“What happened?” Su Jinse put down the ledger in her hands.
“Prince Xiao Jue went to inspect the border and was ambushed by the barbarians. He was struck by a poisoned arrow and now… remains unconscious,” Xuanfeng said, his voice tinged with anxiety and grief.
The military doctors were helpless. They said the poison was the barbarians’ unique Rotbone Herb, for which there was no cure.
Su Jinse’s eyes narrowed. She immediately stood up. “Take me to him.”
When she arrived at the Prince’s residence, the entire mansion was shrouded in gloom.
Xiao Jue lay on the bed, eyes tightly shut, lips purple, and his face covered in dark veins. The wound on his chest had begun to rot, emitting a foul stench.
“Rotbone Herb?” Su Jinse examined the wound, frowning.
The poison was indeed vicious. It destroyed vitality while continuously corroding the bone marrow.
“Miss Su, can you help him?” Xuanfeng asked, full of hope.
“Help him sit cross-legged,” Su Jinse instructed.
She approached the bed and took a deep breath, placing her palms on Xiao Jue’s back.
Her pure wood-element ability transformed into a warm green current, slowly flowing into his body.
The energy carried immense life force. Wherever it passed, the poison of the Rotbone Herb recoiled, retreating as if meeting its nemesis.
The dark veins on Xiao Jue’s face visibly faded.
Yet the poison had penetrated the marrow; completely removing it required tremendous focus and energy.
Sweat beaded on Su Jinse’s forehead, and her complexion gradually paled.
An entire hour passed.
When she withdrew her hands, her body wobbled, almost collapsing.
Huamei quickly steadied her. “Miss!”
Xiao Jue slowly exhaled a black, murky breath. His closed eyes twitched and finally opened.
His gaze was still hazy, but seeing the pale Su Jinse beside him, clarity instantly returned.
“You…”
“The poison is cleared, but your core has been damaged. You need rest,” Su Jinse said weakly.
“Thank you,” Xiao Jue said, struggling to sit up.
“Don’t move,” she pressed him down. “I’ll heal you, and the promise you made me will now bear results.”
Xiao Jue fell silent for a moment, then said to Xuanfeng, “Bring it here.”
Xuanfeng handed over a dossier.
Xiao Jue motioned to him.
“All the matters you wanted to investigate are here.”
Su Jinse took the dossier but did not open it immediately.
“The carriage that took you out of the capital years ago was indeed tampered with,” Xiao Jue said, his voice hoarse from weakness, but each word was clear. “The one who did it… was your eldest sister, Su Lingwei.”
Su Lingwei.
Su Jinse lowered her eyes, hiding all emotion.
Xiao Jue continued, watching her intently: “She bribed a servant in your family’s kitchen and mixed Forgetfulness Powder into your daily medicinal broth.”
“This poison is insidious. It wouldn’t kill instantly but would gradually erode the mind, erase memory, making one dull and foolish.” His breath faltered slightly. “She didn’t want you dead. She wanted you alive, yet suffering more than death itself. Hidden in a broken temple where no one remembers you, bearing the title of the Su family daughter, doomed to live as a true fool, never to rise again.”
Su Jinse raised her hand and slowly flipped through the dossier, page by page, documenting the first half of her life.
There were statements from apothecary owners, and even leads on the servant who had handled the medicinal broths.
One by one, each piece of evidence was undeniable.
The chaotic memories, the unshakable fatigue and confusion—all now had an origin.
Her gaze landed on the last page of the dossier.
Only a few words were written.
Xiao Jue, observing her expression, added the final blow: “Within three months after your ‘death’ was reported to the capital, Su Lingwei betrayed your family interests and married into the Zhang family.”
“Her husband was the direct grandson of Minister Zhang in the cabinet.”
Boom.
Su Jinse slammed the dossier shut.
So that’s it.
Everything connected—the ruined reputation, the attempt on her life, the interference with her brother’s marriage.
Su Lingwei had played her cards perfectly.
“I was exiled from the capital, and it’s connected to Minister Zhang’s faction,” Xiao Jue said slowly, looking at her. “We have a common enemy.”