CHAPTER 518: CHAPTER 518: PRESERVED FRUIT

Mrs. Wang did not expect the sudden collapse of the Old Madam.

Nor did she expect the Heir of Uncle Yongcheng to be poisoned to death.

Mrs. Wang sent someone to fetch a doctor, and with Hongxiu, helped the Old Madam back to her room.

The Old Madam lay on the bed, her face pale.

Hongxiu looked at Mrs. Wang and muttered softly, "The Heir of Uncle Yongcheng is dead, why is the Old Madam reacting so strongly?"

The affection the Old Madam held for Elder Yongcheng was very evident to both Hongxiu and Mrs. Wang.

But that was because Elder Yongcheng once saved the Old Madam.

It’s one thing to love Elder Yongcheng, but why treat his son as a grandson too?

When the Young Master was severely poisoned and on the brink of death several times, the last time even requiring being carried back from the Dongxiang Marquis Mansion,

the Old Madam didn’t show even a hint of worry.

Yet with the Heir of Uncle Yongcheng dead, she seemed so anxious.

Hongxiu found it inexplicably peculiar.

Mrs. Wang already had her suspicions, and with Hongxiu’s comments, her doubts were further amplified.

Moreover, the doctor came to check the Old Madam’s pulse and said she fainted due to overwhelming grief.

The Old Madam’s fondness for Uncle Yongcheng Mansion was excessive.

Even the young masters and young ladies in the Prince Mansion probably couldn’t cause her such sorrow.

...

Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

A private room.

Uncle Yongcheng Mansion passed below with a coffin in tow, seen from Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The Heir of Duke Chong and Heir of Wu’an Bo, and the Eldest Young Master of the Minister of War were standing nearby watching.

Their faces were all deathly pale.

The person with whom they laughed and talked just yesterday had turned into a cold corpse overnight, how could they not be afraid?

Although the idea to kidnap Princess Consort Zhenbei came from the Heir of Uncle Yongcheng.

He had ulterior motives and wanted to get a few boxes of scar ointment for the eldest girl of Uncle Yongcheng Mansion.

But all three of them were involved in carrying out the plan.

Originally, the plan was to be personally executed by the Heir of Duke Chong; why it changed to the Heir of Uncle Yongcheng is unknown.

With the disappearance of the Heir of Prince Zhenbei and Princess Consort Zhenbei, while the Heir of Uncle Yongcheng ended up dead, they wondered what exactly happened?

Fearful and curious, they dared not speculate.

The most crucial thing they had to do was to keep their mouths shut, or they might bring trouble upon themselves.

...

The Prince and Marquis Dongxiang were unable to sit still while the kidnappers failed to deliver a ransom note.

If it was truly a kidnapping, some message ought to have been sent.

As the morning almost waned, with still no word, they feared Xie Jingchen and Su Jin might have met with ill fate.

When the news that the Heir of Uncle Yongcheng was poisoned to death arrived.

Both the Prince and Marquis Dongxiang knew of Su Jin’s exceptional medical skill.

Although they never understood where she learned her skills from.

They speculated that such an unusual event occurring at such an unusual time might relate to Su Jin’s disappearance.

Marquis Dongxiang sent someone to look into Uncle Yongcheng Mansion.

Uncle Yongcheng Mansion was holding a funeral, and nothing else seemed unusual; a servant went to the villa where the Heir perished.

Upon arriving, raging flames engulfed the villa.

He investigated briefly and found that all the maids and servants had already succumbed to poison.

The servant dared not linger long and hurriedly returned, reporting his findings to the Marquis Dongxiang.

Marquis Dongxiang’s face was ashen.

The burning down of the villa by Uncle Yongcheng Mansion was surely an attempt to cover up the truth about the Heir’s death.

He certainly wasn’t poisoned!

Marquis Dongxiang dared not let his imagination run wild, certain that his Jinjim was blessed and would come to no harm.

And thus, the entire Dongxiang Marquis Mansion endured a day of torment.

In the evening, the anxiety reached a peak.

Su Chong and Prince NanAn went to Great Buddha Temple to find Xie Jingchen.

Since they disappeared from Great Buddha Temple, perhaps some clues could be found there.

Unfortunately, after a whole day of searching, they found nothing.

As night fell, they rode down the mountain.

Each felt as though a massive weight pressed upon their chests.

Even the typically jovial and perpetually smiling Prince NanAn had no trace of a smile on his face.

They descended the mountain.

In the distance, a horse approached.

Chu Shun’s eyes widened.

"That’s Jue Ying!"

"It’s Brother Jingchen’s horse!"

They rode hastily over.

Upon reaching Jue Ying, they almost stopped breathing.

The saddle was stained with blood, and flies buzzed around it.

This was Xie Jingchen’s horse.

Who could have guessed the blood on the saddle belonged to the Heir of Uncle Yongcheng and not Xie Jingchen?

Such a quantity of blood...

Tears welled in Chu Shun and the others’ eyes.

At the same time —

In Li Family Village.

Inside an ordinary farmhouse.

A simply dressed woman was decocting medicine.

From her back, one would never guess she was the revered Princess Consort Zhenbei.

Su Jin was decocting medicine.

A woman approached, reaching for the fan in Su Jin’s hand, saying, "Your wound hasn’t healed yet, let me do this kind of menial work."

"No need, I can do it myself," Su Jin replied.

Su Jin insisted, so the woman relented.

Outside, an old woman came over, and the woman hurried to greet her, saying, "Aunt Chunhua, what brings you here?"

The old woman smiled and said, "I came to borrow your cow."

She handed the woman ten copper coins.

The woman took them and asked, "When do you need it?"

"Tomorrow," the old woman responded.

She noticed Su Jin and smiled, "Is someone visiting your home?"

"Yes, she is my distant cousin," the woman smiled back.

"She has a good figure; is she married?" the old woman asked.

"Yes, she is," the woman replied with a smile.

The old woman seemed a bit disappointed.

She loved matchmaking for people.

After arranging to borrow the cow the next day, the old woman left.

Su Jin finished decocting the medicine and poured it into a bowl, bringing it inside for Xie Jingchen to drink.

Xie Jingchen was about to get out of bed when Su Jin said, "What are you getting up for?"

Xie Jingchen looked at her, "You already got out of bed."

"I only have superficial wounds," Su Jin replied.

Xie Jingchen hated superficial wounds.

While in the Prince Mansion, he could still hold Su Jin to sleep at night.

But with these superficial wounds, he couldn’t even touch her.

Su Jin lifted the bowl of medicine, but her arm twinged with pain, causing her to wince.

Her ointment was somehow lost, and when she had someone go buy medicine, she forgot to mention buying something for blood circulation and bruising, so relying on her body’s recovery would take at least seven or eight days.

She wanted someone to reassure her parents, but the man was afraid to go into town.

Six months ago, he was beaten in town and nearly lost his life, leaving him with a mental block about it.

Su Jin couldn’t force him; even getting him to buy medicine was quite fortunate.

She sat by the bedside with the bowl, feeding Xie Jingchen the medicine.

Xie Jingchen wanted Su Jin to feed him, but his heart ached for her sore arm.

He took the bowl from Su Jin, sniffed it, and said, "It’s too bitter."

"Bitter medicine is good for you. Drink it while it’s hot," Su Jin said.

Looking at her, he said, "No preserved fruits."

"You have," Su Jin replied.

"I don’t," Su Jin glared at him.

Xie Jingchen gulped down the medicine in one go.

Taking the bowl, Su Jin was pulled into his arms by Xie Jingchen.

Their lips met.

A lingering kiss, mingled with bitterness and faint sweetness.

Xie Jingchen felt satisfied, then let her go.

Su Jin’s face was flushed red.

Under Xie Jingchen’s scorching gaze, Su Jin wiped her lips fiercely.

Xie Jingchen’s face darkened, and he glared at her, "Disgusted by me?!"

"Who knows if, while you were staying in the barn, you got kissed by a cow?" Su Jin replied.