In the side room next door, Chu Yunfei placed the jar on the table, lifted the lid, and glanced at the poisons inside, her complexion turning faintly pale.
However, now was not the time for fear.
Drawing a small, exquisite dagger from her sleeve, Chu Yunfei unsheathed it and, without hesitation, sliced her finger, dripping fresh blood into the jar.
One drop, two drops, three drops...
The fresh blood flowed down her fingertip, and the things inside the jar, catching the scent of blood, began to stir and scramble.
Chu Yunfei wiped her fingertip clean, covered the jar, and tore a strip of cloth from her clothing, wrapping it tightly around the jar in all directions to seal it completely.
Finally, she picked up the jar, turned to look at a large vase in the side room, removed all the calligraphy and painting scrolls inside, and placed the jar within.
After returning the scrolls to their place, Chu Yunfei turned and left the side room, locking the door behind her.
Time passed bit by bit.
As night fell, Chu Yunfei carried a bowl of medicinal soup into the room.
Rong Cang was reading again. The thick scent of medicine wafted over, and he turned his head, staring at her without a word.
"Chang Qing," Chu Yunfei said, handing the medicine to Chang Qing, "serve your Master his medicine."
Chang Qing, who was about to leave, stopped in his tracks and looked at Chu Yunfei in surprise: "Your subordinate?"
He had assumed the Princess Consort would want to serve the medicine personally to take the opportunity to build feelings with the Prince.
Chu Yunfei nodded: "Yes, you serve him."
"What kind of medicine is this?" Rong Cang asked coldly, his voice indifferent and distant. "Why are you the one bringing it? Where are the others?"
The maidservants were all dead, yet the Princess Consort was made to deliver the medicine herself?
"This is medicine for giving birth," Chu Yunfei glanced at him coldly, her tone calm. "If you drink this for a month, Prince, you will be able to give birth just like a woman. From now on, you will break the precedent that men cannot bear children. After the title of the Chu State's number one God of War, you can also become the first man in the Chu State to give birth."
Chang Qing: "..." Has the Princess Consort been possessed by something?
Rong Cang's complexion turned slightly green, but for once, he did not reprimand her, only staring at the medicinal soup close at hand with a strange expression.
"Princess Consort," Chang Qing said, his expression stiff and pale, unable to help but speak up, "This medicinal soup was brewed by Baochan. What should be done about the medicine brewed by Physician Liu outside?"
"Naturally, pour it out. What else can be done?" Chu Yunfei thought that since Chang Qing was Rong Cang's personal guard, there were some things she did not need to hide from him. "However, it cannot be poured out outside; it must be brought in here to be poured out. Therefore, you must not let Liu Qingxi step into the Inner Courtyard. Do you understand what I mean?"
Chang Qing nodded, but was still puzzled: "Physician Liu is a person of the Noble Consort. Is there something wrong with the medicine she brewed?"
Chu Yunfei did not speak, only turned to look at Rong Cang, then turned and walked out without looking back.
Whether there was a problem with the medicine, Rong Cang should know in his heart; she was too lazy to say more.
"Prince," Chang Qing turned to look at Rong Cang, "The Noble Consort, she..."
Rong Cang's attitude was indifferent, clearly showing an expression of not wanting to say more.
Chang Qing then shut his mouth and said no more.
However, he remembered Chu Yunfei's words. Since the Prince did not refute her just now, did that mean he understood in his heart that the Princess Consort's precautions were correct?
But...
"Chang Qing," Rong Cang said coldly, "What is Chu Yunfei using those poisons you found for?"
Before marriage, Chu Yunfei was a daughter of an official, and after marriage, she was an Imperial Consort. She had never come into contact with such crooked paths. Why did she suddenly ask Chang Qing to find those filthy poisons today?
This was clearly not normal.
Chang Qing did not know Chu Yunfei's objective, but he guessed it might be related to the Gu Poison inside the Prince's body.
However, he had promised the Princess Consort to keep it a secret.
After hesitating for a moment, Chang Qing said in a low voice: "Prince, the Princess Consort is pregnant. Your subordinate has heard that pregnant women are relatively delicate. Let's wait until later to discuss the letter of divorce, at least until the Princess Consort gives birth to the child—"
"If the child is born, wouldn't I have one more weakness?" Rong Cang interrupted him, closing his eyes gently. "Just get the matter done and make her leave. If she is unwilling, knock her unconscious and take her away."
Chang Qing felt troubled and did not know how to respond, so he simply walked to the bed, sat down, picked up the medicine bowl, and awkwardly served his Master the medicine.
He was a personal guard, and his duty was to protect his Master.
He really did not often do this kind of work of serving others, but everything has a first time. It was just a guard taking on the work of a servant boy.
..
"Princess Consort, the Prince's medicine is ready." Liu Qingxi, carrying a tray, met Chu Yunfei coming out of the Inner Courtyard and curtsied slightly. "This servant will send it to the Prince right away."
Chu Yunfei's gaze swept over the bowl of pitch-black medicinal soup, and she smiled faintly: "Why not let Nanny Xiong send it over?"
Nanny Xiong stood to the side, silent.
Liu Qingxi said: "It is the same if this servant comes over."
"I am already sorry to have troubled the Physician to come to the Prince's Estate to brew medicine personally, so how could I dare to let the Physician deliver the medicine herself?" Chu Yunfei said, turning to Nanny Xiong: "Physician Liu is a female official from the Noble Consort's palace. Nanny, you must not do this next time."
Nanny Xiong bowed and agreed.
"It was this servant who wanted to deliver it myself; it has nothing to do with Nanny Xiong." Liu Qingxi said, looking up at Chu Yunfei: "This servant is delivering medicine to the Prince and will take the opportunity to check on the Prince's injuries."
"No need." Chu Yunfei reached out and took the tray from her hands. "Rong Cang has a bad temper and does not like other women getting close to him. Just give this medicinal soup to me."
Liu Qingxi stepped back with the tray: "Didn't the Prince get close to Second Miss Chu this morning?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly froze.
Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow, her smile not reaching her eyes: "Is Miss Liu trying to compare herself to someone like Chu Yun Jiao?"
Liu Qingxi's complexion stiffened, her expression somewhat awkward: "Is it appropriate for the Princess Consort to speak like that?"
"It is indeed not very appropriate." Chu Yunfei withdrew her smile, her tone becoming noticeably indifferent. "Although Physician Liu is deeply trusted by the Noble Consort, in the end, you are only a Physician, not the Prince's inner family. I hope Physician Liu can be mindful of your identity and not forget that men and women should not touch each other."
Liu Qingxi argued: "In the eyes of a doctor, there is no distinction between men and women."
"But this Princess Consort does not like that." Chu Yunfei's gaze was cold and hard, her attitude not allowing for refutation. "Stimulated by Chu Yun Jiao today, this Princess Consort does not find any woman pleasing to the eye right now, especially those who are always thinking of taking the opportunity to get close to the Prince."
Liu Qingxi looked at her unblinkingly: "This is the Prince's medicine. The Noble Consort has given orders that this servant must deliver the medicine to the Prince and watch him take it with my own eyes."
"I can serve the Prince." Chu Yunfei met her gaze, not giving an inch. "In any case, it is against the rules for women from the outside to step into the Prince's Estate's Inner Courtyard. This Princess Consort absolutely does not agree."
The air suddenly became cold.
The atmosphere between the two was somewhat tense.
The arrogance and contempt in Liu Qingxi's eyes became more and more obvious: "Since the Princess Consort likes the Prince so much and is so afraid that other women will take him away, why did you incite your own Father to go to the palace to impeach the Prince? Watching the Prince get beaten and injured, does the Princess Consort feel a special thrill of revenge?"
"You have actually guessed correctly, Physician Liu." Chu Yunfei nodded calmly. "If Rong Cang dares to do something that wrongs me, I dare to report it to the Emperor and let him receive the punishment he deserves."
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