Ye Ying was anxious, but unable to get the medicine pot immediately, she had no choice but to agree and go to the Third Prince's room. She saw that Doctor Wu was already up and checking the Third Prince's pulse. Cui Niang was not there.
"Doctor Wu, the wet nurse and two maids who serve the Third Prince have all been summoned by the Consort. I'll have Ying'er and Wenxi come and help take care of the Third Prince," Ye Ying said. "The Third Prince is so pitiful. I wonder what kind of poison he has been afflicted with, and whether it's still possible to clear the poison from his body."
Doctor Wu is quite unfortunate. He not only has to take care of the Third Prince by himself, but also has to keep him alive at all times. However, he spent the whole day yesterday experimenting, but still couldn't figure out what kind of poison the Third Prince had been poisoned with.
"Please have two maids come over; I need to help prepare the medicine," Doctor Wu sighed.
Meanwhile, the head nanny had already taken Linghua and the medicine pot to the south courtyard.
Lanqin had just finished breakfast when she heard someone outside reporting something, so she immediately let them all in.
"Your Highness, this is the medicine pot you requested to see," the head nanny said respectfully.
"Bring it here for me to see." Lanqin gestured for Xicha to clear the food from the small table.
Lanqin looked at the medicine jar, then reached inside and touched it, but found nothing suspicious.
"Linghua, why did you mention this medicine pot to the head nanny?" Lanqin asked, setting the medicine pot aside.
"Reporting to Consort Linghua, I have always served the Third Prince's daily needs and medicines. I can easily recognize things I've used. This medicine pot is exactly the same as the one I used for the Third Prince, but I feel it's not the same one I used before. It's slightly heavier. And the patterns on it are also slightly different." Linghua's legs seemed to be slightly off as she walked, perhaps due to the wooden stick torture she had endured. In this inner quarters, Si Tong was accustomed to all sorts of private punishments.
Upon hearing this, Lanqin picked up the medicine pot again, tapped it, held it up to the light to examine it, and then slowly put it down.
“Linghua, you noticed the medicine pot is different. Why don’t you report it to Madam Yin? Or to Master?” Lanqin stared at Linghua and said.
"This servant... this servant was only suspicious at the time, and didn't dare to confirm whether this medicine pot was the original one. So..." Linghua dared not look at Lanqin's piercing gaze any longer, lowering her head, too nervous to know how to respond. If it was indeed this medicine pot that caused the Third Prince's poisoning, then her fate was predictable.
"You are so negligent. Do you know what will happen to you when the master and the princess return?" Lanqin really didn't want to be harsh on a maid who hadn't done anything seriously wrong, but as a concubine, she had no choice but to question her.
"Please, Consort, spare my life! I have always served the Third Prince with all my heart, but I never imagined that this medicine pot might have been tampered with." Linghua was so frightened that she immediately knelt down on the ground.
Lanqin sighed and said, "Linghua, let me ask you, who is the person who has access to this medicine pot? Think carefully, because what you say now may determine your life or death."
Linghua lowered her head, pondered for a moment, and then said in a trembling voice, "This medicine pot has always been kept in the storeroom. Apart from the wet nurse, Juhua, and this servant, only Yin Gege's servants can access it. Ying'er and Wenxi rarely come; it's Yin Gege and Ye Ying who come most often. This servant believes that if this medicine pot has really been tampered with, it can only be by the people I just mentioned."
Lanqin then said to the head nanny, "Nanny, take Linghua away and keep a close watch on her. Also, lock up Yeying, Ying'er, and Wenxi who are by Yin Gege's side. Send two people to serve the Third Prince."
Seeing that Lanqin was decisive and clear-headed, the head nanny was impressed and readily agreed, then took Linghua and pushed her away.
After they left, Lanqin picked up the medicine pot again and examined it closely. Cui Niang had already returned and reported on the Third Prince's condition, so Lanqin wasn't in a hurry to go there. The most important thing now was to quickly find out what poison the Third Prince had been poisoned with.
Meanwhile, on Madam Yin's side, the head nanny led a group to take away all the maids from her room. Madam Yin had already heard Ye Ying's report upon her return, and her heart tightened with anxiety, yet she was powerless to resist. Now, the Third Prince had fallen ill and been poisoned while staying with her, and was currently in a coma.
"Granny, please have mercy." Madam Yin wasn't worried about anyone else, only about Ye Ying, fearing she wouldn't be able to withstand the torture and would confess everything she had done.
"Princess, you don't need to worry, I won't say anything nonsense." Ye Ying followed Madam Yin from Yangzhou to the capital and witnessed her transform from an innocent young girl into a ruthless woman in the inner quarters who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.
Ye Ying knew that even if she spoke, the outcome would be the same as if she didn't. She was Yin's dowry maid, practically a confidante, so how could she possibly absolve herself of responsibility? Besides, she only needed to endure two more days until the Fujin returned, and the Gege would come to her rescue.
Madam Yin understood Ye Ying's meaning and could only watch them all leave with the head nanny's people. In addition, the head nanny sent two more maids to serve the Third Prince, and suddenly Madam Yin was all alone, without even a servant to attend to her.
Remembering the words of the Fujin (principal wife), and considering the current situation, Lady Yin had no choice but to follow the Fujin's wishes. She quietly went to the Third Prince's room and saw Doctor Wu still studying the Third Prince's pulse, while the two newcomers stood by, ready to give instructions at any time. Lady Yin remembered that Lanqin had mostly brought toys for the Third Prince, and after thinking for a moment, she finally chose a set of clothes that Lanqin had given to the Third Prince.
"Doctor Wu, I see that the Third Prince seems to be covered in sweat. Why don't I change his clothes and fetch some water to wipe his body? Lying down like this makes him more prone to sores," said Madam Yin.
After thinking for a moment, Doctor Wu said that they couldn't disturb the Third Prince's rest and could only change him slowly.
Madam Yin then instructed the two newly arrived maids, Qingdai and Qingmo, to fetch water and bring the Third Prince's water basin.
Doctor Wu was unaware of Madam Yin's intentions. He simply sat down next to the Third Prince and studied his pulse, paying no attention to what Madam Yin was doing. She first went to the cabinet in the Third Prince's room, pretending to find him some nice clothes, and secretly took out the set of clothes that Lanqin had given to the Third Prince. Then she folded them up and stuffed them into the large sleeves of the cheongsam.
At this moment, two maids brought in a basin of water, preparing to wipe the Third Prince down and change his clothes.
"You two take good care of the Third Prince. I suddenly remembered something and will go back to my room first," Madam Yin instructed the two maids before leaving.
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