Chapter 460: The Law of Passing Blood

Chapter 460

Ning Wanshuang lost another child.

On this sixteenth day of the second month, she had lost a total of three children.

The second month was the season when the Magnolia flowers bloomed.

The Magnolia was her lifelong favorite, and it was under a Magnolia tree that she first met and developed an affinity with Xiao Jingheng through a dance.

At one time, Ning Wanshuang had always felt that during the spring breeze of the second month every year, it should be her most joyful, most prideful, and most glorious day.

But now,

she could no longer face that joy from the past.

Ning Wanshuang's awakening happened on the evening of the second day. Rêạd new chapters at novelhall.com

This so-called awakening was merely opening her eyes and staring blankly at the painted ceiling.

Liu Yue had been keeping watch over her, and upon seeing her awake, she first cried tears of joy, then quickly seemed to console her, saying:

"His Majesty is arranging the Second Princess's funeral rites according to the protocols for a Legitimate Princess. Your Highness, you should restrain your grief, actually..."

"Where's Jin Yue?" Ning Wanshuang asked numbly as she struggled to sit up.

Liu Yue said weakly, "The Second Princess's remains have been placed in the Smoke and Rain Pavilion..."

Upon hearing this, Ning Wanshuang abruptly threw off the bedding, ignoring Liu Yue's attempts to stop her as she rushed outside.

At the door, she turned back, frantically searching for something in the palace.

"What is Your Highness looking for? Let this servant help you!"

"Where are her clothes?" Ning Wanshuang asked in near madness. "The birthday gift I bought for Jin Yue? Jin Yue loved beautiful things, I can't let her walk in a cold mourning robe!"

"Here! Here, Your Highness!"

Liu Yue took out new clothes from the wardrobe and handed them to Ning Wanshuang.

Ning Wanshuang clutched them tightly in her hand and rushed madly towards the Smoke and Rain Pavilion without stopping for a moment.

Outside the Smoke and Rain Pavilion, she saw Kang Yubing kneeling in a corner, holding a dagger in his hand, tears streaming down his face as he muttered something incoherently.

Ning Wanshuang called out to him, "What are you doing?"

"Your High...Your Imperial Noble Consort?" Kang Yubing's tears flowed even more torrentially upon seeing Ning Wanshuang.

He prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing forcefully three times to Ning Wanshuang, before choking out:

So after returning to the palace, under the pretext of physical discomfort, she summoned the Judge of Medicine to Yonghe Palace.

When the Judge of Medicine took her pulse, she did not mention Jin Yue, only describing in detail the bruising and injury she had seen.

The Judge of Medicine listened, then said, "Based on what Your Highness has described, those bruises and wounds appear to be from bloodletting."

"Bloodletting?"

Ning Wanshuang was momentarily dumbfounded, a terrifying thought suddenly occupying her mind.

According to Kang Yubing, after moving into Chaoyang Palace, Jin Yue and Ruo Xin had both experienced mild fainting and lethargy,

symptoms that matched what one would expect from blood loss.

Furthermore, the location of the puncture wound was so discreet, and the wound itself so small and painless, that it would not be noticed even during daily bathing.

She dared not think further, only leading the Judge of Medicine directly to the Feng Luan Palace.

When they arrived, Song Zhao was properly arranging Jin Yue's funeral rites.

Upon seeing Ning Wanshuang's hurried arrival, before she could ask after her well-being, Ning Wanshuang inquired,

"Where is Ruo Xin?"

Song Zhao replied, "Ruo Xin has been crying nonstop since returning to the palace. She just took a calming draught and finally managed to fall asleep."

Without saying another word to Song Zhao, Ning Wanshuang turned and headed straight for Ruo Xin's residence.

Song Zhao followed behind her, watching as she entered Ruo Xin's chambers, then slowly rolled up the girl's pant legs.

Having taken the calming draught, Ruo Xin was sleeping very soundly, and such movements were not enough to wake her.

Song Zhao wondered, "Sister, what is the meaning of this?"

"Look quickly!" Ning Wanshuang exclaimed in alarm, hurriedly pulling Song Zhao to the bedside and pointing to Ruo Xin's upper thigh. "Look at this!"

Song Zhao frowned as she looked closely, indeed noticing a scabbed puncture wound of considerable size on Ruo Xin's upper thigh.

She felt a ringing in her head and was momentarily speechless.

Ning Wanshuang then angrily accused, "Song Zhao! Don't you understand yet? Our children have become Xiao Jingheng's Blood-passing method test subjects!"

The Judge of Medicine stepped forward to examine Ruo Xin's wound closely, also gasping in shock:

"I originally thought the Third Princess was suffering from blood deficiency, never imagining... This humble official has heard of a medicinal practice used by the Witch Doctors of the Miao Territory. They take the blood of an offspring, preferably a virgin, and use it as a catalytic ingredient in medicine. It is said that this Blood-passing method can help restore one's vitality."

[Two chapters today. My ability to empathize was so strong that these few chapters made me cry. Please don't criticize me for why Jin Yue had to die, because we're nearing the grand finale, and this plot point was needed for Ning Wanshuang's final character arc transformation.]