Chapter 17 Chestnuts
Chu Wangshu taught Shen Qingmeng to observe celestial phenomena while simultaneously writing letters.
[Your Majesty, observing the celestial phenomena last night, saw Mars encroaching upon the Emperor's throne, its crimson rays piercing the Purple Palace; a comet suddenly appeared in the Heavenly Market Enclosure, its tail sweeping directly across the Eastern Palace, its starry sky overwhelming. This is an ominous sign, a comet guarding the Heart Palace, a sign of impending bloodshed in the succession palace. The celestial signs indicate a potential disaster of a prince forcing the abdication and seizing the throne.]
"What does that mean?" Shen Qingmeng didn't quite understand what Chu Wangshu had written, except for the last sentence.
"Let's talk to His Majesty about the stars, and then find some things for the First Prince and the Fifth Prince to do."
"Didn't you just say that predicting the fate of a nation by observing the stars is nonsense?" Shen Qingmeng looked at the sky... Never mind, she couldn't understand it. She just felt that the moon seemed rounder today than yesterday, and the stars were quite beautiful.
"If the emperor is willing to believe it, then let him believe it. It just so happens that the celestial phenomena are indeed like this today, so I'm not lying." Chu Wangshu sealed the letter, called Yunmo over, and sent it out.
Chu Wangshu took off Shen Qingmeng's hair and gently combed her long hair with a comb: "Qingmeng, are you afraid that this peaceful and leisurely life is over?"
Will...what will happen?
"Cangning is going to take action on the ninth day of the ninth month, and they should already be in ambush. I'm just trying to provoke them and wear down Daqing's fate in advance, so that when their forces are strong and united against a common enemy, they won't cause any more trouble for Cangning."
"It sounds like we're the imperial advisor and princess who will be infamous in the history books of Daqing for eternity."
"Couldn't they be a princess and her husband who have made great contributions and whose names are recorded in the annals of Cangning's history?"
“I don’t know,” Shen Qingmeng leaned back and rested her head on Chu Wangshu’s shoulder. His shoulder bones were broad, and his shoulder hadn’t been as uncomfortable as before lately, so it was quite comfortable. “Anyway, whether I’m remembered in history or infamous for eternity, I’m tied to you.”
That night, Shen Qingmeng and Chu Wangshu slept soundly in each other's arms as usual.
But some people can't sleep; there are many people.
Emperor Qing believed Chu Wangshu's words without a doubt, and of course, he knew his sons quite well. An ambitious man will naturally raise a bunch of heartless and treacherous children, which can be considered a kind of success in a way.
Emperor Qing was over sixty years old and his health had not been good in recent years, so he had not designated an heir. The second prince and his three younger sons could not be relied upon, and the eldest prince and the fifth prince each had their own faults. If it were said that either of them wanted to kill their father and seize power, Emperor Qing would not dare to disbelieve it.
Chu Wangshu did not perform divination; he merely made a casual remark while observing the celestial phenomena. If he was right, it would be considered a stroke of genius; if he was wrong, it would be due to the celestial phenomena and have nothing to do with him.
It's not worth ruining his health, which he had worked so hard to improve, for these people.
As it turned out, Chu Wangshu was right.
Shen Qingmeng was lazy in the morning and didn't make breakfast. The next morning, as usual, the maid brought the food to the pavilion and then left.
Chu Wangshu always ate medicinal porridge. He scooped up a spoonful of the porridge, which had a faint medicinal aroma, and put it down his throat. Usually, the porridge was cooked until soft and sticky, and the flavor of the medicinal herbs was just right, without any bitterness.
But today... seems a bit bitter.
Before he could even take a second bite of porridge, his hand holding the spoon suddenly froze.
"Ugh..." A suppressed groan escaped from Chu Wangshu's throat. His face instantly turned ashen, veins bulged on his forehead, and large beads of cold sweat seeped out. He pressed one hand tightly against his upper abdomen, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his body convulsed slightly uncontrollably.
"What's wrong?" Shen Qingmeng quickly got up and helped Chu Wangshu up.
The next moment, Chu Wangshu suddenly bent over and vomited up all the porridge he had just swallowed. His body trembled violently as he leaned against Shen Qingmeng, panting.
"Someone! Quickly summon Physician Li!" Shen Qingmeng's voice was sharp and urgent, filled with unprecedented panic. Unlike when Chu Wangshu suffered a backlash, Shen Qingmeng felt heartache and helplessness. He had been poisoned, and Shen Qingmeng was truly afraid he would die: "Yunmo! Surround the Astrology Pavilion for me! Arrest everyone! Don't move anyone!"
Physician Li arrived, carrying his medicine chest, practically dragged along. Upon seeing Chu Wangshu's condition, his expression changed drastically. He immediately stepped forward, grasped Chu Wangshu's wrist to take his pulse, and quickly examined the vomit. He then brought his nose close to smell it, his face darkening.
"It's Gelsemium elegans!" Physician Li exclaimed in alarm. "Quickly, get soapberry water to induce vomiting!"
Despite the excruciating pain, Chu Wangshu managed to retain a sliver of consciousness, trembling as she pried open Shen Qingmeng's tightly clenched fist and grasped her hand: "Don't be afraid... you didn't drink much... uh... you won't die..."
The soapberry water was quickly poured down his throat, and Chu Wangshu's stomach churned violently. He vomited violently again, almost bringing up his bile.
Physician Li swiftly inserted silver needles into several acupoints and ordered someone to quickly prepare an antidote decoction. After a period of panic, Chu Wangshu's vomiting gradually stopped. She leaned weakly against Shen Qingmeng's chest, her breathing shallow, her eyes tightly closed, and her lips an unnatural bluish-purple, but she finally caught her breath.
Physician Li wiped the sweat from his brow and said to Shen Qingmeng with lingering fear, "Fortunately, Wang Shu has always eaten very slowly, so the amount consumed was small, and the poison was discovered in time. It did not penetrate deep into her internal organs, so she is no longer in danger of death. However, her vital energy has been greatly depleted, and she will need to recuperate for some time."
Chu Wangshu hadn't fainted yet. Still groggily, she took Shen Qingmeng's hand and placed it against her upper abdomen, saying with a hint of grievance, "It hurts..."
"Let me rub it for you," Shen Qingmeng said, slipping her hand under the covers and gently rubbing Chu Wangshu's stomach with the heel of her palm. "Uncle Li, could you please help me find out where this medicine came from? Once he's feeling better, I'll interrogate those servants."
Physician Li nodded, picked up his medicine box, and went out.
"Do you want to lie down?" Shen Qingmeng asked.
Chu Wangshu shook her head: "That's fine, I don't want to move."
"Then let's not move," Shen Qingmeng placed her hand on Chu Wangshu's cheek and gently touched it. "Let's rest for a while."
"Don't be afraid, I'm alright now."
"I'm not afraid, don't worry." Shen Qingmeng gently rested her head on Chu Wangshu's head. What a fool, even though she's in so much pain herself, all she can think about is comforting her.
"How do you plan to interrogate him? Why not just have Yunmo hand him over to the palace?"
"Handing him over would introduce too many variables. It's right here in the astrology hall, with so many people watching, it would be difficult to recant his testimony."
"Hmm...I want to see."
"Alright, you can sleep for a while and rest. I'll wake you up later so I can rule from behind the curtain."
In the afternoon, Chu Wangshu leaned against the soft couch behind the screen in the main hall, holding the hand warmer that Shen Qingmeng had given him in his arms. He squinted his eyes with some curiosity, looking at the blurry figure on the other side of the screen: "Uncle Li, what do you think Qingmeng will do?"
Imperial Physician Li sat to the side, finding a decent spot to watch the show: "This girl doesn't seem like a ruthless person at all. I can't guess."
Shen Qingmeng was simply spoiled by Shen Ning and lived a carefree life, but in the end, she was someone who had traveled all over the country with a caravan since childhood. She had seen it all, whether dealing with government officials or arguing with bandits.
I can't bring myself to be ruthless; I only do it to innocent people.
Shen Qingmeng sat in the main hall, not looking up at the kneeling crowd below. She remained silent, skewering a chestnut on a stick and roasting it over the charcoal fire.
With a "pop!" sound, the chestnut skin burst open instantly, revealing a whole chestnut.
Shen Qingmeng gently blew on the chestnut, picked it off, and put it in her mouth.
"Hmm, the freshly roasted chestnuts taste really good. Anyone want to try some?" Shen Qingmeng pierced another chestnut and placed it on the charcoal fire. "Oh, I forgot, we said before that we wouldn't give you any food until we found out who drugged the Grand Preceptor."
"Still no one is telling me what happened this morning? I haven't found a single clue yet. They've really hidden it well," Shen Qingmeng beckoned to Yunmo and brought over a porcelain jar. She took out five chestnuts from the jar and mixed them into the pile of raw chestnuts. "Let's play something fun. I'll roast some chestnuts for you. You can eat one as soon as it's roasted."
"Oh, but I'm not sure if those five herbs soaked in the juice of the poisonous plant will turn into bitter chestnuts. If you die from eating them, consider yourself lucky to have been poisoned in the same way as the Grand Preceptor. I'll give your families extra money for funeral expenses."
Shen Qingmeng seemed quite satisfied as she watched the servants trembling with their heads down. The chestnut shell in her hand exploded again, and the game began.
Hearing the sound of chestnut shells bursting open behind the screen, Chu Wangshu trembled slightly. She had never known that Shen Qingmeng had such a chilling side.
She just mentioned that autumn is the season for chestnuts, as they are good for the stomach, and she was making chestnut cakes for Chu Wangshu tonight.
"Scared? If someone can tell you what they've seen or done, I won't let you eat any," Shen Qingmeng handed the chestnut on the skewer to Qiusheng: "Qiusheng, you go first. Have you seen anything?"
This chestnut is the only one that is definitely not poisonous, and Shen Qingmeng still feels that Qiusheng is not the kind of person who would do this.
Qiu Sheng knelt on the ground, not daring to raise her head: "Reporting to Your Highness, this servant was not in the kitchen this morning, this servant did not know..."
"Then come and eat some chestnuts," Shen Qingmeng said casually, handing them over before grilling the next one.
"Granny Wang, you can try the second one."
Three, four, five... Unfortunately, the servant who ate the sixth chestnut immediately clutched his stomach and was dragged out.
Shen Qingmeng smiled and tied on a new one: "There are four more."
The process of roasting chestnuts is very slow, and the sound of the shells bursting open is like a warning of death.
Chu Wangshu had never seen what interrogation was like. Perhaps the prisons in the palace were much bloodier, but... someone like Shen Qingmeng was truly terrifying.
Chu Wangshu leaned on the soft couch, turning slightly to look at the main hall: "What should I do? I feel like Qingmeng is even more charming."
"Then let her peel chestnuts for you tonight." Physician Li peeled peanuts in his hand, but also listened to the voices in the main hall.
"Hiss..." Chu Wangshu adjusted her position slightly, but this caused a sharp pain in her abdomen: "Let's finish the interrogation quickly, this heater is not as comfortable as Qingmeng holding me."
Have you thought about what you'll do in a few days?
"Send Qingmeng and you away first, then wait for her to come and rescue me."
Did you talk to her?
"No, let's lie to each other for now," Chu Wangshu closed her eyes and smiled faintly, "They probably won't feed me poisoned chestnuts afterward."
"Bang!"
The seventh.
"Princess! This servant saw Danlu sneaking into the kitchen this morning, when the Imperial Preceptor's medicinal cuisine was being prepared!"
Shen Qingmeng raised her head and waved to the kneeling maid, "Go and wait to the side. Danluo, who is she?"
This trick worked very well; the servant who poisoned the chestnuts confessed after only eight chestnuts had been roasted.
The maid was named Danluo, and the servant was named Chai Er. One of them added the juice of the Heartbreak Flower, and the other added arsenic to the pastries. The two princes each had one, which was actually quite even.
It seems that Chu Wangshu's letter yesterday touched a nerve, and they all acted quickly, without even missing a meal.
"Send it to the Emperor," Shen Qingmeng wiped the iron skewer, threw it forcefully, and nailed it to the door frame. "Today I used croton oil, not intending to really kill anyone. If you don't want to relive today's experience, or taste real poison, then behave yourselves from now on. Report anything that shouldn't happen to me immediately, instead of waiting for me to ask."
I understand that everyone serves their own master, but I simply cannot bear to see the Imperial Advisor suffer, so I do not wish for a next time.
"Go do what you're supposed to do. Let the guy you just dragged out rest for two days and give him some money."
After the main hall was empty, Shen Qingmeng felt a bit of a headache. This was the first time she had ever spoken so much. Before, she had only watched others scare people for fun, but she never expected that it would be so troublesome to talk to herself.
But seeing Chu Wangshu lying pale on the soft couch, Shen Qingmeng felt a pang of regret.
I really did make those two drink some medicine.
"Is there any more chestnut cake?" Chu Wangshu reached out and hooked her finger with Shen Qingmeng's. "Your Highness."
"Yes, I'll make it for you right away," Shen Qingmeng leaned down and gently kissed Chu Wangshu's forehead. "Shall we go upstairs, or stay here?"
"I'll stay here. I'm sleepy. I'll take a nap."
After watching all this excitement for so long, I'm really tired.
The chestnut cake was smooth and delicious. Shen Qingmeng also made some milk chestnut soup, which was very smooth, sweet, and delicate.
It tastes much better than those dark, unappetizing herbal soups.
The eldest prince and the fifth prince were stripped of their military power and confined to their respective residences. Emperor Qing was so angry that he fell seriously ill and even stopped attending court for three days.
Young Master Chu had planned everything perfectly, except for protecting himself. His once relatively healthy digestive system was now ruined; he was awakened several times at night by severe abdominal cramps, and the complexion that had improved somewhat after nearly two months of recuperation had also vanished.
We have to start all over again.
But he's been unusually clingy lately, staying almost constantly by Shen Qingmeng's side except for essential matters. When Shen Qingmeng asked him what was wrong, he only said he wasn't feeling well and just wanted to pester her.
On the fifth day of the ninth lunar month, the first snow of the year fell in the capital.
Chu Wangshu lay in Shen Qingmeng's arms, watching the snowflakes slowly falling outside the window. Shen Qingmeng had covered him tightly with the blanket, only his head and one hand were showing, and she was playing with a strand of her hair that was hanging down in her hand.
"You don't dislike me anymore, do you?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Shen Qingmeng suddenly lowered her head. She had only asked a few days ago, jokingly, why Chu Wangshu had been so clingy lately, and why she had grown tired of him.
"You think I'm too clingy."
"No, don't overthink it. You can hang on to me every day."
"Qingmeng, I want to talk to you about something," Chu Wangshu said, her voice growing softer as she spoke, perhaps lacking confidence. "You have to promise me first, and you can't ignore me."
Shen Qingmeng poked Chu Wangshu's chest: "It's clearly you who has a terrible track record, lying to me and ignoring me."
Chu Wangshu felt guilty, pursed her lips, and remained silent.
“What mischief have you been up to lately? This doesn’t seem right,” Shen Qingmeng said, grasping his slightly cool fingertips. “You’re not going to tell me you’re planning to take a concubine, are you? I don’t agree to that.”
"No... why would I want to take a concubine? It's fine as long as you don't keep male lovers..." Chu Wangshu snuggled against Shen Qingmeng's chest: "Just promise me first, okay?"
"Okay, go ahead and say it." Simply asking him not to ignore her isn't an unreasonable request.
"On the seventh day, you and Uncle Li will go down the mountain first and leave the capital."
Why?
"If you stay, you'll easily become a hostage to the emperor. If he threatens you with your life, I don't know what to do."
"And what about you?"
"If I leave, the Emperor will become suspicious. I can't leave. I'll wait for you in the Astrology Pavilion, and wait for you to come and take me away, okay?"
"No, how am I supposed to know if you're alive or dead if you stay here by yourself?" Shen Qingmeng firmly refused Chu Wangshu and pulled the blanket up further.
This person is still not fully recovered. This morning, they vomited again for some unknown reason. What on their mind is going on all day?
"Qingmeng..." Chu Wangshu raised her head slightly, her tone pleading.
Shen Qingmeng didn't even lower her head to look at him, but firmly uttered two words: "No way!"
Author's Note:
Chu Wangshu: If you gave them poisoned chestnuts, you can't give them to me...
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