Chapter 19: Trouble Arises, This Prince Takes Responsibility

Having successfully fed the remaining half bowl of medicine, Minister of the War Lord Zhou and the Eldest Young Master Zhou standing beside him also sighed in relief.

They didn't understand why Prince Ling insisted on bringing his newly married Princess Consort to hinder the Old Imperial Doctor; no one here believed that Murong Jiu's medical skills surpassed those of Old Doctor Chen.

Murong Jiu was raised in the countryside; even if she had some medical knowledge, how proficient could she be?

A country court physician only knows some rudimentary medicine at best; what could she possibly have learned?

Fortunately, the medicine had been administered, and they should soon be out of danger.

Murong Jiu pursed her lips without speaking, her gaze fixed tightly on the Young Master Zhou.

Lord Zhou looked at Prince Ling with some difficulty, "Your Highness, the scent of medicine here is unpleasant, why not go to the front hall to rest for a while? I will arrange a banquet immediately to entertain Your Highness and the Princess Consort."

"There's no need,"

Jun Yuyan spoke indifferently, his gaze falling upon Murong Jiu's face, reading something unusual in her expression.

Murong Jiu seemed to think that this medicine would not only fail to cure but might even worsen the condition, which was why she was staring so intently at the Young Master Zhou of the Zhou family.

After drinking the medicine, the complexion of Young Master Zhou had already become much rosier, and he had fallen back into a deep sleep, but Murong Jiu's expression grew even more solemn.

Jun Yuyan couldn't see anything wrong with Young Master Zhou, but for some reason, he believed in Murong Jiu's words.

Therefore, he delayed for Murong Jiu by making small talk with the Minister of the War, "Lord Zhou, how did your son fall so acutely ill?"

"It seems he got a bad stomach from food poisoning, with incessant vomiting and diarrhea. He has taken all kinds of medicine, but nothing has been able to stop it; even drinking water induces vomiting. However, the Imperial Physician said that he must not avoid drinking; after my child gets a bit better, we still need to feed him some water,"

"It's all my fault; I proposed going to a rural farm to eat fresh fish jelly, just for the novelty. Brother Zhou brought along Young Brother Hong, never expecting that eating out would cause such a problem,"

At this moment, the son of the General of the Northern Command's Residence, who had been standing by the window, spoke up.

Murong Jiu turned to look at them, the three men were all handsome and tall in their own ways.

The eldest son was gentle and elegant, like a bright moon amongst clouds, the second son was dashing and valiant, with a more pronounced aura of a warrior, resembling the General of the Northern Command.

The speaker was the Third Young Master; he was even more delicately handsome, said to greatly resemble the late General's wife. It was he who in her last life took Bai Aoshuang as his concubine.

Bai Aoshuang was originally just a servant in the General's Mansion; cunning and manipulative, she devised a scheme, making the Third Young Master think that she had lost her virginity to him, and just so happened to let his betrothed see them, leading her to break off the engagement in anger.

Soon after, Bai Aoshuang pretended to be pregnant; the Third Young Master had no choice but to take responsibility and took her as a concubine.

Not much later, evidence of treason was found in the General of the Northern Command's Residence, and that towering presence came crashing down.

Of the entire household, only Bai Aoshuang remained unharmed.

Lord Zhou, not daring to assign blame, said, "How could we blame the Third Young Master, it was my son's gluttony. Now that my son is out of danger, you gentlemen needn't blame yourselves anymore."

But Murong Jiu was thinking that Lord Zhou was merely speaking pleasant words; although she had cured Young Master Zhou in her last life, she arrived too late, missing the optimal treatment window, which led to him suffering severe lasting effects afterward.

Lord Zhou held resentment in his heart, as the Eldest Young Master was not his biological son, but a child taken from the clan and raised at his side; the Young Master was his own late-life child, treated as his lifeblood. Consequently, when the three sons of the General of the Northern Command's Residence were involved in an incident, how could he not hate them?

So later, when the Crown Prince ordered him to implicate the General of the Northern Command, he listed dozens of crimes, sending the General to his execution.

Old Doctor Chen stood up, wanting to leave, "Alright, the Young Master is not in any grave danger, just provide him with a bland diet after he wakes up."

"I'm afraid you cannot leave yet,"

Murong Jiu said aloud.

Instantly, everyone's gaze refocused on her.

The faces of Lord Zhou and Madam Zhou darkened, if not for Prince Ling's presence, they certainly would have driven this nonsensical woman out.

Such bad luck!

Old Doctor Chen laughed out of exasperation, "What do you mean, Princess Consort Ling? Do you believe I haven't cured the Young Master? Humph! Princess Consort, take a good look at whether the Young Master has improved before you speak."

"Old Doctor Chen, don't be angry; perhaps that's not what Princess Consort Ling meant."

Murong Jiu looked over in surprise; the person speaking up for her was the Eldest Young Master Zhou from the General's Mansion.

Although the Second Young Master did not speak, the look he gave her was not filled with disgust like that from Lord Zhou and the others. Instead, it seemed he was a bit curious about her.

The Third Young Master also spoke in a very gentle tone, "Yes, Princess Consort Ling, please go ahead and tell us, what do you want to say?"

She was touched and didn't know why she suddenly felt like crying.

This emotion surprised her as soon as it emerged.

What was happening to her? Why had she become so sentimental?

"Actually, what I wanted to say is, the Young Master Zhou's body has not recovered, and that half bowl of medicine worsened his condition."

The crowd's expressions changed slightly.

Old Doctor Chen could hardly contain his anger, "Nonsense!"

But Murong Jiu pointed to Young Master Zhou in the bed and said, "Don't believe it? Look for yourself, aren't Young Master Zhou's lips turning purple?"

Jun Yuyan spoke from behind her, "Young Master Zhou's complexion is abnormally red."

When everyone leaned in for a closer look, sure enough, his lips were purple, and his face was the kind of flush that comes with a persistent high fever!

Lord Zhou and his wife were panicked.

Old Doctor Chen's complexion changed as well, his hand starting to tremble.

The Second Young Master Zhou from the General's Mansion immediately said in a serious tone, "Not good, Young Master Zhou's condition has indeed worsened! Princess Consort Ling, do you have a way to help? Please save him quickly!"

Madam Zhou's eyes brimmed with tears as she shoved Murong Jiu away, yelling loudly, "No! We can't let her treat him, Old Doctor Chen, you must see what has happened to my son!"

She had pushed suddenly and, unprepared, Murong Jiu nearly fell, but Jun Yuyan steadied her with his hand.

"Madam Zhou."

Jun Yuyan gave her a cold look.

Madam Zhou's face turned pale; she had acted in desperation and only now remembered that she had pushed Murong Jiu, not just anyone, but someone with the status of a Princess Consort.

Old Doctor Chen stepped forward, his hand upon Young Master Zhou's forehead to check, and his hand shook even more.

"Quick, I'll prescribe a remedy, hurry and prepare the medicine!"

As soon as he had spoken, Young Master Zhou suddenly opened his eyes and vomited a pool of blood onto Old Doctor Chen's body, then he couldn't stop, blood continuously flowing from the corner of his mouth.

"Honghong!"

Lord Zhou and his wife shouted as they shook Young Master Zhou's hand.

"Make way! Let me apply acupuncture!"

Murong Jiu took out Silver Needles from her medicine box, but the couple, wailing, ordered the servants to prepare the medicine and wouldn't let her near; they didn't trust her.

Jun Yuyan was about to order the guards to drag the two irrational people aside when the Second Young Master Zhou from the General's Mansion suddenly stepped forward, pulled each of the two away from the bedside.

"Lord Zhou, Madam Zhou, my apologies. Princess Consort Ling detected the problem with Young Master Zhou early on. If you continue to hinder her, I'm afraid the consequences will be even more severe."

Eldest Young Master Zhou wanted to step forward but was held back by the Eldest Young Master from the General's Mansion, "Brother Ziguang, Young Brother Hong can't be delayed."

The Third Young Master also said urgently, "Princess Consort Ling, please treat Young Master Zhou quickly."

Jun Yuyan saw this scene and was somewhat surprised.

It seemed like the three young lords from the General's Mansion had a tacit trust in Murong Jiu, though they didn't seem to have known her before.

Holding the medicine box for Murong Jiu, he said to her, "Princess Consort, just proceed with the acupuncture. If anything happens, I will take responsibility."