Chapter 329

The situation was quite tense, making many feel as if they couldn’t breathe. In this grand palace, the royal physicians had gathered outside, waiting for the results. Inside the palace, where the bedroom had been converted into a treatment room, only the emperor, the tribal leader royal physician of the Hu Region, and the Mu family were present.

They were now testing the blood of the princess from the Wang Region. If it was as Physician Mu had claimed, the princess still had a chance of survival. But if it wasn’t... it would confirm that the princess was indeed afflicted by the incurable Seven-Pronged Necklace poison.

After about 20 minutes, the people inside emerged. Their expressions were entirely different. The royal physician and the emperor looked very worried, while Physician Mu was frowning, deep in thought. Thus, no one could discern the outcome.

Mu Heng had not entered because, as a man without medical knowledge, it was inappropriate. Meanwhile, Xihao was occupied with the little princess Huan Huan clinging to him, while behind them was the young prince An Chen, looking sulky as if he were about to lose his beloved sister to someone else.

He approached Yueqian to inquire about the results.

"How did it go?" Though it was somewhat impolite to ask in front of the emperor, no one thought to reprimand him at this moment. Everyone was waiting for the results.

"The boiled blood clotted," Yueqian announced the result to him.

Mu Heng understood immediately, but the other royal physicians did not. They asked again.

"The boiled blood clotted, so it means it’s not the Seven-Pronged Necklace poison?" One royal physician asked. Yueqian nodded, causing them to visibly relax.

"That’s excellent news, isn’t it? If it’s not the Seven-Pronged Necklace poison, then there must be a cure, right?"

"Only the Seven-Pronged Necklace poison is incurable. This means we have a chance to save the princess."

“Isn’t this considered good news?” Upon hearing the royal physician’s words, the chief royal physician who initially diagnosed the Seven-Pronged Necklace poison scoffed.

“Are you all being too simplistic? Even if it’s not the Seven-Pronged Necklace poison, so what? There’s still no cure available, right?” He retorted. In fact, his frustration had begun since his mistake in identifying the poison was exposed.

“Even though there’s no cure now, it still means there’s a chance, doesn’t it? As long as it’s not an incurable poison, if we work together, we can definitely overcome it,” one of the royal physicians spoke up. Treating this case was inevitable. They had to do their best. Which was better: working hard knowing there was no solution, or working hard knowing there was still a chance if you put in the effort?

“I agree. You’re all working hard now, and soon enough, a cure will be found. We’ll help as well.”

“Chief Royal Physician, let’s work together to prevent a war.”

“Now we know it’s not hopeless, right? That’s enough for us to keep trying.” Everyone began speaking up, seemingly addressing the chief royal physician of the Hu Region but actually encouraging themselves.

However, the chief royal physician dismissed them. The old man laughed mockingly before delivering a chilling truth.

“Even if it’s not the Seven-Pronged Necklace, this could be a new poison with no cure. As mentioned earlier, the princess’s symptoms closely resemble those of the Seven-Pronged Necklace, meaning this poison also has a balanced composition. If we disrupt this balance incorrectly, it could kill the afflicted even faster. Do you still believe that this poison can be conquered with effort?”

The royal physician said disdainfully, but the others turned to Yueqian instead of believing him.

“Physician Mu, is it true?”

“Is this poison similar to the Seven-Pronged Necklace?” The more the others trusted Yueqian over him, the more frustrated the chief royal physician of the Hu Region became. Perhaps he had forgotten that Yueqian had come to the Hu Region to help, not to undermine them!

“Why don’t you answer, Physician Mu...? Aren’t you very skilled at analysis?” The chief royal physician of the Hu Region sneered, his expression unpleasant. But no one paid much attention to him. In such a tense situation, many people revealed their true nature.

Yueqian watched their conversation and sighed. She could only comment based on her limited observations so far. More study and examination were needed.

“I can say that the royal physician’s words are the closest to the truth.” Hearing this, the old man’s face showed a smug smile. But Yueqian wasn’t finished, and she continued with a statement that frustrated the Hu Region’s chief royal physician.

“This poison is indeed similar to the Seven-Pronged Necklace, but it still has some flaws. It will never become another incurable poison.”

“Oh, is that so? That’s good news.”

“Now that we’ve heard from Physician Mu, there’s hope, right?”

“But how long will it take to find a cure?... Will the princess pass away before then?” The chief royal physician asked, to which Yueqian sighed in response.

“That’s a question that can’t be answered immediately. More research is needed.”

“In the end, the result is as we knew: nothing has improved, right? You show us it’s not the Seven-Pronged Necklace poison, but then we still don’t know what to do about it. Hmph!”

In the chief royal physician’s mind, he saw Yueqian as an arrogant physician who pretended to know everything. Even with the poison, she had shown that his judgment was wrong! Since then, he had disliked her. Besides... even if it was a different poison, could she cure it? In the end, she only provided false hope. She seemed to crave attention, acting as if she had great ability, but ultimately, she was all show and no substance, right? Why should anyone value such a person?!

The emperor glanced at them. Initially, he felt a bit relieved that it wasn’t the legendary poison. However, knowing there was still no cure made him more worried. It could mean that this poison was just as difficult to treat. Even if it wasn’t the Seven-Pronged Necklace poison, the lack of a cure meant the outcome was essentially the same, didn’t it?Even though he thought this way, as the ruler of the region, he had to be the last one to give up! If the head surrendered first, how could the tail continue to fight? The man, filled with determination, took a deep breath before speaking along this path of despair.

"Alright, alright there is no need for haste today. I ask for your cooperation to help the royal physicians of our Hu Region deal with this poison. Though the chances may be slim, there is still a chance. As long as it’s not the Seven-Pronged Necklace poison, there is hope. To prevent war, I ask for everyone’s assistance. Of course, after this matter is resolved, you will be well rewarded."

Having said that, the ruler departed. He felt the stress pushing him to the brink of wanting to grab a sword and start a war just to end the ordeal. At least then, he wouldn’t have to overthink the situation.

Yueqian understood his pressure well. She looked at everyone and noticed the royal physician from the Hu Region glaring at her with displeasure. However, she had no right to prevent others from disliking her, so she excused herself.

"I will also try to find a solution. So, I will take my leave for today," the beautiful woman said and turned to her son. However, the little princess still clung to him.

"No, I want to play with Xihao. I don’t want Xihao to leave so soon. How about this: you come with us to my mother’s palace first," Princess Huan Huan demanded. Xihao looked at his mother with a pitiful expression, like a dog being bullied, making Yueqian feel sympathetic towards him.

"Princess, it would be better to play with Xihao another day. I believe both you and Xihao must be tired today. It would be best to rest," Yueqian gently persuaded the child. However, the young girl looked at her and Xihao with teary eyes.

"But I don’t want you to leave. You are going to be my fiancé, so you belong to me. I want to play with you, and you must play with me!" the little girl cried stubbornly.

Initially, Xihao wanted to knock some sense into this stubborn girl, but then he looked to the left where there was no one. He thought for a moment and then looked at his mother.

"Mother, in that case, can we go to the Empress’s palace first?" The little boy said. He knew his clever mother would understand his intention, and indeed, it was exactly what Xihao thought.

Yueqian noticed her son’s unusual demeanor and his serious tone, indicating that he had something important to do at the Empress’s palace. Although she was worried about his actions, she did not stop him.

"Then go ahead and play. The inner palace is not a place just anyone can enter. Your father is a man, so I’ll wait for you outside. Is that alright?" Yueqian asked. Xihao nodded immediately, as he didn’t need his mother’s help for what he intended to do.

"Alright. Princess, let’s go," Xihao said, nodding to Princess Huan Huan before being dragged away by her, with Prince An Chen following behind.

Mu Heng was a bit concerned seeing his son leave like that. However, since mother and son had agreed, he decided not to interfere. As a parent, it’s better to respect the decisions of his spouse. Children need consistent guidance, and he couldn’t say one thing while his wife said another, as that would confuse their child about what was right and wrong.

Left alone, a court lady led Mu Heng and Yueqian to wait at a pavilion. This pavilion was where nobles often waited before starting their morning duties, arriving before the emperor. Some left their homes at dawn, so this pavilion was built to accommodate them.

"Is there really no hope for a cure?" Mu Heng asked his wife worriedly. He truly didn’t want a war, finding it too dreadful. He didn’t want to leave his wife and child behind again.

The last time he went away to work, wasn’t his wife bullied many times? How could he focus on his work knowing that?

Yueqian thought for a moment before responding.

"In truth, it’s not that there is no hope," she said. Mu Heng raised an eyebrow in surprise. It seemed his wife wasn’t too stressed about the poison problem, was she?

"Then what are you worried about?"

"What worries me is the person who created this poison. It seems... there’s a hidden genius in the Hu Region. Considering the poison that harmed Representative Ma, the poison in the Wu manor, and now the poison used on the princess. All of these... seem to be the work of the same person!"