“You…” Hearing that she wanted to examine his chest, Mu Zhenfeng’s old face couldn’t help but show hesitation.
“It’s only natural for a daughter to tend to her father’s health. I just want to confirm if you’ve been poisoned again. If you won’t undo your clothes, I’ll have to do it myself…”
Seeing her father still acting reserved, Wanqing rolled her eyes and reached out to grab the front of his robe.
“Fine, I’ll do it myself. Take a look. Is there a problem?”
Mu Zhenfeng sighed helplessly. Judging by her stance, if he didn’t undo his clothes, she would do it for him. Though this daughter had practically grown up under his watch, her assertiveness made his old face flush red. With a gruff voice, he tugged open his collar, revealing his sturdy chest.
As she examined his chest, he braced himself as if facing death, asking, “Well?”
“At first glance, nothing seems amiss, but upon closer inspection, there is indeed an issue. Look at your arm—do you see a faint red bloodline?”
Seeing this side of her father, Wanqing couldn’t help but smirk. She lifted his sleeve and pointed at his arm.
“A bloodline? I hadn’t noticed it before. What’s the problem with this red line?”
Her words made Mu Zhenfeng feel both increasingly unfamiliar with and pleasantly surprised by his daughter. He raised his arm to examine the spot she indicated and indeed saw a thin red line. His expression darkened as he asked, “What does this mean?”
“If I’m not mistaken, you’ve been poisoned with Miao Honghua.”
Seeing his initial hesitation turn to admiration and a plea for help, Wanqing sighed softly and stood up.
“Miao Honghua? What is that?”
Mu Zhenfeng found her explanation almost unbelievable and pressed for more details.
“It’s a poison synthesized from several toxins. Initially, the victim only feels a vague ache in the chest. As the poison spreads, the red line on the arm gradually extends toward the middle finger. Once the entire finger turns black, not even the gods can save you.”
Wanqing explained the severity of the poison calmly.
“This… Could it be that Liu Shi, that wretched woman, poisoned me? I…”
Her words struck Mu Zhenfeng like a bolt of lightning. Disbelieving, he muttered to himself, recalling how Liu Shi had drugged him while he was unconscious. Furious, he stood up, ready to confront her.
“If you rush over now, she’s unlikely to give you the antidote willingly. And even if she does, how can you be sure it’s not another poison?”
Seeing him stagger to his feet, Wanqing stepped forward and countered firmly.
“I… But how can I let that vile woman get away with this? I…”
Unable to confront her directly, Mu Zhenfeng was torn between rage and helplessness.
“I can cure this poison for you, but I want temporary control over the household affairs.”
Seeing his distress, Wanqing smiled faintly and laid out her terms.
“Fine, it’s yours. But one thing—Qing’er, whatever grievances you have with your stepmother, you may vent them. However, I hope you’ll remember that your elder sister and younger sister are still family.”
Struck by his daughter’s strength and unfamiliarity, and recalling how she had saved him multiple times, Mu Zhenfeng could no longer maintain his authority. He nodded dejectedly, then added a plea.
“As long as they don’t cross the line, I won’t trouble them. Take this pill first—it will suppress the poison temporarily. Once I’ve prepared the antidote, I’ll bring it to you.”
Hearing his fatherly plea, Wanqing felt an inexplicable pang of sadness. Even though she had witnessed his grief and fury over her birth mother’s death, his protectiveness toward those two still unsettled her. She handed him a pill and turned to leave.
“Qing’er, I… Ah. In the end, I’m still selfish…”
Watching her walk away with a despondent expression, Mu Zhenfeng instinctively reached out to stop her, but she was already gone. Swallowing the pill, he slumped into a chair and let out a bitter laugh.
“Miss, I…”
As Wanqing stepped outside the kitchen, she saw Lian’er looking anxiously at Honglian, who lay unconscious on a chair. Spotting Wanqing, Lian’er stepped aside with a pleading gaze.
“Alright, Honglian, Honglian. Do you feel any better?”
Wanqing composed herself and took out silver needles. With Lian’er’s help, she lifted Honglian and pricked several acupoints to draw out the poisoned blood, then fed her a pill.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Honglian coughed up black blood, and her complexion gradually improved. Wanqing administered another pill, removed the needles, and patted her shoulder gently.
“I… I’m not dead yet. Miss, thank you. Aside from feeling a bit weak, I’m fine now. It was Liu Shi—she must have coated the bowl with poison. I…”
At Wanqing’s touch, Honglian’s bright eyes slowly opened. Seeing Wanqing and Lian’er beside her, she glanced at the black bloodstains and knelt in gratitude.
But as soon as she stood, her legs gave way. Supported by Wanqing and Lian’er, she gasped weakly and recalled the incident, feeling ashamed of her lack of vigilance.
“Don’t blame yourself. If Liu Shi were so easy to deal with, I wouldn’t have fallen for her tricks and ended up with these bruises.”
Seeing Honglian’s guilt, Wanqing smiled reassuringly and helped her up.
“Miss, it’s all my fault. I was useless—I didn’t even notice the trap and let you get hurt like this. I… I’ll go kill Liu Shi right now!”
Wanqing’s words made Honglian glance at her bruised hand. Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight, and she grabbed a sword, struggling to rush out.
“Enough. You’ve just recovered—rest first. Her days are numbered; she won’t last much longer. Come back and rest. We still need to save Uncle Zhong later. Lian’er, Xing’er, go tend to my father—he’s not doing well either. If anything happens, find me. Wanchun, help me take her back.”
Seeing Honglian’s stubbornness despite her weakness, Wanqing sighed and soothed her. Thinking of Liu Shi’s impending downfall, she spoke coldly. She then instructed the maids before leaving with Wanchun, supporting Honglian.
“Miss, it’s almost past the hour of Wei. Do you have any medicine to quickly restore strength? How can I let you go to West Slope Pavilion to save Uncle Zhong without me?”
Once back in her room, Honglian lay on the bed, restless about Wanqing’s plans.
“The man said I couldn’t bring anyone else. Don’t worry—I can handle it. I’ll bring Uncle Zhong back safely. Just focus on recovering. Wanchun, Xiantao—one of you stay with her, the other continue your tasks. I’ll head to the medicine room.”
With little time left before the rendezvous with the black-clad man, Wanqing reassured Honglian, assigned duties to the maids, and left for the medicine room.
“You two, make sure to call me when Miss leaves. I’ll try to regain my strength as much as I can.”
Seeing that Wanqing wouldn’t relent, Honglian sat up with effort, thinking of the danger her mistress faced. She instructed Wanchun and Xiantao before sitting cross-legged on the bed to meditate and recover.
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