On her way back, Yan Ruoxi’s hands trembled, her face pale.
She did not want to hurt Brother Chu, but she had no choice—everything was forced upon her…
Yuan Feng watched Yan Ruoxi’s departing figure, his expression clouded with doubt.
“Come in.” A voice came from inside the room.
Yuan Feng thought no further, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. “My Lord.”
Chu Yunli unfolded the map of He Province, raised his hand to point at a spot, and as he lifted it, his face turned slightly pale, looking unnatural.
Yuan Feng noticed something was wrong and asked anxiously, “My Lord, are you all right?”
“It’s nothing,” Chu Yunli said calmly, lowering his hand. “There is one task I need you to do.”
“Please give your orders, My Lord.”
Yuan Feng obeyed the order and went to carry out the task.
The room was left with only Chu Yunli. His brows furrowed as he glanced at the spot of his shoulder wound.
For several days in a row, it was extremely busy—so busy that feet barely touched the ground.
Chu Yunli was almost sleepless and restless, busy with affairs. Beyond disaster relief, there were many other matters.
After a period of busyness, the disaster relief was finally completed smoothly.
Yuan Feng returned to report, “My Lord, the matter you commanded has been properly handled.”
Chu Yunli nodded slightly. “You have done well. Now that He Province is stable, pass the order: we return to the capital in three days.”
“Yes!” Yuan Feng was somewhat excited—at last, he could return to the capital.
Yuan Feng was about to dash out in high spirits, when suddenly he noticed his Lord’s face—pale under the candlelight, drained of strength.
“My Lord, are you all right?”
Chu Yunli’s expression did not look well; though calm, it could not conceal his pallor.
He said calmly, “It’s nothing.”
Yuan Feng was somewhat worried, unable to set his mind at ease—the Lord’s complexion did not look like that of someone fine.
“Go.” said Chu Yunli.
Yuan Feng could only withdraw.
The door closed. Chu Yunli’s brows tightened as he glanced at his wounded shoulder. Pulling open his collar, the knife wound gaped hideously—flesh split, oozing dark‑red pus and blood.
He pressed the wound silently with gauze, then pulled up his collar.
He walked over, took out the wound medicine from the box, opened the stopper, and held it under his nose to sniff carefully.
In the next moment, his expression changed.
The medicine’s smell was different from the beginning.
Though extremely faint, it was indeed different.
An ordinary person would not have noticed the change, but his senses were keen. He could detect the slightest clue, and upon careful examination, discovered the medicine had been tampered with.
This was not a mistake in Jiang Ning’s preparation of the medicine—it had been tampered with in secret.
Who could it be?
He furrowed his brows.
The wound medicine had passed through several hands, but Yuan Feng was utterly loyal—he would never have switched it.
Physician Ye had borrowed the wound medicine from him to study its formula, and with Ye’s temperament, he would never commit an act of poisoning…
Then who could it be?
Chu Yunli thought of someone; his brows furrowed, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
.........
Yuan Feng went to inform everyone that they would return to the capital in three days, and he also told Physician Ye and Yan Ruoxi.
“Doctor Ye, Miss Yan, the Lord says we return to the capital in three days.”
“Alright, understood.” Doctor Ye nodded.
Yan Ruoxi’s expression looked troubled; she seemed distracted, her hands clenched tight, lost in thought.
“Xier, get ready.” Doctor Ye said.
Yan Ruoxi was lost in thought and did not hear.
Doctor Ye looked over, saw Yan Ruoxi’s dazed expression, and gazed at her: “Xier?”
Only then did Yan Ruoxi come back to herself: “Ah, Master, what did you say?”
“Get ready to return to the capital,” Doctor Ye repeated. In recent days, Yan Ruoxi had often been absent‑minded, distracted, as if her thoughts were elsewhere.
Doctor Ye knew his disciple’s temperament and sensed that something was surely wrong.
“What are you thinking? These past days you’ve been absent‑minded—even making mistakes with medicine. What has happened?”
Confronted with Doctor Ye’s question, Yan Ruoxi nervously clenched her sleeve, shook her head: “It’s nothing, perhaps I’m just tired… I’m sorry, Master, Xier has held you back…”
Doctor Ye’s expression softened; he still felt tender toward his disciple: “I told you not to come, yet you insisted. Enough—bear with it a little longer, soon we’ll return to the capital.”
“Yes, Master.” Yan Ruoxi answered obediently, then added: “I’ll go check on Brother Chu…”
Doctor Ye knew persuasion was useless, and said: “Go then.”
Yan Ruoxi followed Yuan Feng to Chu Yunli’s courtyard.
Yan Ruoxi’s expression was conflicted, her gaze clouded, fists clenched tightly.
“Yuan Feng, how has Brother Chu been lately?”
Walking ahead, Yuan Feng heard Yan Ruoxi’s words and answered properly: “The Lord is as usual, busy handling affairs.”
Yan Ruoxi lifted her face, gazing at Yuan Feng’s back, and asked cautiously: “Is Brother Chu’s health alright?”
“My Lord…” Yuan Feng was about to answer, but recalled the Lord’s pale complexion, which hardly looked fine. After a long pause, he finally said: “The Lord is, of course, very well.”
Yan Ruoxi lightly bit her lip, clenched her hand tight, her gaze flickering.
What on earth is going on?
The poison’s effect should be taking hold… As long as Brother Chu applies the wound medicine, the injury will fester, and the pain will be unbearable.
But after several days, why has there been no abnormality at all?
As long as Brother Chu’s wound festers and refuses to heal, if he seeks Master’s diagnosis, it will naturally lead to suspicion that the wound medicine is at fault.
The wound medicine prepared by Jiang Ning is no remedy—it is poison!
The strange poison she used is unrecognizable to most; even if discovered, it can easily be mistaken for one of the herbs in the wound medicine. At that time, blame can be shifted onto Jiang Ning, accused of ignorance—mistaking poison for a medicinal ingredient.
Jiang Ning’s reputation will plummet, and Brother Chu will naturally cease to trust her.
She is the one most suited to remain by Brother Chu’s side.
By Brother Chu’s side, having her as the sole physician is enough.
Only…
Yan Ruoxi lifted her face, gazing toward the candlelit house, where the window cast a silhouette.
But why has Brother Chu shown no reaction? Could it be that he never used that bottle of wound medicine?
Impossible—it was clearly used.
Yuan Feng said, “Miss Yan, please wait a moment. I will go and report to the Lord.”
Yuan Feng went in to report, and Chu Yunli said coolly, “Let her come in.”
Only then was Yan Ruoxi permitted to enter. Stepping into the room, her gaze fell upon Chu Yunli, scrutinizing him closely.
Chu Yunli’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “Miss Yan, what business do you have?”
“Brother Chu…” She could not tell where the mistake lay. Brother Chu’s appearance clearly did not resemble that of poisoning. If his wound had festered and suppurated, could he still remain this calm?
Chu Yunli’s dark, heavy gaze fell upon Yan Ruoxi, piercing through and laying bare her thoughts.
That day, the wound medicine passed through the hands of another person as well.
It is her.
Yan Ruoxi, under the stare of the man before her, suddenly felt guilty, her whole body chilled. “Brother Chu, I only came because I was worried about you…”
Chu Yunli looked at her coldly, and Yan Ruoxi’s heart thumped with unease, a thought of retreat arising.
After a long pause, he finally said, “Miss Yan, you need not worry.”
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