Su Muxi wore her hair in a woman's bun, so the shopkeeper addressed her as Madam.
But this form of address made Qiao Ziming frown.
"It is I, the young master, who needs medical attention! Summon your best doctor here!"
Qiao Ziming made no attempt to conceal his identity, and his words instantly filled the once quiet clinic with whispers.
"The heir apparent? Could it be the heir apparent of Marquis Anyuan?"
“I’ve seen the heir of Marquis Anyuan before, he doesn’t look like this.”
"Then who else is the heir apparent in our Huayang City?"
"Could you be from the capital?"
"I guess so. Judging from their demeanor, they must have come from the capital."
"That woman in white must be the Crown Prince's wife! She looks so beautiful even with a veil on; if she were to reveal her true face, who knows how stunning she would be!"
…
When Qiao Ziming saw that others mistook Su Muxi for his wife, his originally gloomy face instantly broke into a smile.
From this perspective, others also felt that Mu Xi and he were a perfect match.
Xie Xuan also heard these remarks, so he hurriedly said, "Your Highness, are you here to buy medicine? You can just give the order to your servants to do such a small thing. Why did you have to come here in person?"
Xie Xuan emphasized the words "Princess Consort" with a few extra words, and just as he had expected, the misunderstandings of others were cleared up, and without any explanation, Su Muxi and Qiao Ziming were able to distance themselves from each other.
Upon hearing the title "Princess," the shopkeeper's attitude immediately became even more humble.
"I was unaware of your arrival, esteemed guest! I have failed to greet you properly!"
Seeing that Su Muxi showed no intention of speaking, the shopkeeper quickly suggested, "There are too many people here, Your Highness, why don't you go to the back room for a cup of tea?"
Upon hearing this, Su Muxi finally spoke up: "Alright, then I'll take my leave."
After speaking, she gave Mai Kun a wink. Mai Kun understood and had two guards stand watch outside, while he and Bai Zhi followed Su Muxi into the inner hall.
Qiao Ziming noticed that Su Muxi hadn't looked at him once from beginning to end, and an awkward expression flashed across his face. He felt even more uncomfortable inside.
So he vented his anger on the shop assistant.
"Are you all deaf?! I said I need to see a doctor!"
Xie Xuan scoffed: "Pshaw! He's definitely sick!"
"Xie Xuan, I am acting on the Emperor's orders and will not pursue this matter with you for now. However, I will remember this grudge and repay it a hundredfold in the future!"
Xie Xuan rolled his eyes. "How many times have I told you, I didn't poison you. Can you stop being so self-righteous? After all, I'm not as despicable as you!"
However, I would still like to offer a word of advice to the young master: don't jump to conclusions so quickly, lest you end up like your sister, clinging to others and getting completely manipulated!
Qiao Zixi insisted that Miss Su had ruined her appearance and that she was ultimately used by Bai Mengying.
Although he didn't know who poisoned Qiao Ziming, it was clear that the other party had ill intentions.
He wasn't afraid of Qiao Ziming, but he also didn't want to be targeted for no reason.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Ziming had only a moment of doubt, but it quickly disappeared.
Because apart from Xie Xuan, there was no way anyone else could have poisoned him!
As the shopkeeper entered the back room, Su Muxi didn't drink tea but instead asked directly, "Shopkeeper, what do you know about the plague in Fukang County?"
Huayang City is only five days' journey from Jinzhou, and it is also a major trading city. The news of the plague in Jinzhou will surely reach Huayang City.
Moreover, Huichuntang is the most famous medical clinic in Huayang City, and as the manager of Huichuntang, he must know something.
The shopkeeper hesitated for a moment before asking, "May I ask which prince the princess is?"
"My princess is the Princess Consort of Prince Yong'an!"
Bai Zhi slightly raised her chin and said with a hint of arrogance.
The princess said that this trip to Jinzhou should be grand and impressive, and that we must make full use of our current status and position.
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper quickly bowed and greeted her, "So you are Princess Yong'an!"
Without Su Muxi having to ask a second time, he immediately told her everything he knew.
"The news came shortly after the plague broke out in Jinzhou half a month ago, and people were in a state of panic for a while, but things have calmed down in the last few days."
I heard that the magistrate of Fukang County closed the city gates the day after the plague was discovered, and now the entire Fukang County is only allowed to enter, not leave.
Apart from Fukang County, I haven't heard of any other places experiencing a plague.
What the shopkeeper said was similar to the information sent by the secret guards.
But Su Muxi still felt that something was wrong.
If it were truly a plague, even with timely city lockdowns, there should have been people who managed to escape.
After all, when people realize that the disease they are suffering from is a plague, it must mean that a large number of people have been infected with the disease.
Moreover, there are many villages near Fukang County, with people coming and going. Coupled with the fear brought by the plague, people who have been to Fukang County will not stay in the county town, but will definitely run around everywhere.
Therefore, there must be something fishy about this!
Have any people from Jinzhou come here seeking medical treatment in the past few days?
The shopkeeper nodded. "Yes! There are people from Jinzhou, and some from Fukang County too! But they don't seem to be in any physical discomfort, just some with weak spleens and diarrhea. It's been a few days, and I haven't heard of anyone contracting the disease."
Su Muxi pondered for a while before asking, "Do you have all the medicinal herbs here?"
"Complete! I'm not bragging, but in the entire Huayang City, my Huichuntang has the most complete selection of medicinal herbs!"
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