The Ninth Princess Reigns Supreme [Transmigration] - Chapter 10
Ning Zisheng finally took the handkerchief, and Liu Li breathed a sigh of relief, but saw her put down the book and suddenly asked:
“During the lecture today, you were absent-minded. Do you have something on your mind?”
Liu Li’s expression froze.
Ning Zisheng finished her classes slightly earlier, and it was unclear how long she had been standing outside the window, but she had noticed even this?
“Yes… I do have something on my mind.”
Ning Zisheng didn’t speak, clearly waiting for her to say it.
Liu Li weighed the pros and cons and decided that sharing Bao’an’s matter with Ning Zisheng would be beneficial.
After all, everything she knew was limited to the original story, and she was at a loss for plots that didn’t appear in the original story.
Since Ning Zisheng had no grudges against Bao’an, she was definitely not the culprit. Perhaps she could get unexpected clues from her.
However, Liu Li was not foolish enough to directly reveal Princess Bao’an’s name. She moved her eyes slightly and said, “I heard a story and have been thinking about it for a long time. It would be great if Your Highness could help me solve it. If you find it boring, just listen to it as a joke.”
Ning Zisheng motioned for her to speak.
“Once upon a time, there was a person who was in poor health and relied on medicine to survive. But recently, someone discovered that poison had been added to this person’s medicine.”
Liu Li’s eyes flickered. “This person is usually kind and harmless, never provoking trouble, so they still don’t know who is behind it. I’m very puzzled and have been thinking about it.”
A moment of silence.
Ning Zisheng was so intelligent that she immediately understood. Her phoenix eyes lifted slightly, a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, and she fully understood the hidden meaning in the words. “You mean…”
“Your Highness understands.” Liu Li said softly, “This matter is very important and involves human life. I can’t eat or sleep if I don’t understand it.”
She hadn’t eaten a bite of lunch today. The thought of Bao’an made her very anxious.
Ning Zisheng thought for a moment and quickly thought of something. “Concubine, illegitimate daughter?”
However, as soon as these words came out, they looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time.
Although Liu Ruyun had entered the palace as a companion, she was only a ten-year-old girl and didn’t have the ability to do such a thing. And her concubine mother was in the Duke’s mansion, and even if her hand was long, she couldn’t interfere with the palace affairs.
So this matter had nothing to do with the struggle between the legitimate and illegitimate daughters.
Ning Zisheng asked, “How did you know the medicine was tampered with? Who else knows?”
“I noticed it accidentally.” Since she had already made it clear, Liu Li no longer concealed it and said, “Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know, and no one else knows.”
“Yes, you did the right thing.” Ning Zisheng pondered for a while. “This matter cannot be publicized. I can’t think of anything for the time being. Let’s wait and see.”
“Would Your Highness be willing to help me?” Liu Li stared at her with bright eyes, full of expectation.
With the female lead’s 50 million luck points, it would be much easier than solving it alone.
Ning Zisheng looked away. “…I’ll do my best.”
The Ninth Princess’s promise was worth a thousand gold. Liu Li felt much relieved and explained to Ning Zisheng, “Before I came to the Imperial Academy today, I told her to secretly hide the medicine. But there are too many people involved. There are several servants responsible for decocting the medicine alone. The medicinal materials are given by the emperor and sent by various palaces. The prescription is opened by the Imperial Hospital… I don’t know where to start.”
Ning Zisheng pondered, “To dare to do it under that person’s nose, there must be someone to rely on.”
These words reminded Liu Li. Yes, Princess Bao’an was the emperor’s sworn sister, and they had a deep relationship. Anyone who dared to touch her must have a lot of power.
Liu Li said helplessly, “It’s easy to dodge an open spear, but hard to guard against a hidden arrow. How can we find out who this person is?”
Ning Zisheng frowned, “Is there a problem with the prescription, or have the medicinal materials been replaced?”
“This… I don’t know yet.” Liu Li pursed her lips and couldn’t directly say that she saw it through the system, so she had to be vague. “But I’m sure there’s something wrong with the medicine.”
“Yes.” Ning Zisheng didn’t ask how she found the medicine was wrong. “We need to get the prescription and the dregs of the medicine.”
“Okay, I’ll go back and find out.” Liu Li nodded vigorously, and suddenly had an idea. “Your Highness…”
“Yes?”
“Would you like to come with me to my mother’s place for a chat?”
Ning Zisheng didn’t know what she was thinking. Her eyes paused for a moment, then suddenly returned, and a suspicious blush appeared on her face, but it quickly disappeared.
•••••
It was unknown whether Ning Zisheng agreed to Liu Li’s request.
The only thing that was known was that there was an unfamiliar figure in Penglai Palace at this moment.
“Quickly serve tea to the Ninth Princess.” Bao’an lay on the couch, separated from them by a curtain, and whispered, then looked at Ning Zisheng apologetically, “I hope you don’t mind. I’m afraid I’ll pass on my illness to you.”
Bao’an naturally knew about Concubine Chu’s situation, but she was kind-hearted and didn’t give Ning Zisheng a cold shoulder because she was not favored.
The servants had already been dismissed, so Liu Li obediently poured a cup of tea for Ning Zisheng.
Ning Zisheng nodded slightly, “Your Highness, you have good fortune, you will recover soon.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
Through the gauze curtain, Bao’an’s gentle smile could be vaguely seen. “Li’er is foolish. I heard that she has been asking the Ninth Princess for advice on her studies recently. You have worked hard.”
Ning Zisheng said softly, “It’s no trouble.”
Seeing that Bao’an was so sleepy that her eyelids were about to close, Liu Li interrupted their small talk. “Mother, where did you put the medicine I asked you to keep this morning?”
Bao’an’s slender fingers tapped lightly. It was hidden behind the makeup box, obscured by many things.
The bowl of medicine had long cooled down, so it didn’t smell as bitter as it did in the morning with the heat.
Ning Zisheng looked at it, examined it for a long time, and actually dipped a little with her finger and tasted it with her tongue.
“Your Highness!” Liu Li knew there was something wrong with the medicine. Seeing her taste it, she was naturally anxious but couldn’t stop her in time.
She immediately brought up the system panel but didn’t see any health bar on Ning Zisheng’s head. Could it be that she didn’t lose bl00d after taking this medicine?
This showed that the medicine would only worsen Bao’an’s illness. It would be harmless to ordinary people, which showed that the culprit had put in a lot of effort and was deliberately targeting Bao’an.
Ning Zisheng tasted it for a moment and identified a medicinal ingredient in it. “…Aconitum.”
Liu Li knew that Ning Zisheng had some knowledge of medicine.
Her mother, Concubine Chu, was also in poor health, so Ning Zisheng began to read medical books. Although she wasn’t proficient, she recognized some common medicinal materials.
“Is there anything wrong?”
Ning Zisheng shook her head. “No.”
“Then…”
“The strange thing is that there’s nothing wrong. This medicine is mild and nourishing. Your Highness, you should have improved after taking it. But you’re still weak and sleepy. There’s definitely something wrong.”
Their voices were very soft so that Bao’an couldn’t hear them.
Liu Li poured the bowl of medicine directly into the spittoon in Bao’an’s room. If someone saw it, they would only think that Bao’an was nauseous again and had vomited the medicine.
If there was no problem with the medicine itself, then it must have been something else eaten that was incompatible with the aconitum in the medicine.
Ning Zisheng said, “Has Your Highness ever eaten Pinellia fruit? Pinellia can be used as medicine and cannot be eaten at the same time as aconitum.”
Liu Li shook her head, puzzled. She knew what Pinellia fruit looked like and had never seen it here.
Moreover, Bao’an had a poor appetite, and the Imperial Kitchen made her three meals a day with various patterns. They were both healthy and light, and they were all ordinary vegetarian foods, and there was no meat at all. It shouldn’t be a problem.
The truth of the matter was still in the mist, with no clue at the moment. Seeing that Bao’an had already fallen asleep, the two of them tiptoed out of Bao’an’s bedroom.
“Farewell, Ninth Princess, farewell, County Princess.”
The palace servants at the door bowed to them gently. Ning Zisheng’s nose was very sensitive, and she seemed to have smelled some faint scent, but it disappeared in an instant.
She looked at the servant without showing any expression, but she couldn’t see anything.
Outside Penglai Palace, the two walked side by side. Liu Li suddenly discovered that Ning Zisheng was slightly taller than her, but because of her thin figure, she looked weak.
Liu Li quietly compared their heights. Ning Zisheng was only twelve years old, and her height was already 5 feet 3 inches tall, and she still had a lot of growing to do.
“This matter is not urgent.” Ning Zisheng said slowly, “Since Her Highness has stopped taking the medicine, nothing will happen again. After a while, the mastermind will notice that something is wrong and will definitely take action again. Then, they will reveal their flaws.”
“Yes!” Liu Li nodded vigorously.
Ning Zisheng was a future master of palace intrigue, overthrowing countless imperial concubines, princes, and princesses. Following her instructions would definitely be correct.
“Then…”
Ning Zisheng stopped. The two had already reached the fork in the road, and their residences were in different directions.
“I’ll go back first today.”
“Okay!”
It was almost dusk, and some shadows of twilight showed their heads, sprinkling a few strands of faint gold, which happened to reflect on Liu Li’s cheeks.
She couldn’t see it, but Ning Zisheng could see it clearly.
The golden light reflected a dazzling light with Liu Li’s expression: “Your Highness, see you tomorrow.”
Ning Zisheng suddenly felt a sense of unease from nowhere. She said “hmm” faintly, but her heart skipped a beat.
•••••
The next day, Ning Zisheng’s handkerchief was finally dried. Liu Li had been thinking about it and carefully wrapped it and put it in her arms before going to the Imperial Academy.
She arrived a little early, but she didn’t expect to run into Liu Ruyun and the Eighth Princess, Ning Zichun.
It was a true literal “run into.”
When passing by in the corridor of the Imperial Academy, Liu Ruyun was walking well, but she suddenly slipped and fell straight towards Liu Li.
Liu Li subconsciously wanted to avoid it, but as a result, she was caught off guard and Liu Ruyun grabbed her sleeve tightly, and their foreheads collided heavily.
With this collision, Liu Li almost saw stars and staggered back a few steps. She grabbed the wooden railing next to her to stabilize her body and looked at Liu Ruyun coldly: “What are you doing?”
“Forgive me, elder sister!” Liu Ruyun got up from the ground, looking extremely frightened and trembling, “I slipped, did I hurt elder sister?”
Ning Zichun was walking in front. Hearing the noise, she turned her head, a little impatiently: “Liu’er?”