Ch 129: Show No Mercy If Necessary
Prince Qing slightly parted his lips, accompanied by a subtle yet clear cough.
His gaze slowly turned to Mu Xia, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible weakness: “Mu Xia, immediately send someone to thoroughly investigate this matter; there must be no mistakes.”
“Yes, sir.” Mu Xia responded and retreated.
Wang Qishen witnessed Prince Qing’s slightly difficult cough, and his heart involuntarily stirred with tenderness and pity; his gaze was full of concern.
Prince Qing gently patted his chest, as if trying to dispel the stuffiness in his chest, and then barely lowered his voice, which was slightly hoarse from coughing, and slowly said: “Mr. Wang, what are your thoughts on the National Master’s proposal that the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess accompany this Prince to Jingdu?”
“Imperial Physician Wu had declared that this Prince’s body is too weak to withstand the hardships of a long journey; going to Jiangnan is even more impossible. However, the National Master’s words are completely different from Imperial Physician Wu’s, which is puzzling.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qishen’s brows flashed with a hint of seriousness. After a moment of thought, he slowly spoke, choosing his words carefully: “Imperial Physician Wu said that the Prince’s illness would not support the Prince’s personal trip to Jiangnan, while the National Master’s words are completely different from Imperial Physician Wu’s.”
“I dare to speculate that perhaps the Crown Princess has a clever plan that can ensure that the Prince’s illness will not hinder his safe journey south.”
“Crown Princess…” Prince Qing slightly parted his lips, repeatedly savoring these three words, and involuntarily imagining that elegant and refined figure in his mind.
During these days, he stayed in his mansion, and the medicine he took had a slightly hypnotic effect. Every time he finished taking the medicine, he would lean on a small couch for a rest.
Each of these brief rests would lead him into a short and warm dream.
In the dream, a beautiful figure was treating his illness.
Whenever the bitter medicine juice slid down his throat, she would always promptly offer a sweet candied fruit.
Knowing that he had a poor appetite due to his illness, she even cooked for him personally.
As time went on, her cooking skills seemed to grow with her feelings, and every dish became more refined, perfectly matching his taste.
And his illness gradually improved under the meticulous care of the beautiful figure in his dream.
But these dreams were always intermittent.
And every time he woke up, he would forget the face of that beautiful figure.
He subconsciously felt that the beautiful figure was not Jiaojiao. Although Jiaojiao loved him, she was someone who did not do any housework. Let alone cooking, she didn’t even know medicine.
Therefore, the figure in the dream was definitely not Jiaojiao.
Prince Qing pondered for several days but still couldn’t figure out the person’s identity.
He slowly raised his eyelids, looked at Wang Qishen, and softly said: “Mr. Wang, in your opinion, do dreams hold any truth?”
Hearing this, Wang Qishen pondered for a moment, then solemnly looked at Prince Qing and said: “I firmly believe that people’s dreams must have a deep meaning, they are not groundless and will carry a certain warning.”
“Dare I ask Your Highness, what exactly did you experience in your dream?”
Prince Qing’s lips parted slightly, his voice gentle and deep: “In my dream, I saw a woman gently washing my hands and cooking for me. Even more amazing is that she was able to cure my stubborn illness.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Qishen’s eyes flashed with a hint of surprise, and then he said: “This dream must be a good omen, perhaps it is a sign that Your Highness’s trip to Jiangnan will be smooth and successful.”
Hearing these words, a hint of pleasure appeared in Prince Qing’s eyes, “Then I’ll take your word for it, Mr. Wang.”
……
Meng Mansion
When Mr. Meng learned that the Xiao Family not only had an audience with His Majesty but also had been promoted to Imperial Merchant, his heart was instantly filled with mixed emotions.
He stared at the note in his hand, the gloom in his eyes deepening, and a strange sense of crisis quietly arose, as if something was slipping out of his control.
Mr. Meng held the note tightly, his fingertips slightly white from the force. His eyes were sharp as he turned to the man standing in the room, his voice low and firm: “Increase the manpower, and be sure to find out their whereabouts. If necessary… don’t hold back!”
The man’s eyes flashed, revealing a hint of surprise, “Okay, but regarding the reward…”
Upon hearing this, Mr. Meng’s brows furrowed slightly, “Didn’t I already give you a lump sum?” His words carried a hint of puzzlement and displeasure.
The man smirked, “That was for supervision; this time is completely different. We might see bloodshed. If we deal with those three for Mr. Meng, and then you have second thoughts and want to kill us to silence us, wouldn’t we also need to leave ourselves a way out, and prepare more money to run away?”
Mr. Meng’s eyes instantly darkened like ink, clearly not expecting the other party to be able to see through his hidden calculations. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out the words: “Understood, I’ll give you another one hundred taels later.”
Upon hearing this, a smile immediately appeared on the man’s face.
……
Erquan’s body quickly recovered under the careful care of Meng Tingyue’s people, but he still couldn’t move.
Meng Tingyue brought people out of the city as soon as she heard the news.
When she stepped into the farmhouse gate, she saw many people inside, and the sounds of busy footsteps and whispers intertwined, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere.
“What exactly happened?” Qingdian swiftly blocked a maid servant who was hurrying along and looking anxious, and anxiously asked.
The maid servant was obviously from the Crown Prince’s Mansion, and she recognized Qingdian and Meng Tingyue standing side by side, and quickly bowed.
Her voice carried a hint of panic: “Someone actually poisoned the medicine, and the people in the room are already deeply poisoned. The situation is critical, and I was about to find a physician to treat them.”
The maid servant looked even more anxious, “The old physician who usually stays at the farmhouse had an urgent matter at home and has rushed back, while the newly hired physician is still on the way and hasn’t arrived yet.”
Upon hearing this news, Meng Tingyue already had a general idea, and the figure of the person behind the scenes quickly formed in her mind.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, and without saying a word, she turned and quickly walked towards the room in front of her.
Seeing this, the maid servants in the room hurriedly bowed, their movements filled with panic and unease.
Meng Tingyue didn’t pay any attention to them and went straight to the bedside, gently placing her slender fingers on Erquan’s wrist; the pulse she felt was heavy and erratic.
Her gaze fell on Erquan’s face, and seeing that his lips were not yet purple, she was slightly relieved.
“How long has he been poisoned?” Meng Tingyue’s voice was calm and steady.
The maid servant quickly replied: “Less than a cup of tea’s time.”
Hearing this, Meng Tingyue was slightly relieved, and then instructed: “Quickly prepare salt water and soft feathers.”
