Chapter 18 Lady Jin''s n


    Noticing that Yun Shang was staring at her, Lady Jin chuckled," Fear not, I heard from others that


    Shang''er had fallen into aa after catching a cold. I was quite worried. That''s why I came by." As


    she spoke, she turned to the person behind her," Madam Zheng,e here and check if Shang''er is


    alright."


    The person who followed Lady Jin lifted her cape and approached the bed. Yun Shang recognized her


    as the olddy who had opened the gate for her when she visited Lady Jin at the Cold Pce.


    Lady Jin noticed the curious look on Yun Shang''s face and said," Shang''er, do not underestimate


    Madam Zheng. Her medical skills could rival that of any Imperial Physician in the Pce. I''ve been


    healthy all these years all because of Madam Zheng. Shang''er, show her your hand. Let Madam Zheng


    feel your pulse."


    Yun Shang nodded. Of all the people in the Pce, she knew the one person she didn''t have to doubt


    was her mother. Lady Jin had learned of Yun Shang''s sickness and hade to check on her despite


    all the danger. Yun Shangmented having hurt Lady Jin so much in her previous life. The young


    Princess feltfort in the knowledge that Lady Jin had informers around the Pce. How else could


    she have known that Yun Shang had fallen ill so quickly? While others nted spies for malicious


    reasons, Lady Jin had done so because she cared about her daughter. Along with thefort, this


    conclusion brought a tinge of sadness. In Yun Shang''s previous life, she had spoken poorly of her


    mother openly. Lady Jin must have known all the heartless words uttered by her. Yun Shang now


    thought herself despicable.


    Madam Zheng gently put her hand on Yun Shang''s wrist. After a while, she eximed in surprise," Your


    Highness, the Princess was poisoned."


    "What, poisoned?" The three other people in the room were startled by this revtion.


    Lady Jin''s expression changed to worry. Looking at Madam Zheng, she said," How could it be poison? I


    thought she caught a cold and that her body was hot because of the fever. Madam, do you know what


    poison was used? Do you have a cure?"


    Madam Zheng frowned as she spoke," The Princess was probably poisoned by oleander. Her


    poisoning was not serious, so it will be easy to cure. Take two maces of ginseng and mondo grass, one


    mace of magnolia-vine, boil twice with water, mix them up, and take it in two separate doses. Although


    the poisoning looks like a cold or a fever, anyone with above average medical knowledge would be


    able to tell the difference by feeling her pulse. This shouldn''t have been treated as a fever. Perhaps the


    Imperial Physician was bribed to say it was. If the Princess asks for the herbs herself, they will be


    suspicious..."


    The magnitude of the situation finally dawned on Qin Yi. Feeling shocked, she said," But how was the


    Princess poisoned? I have always been careful with the Princess'' utensils and tableware. How did


    people find the opportunity?"


    Upon hearing this, Madam Zheng checked Yun Shang''s body again thoroughly and said," I suppose


    the poison was mixed in the bathwater the Princess used. I examined the Princess thoroughly just now.


    Although she was wiped over with antiseptic alcohol which covered up the smell of oleander


    neck."


    "Bathwater?" Qin Yi quickly thought back to the previous night and eximed in surprise," It''s Qin


    Meng!"


    Qin Yi quickly narrated the events before Yun Shang''s illness. "Yesterday, it was Qin Meng who


    prepared the bathwater. After the Princess told me that Qin Meng seemed suspicious, I paid extra


    attention to her actions. This morning, it was Qin Meng who reminded me that once the Princess


    received her title, many concubines woulde by to congratte her. She asked me to serve the


    Princess. That Imperial Physician was sent for by Qin Meng as well. He had instructed me to wipe the


    Princess''s body with alcohol. It must have been Qin Meng''s scheme to add oleander in the bathwater


    and then bribe a Physician and trick me to cover the evidence with alcohol..."


    "Yes..." Qin Yi suddenly thought of something else and added hastily," What about the medicine? I''ll


    find the medicine prescribed by the Physician so that Madam Zheng can have a look." She walked out


    as she finished her sentence.


    Lady Jin frowned and sighed. "I didn''t expect Li Yiran to be malicious. Years ago, I didn''t want to fight


    with her and voluntarily left for the Cold Pce hoping that she would be assured and not scheme to


    harm Shang''er. I never thought that she still wouldn''t let go..."


    Yun Shang smiled and reassured Lady Jin," Mother, it is not your fault..."


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    Lady Jin still med herself," It is my fault. You wouldn''t have suffered if I hadn''t been so weak. I didn''t


    get to take care of you since you were taken away from me. And all this time, you''ve had to watch your


    back by yourself. One careless step and you could lose your life. Thinking about what you''ve endured


    all these years breaks my heart."


    Yun Shang felt warmth rising in her heart. Even though she had seen Lady Jin only a few times, her


    concern and genuine sorrow were heartening. Yun Shang could not help but feel a lump in her throat.


    All this time she had cursed her mother without knowing how Lady Jin truly felt.


    "Madam, here''s the medicine. Please take a look and see if there''s anything wrong..." Qin Yi could be


    heard even before she lifted the curtain and stepped inside. The bowl of medicine in her hand was still


    steaming as she walked in.


    Madam Zheng took a deep breath, frowned, and said," I don''t need to look. I can smell it already." She


    turned around," There is oleander juice in this medicine, and from the smell, it''s a substantial dose."


    Hearing this, Qin Yi''s face turned pale. "What a sinister n! If it weren''t for Lady Jin and Madam


    Zheng, I would have brought this medicine to the Princess. If the Princess takes this..."


    Madam Zheng calmly interrupted," If she drinks this bowl of medicine, I''m afraid the Princess wouldn''t


    live past tomorrow morning." She let out a sigh as she spoke," Empress Yuan Zhen is indeed devious.


    She first made the Princess bathe in water mixed with oleander. Adding so much water to the oleander


    juice would certainly weaken the effect. Besides, she was only bathing, so instead of taking her life, the


    poison wouldn''t do anything more than induce a fever and aa, which then created the opportunity


    for an Imperial Physician to look after the Princess and add more oleander juice in the medicine. If


    something went wrong, they could just im that the Princess was too weak to withstand the fevers..."


    Yun Shangughed mildly with a bit of self-deprecation. She thought she had been extremely careful,


    and that she could defeat Empress Yuan Zhen and Hua Jing. She did not expect to almost lose her life.


    Clearly she underestimated the Empress and her power in the Pce.


    Lady Jin''s face also changed," I remember Li Yiran to be a smart woman. I didn''t think she would use


    such schemes against people in the Imperial Household. Madam, how can we get the herbs to cure


    Shang''er?"


    Madam Zheng paced back and forth in the bedroom for a while and eventually said," In this Pce, it''s


    almost impossible to sneak in the herbs and prepare them for the Princess without anyone noticing..."


    Lady Jin stood up right away," What? Then what should we do? Perhaps we can have another one of


    our maids pretend to be sick, so that she can go the the Imperial Physicians, seek these herbs, and


    deliver them to us. We can boil them and deliver the medicine to Shang''er, right?"


    Madam Zheng shook her head and said," My Lady, tell me, would a sick Pce maid be needing


    ginseng?"


    Lady Jin sat down despondently. Yun Shang quickly took Lady Jin''s hand and smiled," Mother, don''t


    worry. The Madam told us, didn''t she? I was only slightly poisoned. The dose was so small that it won''t


    kill me. At most there''s some more pain. I''ll be fine and I will get through it. Mother, please be at ease. I


    will be alright."


    Madam Zheng closely observed Yun Shang. She was filled with admiration for this brave young girl.


    She thought a bit more and said," The best n right now would be to send the Princess out of the


    Pce..."


    "Out of the Pce?" Lady Jin stayed silent as she thought. She then looked up at Yun Shang and


    said," Even though I wouldn''t want to leave you, but at this point, leaving the Pce is actually not a


    bad idea. I am well aware that you received your title and reward, and I feel happy for you. But I am


    afraid this is the exact reason why the Empress won''t leave you alone. The higher you climb, the more


    of a threat you are to her. She will definitely get rid of you before you are fully in power."


    Lady Jin sighed," I heard everything about you through Qin Yi, and I think you are a smart girl. But no


    matter how smart you are, you cannot confront Li Yiran in your current state. Her cunningness aside,


    she has spies in every Hall and every Pce. Her father was the revered Grand Chancellor of the


    previous dynasty. Do you know, Shang''er, why Hua Jing and the Empress were grounded only for one


    day after setting you up? That''s because there was a military revolt in the Northwest. Li Yiran''s brother


    is the Chief Commander of the Northwest garrison. Your father, the Emperor, needs to rely on the Li


    n..."


    Yun Shang sighed," The Empress'' family wields so much power, and the Emperor is just going to allow


    it?"


    Lady Jin frowned and lowered her voice," Shang''er, be careful what you say. If others heard you, they


    would use you of dissent. It''s taboo for the Empress'' family to hold power, but even if we want to


    eradicate the Li n, it''s not the right time. We need to wait..."


    "As long as the Li n has its hold on the court, Li Yiran''s authority cannot be challenged. Shang''er,


    you will not be able to overthrow her at this time. In the Pce, you certainly won''t be safe. It''s better


    that you leave the Pce. Although your grandfather retired from politics, his friends have many


    talents. The things that the Empress wouldn''t allow you to learn in the Pce can be learned if you get


    out. If you can learn all these skills from your grandfather''s friends, then my Shang''er, you might


    be the most talented woman in the world."


    Yun Shang lowered her head and thought for a long time. Finally, she let out a gentle sigh. Her mother


    was right. She was only eight years old, and she had no power of her own. She was limited everywhere


    in this Pce. If she got out, it would be a good way for her to cultivate her own influence.


    Thinking of this, Yun Shang nodded atst," I will obey mother''s arrangements. But how shall I sneak


    out of the Pce?"


    Lady Jin''s face lit up with a smile," Leave that to your mother."