Upon hearing Lian’er’s words, Wanqing couldn’t help but glance at her elder brother with a wry smile, feigning helplessness.
“It seems I have no choice but to go today. Please help me up,” she said, pretending resignation as she rose with the support of the two maids, Honglian and Lian’er.
Originally, Wanqing had been eager to detoxify Mu Zhenfeng, but after hearing Zhongshu’s words that her father had not left the place where the corpses were kept, she grew suspicious. Weak and unsteady, she led the group forward.
They arrived at the room where Lady Liu’s body had been placed.
There, they found her father collapsed beside two skeletons on the floor, with Xing’er, who had been supporting his shoulder, also unconscious beside him. Both appeared peaceful, as if asleep, but the unnatural posture and the strange black spots on their faces immediately caught Wanqing’s attention.
Seeing this, Lian’er and Zhongshu instinctively moved to help them, but Wanqing urgently stopped them. The two stepped back in surprise as she knelt to examine the pair closely.
“Don’t touch them,” she said gravely. “If I’m not mistaken, these bones are coated with poison. If it comes into contact with living or dead flesh, the flesh will instantly dissolve, leaving only the skeleton. The poison also contains other agents that cause the liquefied remains to evaporate. Worse still, anyone who touches them will immediately fall unconscious, and the toxin will spread to whoever touches them next. Look at my father and Xing’er—their condition proves it. Honglian, bring me my silver needles.”
Her words sent a chill through the group, including Prince Ning and Honglian. The prince’s phoenix-like eyes narrowed slightly, his usual gentle demeanor now edged with an icy detachment. His fists clenched involuntarily at his sides.
Wanqing took the needles and began inserting them one by one into the two unconscious figures on the floor, her slender fingers moving deftly in the art of acupuncture. Despite the fury and shock swirling within him, Prince Ning forced himself to remain still, watching intently as she focused on detoxifying them. The entire group stood in tense silence, their expressions grim with worry.
“Honglian, more needles…”
The gleaming silver needles were all used up, yet the two showed no signs of waking. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Wanqing asked for more. Ordinary needles, heated over a flame, danced nimbly in her hands once again.
Soon, both bodies were covered in needles—front, back, and even the tops of their heads—before Wanqing finally lowered her hands.
“Brother Qingfeng, use your dagger to make small cuts on their index and middle fingers. Let the poisoned blood drain, then we’ll see…”
The entire process took over two hours. Under normal circumstances, such a task would have been simple for Wanqing, but her injuries—old and new—left her struggling. The prolonged standing and intense focus drained her, and as she finally stepped back, her legs gave way. Honglian swiftly caught her before she could fall.
Seeing the anxious faces around her, Wanqing closed her eyes briefly, fighting off dizziness, and instructed Qingfeng.
Once Qingfeng made the cuts on their fingers, she exhaled in relief, only to stagger backward and collapse onto a nearby bench.
Another two hours passed, and night had fully fallen. At last, Wanqing noticed a faint improvement in their complexions, and a small smile tugged at her lips.
Summoning her remaining strength, she adjusted the needles once more. Finally, both victims coughed up two mouthfuls of black blood, and Wanqing sighed in relief.
“They’ll live. Honglian, remove the needles and give each of them one of these pills. Zhongshu, arrange for them to be taken back to their rooms. I’ll prepare detoxifying medicine later—two doses should wake them. I…”
Relieved that most of the poison had been neutralized, Wanqing smiled weakly. She tried to step forward but trembled violently, not wanting to worry the others. Gasping slightly, she instructed Honglian to clean and store the needles, then handed her a vial of antidote pills.
Once everything was settled, she turned to Zhongshu, who nodded eagerly before hurrying off to summon help. She then began giving Lian’er further instructions but swayed mid-sentence, collapsing backward.
“Qing’er!” Prince Ning, who had been watching silently, rushed forward in distress. Heart aching at the sight of his sister pushing herself beyond her limits, he caught her and called her name softly.
“I’m fine,” she murmured weakly. “Lian’er, come with me to my room. I’ll write the prescription—have someone fetch the medicine immediately. They must take it every two hours. After two doses, they should wake…”
Though her brother’s eyes were filled with concern, Wanqing gently pushed his hand away from her waist, insisting she could manage.
Prince Ning, brows furrowed in worry, carried her back to her room. She forced herself to write the prescription, but the moment she handed it to Lian’er, she finally succumbed to exhaustion and fainted.
“Qing’er!”
His heart wrenching, the prince gathered her into his arms and laid her on the bed, gripping her hand as he watched over her anxiously.
Dawn came, but Wanqing remained unconscious. Her fever had broken during the night, and Prince Ning had stayed by her side, refusing to rest. Only when her condition stabilized did he finally relax.
“Honglian, take care of her. I’ll return after court…”
Assured that his sister was merely sleeping, Prince Ning’s thoughts turned to the events of the night. His restraint had allowed their enemies to grow bold, nearly costing Wanqing her life.
It was time to reclaim his former authority.
With bloodshot eyes, he gave Honglian his orders, then cast one last pained glance at Wanqing before leaving with Qingfeng.
Unbeknownst to him, while he had been keeping vigil, news of the Mu family’s crisis had reached Prince Ji’s residence the previous evening.
“Master, I’ve confirmed the details,” Qingfeng reported early the next morning. “Mu Wanxia, the eldest daughter of the Mu family, tried to force Mu Wanqing into a duel by threatening Chunhong after failing to obtain medicine for her mother. But it was a trap—Mu Zhenfeng and Prince Ning’s men arrived just in time…”
His master, Leng Mingye, had been sitting in the garden pavilion since dawn, skipping court, a troubled expression on his face as he drank. Qingfeng relayed the news carefully, watching for his reaction.
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