Chapter 10: Chapter Ten: The Mansion Doctor Confesses!

Hearing such a sharp shout, everyone in the room was startled! As for Madam Li, her body actually swayed, and her face turned deathly pale!

"This, Master Zhao? How did you know? This, A'nuan, she?" Madam Li asked in disbelief.

Zhao Qing’s expression was grim, and Mu Chang'an, who had entered with him, looked even worse; his face was as dark and gloomy as a gathering storm, making people tremble with fear.

"Madam, do not be anxious. First, let Brother Zhao examine A'nuan."

Upon hearing the title "Master Zhao," the manor physician’s face turned ash-white. His body went limp involuntarily, and he collapsed by the bedside, unable to move.

Concubine Song’s body also swayed, and she bit her lip hard. *It can’t be! I didn’t arrange for anyone to poison her, it can’t be!* However, Zhao Qing’s next words pushed her into a desperate situation.

"This is the poison of the Heart-Loss Herb. Zihe, go and write down the prescription quickly."

"Yes, Father." A young boy, who looked to be about the same age as Mu Xin'nuan, went to the table, picked up a brush, and rapidly wrote down the prescription as Zhao Qing dictated it.

"Have someone fetch the medicine immediately. Boil two bowls of water down to one, and bring it here with all speed."

Nurse Yu hurriedly accepted the order. As she was about to leave with the prescription, she heard, "Nurse, don't be anxious. I will go with you. Since someone wants to harm Sister A'nuan, we cannot be careless with this antidote."

Nurse Yu was stunned. She glanced at her mistress, and seeing Madam Li nod, she allowed Mu Qingxuan to follow. The young girl’s face was filled with indignation; it was clear she had already concluded that someone was trying to harm her elder sister.

Mu Chang'an watched as Zhao Qing finished applying acupuncture to his daughter. Seeing her gradually regain consciousness, he felt a great sense of relief. As for the manor physician, he had already ordered the steward to drag him away for a thorough interrogation!

His daughter had clearly been poisoned, yet this quack had claimed it was merely a surge of blood and qi. What kind of logic was that?

How could a young child suffer from such a heart ailment? It was clearly done at someone’s instigation! Of course, Mu Chang'an did not need to say this aloud; everyone present, master and servant alike, understood it perfectly well.

"Reporting to Master, the physician has confessed. He said he accepted bribes from Concubine Song. Previously, he had ordered someone to put Polygala in the Eldest Miss's medicine, and only once every two days, so that the Eldest Miss's injuries would fluctuate. As for why Concubine Song did this, he does not know. As for today, the Eldest Miss was indeed poisoned, but it was because of Concubine Song’s hints that he claimed it was a surge of blood and qi."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Song immediately knelt on the ground. "Master, Old Madam, this servant is wronged! Ever since the physician entered the room, I haven't said a single word to him. I beg Master to seek justice for me."

Mu Chang'an’s expression was already extremely ugly. "Someone, go to the kitchen and investigate. Detain all the maids and matrons who handled the Miss's medicine and interrogate them carefully."

"Yes, Master."

It was clear he no longer believed Concubine Song. Seeing Mu Xin'nuan wake up, but noticing her lips were still tinged with purple, Zhao Qing asked with concern, "A'nuan, does your heart ache?"

Mu Xin'nuan nodded slightly. "Uncle Zhao, A'nuan feels like she cannot catch her breath."

She spoke each word with great difficulty, her voice extremely faint. One didn't need to look at her face to know that she was in great pain, clearly still suffering from the torment of the poison.

"A'nuan, do not be afraid. With Uncle Zhao here, I will certainly cure you. Your Brother Zihe has gone personally to brew your medicine; I will never let anything happen to you again."

"Thank you, Uncle Zhao."

Before a conclusion could be reached, Old Master Mu entered. Seeing his own eldest granddaughter in such a state, he was naturally heartbroken!

Mu Xin'nuan had grown up by his and the Old Madam's side since she was small, and she was naturally more dear to him than the other children. Now, hearing that his granddaughter had been poisoned, one could imagine how intense his fury was!

Mu Chang'an was about to continue the interrogation, but Old Master Mu shook his head at him. Although Zhao Qing and Mu Chang'an had been friends for many years and their families were close, he was still an outsider! The saying goes that family scandals should not be aired in public; Old Master Mu felt he could not afford to lose face like this!

Zhao Qing understood this as well and asked no more. He waited until Zhao Zihe and Mu Qingxuan brought the medicine in. After Madam Li fed it to her personally and another quarter of an hour passed, Zhao Qing checked her pulse again and said, "The antidote has begun to take effect. If there are no accidents, two more doses will completely clear the poison from A'nuan's body."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and began a thorough investigation into the poisoning.

After carefully examining the dregs in the medicine pot that hadn't been discarded yet, Zhao Qing’s face darkened. "There is indeed Heart-Loss Herb in here! The dosage is small, but as the previous physician said, if she had been given Polygala before, adding this Heart-Loss Herb would intensify its toxicity! That is why A'nuan suddenly vomited blood and fainted."

"Master Zhao, will this poison leave any lasting effects on A'nuan?"

"That shouldn't happen, but she will need careful recuperation. After all, A'nuan is still young. It is fortunate that it was discovered in time; otherwise, if it had truly been treated as a surge of blood and qi, I fear that A'nuan..."

Zhao Qing did not finish his sentence, but everyone knew the dire consequences.

Concubine Song had been kneeling for a long time, having moved from the inner room to the outer room, all the while thinking of how to clear her name.

"Song-shi, what else do you have to say? I used to think you were a good person. If not for that, Mother would not have let you manage the kitchen so that I could take care of A'nuan! Now look, you have grown so bold that you dare to plot against my daughter!" Madam Li rebuked angrily.

When Madam Li said this, the Old Madam also felt embarrassed. After all, it was she who had suggested that Concubine Song manage the kitchen. Who would have thought that such a person would dare to target the eldest daughter of the Mu household?

"This servant is wronged! I am wronged! I beg Madam to investigate clearly. This matter was absolutely not done by me! It must be that physician making false accusations. I beg Master to investigate!"

Mu Xinyao panicked. "It can't be, it can't be! Concubine Mother never thought of killing Eldest Sister. Concubine Mother said it was just some Polygala, it wouldn't kill anyone!"

As soon as she said this, Mu Xinyao realized her mistake. She quickly covered her mouth, widened her eyes, glanced at her grandfather in the seat of honor, and hurriedly changed her words. "No! That’s not what I meant. No, Concubine Mother didn't have anyone poison her."

The slip had been made; trying to patch it up was not so easy.

In the inner room, besides Nurse Yu and Rong Yue, only Mu Qingxuan and Zhao Zihe were keeping her company. Neither of them noticed that the corners of Mu Xin'nuan’s mouth, still slightly purple, had quietly curled up. That beautiful, cold arc was like the bright moon hanging in the night sky—beautiful, yet unreal!