“Mistress! Mistress!” The moment she ran into Deyin Hall, Hongyu couldn’t wait to cry out, “The First Imperial Grandson can be saved!”
Yun Jingshu’s hand holding the account book went slack, and she raised her head in complete disbelief. Cuiyu was also stunned for a moment before recovering her senses, her face lighting up with pleasant surprise as she looked at Hongyu.
Hadn’t Hongyu accompanied Tangtang to deliver pastries to the three children?
Why had she returned alone? Where was Tangtang?
What did she just say—Jinhuai could be saved?
Yun Jingshu’s heart thudded wildly without pause. She grabbed Hongyu’s hands tightly, asking word by word, “What did you say? Jinhuai can be saved?”
Her grip was astonishingly powerful, and her bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at Hongyu.
“Mistress, the Little Commandery Princess said the First Imperial Grandson was poisoned with Gu!” Hongyu squeezed out a smile that looked uglier than crying. “The Little Commandery Princess also said she would remove the Gu for the First Imperial Grandson in a couple of days!”
Yun Jingshu froze for a long moment. Her body swayed, and she collapsed weakly into Hongyu’s arms, bursting into loud, bitter tears.
No wonder!
She and the Crown Prince had sought famous doctors everywhere, yet none could diagnose what strange illness Jinhuai had contracted.
So he had actually been poisoned with Gu by evil culprits!
Her Huai’er was still so young—why did he have to endure such torture!
A moment later, Yun Jingshu straightened up and wiped her tears dry. Scanning the palace servants ministering in the hall, she barked sternly, “Nothing regarding the affairs of the Eastern Palace is to be leaked outside! Otherwise, do not blame this palace for disregarding old ties!”
The villain causing chaos in the Eastern Palace had not been caught yet. If word got out, she feared the culprit would act out of desperation and harm her daughter; Yun Jingshu dared not be careless.
The servants knelt one after another. “We servants will keep our lips sealed and never leak a word!”
Yun Jingshu waved her hand, signaling for them to withdraw.
In the vast main hall, only the master and her two primary servants remained.
Yun Jingshu’s face was so dark it seemed ready to drip water. Clenching her handkerchief tight, she grit her teeth and commanded, “Search every single person in the Eastern Palace! This palace wants to see just who is so bold as to plot against my children!”
Hongyu and Cuiyu were equally filled with indignation and nodded repeatedly. “Rest assured, Your Highness! We servants won’t let a single fly escape! Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we will drag the villain out!”
Daring to harm people in the Eastern Palace was simply seeking death!
When Yun Jingshu hurried over to the Cedar Court, she saw Gu Jinhuai sitting casually under the veranda, holding a piece of pastry in his hand and feeding it to Tangtang.
Tangtang opened her mouth wide and took a big bite with an *awoo*, her puffed-out cheeks looking immensely adorable.
The corners of Gu Jinhuai’s lips curled upward, his eyes gentle and warm. “Eat slowly, no one is competing with you!”
Yun Jingshu’s steps came to a halt, a faint ache throbbing in her heart. How long had it been since she last saw Jinhuai smile like this?
Back when he was poisoned with Gu, he was still a child who loved to smile and act spoiled.
Yun Jingshu could never forget how little Gu Jinhuai, enduring the severe pain of his belly cracking open, had still smiled brightly to comfort her.
Her eyes turned hot, and two streams of warm tears brimmed over. “Huai… Huai’er!”
Hearing her mother’s voice, Tangtang bounced over and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Mother! Why are you crying? Are you craving pastries? Tangtang still has pastries, I’ll give them all to Mother to eat! Don’t cry, don’t cry~ Mother be good!”
Listening to her little daughter’s soft, sweet comfort, Yun Jingshu could hold it in no longer. She wrapped her arms tightly around her and wept out loud.
Her daughter had not only saved her, but had also uncovered the cause of Huai’er’s illness—how could she not be overcome with emotion!
Tangtang was hugged so tightly she could barely breathe, yet she didn’t struggle. Instead, she used her tiny hand to gently pat Yun Jingshu’s back.
“Mother be good~ Tangtang is here~ Tangtang will earn lots of copper coins and buy endless pastries for Mother to eat!”
Gu Jinhuai walked over as well, imitating Tangtang by awkwardly patting her back. “Royal Mother, your son is fine! Do not cry and hurt your eyes…”
Only after a long while did Yun Jingshu’s crying gradually subside. Dismissing everyone, she asked in a trembling voice, “Darling, tell Mother, can your Big Brother’s illness be cured?”
Although she had heard it from Hongyu, she still wanted to hear her little daughter say it with her own lips.
Tangtang nodded, her small face full of determination. “Mother, rest assured! I can cure Big Brother’s Gu! I just need two days to prepare. Not only can Big Brother be cured, but I can cure Third Brother too!”
Since she had to draw talismans anyway, she might as well draw them all and solve everything together.
Yun Jingshu’s pupils shrank, and she muttered, “Was your Third Brother poisoned with Gu as well?”
Tangtang shook her head and explained, “I heard Sister Hongyu describe Third Brother’s symptoms—they are identical to Yin-Yang Derangement! I even want to go see Third Brother in the middle of the night!”
Yun Jingshu’s expression grew solemn, her chest heaving violently.
It seemed all the servants attending in her three sons’ courtyards needed to be replaced—better to kill by mistake than to let a culprit escape!
“Mother understands. Tangtang, go ahead and do what you must!” Yun Jingshu said, rubbing Tangtang’s head. “Regardless of the outcome, you are Mother’s precious darling!”
That night, Yun Jingshu and Gu Yanzhao talked through the night, neither of them sleeping a wink.
The next day, before the sky had even turned bright, Gu Yanzhao was preparing to attend the morning court when he saw Tangtang sitting under the veranda, her little head nodding off as she dozed.
Hearing footsteps, Tangtang squinted her eyes and looked over. “Father, where are you going?”
She got up so early to draw talismans; was Father going to keep Tangtang company?
Gu Yanzhao took the light blanket from Hongyu’s hands and wrapped his little daughter up. “Father is going to the morning court. Tangtang, sleep a little longer after you finish drawing your talismans! Father will bring back pastries for you when I return!”
Tangtang’s eyes instantly went wide. “Father is the best! Remember to bring enough for Mother and my brothers too~”
Hehe… if Mother and my brothers can’t finish them, Tangtang will help them eat!
The little girl’s eyes darted around, and she swung her tiny feet in sheer delight.
Gu Yanzhao burst into laughter, lightly flicking her forehead. “You little glutton, you’re not allowed to eat too much! Otherwise, your teeth will be completely eaten away by worms!”
“Nuh-uh! Tangtang is the best kid, and Tangtang’s teeth are good too!” Tangtang pouted as she retorted.
As the morning light broke through the cloud layers, Tangtang pulled off the light blanket, chanting under her breath while her tiny hands rapidly formed hand seals before her chest.
In an instant, a dazzling beam of golden light surged toward Tangtang’s palm.
Grabbing a writing brush with her right hand, Tangtang tapped the golden light, causing it to transform into a fine golden thread that burrowed into the tip of the brush.
Seeing her so focused on drawing the talisman, Gu Yanzhao did not dare make a sound to disturb her. Taking Mofeng with him, he quietly left for court.
Tangtang gripped the writing brush tightly, fine sweat gradually oozing from her forehead as her originally rosy little face turned pale.
Last night, Sister Hongyu had taken her to see Third Brother. His legs were bound with rope, leaving him able only to pace within his room.
She had seen with her own eyes blood oozing from the spots where Third Brother was bound by rope…
At the thought of this, Tangtang couldn’t help her eyes turning red. No one was allowed to bully Tangtang’s family!
“Form for me!” Tangtang shouted in rage, gritting her teeth as she dropped the final stroke.
In an instant, an icy wind howled violently, and a cloud of black mist burst out, pouncing straight toward Tangtang.
Stuffing the completed talisman into her pouch, Tangtang grabbed the charging black mist with her tiny hand and barked angrily, “Blind, foul creature! How dare you bully King Tangtang! I’m gonna turn you into a candy ball and feed you to Yaya!”