The Task at Hand

When she came back this time, Zhao Xing went through the record book. She didn't know where to start, but she had to. Just, she wasn't really sure if, whatever the illness was, existed in her world. But she did try.

Some terms were still recognizable, other terms she didn't understand she checked the internet, on her computer at home, who would have thought she'd actually find things related. The following days she tried her luck and visited a few drug stores.

Even went to see a traditional chinese doctor, asked as many questions as she could. She did everything she could. She wasn't an expert, so this was one tiring work for a third year high school girl who had to pay much attention to her studies and was under the pressure of exams.

Her family and friends saw her so serious, and could only conclude that she was really changing, only they weren't sure if this was a good sign or not.

"Xing...Xing Xing, mom cut some fruits for you." Her mother came in with a plate full of all Zhao Xing's favorite fruits. She didn't know what expression to put on at her not so serious daughter, which was suddenly so serious about her 'studies'.

Zhao Xing at the time was busy reading an article related to her research. She quickly glanced at her mother, with an unconcentrated "Um, Thanks Ma" she continued burying herself in her task.

Her mother could only awkwardly place the plate on her desk, before leaving.

Upon entering the livingroom where her son was busy playing with his toys, she could only approach him. "Xiao Yun ah, Your sister's been acting weird these days.. are you sure she's alright."

The little fella glanced at the woman who interrupted his fun time with his lego toys, and rolled his eyes. "It's clear that she's having mental issues!" his sweet milky voice sounded in the room.

His mother's eyes widened at his language. Where was this boy learning all this?

Zhao Yun went on. "Ma, you have to watch out, the way she's going she'll only be an easy target for wild men to bully her-"

"Zhao! Yun!" His mother called his full name trying her best not to be loud and attract the attention of the subject of their discussion.

Zhao Yun shrank his little body, at his mother's outburst.

"Where are you learning all these language from?"

"...From TV" very clear and straightforward, Mrs. Zhao was speechless.

As for Zhao Xing in the room. Still buried in her own world, oblivious to the happenings outside.

The fifth day of her research turned out to be a Monday, she could finally say her research had come to an end. She had used her precious weekend to help that tormentor of hers. But she returned to the prince with some good news at least.

See if that smiling fox thinks she's still useless after he saw how brilliant she was!

"Poison?"

Zhao Xing nodded. It was poison, a rare one even in her world. It caused one to feel excruciating pain, every now and then, as if one's bones were being grinded into dust and being reconstructed again. She remembered when she had heard the TCM doctor describe it as such, she could feel a shiver run down her spine.

She also remembered that doctor had been very surprised, even asking her age. She could only lie that she was studying in university and was doing a research. Thank heavens, he didn't ask much, and was happy to answer her many questions. He even asked her to come again if she needed any help, or had anymore questions.

But the real question was who would be so cruel? What grudge did they hold against the Emperor to feed him such poison?

Zhao Xing continued to report the result of her research, "It's an odorless, and colorless poison called, Icy Heart, normally, a person poisoned by it only has a few months to live."

"Normally?" The crown prince asked as he went through the cute pink notebook Zhao Xing brought with her.

Zhao Xing nodded once again, then continued; "Yes normally, but the Emperor has been carrying this poison for over a decade."

Hearing this the notebook Zhang ZhengYang held in his hands fell to the ground as he could no longer hide his shock.

"Zhang ZhengYang?" She called out to the crown prince who seemed to have been stupefied by the revelation. She picked her notebook from the ground and dusted it."This notebook's my favorite, you don't know how I sacrificed my pocket money to buy it."

But the later didn't answer her, his eyes already lost focused, until someone used something to lightly hit him. He turned to the insolent little girl that used her book to hit his arm.

"Eh, I'm still here. You can wait till I'm gone to start your session of contemplation."

Zhang ZhengYang raised an eyebrow. This young girl was getting bolder and bolder as days went by.

Zhao Xing had not finished and continued to speak while walking around. "Well my task can be considered as done, Though the cure in itself is extremely rare, as the ingredients are almost impossible to get because of where they grow...but" She turned around to face the crown prince with her pink notebook raised in the air. "There is indeed a way to slow down the effect of the poison."

Zhang ZhengYang was amused by her comical way of speech. But he asked a question that got him puzzled, interrupting Zhao Xing's passionate speech. "Miss Zhao, you just said Imperial Father had been dealing with this poison for over a decade. Which means he could prolong his life."

Zhao Xing nodded, her eyes staring wide at him.

"There shouldn't be a need for us to interfere any longer."

Zhao Xing stared at him with a smirk. "Ha, Young man, when you don't know, you listen!" Today she was in good mood, she finished her task, and she did it well, she was feeling proud, and was very happy she could teach this prince, who thought himself to be so high and mighty, a thing or two.

Zhao Xing cleared her throat and continued, "the Emperor can prolong his life, no? But how long? ten years is not ten days. Right now, he's reaching his limit, he won't be able to live so long anymore."

Hearing this explanation, the Crown Prince's expression turned serious. What she said indeed made sense. If his Imperial Father had this poison planted in his body over ten years ago, and had been fighting it since, and nobody had noticed, and the signs were only showing up now, it would mean his body couldn't hold it any longer, it would mean any medicine he had been taking wasn't working for him anymore.

He turned to the girl before him who he once called useless, and could only listen to what next she had to say.

"Then Grand Tutor, what do you say we do?"

Zhao Xing smiled cunningly, "Simple, Crown Prince just has to trust me."

"I do trust Grand Tutor." He refuted.

"No you don't, don't think I'm too stupid that I'm blind and muddled. I know you still hold a grudge against your master. He must have had some other things to attend to and left you when you most needed him. He must have left you with some 'empty' promise of letting someone more capable come help you in his stead. But don't worry, though I hate you, I can't run away, so I've decided to help you despite everything because, I understand how such a thing can feel." Her expression turned sullen at the end of her speech.

But it didn't last long as she quickly regained her composure, and continued, "So, I'm not asking for much, if Crown Prince trusts me, then my job will be made easier."

Zhang ZhengYang didn't think that a day would come when someone would talk to him this way. Though he hadn't said much, the other party analyzed the whole situation to the latter.

The girl was staring straight at him, he really didn't know what to say, or how to convince himself to trust her.

In the end he could only say, "Grand Tutor must be tired from all the research, let the Grand Tutor retire to her quarters."

She had expected this, she wasn't surprised, so she left.

Later that night in the Forbidden city;

"Master! Master!" Eunuch Zhou was already in tears. The Emperor was having another episode. Since all this had to be kept a secret, only a few attendants with the imperial Physician were allowed to see the Emperor in this state.

The Emperor was in serious pain, but he sat on his bed and refused to lie down. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he forced himself to stay awake. The attendants as well as the Imperial Physicians were in disarray.

They couldn't find the problem, how could they fix it? It was akin to asking them to search for a needle in the haystack- no, in the sea! They really weren't that formidable!

The pain lasted for a total of five minutes before subsiding.

The Emperor sent all of them away. He stared into space, as he remembered a distant memory.