CHAPTER 521: CHAPTER 521: PORTRAIT

Time waits for no one.

After checking the Eldest Prince’s pulse, Su Jin returned to the room to write the prescription.

There was only one sheet of the borrowed paper left from yesterday.

Li Daniu wanted to go fetch the medicine, but Su Jin disagreed.

The poison in the Eldest Prince is urgent and can’t be delayed, it needs fast action.

The carriage we bought got targeted, and they were beaten so badly; if something goes wrong on the way, the Eldest Prince’s life will be lost.

For this noble cousin who just appeared, Su Jin couldn’t afford to gamble.

Xie Jingchen took the prescription, unloaded the carriage, and left on horseback.

After Xie Jingchen left, Su Jin asked the man to help carry the Eldest Prince into the house.

After all, he’s the Eldest Prince, and it’s not right to let him stay in the cowshed.

After moving the Eldest Prince into the house, the woman and Li Daniu retreated.

Li Daniu looked at the woman and said, "She doesn’t seem to recognize her own cousin."

The woman was also puzzled.

Not recognizing your own cousin, but the husband does, it’s a bit too strange.

"Maybe he’s a distant cousin," guessed the woman.

It’s just that the whole family looks too good-looking.

Xie Jingchen headed straight to the town to the pharmacy to get the medicine.

The young assistant took the prescription and said, "Please wait a moment, sir."

The young assistant carefully fetched the medicine, as the dosage had to be precise, otherwise, it could be fatal.

Two government officials walked over, talking as they walked:

"We don’t know if the Heir of Prince Zhenbei is still alive," one of the officials said.

"I think it’s hopeless..."

"I heard there was a bloodstain on the Heir of Prince Zhenbei’s saddle. It was hard enough for him to detoxify, then he got married and was made the heir, and now if he dies just like that, if it were me, I surely wouldn’t die in peace," said the other official.

"There’s a pharmacy here, let’s go in and ask."

Xie Jingchen’s brows furrowed tightly.

The officials walked in.

The young assistant hurriedly put down what he was doing and asked, "Is there something you need, officers?"

One of the officials opened a portrait and asked, "Have you seen this person come for treatment?"

The person in the portrait was Xie Jingchen.

The likeness was pretty accurate.

Wearing a brocade robe, with a jade crown on his head, looking extraordinary.

The portrait was so noble and extraordinary that when he changed into a plain long robe, he was completely ignored.

Or it was a preconceived notion, assuming Xie Jingchen was severely injured or already dead, so the officials didn’t bother to look at the uninjured.

The young assistant glanced at Xie Jingchen, then at the portrait, and found them quite alike.

But with the officials present, he shouldn’t have missed it.

Curious, the young assistant asked, "What crime did this person commit?"

"Just say if you’ve seen him, don’t ask what you shouldn’t," the official replied impatiently.

Seeing that Xie Jingchen showed no signs of guilt, the young assistant assumed it was just a resemblance and shook his head, "Haven’t seen him."

"Let’s go to the next pharmacy and ask," said the official.

The young assistant finished fetching the medicine.

Xie Jingchen paid and left with the medicine.

Time was pressing, he had no time to deal with the officials, and besides, the Eldest Prince was attacked, the assassin might still be in town, and Xie Jingchen had some idea of who would assassinate the Eldest Prince.

Unless people from Prince Zhenbei Mansion and Dongxiang Marquis Mansion came looking, Xie Jingchen wouldn’t reveal his identity.

To ensure Su Jin and the Eldest Prince’s safety, Xie Jingchen had no choice but to let the Prince Mansion and Dongxiang Marquis Mansion worry a bit more. Anyway, he would return to the capital tomorrow.

Xie Jingchen returned to the small courtyard quickly, and Su Jin promptly brewed the medicine and fed it to the Eldest Prince.

Hmm.

The woman fed the medicine, as Xie Jingchen didn’t want Su Jin to be exhausted from it.

Su Jin asked Xie Jingchen, "Is he born of Consort Yun?"

He’s a Prince, and also her cousin.

Aside from being born of Consort Yun, Su Jin couldn’t think of another possibility.

Xie Jingchen replied, "Actually, he’s not born of Consort Yun."

"Not?" Su Jin was a bit surprised.

Xie Jingchen was speechless at Su Jin’s astonishment.

She didn’t even know about the Eldest Prince, yet had such excellent medical skills.

Xie Jingchen could only explain to her.

"The Eldest Prince’s birth mother is Consort Hui. When Consort Hui was pregnant, her maternal clan made mistakes, and she was implicated to be executed by the Empress Dowager. It was Consort Yun who begged the Emperor to spare Consort Hui’s life."

"Consort Hui died in childbirth after giving birth to the Eldest Prince. Before dying, she entrusted the Eldest Prince to Consort Yun, and to this day, the Eldest Prince is still recognized under Consort Yun."

Being recognized under Consort Yun means he’s considered Consort Yun’s son.

Marquis Jibei is Consort Yun’s uncle.

Su Jin is the granddaughter of Marquis Jibei.

The Eldest Prince is naturally Su Jin’s cousin.

Consort Hui and her maternal clan were exterminated, the Eldest Prince was left without support, and could only rely on the connection to Marquis Jibei through Consort Yun’s son.

For so many years, the Empress Dowager and the Empress never paid any attention to the Eldest Prince.

The Eldest Prince also never competed with the Second Prince for attention, living peacefully.

But now Marquis Dongxiang is back, and he brought back the eldest son of Duke Chong’s Mansion.

Su Jin also married Xie Jingchen, becoming the Princess Consort Zhenbei.

The influence of Jibei Marquis Mansion is much stronger than before.

It’s likely they were afraid Jibei Marquis Mansion would support the Eldest Prince, so they struck first.

Xie Jingchen has no doubt that Marquis Dongxiang Mansion is Duke Chong’s Mansion’s nemesis.

Otherwise, why would they assassinate the Eldest Prince, who was already half dead, hiding in a carriage, only to end up in front of Su Jin and being saved by her?

Duke Chong’s Mansion.

In the corridor outside the study.

Duke Chong was happily playing with birds.

With Dongxiang Marquis Mansion and Jibei Marquis Mansion anxiously searching all over the capital for people, how could Duke Chong not be in a good mood?

Dark Guard Li Zhong approached and said, "My lord, the Second Prince has returned to the capital."

"What about the Eldest Prince?" asked Duke Chong.

"The Eldest Prince is missing," Li Zhong replied.

Duke Chong furrowed his brows tightly.

Li Zhong could tell that Duke Chong was dissatisfied with such an answer.

After all, being missing could mean he might return to the capital.

Like how Marquis Dongxiang was "dead" for fifteen years and still came back, specifically to oppose his lordship.

Without seeing a body, one cannot let their guard down.

But the Eldest Prince is different.

Li Zhong said, "The Eldest Prince was severely poisoned and went missing in a town thirty miles outside the capital. The hidden guards searched for half a day and couldn’t find him."

"Send people to continue the search!"

"Find him alive or see his corpse dead!" Duke Chong said coldly.

"If Duke Chong’s people search, they might be misunderstood by Dongxiang Marquis Mansion and Prince Zhenbei Mansion," Li Zhong said worriedly.

"Given the time, the Eldest Prince should have succumbed to the poison by now."

Out of concern for Dongxiang Marquis Mansion and Prince Zhenbei Mansion, the search for the Eldest Prince was put to rest.

Inside the Imperial Study.

Prince Zhenbei and Marquis Dongxiang hadn’t attended the morning court for two days. The Emperor, having heard of the blood on Xie Jingchen’s saddle at Ma’an Mountain, was also worried for him and Su Jin.

In a bad mood, he was distracted while reviewing the memorials.

He hadn’t finished yesterday’s memorials, and today there were even more.

The Emperor picked up a memorial, unable to read it.

Outside, a little eunuch ran in saying, "Your Majesty, something bad has happened."

At that moment—

The Emperor’s heart sank to the bottom.

Eunuch Fu’s heart leapt to his throat.

Please don’t let it be that something really happened to the Heir of Prince Zhenbei and Princess Consort Zhenbei.

The little eunuch stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, on their way back to the capital, the Second Prince and Eldest Prince were attacked. The Second Prince was injured, and the Eldest Prince is poisoned and missing."

The Emperor’s complexion changed.

He stood up abruptly from the Dragon Chair.

Eunuch Fu hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, don’t worry. The Eldest Prince has a great fortune and will surely be fine."