At this moment, Xin Lian and Xin Yi carefully examined the bowl of medicinal soup they held in their hands.
They had previously seen the prescription prescribed by Doctor Liu, which utilized high-quality medicinal ingredients, particularly effective for treating symptoms of physical weakness and frailty.
Even their mistress had praised Doctor Liu, acknowledging that his medical skills were indeed exceptional for him to become the head of the Imperial Hospital. According to their mistress, if her physical condition were genuine rather than feigned, following Doctor Liu’s prescription and taking the medicine regularly and in the correct dosage would not necessarily restore her to full health like an ordinary person, but it would significantly improve her weakness and delicate condition, preventing frequent illnesses due to physical weakness.
However, the current bowl of medicine had turned out to be problematic.
After a while, they identified all the original ingredients from the prescription in the bowl and eventually detected a trace of abnormality.
Exchanging a glance, they understood each other without words.
Xin Lian set down the bowl of medicine. With no outsiders in the hall, she spoke up, “Your Highness, the soup has been mixed with the juice of ‘Nine Cold Grass.’ The dosage is extremely precise, making it undetectable to ordinary physicians. Those who are physically weak already suffer from yin deficiency and depletion. The cold nature of Nine Cold Grass is contraindicated for such patients.”
Xin Yi added, “Indeed, with this dosage, if one is not careful and takes it over a long period, the already weak body will only grow colder and more frail. Over time, vital energy will deplete, leading to dual deficiency of qi and blood, and ultimately death. Even if investigated thoroughly, the blame would fall solely on the patient’s own condition. These people are truly malicious. Fortunately, Your Highness is unharmed and has never consumed this medicine.”
Pondering quietly, Xin Lian asked, “Your Highness, the medicine is delivered daily by Doctor Liu himself. Could it be under the Empress’s orders?”
Xin Yi responded, “But the medicine from the previous days had no issues. Doctor Liu is the Empress’s person. If she had such intentions, why wouldn’t she have acted earlier?”
Xin Lian speculated, “Perhaps it’s to avoid suspicion. We were more cautious about the earlier deliveries, and once we found nothing wrong, we let our guard down. They might be exploiting this very tendency.”
Qin Shu fiddled with the lid of her teacup on the table and said nonchalantly, “The Empress is a possibility, but others cannot be ruled out either. Some may even have greater suspicion.”
Upon hearing this, Xin Lian and Xin Yi grasped their mistress’s implication. Xin Lian said, “Your Highness means Noble Consort Lan?”
Xin Yi continued, “Your Highness entered the palace as Consort Chen, and with the backing of the Duke Stabilizing Country Residence, both the Empress and Noble Consort Lan are wary of you. However, Noble Consort Lan holds the authority to manage the Imperial Harem. The Empress’s focus should be more on Noble Consort Lan. Moreover, Your Highness’s entry into the palace primarily affects Noble Consort Lan, while the Empress can remain completely uninvolved.”
Xin Lian said gravely, “It must be either the Empress or Noble Consort Lan. Your Highness, how do you plan to handle this matter?”
Qin Shu dismissed it lightly and said calmly, “With such petty tricks, there’s no need to expend effort dealing with them. Just pour out the medicine.”
Xin Lian and Xin Yi complied without further questions. They understood clearly that anyone who dared scheme against their mistress would gain no advantage—it was merely a matter of time. Their mistress’s indifferent attitude simply meant such trivial matters weren’t worth her effort.
After Xin Lian took the bowl of medicine away to discard it, the autumn breeze drifting through the window quickly dispersed the medicinal scent in the hall, replacing it with a faint osmanthus fragrance that was soothing to the senses.
Qin Shu gazed out the window at the gentle autumn sun hanging high in the sky.
Noticing her mistress’s attention was drawn outside, Xin Yi, standing nearby, suggested, “Your Highness, would you like to take a stroll outside? The imperial physician did mention you shouldn’t remain cooped up indoors all the time.”
She continued, “This servant previously noted that Yuehua Palace is close to the southern corner of the Imperial Garden, where the Chrysanthemum Garden is located. All the plants in the Imperial Garden are meticulously cared for by the gardeners. If you’re feeling bored, it would be a perfect opportunity to enjoy the autumn chrysanthemums.”
Qin Shu found Xin Yi’s proposal quite agreeable. Though she was feigning illness, that didn’t mean she had to confine herself to Yuehua Palace—after all, she wasn’t under house arrest.
The area around Yuehua Palace was tranquil. When Qin Shu ventured out, only Xin Lian and Xin Yi accompanied her. The Chrysanthemum Garden was just a short walk away.
Surveying the scene, Qin Shu found it truly impressive. Rare varieties that were seldom seen elsewhere could almost all be found here in this chrysanthemum garden.
Xin Yi smiled beside her and asked, “Your Highness, how do you find the scenery of the Chrysanthemum Garden?”
Qin Shu replied, “Quite pleasing.”
Xin Lian seized the moment to add, “Your Highness, this servant has heard that the palace gardeners have cultivated a precious variety called Green Chrysanthemum. We’ve never seen it before—I wonder if we might catch a glimpse of the real Green Chrysanthemum here in the Imperial Garden’s Chrysanthemum Garden?”
Qin Shu smiled faintly. “We’ll know if we go see for ourselves.”
As she walked forward, a palace attendant responsible for the area noticed Qin Shu’s approach and hurried over, bowing respectfully. “This humble servant pays respects to Consort Chen.”
Qin Shu responded indifferently, “Rise.”
Xin Lian then said, “We’ve heard the gardeners cultivated a Green Chrysanthemum. Do you know where it’s located in the Chrysanthemum Garden? Lead the way.”
The attendant answered truthfully, “Reporting to Your Highness, although the gardeners have successfully cultivated the Green Chrysanthemum this year, they are still monitoring it. They fear issues might arise if transplanted to the Chrysanthemum Garden, so it’s not currently displayed here.”
Qin Shu said, “Very well, you may withdraw. Your presence is not needed here.”
The attendant acknowledged and respectfully retreated.
As Qin Shu strolled leisurely, she noticed a pavilion ahead and went to sit there for a while. From this vantage point, she could take in the entire view of the Chrysanthemum Garden.
She was quietly appreciating the chrysanthemums, enjoying the serene atmosphere, when suddenly laughter and chatter disrupted the peace.
Soon, the source of the noise appeared—three women chatting and laughing as they approached her direction.
Although Qin Shu had only entered the palace the previous day and had met all the consorts of the Imperial Harem when paying respects at Phoenix Sun Palace, she had made sure to remember those she needed to recognize.
The three women before her were precisely Jieyu Yang Rui, Meiren Shen Wei, and Cairen Liu Yan. Like her, they were newly entered consorts who had passed the imperial selection.
When Yang Rui and the other two noticed the person seated in the pavilion, their laughter ceased, and they simultaneously bowed to Qin Shu.
“We pay respects to Consort Chen. May Consort Chen enjoy boundless fortune and peace.”
Qin Shu glanced at the three of them. Although they were paying respects, Shen Meiren and Liu Cairen performed the full ceremonial bow according to protocol. However, Yang Jieyu, who led the trio, merely offered a perfunctory half-curtsey. Without waiting for Qin Shu to speak, she had already straightened up and risen to her feet, showing no regard for Consort Chen’s authority. Her eyes, moreover, held a distinct look of provocation.