Chapter 27: Forgetfulness

No matter how high Wen Congqing’s expectations for Wen Qi were, they could not withstand such reckless squandering. Besides, one must be alive to enjoy prosperity. If, in the end, the entire Marquis’s estate were to vanish into smoke because of a casual remark from this daughter, what use would that prosperity be? What would be the point of it all?

Wen Congqing’s words were stern, and Wen Qi was so frightened that tears immediately welled up in her eyes.

It was no wonder Wen Congqing was so paranoid now. After all, the day he entered the palace, he had indeed noticed that Xiao Zheng lacked patience with him. Added to that was the matter of his role in the death of Chang Le years ago; although the Emperor had not yet uncovered it, if he were to discover the truth one day, it would be another catastrophe. It was uncertain whether the Marquis’s estate could even be preserved.

Therefore, the best strategy now was to avoid causing trouble. If the Emperor truly found out, he could find a scapegoat to take the blame. Perhaps, seeing that the Marquis of Yongning’s estate had been well-behaved over these years, Xiao Zheng might not be so ruthless. After all, though the favor owed to Chang Le had been largely exhausted, there was still Wen Qiao, wasn’t there? If Wen Qiao were to plead for mercy, perhaps things would be fine. After all, no matter how old a daughter is, she still needs a father. Since Xiao Zheng doted on Chang Le most of all, he surely wouldn’t have the heart to leave her biological daughter without either a father or a mother.

However, if Wen Qi were allowed to continue spouting such treasonous words outside, and if they ever reached the Emperor’s ears, they wouldn’t even need to wait for the investigation to conclude; the hundreds of people in their household might not even live to see the next day.

"Daughter understands. It was just that I was anxious and spoke without thinking. Father, please do not be angry. In the future, I will certainly be careful and never speak of such things outside. But regarding the matter I just mentioned, what does Father think? If Father thinks it is feasible, then I can set my heart at ease, for I have truly observed that His Highness the Crown Prince treats me differently."

Although Xiao Minghe had gone to see Wen Qiao outside the study hall that afternoon and had indeed been interacting with her, Wen Qi did not care. As long as she could make Wen Congqing change his mind about the person he was watching, she would make her fabrication sound as real as possible. Moreover, she truly felt that the Crown Prince had other intentions toward her; otherwise, why would he have spoken so much to her alone?

Naturally, when these words reached Wen Congqing’s ears, he pondered them carefully and felt that Wen Qi’s reasoning held weight. To speak treasonously, the one on the Dragon Throne, while still in the prime of life, was getting on in years. When the time came to replace the Emperor, the Crown Prince would inevitably ascend the throne. If Wen Qi chose the Crown Prince, their Marquis’s estate would stand on the side of the Crown Prince, becoming part of the Crown Prince’s faction. This would be supporting the orthodox succession, which was perfectly acceptable. But was approaching the Crown Prince really easier than approaching the Emperor?

Even though Wen Congqing was skeptical, he found himself believing the beautiful dream Wen Qi had woven for him.

"Very well. Since you have said so, I will not oppose it, provided you are confident in your ability to handle it. Although your sixth sister has already entered the palace, who knows when the Emperor and the Empress Dowager’s favor might fade? If you can enter the inner palace, that would be a true boon for the Marquis’s estate. When the estate’s status in the capital rises, I will surely grant you the greatest credit. Once the estate’s position is secured, you may choose whatever you wish, and the estate will buy it for you!"

Just by saying this, Wen Congqing could already imagine the many people fawning over him. As he thought about it, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing this, Wen Qi felt happy as well. Finally, there was a reason not to approach that old man, the Emperor. The Emperor was quite advanced in age, and even Wen Qiao had to call him Uncle; how could she be willing to serve such an old man?

With Wen Congqing’s answer, a heavy stone was lifted from Wen Qi’s heart, though she still felt unbalanced that Wen Qiao could live in the palace. She couldn’t explain why, but she always felt that everything Wen Qiao possessed should have been hers. Yet, upon further reflection, she realized Wen Qiao had a natural advantage in winning the favor of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager due to Princess Chang Le. She should have realized where she fell short, but it still left her feeling uncomfortable. Why, why did she always feel that these things belonged to her? Sometimes, she even dreamed that she had become Wen Qiao.

After Wen Qiao returned to the Cining Palace, she did not notice any unusual behavior from the surrounding maids and eunuchs. Perhaps it was because Xiao Zheng had just dragged away Physician Zhang and the others, leaving everyone in the Cining Palace in a state of terror. Even though the Empress Dowager was fragile and could be killed with a little poison, they dared not make a move, fearing that any misstep would not only waste the painstaking efforts of those behind them but also end their own lives.

"Why has the Imperial Grandmother sat up? Please lie down and rest well; your body is very weak right now."

As soon as Wen Qiao entered, she saw the Empress Dowager sitting on the bed, shaking her head as if looking for something.

"Qiao-er is back. Oh, look at my memory; I forgot I just asked you to go to the Imperial Study to relay a message to the Emperor, so I sat up to see where you were. Fortunately, you returned in time, or Youming would laugh at me again."

The Empress Dowager spoke with a smile, as if she were entirely joking, but Wen Qiao’s heart couldn’t help but sink.

"Has the Imperial Grandmother been forgetting things frequently lately?"

Based on the Empress Dowager’s pulse and what Physician Zhang had explained in the Imperial Study, Wen Qiao knew the Empress Dowager had been poisoned. However, the dosage was small and, theoretically, should not have caused such profound physical effects. It should have been easily resolved with a few decoctions, as the poison had not yet formed a cycle in the body. But if the Empress Dowager had been forgetting things frequently, that was not a small matter. She needed to see if it was related to the Empress Dowager’s lingering old illnesses; if the two were linked, the situation would be quite tricky.

"It is not exactly frequent, but every time my old headache flares up, I feel a bit weary, and my mind feels empty, as if I cannot remember anything. But after a while, it gets better, so I never paid it much mind. Qiao-er, what is the matter? Is this situation not normal?"

The Empress Dowager had nothing to hide from Wen Qiao. When she first woke up, she had heard from Nanny Song everything that happened during her coma. Perhaps originally, she had only shared the love she intended for Chang Le with Wen Qiao because Wen Qiao was Chang Le’s daughter. In other words, her kindness toward Wen Qiao was only partially because Wen Qiao was Wen Qiao. But after this incident, it was clear that this young girl had truly entered her heart. Overall, she now felt a great deal more affection for Wen Qiao herself.

"It is nothing major, just some minor ailments. Imperial Grandmother, do not worry. With your granddaughter here, even if more demons and monsters appear, you need not be afraid. Your granddaughter will stand at the front and protect you firmly!"

Wen Qiao did not want the Empress Dowager to overthink it, so she joked about it. The Empress Dowager was indeed cheered up.

"You really are something! Hearing you say that, I truly feel much lighter! I never realized you had such talent; even demons and monsters cannot defeat you!"

"Look at what Her Majesty the Empress Dowager is saying! Our Sixth Young Lady is truly top-notch and possesses great abilities!"

Nanny Song entered from the door with a bowl of medicine. Hearing the Empress Dowager laughing happily with Wen Qiao, she couldn’t help but chime in, and the atmosphere in the hall grew warm and harmonious.

"Nanny Song, even you are teasing me!" Wen Qiao pretended to be angry, her cheeks puffed out, which only made her look adorable.

"Alright, alright, it is this old servant’s fault. I will never tease our Sixth Young Lady again!"

"Hahaha, you old thing, now you are bickering with Qiao-er too." The Empress Dowager joined in, and the three of them laughed together.

The Empress Dowager was still tired, and after just a few words with Wen Qiao, she felt a bit more spirited, but soon after taking her medicine, she struggled to keep her eyes open.

"Imperial Grandmother, please rest. This medicine will make you drowsy, but when you wake up, you will feel much lighter. I will accompany you for a meal then."

Wen Qiao bent down to tuck in the quilt. Once the Empress Dowager’s breathing became steady, she stood up and signaled to Nanny Song. Nanny Song cleared the hall of all the maids, and finally, Wen Qiao followed Nanny Song out to the entrance.

"Please, Nanny, send someone to the Imperial Hospital to find books regarding Gu poison. I checked the Imperial Grandmother’s pulse again, and logically, the symptoms she described should not be occurring. I have thought about it, and the only explanation is that her old illness is interacting with some substance. Otherwise, she should only be feeling headaches. There is only one possibility: the Imperial Grandmother has been afflicted with Gu poison."

"What?" Nanny Song gasped, her tone filled with anxiety. "Isn’t that something from the Miao region? How could it appear in the Imperial Palace? Furthermore, the Emperor sent troops to wipe out the Miao region years ago. I haven’t heard of any Gu masters there for many years. How could the Empress Dowager have been poisoned by Gu?"

Wen Qiao’s expression was grim. "This is only my conjecture, but if the cause cannot be found, then it must be Gu poison. Nanny, please have the imperial physicians come tomorrow so I can consult with them to see if there are any other findings."

"Yes, yes. But it is getting late. Reading by candlelight is bad for the eyes; perhaps you should wait until tomorrow, Miss." Nanny Song truly cared for Wen Qiao now. Although she was more concerned about the Empress Dowager’s health, detoxification could not be rushed. If Wen Qiao collapsed, there would be no one left capable of treating the Empress Dowager.

"It is fine. Please just have them sent over. I want to get a general understanding of Gu poison so I am not completely in the dark."

Wen Qiao was speaking the truth. She had studied medicine and toxicology, but no one had ever taught her about Gu poison. Her village was in the far east of the Great Jing Dynasty, while the Miao region was on the western border. They were so far apart that no Gu masters would ever come to her area, and she had never encountered it. If the Empress Dowager had indeed been poisoned by Gu, it was a thorny issue for her. Being completely ignorant of the subject, she had to study, or she would be like a headless fly searching for solutions.

"This old servant understands. I will have someone find them. However, I fear the Imperial Hospital may not have many records on Gu poison. I will have them bring all the materials they have."

After Wen Qiao returned to the side hall, Nanny Song had the maids deliver the books.

"Sixth Young Lady, these are the books Nanny Song told us to find. We searched for a long time at the Imperial Hospital and asked the duty pharmacists and physicians. These are truly all of them. Nanny Song told us to bring everything back. Please check if these are what you need, Miss."

This maid was old enough to be called Nanny or Aunt, as she was about the same age as Nanny Song and had served the Empress Dowager alongside her. Although Nanny Song was the Empress Dowager’s personal attendant from her youth and was closer to her, the Empress Dowager trusted this maid just as much.

"Thank you, Nanny. This is enough. I will return them to the Imperial Hospital after I have finished reading." Wen Qiao thanked her politely, and Nanny Li, the maid, grew fond of Wen Qiao’s temperament.

"No rush. I have already cleared it with the Imperial Hospital. Take your time, and just have me return them when you are finished."

Nanny Li left with a smile. Wen Qiao did not waste a moment; she lit several candles and began to read against the clock. She did not stop until the sky outside began to turn gray at dawn, finally finishing all the books.

However, her heart felt no lighter; instead, it grew even heavier.