Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 157 The Princess is Poisoned

Chapter 157: Chapter 157 The Princess is Poisoned

Qi Yu strolled around a bit more and then, with Li Mingjue, found a small tavern to sit down in, ordered a few dishes, and a pot of wine.

Gazing at the osmanthus sugar lotus root and squirrel mandarin fish on the menu, her eyes sparkled.

She could finally taste the authentic Jiangnan cuisine.

Li Mingjue chuckled and shook his head, "We haven’t even reached the real Jiangnan yet."

Qi Yu slightly raised her eyebrows, not bothering to argue with him.

Authentic or not, she would first savor the flavors.

After the dishes were served, she picked up a piece of sugar lotus root with her chopsticks and took a bite, only to frown, "This taste..."

"What’s wrong?" Li Mingjue noticed her strange expression and also furrowed his brows.

Qi Yu chewed another bite, savored it carefully, but still found it strange, "This taste is not quite right. Sugar lotus root is supposed to be sweet, so why can I taste a hint of saltiness in this one?"

On hearing her say this, Li Mingjue gestured for the owner to come over.

The owner was a beautiful woman still full of charm. Seeing the two of them with their distinguished appearance, she behaved very enthusiastically, "What can I do for the two gentlemen?"

Her tone was affected and artificial, sending a shiver down Qi Yu’s spine.

Even though in the Jiangnan region, women’s voices are soft and gentle, they should not be uncomfortable to the ear.

The landlady’s tone was syrupy, and though at first she sounded like a Jiangnan woman, her accent was not quite authentic.

As someone from Suzhou herself, Qi Yu immediately noticed the difference.

She put down her chopsticks and said to the landlady, who was smiling coquettishly, "Madam, is this truly authentic osmanthus sugar lotus root?"

On hearing this, the landlady’s face changed, and she retorted, "My little inn has been open for more than a decade, and its authenticity has been well-praised. Are you doubting that I’m substituting inferior goods?"

Seeing her demeanor, which didn’t seem feigned, Qi Yu felt a growing suspicion in her heart.

If what the landlady said was true, then whence the salty taste in the sugar lotus root?

As she pondered with furrowed brows, she suddenly felt dizzy, and the scene before her eyes began to distort.

She supported her head, her mind turning to mush, and before long, she collapsed onto the table with a "bang."

The landlady was boastfully praising her own tavern, and Li Mingjue, frowning, was frustrated with her.

Suddenly, hearing the sound, he turned around to see Qi Yu slumped over the table, unconscious.

His expression shifted instantly as he lifted her up and held her in his arms, then shouted into the air, "Shiqi!"

Shiqi quickly leaped down from the rooftop. Seeing his Princess unconscious in the Prince’s arms, his pupils flared, and in an instant, he drew his sword, blocking the exit, allowing no one to leave.

Shen Nanxing and Ling Xiao also rushed in, both with different expressions; one overflowing with concern, the other’s eyes briefly showing a glint of satisfaction.

The landlady, too, was stunned by this sudden turn of events, her hands grasping a handkerchief and waving frantically, "This has nothing to do with me!"

Almost in tears, she was horrified; how could such misfortune strike her tavern today?

How could she continue to run her business after this?

Shiqi gave her a disdainful look; she was worried about whether her inn could stay open.

If anything truly happened to their Princess, the Prince would undoubtedly tear this place down.

Li Mingjue instructed Shiqi and Ling Xiao to find any suspicious individuals and sent Shen Nanxing to fetch a doctor from the city.

Then, holding the person in his arms, he leapt up and returned to Yingchun Building, where they had been staying previously.

Shen Xiheng was drinking with Zhou Hong downstairs when they heard a commotion from above. They exchanged glances, set down their wine cups, and hurriedly made their way upstairs.

The noise was coming from Qi Yu’s room. Zhou Hong, with his knife in hand, took the lead, while Shen Xiheng followed behind with a grave expression.

Zhou Hong kicked open the door and frowned when he saw the person inside, "Prince?"

They had thought it was some sort of villain, but it turned out to be their Prince and Princess.

Just as he let out a sigh of relief, he heard Li Mingjue say in a low tone, "Just now, the Princess was schemed against and poisoned."

As soon as Shen Xiheng heard this, he quickly pushed Zhou Hong aside and hastened forward to check on Qi Yu’s condition.

Seeing that she was indeed pale and collapsed on the bed, his heart sank.

If it had been any of the three of them who was poisoned, they wouldn’t be so helpless at this moment, for Qi Yu would certainly be able to save them.

But the one poisoned was Qi Yu herself, and they had no medical skills, nor did they know the competence of the doctors in this city.

It was truly exasperating.

The three of them stood gravely by the bed, and soon after, Shen Nanxing arrived with a hoary-haired doctor.

"Doctor Xu, please take a look at my master!" Shen Nanxing had inquired all the way to find this most esteemed doctor in Ping’an County.

Doctor Xu, carrying his medicine chest, was nearly carried over by others.

Before he could catch his breath, Zhou Hong had dragged him in front of the bed, his tone urgent, "Doctor Xu, can you cure the poison in the... in our master?"

Today, Doctor Xu felt what it was to be whisked from place to place; his feet had barely touched the ground the entire way.

He bent down, glanced at Qi Yu’s complexion, which was already turning cyanotic around the lips—the poison was beginning to take effect.

After feeling her pulse, he sighed and said, "The poison has spread throughout the body. If the antidote is not found within three days, even a deity would be powerless to help!"

Li Mingjue’s face darkened, and repressing the anger in his heart, he asked, "Do you know what poison it is, sir?"

Doctor Xu inserted a few silver needles into Qi Yu’s head to alleviate the spread of the poison’s effects.

He straightened up and said to the man with half a mask, "It’s Soft Muscle Powder. Once poisoned, one will become completely weak and gradually suffocate to death."

"Then where can we find the antidote?" Shen Xiheng’s brow twitched as he asked in haste.

Doctor Xu stroked his beard and pointed to the southwest, saying, "Thirty miles southwest from here, there is a place called Qingyun Peak, where Tuyun Village, also known as Medicine King Valley, is located. The village has many rare poisons, and where there is poison, there naturally is an antidote."

After speaking, he applied a few more needles to control the poison in Qi Yu’s body, then picked up his medicine chest and left.

Shen Nanxing escorted him downstairs, the troubled look still not fading from her brow, and she earnestly asked, "Sir, is there really no other way to save my master?"

Doctor Xu’s eyes flickered slightly, but he then smiled and said, "A person of good fortune will have heaven’s help. Do not worry too much, miss."

Despite the short time, he could tell that whether it was the person lying on the bed or those standing beside her, none were ordinary.

If they went to seek the medicine, Tuyun Village would surely provide it.

Shen Nanxing watched him leave and was about to go upstairs to check on the Princess when she saw Shiqi and Ling Xiao return with the sobbing landlady.

Shiqi took the lead and delivered the person upstairs, eager to hand her over to the Prince as the landlady had cried all the way there.

After a thorough search of the inn, they hadn’t noticed any suspicious individuals.

It seemed likely that the person who had administered the poison had taken advantage of the chaos to flee.

Having no other choice, he brought back the landlady and a dish of candied lotus seeds with osmanthus as their first report.

Ling Xiao lagged a few steps behind and asked Shen Nanxing, "How is the Princess... is she still alright?"