“Shall this servant try calling a few more times?” Liu Li’s eyes gleamed shrewdly as he tentatively asked.
The man glanced at the little plump carp that had sunk into the water and gave a slight nod. “As you wish, Eunuch Liu.”
Jiang Zhuoying wished she could sink straight to the bottom of the pond. Her earlier actions had been completely involuntary.
She needed to stay alert from now on and avoid any behavior that might arouse suspicion.
Liu Li cleared his throat a few times and called out softly, “Zhuozhuo?”
Jiang Zhuoying ignored him, remaining near the bottom of the pond and swimming even farther away.
“Zhuozhuo… Zhuozhuo, Zhuozhuo?”
Liu Li called out several times in succession but still received no response from the chubby, fiery red carp.
“Ahem.” He rose awkwardly. “It seems it was just a coincidence earlier.”
“Mm.”
Qi Fan signaled to Chu Yixin with his eyes, and the latter promptly began packing the food box. “Eunuch Liu, shall we go now? We need to rest early today – we mustn’t delay tomorrow’s matters!”
Liu Li nodded, then glanced back at the red carp in the pond, thinking to himself that he must have been overthinking things, before following Chu Yixin away.
Early the next morning.
Before daybreak, Jiang Zhuoying could already hear the noisy, busy sounds coming from the shore.
She surfaced, noticing the bustling activity on the bank. Combined with the dim light of dawn, no one noticed her for the moment.
“Later when feeding Zhuozhuo, you must use the porcelain spoon to feed her directly into her mouth. Make sure you remember this!”
“Don’t worry, Eunuch Chu. This humble servant remembers clearly and will take good care of Zhuozhuo.”
Chu Yixin nodded. “Good. His Highness won’t return until evening. With recent events being rather unsettled, you should stay here and keep a close watch on Zhuozhuo…”
Jiang Zhuoying swayed her tail fin. Was the big ice block going out?
After a moment’s recollection, she remembered the Emperor’s personal eunuch had come here yesterday.
As expected, today they must be going to pay respects to the late Consort Wan.
Before long, Qi Fan came to the pond’s edge. After making eye contact with her, he didn’t pause but immediately turned and left with his attendants.
Jiang Zhuoying: “…”
Did he come specifically just to exchange glances with her?
The courtyard soon returned to silence.
Jiang Zhuoying leisurely sank to the bottom of the pond, planning to catch some more sleep.
By the time she woke again, the sky was fully bright.
The moment the plump little carp surfaced, the person sitting upright on the bank spotted her.
“Is Zhuozhuo hungry? This humble servant will go to the kitchen to fetch your meal right away.”
Before Jiang Zhuoying could clearly see his face, the servant-looking man had already turned and hurried toward the kitchen.
Well, having a meal now wouldn’t be bad either.
Jiang Zhuoying swam leisurely along the pond’s edge while waiting for the servant to bring her food.
Within moments, footsteps sounded from the shore, growing increasingly closer.
Jiang Zhuoying lifted her head above the water, her pectoral fins and tail fin working busily beneath the surface…
She watched as the servant opened the food box, took out a porcelain bowl, then with a “swish~” sound, scattered the bowl’s full contents of crab meat into the pond.
Jiang Zhuoying: “?”
Hadn’t the Second Prince’s personal eunuch just instructed him?
He was supposed to feed her using the small porcelain spoon!
“Little thing, eat quickly! How fragrant this crab meat is! Hurry up and eat plenty!”
The man urged impatiently, his face covered with a strange smile.
Jiang Zhuoying froze for a moment, then immediately sank downward. Once she reached the bottom, she turned and swam deep into the lotus roots, wanting to get as far away from the person on the shore as possible.
This was not the same servant from before—not only the way he addressed her, but even his voice was different.
This person must be trying to harm her! She needed to stay far away…
She couldn’t fall into his trap!
Seeing the fiery red carp dart away with a “swish—” like an arrow released from a bowstring, the person on the shore immediately darkened his expression.
Never mind. He had scattered a full bowl of crab meat into the water. As long as the red carp ate heartily when hungry, that would be enough.
Jiang Zhuoying hid deep within the lotus leaves and peered toward the shore, witnessing the person pick up the food box and hurry away…
She absolutely couldn’t eat the crab meat in the water now, but once it dissolved, would it still harm her body?
Jiang Zhuoying swam even farther from the shore, beginning to plan how she would find a way to leave the pond once the big icicle returned.
Staying in a jar would be much better, and she could place the jar inside his room!
That way, she could overhear all his conversations with others.
…
Not long after the servant who brought her crab meat left, the one who had earlier claimed to fetch her meal returned.
Jiang Zhuoying, still shaken and suspicious of everything, dared not eat the food he brought either.
Better to wait until the Second Prince returned to make plans…
Going without food for a day was something she could endure.
But her refusal to eat thoroughly alarmed the person on the shore, who called out to her repeatedly.
Call after call of “Zhuozhuo,” until his voice grew hoarse, yet there was still no response from the red carp in the pond.
Jiang Zhuoying felt a pang of guilt—she was only trying to survive, not deliberately tormenting him.
If only she could speak, she would have told him directly…
Half the day passed like this. By lunchtime, not only the servant assigned to watch her, but even the kitchen cooks and cleaning servants had gathered by the pond.
Everyone discussed solutions together.
Left with no choice, Jiang Zhuoying surfaced briefly, putting on an energetic display.
She made sure to appear lively and well-fed, as if she had nothing to worry about.
The crowd on the shore breathed a collective sigh of relief…
“See? Zhuozhuo is perfectly healthy. Perhaps His Highness fed her too much last night?”
“Exactly. Just sit here and wait. When she’s hungry, she’ll come up. Don’t worry anymore.”
…
Jiang Zhuoying settled at the bottom of the pond, never before having wished so fervently for the Second Prince to return early.
Drowsy in the afternoon and with nothing else to do, she lay down on the smooth sinking stone at the bottom of the pond and fell asleep.
“When will the young lady wake up? It’s been nearly half a month she’s been unconscious!”
Jiang Zhuoying slowly opened her eyes. She hadn’t heard the words clearly, but it sounded like Xiangyue’s voice?
“Don’t fret. According to Doctor Yu, the young lady doesn’t have the pox disease. She should wake up soon.”
“How can I not worry? The young lady is my life! If anything happens to her, how can I go on living…”
Xiangyue began to weep as she spoke.
Jiang Zhuoying’s heart trembled. Had she really returned just like that?
“Xiangyue?”
As soon as she spoke, she realized her voice was extremely hoarse, almost gone, and unpleasant to hear.
“Young lady?”
Xiangyue turned abruptly, pulling open the bed curtains. Her pupils contracted sharply, and she suddenly knelt by the bed: “Young lady, you’re finally awake! This servant has waited so long for you!”
She knelt by the bedside, clutching Jiang Zhuoying’s hand, weeping bitterly: “You’ve been unconscious for half a month, Miss! Xiangxing and I were worried sick!”
Jiang Zhuoying spoke with difficulty: “Enough now, haven’t I woken up?”
After speaking, she turned her gaze to Xiangxing kneeling behind Xiangyue: “Stop crying now. I—cough—have questions for you both.”
Xiangxing immediately pulled Xiangyue to her feet: “Alright now, the young miss has just awakened and is still weak. Pull yourself together and brew some tea for her.”
Xiangyue wiped her tears and nodded, then hurried out.
Xiangxing leaned down, bending close to Jiang Zhuoying’s ear to ask softly: “Did you have instructions for us, Miss?”
Jiang Zhuoying nodded: “Help me sit up.”
Xiangxing supported her arm: “Don’t rush, Miss. Let me fetch the supporting pillow first.”
She moved quickly, soon retrieving the supporting pillow and soft cushion from the nearby daybed, then helped Jiang Zhuoying sit up and lean against the pillow behind her.
Xiangyue also hurried in carrying a teacup, her eyes swollen and red: “Let me feed you, Miss. The water temperature is just right.”
Jiang Zhuoying gave a weak nod, swallowing the warm water sip by sip.
The parched ache in her throat eased considerably after being moistened by the warm water. She coughed lightly twice before speaking slowly.
“What caused me to suddenly faint?”
Xiangyue glanced back at Xiangxing, then stepped aside to let her step forward and report.
The latter approached and began recounting in detail what had transpired over the past few days…
When Xiangyue finished speaking, Jiang Zhuoying lay back weakly with half-closed eyes: “So I was poisoned. Were there others in this estate with similar symptoms?”
“Miss, Xiaocui from the laundry room had the same condition as you. But she woke yesterday evening and has already recovered.”
Jiang Zhuoying nodded slightly—this aligned with her earlier suspicions.
Though pale, she furrowed her delicate brows as another matter came to mind.
Having suddenly returned here from Zhuozhuo’s body, she wondered what had become of the real Zhuozhuo?
That crab meat the servant boy fed her must have been tainted. If Zhuozhuo accidentally swallowed it…
She suddenly looked up: “Xiangxing, this Doctor Yu you mentioned—is he the Second Prince’s man?”
Xiangxing nodded, then glanced at Xiangyue: “It was Xiangyue who knows some martial arts and managed to escape to seek help from the Second Prince for you.”
Jiang Zhuoying was deeply moved. She remembered every word Xiangyue had spoken before Qi Fan.
She reached out and took Xiangyue’s hand: “Good Xiangyue, how did you know where to find the Second Prince?”
“Miss, the Second Prince’s separate residence is only an incense stick’s carriage ride from our estate. You’ve been withdrawn from worldly affairs these past years and hadn’t noticed.”
“As for the osmanthus forest—you’ve been there too, though only around the outskirts. The inner areas are guarded, so we never entered.”
Jiang Zhuoying froze momentarily, then remembered!
She simply hadn’t connected it earlier—that osmanthus forest she’d visited was indeed the one guarded by the Second Prince’s men.
Xiangxing suddenly interjected: “Miss, why don’t you continue talking with Xiangyue? I’ll go fetch Doctor Yu.”
“He said we should summon him for another pulse reading once you awakened.”
…
After Xiangxing left, Xiangyue hurriedly drew the bed curtains: “I never let that Doctor Yu see your face. I know how you value your appearance, Miss, so I didn’t let anyone see you in illness.”
“And Doctor Yu is quite skilled, saying he only needs to check the pulse along with our descriptions.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhuoying’s heart tightened again—Pox disease?
If that was the suspicion, did it mean she had already developed rashes and blisters?
She suddenly grabbed Xiangyue’s sleeve: “Quickly bring me the bronze mirror to see.”