After examining the pulse, Imperial Physician Hu’s expression turned grave. He addressed everyone present:“May I ask—does the venomous snake that bit the young princess still remain? I need to know the type of poison to properly administer the antidote.”
The others exchanged uneasy glances. None of them had seen the snake when they arrived.
Only Xia Zhu and Qiu Ju spoke up together:“It’s still here!”“I’ll take you to see it.”
Hu the physician looked at Qiu Ju’s pale face and nodded to Xia Zhu.“Miss, lead the way.”
“Yes, Physician,” Xia Zhu replied respectfully, guiding him to where the snake’s corpse lay.
Hu the physician examined the dead snake carefully, then paused in thought before returning to the pavilion.
He addressed the group:“The young princess received prompt treatment and is now out of danger. The remaining venom in her system can be cleared with two doses of the medicine I have prescribed—administer them on schedule, and she will recover completely.”
Hearing this, everyone exhaled in relief.
Su Wan, who had previously been haughty, bowed respectfully to the physician.“That’s good. Thank you, Physician.”
“Side Consort, there’s no need for courtesy. Had I not treated her immediately, I too would have been powerless upon arrival,” Hu said frankly.
Shen Jingyi glanced at Qiu Ju’s face. Though she knew it might be inappropriate, she still spoke up:“Imperial Physician, this maid just sucked out the poison from the young princess’s wound, and it seems she may have been poisoned as well. Could you examine her too?”
Hu nodded. He had noticed the girl earlier, her lips slightly purple, face pale—he had already suspected she had been poisoned while aiding the princess.
He approached Qiu Ju and began taking her pulse.
After a moment, he withdrew his hands.“This girl has indeed been poisoned, but the toxin is mild. She only needs to take some antidotal medicine and rest for a few days to recover fully.”
He then took out paper and brush, writing prescriptions for both the young princess and Qiu Ju, explaining in detail how to take the medicine and precautions to observe.
“Much obliged, Imperial Physician.”“Your Highness, no need for thanks. I shall take my leave.”
Hu the physician bowed and departed.
“Chuju, see the physician out,” Prince Xuan said, waving his hand.
“Yes,” Chuju replied respectfully, following the physician out.
Once Hu had left, Prince Xuan turned his gaze to the remaining people, his expression dark.“Now, tell me—what exactly happened?”
Shen Jingyi took a deep breath, stood, and calmly recounted every detail of the day’s events.
Su Wan’s eyes filled with fear. Her voice cracked as she said,“Your Highness, you must see justice done for Tingting! She almost… she could have died! The people around her—I have already had them bound. You must interrogate them properly. Tingting is still so young… she doesn’t understand anything…”
By the end, Su Wan was nearly weeping.
Prince Xuan looked down at his sleeping daughter in her arms, anger and sorrow mixing in his expression. This was his only daughter, and someone dared to harm her!
“I understand. Chuba, this matter is yours to investigate,” he ordered sharply, fixing his gaze on Chuba.
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Chuba bowed and left to carry out the investigation.
“Everyone else may disperse. I will see that this matter is fully resolved,” Prince Xuan said sternly.
He carefully took the sleeping Xiao Tingting from Su Wan’s arms.“Shen Jingyi, you may return first,” he instructed.
“Yes, Your Highness,” Shen Jingyi replied respectfully.
Before leaving, Su Wan shot a pointed glance at Shen Jingyi and spat out a threat:“Side Consort Shen, if this matter truly has nothing to do with you, I will personally come to thank you. But if it turns out you had a hand in this, don’t blame me for being harsh!”
Shen Jingyi remained calm, replying coolly:“Do as you please.”
She then gestured for Xia Zhu to help Qiu Ju up, and the three of them left at a leisurely pace.
Along the way, Xia Zhu muttered in frustration,“Side Consort, we were saving someone! They didn’t even thank us, and now they treat us like the culprits.”
Shen Jingyi, calm as ever, reassured her:“Don’t worry. We’ll wait for them to come apologize in their own time.”
Prince Xuan returned to his residence and gently laid his daughter on her bed.
He straightened and instructed Su Wan:“Take good care of Tingting.”
After a final glance at the little girl, Prince Xuan departed.
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the prince’s residence, Hong Yin was reporting the matter to Queen Chu.
Upon hearing the details, the queen frowned slightly.“So, the prince has already assigned someone to investigate?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Chuba is in charge of the investigation,” Hong Yin replied respectfully.
The queen sighed softly but couldn’t hide the relief and anticipation in her eyes.“Two years of quiet, and now trouble stirs again.”
Hong Yin, cautious, suggested:“Your Highness, should we perhaps direct suspicion toward the new arrival?”
Chu Mengyao shook her head.“No. The prince is angered this time; we should avoid intervening.”
She thought for a moment before adding:“Keep someone on the case to monitor developments. Tell the steward to check the grounds—this season is rife with snakes, insects, and rodents. Make sure nothing like this happens again in the palace.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” Hong Yin said, bowing and leaving.
Soon, word spread throughout the palace—the young princess had been bitten by a snake!
People within the residence buzzed with discussion, and those without tasks joined the search.
Eventually, they found a harmless green snake by the garden’s lake, and two mouse nests in the rockery.
Nearby households, hearing the commotion, sent people to check their own homes to ensure their children were safe.
Thus, a street-wide operation to eliminate snakes and rodents began.
..
The next morning, a report came in: Prince Xuan ordered all personnel to gather in the main hall.
Shen Jingyi hadn’t even finished breakfast before hurrying to the hall.
Upon arrival, everyone was present except the two in the main seats. Su Wan glared at the two kneeling in the center of the hall—a concubine surnamed Li and Xiao Tingting’s nanny.
The concubine’s face was calm, almost indifferent, but the nanny trembled violently, clearly terrified.
“Shen sister…”
As Shen Jingyi stepped into the hall, the others quickly rose and bowed.
“Stand up, sisters,” she said.
Before her words ended, the prince and queen entered the hall together.
Seeing this, everyone bowed once more.
Prince Xuan seated himself, his eyes sharp as he looked at the women before him:“Speak—why did you do this?”