Chapter 137 Well Water
"Your Highness is brave; I admire you greatly."
Xiao Yuxuan spoke with genuine emotion, but the Crown Prince behind her chuckled softly.
"I think Miss Xiao is incredibly brave."
Qi Jun didn't say anything more. He lowered his eyes and noticed the girl's red ear tips, so he figured she understood what he meant.
"When is Miss Xiao's birthday? In the twelfth lunar month?"
"The 27th day of the twelfth lunar month."
“My birthday is July 27th, what a coincidence.”
The dates are the same, but the years and months are different. What's the coincidence? Xiao Yuxuan wondered, but didn't ask.
Since the Crown Prince says it's a coincidence, then it must be a coincidence.
The two chatted about this and that, and in less than half an hour, they arrived at the location of Li Kun's house.
Sure enough, they were the only household here, and the surrounding area for two miles was all farmland.
Xiao Yuxuan took the Crown Prince's arm and dismounted, thanked him, and then looked up at the small courtyard.
The courtyard was small, surrounded by a fence. You could vaguely see the scene inside: earthen walls, a thatched roof, and a half-closed door, so you couldn't tell if anyone was inside.
Apart from them, everyone around was quiet.
There are no people around here. Logically speaking, if those so-called "disaster victims" wanted to do something to infect the people of Qi with the plague, they should have chosen a more populated area, not such a remote place.
Xiao Yuxuan was puzzled. The guard opened the gate, revealing the scene inside the courtyard.
Several livestock had died because no one had fed them. The only remaining large yellow dog lay dying to one side, not moving when people came, only staring at them with its eyes open.
Xiao Yuxuan's gaze passed over the yellow dog and immediately fell on the well in the yard.
The location of those livestock's deaths was suspicious; they were all near the water trough, not like they died of starvation or thirst, but rather as if they had drunk water before...
"Go and take a look at that well."
"There's something wrong with that well!"
She and the Crown Prince spoke at almost the same time. The Crown Prince's guards looked at each other in bewilderment. When did these two become so in sync?
The guards, who were initially puzzled as to why the Crown Prince would risk his own safety to send a young girl out of the city, suddenly understood.
Firstly, we can't really ignore the people outside the city; secondly, it seems we can actually find something by investigating here.
The two guards carefully approached the well, which had been polished smooth and rounded by years of use.
Before they had taken more than a few steps, the two of them twitched their noses, looked at each other, and put on their face masks.
This tastes off.
Whose well would smell fragrant? It couldn't possibly be some kind of cosmetic spilled in there.
Qi Jun and Xiao Yuxuan noticed the two guards' actions, and Xiao Yuxuan's heart began to race.
The well was pitch black, and nothing could be seen with the naked eye.
One of the guards picked up a bucket from the side and threw it down, filling the bucket with water.
In an instant, a delicate fragrance filled the air.
Everyone present frowned and took a step back.
Physician Wei, who had been conscripted, rushed forward. His protective gear was the most complete besides that of the Crown Prince and Xiao Yuxuan. He took a water ladle from the side, scooped up a ladleful, and examined it closely in the sunlight.
"Why is this water pink?"
He smelled the fragrance up close for a long time, and suddenly felt an itch in his throat. He threw down the water ladle and coughed violently to the side.
"Your Highness, something is wrong with this water. There is something in it, but my medical skills are not good enough to identify what it is."
Physician Wei, accustomed to being flexible and adaptable, readily admitted that he couldn't recognize the person.
Qi Jun didn't blame him; instead, he asked:
"Does the underground current at the bottom of this well flow into the city?"
Upon receiving the order, the guards immediately picked up dry fallen leaves and threw them into the well. The well water carried the leaves away slowly, and judging from the direction, it was indeed in the city.
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, both Qi Jun and Xiao Yuxuan fell silent.
They all had some basic knowledge of pharmacology and knew that diseases could not survive for long outside the human body. The problem with the well water was already troubling them because it wasn't a disease, but they never expected it to still flow into the capital.
Who exactly instigated those "disaster victims," and what was their purpose?
Suddenly, Qi Jun lowered his eyes and covered his chest.
"Your Highness!"
The guards immediately tensed up.
Qi Jun raised his hand, saying that he felt a tightness in his chest, so the crowd didn't surround him. Doctor Wei had already been picked up by a guard and brought to his side.
Xiao Yuxuan said, "Lord Wei, please take a look at His Highness and see what's wrong with him."
Knowing the urgency of the situation, Physician Wei didn't bother searching for a clean handkerchief in his medicine chest. After apologizing in a low voice, he directly placed his hand on the Crown Prince's wrist.
After a long while, Physician Wei was shocked and released his grip, quickly taking two steps back and kneeling down.
"Your Highness, your pulse is deep and slow. This indicates that the poison has invaded your internal organs. We must immediately identify the poison and treat you with the appropriate antidote, while also protecting your heart to prevent any unforeseen circumstances!"
"How could this be?!"
Xiao Yuxuan's eyes widened.
The Crown Prince clearly hasn't contracted the plague yet, so how come he now shows signs of poisoning?
Is it really impossible for her to save the Crown Prince?
"Your Majesty's medical skills are too limited to determine what poison Your Majesty has been poisoned by. I hope Your Majesty will return to the palace immediately and summon the Chief Physician and the Imperial Physician for treatment."
Physician Wei was so anxious that sweat began to bead on his forehead. The safety of the crown prince was related to the stability of the country, so he could not be careless. His words were actually a humble statement, but it was better to let the blame fall on the entire Imperial Medical Academy than on him alone.
Xiao Yuxuan looked at the bucket of water, took half a step forward, and extended her wrist:
"Physician Wei, please take the time to check my pulse again and see if there is anything unusual?"
The prince had not experienced any discomfort on his way here, but now, after smelling this fragrance for less than half a cup of tea, he feels a tightness and pain in his chest.
Physician Wei glanced at the Crown Prince, and seeing him nod silently, he felt relieved and began to take Xiao Yuxuan's pulse.
But after a short while, he stopped and said:
“Miss Xiao’s pulse is normal…”
It is clear that it is not because of the fragrance, or rather, it is not solely because of the fragrance.
However, this well is connected to the capital, and it's only a matter of time before the Crown Prince uses this water. If they arrive two days later and the Crown Prince drinks and uses this water, it will be even more difficult to find the key.
Qi Jun's heart sank. The little eunuch captured by the Crown Prince's Palace a couple of days ago had been tortured by the Censorate for two days, but hadn't vomited out a single useful piece of information. He had even had the imperial physician secretly examine his pulse, but there was nothing unusual about him. So this was the one waiting for him...
"There's no need to make this public. I'll investigate after I return to the palace."
"But Your Highness, your health is of utmost importance. Why don't you return to the palace now?"
Xiao Yuxuan was even more anxious than the guards, which surprised Qi Jun.
Her expression didn't seem like she was just worried and confused; it was more like she knew he would die because of this, and was trying her best to save the situation.
Is he overthinking it?
"It's alright. Take some of this water back with you. You all should thoroughly search and inspect this house, making sure to check every corner carefully."
"yes!"
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