Chapter 137: Poisonous Scheme
Xue Sui hurried along the dike of Sangliu Lake, her shoes getting wet from the puddles on the bluestone slabs.
Yun Hai, an attendant of Tianshu, was already waiting at the courtyard gate.
“Miss has finally arrived. The Eldest Young Master has been waiting in the pharmacy for a long time.”
Xue Sui’s eyes flickered, a hint of a smile appearing as she walked with a brisk pace.
It hadn’t been long since they last parted, yet she felt as though she hadn’t seen her Senior Disciple Brother in ages, and she was feeling rather impatient.
Jinshu and Xiao Zhao exchanged a glance, raising their eyebrows.
“Wasn’t I right?”
Xiao Zhao winked in agreement, “Aunt is right, Eldest Young Master is the best.”
Xue Sui lifted the Xiang Fei bamboo curtain, and the scent of medicinal herbs mingled with a hint of pine fragrance wafted towards her.
She sniffed gently, the corners of her mouth curving upwards unconsciously.
“Senior Disciple Brother, have you changed your incense today? This incense is cool and serene, with a lingering aftertaste, just to my liking…”
Tianshu sat as still as a pine tree, his wide sleeves of azure cloud patterns revealing a plain white undergarment. His expression remained like the snow-covered distant mountains. Before Xue Sui could sit down, he pushed the red lacquer wooden box on the desk towards her.
“Thirteen, take a look.”
It was the Marsh Collection Post, collected by the Tianshu Sect.
Xue Sui accepted it with solemnity, her gaze sweeping over it, and her smile froze on her lips.
“Xue Lingrong, that vicious woman, is so despicable and shameless! The Xiao Clan, all of them have viperous hearts, they truly deserve to die!”
Tianshu Sect scouts had reported that Consort Xiao had used the Xizi potent poison, Heart-Corroding Powder, in the bird’s nest soup that the Empress had gifted to Consort Wan.
Xue Sui’s fingertips tightened with anger, crumpling the paper into deep creases.
She had expected Consort Xiao to cause trouble, but she hadn’t anticipated she would possess such a venomous substance.
This Heart-Corroding Powder was extraordinarily strange in its toxicity. Even if they knew the antidote, it would be difficult to gather the rare medicinal materials required for it in a short time…
Once the time for treatment was missed, Consort Wan would surely lose her life.
Xue Sui was filled with indignation, to the point that she didn’t notice the fleeting solemnity in Tianshu’s eyes when she cursed, “All the Xiao family members deserve to die!”
“Ping An, how do you plan to deal with this?” Tianshu asked.
Xue Sui’s expression was resolute, “We’ll face the soldiers with an arrow and the flood with an earth wall. I will not let that vicious woman succeed.”
Tianshu raised his eyes, his gaze like the eternally unmelted snow, cold and profound.
Xue Sui looked at Tianshu again and pleaded, “Consort Wan and her daughter are truly pitiful. Senior Disciple Brother, may I borrow your Soul Returning Pill?”
Tianshu gestured for Yun Hai beside him to fetch it, his face showing no hesitation.
“Consort Xiao’s actions are extremely malicious. Thirteen, you must be very careful on your way…”
Xue Sui nodded heavily, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother, I’ve noted it.”
Under Tianshu’s watchful gaze, Xue Sui carefully tucked the Soul Returning Pill into her embrace. She then took some detoxification and healing medicines from the pharmacy and stuffed them into her bag. Just as she was about to turn and leave, she inadvertently caught sight of a celadon dish by the medicine furnace, where several candied plums gleamed with an alluring amber luster.
She suddenly remembered when she was twelve years old and had a high fever from a cold, Tianshu had stayed by her side all night, boiling medicine and soup, never closing his eyes. When dawn broke, he had crossed the frozen river to find candied plums for her…
As soon as the candied plums arrived, she gradually began to wake up.
From then on, Tianshu had decided that she loved eating these candied plums very much.
Looking at the wooden desk, her favorite new tea from before the rains was also placed there.
It was clear that her Senior Disciple Brother had been waiting for her for a long time, but she had to leave again before her chair had even warmed up.
Every meeting was fleeting, and they could no longer spend time together as they did in their youth, talking freely.
However, that sentiment had never changed—her Senior Disciple Brother had always protected her.
Xue Sui picked up a candied plum and put it in her mouth, blinked her eyes gently, then picked up the teacup, bowed slightly to Tianshu, and then took a large gulp…
Unexpectedly, the tea was too hot, and she almost choked.
She quickly smacked her lips, tilted her head to exhale, and made a playful grimace.
“I dare not let down Senior Disciple Brother’s intentions, so I can only let down my tongue.”
“You,” Tianshu sighed softly, waved his hand, and signaled her to leave. He remained seated, his posture unmoving, his demeanor like an immortal descended from heaven, as cold as if he were outside the mortal realm.
“Senior Brother, farewell for now—”
Xue Sui cupped her hands in a salute, then smilingly led everyone away.
Tianshu watched her retreating figure, and after a long while, he beckoned Yun Hai closer and whispered his orders.
“Proceed as planned.”
Yun Hai quickly bowed, “Yes. Young…”
Before he could finish, he saw Tianshu’s gaze turn cold and quickly corrected himself, “Yes, Sect Master.”
Tianshu rubbed the still warm teacup on the desk with his fingertips.
“Send word to the Xuanjia Guard to secretly protect Miss Thirteen.”
Yun Hai solemnly clasped his fists in a salute, “Your subordinate obeys!”
–
The convoy escorting Consort Wan exited the imperial palace through Shenwu Gate and slowly proceeded amidst the summer heat.
By the time they reached Shizi Ridge, the sun was already setting.
The towering ancient trees by the official road intertwined their branches, casting a dense, dappled shadow.
Inside the carriage, Princess Wen Jia tightly held her mother’s emaciated hand, anxiously looking towards the sky outside the curtain, fine beads of sweat already forming on her forehead.
“Mother, please bear with it a little longer. The Imperial Physician will be back soon.”
Consort Wan’s body had been severely depleted by years of living in the Cold Palace, making her frail and sickly.
After taking the Imperial Physician’s medicine and seeing her long-lost daughter, her consciousness had only just managed to recover slightly. Unexpectedly, halfway through the journey, she suddenly developed a fever, feeling a sharp pain in her chest, suffering immensely.
The illness had struck fiercely. After diagnosing her, the Imperial Physician was unable to find an effective treatment. Moreover, the journey was rushed, and the medicinal materials brought were limited. In desperation, they had to ask everyone to wait in place while the Imperial Physician personally led a group to the nearest town to purchase more medicinal materials…
“Yin’er,” Consort Wan’s face was gaunt, her cheekbones protruding sharply. She weakly raised her hand, wanting to wipe away her daughter’s tears, “For your mother to be able to leave that prison and see you again in this lifetime is already heaven’s grace… Your mother has no regrets in her heart…”
“Mother—”
Wen Jia was overcome with grief, tears streaming down her face.
Her mother had finally regained her freedom, how could she encounter such a misfortune?
She couldn’t understand why fate was so cruel.
Wen Jia suppressed her sorrow, trying to give her mother some hope.
“Mother, they are all waiting for you. Alimu, and High Priest Amun Rah, they are all looking forward to seeing you…”
Consort Wan nodded slightly, her dry lips moving slightly, as if trying to force a smile, but ultimately failing.
She had been imprisoned in the Cold Palace for too long, so long that she had almost forgotten that in the distant country of Xizi, she had once been a carefree little princess…
“Alright… Mother… will hold on… Yin’er, don’t cry…”
Before Consort Wan could finish speaking, she began to cough violently again.
“Princess!”
The maid Dong Xu’s voice came from outside the carriage curtain.
“A fast horse is approaching. Could it be Imperial Physician Zhou returning…”
How could Imperial Physician Zhou be so fast?
While she was wondering, Dong Xu exclaimed with surprise again:
“No, it looks like a woman… Oh my heavens, Princess, look, it’s Sixth Miss Xue!”
Those around Wen Jia had always referred to Xue Sui this way.
Upon hearing this, Wen Jia abruptly lifted the curtain and saw Xue Sui, who was galloping towards them on horseback, her figure becoming clearer and clearer.
Her tears surged forth—
“Sixth Miss, Sixth Miss…”
Wen Jia kept waving at Xue Sui, her voice choked with sobs.
“Sixth Miss, hurry, my mother can’t hold on much longer.”
“Giddy up!” Xue Sui threw her bundle to Xiao Zhao, squeezed her legs hard against the horse’s belly, and galloped to the front of the carriage at extreme speed.
She dismounted, reined in the horse, and with a single step, she entered the open carriage.
It had to be said that Empress Xie had considered everything very thoroughly.
There was an ice basin placed in the carriage. As the sun was setting, the carriage was quite cool.
Xue Sui said, “Have all the guards retreat fifty paces, guard the surroundings, and do not approach without orders.”
As soon as she spoke, Wen Jia relayed the message.
“Please everyone retreat fifty paces and allow Sixth Miss Xue to examine Consort Wan.”
The escort team was arranged by Empress Xie, so they naturally obeyed commands.
At this moment, Xiao Zhao also hurried over.
Xue Sui gestured to her, “Light the mugwort and carefully check the food.”
Xiao Zhao responded, quickly opened the bundle, and took out all the medicines she had acquired from Tianshu’s pharmacy.
Consort Wan lay on the spread-out felt carpet in the carriage, coughing heart-wrenchingly. Seeing Xue Sui enter, she managed a weak smile, her voice faint, “This is the Sixth Miss that Yin’er spoke of… a kind person… Thank you…”
“Consort Zhaoyi, you are too kind. Please speak less to avoid exhausting yourself.”
Xue Sui reached out to feel Consort Wan’s pulse, then placed a Soul Returning Pill into her mouth.
Xiao Zhao leaned over and pointed to the desk, “Miss, the bird’s nest soup is poisoned.”
Upon hearing this, Xue Sui gently picked up the empty bowl that had contained the bird’s nest soup from the desk and brought it to her nose, sniffing it carefully.
“The dosage of this poison is enough to kill two horses.”
Wen Jia was struck as if by lightning, “This bird’s nest soup was a gift from Empress, it wasn’t handled by anyone else… Mother likes it, she drank more than half a bowl…”
Xue Sui said, “Consort Xiao has managed the imperial harem for many years. If she intended to poison and frame someone, she would always find a way to avoid detection.”
Wen Jia’s tears fell like raindrops, “How could she be so heartless? Mother is already like this, why won’t she let her go?”
Xue Sui took out a silver knife from the medicine box and pricked Consort Wan’s fingertip.
Dark blood gushed out—
She said, “This poison is dangerous. The pill I gave Consort Wan can temporarily suppress the poison in her body, but it cannot completely eradicate it—if the antidote is not administered within two hours, I fear it will be too late.”
“What should we do then?” Wen Jia collapsed in despair, hugging Consort Wan, sobbing uncontrollably, her voice hoarse and out of control, “Mother, if something happens to you, your daughter will accompany you…”
Xue Sui glanced at the curtain that was shaking from her pull.
“There is still hope, don’t panic—someone will bring the antidote.”
“Who?” Wen Jia pressed, “Who can get the antidote, and who knows of the Xiao family’s malicious intentions…”
Xue Sui did not answer her, carefully attending to Consort Wan.
“I… I can’t hold on anymore… Yin’er…” Before Consort Wan could finish speaking, she coughed violently again, resting her head on the pillow. Wen Jia handed her a handkerchief, and saw a patch of dark red bloom on it.
Wen Jia cried out in anguish, “Mother!”
Consort Wan looked at the bloodstain, paused for a moment, then forced a smile and slowly said, “Don’t be afraid… everyone… eventually dies… You must thank… the Empress… the Crown Prince…”
She then looked at Xue Sui with effort, smiling gently, “And Sixth Miss… the life-saving grace, never forget…”
Wen Jia nodded through her tears, choked, “Daughter remembers, daughter remembers everything.”
Xiao Zhao held the mugwort stick, her eyes red, watching this scene, her heart filled with pity, “Don’t worry, with our Miss here, King Yama will definitely not take Consort Zhaoyi.”
Wen Jia was already crying uncontrollably.
“Mother, Mother, you haven’t even seen my Niu Niu yet…”
“You will, Mother will see her. She will be as lovely as you were when you were little, fair and cute…”
Consort Wan’s eyes held a smile, looking at her daughter gently, a look of relief and peace appearing on her face.
“Yin’er, Mother wants to be buried on Wangyue Cliff…” Her dim eyes could no longer see anything. Before she finished speaking, she suddenly vomited a mouthful of black blood, her emaciated fingers tightly gripping Wen Jia’s sleeve.
Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth, yet she was smiling.
“The stars in Xizi are brighter than in the Central Plains… After I die… have a priest… sing a soul-calling song… that will be enough…”
“No, Mother, don’t…”
Wen Jia cried and fell to the ground, her hairpin falling onto the felt carpet.
Outside the carriage, the setting sun was like blood. The last ray of twilight on the horizon seemed as if it would dissipate at any moment.
The Imperial Guards of the escort team had sat down to rest, taking turns on duty.
As they waited, Consort Wan’s breathing grew weaker, her chest rising and falling slowly, as if she were not breathing…
“Miss,” Xiao Zhao reminded softly, “Consort Wan’s condition is not good, I’m afraid… I’m afraid…”
Seeing Wen Jia crying so hard, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words “she’s not going to make it.”
Xue Sui clenched her fist slightly, and the carriage curtain was suddenly lifted by a gust of wind.
The sound of horses’ hooves could be heard again from a distance.
At the edge of the twilight, a man on horseback shattered the sunset, his hooves sounding like the ringing of a soul-calling bell.
“Princess, it’s, it’s the Imperial Son-in-law…”
The maid Dong Xu said half a sentence, then felt it was inappropriate, “It’s Imperial Son-in-law Lu.”
Still not right, because Lu You’an and Ping Le had already divorced.
She suddenly thought of something and exclaimed with surprise, “Princess, it’s Young Master Lu who has arrived.”
There is hope! A smile appeared on Xue Sui’s face.
See you tomorrow, dear readers~~
