: 300,000 words! \(^o^)/ Time to head back to Beijing tomorrow!
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