"Your Highness!"
Seeing that the Prince of Jin was not in a good state, everyone was extremely worried.
The Prince of Jin leaned on Xu He, his face flushed with anger. He really looked weak. "I'm fine. I just caught a cold on the way. I'll recover in a couple of days."
A middle - aged man in his forties or fifties with a goatee walked over. It was none other than Doctor Xue.
"Help the Prince to his room. I'll examine and treat him."
Although the sudden return of the Prince of Jin caught the servants in the mansion off guard, they were all old hands. They quickly regained their composure and went about their tasks in an orderly manner: some swept the floors, while others boiled hot water.
"The Prince's internal and external injuries haven't healed yet. After the long and tiring journey, coupled with the Bone - Eroding Poison in his body, wind evil has invaded his body. The Prince may need to rest well for some time..."
The Prince of Jin said weakly, "Please prescribe some more medicine for my external injuries, Doctor. I still have to attend a banquet tonight."
Hearing that he was still going to the banquet, Doctor Xue shook his head but said nothing in the end. "I'll adjust the prescription again and apply the new medicine to the Prince later."
The internal and external injuries were secondary; they would heal after a period of recuperation. The real headache was the poison.
"The Prince's poison can't be delayed any longer. It would be best to find a medicine - man this time we're out."
"I know," the Prince of Jin said.
He closed his eyes, and the veins on the back of his hand clutching the quilt bulged.
The Bone - Eroding Poison in his body was all because of that crazy man, Ji Junye!
Back then, when his mother was still the Virtuous Concubine, in order to control that crazy man, she had given him the Bone - Eroding Poison. But unexpectedly, that man had secretly cultivated his own power and successfully kicked him off the verge of achieving his goal.
Ji Junye had captured him and demanded the antidote from his mother. But they were then told that there was no antidote for the Bone - Eroding Poison. That crazy man, Ji Junye, had actually cut his own arm on the spot, drawn two bowls of blood, and forced him and his mother to drink it.
At first, every time the poison flared up, the pain was as if it had penetrated into his bone marrow and soul, making him suffer unbearably. Later, he found Doctor Xue, who had managed to suppress the toxicity. But when the poison flared up, he still suffered excruciating pain and couldn't sleep all night.
He had only drunk one bowl of Ji Junye's blood, and he was in so much pain. When Ji Junye's poison flared up, he must be in even more agony than death!
Every time he was in pain, just thinking that Ji Junye was a hundred times more miserable than him would ease his pain a little.
Ji Junye didn't believe that there was no antidote for the Bone - Eroding Poison, and neither did he.
Because he knew that his mother was also a complete crazy woman. Otherwise, she wouldn't have given such a vicious poison to a ten - year - old child.
Over the years, he had been searching for the antidote for the Bone - Eroding Poison. He had recruited many capable people, but none of them could do anything about this strange poison. Doctor Xue had told him that there was still a glimmer of hope, and that was the medicine - man.
The blood of a medicine - man contained hundreds of poisons. If the blood of a medicine - man was used as a medicine - guide, the Bone - Eroding Poison could be cured by using poison to fight poison. However, because the method of cultivating medicine - men was too cruel, all major imperial courts and martial - arts sects had agreed to completely destroy them a hundred years ago. All the medicine - men had been killed, and all relevant books and records had been burned.
Now, finding a medicine - man was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
However, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he wouldn't give up.
The Prince of Jin closed his eyes for a while to calm his emotions. But then, thinking of something, his face turned extremely grim. "I don't understand. Ji Junye seems to be no different from an ordinary person now. Could it be that his Bone - Eroding Poison has been cured?"
Doctor Xue pondered for a moment. "It shouldn't be. There was no antidote for the Bone - Eroding Poison back then, and the formula has long been lost. There aren't many people in the world who are good at using poison now. I've been searching for a clue for so many years without any result. It's simply impossible for anyone to develop an antidote."
He considered himself quite accomplished in this field. But even if they could find a medicine - man, he couldn't be completely sure that he could develop an antidote. If it were a hundred years ago when the art of medicine and poison was flourishing, there might have been a chance. But since all countries and the martial - arts world had jointly prohibited the use of poison techniques, the art of poison had declined.
That was why he dared to make such an assertion.
"However, if he had been affected by the thing I developed to trigger the toxicity, he definitely wouldn't have been unharmed. If, as Your Highness said, he may not have been affected at all."
The Prince of Jin slapped the bed. "All the people we sent that time were wiped out, and Ji Junye wasn't affected!"
Xu He and Doctor Xue hadn't expected this either. Moreover, not only had the other side successfully intercepted their people who were going to rescue the Empress Dowager, but they had also forced them to retrieve the substitute. It was simply a blatant humiliation and provocation!
In fact, Doctor Xue wasn't sure whether Ji Junye had been affected by his scheme because he hadn't seen the man with his own eyes. If the other side had been poisoned by them but could still act like an ordinary person, then this person's willpower and means were definitely not to be underestimated.
Moreover, there must be a poison - master no less skilled than him by that person's side. That kind of scheme could only be used once as a surprise attack. Now, they could only hope that the other side was just putting on a brave front.
...
In the evening, Shen Qing dressed up and entered the palace with Xu Yanchi.
At first, everyone was stunned when they heard the news of the welcoming banquet for the Prince of Jin. A feudal prince was not allowed to leave his fief without an imperial edict. But then they understood that since the Emperor was holding a welcoming banquet, it must have been the Emperor's intention.
Shen Qing and Xu Yanchi sat together. Their seats were quite far upfront, even surpassing the seats that a marquis should have. Everyone who saw this couldn't help but roll their eyes. Since it wasn't because of the Marquis of Guangping, it must be because of the Marchioness of Guangping. After all, such a young first - rank imperial - enfeoffed lady couldn't be found anywhere else in the Jing Kingdom.
However, for other women, their seating arrangements were based on their husbands' ranks, but for the Marquis of Guangping, it was based on his wife's rank... This was also a unique case in the Jing Kingdom.
After everyone entered, there would be covert glances falling on Xu Yanchi, which made him feel extremely embarrassed. He began to regret coming to this welcoming banquet.
The Prince of Jin arrived neither too early nor too late. As soon as he entered, many people greeted him, but his eyes were directly fixed on the seat near the front.
To his surprise, he saw that audacious woman here!
Seeing Shen Qing's bright face, he subconsciously felt the wound on his waist ache again.
That damned woman was really ruthless. Moreover, she was such a good pretender. He hadn't realized before that she was a martial artist!
Fortunately, he had disguised himself well and hadn't let her see his features. Otherwise, he would have died here tonight!
Shen Qing felt a very aggressive gaze. But when she looked over, the gaze disappeared, as if it had never existed.
When the Prince of Jin saw Xu Yanchi beside Shen Qing, his face instantly became subtle.
That night at the hot - spring villa, he had clearly seen her face. The woman that Ji Junye had kept in a golden house was actually someone else's wife!
He still recognized Xu Yanchi. Before he left the capital, the Xu family was a noble family with a good status in the capital. He never thought that they would have fallen to such a state now.
He wondered if Xu Yanchi, this husband, knew that his wife already had another man outside?