“It was Imperial Physician Wang.”

Ni Su lowered her head and answered calmly.

The hall was warm. Ni Su had come all the way through wind and snow, her hands and feet stiff with cold. This dry warmth instead made her bones feel even colder.

“But how is it that Imperial Physician Wang says you wrote the prescription?”

The Noble Consort questioned coldly from behind the curtain.

Hearing this, Ni Su showed no surprise or doubt. She didn’t even look at Imperial Physician Wang, but instead raised her eyes toward the Noble Consort’s blurred figure behind the curtain.

She immediately lowered her head. “In response to Your Ladyship, Imperial Physician Wang is deeply trusted by Your Ladyship, while this commoner has only just arrived and it would not be appropriate to make things difficult for Imperial Physician Wang. These past days, I have had no opportunity to write prescriptions or use medicine.”

Hearing these words, Imperial Physician Wang’s hunched back straightened abruptly. He turned his head. “What do you mean by this? Are you telling Her Ladyship that I refused to give you opportunities? Didn’t I let you write the prescription today? Could it be you didn’t write according to what I said? What did you add to the prescription?”

Imperial Physician Wang bowed again toward Her Ladyship behind the curtain. “This subject has served in the Imperial Medical Bureau for many years and dares not make the slightest error. The prescription this subject wrote was for warming tonification and absolutely did not misuse any ingredient. Your Ladyship might as well bring out the prescription for this subject to examine, and then everything will be clear!”

“The prescription is at the Imperial Medical Bureau.”

The palace maid standing at the Noble Consort’s side said, “Imperial Physician Wang, Her Ladyship trusted you, which is why she always had you treat the old master. Why is it that today of all days, such a mistake occurred?”

Imperial Physician Wang’s forehead was covered in sweat. He was even more confused—he naturally knew what prescription he had written, yet today this incident occurred…

He suddenly looked at Ni Su. “Your Ladyship! This woman doesn’t understand acupuncture techniques at all. Yesterday she personally told this subject that the reason she volunteered to treat the old master was to seek a way to survive, but she couldn’t even see when this subject administered needles…”

Ni Su stared at him calmly.

He suddenly stopped speaking. Only then did Ni Su open her mouth: “Imperial Physician Wang, why did you stop? What couldn’t I see about you?”

“Your Ladyship, this woman is just a swindling medicine woman! She’s not proficient in medicinal principles and knows nothing about acupuncture techniques. When this subject discovered this yesterday, she begged this subject desperately not to expose her!”

Imperial Physician Wang spoke with anguished sincerity. “Please forgive this subject, Your Ladyship. This subject was soft-hearted for a moment, taking pity on her as an orphaned girl. I never imagined she would repay kindness with enmity. In this subject’s view, she must want to use this to frame this subject. This way, she would gain Your Ladyship’s trust, and Your Ladyship would only have her alone treat the old master. But Your Ladyship, you must not forget! Your younger brother died because of her! Her intentions are clear as day!”

The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that this woman was setting a trap for him.

What gift of the golden needle acupuncture medical texts—she was lying through her teeth!

“Ni Su, won’t you defend yourself?”

The Noble Consort was surprisingly calm.

Hearing this, Ni Su nodded. “In response to Your Ladyship, even if this commoner had such intentions, I would absolutely have no such opportunity. This commoner’s every move has been under the watchful eyes of the mansion’s servants and Imperial Physician Wang. Even if this commoner truly squeezed out Imperial Physician Wang, if this commoner had no real abilities, I could not escape Your Ladyship’s discerning eye.”

“This commoner wrote the prescription on Imperial Physician Wang’s behalf. If there were errors in the prescription he dictated, this commoner would not have said nothing,” At this point, Ni Su paused. “This commoner believed the prescription Imperial Physician Wang dictated had no problems. But this commoner doesn’t know why Imperial Physician Wang would falsely accuse me?”

Imperial Physician Wang clearly hadn’t expected she would say his prescription was correct. He was truly stunned. “You…”

“Could it be because I discovered that you weren’t treating the old master with full effort when administering acupuncture?”

Imperial Physician Wang’s pupils contracted. “Utter nonsense!”

“Why are you nervous?”

Ni Su straightened her body, pressing forward step by step. “Imperial Physician Wang has never allowed me to observe closely when using needles, saying he wouldn’t let me learn your medical techniques. But what was the real reason? You know very well in your heart.”

“Ridiculous! I, a dignified Imperial Physician, am surely better than you, a mere woman?”

“If that’s the case, does Imperial Physician Wang dare tell Her Ladyship where each needle you placed on the old master today was positioned?”

Ni Su fixed her eyes on him and took another step closer.

“If Imperial Physician Wang has forgotten, why don’t I recite them for you? We can invite Old Imperial Physician Qin to come and let him judge whether each needle you placed was truly at the level of an Imperial Physician?”

“You…”

Only now did Imperial Physician Wang suddenly realize—this woman had been pretending all along! She wasn’t ignorant of acupuncture techniques at all!

His composure completely shattered. He retreated several steps and was about to defend himself when he heard Her Ladyship behind the curtain suddenly smash a tea cup: “Excellent… Imperial Physician Wang, you actually dared to plot against my father! I will petition His Majesty to sentence you to death!”

“Your Ladyship!”

Seeing Her Ladyship so easily believe Ni Su’s words, and hearing the words “death sentence,” Imperial Physician Wang’s knees went soft and he knelt down. “Your Ladyship! This subject wouldn’t dare, Your Ladyship!”

“Someone come!”

The palace maid shouted.

Several eunuchs came in from outside and together restrained Imperial Physician Wang. The attending palace maid lifted the curtain and came out: “Imperial Physician Wang, Her Ladyship asks you, why did you do this?”

“This subject is wronged…”

Imperial Physician Wang’s voice trembled.

The palace maid’s face was cold as she raised her hand slightly.

The eunuchs began to drag Imperial Physician Wang toward the door. Only now did Imperial Physician Wang completely break down. His entire body shook like chaff. “Your Ladyship! Your Ladyship, this subject had no intention of harming the old master. This subject simply, simply didn’t treat him with full effort!”

“Drag him back.”

Behind the curtain, the Noble Consort was supported by a palace maid as she stood. The curtain lifted, revealing her cold expression.

The eunuchs dragged Imperial Physician Wang back. He looked utterly disheveled, his official cap having fallen off.

“Imperial Physician Wang, if you make everything clear today, I can still spare your life. If you can’t make it clear, then don’t blame me…”

The Noble Consort fixed her eyes on him.

“Yes, yes…” Having reached this point, Imperial Physician Wang had no choice but to confess everything. “This subject dares not deceive Your Ladyship any longer!”

“Who told you to do this?”

“It was people from the Duke’s mansion…”

Imperial Physician Wang prostrated himself on the ground. “Your Ladyship! It was all because this subject was momentarily possessed. This year the Imperial Medical Bureau paid less in stipends, and this subject thought the family had to get through this New Year somehow. This subject thought this wouldn’t really harm anyone, so…”

When he began treating Wu Dai, the Noble Consort had not yet regained favor, much less become pregnant.

Later, even if he wanted to extricate himself, there was no way.

The Duke’s mansion’s people had all the leverage on him.

“Whom from the Duke’s mansion did you see with your own eyes?”

The Noble Consort gritted her teeth.

“No one… it was only servants who brought messages.” Imperial Physician Wang no longer dared hold anything back.

Since it was only servants, Duke Luguo would never leave them as evidence. The Noble Consort couldn’t even say a few words about this before His Majesty now.

The Noble Consort closed her eyes, her chest heaving, and had the eunuchs drag the man out.

The hall was silent. Palace maids attended the Noble Consort as she drank several sips of calming tea. The curtain was hooked up with an ivory clasp. The Noble Consort steadied her breathing before raising her eyes to look at the woman standing not far away.

After a long while, she said: “Ni Su, you did very well.”

Actually, there had been no problem with the prescription at all. Everything just now was merely a performance staged by the Noble Consort and Ni Su.

After Ni Su confirmed Imperial Physician Wang’s needle techniques were wrong, she recorded every needle he used in a handwritten note and found an opportunity to secretly pass it to a palace servant at the Wu mansion.

The Noble Consort deliberately acted as if she believed Ni Su, using the threat of death penalty to test Imperial Physician Wang.

“This commoner said I wanted to seek a way to survive with Your Ladyship.”

Ni Su lowered her head, respectful and peaceful.

“Rest assured.”

The Noble Consort stared at her. “You’ve helped me greatly. Naturally I won’t make things difficult for you anymore.”

“Thank you, Your Ladyship. This commoner is willing to do everything in her power to treat the old master’s insanity.” Ni Su bowed.

“Good, you may go first.”

The Noble Consort raised her chin slightly.

The sky hadn’t yet darkened and the palace gates weren’t locked. Watching Ni Su being led out by a eunuch, the Noble Consort’s expression in the hall suddenly became much darker.

Today’s problem wasn’t with any prescription, but with the medicinal ingredients.

One ingredient, wild ginseng, had been tampered with. Fortunately she was cautious—not only did she have people at the mansion to test medicines, but before using any medicinal ingredients, she also had people verify them first.

Since the Noble Consort regained favor and later became pregnant, many people rushed to curry favor with the Wu mansion. Knowing Wu Dai was ill, various parties sent many tonics.

All of these were clearly recorded on the Wu mansion’s gift list.

The ginseng used today could also be found on the gift list. Though the person who sent the gift wasn’t from the Duke’s mansion, that person’s son only had his new position because of Pan Youfang, the Commissioner of the Three Judicial Offices.

“Your Ladyship, this slave doesn’t understand why the Duke’s mansion would do this?” The palace maid personally attending the Noble Consort carefully spoke up.

“What’s there not to understand?”

The Noble Consort laughed coldly. “He’s not harming my father’s life because he wants to keep me stable. Not wanting my father’s insanity cured means he’s afraid that once Father becomes lucid, he won’t be able to control me anymore.”

Wu Dai was someone who had been immersed in officialdom for many years. If he were still lucid, he would certainly use his daughter to rise again. Then the situation wouldn’t be something Duke Luguo could control.

Moreover, Pan Youfang, who had previously been tied to Wu Dai, was now colluding with Duke Luguo. The Noble Consort had corresponded with her father before. She also knew that in Father’s view, this Pan Youfang was a venomous snake ready to bite him at any moment!

The Noble Consort didn’t know how deep the rift between Father and Pan Youfang was, but she knew that whether it was Duke Luguo or Pan Youfang, they only treated her as a puppet.

Yao County still had ready-made descendants of Emperor Taizu’s bloodline.

If her belly didn’t deliver, she would be kicked aside by these two at any time.

Perhaps they were just using her to fight against Prince Jia—the person in Yao County was their real plan all along.

Ni Su left the palace before the gates were locked. The sky gradually darkened. She had no lantern in hand, so she just held the person beside her, leading him forward.

“A’Xi, are you hungry?”

Xu Hexue couldn’t see, so he obediently followed her steps.

“Mm, I’d like to eat a bowl of noodles outside. I wonder if Qingqiong has eaten yet. I’ll bring him some flatbreads back.” Ni Su said with a smile.

Xu Hexue murmured in agreement.

It had stopped snowing now. The accumulated snow on the street hadn’t melted. Ni Su carelessly stepped on a broken brick, and the puddle soaked her shoes. She didn’t make a sound, but pulled Xu Hexue to sit down under a felt canopy by the street.

“Will Her Ladyship relent?”

Ni Su asked softly while eating noodles.

“Imperial Physician Wang’s actions have been exposed. Since she and Duke Luguo and Pan Youfang both have their own calculations, they cannot treat each other honestly. Right now, the only thing she can rely on is the child in her womb. Once it’s a daughter, she becomes a discarded piece. Minister Meng and Deputy Commander Zhou deliberately let her know about Yao County. She must be very uneasy now.”

“Since she already understands her situation, she naturally won’t be willing to be a chess piece Duke Luguo can discard at any time. At the very least, if Yonggeng lives, that person in Yao County won’t have a chance to come to the capital.”

The Noble Consort must want to leave herself and her father Wu Dai a backup plan. Once she gives birth to a daughter, the nearest backup plan would be Prince Jia.

So she couldn’t completely destroy Prince Jia.

“That’s good then.”

Ni Su gripped her chopsticks tightly and said.

Xu Hexue had found the gift list beforehand, picked out from it that seemingly unremarkable person whose status was actually very sensitive upon close examination, and after Imperial Physician Wang wrote the prescription, when the Wu mansion’s servants went to the storeroom to retrieve medicinal ingredients, he deliberately switched the wild ginseng and added an extra measure of notoginseng powder.

Though not fatal, it could worsen Wu Dai’s condition.

When the Wu mansion’s people verified the medicinal ingredients, they would discover the irregularity.

Combined with Imperial Physician Wang’s exposure now, the Noble Consort’s heart must be even more wary of Duke Luguo.

Ni Su bought the flatbreads and returned home with Xu Hexue, only to find Qingqiong had already gone to sleep. He came to open the door drowsily. Ni Su handed him the warm flatbreads, and he became more alert: “Thank you, Miss Ni.”

Ni Su went to bathe and drive away the cold. Qingqiong ate flatbreads under the eaves while making hot reed flower dew tea for Xu Hexue. But he saw him flipping through some booklet and leaned over: “General Xu, what’s this?”

“A recipe book.”

Xu Hexue answered briefly.

“You’re writing a recipe book?” Qingqiong saw the pages behind were all blank. Though he couldn’t read all the characters, he could understand some. Besides, the writing in this booklet clearly wasn’t the kind printed in publishing houses—it was obviously written by Xu Hexue himself.

“She can never get the amounts of ingredients and seasonings right in regular recipe books, so she’s always flustered in the kitchen. I want to compile a new one for her according to her habits and preferences.”

Xu Hexue thought for a moment and said to Qingqiong, “It’s inconvenient for me to go out alone. If you have time during the day, could you find a cook who can make Que County dishes? Ask him to write down all the dishes he’s good at. I can pay him.”

“Where would you get money?”

Xu Hexue’s expression was cool, but a very faint smile seeped into his eyes. “I’ll ask A’Xi for it.”

“Are you planning to tell her only after it’s finished?” Qingqiong cupped his face.

“Yes.”

Xu Hexue closed the pages. “When I’m not here, she won’t want anyone else to cook for her.”

After the incident with Ah Zhou, Ni Su wanted to learn everything herself.

Qingqiong’s relaxed expression froze. He held the flatbread in his hand but found it somewhat hard to swallow.

“What are you planning to call this recipe book?”

After a while, he asked.

Xu Hexue lowered his eyes. The blue cover was clean and empty. “It’s called ‘A’Xi’s Menu.'”

Though Qingqiong felt somewhat uncomfortable inside, he smiled. “That’s good.”

At night, the room was brightly lit with candles. Ni Su sat on the edge of the bed while Xu Hexue wiped her damp hair dry. She turned her head to stare at him.

“What is it?”

Xu Hexue asked in a low voice.

“Can you tell me what kind of person Prince Jia is?”

She said.

“Yonggeng…”

When Xu Hexue spoke of his old friend, there was a hint of ease in his tone. “He has a generous nature and is kind to others. When we traveled together in our youth, he saw refugees on the road and gave away everything valuable he had while crying.”

“So that by the time we reached Que County, we were penniless,”

Xu Hexue brushed aside the light hair by her ear. “We went to Great Bell Temple actually for the vegetarian meals at the temple.”

Later, people sent by Princess Sister-in-law found them and brought the two destitute young men back.

Hearing him say this, Ni Su couldn’t help but laugh.

“I suddenly understand why you were so close with Prince Jia.” She said.

“It’s just that his experiences in the palace made him live in constant fear. Those imperial clan children bullied him, and he never made a sound. I can’t remember how many times I fought for him,”

Xu Hexue set the damp cloth aside. “He was never belligerent. Only when I forced him would he summon the courage to fight back.”

During that time, Xu Hexue was frequently scolded by Princess Sister-in-law.

The two lay down. Ni Su tried to burrow into his embrace again but was wrapped up tightly in a thick cotton quilt by him.

“A’Xi, I need some money.”

“What are you buying this time?”

“No, it’s for Qingqiong.”

Ni Su made a sound of surprise. “What does Qingqiong want to buy?”

“Don’t know.”

He pressed his lips together slightly.

“Oh… then I’ll ask him tomorrow how much he needs.” Ni Su nodded.

The night deepened and the snow grew heavier.

There were no braziers in Chongming Hall. Prince Jia had gone days without shoes or socks. His feet were injured and showing signs of frostbite. He huddled by the door to the inner chamber. He could hear the Princess Consort inside coughing from time to time, coughing until her voice was hoarse.

She couldn’t sleep soundly either.

Prince Jia’s lips were cracked and dry. He stared blankly at the moonlight streaming through the lattice window cracks.

Lately, the deeper into the night it got, the more he would remember his only conversation with his teacher after so many years apart.

At that time, it was in this very hall.

His teacher said he finally dared to make offerings for that person.

Then, on the execution platform, he spoke out for his best student’s injustice.

What about him then?

When would he dare to make offerings for that person?

Prince Jia’s knuckles tightened. Startled to realize he had crushed something in his palm, he hurriedly opened his hand, then stared for a long time at the scattered medicine pills.

The more turbulent the court situation, the less likely His Majesty would easily take his life.

Prince Jia suddenly stuffed the pills into his mouth.

He stood up. The wounds on the soles of his feet split open again from his walking, seeping blood. He limped along, and everything his eyes fell upon—cups, vases—he smashed them all on the ground.

“Someone come…”

He stepped carelessly on the broken porcelain shards, blood seeping between his teeth. “Someone come!”

He shouted loudly.

The eunuchs outside were startled awake by the commotion. They looked at each other in dismay, then hurriedly opened the hall door. The lamplight under the eaves shone inside. They raised their heads and saw Prince Jia staggering, unable to stand steady. In an instant, blood spilled from his mouth.

“Your Highness!”

The eunuchs were alarmed and dismayed.

Chongming Hall fell into chaos. As soon as news spread that Prince Jia had been poisoned, the Imperial Physician on duty at the Imperial Medical Bureau immediately rushed over.

Prince Jia was pressed onto the bed by eunuchs. He struggled futilely, his chest heaving violently. When he opened his mouth, there was blood. “Have someone examine the Princess Consort, otherwise, otherwise…”

His mouth was mixed with bloody foam, speaking word by word: “Otherwise this prince will absolutely refuse medicine.”