Chapter 136: Lacking a Good Beating

Tan Qingjiu was carried back to her own chambers, accompanied by Xingqi and Xingyou who hurried along after them.

"This maid has already sent someone to fetch a physician in accordance with Your Ladyship's instructions. Young Master, please rest assured, Her Ladyship will be fine."

Shen Zijiao did not follow them in. With no outsiders left in the room, Xingqi stepped directly up to Qindai. "Sister Qindai, is Her Ladyship..."

Xingqi raised her head to look at Qindai, her eyes filled with unspoken inquiry. Though she said nothing, Qindai inexplicably understood what she wanted to ask.

Qindai gave an almost imperceptible nod, then glanced at Xingyou, who was sitting by the bedside with a worried expression.

"I understand."

A moment later, Shen Yingjue arrived as well, followed closely by the hastily trailing head steward.

Shen Yingjue merely walked up to the bedside and peered in. "Wasn't she perfectly fine just a moment ago? How did she end up like this in the blink of an eye?"

"It is said that before fainting, the Princess Consort suspected that someone had poisoned her by exploiting the people around Young Master Zijiao."

"The Princess Consort had just finished taking Young Master Zijiao's pulse when she began to feel unwell."

"At that time, the Princess Consort ordered the people around Young Master Zijiao to be detained. One of the attendants attempted to flee as a result, but we managed to capture him."

Shen Yingjue narrowed his eyes. "Has he been interrogated?"

"He was questioned, but he stubbornly refuses to admit anything. He claims he had no idea what was happening and only ran out of fear when he heard someone say they were going to arrest the people around Young Master Zijiao."

Shen Yingjue let out a cold laugh. "Very well. Keep him secured; I shall interrogate him myself shortly."

"Yes."

Just as Shen Yingjue's voice fell, the attendant's voice came from outside the door, "Your Highness, Young Master Zijiao has arrived."

Shen Yingjue turned around and saw Shen Zijiao walking in from outside with a timid expression. Stopping at the doorway, he only peeked his head in toward the bed.

"What are you skulking around for?"

Shen Zijiao trembled all over, then inched his way in step by step, casting another nervous, fearful glance at Shen Yingjue. "P-Prince Duan."

Shen Yingjue merely glanced at Shen Zijiao and let out a cold chuckle. "Cowering and timid, with not a shred of manliness about you. How on earth did Shen Xiao teach you to be like this?"

Hearing this, a sense of defiance welled up in Shen Zijiao's heart, and he puffed out his chest. "I am not cowering!"

"Is that so?"

Pierced by Shen Yingjue's heavy gaze, Shen Zijiao felt his heart skip a beat. "Yes, I am not cowering, I was just..."

He was merely somewhat afraid of Shen Yingjue.

With someone like Shen Yingjue, how many people in the capital were not afraid of him?

Thinking of this, Shen Zijiao glanced over at Xingqi and Xingyou, noticing that the two of them showed seemingly no fear whatsoever in front of Shen Yingjue...

Fine, those two were not afraid.

Shen Zijiao bit his lip and asked in a low voice once more, "How... how is she?"

Shen Yingjue glanced at him again. "Can't you look for yourself?"

"Looking then, what are you glaring so fiercely for?"

"Your Highness, the physician has arrived."

Qindai said in a low voice from the side, "The physician was fetched in accordance with the instructions the Princess Consort gave before she lost consciousness. Before fainting, the Princess Consort had already diagnosed the poison in Young Master Zijiao's body and knew what poison he had been afflicted with, and immediately instructed us to summon this physician."

"Have him come in."

"Yes."

The physician quickly entered the room and took Tan Qingjiu's pulse.

"This is the Minggu poison."

Shen Yingjue turned his head. "Minggu?"

"Indeed. For many years prior, this poison remained entirely incurable. In those poisoned, the internal organs would shatter piece by piece, and the flesh and blood upon their bodies would be gradually corroded, until nothing was left but bones—hence the name 'Minggu' (Underworld Bone)."

"It is an extremely ruthless poison. Because the maker of the poison could never be found in the past, it remained without a cure, and such poison is exceedingly difficult to acquire."

Xingqi, Xingyou, and Shen Zijiao all raised their heads to stare fixedly at the physician.

"Before losing consciousness, she had you brought here. Others may find it helpless, but you should be able to manage it, right? Otherwise, she wouldn't have sought you out."

"Yes." Physician Wang nodded. "Besides, the method to cure this poison was taught to me by the Miraculous Doctor."

"Three years ago, I encountered a patient who was afflicted with this very poison. Because that patient's identity was rather special, I exhausted every possible means to cure them, yet made absolutely no progress."

"Later, when the Miraculous Doctor happened to pass by and grew deeply interested in this poison, he stayed behind to help me detoxify the poison together, and even passed the medicinal formula for the cure on to me."

"This poison is actually not too difficult to cure; it is merely rather tedious in its process."

Shen Yingjue nodded, a trace of impatience crossing his brows. "Treat her as quickly as you can. Whatever ingredients you require, just ask the steward for them."

Physician Wang nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Shen Yingjue stood up. "Where are the servants who attended to Shen Zijiao being detained?"

"Does Your Highness wish to interrogate those people now? This old servant will lead Your Highness there."

Hearing Shen Yingjue ask this, Shen Zijiao hastily added, "I... I want to go too."

Shen Yingjue turned his head to look at Shen Zijiao, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You want to go as well?"

"Yes, I want to go."

Shen Zijiao bit his lip. "I want to know if this matter is truly as she said—that it was..."

That it was done by Tan Yunge.

Shen Zijiao took a deep breath. "I want to hear what they have to say. After all, they are my servants."

"Very well." Shen Yingjue nodded. "You still have some a modicum of spine. Follow along."

Shen Yingjue strode off, and Shen Zijiao hurried to follow behind him.

After Shen Yingjue and Shen Zijiao left together, Xingqi tugged at Qindai's sleeve again, lowering her voice to ask quietly, "Sister Qindai, now that Shen Yingjue has gone to question them, will he..."

Qindai shook her head, her gaze falling upon Physician Wang as he wrote out the prescription.

"Rest assured, Her Ladyship had already made thorough arrangements beforehand."

Hearing Qindai's words, a flash of incomprehension crossed Xingyou's eyes, and his gaze darted back and forth between Xingqi and Qindai several times. "Brother, Sister Qindai, what are you two talking about? Is there something you're keeping from me?"

Xingqi glanced at Xingyou, his tone completely calm and unruffled. "Nothing much. I'm just a bit worried. I worry that pampered young master Shen Zijiao has never experienced anything since childhood, and suddenly forcing him to face the malice of human hearts might be too much for him to bear."

"Bah..." Xingyou waved a hand. "What's too much to bear? Precisely because he hasn't experienced these things before, he needs to experience them properly all the more."

"He lacks a proper beating."

Xingyou rolled his eyes. "This is actually quite good. Let him find out what kind of person his mother—whom he has always worshipped as an idol—truly is."