For a moment, all the guards in the palace and the imperial physicians were in a complete uproar.
They not only inspected every delicacy served at the palace banquet one by one but also interrogated all the palace servants who had been present.
However, the answer they got was that there was no poison.
"How could there be no poison!" Xiao Wang tightly grabbed the front of the chief physician's robe.
"R...reply to Your Highness, we've inspected all the dishes served at the palace banquet, and there really is no poison!"
"Then why did A Yu vomit blood!"
"I...I don't know..."
Just then, Song Yanran stepped forward.
In a soft voice, she said, "Your Highness, perhaps it's because younger sister's previous serious illness hasn't fully healed yet?"
By saying this, even if Song Qingyu managed to survive this time, in the future, due to the unhealed illness, she would be sent back to the manor to recuperate.
Xiao Wang let go of the chief physician and gave Song Yanran a fierce glare.
However, then he grabbed the front of a guard's robe.
"Have all the maids and eunuchs been interrogated?"
The guard nodded repeatedly. "They've all been interrogated, and there are no issues."
"It can't be. There must be someone who poisoned her!" Xiao Wang shouted. "Go, lock up all the maids and eunuchs in the Punishment Department. I'll interrogate them myself!"
"Nonsense!" The Emperor gave a cold rebuke.
Frightened, everyone knelt down and shouted in unison, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
"Prince, you should be mindful of your status."
The Emperor's voice was low, and there was clearly a hint of anger in his tone.
As the crown prince of the country, how could he be so infatuated with a woman.
Back then, when Song Qingyu contracted a serious illness and was sent out of the capital, Xiao Wang, regardless of his status, knelt outside the Imperial Study for three days and three nights and pleaded for three days and three nights.
At that time, he had decided that he must not let Song Qingyu stay by Xiao Wang's side any longer.
Unexpectedly, three years had passed, and Xiao Wang still couldn't forget Song Qingyu.
Just then, Xie Jingchu rushed over in a hurry.
"Your Majesty, when I was in Qinzhou, I once heard someone say that there are people who hide poison under their fingernails to administer it."
Seeing that the Emperor remained silent, as if he didn't want to continue investigating this matter,
Xie Jingchu then continued, "I'm惶恐. If there really is someone in the palace using such a method to poison people, then Your Majesty's safety is at great risk!"
Hearing this, the Emperor's eyes widened slightly.
He immediately said, "Go, follow what the Marquis of Chengen said and immediately investigate the fingernails of every maid and eunuch!"
Sure enough, in this world, only when one's own safety is endangered will they pay attention.
Ruan Jiu was still in a coma, her breathing weak.
There was not a trace of color on her delicate little face.
Xiao Wang stayed by the bedside without leaving for a single step, his eyes full of worry and guilt.
It was his fault that he hadn't protected Ruan Jiu well, which had allowed her to be framed just like Song Qingyu.
However, Ruan Jiu's symptoms seemed even more serious than Song Qingyu's back then. If Ruan Jiu didn't wake up, what should he do!
At this moment, he didn't know whether he was worried about Ruan Jiu's face or Ruan Jiu herself.
Xie Jingchu, who was just as worried as Xiao Wang, could only stand three meters away, staring intently at Xiao Wang tightly holding Ruan Jiu's hand.
Although this scene in front of him was extremely harsh, he didn't want to miss Ruan Jiu waking up.
Who on earth wanted to poison Ruan Jiu?
Could it be Song Yanran?
Recalling the Crown Prince's birthday banquet and the banquet for selecting a husband for Miss Song Er, it seemed that Ruan Jiu had deliberately provoked Song Yanran both times.
Could it be that Ruan Jiu pretended to be Song Qingyu because of Song Yanran?
If it really was Song Yanran who had harmed Ruan Jiu, he would surely never let her go!
Just then, a guard rushed over to report.
"Reply to Your Majesty, all the palace servants have been inspected, and no one is hiding poison!"
Hearing this, Xiao Wang immediately let go of Ruan Jiu's hand.
He walked straight forward and asked in disbelief, "No one is hiding poison?!"
For a moment, how Ruan Jiu had been poisoned and what kind of poison it was once again became a difficult problem.
Song Yanran said, "Your Highness, younger sister's previous illness was very strange, and all the imperial physicians in the palace were at a loss. Perhaps this time it's just a recurrence of the old illness and not poisoning."
After hearing this, the chief physician immediately chimed in, "Yes, perhaps it's because I'm not well - learned that I misdiagnosed Miss Song Er as being poisoned!"
There's a saying that goes, "A wise man submits to circumstances."
In the current situation, the chief physician wasn't sure what kind of poison Miss Song Er had been poisoned with. If he continued to insist that it was poisoning and he didn't have a way to detoxify her, his life might be in danger!
Now that the Crown Princess had given him a way out, he might as well take it.
At worst, he would lose his official position, but at least he could return to his hometown to spend his remaining years in comfort.
It was still much better than losing his life!
"Say that again!"
"Enough!" The Emperor immediately spoke up to stop Xiao Wang and said coldly, "Since it's not poisoning, then let's put this matter to rest! Send Miss Song Er back to the Song Prince's Mansion to recuperate!"
"Father..."
"Prince! You should remember your status. Otherwise, I won't mind sending Miss Song Er out of the capital again."
Xiao Wang clenched his fists tightly, and veins popped out on his forehead.
Back then, Song Qingyu suddenly contracted a serious illness, and all the imperial physicians were helpless.
Later, he heard from others that as long as one kowtowed three steps and nine times all the way to Baoguo Temple, the Bodhisattva would show mercy.
So he could only pin his last hope on the gods and Buddhas. Regardless of the opposition from the court officials, he knelt all the way from the palace to Baoguo Temple.
When the Emperor found out about this, he was extremely angry and immediately ordered Song Qingyu to be sent away.
And this time, he would never let Ruan Jiu be sent away!
So he knelt on the ground, clasped his hands in front of him, and said, "Your son knows his mistake."
However, Song Yanran beside him was overjoyed.
She glanced at Ruan Jiu lying on the bed and secretly gloated in her heart.
Song Qingyu, you couldn't defeat me three years ago, and you still can't defeat me three years later!
My dear younger sister, after you leave the Eastern Palace, the next time we meet will be in the afterlife.
-
After Ruan Jiu returned to the Song Prince's Mansion, her condition didn't improve at all. Instead, it got worse day by day.
She slept most of the day and was awake only for a very short time.
But every time she woke up, she would vomit a lot of blood.
Neither the imperial physicians nor the wandering doctors from the rivers and lakes could find any way to treat her.
They only said that this illness came on suddenly and strangely, just like three years ago.
Xiao Wang even posted notices far and wide, searching for a divine doctor to treat Ruan Jiu.
At first, some doctors came to treat her for the high consultation fee, but they all returned without success.
Now the reward amount on the notice had reached as high as ten thousand taels of gold, but no one dared to come.
For a moment, everyone in the capital knew that Miss Song Er had contracted a serious illness again and there was no medicine to cure it.
Every time Xie Jingchu came to visit, he was turned away.
He could only wait outside the mansion gate every day, trying to find out about Ruan Jiu's condition.
He knew that the Prince of Song wouldn't dare to treat him like this. This must be Xiao Wang's intention.
It seemed that Xiao Wang was determined not to let him see Ruan Jiu!
"Have the divine doctors from Qinzhou and Shuozhou been found?" Xiao Wang's voice was low, but his eyes were fixed firmly on the gate of the Song Prince's Mansion.
Qin Yuan replied, "They should arrive tomorrow."
Then he asked puzzledly, "Why is Fourth Master so concerned about Miss Song Er?"
Apart from the cousin girl, this was the first time he had seen Fourth Master so nervous.
He had even mobilized all his secret guards to search for famous doctors everywhere.
Before Xie Jingchu could answer, they saw Xiao Wang's carriage stop outside the mansion gate.
Then, Xiao Wang got out of the carriage and stumbled inside.
Seeing this, an inexplicable sense of uneasiness welled up in his heart.
Could something have happened to Ruan Jiu?