Heartbroken
The summer in Jiangning was hot and humid, even the wind carried a sticky, damp vapor. While the Jiangnan Circuit Inspectorate's office appeared calm on the surface, undercurrents raged under Xie Wuqi's swift and decisive crackdown on corruption and corruption, unleashing a complex web of interests that stretched directly to the capital.
That day, Xie Wuqi was discussing matters with several trusted officials in the front hall when Jingzhe walked in quickly and whispered something in his ear. Xie Wuqi's face suddenly darkened, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.
"The Third Prince's men have laid hands on the Jiangning salt tax?" His voice was cold and murderous.
"Yes, the evidence is conclusive. He has close ties with Jiangning Governor Pan Yizhou. Moreover..." Jingzhe paused, his voice lowered, "Princess Huixi will arrive in Jiangning in three days to 'visit her relatives' and stay in the villa prepared for her by Pan Yizhou."
Princess Huixi, the emperor's younger sister, shared a mother with the Third Prince, Xie Wujiu, and they shared a very close relationship. Her purpose in coming at this moment was self-evident—to support the Third Prince, intimidate Xie Wujiu, and perhaps even personally intervene in Jiangnan affairs.
Xie Wuqi's knuckles rapped against the table, making a dull sound. The Third Prince was going for a head-on confrontation.
However, no one expected that Princess Huixi's "visit to her parents" would begin in such a tragic and strange way.
Three days later, in the evening, Pan Yizhou hosted a banquet at his own courtyard to welcome Princess Huixi. Almost all of Jiangning's prominent officials and nobles were present, and the feast was filled with singing and dancing, and the guests were toasting.
Xie Wuqi, as the inspector general, was naturally among those invited. He didn't want to bring Xu Xianyue with him, but Xu Xianyue took the initiative to ask to go along.
"Pan Yizhou's mansion has a 'Snow Wave Pattern' clay inkstone that was a tribute from the previous dynasty. I need to see it with my own eyes. It might be helpful for me to mix new colors." She had a good reason and looked calm.
Xie Wuqi looked into her cold eyes and knew that she was not just after an inkstone, but he finally agreed.
At the banquet, Princess Huixi sat at the head of the table. Nearing thirty, she still retained a graceful demeanor. Her features bore a resemblance to the Third Prince, yet she possessed a touch of the princess's dignity and sharpness. She flirted with Xie Wuqi, her words laced with subtle wit. She glanced briefly at Xu Xianyue, who sat quietly and unassumingly beside him, without paying much attention.
After three rounds of drinking, the atmosphere was lively. Princess Huixi seemed to be in high spirits. After chatting and laughing with several officials' wives, she suddenly picked up the golden cup in front of her and looked at Xie Wuqi. The corners of her lips were smiling, but her eyes were sharp:
"Your Highness Prince Jing has made great contributions during his inspection tour of Jiangnan. I offer a toast to your Highness, wishing for a clean and honest administration in Jiangnan and a peaceful and prosperous sea and river."
She drank the wine in the glass in one gulp with a heroic attitude.
Everyone agreed.
Xie Wuqi also raised his glass to signal, and was about to drink when something strange happened!
“Ugh—!”
Princess Huixi suddenly groaned in pain, and the golden cup in her hand fell to the ground with a clang! She clutched her abdomen fiercely, her face instantly turning from rosy to a terrifying purple. Her body convulsed violently, and foamy black blood oozed from the corner of her mouth!
"Wine... the wine is poisonous!" The palace maid beside her screamed miserably!
The entire banquet hall was in chaos in an instant!
"Princess!"
"Protect the emperor! Quickly call the imperial physician!"
"Seal off the courtyard! No one is allowed to enter or leave!"
Pan Yizhou was so frightened that his face turned pale and he collapsed to the ground. Xie Wuqi suddenly stood up, his eyes as cold as a knife, and instantly swept across the entire room, and ordered sternly: "Jingzhe! Control everyone who has come into contact with the wine! Quickly call in Doctor Lin!"
Lin Qingyan, due to his superb medical skills and close relationship with Xie Wuqi, was brought to Jiangning by Xie Wuqi this time and appointed a medical officer in the Inspector General's Office. He was waiting in the adjacent side hall and immediately rushed in with his medicine box upon hearing the news.
The scene was in chaos. The officials' wives were terrified and their faces turned pale. Crying and screaming were heard everywhere.
Xu Xianyue stood up the moment Princess Huixi collapsed. Unlike the others, she didn't panic. Instead, she quickly walked to the princess's side, disregarding the filth. She squatted down, her fingertips quickly touching her pulse at the corner of her neck, while carefully observing her pupils, complexion, and the poisonous blood she vomited.
The pulse was erratic and rapid, the pupils were constricted, the face was bluish purple with a dark tinge, and there was a foul smell of blood foam... This was... Gelsemium elegans poison! And it was extremely pure Gelsemium elegans! The toxicity was intense and the onset was extremely fast!
"It's Gelsemium!" Xu Xianyue raised her head, her voice clear and distinct, instantly drowning out the surrounding noise and reaching the ears of Xie Wuqi and Lin Qingyan. "The poison has already entered the heart meridians. Ordinary methods of detoxification may not be enough!"
Lin Qingyan had also finished taking the pulse at this moment, his face was extremely solemn: "It is indeed Gelsemium elegans! The poison is too strong, we need to use gold needles to seal the blood vessels immediately to delay the spread of the poison, and then quickly boil mung beans, honeysuckle and licorice and feed it. There may be a glimmer of hope!" He immediately took out the gold needles.
"No!" Xu Xianyue stopped him flatly. "Although the golden needles can delay the bleeding, the poison in Gelsemium elegans is very strong. Forcibly blocking it will cause the poison to attack her heart faster! Besides, her throat is spasming right now, and it's hard for her to swallow the medicine!"
She spoke quickly, her thoughts clear: "We must first resolve the spasm in his throat, drain some of the poison, and buy time to administer the medicine!"
"How do we resolve this?" Xie Wuqi asked in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on Xu Xianyue. At this moment, he chose to trust her judgment unconditionally.
Xu Xianyue didn't answer. Instead, she quickly pulled a tiny jade box from her pouch and opened it. Inside were several newly crafted velvet flower medicinal herbs, each smaller than a fingernail. These herbs came in various shapes, not for aesthetics, but as experiments to preserve different medicinal properties in a more concentrated and subtle manner.
She quickly picked out a mint-like medicinal charm, deep green and emitting a refreshing aroma. This was a product she had created using the essences of several rare herbs, including fine borneol, musk, and bezoar, known for their ability to invigorate the mind and relieve spasms. It was originally an experimental product, with extremely potent properties, and had never been used on humans.
"Doctor Lin, please use a three-inch fine needle to prick the Ren Zhong, Nei Guan, and Yong Quan points. Insert shallowly and quickly to help her wake up!" Xu Xianyue gave the order while stuffing the dark green medicine pill under Princess Huixi's tongue without hesitation!
The medicinal aroma melted in his mouth, and an extremely spicy and refreshing breath burst out instantly! At the same time, Lin Qingyan's golden needle had also fallen!
"Ah..." Princess Huixi let out a hard gasp from her throat, and the violently spasming throat muscles actually relaxed for a moment!
"Hurry! Feed him the medicine!" Xu Xianyue said urgently.
The attendant who had been prepared immediately forced the freshly boiled, still boiling hot antidote juice into the princess's mouth.
However, the Gelsemium elegans poison was far too potent! Within moments of downing the liquid, the princess's body began to convulse violently again, a bluish-black color quickly spreading throughout her body, and her breath grew weaker and weaker!
"No! The poison is too strong! The power of the medicine is not enough to counter it!" Lin Qingyan's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and his voice was filled with despair.
Xu Xianyue looked at the princess's rapidly fading vitality, her eyes fixed. No more hesitation!
She opened the jade box again, this time pulling out a crimson, shimmering, flame-like velvet flower. She had forged this from several potent herbs that could unleash the body's potential, combined with a touch of her own mental power. It was incredibly dangerous; if mishandled, it could be a death warrant!
"Miss Xu! No!" Lin Qingyan saw the extraordinary and dangerous nature of Yao Yun and stopped her in a low voice.
Xu Xianyue, however, seemed oblivious. She raised her hand, her fingertips rapidly brushing across the crimson medicinal aroma, creating a unique, almost burning rhythm. Then, she fiercely pressed the medicinal aroma against Princess Huixi's chest, the Tanzhong acupoint!
"lead!"
She let out a low cry, and her face instantly turned pale as paper!
The crimson medicinal aura seemed to come alive, transforming into a scorching current that rushed into the princess's heart! Like a raging fire boiling oil, it forcibly stimulated the last of her vitality and launched a desperate struggle with the Gelsemium elegans poison!
The eldest princess' body suddenly arched up, and she let out a roar that was not like a human voice. Black blood oozed out of all her seven orifices. The scene was horrifying!
Everyone was stunned by this scene!
Xie Wuqi stepped forward and supported the staggering Xu Xianyue. Feeling the coldness and slight trembling of her body, his heart was shocked.
After a while, the convulsions in the eldest princess' body gradually subsided, and the spreading blue-black color actually stopped. Although she was still unconscious, her breath no longer continued to weaken!
"The toxicity... has been temporarily suppressed!" Lin Qingyan took Xu Xianyue's pulse in disbelief, and his eyes were full of shock and complexity when he looked at her.
Xu Xianyue leaned weakly on Xie Wuqi, and said to Lin Qingyan with all her strength: "Next... it's up to you... take the medicine on time and eliminate the remaining poison..." Before she finished speaking, her eyes went dark and she fainted.
"Xianyue!" Xie Wuqi's heart tightened, and he quickly picked her up and said to Jingzhe in a stern voice, "I leave this to you! Investigate thoroughly! Don't let even a fly go!"
He held Xu Xianyue in his arms, ignored the horrified gazes in the room, and strode away from the chaotic place.
The poisoning of Princess Huixi was like a bombshell in Jiangning and even in the capital.
Who poisoned him? Was the target Xie Wuqi, or Princess Huixi? Or perhaps...killing two birds with one stone?
After this incident, Xu Xianyue's uncanny "Medicine Rhythm" technique could no longer be concealed, completely exposed to all forces. Her decisiveness, ruthlessness (using her domineering Medicine Rhythm), and extraordinary medical skills in this critical moment transformed her from a "craftsman" dependent on Prince Jing into a terrifying and extremely valuable special being that no one could ignore.
Xu Xianyue, who was in a coma, had no idea that when she woke up again, she would face an even more turbulent undercurrent, and more scrutiny, fear, and even... greedy eyes.
Princess Huixi, who luckily survived after Lin Qingyan's careful treatment, woke up and recalled the burning force she felt at the moment of death that forcibly pulled her back from the gates of hell. Her eyes became extremely complicated.
The water in Jiangning was completely muddied by this cup of poisoned wine.
The real battle has just begun.
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