Shen Sangning pondered and said, “That’s easy to handle. There are three legitimate human trafficking agencies in the capital. The Rongliang Human Trafficking Agency specializes in serving the nobility. Take some silver and go investigate.”
“Why don’t you just ask the Heir directly?” Ziling didn’t understand why they had to go through such a time-consuming and laborious process.
“The errand boy was sold off after just one glance at the portrait,” Shen Sangning increasingly felt that Pei Ruyan was deeply in love. “How could he possibly tell me?”
Ziling thought about it and found it reasonable. “You’re right. This servant will go now.”
As Ziling turned to leave, she noticed the medicine chest in the room wasn’t properly closed, so she went over to secure the lid.
“Meow~”
Shen Sangning felt Ning Hou’s restlessness. Its claws were scratching at her clothes, pulling out threads.
She didn’t scold it, knowing it was entering heat again.
But Zisu and Yufei hadn’t returned with a male cat yet.
She gently comforted Ning Hou, “Endure it a little longer.”
At that moment, she suddenly heard Ziling ask in confusion—
“One, two… Young Madam, did you use two bottles of medicine yesterday?”
Shen Sangning gave her a strange look. “Naturally, just one bottle. Otherwise, our Ning Hou would suffer even more.”
“But…” Ziling hesitated and counted again. “It seems two bottles are missing. Could this servant have remembered wrong?”
Now there were only two bottles left.
Upon hearing this, Shen Sangning immediately went over and discovered that one bottle of medicine was indeed missing. Her heart tightened.
How could a perfectly good bottle of medicine just disappear?
If it were any other medicine, it wouldn’t matter much—but that was a potent drug!
Shen Sangning could no longer maintain her composure. “Who has been in my room today?”
Ziling shook her head. “No one. While you were resting, no one came in. If we’re talking about who entered, then only—”
Master and servant exchanged glances. Who it could be went without saying.
Ziling lowered her head awkwardly. “What should we do?”
Shen Sangning felt extremely anxious. If Pei Ruyan had really taken it, that would be disastrous.
What could he have taken it for?
While she was worrying, there was noise in the courtyard. Yufei and Zisu had returned.
Ning Hou in Shen Sangning’s arms seemed to sense it too. Restlessly, it jumped down and ran out.
Once outside, it stopped, let out a “meow,” then walked elegantly around the corridor.
Shen Sangning followed it out. Without paying attention to the tabby cat in Yufei’s arms, she asked—
“This morning, when the Heir left, did he take anything with him?”
After she spoke, she saw Zisu and Yufei looking completely blank.
Shen Sangning had to be more specific. “Did you see him carrying any medicine?”
Suddenly, Yufei’s expression brightened as if she remembered something. “Oh, so that medicine belonged to Young Madam. The Heir said the weather has been stifling lately and asked this servant to buy some cooling drinks to reduce internal heat.”
“But this morning, the Heir was in a hurry to leave. Seeing that you had medicine to reduce heat and relieve summer discomfort, he took it.”
Yufei asked hesitantly, “Young Madam, what’s wrong?”
It was just one bottle of medicine—Young Madam certainly wasn’t stingy.
Yufei instinctively felt there might be more to the story.
Unfortunately, Yufei couldn’t hear the sound of Shen Sangning’s mental composure snapping. She only heard Shen Sangning ask nervously—
“He drank it? Where is he now?”
Shen Sangning was so frantic she became confused. Where else could Pei Ruyan be but at court or in the Six Ministries?
Sure enough, Yufei said, “Right now, he should still be at court… Since the Heir took the medicine, he must have drunk it.”
Yufei wasn’t certain either. “Madam, what exactly is wrong?”
Shen Sangning closed her eyes in despair, unable to imagine what would happen if Pei Ruyan drank the medicine and attended the morning court…
Ahhh, it was enough to drive her mad.
“The medicine has expired,” Shen Sangning casually made up an excuse.
“Ah?” This was something Yufei hadn’t anticipated.
Soon, Shen Sangning calmed down. “Yufei, go find two errand boys from the residence. Have them wait outside the palace gates. If he hasn’t drunk the medicine, bring it back. If he has—”
“Then bring him back.”
“That medicine is highly potent. I’m afraid it will cause severe vomiting and diarrhea.”
Only when Yufei heard “vomiting and diarrhea” did she become serious. “Should we inform the mistress and summon the imperial physician?”
“No!” Shen Sangning’s head throbbed with pain.
They couldn’t call the imperial physician.
If this matter escalated, not only would she be humiliated, but even the Guogong Manor would become a laughingstock.
Shen Sangning’s expression turned grave. “I’ll go myself. If he truly is poisoned, I can look after him.”
Yufei didn’t question this and immediately arranged for a carriage.
Within half an hour, a carriage bearing the Guogong Manor’s banner was heading toward the palace, stopping not far from the palace gates.
Outside the gates, numerous officials’ carriages and sedan chairs were parked, clearly indicating that the court session hadn’t yet concluded.
During the wait, Shen Sangning sat silently inside the carriage.
Outwardly calm, only she knew the turmoil raging within—like awaiting execution, it was utterly agonizing.
She couldn’t help but imagine: what if Pei Ruyan had drunk the medicine and behaved improperly in court?
Someone like Pei Ruyan, who could be called an unattainable flower, if he were stained because of her…
Shen Sangning was filled with regret. No matter what, she never wanted to touch Spring Drink again.
“Young Madam, please don’t worry,” Yufei comforted.
Shen Sangning softly acknowledged, then suddenly heard noisy conversations nearby.
Eagerly, she pushed open the carriage window and stared unblinkingly until she finally spotted Pei Ruyan emerging from the crowd of officials in crimson court robes.
His tall stature and exceptional demeanor made him stand out.
At that moment, he was still conversing with colleagues beside him, unaware of the additional Ningguo Duke Residence carriage.
“The Heir has come out,” Yufei said.
Though separated by a distance of thirty meters, Shen Sangning could still see that he showed no signs of discomfort.
If he had been drugged, he definitely wouldn’t maintain such composure.
Shen Sangning breathed a sigh of relief and was about to ask Yufei to retrieve the medicine when a figure in pale yellow flashed by.
It was Pei Ruyan’s cousin.
The young girl, with features as delicate as a painting, rushed toward Pei Ruyan carrying a food box, tilting her head up to speak to him.