Chapter 252: Chapter 252: As an Outsider, Heir Xie Should Leave
West Garden East Courtyard.
The wind rustled past, carrying a desolate chill with it.
The servants attending to the situation were visibly anxious.
Ever since Shen Hua climbed to the rooftop to admire the moon, she has been in a deep slumber for three whole days. Everyone was extremely worried.
Cui Yun took leave from the Ministry of Justice to stay by her side in the room, his expression growing darker by the minute.
Ni Kang frantically scoured medical texts in a mix of defeat and madness.
But truly feeling powerless, he could only try his best to prescribe warming and replenishing remedies, brewing all manner of precious herbs to be administered.
Xie Xun somehow received word and hastened on horseback. He had been to West Garden a few times and could find his own way without needing someone to guide him.
He didn’t care about anything else and went straight into the inner chamber.
Cui Yun, hearing the commotion, continued to meticulously wipe Shen Hua’s hands, his eyes betraying no emotion.
If not for the girl’s unusually pallid complexion, one might mistake her for simply being asleep.
The atmosphere in the room was stagnant, heated by silver bone charcoal, a wave of warmth hitting the face upon entry; yet Xie Xun inexplicably felt a shiver down his spine, a sense of panic and suffocation.
This feeling, he had felt it twice, the last time was when...
He didn’t dare to think any further.
Yet it was as if he could hear Miss Shen’s spoiled voice by his ear.
——Brother, accept your fate; you only have one legitimate sister, so you’d best humor me a little.
And her righteousness.
——I’ve got the smarts, no one can take advantage of me. Those little girls don’t have the skills.
And her helplessness.
——Yangyang... can I be greedy and ask for a long and healthy life?
Cui Yun lowered his eyes, his hands moving steadily, and his tone carried an obscure sarcasm.
"If Heir Xie is truly concerned, why didn’t I see you seeking help in private?"
"At the tavern that time, I recall asking you to find Sanqing Taoist?"
Back then, Xie Xun had agreed wholeheartedly.
But what about afterwards?
He didn’t dispatch a single soldier or scout.
Cui Yun coldly curled his lips.
"It’s quite amusing, sending trivial gifts daily; may I ask if Heir Xie truly cares for Miss Shen?"
"This is a girl’s inner chamber, and Heir Xie, being an unrelated male, should leave."
Unrelated male?
What could Xie Xun say?
He certainly couldn’t tell the last real outsider that sending Shen Hua to be by Cui Yun’s side was an instruction from Sanqing Taoist years ago.
Xie Xun didn’t dare to move forward, he didn’t even dare to get close to look at Shen Hua. Seeing Cui Yun acting as an elder brother in such a manner made him feel incredibly uncomfortable.
That was his sister!
He clenched his fists and suddenly stormed out the door.
"How is she?"
He naturally asked Ni Kang.
Ni Kang, with a heavy heart and not daring to admit it outright, feared that Shen Hua was beyond help. It was perhaps time to prepare for the worst.
He stammered hesitantly: "Miss Shen’s pulse is a fake pulse, it has been wrong from the start."
The causes of a fake pulse are far too many.
But all this time, Shen Hua was under his personal care. Everything she ate, the daily medicinal meals, they were all dictated by him.
Even if Shen Hua occasionally craved for food outside the Shen Residence, what to eat and what not to eat, she would consult with him in advance.
"Months have passed, and the pulse hasn’t changed."
However, if it’s not poisoning, then it’s very strange.
Is it due to the long-term consumption of food or the effect of hallucinogenic substances?
That’s unclear now.
With all that said, what else was there for Xie Xun to not understand? Shen Hua had been schemed against a long time ago at the Shen Residence.
Miss Shen was born weak. But she was well cared for until the age of five, nourished by superior tonics. Though she was not as healthy as other girls, the symptoms were not severe.
Xie Xun pressed his lips tight.
Until she fell ill several times with colds. The situation became extremely serious. Her constitution weakened further, and she had to take medicine every day.
Especially at the age of nine. (Note: The timeline coincides with the year Xue Tuan appeared.)
The girl suddenly fainted while boating on the lake. She almost didn’t make it. Since then, she would fall ill with minor sickness every three days and suffer from a more serious illness every five days, gasping for breath after every three steps.
At the time, nobody thought too much of it. They all assumed her frail condition had worsened and feared it was incurable.
But now...
How could Xie Xun not give it deep thought?
"Could there be a problem with the medicine she’s been taking?"
Ni Kang: "I’ve seen the previous prescriptions, and apart from being a bit strong, there’s nothing wrong with them."
Xie Xun let out a heavy sigh.
Just then, Cui Yun came out of the house.
"Yicui," he called.
"Has your lady been taking anything unusual over a long period?"
Yicui quickly replied: "Not at all."
"When Master and Madam were alive, they often dined with Miss Shen. After the new Madam entered the house, the food that Miss Shen tasted would also always be shared with the servants. There’s never been an incident."
Cui Yun narrowed his eyes.
"Clothes, jewelry worn over a long period..."
Yicui tried hard to remember.
"Previously, Miss Shen’s clothes all came from the embroidery workshop, and those embroidery ladies are all reliable. The styles change annually, and Miss Shen only wears the latest fashion."
Most of the time, many clothes are given away to the serving maids before even being worn once.
"As for jewelry, it’s the same case."
"These have all been managed personally by me."
"Decorations and display items in the room, Miss Shen often bought new ones as well. Except for a few items."
Yicui went into the house and, with the help of Yingwu, soon carried out several boxes.
Inside were the items given by Shen Wei, Ms. Shen Chun, and Shen Zhi, which Shen Hua had kept in very good condition.
Without waiting for Cui Yun’s command, Ni Kang quickly stepped forward to examine everything item by item.
In the end, he shook his head gravely at everyone.
There was no problem with any of them.
Yicui carefully said, "Previously, when Madam was in charge of the household, she couldn’t tolerate any wrongdoing under her watch, and she was extremely concerned for Miss Shen’s safety. She would rather do things herself than trust others. And therefore, no one in the Shen Residence dared to tamper with anything."
Ni Kang frowned.
"That’s strange."
"Logically, there’s nothing that should have been overlooked."
Xie Xun seemed to suddenly realize something and looked up abruptly.
"What about the incense?"
These three words seemed to awaken Yicui.
She knew very well that Miss Shen only used one kind of incense. That fragrance was extremely rare, with a subtle scent reminiscent of plum blossoms in spring, thoroughly captivating.
Miss Shen loved it, to the point that even her clothes had to be scented with it, a practice that had remained unchanged for many years.
In her leisure time, she even specifically identified the components, only to realize that it contained a small amount of the costly and luxurious Dragon’s brain incense.
As for the other ingredients, they remained unknown.
But Yicui felt a chill run through her body.
That was something the Master had bought through connections and at a high price during his business travels.
Who was harming Miss Shen now?
Ni Kang: "If the incense clashes with the medicine she’s taking, it could indeed cause a disturbance in her pulse and undermine her health."
No sooner had he spoken than they heard the sound of a copper basin hitting the floor inside the house. This was followed by Ningzhu’s voice, panicked and bewildered.
"Miss Shen!"
Cui Yun couldn’t bother with anything else and rushed back.
Shen Hua was still unconscious, but now blood was spilling from her mouth and nose.
This time it was a vivid red.
Cui Yun furrowed his brows tightly as he listened to Ningzhu’s low sobbing, unable to contain his irritation.
He said in a cold voice, "All of you, get out!"
And at that moment, the loosely dangling bracelet on the girl’s wrist, with its plump and brightly colored pearls that gave off a dazzling shine...
In the next instant, seemed to meet a destructive resistance.
In a moment, out of eighteen pearls, seventeen turned into powder.