After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Entangled by the Paranoid Eldest Princess - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

“The toxins within Your Highness’s body have not yet been purged. You still need to maintain a tranquil mind and a calm spirit. Avoid irritation and anger to prevent the rebellion of $Qi$ and blood, which would damage your health.” Physician Gongsun, who had been summoned by Fuqu early in the morning to take the pulse, withdrew her hand and gave her advice slowly.

Si Jinghua, leaning her head on one hand, lifted her eyelids slightly: “I understand. Has Physician Gongsun found the formula for the antidote?”

Physician Gongsun said: “In reply to Your Highness, I spent the entire night reading through my master’s medical texts and found the antidote recorded therein. To neutralize the poison of Zhu Yan Jin, one must first completely isolate the poisonous powder. Then, using an extreme cold substance as the primary ingredient, supplemented by herbs that calm the heart and spirit, the toxins accumulated in Your Highness’s body can be gradually dissolved.”

Si Jinghua said: “Whatever is needed, simply order people to fetch it from my personal treasury.”

Physician Gongsun looked a bit troubled: “Your Highness, ordinary herbs for calming the spirit are easy to find. However, the extreme cold substance requires a Hundred-Year Black Ginseng. I do not know if Your Highness’s treasury possesses one?”

“Hundred-Year Black Ginseng?” Si Jinghua rubbed her temples as she recalled. “I remember Father Emperor kept a few in his private store. However, Empress Mother used one before she passed, and Father Emperor used another last year when his health was poor. There is still one more…”

She narrowed her eyes, remembering something, and her voice turned cold: “The last one was requested and taken by my dear younger brother a month ago.”

Physician Gongsun lowered her eyes and remained silent, hearing the rhythmic tapping coming from above.

Si Jinghua’s phoenix eyes curved, and a cold smile touched her lips: “Physician Gongsun, you may leave for now. Once the Hundred-Year Black Ginseng is delivered, I will need you to take the trouble of brewing the antidote.”

Once Gongsun Ying left, she stood up: “Fuqu, prepare the ink.”

Mistress and servant entered the study.

A moment later, a secret letter scented with fresh ink was handed by Fuqu to Handan, who had arrived upon summons.

Si Jinghua said playfully: “Make sure the Third Prince hears about the Fourth Prince’s recent little movements in privately contacting court officials.”

Handan took the order: “Yes, Your Highness.”

Only then did Si Jinghua turn to ask Fuqu: “How is the situation in the Chun Guang Pavilion? Is she awake?”

“In reply to Your Highness, Second Miss Wen is awake and has already had her breakfast.”

Fuqu felt a faint dissatisfaction toward Wen Chenqing. Her Highness’s health was already compromised; yet that woman dared to provoke the Princess’s anger yesterday, causing Her Highness to wake with a headache this morning.

Si Jinghua’s hand paused while practicing calligraphy, leaving a heavy, thick stroke on the paper.

Her tone was flat: “Did she have any intense reactions?”

Fuqu looked at that jarring ink mark, realizing the Princess’s heart was anything but peaceful.

“Second Miss Wen had no intense reaction. She only had Yinxing pass a message, asking for someone to go to the academy to request leave for her and to bring her books in,” Fuqu said.

Si Jinghua remembered she hadn’t touched much of her dinner last night and asked: “How much did she eat for breakfast?”

Fuqu lowered her head in shame: “In reply to Your Highness, this servant did not notice.”

Upon hearing this, Si Jinghua set down her brush and said coolly: “Bring Yinxing here.”

“Yes.”

When Yinxing was led in, she performed her salutation and stood in place with her head bowed, silent and unmoving.

“How was your mistress’s meal this morning?”

Yinxing held her breath, not wanting to answer. But she remembered her mistress’s instructions: Wen Chenqing had told her to be obedient outside, to do whatever the Princess asked, and not to resist for her sake.

Yinxing knew her mistress was worried for her. Thinking of her mistress locked up all alone in that room, a surge of hatred toward the woman before her welled up in Yinxing’s heart.

“Miss only ate a few bites before stopping.”

Si Jinghua frowned, looking at the girl with displeasure: “Why didn’t you persuade her? She barely ate last night, and the same this morning. If your mistress ruins her health, what use is a maid like you!”

Suddenly targeted by the oppressive aura of the Eldest Princess, Yinxing’s body instinctively trembled. But she was thinking of her mistress; she abruptly looked up, revealing a face streaked with tears and reddened eyes. She knelt toward the woman on the seat and knocked her head loudly against the floor several times.

“I beg Your Highness to let my mistress go! Since she met Your Highness, she has never done a single bad thing. Please, for the sake of the time you spent together, Princess, give my mistress her freedom!”

The room fell into a dead silence. The air seemed to solidify, pressing heavily against one’s chest.

Fuqu’s expression changed. She stepped forward and scolded in a low voice: “Audacious servant! How dare you speak such nonsense before Her Highness!”

Si Jinghua raised her hand, stopping Fuqu.

She slowly walked out from behind the desk, her dark purple skirts brushing across the polished floor soundlessly, yet carrying an invisible pressure. She stopped in front of Yinxing.

“You are but a servant; how could you understand the affairs between masters? Is a master’s business something you can interfere with? Considering you are Wen Chenqing’s maid and this is your first offense, I shall spare you this time.”

Yinxing gritted her teeth against her fear: “I serve my mistress with all my heart; naturally, I understand her better than those who are hypocritical and insincere! I would never break her heart with false pretenses!”

As the words landed, the silence in the room became terrifying.

Fuqu, besides her shock, drew in a cold breath, nearly stepping forward to cover Yinxing’s mouth. Where did this normally silly, cheerful girl get the courage to be so insolent? She couldn’t help but think of Second Miss Wen, who had dared to slap the Princess after learning her identity.

Mistress and servant were truly of the same mold. Fuqu stared at Yinxing with an unkind gaze.

“Hypocritical and insincere?”

The air pressure around Si Jinghua plummeted to freezing point. She repeated those four words. Fuqu glanced at the Princess’s profile with trepidation. Under such terrifying pressure, Yinxing’s shoulders trembled slightly. Her heart was full of terror, but she did not regret it.

Over this period, Yinxing had seen exactly how her mistress treated “A-Jin.” Especially after being with her, the smile on her mistress’s face had never faded—it was a look of relaxed happiness Yinxing had never seen before.

But all of that had changed. At the thought of her mistress’s haggard and listless appearance this morning, Yinxing’s nose prickled.

Si Jinghua leaned down, her eyes like blades dipped in ice: “Did she say those words to you?”

Yinxing held her ground, sobbing: “Miss said nothing, but I have eyes to see for myself. If Your Highness still has any conscience left, I implore you to set my mistress free.”

Si Jinghua stared at her for a long time before straightening up. Her tone returned to that of high-and-mighty coldness.

“Take this servant who knows nothing of status away, and command—”

She trailed off, her mind flashing to the pale face of that person last night. She pressed her brows together, the words at the tip of her tongue shifting direction. She said impatiently: “Command someone to teach her the rules properly.”

“Yes!” Fuqu responded, bending over to grab Yinxing’s arm and dragging her out.

Outside the courtyard, she snorted at Yinxing. “Her Highness showed great mercy by sparing your life today. You’d better learn your place. Truly audacious!”

Yinxing glared at her: “A pack of liars!”

This group of masters and servants were all birds of a feather! She shook off Fuqu’s hand, rubbed her aching knees, and walked away with the person assigned to teach her the “rules.”

Inside the room.

Si Jinghua stood still, her chest heaving slightly. Yinxing’s phrase “hypocritical and insincere” echoed in her ears, intertwining with Wen Chenqing’s lifeless, resentful eyes from last night, churning her mind into a mess. Her headache seemed to worsen.

Si Jinghua supported her temple, her fingertips cold. Why had she spared Wen Chenqing’s life in the beginning? Because she had a gentle temperament and a face that suited her aesthetic. She had taken an interest in her body, so she kept her.

But there were so many people in the world—why was she unwilling to let go of the Wen Chenqing who treated her coldly today?

Si Jinghua’s gaze was deep. Naturally, it was because Wen Chenqing was already hers. She had said it—even if she were to die, she could only die by her hand. Since she was already her possession, she wanted to leave? In her dreams.

That was it.

Si Jinghua let out a breath, feeling the turmoil in her chest settle slightly. She called Fuqu back and told her to send the items Wen Chenqing had requested.

“Wait.”

As Fuqu was heading out, Si Jinghua stopped her, changing her mind.

“I will go take a look myself.”

Fuqu turned back, looking at her worriedly: “Your Highness?” What if Second Miss Wen provoked Her Highness into another health crisis?

Si Jinghua, who had originally decided to give Wen Chenqing the cold shoulder last night to let her “calm down,” avoided Fuqu’s piercing gaze and said deeply: “I merely want to go and ask: with her subordinates being so ignorant of the rules, how exactly has she been teaching them as a mistress?”

“…”

Her Highness had clearly softened her heart regarding the maid just now. As for why she was actually going to see Second Miss Wen, Fuqu thought for a moment and kept her mouth shut. She couldn’t talk the Princess out of anything she had decided.

In a flash, Si Jinghua had walked briskly to the Chun Guang Pavilion where Wen Chenqing was confined.

Wen Chenqing was facing the window, silently reciting her studies. Sensing movement behind her, she didn’t even turn her head, continuing to recite with her eyes closed.

Pushing the door open, Si Jinghua’s eyes instinctively searched for that familiar figure. Once found, she stopped and stood there, staring at her back. Fuqu and the others behind her followed with practiced, light steps, putting the books down and keeping their heads bowed in silence.

Sensing the gaze behind her was hot enough to pierce through her back, Wen Chenqing felt a flicker of annoyance at being disturbed. Her silently moving lips stopped. She took a deep breath, adjusted her mindset, and continued to immerse herself in her studies as if the other woman didn’t exist.

Ultimately, Si Jinghua could not endure being ignored. She was the first to speak provocatively: “Seeing that you can still study with such focus, it seems A-Qing is quite capable of adapting to this life.”

The implication was an intent to keep her locked away indefinitely.

Hearing this kind of nonsense that was designed to torture one’s state of mind once again, Wen Chenqing found that her threshold for acceptance had actually increased. She had probably finally realized what a piece of work the person she knew actually was.

Wen Chenqing thought somewhat calmly: there was no point in trying to reason with a powerful, rotten person. Her personal freedom was restricted; she might as well consolidate her knowledge. Opportunity always favors the prepared. What if the noble Princess really got bored of her as a “plaything” after a while?

Someone born with everything going their way at the pinnacle of power likely rarely encountered anyone who dared to defy them. Wen Chenqing had already lost control yesterday; now that her heart was dead, she didn’t want to be that “special” person anymore.

Didn’t the Princess want an obedient plaything? She would satisfy her.

Wen Chenqing turned her body around. Her expression was calm, and she avoided the Princess’s eyes, saying submissively: “Everything shall be according to Your Highness’s wishes. This commoner shall listen to Your Highness in all things.”