A Concubine's Competitive Life in the Prince's Household-Chapter 87

The summer night wind grew fiercer, rustling the trees in the courtyard noisily. Shen Wei lifted her gaze, and a slender, snow-white figure came into view.

It was a young man in white robes, his features as exquisite as a painting, exuding an air of effortless charm.

Shen Wei was a little surprised. She had imagined the renowned "Mo the Divine Physician" to be a white-haired old man. Instead, Mo the Divine Physician appeared startlingly young—perhaps not even twenty—and more beautiful than most women.

"Your humble servant greets His Highness, Prince Yan," Mo the Divine Physician said casually, cupping his hands in a perfunctory salute.

Prince Yan gave a slight nod.

Mo the Divine Physician strode into the room, stepping past the tall white jade screen before bending down beside Li Yao. He first examined the pool of vomit on the floor, then studied the girl’s pallid complexion before finally taking her pulse.

The room was silent; no one dared disturb him.

The Princess Consort twisted the silk handkerchief in her hands, her mind racing through possible strategies. Li Yao had been poisoned, and the culprit had to be uncovered tonight—whether it was Shen Wei or one of the other concubines in the manor.

Someone had to take the blame for poisoning the Prince’s daughter.

"Bring milk," Mo the Divine Physician ordered.

A maidservant hurriedly presented a flask of milk.

Mo the Divine Physician used it to induce vomiting once more, then took out silver needles from his pouch and swiftly applied them to several acupoints on Li Yao’s body. Finally, he fed her a specially prepared pill. His movements were fluid, practiced.

A short while later, Mo the Divine Physician leisurely stepped out from behind the screen, washing his hands in a basin. As he dried them with a cloth, he remarked, "It’s food poisoning."

The Princess Consort had been waiting for these very words!

Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out to Prince Yan, "Your Highness, you must seek justice for Yao'er. She’s only eight years old—someone must have poisoned her food! Whoever did this is vile and must be punished severely!"

Prince Yan fell into deep thought.

Who would target an eight-year-old girl like Li Yao?

Of course, in his mind, Shen Wei had already been ruled out as a suspect.

Mo the Divine Physician glanced at the tearful Princess Consort and drawled, "The child did suffer from food poisoning, but in my judgment, no one poisoned her."

The Princess Consort stiffened, her displeasure at this inexplicable wandering physician flaring. "What kind of quack is this? Neither man nor woman in appearance, spouting nonsense! If she was poisoned, someone must have done it!"

Prince Yan shot her a warning look. "Mind your words."

Mo the Divine Physician was the foremost healer in the realm, known for his proud and unrestrained nature. If the Princess Consort provoked him with careless remarks, he might very well vanish from the manor tonight.

And all of Prince Yan’s years of searching for him would be wasted.

"Oh? Does the Princess Consort doubt this humble physician’s skills?" Mo the Divine Physician smirked. "From the vomit, I’d say the girl ate a moldy cake. Rotten food is inedible—it causes vomiting, diarrhea, and even liver damage."

The Princess Consort was stunned. A moldy cake?

Why would Li Yao, surrounded by delicacies, seek out spoiled food? Unless someone with ill intentions had tricked her into eating it?

Just then, a weak cough sounded from behind the screen.

Li Yao had woken up.

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Li Chengke and Li Chengzhen, who had been keeping vigil by her bedside, rushed over in delight, calling her name repeatedly.

Prince Yan also rose, stepping around the screen to stand by Li Yao’s bed. The Princess Consort, eyes brimming with tears, clutched the girl’s hand. "Yao'er, you’re finally awake! You frightened me half to death. Tell me, who gave you that moldy cake?"

Li Yao’s face was as pale as paper, her mind still foggy.

When she opened her eyes and saw the Princess Consort’s face looming over her, she trembled in fear, assuming she was about to be scolded again. In her dazed state, she began apologizing. "Mother… it was Yao'er’s fault. Yao'er was so hungry… I hid a cake under the tea table… I nibbled on it when I was hungry… I won’t do it again…"

"Mother, please don’t punish me… I didn’t even get enough to eat at lunch… sob…"

The Princess Consort looked as though she had been struck by lightning.

Her face drained of color.

Shen ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‍Wei observed silently from the corner, her heart aching. So that was why Li Yao had begged her for sweets earlier—this pitiful child, the eldest daughter of the Prince’s household, had been going hungry.

Moldy food contained aflatoxin, a potent toxin that caused severe headaches, vomiting, and in extreme cases, even death.

Mo the Divine Physician fanned himself lazily with a paper fan and quipped, "Ah, so the young miss of the Prince’s household doesn’t even get enough to eat at meals and has to hide moldy cakes in the tea room? Prince Yan, is this how children are raised in the Great Qing Kingdom?"

He paused, then cast a glance at Li Chengke and Li Chengzhen.

With just a brief examination, he accurately pinpointed their ailments and chuckled. "Your Highness, these two sons of yours are thin, with dark circles under their eyes, weak qi, and poor appetites. Ah—if this humble physician may be so bold, they will grow up plagued by illness."

Prince Yan’s face darkened with fury.

No one had expected Li Yao’s poisoning to be self-inflicted—and for such a laughable reason. The daughter of a Prince, starving!

"Your Highness… there must be some misunderstanding! Don’t listen to this charlatan’s slander!" The Princess Consort dropped to her knees, wishing she could silence Mo the Divine Physician’s cursed tongue.

Her sons were perfectly healthy—how could they be doomed to illness?

This fraud was cursing them!

Prince Yan was on the verge of an explosive rage.

Shen Wei did not stay to watch the drama unfold. She tactfully excused herself.

That night, thunder and rain clashed violently, a rare storm sweeping away the summer heat.

Rainy nights were perfect for sleeping. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared, the downpour drumming rhythmically against the roof tiles. Shen Wei drifted into a peaceful slumber, undisturbed.

By dawn, the downpour had passed, leaving the air in the manor crisp and fresh, the leaves a vibrant green after their drenching. But chaos reigned in the household—Kunyu Courtyard was in an uproar.

That afternoon, Shen Wei leisurely practiced the Eight Section Brocade in the courtyard.

Cai Ping, ever the gossip, had already compiled all the manor’s events from the previous night and morning and chattered away as she relayed them to Shen Wei.