Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 122

“Miss,” Yan Zhi said, parting the curtains as she entered, carrying a tray with a porcelain bowl on it.

“What is this?” Gu Yu Qi asked, on guard.

“This is from Concubine Liu. She said she specially prepared this bird’s nest soup for Madam,” Yan Zhi replied.

Bird’s nest soup? Gu Yu Qi could not help but let out a cold laugh. “Since when did she become so generous? Bird’s nest soup? A few days ago, she didn’t even send over a blade of grass.”

“Who knows,” Yan Zhi said. “If Miss doesn’t like it, I’ll throw it away.”

“Throw it away,” Gu Yu Qi said coldly.

Yan Zhi acknowledged this and was about to leave when Gu Yu Qi called her back, “Wait.”

“Is there something else, Miss?” Yan Zhi turned to ask.

“Put the bird’s nest soup down,” Gu Yu Qi instructed. “Go and fetch the old physician.”

“Yes,” Yan Zhi replied, placing the tray back on the table before turning to leave.

Not long after, the old physician was brought in by Yan Zhi. After paying his respects, he followed his usual routine and examined Liang Huai Yu. Then he turned to Gu Yu Qi and said, “Miss, the Madam is stable. Although there is no improvement, all her symptoms remain steady.”

“Mhmm,” Gu Yu Qi nodded, “Sir, please check if there’s anything unusual about that bowl of bird’s nest soup.”

“Of course,” the old physician picked up the bowl, first smelling it, then furrowing his brows. He looked at Gu Yu Qi and asked, “Miss, may I taste it?”

“Sure,” Gu Yu Qi signalled Yan Zhi to hand him a spoon.

Yan Zhi handed the spoon to the old physician, who apologised before taking a small spoonful and putting it into his mouth to taste. His frown deepened.

Gu Yu Qi watched the old physician nervously and asked in a tense voice, “Sir, is there something wrong?”

“Miss, if I may, I would like to taste it again,” the old physician replied, bowing slightly.

“Please go ahead, Sir,” Gu Yu Qi urged, unable to sit still. She stood up and walked over to the old physician, watching his every move and expression closely.

The old physician took another small taste, carefully swishing it in his mouth. He furrowed his brows in deep thought before finally setting the spoon down and bowing to Gu Yu Qi. “Miss, has this bird’s nest soup been given to Madam yet?”

“No, it hasn’t,” Gu Yu Qi shook her head and hurriedly asked, “Is something wrong?”

“To answer Miss,” the old physician hesitated for a moment before steeling himself, “If my senses do not deceive me, this bird’s nest soup contains the honey of the Hanxin Grass.”

“Hanxin Grass?” Gu Yu Qi was taken aback. She had never heard of this thing.

“Yes. Hanxin Grass is not native to our Qi dynasty, so very few people know of it,” replied the old physician, “It grows in the harsh terrains of the Rouran territories and it’s not common. It can only be found on steep cliffs in remote mountains. It’s extremely rare. It was by chance that I learned of it. When I was young, I was captured by the Rouran people while studying medicine and served as a slave for some time in the household of a Rouran chieftain. The lady of the house used this very honey to kill her husband, the chieftain. Their family eventually fell apart, and I managed to escape back to the Qi dynasty, settling in Kuizhou, where I used my medical skills to earn a living.” The old physician sighed, “If Miss doubts my words, I can show you the mark of being a slave from that household on my arm.”

“The honey of the Hanxin Grass?” Gu Yu Qi asked, “What would happen if someone consumed it? Physician, you just tasted a little, should you not treat it? Is there an antidote?”

The old physician stroked his beard thoughtfully. “Miss, this honey is peculiar. For a person of robust health, it poses no harm. However, for someone already weakened, consuming it would lead to a further depletion of their qi and blood, exacerbating their condition. Over time, it would worsen the illness, eventually leading to death.”

Gu Yu Qi felt a chill run down her spine.

Could it be that in her previous life, her mother died because of this very Hanxin Grass honey? The symptoms the physician described had seemed eerily familiar to her.

“Sir, are you certain of this?” Gu Yu Qi asked.

“How could I possibly deceive you, Miss?” the old physician said solemnly. “I have been practising medicine for many years, and I adhere to two principles: honesty and integrity. Miss, this herb is indeed very rare. If it weren’t for my experience in my younger days, I wouldn’t have known about its existence. The honey of this herb is sweet, making it easy to conceal in desserts. However, after tasting it carefully, you will notice a slight numbness on the back of your tongue and a faint grassy aroma. If Miss doesn’t believe me, try it yourself.”

Gu Yu Qi hurriedly asked Yan Zhi to bring another spoon. She personally took a spoonful and placed it in her mouth.

Sure enough, at first, it tasted fragrant and sweet like ordinary bird’s nest. Yet afterwards, there was a faint numbing sensation on the back of her tongue. The sensation was subtle, almost unnoticeable unless one paid close attention. The grassy aroma was also very faint, nearly masked by other flavours.

How could bird’s nest have a numbing sensation and a grassy aroma?

At this point, even Gu Yu Qi had to believe it.

“Sir, if one has ingested this herb’s poison, how can it be cured?” Gu Yu Qi asked.

“Miss, this herb isn’t actually poisonous, but it shouldn’t be taken long-term by someone who is physically weak,” the old physician said with a smile, “That household’s wife used this herb on her husband because he was already in poor health. She wanted to use this opportunity to worsen his condition and eventually kill him.”

“Then how did Sir learn about this herb?” Gu Yu Qi asked. “Did that woman get caught?”

“The woman did it so discreetly that no one knew. However, the household had other concubines and sons. After the household head’s death, the woman couldn’t keep control, and the family fell into chaos. That’s how the family fell apart. As for how I learned about this herb, it was by chance. The witch doctor who provided the herb to the woman was someone I knew. I had taught him some acupuncture techniques. One day, he got drunk and let it slip, so I learned that such a thing existed. And the honey of this herb can’t be harvested directly; it must be refined with other ingredients. As for the refining process, I truly don’t know. It’s a secret method known only to those witch doctors.”

“So, you’re saying that in our Qi dynasty, hardly anyone would know about it?” Gu Yu Qi asked.

“I can’t say with absolute certainty that no one knows, but even if someone does, it would only be a few people,” the old physician said after some thought, “The Rouran witch doctors are very secretive, and their methods are not shared with outsiders. I can confirm that. In fact, I’m actually quite puzzled as to how the honey of this Hanxin Grass ended up here.”

Witchcraft! Gu Yu Qi was also convinced because The Local Records of Rouran left by Lou Xiao specifically mentioned the existence of witch doctors.

In Rouran, witch doctors held a very high status and their actions were both strange and mysterious. Their medical practices were only passed down among their own people and were never taught to outsiders.

The old physician was not lying, and he had no reason to lie.

“Thank you, Sir,” Gu Yu Qi said as she curtseyed to the old physician, startling him so much that he quickly waved his hands, repeatedly saying it was unnecessary.

“I must ask you to keep this a secret,” Gu Yu Qi said seriously, “This matter is of great importance, and I’m sure you understand the gravity of the situation.”

“Of course,” the old physician nodded repeatedly. The person lying on the bed had a significant background, and he knew that the young miss in front of him from the Marquis’ household before him was soon to become the concubine of Prince An. Naturally, he was fully on Gu Yu Qi’s side.

After sending the physician away, Gu Yu Qi sat down and stared blankly at the bowl of bird’s nest soup.

The old physician was definitely not lying, which meant that this bowl of bird’s nest soup really contained honey from the Hanxin Grass.

Gu Yu Qi had tasted it herself. The slight numbness at the back of her tongue and the faint, nearly imperceptible grassy aroma were undeniable.

The question was, how did Hanxin Grass find its way into the Ding Yuan Marquis’ household? According to the physician, this herb was difficult to obtain even in Rouran and was a secret technique of the witch doctors.

The bird’s nest had been sent by Liu Yue. It was no wonder she was so fearless. After all, the bird’s nest contained no poison, so no matter how it was tested, nothing harmful would be found.

Ordinary people drinking this bird’s nest would not suffer any ill effects. Only those who were physically weak or sick could not consume it long-term.

Gu Yu Qi’s expression grew as cold as frost. In her previous life, Liu Yue must have used this very thing to kill her mother. And now, in this life, she dared to send it again?!

Of course, she would dare since no one could verify it. Even if the case was brought before the Emperor, Liu Yue would not be afraid. Yet, what she had not anticipated was that Gu Yu Qi had brought back an old physician from Kuizhou who had once been a Rouran slave!

And this physician just happened to have had dealings with a witch doctor.

Where did Liu Yue learn about this thing? Where did she get it from?

An answer became glaringly obvious. Liu Yue was colluding with a Rouran witch doctor!

Gu Yu Qi slapped the table and stood up abruptly.

“Go and call Chun Xing,” Gu Yu Qi instructed Yan Zhi.

“Yes,” Yan Zhi quickly ran out and before long, Chun Xing was brought in.

“Sister Chun Xing, early tomorrow morning, go with Xia He and Qiu Yue to see if that so-called cousin of Liu Yue’s is still in the capital,” Gu Yu Qi said sternly. “If he is, have Qiu Yue remember his appearance and draw a portrait when you return.”

“Yes,” Chun Xing replied. Although she did not understand why the young miss suddenly wanted to investigate Concubine Liu’s cousin, she could tell from Gu Yu Qi’s serious expression that the matter was of great importance.

The next day, Chun Xing and Xia He took Qiu Yue to Xinglin Hall.

Xinglin Hall was the shop owned by Liu Yue’s supposed cousin. It had been in the capital for several years and was doing quite well.