When Yinzhen returned to the manor, Lady Li cried hysterically. The imperial physician examined her briefly and said she was fine. He inserted silver needles to induce vomiting, and after a few days of rest, she would be back to her energetic self.
When the imperial physician examined Lady Tong again, he frowned and remained silent in thought. Yinzhen sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at her with a furrowed brow. The person who had been lively and playful yesterday, arguing with him, was now barely breathing, her face pale with a bluish tinge. Even in her sleep, her brows were still furrowed, as if she were in great pain, which alarmed Yinzhen.
The imperial physician took her pulse for a long time, his face growing increasingly grim. Ignoring the cold sweat on his forehead, he lowered his head and said, "Your Highness, judging from her pulse, Consort Tong's condition is due to accidentally ingesting some incompatible substance. It's not too serious, but... but Consort Tong has a pre-existing condition, and her body couldn't withstand further injury, which is why she fell into a deep coma."
Yinzhen tightened his grip on her hand, his brow furrowing with gloom, his cold, unsettling eyes fixed on the imperial physician.
After a moment, he placed the delicate woman in his hand into the quilt, turned his head, and said indifferently, "I just want to know how to cure her. Enough with the nonsense." His voice was filled with deep anger, which made the listener feel uneasy.
The imperial physician knelt on the ground, drenched in cold sweat, and murmured, "Your Highness, the incompatible substances are unknown, so this servant dares not prescribe the medicine rashly. If we can find the source, perhaps we can have some chance of success."
Yinzhen clenched his fist. "How much time do we have left?"
The imperial physician was taken aback, then quickly regained his senses and said, "Three days."
Three days, only three days. Yinzhen suppressed his anxiety and walked quietly to the outside of the hall. The five maids of Nan Yi, the cook Zhao Mama and Qiu Ma were kneeling outside, while Shunzi was anxiously peeking out.
"Explain yourself, what happened?"
The seven women hung their heads, and apart from Granny Zhao and Granny Qiu, the others were all sobbing softly. Yiren knelt forward and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Highness was taking a walk in the garden... When Your Highness heard that the Second Prince had fainted for no reason, she was extremely anxious. She also heard that the Second Prince had fainted because of the food in the pavilion. Consort Li thought that Your Highness was responsible and scolded Your Highness angrily. Your Highness suddenly fainted." After speaking, she sobbed softly again.
He could understand Li's misstep.
What did she eat during that time?
Qingyun thought for a moment and said, "Just a few kinds of pastries and a pot of fragrant rice."
"Go and find all the leftovers she ate."
"Yes, ma'am."
Qingyun found the same pastries, but before she could find the teapot, Qiu Ma exclaimed in surprise. Everyone looked at her, and she tremblingly picked up the remaining half plate of Fushousu and asked suspiciously, "Where did this come from? This servant has never made these pastries. The master only eats the pastries made by this old servant and does not touch anything else."
The imperial physician took it and examined it carefully. He took a pinch of the powder but didn't put it in his mouth. He then looked at the others and reported, "The taste of the 'Fushou Su' is not right. Something is still missing."
Qingyun interjected, "Reporting to the Imperial Physician, the teapot has not been found." She remembered that after cleaning it, she put it back in its original place, but it was gone when she looked for it.
Yinzhen slammed his fist on the kang table and roared, "Guards, investigate this thoroughly for me!"
A sharp voice came from outside the door, but no one was seen.
With his back turned, Yinzhen was almost crushing the ring in his hand. The imperial physician hadn't given him a treatment plan, and he was getting anxious. He kept urging him, but the physician remained silent. Yinzhen got even angrier and roared, "Answer me! Are you mute?"
Unable to withstand the cold-faced lord's oppressive aura, the imperial physician gritted his teeth and cautiously replied, "Your Highness, the concubine's health is delicate, and this servant is unsure of the dosage. However, Your Highness may enter the palace to obtain the sacred antidote, Jade Snow Lotus, for the concubine to take, which will ensure her temporary well-being. At that time, we will also have a treatment plan to prescribe the right medicine."
Yinzhen frowned, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I will go and request medicine as a gift regarding the matter of the accidental ingestion..." He didn't finish his sentence, but instead gave the imperial physician a cold glance.
Upon hearing this, the imperial physician understood and repeatedly assured the Fourth Prince that he would never reveal the truth.
Those who have spent a long time in the palace are shrewd and know that keeping one's mouth shut is the key to a safe and long life. Since this incident occurred in the Fourth Prince's residence, the Fourth Prince also bears responsibility for failing to properly manage his household. If this gets out, it will damage his reputation, and no one will be so foolish as to walk into the line of fire.
Yinzhen rushed to the palace to request medicine, and Kangxi immediately agreed. Although Nan Yi had the Jade Snow Lotus to alleviate the symptoms, he remained in a deep sleep and did not wake up even after taking the antidote. The imperial physician stated that his body had been severely depleted and his vital energy was greatly damaged, and he would wake up once his body recovered.
Recently, the atmosphere at the Fourth Prince's residence has been extremely tense. Even the servants are afraid to walk too heavily, and all the courtyards are tightly closed. Unless it is an urgent matter, they will not leave their courtyards.
The day after the incident, which was also the Dragon Boat Festival, Yinzhen left the palace banquet and went to his primary consort's plum garden.
Yinzhen remained silent for a long time. After taking a sip of tea, he slowly said, "Does the Princess Consort have anything to say?"
Nara Shi was slightly startled, but quickly regained her composure and whispered, "I wonder what you mean, sir?" It was none of her business, but judging from the tone of his words, it seemed that he suspected her.
Yinzhen remained expressionless, lightly tapping the table. His deep voice sent chills down one's spine. "No, it's just... the pastries came from the main kitchen."
He didn't sleep a wink last night, secretly sending people to investigate, but the results infuriated him. He found no clues whatsoever, which was extremely frustrating. Could it be that he was overthinking things?
The most suspicious place was the main courtyard kitchen, but he couldn't produce any evidence. The origin of that plate of hand-held pastries was nowhere to be found. It was truly unbelievable, and he felt incredibly ashamed.
Nara looked sorrowful, covering the corners of her slightly upturned mouth with her handkerchief, and said, "I have nothing to say."
On the third day, the servants noticed that many familiar faces were missing from the mansion, and many unfamiliar faces had appeared out of nowhere. Remembering that Consort Tong and the young prince had mistakenly eaten the food, they all kept their mouths shut and acted even more cautiously.
Inside the Wanyue Pavilion, Yinzhen walked to the bedside and whispered, "Still not awake?"
Qingyun was feeding her master soup, but unfortunately she was completely unconscious and only drank a small amount, with most of it dribbling out from the corners of her mouth. When her master asked, she choked out, "Replying to Master, there is no sign of her waking up."
She wiped away her tears and stood up beside the bed.
Yinzhen took the soup spoon and said in a low voice, "Go down, I'll take care of it." Qingyun walked out the door, looking back every few steps, and ran to the corner to shed tears silently.
The mistress and servants had lived together peacefully for so long, and their mistress had always treated them like sisters. But suddenly, a great calamity struck, and they lost their pillar of support. Wanyue Pavilion fell into a deathly silence, and the sisters were all holding their breath.
The mistress never makes enemies, yet someone is stirring up trouble, claiming it was due to accidental ingestion. She doesn't believe it, but she's outnumbered and powerless. This matter can't just be left like this. If the mistress doesn't speak, they'll find out who's behind it all.
Unaware of the deep resentment among the servants in Wanyue Pavilion, Yinzhen looked down at the beauty on the bed and gently touched her increasingly thin cheeks. Her already pale face was now deathly pale, and the tiny blood vessels under her skin were clearly visible, revealing an unnatural bluish tinge.
He pulled her into his arms, adjusted the handkerchief under her neck, and carefully fed her soup. He didn't manage to feed her a single drop, but instead became covered in sweat. He simply abandoned the spoon and poured a mouthful into her mouth himself. He then pinched her chin open, used his tongue to pry open her teeth, and fed her the soup. He did this several times. The last time, he poured too much soup into her mouth, causing the sleeping Nan Yi to choke and cough awake.
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