Beside her, Ao Jing’s gaze swept over Bai Jinshu’s face. Though her expression revealed little, her eyes had clearly lingered on Prince Ling’s face for a moment. Recalling how she had ventured into the Yuxingsi Forbidden Grounds last night, not only returning safely but also appearing completely healed of her previous injuries, Ao Jing couldn’t help but frown coldly.
Prince Ling?
Bai Jinshu searched through the original host’s memories. Information about this Prince Ling was scarce. She only knew he was the only non-imperial prince remaining in the capital of Tianyu State, holding real power and occupying an unshakable, supreme position in the court.
A non-imperial prince—so he wasn’t part of the royal family?
The original host had grown up in Dajin State and had been wholly fixated on that scoundrel Ao Jing, paying little attention to other people and matters in Tianyu State. Thus, her understanding was minimal.
“Bai Jinshu, I’m asking you a question. Are you deaf?”
Seeing Bai Jinshu ignore him, Ao Jing’s anger flared. However, unable to make a scene at this moment, he lowered his voice and growled into her ear.
Bai Jinshu rubbed her ear, about to tell him to shut up, when she suddenly felt a shadow fall over her side. She looked up and met Zongzheng Ling’s dark eyes.
His pupils were as deep and still as the sea, and for a moment, they seemed to draw in one’s soul, sending a faint chill down her spine.
But soon, his gaze shifted away, so quickly it was as if he had never looked at her at all.
Immediately after, Muyan lifted the beaded curtain and wheeled him inside.
Seeing Zongzheng Ling enter without being summoned, the Empress and Ao Jing exchanged a glance, a trace of tension flickering in their eyes as if wary of him. They quickly rose and followed him in.
Not hesitating, Bai Jinshu took the opportunity to follow them behind the beaded curtain.
Once inside, she could clearly see the elderly man lying on the dragon bed. His face was serene, his slightly parted lips tinged with red. Though his breath was faint, he showed none of the gaunt, sickly appearance of someone afflicted by illness or nearing death.
This countenance was strange.
“Prince Ling, you’ve come.”
Emperor Jiaqing’s expression was heavy with grief, yet his attitude toward Zongzheng Ling was almost excessively gentle. “Given your frail health, you should be resting at your residence, but with the Emperor Emeritus here…”
“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. This humble subject’s health is fine.”
Zongzheng Ling’s dark eyes flashed with sharp intensity as he swept a cool gaze over the Imperial Physicians kneeling on the floor. “Why are you all kneeling? Hurry and treat the Emperor Emeritus!”
Several Imperial Physicians hastily replied, trembling, “Your Highness, the Emperor Emeritus has completely lost the ability to swallow, and acupuncture elicits no response. I’m afraid…”
They left the sentence unfinished, but the implication was clear.
“So you’re giving up so easily?”
Zongzheng Ling’s eyes darkened, a flicker of anger leaping within them.
His presence was overpowering, though in the past two years, an unknown illness had worn away his ferocity, making him appear much weaker.
Nevertheless, the Imperial Physicians were so frightened they kowtowed heavily, their voices trembling. “The Emperor Emeritus’s breath is almost gone. We truly…”
Seizing the moment while everyone’s attention was fixed on Zongzheng Ling, Bai Jinshu quietly shifted her steps closer to the dragon bed.
She pinched herself hard, bringing a hint of moisture to her eyelashes.
Imperial Noble Consort Xiaoxian was keeping vigil by the bed. If she wanted to check the Emperor Emeritus’s pulse, she couldn’t possibly escape her notice.
"Grandmother, please don't be sad. Grandfather is blessed by heaven and will surely recover."
Bai Jinshu stood beside Imperial Noble Consort Xiaoxian, firmly grasping her hand while discreetly placing her other hand on the Emperor Emeritus's wrist.
From the perspective of onlookers, it appeared she was merely comforting Imperial Noble Consort Xiaoxian.
"Good child, your grandmother is fine."
The Imperial Noble Consort, overwhelmed by grief, did not notice Bai Jinshu's subtle movement.
Having successfully felt the pulse, Bai Jinshu—despite lacking any instrument—possessed such profound mastery of Chinese medicine that she immediately determined the Emperor Emeritus was not suffering from a sudden illness, but rather poisoning.
This made things easier.
If it had been a sudden illness, with so many eyes watching, Bai Jinshu would have been unable to use the medical equipment from Heaven's Eye to perform emergency treatment. But now, having confirmed it was poisoning, the situation became much more manageable.
Heaven's Eye contained thousands of poisons and, naturally, numerous antidotes. Among them were dozens of universal antidotes capable of countering hundreds of toxins. Therefore, regardless of what poison the Emperor Emeritus had been given, injecting any one of these antidotes could temporarily save his life.
Afterward, the toxins could be gradually cleared.
"Bai Jinshu, what are you doing?"
Bai Jinshu had intended to quickly inject an antidote into the Emperor Emeritus while no one was paying attention to her, but she had overlooked that wretched man, Ao Jing.
He strode over, seized Bai Jinshu's hand, and demanded with a cold, stern expression, "What are you holding? What do you intend to do to His Majesty?"