Lanqin's words gave Madam Wu a much-needed boost of confidence. The servant's report had nearly made her faint from shock. She hadn't expected such a thing to happen today; she was completely unprepared and her mind was foggy. With such solid evidence against her, she could only imagine what awaited her. Lanqin's words instantly calmed Madam Wu down.
She began to carefully recall the events of the day, considering which of her maids might have been bribed and what they had done that day. Since she had seen the pearl hairpin that morning, it meant someone had stolen it and delivered it to the east courtyard that day. It was impossible for Nian Shi to be so foolish as to poison herself just to drag her down with her.
Wu quickly went through everyone around her in her mind. Only a few people were allowed to get close to the dressing box; no one else was qualified to enter her bedroom.
“So, according to Consort Niu, someone stole the pearl hairpin and deliberately placed it there to frame Consort Wu? But that doesn’t prove it’s unrelated to Consort Wu!” Nian Gengyao stared at Lanqin and said. Although he was furious at the moment and wished he could tear the murderer who harmed his sister to pieces, he had to admit that Lanqin’s words made sense.
Lanqin was surprised that Nian Gengyao, despite his rough appearance, was so meticulous. She said, "Of course. Your Highness, I don't think the poison was put in the room in the East Courtyard where the food was placed. How could she have known which food was sent to Consort Nian at that time? Your Highness has already had Doctor Lin check everyone's stewed abalone. So the poisoner couldn't have put it in then."
After hearing Lanqin's words, everyone looked at her in surprise, and then at the Fourth Master in astonishment.
Nian Gengyao narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself: "That's right, I was so focused on catching the murderer that I missed even these details. This Niohuru woman is indeed not to be underestimated; Shilan's cunning is no match for hers."
Fourth Master nodded and said, "That's right, she couldn't possibly know which cup was placed on Shilan's table. In fact, she couldn't predict it."
“So, Your Highness, General Nian, the poison in Consort Nian’s dish was put on the table after it was served,” Lanqin said decisively.
A murmur rippled through the crowd, and everyone began exchanging glances, as if the murderer were lurking among them. In a place unknown to anyone, a slender, fair hand was tightly clutching a silk handkerchief, as if it wanted to crush it to pieces.
Nian Gengyao's gaze began to sweep over Wu Shi, then returned to Lanqin.
"Consort Niu, according to you, who is the one who poisoned her?" Nian Gengyao couldn't help but admire Lanqin's meticulousness.
"I think the only people who could administer the poison under everyone's noses are those around Consort Nian," Lanqin said.
The Fourth Master frowned. The people who had been serving Madam Nian just now were her own personal maids and the servants who served the dishes.
"Consort!" Just then, a hurried shout came from inside the room.
The Fourth Prince and Nian Gengyao abandoned everyone and immediately turned and went into the house. Lanqin's expression tightened. The word "concubine" she had just heard sounded very panicked. Was Lady Nian really dying? But hadn't she already been given the antidote?
Inside, Nian's face was deathly pale, devoid of any color, and a deathly aura shrouded her brows. She vomited up all the medicine she had just been given.
“Your Highness, Consort just vomited everything, and she looks increasingly weak!” Cui Ling said.
"Doctor Lin, what's wrong with Consort Nian?" Fourth Prince rushed to Consort Nian's bedside, looked at her pale face, and asked angrily.
"Your Highness, please forgive me! I don't know what's wrong. She just vomited up all the medicine I fed her. It seems the concubine can't take any more medicine," Doctor Lin said, sweating profusely.
"What did you say!" As expected, Nian Gengyao took a step forward, grabbed Doctor Lin by the collar, and lifted him up.
"I am truly incompetent. Please quickly summon a better doctor to treat Consort Nian. I believe that if this continues, her days are numbered," Doctor Lin said, trembling with fear.
"Gengyao, put him down for now. Doctor Yang should be here soon. Even if you kill him, Shilan won't wake up," Fourth Master advised.
Nian Gengyao had no choice but to dejectedly put Doctor Lin down. Doctor Lin, who had just landed, felt as if he had escaped a disaster. He gasped for breath and squatted on the ground.
"Doctor Lin, how is the concubine doing?" the Fourth Prince asked.
"Your Highness," said Physician Lin, "in my humble opinion, Consort Lin's condition may be more than just poisoned by the poison in the gu. I can cure that poison. However, judging from her current reaction, there is another poison in her body that is causing her to fall into a coma."
"Su Peisheng, go and see why Doctor Yang hasn't returned yet. I need to go to the palace and immediately summon the imperial physicians," the Fourth Prince said.
Seeing that the Fourth Prince was going to personally go to the palace to fetch the imperial physician, Nian Gengyao's expression softened slightly, and he said, "Your Highness, please go quickly. I will stay here and guard you!"
Fourth Master was about to turn around and leave, but then he remembered that there was a large group of people waiting outside, so he said, "Gengyao, saving Shilan is the priority now. Let's put aside the matter of catching the culprit for now and let them all go back."
Seeing that what the Fourth Prince said made sense, and since there were no clues at the moment, Nian Gengyao could only nod.
Meanwhile, those outside, having received Fourth Master's words, breathed a sigh of relief. Lanqin, Wu Shi, Geng Shi, and the others who had brought children rushed to the side rooms to look for them, while Song Shi and Fucha Shi, who did not have children, were allowed to leave directly.
Lanqin returned to the south courtyard with the three children and instructed the maids to fetch water for her to wash up. So much had happened that night. She needed to rest for a while.
The reason Imperial Physician Yang hadn't been able to come was because he was ill and bedridden at home, making it impossible for him to treat Lady Nian. The Fourth Prince went to the palace that very night, visiting Consort De at Yonghe Palace and instructing her to immediately summon several imperial physicians from the Imperial Hospital to accompany him out of the palace. At that moment, only three imperial physicians were on duty, and to be on the safe side, Consort De summoned two away, leaving only one.
Lady Nian was a secondary consort, and her name was recorded in the imperial archives, so she was considered the emperor's wife. Sending a few imperial physicians to examine her wasn't a particularly unusual matter.
Two imperial physicians accompanied the Fourth Prince to the Yong Prince's residence that very night and immediately began to treat Lady Nian. The two old physicians took Lady Nian's pulse repeatedly and then used acupuncture, working on her for half the night, but still had not reached any conclusion.
The Fourth Prince and Nian Gengyao stayed by her side the whole time, watching as Nian's condition seemed to worsen little by little, and they were extremely anxious.
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