At the hour of the setting sun, Ruo Chan would personally watch the fire in the kitchen to decoct medicine. When the medicine boiled in the pot, she would first taste a spoonful, then pour it into a bowl, pad it with a cloth, and place it on a wooden tray.
Along the way, the maids who saw Ruo Chan all curtsied in greeting. They all knew of Madam’s deep affection for Ruo Chan.
Ruo Chan carried the wooden tray through the door, but her gaze stopped on the wooden cradle that had newly appeared in the room.
The hem of Qun Qing’s bamboo-green skirt appeared in her field of vision. A pale hand gently rocked the cradle as she gazed at it, her expression gentle and calm.
“Why has elder sister brought the Imperial Great-Grandson into her room?” Ruo Chan stepped forward and clearly saw that inside the cradle was Li Zhang, who had originally been kept in the side chamber under her care. The wet nurse stood to the side, hesitant and not daring to speak.
“You’ll need to frequently enter and exit the Bureau of Apparel from now on. It’s not good to let the young child tie up your feet. I’ll watch over him in my room from now on, and you can save yourself some worry.” Qun Qing said.
“Then let’s still keep him in the side chamber. Master Lu, he…” Ruo Chan hesitated for a moment. “It wouldn’t be good if he disturbs elder sister and Master Lu.”
Qun Qing looked at Ruo Chan, and she immediately fell silent. Perhaps very aware that her temperament had always been uncompromising, Ruo Chan only looked at her carefully with a pair of innocent eyes, as if afraid she was angry.
Qun Qing watched her for a while, then shifted her gaze and lifted the bowl to drink the medicine in large gulps: “The Yunzhou rebel faction is still attacking cities under the deposed Crown Prince’s name. Li Zhang is the deposed Crown Prince’s only bloodline. If anything happens to him, the consequences would be unthinkable. So I’m watching over him personally. Qilang also understands the gravity.”
Ruo Chan clasped her hands together and nodded without suspicion, her expression solemn and convinced, truly showing not a trace of anything suspicious. Qun Qing dismissed her. Watching her thin, small departing figure, she sighed.
Qun Qing didn’t want to rack her brains and doubt like this. But she hadn’t forgotten that there was still an unrevealed “Heaven” in the palace. This “Heaven” had never appeared directly. If this person was someone Zen Master had buried in the palace, the one who saved her that day, with Nan Chu now preparing, this person would very likely be activated, and she had to be careful.
Qun Qing leaned against the desk. The medicine’s bitter taste extended all the way to the bottom of her heart, then transformed into nausea surging upward. The martial maid beside her seemed to notice her expression: “Is Madam unwell? Should we summon a physician? Or shall we call Old Lady Xue?”
But Qun Qing shook her head.
Her fingers reached into her sleeve to take her own pulse. The pulse was somewhat irregular from her accelerated heartbeat, but still sufficient for her to make a judgment.
Right now, neither Old Lady Xue nor Physician Li were in the palace. She was unwilling to alarm others: “Wait until Master Lu returns from duty.”
The maids acknowledged, then served sweet fruit plates and palate-cleansing tea.
At the bottom of the white porcelain bowl on the desk remained some pitch-black medicine residue. Qun Qing suddenly asked: “My medicine has always been decocted by Ruo Chan?”
“Lady Ruo Chan is uneasy unless she personally watches the fire and tastes the medicine.”
Qun Qing nodded and said no more, only before collecting the bowl, she poured out the medicine residue and wrapped it in a plain handkerchief.
After the maids closed the door and left, Qun Qing opened the window and passed out the medicine residue, saying in a low voice: “Help me verify this bowl of medicine.”
Juan Su outside the window startled. He only saw that in the shadows of crisscrossing flower branches, Qun Qing had her hair down, her expression calm, as if commanding Lu Huating’s subordinates was the most natural thing in the world. However, the discipline of being a secret guard had already made him cup both hands to receive the bowl, nodding silently as he left.
Qun Qing closed the window and shut the door. Feeling she had no strength, she curled up on the bed and covered herself with the quilt. After a while, her hand moved slowly under the quilt to rest on her lower abdomen.
With complicated feelings, half dreaming and half awake, a childhood memory suddenly surged into her mind.
At that time she couldn’t yet remember things. Shi Yuming burst into the room, grabbing her as she sat on the bed and shaking her. The small bun-shaped face was full of anger: “You’re not my sister! I have my own mother. I won’t forget her. No matter how well your mother pretends, she can’t replace my mother!”
The servants couldn’t stop him in time and ran out in shock to report.
“I hate you. Not just me—your mother hates you too. I saw her heavily striking her own belly with a drum mallet, saying you came at the wrong time.” As if still not satisfied with his revenge, little Shi Yuming made faces while speaking, deliberately pulling grotesque expressions.
The child didn’t understand the malice in these words, but wrinkled her face at the ugly grimace and burst into loud crying. The next moment came Shi Yu’s scolding as he burst through the door, Shi Yuming’s yelling as he was dragged out, the anxious voices of Zhu Ying and the maids trying to stop them…
The clamor in her ears receded like the tide. Qun Qing was awakened by someone and steadied herself.
Silver charcoal had already been lit in the room. Lu Huating gently lifted the curtain. He wanted to wipe the sweat from her forehead but, realizing his hands were cold, clenched his fingers. The frost in his eyes grew heavier: “My lady, where do you feel unwell?”
Qun Qing grabbed his sleeve and sat up, touching a handful of cold frost: “I’m fine.”
During these days approaching war, Lu Huating originally returned late every day after duty. Hearing the maid’s message, he had turned and left directly from the Zichen Hall, returning in less than a quarter hour. He looked at Qun Qing’s face, his tone brooking no argument: “Your complexion is like this—how can you be fine? I’ve already sent word requesting Old Lady Xue to enter the palace city.”
“No need to rush. I can take my own pulse myself. Most likely it’s a pregnancy pulse.” Qun Qing said.
Before the words finished, she saw Lu Huating’s face suddenly change. After a long while, he said: “Why would there be pregnancy?” Not knowing if he was asking her or himself.
Qun Qing couldn’t help feeling some resentment rising in her heart. She smiled: “Everything has accidents. You yourself are an advisor—surely you know even this much?”
In the silence, a maid brought in steaming hot medicinal decoction. Lu Huating took it, gazing at the medicine, his expression complex. The sour and bitter smell of medicine wafted over. Qun Qing couldn’t help asking: “What is it?”
“Old Lady Xue said you shouldn’t bear children at this time, otherwise your vital energy and blood will be depleted, affecting your lifespan. The medicinal decoction she prescribed for you already contains contraceptive medicine.” Lu Huating said, “I asked—within one month, it barely harms the body.”
Achyranthes decoction was used to induce miscarriage in women with weak bodies and depleted vital energy and blood.
Qun Qing had already taken the bowl to examine it, but hearing this, she found it unbelievable and raised her hand to strike Lu Huating’s face.
With a great battle imminent, the two had specifically used sheep intestine sheaths for contraception. She also felt pregnancy at this time was inappropriate. But since things were already thus, after all it was blood kin—how could she bear to discard it? She hadn’t expected Lu Huating’s decision to be so ruthlessly resolute.
Her anger was unrestrained. Several crimson marks immediately appeared on Lu Huating’s jade-white face. He said nothing, bearing it directly, then turned to look at her. His eyes were black as thick ink, vaguely carrying a few traces of obsessive meaning. In the tense confrontation, Zhu Su’s urgent voice came: “Madam, this subordinate isn’t speaking for Master. Back then, Master’s mother died of difficult childbirth before Master’s eyes, along with the newborn little sister…”
“Withdraw.” Lu Huating said.
The room quieted. Qun Qing also thought of this and calmed down for a moment: “Why didn’t you discuss it with me?”
“You shouldn’t be pregnant at this time to begin with.”
He was so certain—it was strange. Qun Qing paused: “What did you take yourself?”
Lu Huating’s expression didn’t change: “I took cinnabar powder.”
“Are you insane?” Qun Qing was momentarily speechless. Men taking this substance could prevent pregnancy, but it damaged the body. “Taking excessive medicine leads to future infertility. Using too much, one might die of poisoning.”
“So what? I, Lu Huating, have no need for descendants.” Lu Huating said indifferently, though his complexion was slightly pale.
In countless nightmares, he had personally experienced the terror of failing to save his mother. If that crimson blood had even the slightest connection to Qun Qing, just the thought made him feel he would go mad.
Only after a moment did he finally calm down. Thinking that Qun Qing valued family affection and would surely find this difficult to accept, Lu Huating said: “After all, I’m not a physician. We should wait for Old Lady Xue to come before deciding. You make the decision on what should be done.”
“We don’t even know if it is yet. Even if it really is, there may not be no room for reconsideration.” Qun Qing’s heart also felt unwell, but she couldn’t convince herself for the moment. She said coldly: “You go out first.”
Lu Huating rose to go to the side hall, but after only two steps, he suddenly turned back, took out an object from his sleeve, and gently placed it by her pillow. Then he quickly departed.
Qun Qing gazed at this golden-bright citrus fruit.
A few days ago, when she had felt nauseous and unwell, she’d said she wanted to eat citrus, but citrus was hard to find in winter—
Lu Huating left for court before dawn. Qun Qing noticed two more guards had been added outside the house—they must have been transferred by Lu Huating to protect Li Zhang.
During the day, she took Ruo Chan to the Bureau of Apparel as usual to prepare ceremonial robes. Ruo Chan said: “Did elder sister quarrel with Master Lu? Is it because of the Imperial Great-Grandson? I should still watch over the Imperial Great-Grandson instead.”
“It has nothing to do with the Imperial Great-Grandson.” Qun Qing noticed Ruo Chan also had some dark circles under her eyes. “How is it that without watching over the Imperial Great-Grandson at night, you sleep even worse?”
Ruo Chan paused, then smiled: “This servant read the letter the deposed Crown Princess sent yesterday. She and Lan Yue have already followed Dharma Master Dewu to the Wang family’s place of cultivation. The wondrous sights she described were so vivid that thinking about them kept me from sleeping.”
Qun Qing’s expression was somewhat grave.
Zheng Zhiyi had safely arrived in the Kingdom of Liuli, and Dewu was precisely a prince of the Liuli royal family. What Ruo Chan didn’t know was that Li Huan permitted Zheng Zhiyi to leave because Zheng Zhiyi still had an important task—to persuade the Liuli royal family to stand with Da Chen and oppose Nan Chu stirring up war again.
The Western Region nations originally centered on the Kingdom of Liuli. Once the Kingdom of Liuli was willing to form an alliance with Da Chen, the other small nations would follow suit. Isolating Nan Chu this way would put pressure on them.
As for how to persuade them, Qun Qing had written it in a letter and given it to Zheng Zhiyi at their parting.
Now, sent together with Zheng Zhiyi’s congratulatory letter by swift horse were alliance documents between Liuli, Gaochang, and Da Chen, willing to establish trade relations and alliances with Da Chen, agreeing to thirty years without war.
Nan Chu had always wanted to use the Western Region nations to undermine Da Chen. Before attacking Yunzhou, they had even sent declarations of war to each nation. Now, aside from the Northern Rong opening hostilities, there were few respondents—their fantasy had been shattered.
If Ruo Chan really was someone from Nan Chu, she indeed should be anxious and frantic at this time.
Returning to the residence after duty, Qun Qing received the wax pill delivered by Yunque. This time the paper strip wasn’t Weiran’s greeting, and the tone was much more urgent. Facing the most unfavorable battlefield situation for Nan Chu, it seemed Fang Xie and Zen Master were also anxious, wanting to activate her chess piece to add fuel to the fire on the Yunzhou battlefield.
“Bring the Imperial Great-Grandson to the West Market. Someone will provide support.”
Qun Qing silently extinguished the paper strip in the brazier, then summoned a martial maid and had her relay this sentence to Lu Huating.
“Madam.” At this time, Juan Su flipped in through the window from outside and handed a paper to Qun Qing. “The medicine residue Madam asked this subordinate to verify earlier has been examined by Physician Li.”
Qun Qing took the prescription to examine carefully.
“All the medicinal ingredients inside were prepared according to Old Lady Xue’s prescription, neither more nor less. After all, with many people and prying eyes in the residence, attempting to poison would be too conspicuous. But when Physician Li decocted the medicine to replicate it on the spot, the taste was indeed different from normally prepared medicine, as if something extra was added, called…”
“Golden scale powder.” Qun Qing had already spoken the name first.
“How does Madam know?”
Qun Qing smiled slightly: “This substance is actually impurities in clay that weren’t removed when making new earthenware pots. As long as medicine is cooked in this kind of earthenware pot, this substance will seep into the medicinal decoction. Over a long time, it can cause a person to become weak and blood-deficient. But it takes at least five years to kill someone. Go to the kitchen and see whether she uses a new earthenware pot or an old one.”
Juan Su’s expression became grave as he exchanged a glance with another martial maid.
The setting sun shone in like残blood. The martial maid silently walked to Ruo Chan’s side and took away several pastries. Ruo Chan still watched the fire and fanned it as on previous days. Her small face was slightly pale and puffy. She stared at the earthenware pot without blinking, as if she hadn’t noticed the maid beside her at all.
“Madam. Lady Ruo Chan indeed uses an unfamiliar new earthenware pot, not one purchased according to our residence’s records.” When she returned, the martial maid’s complexion had also paled somewhat. She apologized: “It’s the kitchen servants’ dereliction of duty. We only paid attention to the medicinal ingredients but didn’t notice the pot used to cook the medicine.”
“Could it be a coincidence?” Juan Su said. “Physician Li said this substance is in very minute quantities, with weak toxicity. Madam also said it takes at least five years to poison someone to death. If poisoning this way, wouldn’t it be too slow?”
Qun Qing was silent for a moment, then said: “What you say also makes sense. Don’t alarm her for now.”
Both acknowledged.
Why Ruo Chan would poison in such minute quantities was indeed difficult to explain. But one point had already made Qun Qing’s fingertips turn cold.
Using golden phosphorus powder from earthenware pots to poison was precisely what she had learned when studying to be a spy.
“Madam, from now on this servant will block the doorway. Let Lady Ruo Chan hand the medicine to this servant first. Madam must not ingest it.” The martial maid said, “I’ll go prepare a fresh bowl for Madam according to Old Lady Xue’s prescription.”
“Wait.” Qun Qing called her back again, looking at the prescription on the paper. “In Old Lady Xue’s prescription, there’s a blood-activating and stasis-removing ingredient—carthamus.”
She hesitated, then said: “Help me replace it with angelica root.”
An image flashed through her mind of her mother playing with her childhood self on the bed.
It was indeed weakness. Even though Qun Qing wasn’t certain whether there truly was this one-month-old fetus in her womb, she still, out of responsibility, could not harm it at this time.