Chapter 282 Fear
"Girl, what's wrong with you?" Fangzhou asked, crying.
How could she not be afraid? She was terrified.
Qiu Heng didn't hide it from Fang Zhou: "Don't cry. Go find Xue Han and tell him I've been poisoned. Ask him to secretly bring a reliable doctor over..."
Upon hearing Qiu Heng's words that she had been poisoned, Fangzhou felt as if a heavy hammer had struck her heart, causing her excruciating pain.
But she didn't panic and immediately nodded: "I'll go find Young Master Xue right away. You must hold on, Miss."
Qiu Heng gave Fang Zhou a very faint smile: "I can handle it. Go ahead, be careful."
Fangzhou wiped away her tears and ran out quickly.
The streets were bustling with people and traffic. Fangzhou first found Hu Si, and then met Xue Han.
"Young Master Xue, our young lady has been poisoned. Please help us secretly take a reliable doctor to find her..."
"What? The red bean cake is poisoned?" Hu Si blurted out in shock.
Xue Han's expression changed instantly, and he even staggered as he stood up, but his voice remained steady: "Hu Si, you take Fangzhou back first, I'll go and invite Uncle Xu."
"Wu Qingzhou came with me, so there's no need for Commander Hu to escort me. The young lady doesn't want anyone to notice that she's seen Young Master Xue."
Xue Han didn't bother to respond to Fang Zhou and quickly walked out.
After months of busy work, Xu Bo finally had some free time. He was lying on a bench in the yard, basking in the sun, when the door was suddenly pushed open forcefully.
Seeing the young man stagger in, Uncle Xu's lips twitched.
Another job has come up; I really owe this kid something.
"What is it now—" Xu Bo's words turned into a curse as Xue Han picked him up with one hand, "You bastard, put me down right now!"
Only after putting Xu Bo on the horse did Xue Han have time to explain: "Aheng has been poisoned."
The horse galloped away, the autumn wind whistling past their ears, but the young man's trembling voice was exceptionally clear in Uncle Xu's ears: "Uncle Xu, Aheng has been poisoned, I'm so scared..."
Uncle Xu stopped cursing, only to be met with even louder cursing: "Idiot, go back now! You forgot your medicine kit!"
The horse neighed and turned around. When Uncle Xu rushed into the house to pick up the medicine box and returned, he saw the young man gripping the reins tightly, his eyes bloodshot, trying his best to suppress his panic.
Xu Bo sighed inwardly, but remained calm and composed: "Let's go."
He had to remain calm, or the kid would break down.
Fangzhou stood guard at the back gate of the Yongqing Marquis's residence, gripping the door frame tightly.
"Is Sister Fangzhou waiting for someone?" the disciple asked politely.
Although the servants were much older than Fangzhou, most of the servants in the Earl's mansion would address the Sixth Miss's most prominent head maid as Sister Fangzhou.
Fangzhou nodded and saw Xue Han leading his men into the long alley, so he hurriedly waved.
The disciple recognized Xue Han and was startled: "Xue—"
Fangzhou reached out and covered the servant's mouth, then pulled out a handful of loose silver from her purse and stuffed it into his hand: "Don't say anything, don't ask anything, and the Sixth Miss will reward you handsomely later."
The disciple, holding a handful of broken silver, was caught in a dilemma.
Why did Young Master Xue choose to use the back door?
A secret rendezvous with the Sixth Miss? But doesn't everyone in the capital know that the Sixth Miss and Young Master Xue are a perfect couple? There's no need for them to do it secretly, is there?
"Well, then this isn't a secret meeting, it's serious business. The Sixth Miss's important matters can't be affected by a mere disciple like him."
The disciple silently convinced himself and put the silver away.
It was midday, and Fangzhou led the way, avoiding the occasional passing servants, until they arrived at Lengxiangju.
When Fangzhou brought two men over, the little maid guarding the gate stared wide-eyed, but didn't ask anything. After the men came in, she quickly closed the courtyard gate.
Qingluo was guarding the door.
"How is the girl?"
Qingluo, her eyes red, said, "The young lady is lying down."
Fangzhou nodded slightly to Xue Han: "Young Master Xue, please come in."
Xue Han reached out and touched the door frame before stepping inside, where he saw Qiu Heng leaning against the bed, her face pale.
"Aheng, how are you?"
Qiu Heng glanced at Fang Zhou, who then retreated and stood guard at the door.
Qiu Heng smiled apologetically at Uncle Xu: "I'm sorry to trouble you again, Uncle Xu."
"Enough of the small talk, Ah Heng, what kind of poison have you been given?"
"I have no idea."
Uncle Xu's expression turned serious: "You don't know?"
"The poison was put in the tea. I induced vomiting, and I don't feel anything now..." Qiu Heng explained the situation clearly.
Xu Bo took Qiu Heng's pulse and examined her vomit.
Xue Han asked anxiously, "Uncle Xu, how is it?"
Uncle Xu stared intently at Qiu Heng: "Are you sure she's been poisoned?"
"I'm sure."
"Nothing was found in the vomit. Did you notice any unusual taste when you drank the tea?"
"There's a slightly fishy smell..." Qiu Heng tried hard to recall, then a thought flashed through her mind, "It's like mushroom soup—"
Are you feeling unwell right now?
Qiu Heng shook her head: "I only feel discomfort from repeated vomiting, and I don't feel anything else for the time being."
"It has a fresh, fishy smell, and it hasn't shown any symptoms yet... It's very likely that the water was soaked with poisonous mushrooms!"
Without saying much, Uncle Xu hurriedly wrote down a prescription and handed it to Fangzhou to brew. He then explained, "There's a kind of poisonous mushroom. If someone ingests it, symptoms may not appear until a day later: vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea... They may seem to get better for a day or two, but eventually their condition worsens and they die. It's easily mistaken for an acute gastrointestinal illness..."
Xue Han was heartbroken: "Uncle Xu, is there... is there any hope?"
“If it really is this kind of mushroom poison, the dosage in a cup of tea in the palace shouldn’t be that large. Since Aheng induced vomiting before symptoms appeared, the chances of recovery are still quite good.” Uncle Xu told the truth, taking out a row of silver needles from his medicine box. “I’m going to use acupuncture to induce vomiting and diarrhea in Aheng. Xue boy, you can go out now.”
Xue Han gave Qiu Heng a deep look, then turned and left.
Soon after, Uncle Xu came out and stood in the courtyard with Xue Han.
Boiling water, decocting medicine, cleaning up filth...
The two silently watched as the maids and old women of Lengxiang Residence went in and out, busy with their work.
"Uncle Xu," Xue Han called out, his voice trembling uncontrollably, "Will Aheng be alright?"
Compared to Xue Han's precarious state, Uncle Xu was much calmer, with admiration in his eyes: "Aheng saved herself in time. In addition to inducing vomiting, she should have also taken antidote."
Xue Han clenched his fist tightly.
A hand landed on his shoulder and patted him gently: "You'll be alright."
Upon hearing this affirmative answer, Xue Han took a step back, his back hitting the rough tree trunk, and the chill that had gripped his body subsided slightly.
Xu Bo sighed almost inaudibly.
Judging from Xue's expression, if anything were to happen to Ah Heng, he probably wouldn't even care about his own life.
How could a little girl get into such trouble?
Xu Bo looked towards the door with a puzzled expression, but did not ask a question.
Those who have served as imperial physicians know all too well that knowing too much is of no benefit.
It got dark.
Fangzhou came out, her exhaustion evident after a busy afternoon: "Dr. Xu, could you stay at Lengxiang Residence tonight?"
Xue Han nodded without hesitation: "We'll stay."
Although Uncle Xu's temper had become somewhat eccentric over the years, he was eventually a mature adult and finally remembered to ask, "Do your elders know about this?"
(End of this chapter)
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