Huai An brought Yu Gu to see Huo Qiyun and treat her illness in person.
When Zhao Changdu walked into the east wing with his long legs, Yu Gu had just fed medicine to Huo Qiyun.
He walked to the bedside with a frown, glanced at the extremely pale face of Huo Qiyun, and asked, "How is she?"
Yu Gu turned her eyes and looked deeply at the man for a while before gently fluttering her eyelashes, “There is no threat to her life now, but there is still residual poison in her body that needs to continue recuperating for a few more days to completely expel the toxins.”
Zhao Changdu sat down on the stool next to the bed, his tone indifferent but with considerable momentum, "Hook-lipped?”
Yu Gu said, "Yes."
Zhao Changdu called Huai An over, his gaze was cold and awe-inspiring, “How is the investigation into the medicine residues going?"
Huai An solemnly said, "Sir, hook-lipped residues were indeed found in the medicine residues, but there were none in the other medicines sent by the lady."
After speaking, he handed two oil paper bags to Yu Gu.
After Yu Gu checked them, she said, "The amount of hook-lipped in the medicine residue was actually very small and would not be fatal. This other package of medicine contains acacia oxyphylla, which is extremely similar to hook-lipped, so it is easy for someone unfamiliar with medicine to mix up the two."
Zhao Changdu frowned, took the acacia oxyphylla from the medicine bag, and sniffed it under his nose.
For some reason, he somehow felt it was familiar.
He indifferent lifted his eyelids, "Huai An, bring Yin Lan and Lv Zhi here."
"Yes."
Soon Huai An brought Yin Lan and Lv Zhi to Zhao Changdu.
The two maids, one calm and composed, the other drenched and crying with pear blossoms, trembling all over.
Zhao Changdu had tasted blood from living by the knife all the years. His aura was as cold and bloody as ever.
He had them lift their heads for him to question each maid’s involvement in handling the medicines.
Yin Lan looked straight at the master, "Sir, the prescription was written by the lady herself. I went to the pharmacy to get the medicine myself. Afterwards, the lady and I confirmed together that there were no mistakes with the medicines before they were passed into Lv Zhi’s hands."
Zhao Changdu's gaze was indifferent, seemingly lost in thoughts as he looked at the medicine package in his hand. The more he looked at it, the more familiar it seemed.
Lv Zhi didn't dare raise her head. She stammered, "I...I just took the medicine from sister Yin Lan...then put it in the box. I only took out a package to decoct for the lady yesterday...I didn't expect the lady to have an incident after drinking that medicine..."
Zhao Changdu's expression turned cold. He sneered, "Oh? What a coincidence? The medicine you took happened to be poisonous? The other medicines weren't toxic?"
Lv Zhi was so frightened by the questioning that her face turned deathly pale. "I...I don't know..."
Zhao Changdu’s tone was icy cold, his eyes fierce, "Full of mistakes! It seems you are the one who tried to harm our lady!"
"I...," Lv Zhi panicked.
Zhao Changdu frowned, "Take her away to be tortured severely!"
Lv Zhi's whole body stiffened as she pleaded anxiously while crying, "I didn't! Sir has wrongly accused me!"
Zhao Changdu closed his eyes. These tricks might fool the young girl but not him.
He gave a cold laugh. There was not a hint of emotional fluctuations in his eyes as he ordered Lv Zhi to be taken away.
Lv Zhi's sad and fearful cries echoed down the hallway.
Gu Ying was waiting in the yard. When she saw Lv Zhi pulled out by Huai An, her heart quivered lightly...
She had been too anxious earlier. Upon hearing that Huo Qiyun was poisoned, she had lost her senses and failed to thoroughly investigate what exactly had happened. Later after the prince left, soaking in the tub calmed her down to think carefully about this matter.
The real culprit in this incident could not possibly be Lv Zhi. It could only be Huo Qiyun.
Huo Qiyun was the lady and Lv Zhi the maid.
After relying on each other for ten years as mistress and servant in the Duke's manor, at such a critical juncture, Lv Zhi had no reason to suddenly poison her lady.
The truth was already apparent.
Huo Qiyun must have done this to sow discord between her and the prince. She was even willing to disregard her own life for the prince... It showed how vicious this woman could be, no less than Gu Jia.
Now that Lv Zhi had been taken away, she was likely convicted...
Even she could figure out these petty tricks, how could the prince who was used to wielding power not see through this little ruse?
He must be protecting her.
A sense of helplesslessness rose in her heart. The corners of her lips pulled up into a faint smile. No matter what the prince might do, as long as Yin Lan was fine.
She didn’t even dare wish for the prince to reduce Huo Qiyun’s sentence. She could only silently warn herself.
Huo Qiyun would stop at nothing. From this moment onward, they must not associate too closely with each other.
In the frigid wind, she swallowed hard and turned to leave...
...
Inside the wing room.
The man turned to look at the figure sleeping on the big bed. In the mingled dark and bright halo, his sword-like brows were deeply furrowed like a small mountain. The chiaroscuro on his face accentuated his three-dimensional and profound features, rendering them ambiguous.
Yu Gu stood quietly in the room, seemingly invisible.
Zhao Changdu was still fiddling with the acacia oxyphylla in his hand, a slight frown on his forehead.
"Yu Gu, you said this is acacia oxyphylla?"
As if seeing through his thoughts, Yu Gu said, "Acacia oxyphylla is usually produced in Haizhou. Bianjing nobles rarely use such medicines to treat cold."
Something in Zhao Changdu's heart stirred inexplicably.
"Haizhou?"
"Yes."
The Ye family of Haizhou was the little girl's clan.
That little medicine packet back then was given by her. Later, inside Changfeng Pavilion, a fuzzy little face had bit his lips...and told him milkily to stay alive.
When he woke up, he saw Huo Qiyun keeping vigil by his side and assumed all along that the child must have been Huo Qiyun.
Could that child not be Huo Qiyun?!
Zhao Changdu was greatly shocked by his own speculation, stunned by it.
Seeing the cold and grim look on the prince's handsome face, Yu Gu pondered and still reminded, "Sir, the oral poisoning may make pregnancy difficult for her in the future. Even if she recovers well, it would be hard for her to bear children."
At this moment, Zhao Changdu no longer had the patience to keep up pretenses with Huo Qiyun.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart. His eyes were icy cold yet calm as he stared emotionlessly at Huo Qiyun's haggard face and indifference stated, "This will not happen again in the future."
The figure on the bed fluttered her eyelashes. The moment the man's voice fell, she felt unprecedented pressure weighing down on her, making it hard for her to breathe.
Not daring to open her eyes, she clenched the clothes beside her tightly with both hands.
Zhao Changdu's patience was at its end. Without looking at her again, he got up to leave.
Only after the room became quiet did Huo Qiyun slowly open her eyes bit by bit...
She had finally moved into Changfeng Pavilion. No need to suffer in Washing Flower Yard ever again.
After that desperate gamble, cold sweat was all over her face. When she opened her eyes and saw an unfamiliar masked woman standing in the room, she was instantly frightened.
"Who...who are you?"
Yu Gu glanced at her indifferently then silently walked out.
Huo Qiyun hugged her faintly aching stomach as tears of joy and sorrow trickled down her face.
A'du still cared for her after all...
It was a pity for Lv Zhi though...
But it was fine. Once she became A'du’s woman in the future, she would definitely find a way to save Lv Zhi out.
...
