The Heroine Fell Deeply For Her [Quick Transmigration] 126p2

Chapter 126: Taken Home by the Princess Part 14 (2)

Grand Historian Cui had said that the herbs in the princess’s residence were partially bestowed by the palace, partially provided by the Imperial Hospital, and partially purchased from trusted pharmacies, all handled by designated personnel, so there shouldn’t be any issues.

The ones bestowed by the palace were incredibly precious, and He Yue, a mere incense maker, wouldn’t have access to them without the princess’s permission.

The staff in the princess’s residence all said He Yue rarely went out, asking them to run errands for her, which wasn’t frequent, at most once or twice a month, because she was lazy.

Seeing Tao Ning staring at the small box of incense, the guard couldn’t help but ask, “Miss An, are you done examining it?”

Everyone in the retreat was curious why the emperor and princess trusted this maid so much, wanting to see her skills.

Tao Ning replied casually, “Yes, there’s nothing wrong with the herbs or the records.”

The guard was surprised: “You’re done?” She just flipped through it casually, and she’s done?

Tao Ning: “Mm-hmm.”

Guard: “…”

Looking at Tao Ning’s calm side profile, he initially thought she was illiterate and just pretending.

Then he thought the princess wouldn’t appoint an illiterate person to investigate, so she must have… examined it.

Soon, Tao Ning put down the box, clapped her hands, neatly organized the items, and prepared to leave.

The guard, curious about her next move, asked, “Are you going to interrogate He Yue?”

If so, he needed to inform the prison guards to bring her out, avoiding unnecessary delays.

Tao Ning turned around, puzzled: “No, it’s lunchtime, time to clock out, aren’t you hungry?”

Guard: “…” He hadn’t felt hungry before, but now he did.

Looking at the departing figure, he couldn’t help but wonder again—was the princess’s decision to appoint her to investigate really a wise one?

Rubbing her empty stomach, Tao Ning wondered what would be for lunch today as she walked towards Linlang Palace.

Not far away, a palace maid in a green dress was searching for something, a worried expression on her face.

Tao Ning initially thought she looked familiar, then recognized her and called out, “Shi Qing?”

Shi Qing looked up, almost not recognizing An Ning standing there. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, and she was about to call out her name when she noticed the two tokens on Tao Ning’s waist: “An…”

Although she couldn’t see the inscriptions clearly, she could sense their significance.

And the recent rumors…

So she said, “Miss An.”

Tao Ning walked over, looking curiously at the spot where Shi Qing had been searching: “What are you looking for? Did you lose something? I’ll help you.”

Shi Qing wouldn’t dare ask Tao Ning for help, but there was something she needed help with, unsure if she should ask, hesitating.

Tao Ning saw through her hesitation: “Shi Qing, we’ve known each other for years, just say it, I’ll help if I can.”

With these words, Shi Qing no longer hesitated: “I’m desperate, I need your help. Rou Rou was careless last night, she slept with the window open and kicked off the blanket, catching a chill, and she has a fever this morning.”

Tao Ning recalled Shi Qing’s earlier actions: “So you’re looking for medicine for Rou Rou?”

Shi Qing nodded, her expression troubled: “I already have a prescription, but could you… help me get the medicine for her?”

“That’s not a problem.” Tao Ning, without hesitation, took off the emperor’s token and handed it to Shi Qing. “This is His Majesty’s token, it grants you access anywhere in the retreat. Go to Cunqing Hall, that’s where the physicians live, show them the token, and you can either ask them to treat her or get the medicine yourself.”

Shi Qing’s hands trembled as she received the token: “Th-this… this isn’t appropriate.”

Tao Ning pushed her shoulder: “It’s fine, I’ll take responsibility, go quickly, I’ll go check on Rou Rou.”

“Okay, I’ll go right away.” Shi Qing, no longer hesitating, turned and left.

Following the familiar path, Tao Ning returned to the courtyard she used to live in. It looked the same as before, but after just a few days, it felt like a lifetime ago.

She pushed the door open, which Shi Qing hadn’t locked, and walked towards her old room.

Inside were the palace maids who weren’t on duty today. Jia Niang sat by the bed, holding the feverish Rou Rou, patting her back gently.

Rou Rou was crying, whimpering softly, “I’m so hot, it hurts…”

Hearing the door open, Jia Niang didn’t turn around: “Shi Qing, you’re back? Did you find it so quickly?”

A voice replied, “She’s not looking for herbs anymore, she went to find a physician.”

The voice was familiar, but not Shi Qing’s. Jia Niang turned around in surprise: “A physician? How did she manage to find one… An Ning? Why are you back?”

Tao Ning walked over, checking Rou Rou’s pulse and then her forehead.

Jia Niang and the other maids watched, puzzled, feeling that An Ning, after returning from her two-day absence, was different.

They didn’t dare speak.

Tao Ning breathed a sigh of relief: “It’s just a cold.”

Jia Niang was confused, as if it wasn’t just a cold: “You said something about a physician? Did Shi Qing go to find one?”

Tao Ning briefly explained, and Jia Niang, hearing this, relaxed. With a physician and medicine, Rou Rou should be fine.

Rou Rou, held by Jia Niang, couldn’t hear what An Ning was saying, only vaguely hearing the word “eat,” and she started crying again.

Rou Rou sobbed, “I… I also want to eat…”

Jia Niang wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and Tao Ning, seeing her pitiful state, asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Rou Rou sniffled, “I want persimmons, and steamed crabs… Mommy… Mommy, it hurts…”

Jia Niang said, “Oh no, Sister Shi Qing said you can’t eat those together, you’ll get sick, like being poisoned.”

Tao Ning paused, something clicking in her mind: “…Persimmons and steamed crabs?”

Crabs were rare near the capital, only served in the palace during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Jia Niang, holding Rou Rou, explained, “Rou Rou is from a fishing village, her family wasn’t wealthy, and her mother often steamed crabs for her. She used to complain about always eating crabs, saying they were fishy and not tasty, so…”

So she wasn’t craving crabs, but missing home.

The palace maids surrounded Rou Rou, wiping her tears, tucking her in, and using cold, wet handkerchiefs to lower her temperature.

They couldn’t get alcohol to cool her down, so they resorted to this method.

Tao Ning nodded, muttering softly, “…Eating them together is like being poisoned?”

When the tiger went berserk, Tao Ning’s first reaction was that the sachet was the problem, using it to lure the tiger away and letting Xie Baiyi suffer the consequences.

But Xie Baiyi’s death only deepened the mystery.

If she had known he wouldn’t die so easily, she wouldn’t have acted so rashly, assuming she could leave immediately after completing the mission.

But now, the physicians had confirmed the sachet itself wasn’t poisonous. If that were the case, was it possible that the sachet, combined with something else, became poisonous?

The truth began to emerge, and she thought of another possibility, seemingly absurd, but perhaps the true answer.

It was a compound poison, harmless when used alone, only taking effect when combined.

And the scent that agitated the tiger must have been an attracting fragrance, activating the poison only after being smelled.

Tao Ning realized: “I understand, the sachet is harmless, the attracting fragrance is also harmless, but together, they’re poisonous.”

The perpetrator wouldn’t be foolish enough to place something obviously poisonous near the emperor or princess, not with all the poison testers around.

Xie Baiyi, arrogant and skilled in poison-making, wouldn’t use such a crude method.

Jia Niang was confused: “What?”

Tao Ning, eager to leave, said hurriedly, “The physician is on his way, please ask Sister Shi Qing to deliver the token to Mingdong Courtyard later, I’ll be there, I have to go now.”

With that, she disappeared out the door.

The maids looked at each other, puzzled.

Not long after, Shi Qing arrived with the physician. Looking inside, she asked, puzzled, “Isn’t An Ning here?”

Jia Niang made way for the physician to examine Rou Rou, replying, “She… she was just here, she said ‘I understand’ and left.”