Chapter 21 - Game Start

Half a month passed and Wen Qian is getting sicker day by day. During the night, she'll feel dizzy but it will be gone the next day. But because of it, she got sleepless nights. Her complexion looks really bad.

It's been a while since Xiu Ying visited Wen Qian as he was immersed in his study of poisons. He was shocked when he saw Wen Qian.

"Qi- Qian... Wh- what's wrong with you?! You're too pale and you're losing lots of weight." Xiu Ying groping Wen Qian's shoulders and arm, measuring it.

Wen Qian faintly smiles. "Lately, I keep having a headache every night and my stomach feels a bit uncomfortable. But, don't worry. I always feel better the next morning."

Xiu Ying frowns, "Headache every night? And stomach ache too? How often did it occur?"

Wen Qian hesitates, "We- well... about every 2-3 days. I'm fine Xiu Ying. Don't worry." Wen Qian didn't want to trouble her only friend.

Without saying anything, Xiu Ying grabs Wen Qian's wrist and read her pulse. Since he worked at the imperial pharmacy, his pulse reading is getting much better. He learned it diligently because in this world there's no stethoscope and ultrasound scanner that can do the work.

Once he got the reading, the knitted brows become deeper. "Seems like there's a problem with your heart and stomach..." Xiu Ying can't give the details based on her pulse only.

"Do you remember, when the exact time you started to feel like this?" Xiu Ying's totally changed into a strict doctor mode. Making Wen Qian flinched.

"Around 2-3 weeks ago."

"Before that, do you remember what you did, where did you go or who you met?" Xiu Ying squints his eyes, stressing on 'who you met' part.

"I- I just do my daily routines. Staying in my courtyard. I didn't go anywhere. I only met you and sometimes His Majesty came at night. I think that's al- ..."

"What's wrong? Did you remember anything?" Xiu Ying asked impatiently.

"It's ... Yu Li Na and Lin Hui Yin. They came here a few weeks ago. I think a few days after they came, I started to feel extreme pain in my head."

Xiu Ying's face turns cold. He grips his fist tightly. 'You already started, huh? Taking advantage when I'm not around.'

"Did you remember anything out of place when she came? Did she give you anything to eat or drink?"

Wen Qian slowly shakes her head. "No. Everything was prepared by my own servants. She also didn't bring anything for me. But she..."

"She what?"

"I'm not sure whether it has anything to do with this but that day, she's holding my hand in a weird way." Wen Qian holds up her right arm.

"How?"

"At first, I thought she tried to comfort me but she kept rubbing my wrist. Her thumb keeps caressing the pulse area. I didn't take into much care because her fingers don't feel oily or powdery. Her fingers are dried and clean. So, I didn't suspect anything."

"There are many kinds of poison that are too fine in texture and odorless." Xiu Ying mumbles.

"Then, when you feel the pain, did you take any painkillers?"

Wen Qian nods. "Yes. I think it's the one you brought to me before. It's really effective. Adding with the lavender incense, in just a few minutes, the pain subsides and I sleep really well."

Xiu Ying raises his eyebrows, "What lavender incense?"

"Oh. Xiao Lu, my servant said lavender incense can help to treat headaches and has a calming effect. So, almost every night I'll burn the incense to help me sleep better."

Xiu Ying abruptly stands and drags Wen Qian, "First, you need to show me where is the incense burner. Next, you're coming with me to the imperial pharmacy."

Wen Qian still didn't understand what just happened, obediently followed Xiu Ying. Guo Wei and Chang Ming that stands not far from them look at each other. They nod and then Guo Wei quickly walks out of the courtyard, heading towards Imperial Study Room.

Inside Wen Qian's bedchamber, there's a small incense burner beside her bed. Xiu Ying inspects it. He raises it to his nose and takes a sniff on it. His eyes bulge. He closes the incense burner and slams in on the bedside table.

"Xi- Xiu Ying... Wh- what's wrong?" Wen Qian feels a bit scared with the intimidating person in front of her.

Grabs the incense burner with one hand, the other hand grabs Wen Qian's wrist. "Come. Let's go to the imperial pharmacy."

Meanwhile, in the imperial study room, the air suddenly turns heavy after Guo Wei reported what he heard just now.

Wu Zhang Wei supports his head using one arm and the other hand tapping on the table slowly. "So, where is Consort Li and Concubine Wen right now?"

"Before I left, Consort Li was about to go to Concubine Wen's room to check on the incense burner. After that, Consort Li said he'll bring Concubine Wen to the imperial pharmacy."

Wu Zhang Wei stays silent. Beads of sweat rolling down on Guo Wei's nape. He patiently waits for the order from the emperor. "Alright. You can return to Consort Li first. Try to get info about the incense. Zhen will handle the rest." Guo Wei bows then quickly left.

Back to Xiu Ying and Wen Qian. The latter is being dragged to the imperial pharmacy. Xiu Ying feels a little bit impatient but still, he slowing down, considering Wen Qian's weak state.

Once they've arrived, Xiu Ying asked Wen Qian to lay down on the table that is half of the average human's height. Or people would call it the surgical table or hospital bed.

Seeing the restless state of both of them, the Chief of physicians approached. "Consort Li, what's wrong with Concubine Wen?" He glances between Xiu Ying and Wen Qian who already lays flat on the table.

Xiu Ying takes a blanket, covering the lower body and leaving Wen Qian's upper body for him to examine. "I think Concubine Wen has been poisoned but I'm not sure yet. I need to thoroughly check first."

The chief stays beside Xiu Ying, watching his movements. Xiu Ying pressed on Wen Qian's stomach. He moves from one side to another and asked whether it is hurt or not.

When Xiu Ying moves slightly lower, Wen Qian groans. "...Y- Ying... it hurts.."

Xiu Ying gently pressed on it again, and Wen Qian has the same response. 'It's not stomach. It's her... womb.'

Xiu Ying takes the incense burner from Jing Yi's who followed him everywhere, then pass it to Chief. "Chief, try to sniff on this. Can you detect what it is?"

The chief received the incense burner and did as he was told. It was a few inches away but Chief still can smell it.

"It's lavender... and a strong one." Chief quickly puts it away. The strong smell hurts his nose.

Xiu Ying rubs his chin. "Lavender incense does help in calming mind and eases the pain in the head but if it was used in a high dose or a very strong concentration, plus it was added with some other types of perfume it can affect someone's inside. And if it's a woman it can affect her... womb."

All of them present at the imperial pharmacy fell speechless.

"Strong concentration and using it for a long time can cause a woman to be... infertile." Wen Qian unconsciously touches her lower stomach and tears flowed down her side-eyes.

Being able to give birth is one of the most important things for women. If a woman failed to carry a child, it was like she was failed as a woman and no better than a guy. Well, that's what women tend to feel.

Xiu Ying grabs on Wen Qian's shoulder, "Don't worry. I'll do my best to help you. I'll make sure your children can even set into two teams of mahjong."

[One team : 4persons]

Wen Qian takes a hold on the hand on her shoulder and mutters, "Thank you." Xiu Ying nods.

"As for what caused you to have a headache, I need more time to figure it out. But! Rest assured, just take the decoction I personally prepared for you, and nobody else, including your servant, got it?"

Wen Qian nods vigorously. "And stop using this incense. If your servant brings it, just put it off and throw the incense away. Do it without your servant notice." Wen Qian nods again.

Xiu Ying takes out the acupuncture needles, "Stay still." He calmly inserts the needles on few parts of Wen Qian's forehead. The latter fully trusted his skills so she lays unworried.

"Wait for a while. I'll make a concoction for you." While waiting for the acupuncture to do its work, Xiu Ying went to the inner side of the pharmacy.

He mixes some licorice, Manchurian wildginger, Dahurian angelica root, Achyranthes root, ginseng, and Motherwort herbs. He decocts all of those herbs for about half an hour and then divides it into 10 small glass bottles. Then, he returns to Wen Qian's side. Even if it's just a slight difference but Wen Qian does look better and not too pale like before.

Xiu Ying pulls out all the needles gently. "How do you feel?"

"Much better. Thank you, Xiu Ying." She slowly gets up from the table. Xiu Ying passed a small sack to her.

"Here. Drink this every day for 10 days. After that, come and see me again. And please... hide this well. Put it somewhere only you could find. Understand?" Wen Qian got a lot of questions but she keeps it in her heart and decided to trust in Xiu Ying's decision.

Wen Qian is about to leave the pharmacy but Xiu Ying holds her back. "Wait." The girl only blinks her eyes when she was pulled back into the table.

Xiu Ying stares at Wen Qian's face, squints his eyes. Then he turns to Chief. "Chief, do you any makeup in here?"

"Ma- makeup?" The chief bewildered. They're in pharmacy why Xiu Ying asked for makeup? "Wait a second. I think one of our herbalists had created some makeup from herbs before." The chief quickly rummaged the store.

A moment later, The Chief came back with powder, blush, and some other stuff.

"Jing Yi, you know how to do makeup right? Help me out. Make Wen Qian looks sick."

"Looks sick? I thought Young Master wants to make her look healthier?" Jing Yi can never understand his young master's mind.

"Nope. Let us make them think their plan is still going on smoothly. We don't want them to put their guard on us. Let them feel like they've succeeded." Xiu Ying smirks.

For the nth time, all of them look at Xiu Ying in full of admiration. His thinking is so out of this world. Looking at Jing Yi's work, Xiu Ying shows his thumbs and winks.

.....

As Xiu Ying guessed, as soon as Wen Qian stepped out of the pharmacy with the help of Chang Ming, someone returns to her master. Xiu Ying stays at the pharmacy to do some study.

"What?! She went there? Then, how does she look? Better or the same?" asked Li Na impatiently.

"My lady, rest assured. Concubine Wen still looks pale and weak," said MianMian, who is Momo's twin sister.

Li Na sneers. "Good. Of course, it won't be easy for them to treat it. My uncle sends the best one for me. Even one day they get to know how to cure it, it will be too late."

Unbeknownst to her, she's actually being played in a game that she started.

.....

During dinner, Wu Zhang Wei went to Wen Qian's room. He feels guilty for using Wen Qian to get close to Xiu Ying and because of that, she was targeted.

"Wen Qian...Zhen...sorry. All this won't happen to you if Zhen didn't come here often just to ask about Xiu Ying. Sorry.." He lowers his head apologetically.

It should be wrong for the country's monarch lowers his head in front of someone else, except his imperial father and mother. But still, Wu Zhang Wei didn't care about all that.

Wen Qian shakes her head. "Your Majesty, don't worry. Even if Your Majesty didn't come here, sooner or later, the other person might still try to get rid of me. So, don't blame yourself. Plus, I'm getting better. Consort Li is a very good physician. His medical skills are no joke and the concoction he made is much better than any medicine out there. Because of him, I'm slowly recovering."

Wu Zhang Wei doesn't want to disturb her rest time, he left right after he's done with dinner. Wu Zhang walks towards his room but after a few steps, he stopped and make a u-turn. Heading to Zhongcui Palace.