A very faint trace – Shen Xihe turned her head slightly, her gaze following Miss Yu’s figure for a moment to confirm she hadn’t smelled wrong.
Risking one’s life to save a grandmother – how moving such filial piety was.
Who would have thought this was merely a self-directed performance?
Even the perpetrator had likely already died from poison by now, making any investigation unlikely to find traces.
The white sap inside the Sacred Lotus stem and the water that drips from its leaf veins are poisonous – lethal in large doses – though few know this.
That man had consumed Sacred Lotus and not a small amount. He must have been the one who pushed the Old Madam into the pond, and he surely didn’t know that the person he desperately helped had already tricked him into drinking poison.
But what did this matter to her?
Shen Xihe’s expression remained unchanged as she left Jianfu Temple with Ziyu and Biyu.
Having agreed to make the aloes incense for Huguo Temple, Shen Xihe put her heart into it. The reason this batch of aloe incense had such a rich quality was that Shen Xihe had added a bit of Immortal’s Ribbon to it.
She was reluctant to give Immortal’s Ribbon to Huguo Temple.
“I wonder if this can be cultivated,” Shen Xihe wanted to grow Immortal’s Ribbon but didn’t know where to start.
“I’ve found out – the one who fell into the water yesterday at Jianfu Temple was the Old Madam of Pingyao Marquis Manor, and the lady who saved her was Yu Sangning.”
Ziyu’s voice came through the raised window. Though not particularly clever, Ziyu was naturally curious and spent her days gathering news since arriving in the capital. The Pingyao Marquis Manor’s affairs were currently the talk of the town.
This was because the Pingyao Marquis’s pursuit of the Marchioness was still fondly remembered. At their wedding feast, he had promised never to have children with other women and indeed had kept this promise for years, earning many people’s envy.
But unexpectedly, some days ago the Pingyao Marquis Manor had quietly brought back an illegitimate daughter – Yu Sangning.
A beautiful story had become a false one. How could those who once envied the Marchioness pass up this chance for sour comments?
Shen Xihe estimated the amount needed for the Buddhist incense and cut off a piece the size of a jade thumb ring, feeling extremely distressed.
After cutting the Immortal’s Ribbon, the cut edge would wither, but it wouldn’t affect the whole.
The current supply of incense materials wasn’t enough; she still had to wait for her people to return with more purchases.
“Princess, Guard Cao from the Eastern Palace has come again, bringing a food box,” Red Jade’s voice came from outside just as Shen Xihe finished putting away the Immortal’s Ribbon.
Ziyu had already rushed toward Cao Tianyuan – whenever she heard about food boxes, Ziyu couldn’t control herself.
She was still trying to figure out the pastries from last time, and now she cared more about the Eastern Palace’s food than about her mistress.
However, Ziyu was disappointed this time – what Prince Xiao Huayong sent wasn’t cooked food, but a box full of grapes.
“Princess, His Highness thanks you for visiting him yesterday. These are grapes His Highness grew himself in the Eastern Palace. These first-ripened ones are the sweetest. Though not precious items, His Highness hopes you won’t reject them,” Tianyuan presented the grapes.
Shen Xihe liked good food, and especially loved fresh fruit – she loved all kinds of fruit.
The grapes, purple as crystal and full to bursting, released their characteristic fragrance, extremely tempting.
Under Ziyu’s eager gaze, Shen Xihe nodded and accepted: “Please convey my thanks to His Highness.”
They were sent as thanks for her visit – the most ordinary of reasons. She wanted to eat them anyway, so why refuse?
Tianyuan left with a broad smile.
“Princess, wouldn’t this be inappropriate…” Biyu was still worried.
“What’s inappropriate about it?” Shen Xihe had Ziyu clean a bunch.
“His Highness keeps sending things…” Biyu couldn’t quite articulate her concern. After all, it was always food boxes – mere edibles that hadn’t reached the level of improper gift-giving.
But Eastern Palace guards delivering food boxes to the Shen residence daily, though not precious items, carried a kind of mundane intimacy.
“What others think is no concern of mine,” Shen Xihe never compromised herself for others’ opinions.
“His Highness might think too much of it,” Biyu said urgently.
“Think what?” Shen Xihe smiled lightly. “His Highness isn’t naive enough to think that my accepting food boxes means I regard him specially. I know His Highness wants to marry me, and I am inclined to marry him, so we interact accordingly.”
She neither played hard to get nor kept Xiao Huayong hanging while eyeing others.
When Xiao Huayong first met her, he had subtly revealed his relationship with Emperor Youning – a Crown Prince in name only.
In others’ eyes, he was the beloved Crown Prince.
This was Xiao Huayong’s sincerity. If one day she felt Xiao Huayong wasn’t suitable as a husband, she would make it clear. As for whether Xiao Huayong would be furiously embarrassed, she would handle it then.
Since her mistress understood everything, Biyu said no more and helped Shen Xihe eat grapes.
“These grapes are sweet and juicy – you all should try some.” One had to admit, Xiao Huayong’s Eastern Palace must have excellent feng shui – the grapes grown there were even slightly better than the tribute ones from the Western Regions.
However, her digestion was weak, so she dared eat only five before giving the rest to Ziyu and the others.
Early the next morning, Xie Yunhuai came to visit. He was there to check on Shen Xihe’s condition. Though he found her health hadn’t improved, it hadn’t worsened either, suggesting his method was effective.
Seeing Shen Xihe in agony again, pale and trembling as she took her medicine, Xie Yunhuai’s brows furrowed deeply.
Returning to his courtyard in the outskirts, he immediately saw a tall figure standing with his back turned, fingers playing with a black stone behind his back.
“How is her condition?” Xiao Huayong asked.
Xie Yunhuai couldn’t fail to recognize the Crown Prince: “The Bone-Removing Dan is indeed remarkably effective. If the Princess continues taking it as prescribed, once the medicine is finished, her internal organs should be regulated and she should be as healthy as anyone.”
“Are there any harmful effects?” Xiao Huayong asked again.
“The medicine’s yang fire is extremely strong. The Princess is cold-natured and weak, so every time she takes it she must endure bone-scraping, flesh-cutting pain,” Xie Yunhuai answered honestly.
Xiao Huayong’s fingers stopped turning the black stone. He slowly turned around, his exceptionally beautiful face emerging from the darkness, as if parting night’s curtain to illuminate one’s pupils: “How long?”
“About half a shichen.”
Xiao Huayong’s eyes held hidden brilliance, his gaze slightly cool: “It can’t be suppressed?”
After a moment’s contemplation, Xie Yunhuai said: “These days I’ve drafted a medicinal bath formula. If it works, the Princess could take the medicine while soaking in the bath, avoiding the pain.”
“There are obstacles?”
“One of the ingredients is the extremely cold Snow Lotus from Tianshan. After trying several formulas, I found ordinary Snow Lotus isn’t good enough.” Xie Yunhuai took out the formula and handed it to Xiao Huayong. “It requires premium Tianshan Snow Lotus, which only blooms at the mountain’s peak. I’ve already posted a reward for someone to collect it.”
Shen Xihe couldn’t go three days without his pulse reading now – he worried about unexpected effects from the Bone-Removing Dan. He would have to wait for Shen Xihe’s maid Zhenzhu to return before he could personally make the trip.
Seeming to see through Xie Yunhuai’s intentions, Xiao Huayong’s black pupils, gathered with silver light, fixed on him: “She is mine.”