Chapter Thirty: Single-Households with Mothers as the Privileges
Prince Jing raised an eyebrow slightly; this girl did have some courage.
He glanced at the boy's bluish-purple fingertips on the bed, and suddenly remembered the same kind of death he had seen on the battlefield in the Western Regions three years ago. His eyes darkened.
"The cold poison originates from the snowy mountains of the Western Regions. Do you know the antidote?" Qin Zhining's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected this cold-faced prince to recognize this poison. She immediately said loudly, "It requires a soup made with century-old ginseng to strengthen the body, followed by three needles to expel the poison. However..."
"But what?" Prince Jing pressed, his fingers unconsciously tightening.
"The third needle is inserted into Baihui (GV20), and if you are not careful, you will bleed from all seven orifices." Qin Zhining stared into Prince Jing's deep eyes without flinching.
"Your Highness must swear that you will not hold me responsible regardless of the outcome." The bedroom fell silent, and even the gurgling sound of the medicine stove was exceptionally clear.
Prince Jing remained silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled softly, but there was no warmth in his laughter. "I grant your request. But if you cannot be cured, I cannot protect you."
His youngest uncle was the apple of his father's eye.
If it really can't be cured, hmph... not to mention these two skinny little girls in front of me, even he, Grand Secretary Zhang, and everyone else in this room will be dead.
It wasn't that he wasn't anxious, angry, or upset, but faced with this predicament, his pride and arrogance wouldn't allow him to show it; he could only secretly pray for divine intervention.
Seeing that no one in the room was making any more noise, Qin Zhining took a deep breath and rolled the silver needles over the fire several times until they were very hot before stopping.
When the first needle pierced the Yongquan acupoint, the boy convulsed violently, and bluish-black poisonous blood seeped out from the end of the needle.
Seeing the black blood flowing out, no one dared to utter a sound.
When the second needle was inserted into Zusanli (ST36), he made a hoarse sound in his throat, and cold sweat soaked through the brocade quilt.
Prince Jing stood to one side with his hands behind his back, his black robe motionless, only his clenched fists, white with age, betraying his inner turmoil.
Grand Secretary Zhang struggled to keep from collapsing, but Qin Xiaoxiao supported him from behind.
The last silver needle—as everyone stared at the three-inch-long, shimmering silver object, cold sweat dripped down their faces with tension.
"Xiaoxiao, protect me!" Qin Zhining suddenly shouted.
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaoxiao quickly released Zhang Ge Lao and then took a step forward to stand in front of Qin Zhi Ning, her fists clenched, her eyes wide with anger, and her whole body filled with high vigilance.
Qin Zhining sterilized the third silver needle by heating it with candlelight again. A few breaths later, when it was suspended above the boy's Baihui acupoint, her fingertips trembled slightly.
Suddenly, a strong wind picked up outside the window, which was very strange.
Just as the needle was about to fall, Prince Jing suddenly spoke, "Should I hold him down?"
Qin Zhining looked up and met the fleeting concern in his eyes. Suddenly, she steadied herself, and with a slight twist of her wrist, the silver needle pierced steadily—
The boy's body suddenly arched, and a mouthful of black blood splattered onto the brocade quilt. He then lay down softly, and his breathing gradually became steady.
Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Zhining frowned as she stared at the mouthful of black blood. "No, this cold poison—has something else mixed in."
No sooner had he finished speaking than hurried footsteps came from outside the door. A guard rushed in to report, "Your Highness, several unidentified corpses dressed in black have been found outside the mansion."
Prince Jing's expression changed drastically, and he looked at Qin Zhining. At the same time, a realization flashed in both of their eyes—this was not a simple poisoning, but a conspiracy against the Zhang family.
Although Qin Zhining appeared surprised, she remained calm inside.
She had inadvertently gotten caught up in this conflict while trying to earn some 'foreign exchange,' but whether the Zhang family was framed or the unfortunate boy in her bed was implicated and made a scapegoat, it had nothing to do with her.
She'll be fine as long as she gets the consultation fee.
“Your Highness, I have found out that these are the people who poisoned Prince Li Qin.”
Before the guard could finish speaking, Qin Zhining, without waiting for Prince Jing to speak, said to Grand Secretary Zhang, "The cold toxins in this young master's body need to be cleared within seven days."
The other poison he was afflicted with, though troublesome, was not incurable; it could be cured simply by daily incense burning with mugwort.
After this treatment, I will leave you a bottle of detoxifying liquid. I will come back for a follow-up visit in seven days.
Therefore, in summary, the woman's detoxification consultation fee was 300 gold coins, and the subsequent decoction used to eradicate the toxins cost 500 gold coins.
Since we are all fellow villagers living in the same village, I don't need so much. Six hundred gold coins will do.
As for the estate you promised, please help me transfer the house deed and land deed to the new owner. I will wait here for you.”
Having saved Prince Ruiqin's life and saved his own family of several hundred people, Grand Secretary Zhang had no objection to Qin Zhining's request.
He immediately and readily sent someone to the county government office to directly handle the matter with County Magistrate Yin Sujie. In addition, at Qin Zhining's request, he secretly also processed her household registration as a woman.
Qin Xiaoxiao's name was registered under Qin Zhining's household registration.
"Miss Qin, what are you doing... is there something else you're thinking?"
Although Grand Secretary Zhang didn't want to meddle in Qin Zhining's private affairs, she had just saved Prince Rui Qin, making her a great benefactor to him and the Zhang family. It wouldn't be unreasonable for him to lend a hand if his benefactor was in any trouble.
Qin Zhining did not hide her past. "My mother passed away, and my father abandoned me like a clog when I was five years old. I was sent to my ancestral home in the countryside, where I suffered all kinds of torment and hardship. I went through several life-and-death experiences, and today I have returned to the county magistrate's mansion."
However, the family that my mother had built with all her might no longer have a place for me, her own daughter. Therefore, I decided to establish my own household and make a living by relying on my medical skills.
Perhaps there are no parents who are always wrong, but filial piety stems from a loving father, doesn't it? What does a five-year-old child know? What crime has he committed?
When a mother dies, a child becomes an abandoned child. The father's love is all given to his illegitimate children. In such a situation, it would be utterly ridiculous to expect the abused to be filial.
Your Excellency, our Great Qi Dynasty emphasizes filial piety, but if parents are not kind, how can children be filial?
Therefore, I now live as a separate household, honoring my mother's memorial tablet, severing all ties with the Qin County Magistrate's family. We are now two separate families, and it would be good if we could each live our own lives peacefully.”
Qin Zhining's almost 'treasonous' remarks shocked not only Grand Secretary Zhang, but also Prince Jing, who was listening nearby, frowned slightly, clearly indicating his disagreement.
At this moment, a guard stepped forward and respectfully reported all the information about Qin Zhining that he had just investigated to the cold-faced prince.
Although Prince Jing's brows relaxed, he still disagreed with Qin Zhining's unconventional remarks and behavior, but he didn't say anything.
Prince Rui Qin, Zhou Lichen, who had already woken up on the bed, did not want to disturb anyone and wanted to rest for a while. However, after listening to Qin Zhining recount her past experiences, he immediately became furious. He pointed at Prince Jing, but before he could say anything, he spat out a mouthful of black blood and fainted.
Another period of chaos and turmoil ensued.
Doctors Li and Wang wanted to take the opportunity to accuse Qin Zhining of misdiagnosing and causing death, but Qin Zhining didn't give them a chance at all, and Qin Xiaoxiao punched and kicked them away.
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