Ji Ping’an said, “Your Highness, your body contains a significant amount of lead toxicity. The lead has already damaged your internal organs. Even with careful treatment, we can only ensure it doesn't worsen further. A full recovery to your original health is impossible—your lifespan will inevitably be affected.”
The Princess was unfazed upon hearing this. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve suffered from this strange illness for five years now. If five years of pain didn’t affect my lifespan at all, that would be the real miracle.”
As long as she could rid herself of this humiliating and agonizing stench, the Princess was already overjoyed. That alone was enough—she didn’t dare to be greedy for more.
“But…” Cuiyun, the pace maid, looked a little troubled. “This season, live leeches are hard to come by.”
Doctor Yan Xishan chuckled, “No matter. My senior is fond of collecting oddities like this—Huichun Hall should have some dried leeches stored.”
Ji Ping’an asked, “Were the leeches at Huichun Hall fumigated with sulfur?”
Yan Xishan frowned. “That… I’m not sure.”
Ji Ping’an said, “If they were fumigated with sulfur and stored for over three years, their medicinal effect would be greatly diminished. Ideally, fresh leeches should be roasted with lime, ground into powder, and taken together with the medicine. That would be most effective.”
Yan Xishan stroked his chin. “That’s a bit tricky. In this season, if we want live leeches, we’ll have to ask around in the fields.”
Cuiyun immediately responded, “I’ll go send someone right away.”
The Princess stopped her, seeing she was so excited she didn’t know which way was east or west. “Let the steward take care of it. Cuiyun, you stay and take Miss Ji to the guest quarters.”
“Oh dear, look at me—I’m so happy I’ve gone muddleheaded.”
Cuiyun hurriedly apologized, but the Princess, genuinely pleased to have found a cure, simply smiled and sent her off to settle Ji Ping’an in.
Shortly after arriving in the guest room, the Princess’s reward arrived—two gold hairpins, a pair of jade bracelets, and several heavy gold ingots.
Cuiyun said warmly, “Miss Ji, as long as Her Highness recovers, there’ll be much more where that came from.”
Ji Ping’an quickly gave her thanks. Cuiyun looked at her as if she were her own daughter before returning to report back.
As soon as she turned away, Ji Ping’an told Dongchun to store the rewards and then pulled out the 10,000 tael banknote she’d brought with her.
Dongchun blinked. “Miss, isn’t that our emergency fund for escape?”
Ji Ping’an tapped her forehead. “You, always jumping to conclusions. Who said anything about running?”
Dongchun rubbed her brow. “Then why are we carrying so much silver?”
Ji Ping’an said, “To give to Doctor Yan.”
“Huh?” Dongchun was baffled. “Didn’t Doctor Yan say he didn’t want any payment?”
Ji Ping’an affectionately patted her head. “He said no, but that doesn’t mean you don’t give it. Sometimes, you have to listen between the lines. Go on, send it to him. Didn’t you notice? He was eyeing my hands the moment we walked in—clearly hinting at it.”
Watching Dongchun’s departing figure, Ji Ping’an sighed. The original host’s father had truly shielded her too well, and even her little maid was naive and cheerful, cking the most basic understanding of worldly dealings.
Maybe that was the plot armor the male lead had—everyone around the female lead was just as innocent, skilled in inner court etiquette, but completely blind to social and political games. That’s why they could be so easily deceived and stripped of everything.
Dongchun brought the box of silver notes to Doctor Yan’s quarters. As soon as she handed it over, he began to refuse, “Ah, I told you, I’m not that kind of person. I only risked it because Miss Ji’s prescription was reasonable. Everything I did was for Her Highness’s health.”
Dongchun: “…” Then let go of the box, why don’t you?
---
Not far outside the Princess’s residence, in an upstairs teahouse room, Song Zhiyin sat sipping her cup of Tieguanyin tea.
Soon after, the sound of whispering voices came from outside the door.
The wooden door creaked open, and Taoxiang entered. “Miss, Chengping Marquis’s carriage has left the estate—it’s heading toward the Princess’s residence.”
“Good.” Song Zhiyin slid a rectangur box across the table. “Give this to the man outside, and tell him to deliver it to the Princess’s residence, exactly as I instructed.”
“Yes, Miss.”
Taoxiang took the box and handed it off outside.
Soon, the man accepted the package and sprinted down the stairs like the wind. At the gates of the Princess’s residence, he said to the gatekeeper, “Brother, may I trouble you? I’m a servant from Minister Song’s household. My young mistress offended Her Highness at the birthday banquet not long ago. She’s sending this gift as an apology.”
The gatekeeper took it and naturally checked its contents.
Opening the box: “What’s this?”
“A gold hairpin,” the man replied. “My third mistress saw the exquisite one Her Highness wore at the banquet and remembered she had a simir one at home. She asked me to deliver it as an apology. She originally meant to wear it that day, but an incident occurred and she forgot.”
“Understood. You may go.”
The gatekeeper passed the message and the box through the usual chain of attendants until it reached the Princess.
The moment the Princess saw it, she understood everything.
The gold hairpin had originally been gifted to her by Zhou Pingping before the birthday banquet, along with fttery that persuaded her to wear it.
If she had first seen that a daughter of the Song family wore the exact same hairpin, and then found the scented sachet in National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance, the two coincidences stacked together, she would’ve flown into a rage and executed the offender on the spot.
At this moment, the medicine was ready, and Ji Ping’an was keeping the Princess company while she drank it.
The Princess gave her a faint, amused look. “You’re right here, so tell me—who sent the hairpin?”
Ji Ping’an picked up the bowl and gently stirred the dark medicinal soup to cool it down. “Your Highness, I only arrived in the capital less than half a month ago. I’m not skilled in embroidery, and a piece as intricate as National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance must have taken considerable time to complete.”
(Transtor Xiaobai: The Princess asked about the gold hairpin, but it was part of a bigger plot tied to the embroidered sachet (National Beauty and Heavenly Fragrance). Ji Ping’an didn’t answer directly—she brought up the embroidery to clear herself of both the hairpin and the sachet, showing she couldn’t have made or gifted either. It was a smart way to deflect suspicion without accusing anyone.)
The Princess seemed to have guessed as much. She said calmly, “Whoever it was, since they didn’t have the courage to come forward back then, there’s no need for them to do so now.”
She toyed with the hairpin in her hand.
As for the one who plotted against her, let them remain in prison and suffer a little longer.
Just as the Princess had finished half her medicine, Chengping Marquis barged in, ignoring all attempts to stop him.
“Yao Lu,” he shouted as he rushed up to the Princess without the slightest courtesy, “No matter what, Pingping is still your younger sister. We’re all one family. Don’t take this personally—just have Kaifeng Prefecture release her.”
Originally, the Princess had been in a good mood because her strange illness was finally treatable. Given her blood ties with Zhou Pingping, she had already decided not to interfere in how Kaifeng Prefecture would handle the case. But now, this hairpin had stirred up her buried resentment again.
With a cck, the Princess set her medicine bowl down on the table.
She was a dignified imperial princess, yet she had been repeatedly schemed against—someone even dared to commit murder and cover it up in her own pace! And now Chengping Marquis actually had the audacity to show up and plead for mercy?
"Chengping Marquis," she said coldly, not giving him the slightest face, "murder is a capital crime. Rather than rushing here to shout demands at me, why don’t you go worry about how long your outrageous daughter will be imprisoned?"
"I’ve already asked around—Pingping didn’t kill anyone." The marquis slumped into a seat. "Yao Lu, you know what she’s like. She’s a delicate girl, she wouldn’t have the nerve to kill anyone."
"Not brave enough to kill," the Princess sneered, "but bold enough to use others to do it for her. Does your Chengping household really take me for a pushover?"
Chengping Marquis gritted his teeth—then suddenly let out an “Aiya!”
Whether from irritation or something else, he began scratching at himself nonstop, clearly uncomfortable.
Ji Ping’an wrinkled her nose and gnced over—though the marquis’s clothes were tightly wrapped, a bit of red rash was visible at the colr he had just scratched open.
