Chapter 28: Are You Eating Filth?

Tan Yun-ge almost thought she had misheard: “What did you say? What is this ‘white chicken dung’?”

“White chicken dung, sometimes written as ‘chicken droppings white,’ is the white part of a chicken’s excrement, dried and ground into powder to make medicine.”

“This remedy itself poses no real problem. It’s actually often used in prescriptions—boiled with other traditional herbs and taken as medicine. All the ingredients are mixed together, and the amount is usually small. Ordinary people don’t even notice, so they don’t feel uneasy about it. Medicinal ingredients are taken from all sorts of sources, and in the world of herbal medicine, this one isn’t particularly strange.”

The physician glanced at Tan Yun-ge’s increasingly grim expression, his voice growing quieter.

“But if the powder is mixed with water and made into a paste, then applied directly to the rash…”

“If it’s only a few spots, it’s tolerable. But, Lady, yours cover your entire body and face. If the paste is applied everywhere…”

Tan Yun-ge’s face became even more unsightly. She gritted her teeth. “Is there any other way?”

“Forgive me, Lady, for my limited knowledge, but this prescription—internal and external—works in tandem. The formula is exquisitely balanced. If you substitute any other ingredient, I fear the effect will be diminished or lost altogether.”

Tan Yun-ge took several deep breaths, barely managing to maintain her composure before others. “Very well, I understand. Have them prepare the medicine according to this prescription. And let it be known: if you utter a single word about today’s events to anyone, you won’t live to see the next sunrise. Understood?”

The physician nodded repeatedly. “Yes, I understand. I understand.”

Once the servants had taken the physician away, Tan Yun-ge seized the cup at hand and hurled it to the floor with force.

The cup shattered, fragments flying everywhere.

The maid standing nearby lowered her head in silence, not daring to breathe.

Madam Li bowed her head, her fingers curling slightly. “Tan Qingjiu must have done this on purpose, mustn’t she?”

“What do you mean ‘must have’?” Tan Yun-ge’s voice suddenly rose. “She did it on purpose!”

“That wretch! From the very beginning to now, every single incident—she’s clearly set a trap for me, deliberately targeting me.”

Madam Li watched Tan Yun-ge’s descent into madness and spoke softly, “Should I go and inquire further? Perhaps there’s a more skilled physician we could invite?”

“What’s the point? We’ve called so many doctors already, none of them could help. Besides, I’ve shut the doors and refused visitors for days, even wearing a veiled hat when I go out. I’ve made excuses to avoid seeing even the Young Lord. Rumors are rampant in the household—they’re all saying my face has been ruined. If it doesn’t get better, those scheming women will have a field day, won’t they?”

---

“In a few days, I must attend the Consort Wang’s birthday banquet. She’s my mother-in-law. If I show up wearing a veiled hat, how would that look?”

Tan Yun-ge’s face was contorted with anger. Madam Li was silent for a moment. “Then, for the next three days, let’s say you’re unwell and need to rest, forbidding anyone from disturbing you. Use the prescription, heal your face first.”

“Once your face is healed, everything else can be handled. Then, Lady, you’ll be free to deal with Tan Qingjiu however you wish. We could, simply, silence her…” Madam Li drew a hand across her throat in a gesture of execution.

Tan Yun-ge gritted her teeth. “I’ll kill her. I must kill her!”

Madam Li quickly arranged everything, sending word to each courtyard, even dismissing the servants. She took the powder of white chicken dung, placed it in a large bowl, and mixed it with water.

The powder was white, and when blended with water, it became a white paste. There was no other color, but the paste emitted an indescribable, nauseating odor.

The smell was secondary; Tan Yun-ge plugged her nose with a silk handkerchief and could no longer detect it.

But seeing the white paste and recalling the physician’s words, Tan Yun-ge couldn’t help but remember the appearance of chicken droppings she had seen before.

The thought of applying this substance to her face and body made her skin crawl, and the fury in her heart burned ever hotter. Her mind raced: she would flay Tan Qingjiu alive, tear her limb from limb—only then could her rage be appeased.

Madam Li prepared the paste, holding her breath, and turned to Tan Yun-ge. “Lady…”

Tan Yun-ge’s expression was icy; her hands clenched so tightly her nails dug painfully into her palms.

“Do it.”

“When I’m healed…” Tan Yun-ge ground her teeth, allowing Madam Li to smear the foul-smelling paste on her body and face.

“When I’m healed, I’ll make Tan Qingjiu taste this herself. I’ll smear this white chicken dung all over her… No!”

“I’ll force it into her mouth, make her savor it properly.”

Madam Li did not dare respond, only whispered, “Just three days, Lady, bear it. I’ll prepare hot water, and when the time is up, you can wash it off and take a bath. I have some fragrant balm ready—once it’s applied, you won’t smell it anymore.”

The first application went smoothly enough.

---

After her bath, Tan Yun-ge truly could no longer smell the odor on her body, and she finally let out a long breath.

But she hadn’t expected that after only two days, just as she was applying the paste on the second evening, hurried footsteps sounded outside.

“What’s going on?” Tan Yun-ge jumped to her feet. “Madam Li, hurry, go and see what’s happening! Didn’t I say no one was allowed to visit while I was recuperating?”

Madam Li quickly answered, stepping outside, only to see someone striding quickly into the courtyard.

Madam Li was startled. “Lady, Lady, it’s the Young Lord.”

Everyone else in the mansion could be kept at bay, but Shen Xiao was the Young Lord and master of the household—no one dared stop him.

Tan Yun-ge panicked. “What do I do? I look like this—what do I do?”

Madam Li steadied herself. “Don’t worry, Lady. I’ve prepared hot water in the bathhouse. Go in and wash off the paste, then take a bath. I’ll stall for time outside…”

There was no other way. Tan Yun-ge nodded hurriedly and slipped into the bathhouse.

She had barely entered when Shen Xiao stepped through the door.

Madam Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hurried forward. “Young Lord. The Lady is still unwell, she just broke into a sweat and is bathing. May I ask you to wait a moment?”

Shen Xiao nodded, then suddenly frowned and sniffed the air.

“What’s that smell? Why does it reek so badly?”

Following the odor, Shen Xiao found the big bowl recently used by Madam Li and Tan Yun-ge. He leaned in for a sniff and immediately clamped his hand over his nose. “Are you people eating dung in here?”