The Traitor Crown Princess (Transmigration) - Chapter 8

The entrance to the Shen estate was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and crowds of onlookers stood on both sides of the street. The royal carriage came to a stop at the gate.

Since Shen Yue’s parents had already passed away, there was not much to manage regarding the “return to the family” visit.

After entering the estate, Shen Yi went straight to the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall had been tidied up by the servants. Shen Yi picked up three sticks of incense, lit them, bowed, and placed them into the incense burner.

“Ancestors of the Shen family, please bless us. Once everything is accomplished, I will certainly treat Yue’er well.”

Hanxiang walked in from the doorway and leaned in to whisper in Shen Yi’s ear, “My Lady, the matter has been arranged.”

Shen Yi opened his eyes and said, “Let’s go.”

They exited through the back door, boarded a carriage that had been prepared in advance, and rode away.

The carriage wound through several turns before arriving at a quiet, secluded town.

The town was filled with white walls and black tiles. The persimmon trees along the roadside were heavy with red fruit, white egrets were foraging on the surface of the lake, and several old men were fishing by the pond.

Shen Yi chose the closest person to ask, “Old man, do you know where Doctor Wan is?”

The old man replied, “Oh, you mean him? He is over there.”

Shen Yi followed the direction of the old man’s finger and saw an elderly man with gray hair and a beard sleeping under a tree. He was wearing a blue jacket, and a fishing rod was weighted down by a stone in front of him; he appeared to be fishing.

After thanking the old man, Shen Yi walked over.

“Old sir?”

After calling out several times, the old man finally responded. He picked up the straw hat that had been covering his face, rubbed his eyes, and sat up. “You… what is it?”

Shen Yi stated the purpose of his visit. “I wish to ask for your help in neutralizing the poison in my body.”

Doctor Wan’s beard twitched. “Heh, just because you, boy, ask for my help, I should help you? Where in this world is there such a good deal?”

Shen Yi was taken aback and said, “As long as you can cure the illness in my body, I can pay you no matter how much it costs.”

Doctor Wan gave a lazy yawn. “You may go; I no longer practice medicine.”

Shen Yi asked, “Old sir?”

Doctor Wan stopped speaking, merely turned over, and continued to sleep.

With no other options, Shen Yi had to leave first.

The elderly man he had asked earlier inquired of Shen Yi, “Young man, how did it go with him seeing you?”

Shen Yi sighed, “He did not agree…”

The old man chuckled, “I knew he wouldn’t agree. You are not the first person he has rejected. You seem like an honest lad, so I can help you.”

Shen Yi immediately became attentive, though he understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch. He took out his purse and handed five taels of silver to the old man.

The old man accepted it with a smile and leaned in closer to whisper, “He likes to drink.”

Shen Yi cupped his hands in a salute. “Many thanks.”

Half an hour later.

Shen Yi placed two items in front of Doctor Wan: Nv’er Hong wine and Biluochun tea.

“Divine Doctor, this is a token of my sincerity; please accept it.”

Doctor Wan’s gaze swept over them, and he looked somewhat surprised. “Usually, people only prepare wine. I did not expect you to prepare tea as well.”

Shen Yi replied, “Those who practice medicine rarely drink alcohol. If I could persuade you to come out of retirement, wouldn’t that gentleman be left without money to make? Furthermore, I noticed the teapot by your side, so I surmised you enjoy tea. To be safe, I bought both items.”

Doctor Wan stroked his beard. “Your sincerity is commendable, but I have long since stopped practicing medicine…”

Shen Yi said, “This matter concerns the Shen estate. My seeking a cure is also for the sake of the Shen estate’s injustice. I beg the Divine Doctor to make an exception.”

Doctor Wan was stunned. “The Shen estate? Who are you in relation to the Shen estate?”

Shen Yi tore off the mask on his face, revealing his stunningly beautiful features. “I am the third young master of the Shen estate, Shen Yi.”

Bang,

The teacup in Doctor Wan’s hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

“You…” Doctor Wan gripped Shen Yi’s shoulders in excitement and said with a tremor in his voice, “Is Shen Wangshan your father? And… is Jinse your mother!”

Shen Yi nodded. “That is correct.”

Doctor Wan was gratified. “Good child, I have finally found you. I thought you were dead… Quickly, let us leave; this is no place to linger.”

As he spoke, Doctor Wan packed his belongings and headed with Shen Yi down a small side path.

At the end of the path was a two-courtyard compound.

In the main hall.

Doctor Wan brewed a pot of tea for Shen Yi and set it before him. “Come, drink.”

Shen Yi took a sip; it was fine Fuding white tea.

Shen Yi put down the teacup, and Doctor Wan sat beside him to take his pulse. The expression on his face gradually stiffened.

“You have been poisoned with the Soul-Severing Powder.”

Shen Yi asked, “Can it be treated?”

Doctor Wan shook his head. “It is difficult… This poison is extremely perilous… However, it is not without a solution. I have recently been researching a new medicine. Once taken, it can cure the illness instantly, regardless of what it is. However, it will take some time. For now, you must remain calm and act only when necessary; live as long as you can for the time being.”

“That is all I can do.” Shen Yi pondered, then suddenly thought of something. “Do you have any poison here?”

Doctor Wan replied, “Naturally. What is this for?”

If the Shen estate could not be vindicated, or if he offended Chu Yun somewhere, he had to strike first.

Shen Yi replied, “It is a long story.”

Doctor Wan understood Shen Yi’s predicament, so he did not press him. He walked into the inner chamber, returned a moment later, and handed him a small box.

Shen Yi lifted the red lid, revealing a large and a small black pill inside.

Doctor Wan said, “This is the ‘Child-Mother Gu’ from the Miao people. You only need to place the smaller pill into water and have the Crown Prince consume it. One day, if he does something detrimental to you, you can kill the mother-worm. As long as the mother-worm dies, the child-worm will die as well, and he will die along with it, no longer posing a threat to you. However, you must promise me not to act recklessly.”

Shen Yi replied, “Naturally. I will only use this drug for self-defense; I will absolutely not do anything to harm others.”

Doctor Wan said, “Very well. Then we shall keep in touch via carrier pigeon.”

“Understood.” Shen Yi felt a bit strange. “Did you know my parents?”

Doctor Wan sighed, and the light in his eyes vanished instantly. “I have failed your parents.”

Shen Yi was startled. “Why do you say that?”

Doctor Wan replied, “I used to be a doctor in the army and was a very close friend of your father. Later, your father insisted on marrying your mother, and because I opposed it, he stopped contacting me. Later, your father was infected with Gu poison, and because I was angry with him at the time, I did not return. Afterward, I heard that your father’s estate was confiscated… I often blame myself. If I had returned at that time, your parents should not have had to die.”

Shen Yi listened quietly, his face revealing his unbearable sorrow. “…It is not your fault. May I ask if you know why the Shen estate was confiscated?”

“I am not clear, but I am certain that this matter is inseparable from the Emperor.” Doctor Wan suddenly looked at Shen Yi. “Rest assured, I will not speak of this. You must be careful with everything in the palace.”

Shen Yi said, “Understood.”

The sky was cloudless and clear.

The palace hall was magnificent, with two coiled-dragon pillars reaching toward the heavens. A golden dragon circled the sky above, holding a golden pearl in its mouth, reflecting the figures of the crowd below.

Chu Chen, dressed in a golden dragon robe, walked out from behind the screen and sat slowly upon the dragon throne, looking down upon his ministers.

All the ministers knelt, touching their foreheads to the ground, and shouted in unison.

“Greetings to Your Majesty.”

Chu Chen scanned the room and said coldly, “Rise.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The ministers stood up, holding their tablets in their hands.

Chu Chen asked, “What is there to report today?”

Zhou Ruxue, the Vice Minister of Rites, stepped out of the crowd holding his tablet: “Your Majesty, a sudden flood has broken out in the south. Please, Your Majesty, authorize the Ministry of Revenue to allocate funds to save the people!”

The Grand Secretary Feng Ju stepped forward: “Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate.”

Chu Chen’s expression remained unchanged: “Speak.”

“The national treasury is now empty. To provide relief for the refugees in the south is truly inappropriate. It would be better to let them flee to the local county government to live a life of self-sufficiency, how about that? Anyway, the local county governments usually scrape wealth from the people; it would be better to use this money to support the people.”

Zhou Ruxue stopped pretending and pointed directly at the Grand Secretary’s nose to curse: “Oh, you old bald donkey! Who doesn’t know that the silver of the Ministry of Revenue is in your hands? Every day you frequent pleasure houses, and the concubines and illegitimate children in your courtyards are endless. Now you pretend you have no money while you scrape wealth from the common people. Are you not afraid of retribution!”

The Grand Secretary gave a cold snort: “What nonsense! I am not as pathetic as you say!”

General Xiao Hanchuan stepped forward: “Reporting to Your Majesty, I believe this southern flood is somewhat suspicious. The location of the disaster is precisely the ancestral home of General Shen, Shen Wangshan, and the Ministry of War happens to be in need of money. I fear this may have been orchestrated by someone intentionally. I ask Your Majesty to send someone to investigate.”

The Vice Minister of Revenue walked out and knelt on the ground: “Your Majesty, I have no ulterior motives!”

The Grand Secretary said solemnly: “Your Majesty, I am also willing to vouch for the Vice Minister of Revenue. He is absolutely not that kind of person. Your Majesty must not listen to the words of villains!”

Zhou Ruxue was not having it. At twenty years old, he was at the prime of his youthful vigor, and he said directly: “Who is two-faced? He knows in his heart.”

The two were left staring at each other with puffed-up cheeks.

The more Chu Chen watched, the more annoyed he became. He shouted in anger: “Have you quarreled enough!”

All the officials knelt in unison: “Your Majesty, calm your anger.”

Chu Chen glared at them coldly and gave a cold snort: “There must be a plague following the flood. Who dares to go?”

Everyone fell silent; one could hear a pin drop in the hall.

A civil official in green robes walked out from the end of the line, knelt on the ground, and hung his head, saying: “I, Su Qing, am willing to go.”

Chu Chen: “Very well, then it shall be you.”

Shen Yi said, “I have one more request. I wonder if Your Majesty can accept it.”

Chu Chen was somewhat impatient: “Speak.”

Shen Yi said, “I wish to accompany the Crown Prince.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the gazes of all the people fell upon him, and endless discussions arose in the hall.

“Who is this person, to actually want the Crown Prince to go with him! How could His Majesty agree?”

“I don’t know who he is. It seems like he is a sixth-rank civil official who just took office today. He is not worth mentioning; it’s just that I don’t know who is behind him to have the courage to go south.”

Shen Yi listened to these sounds without any expression.

Thanks to the Grand Secretary’s corruption and bribery, all the officials under him were the same. He had borrowed a sum of money from Yuan Hua, so he could easily obtain the position of a civil official.

And taking Chu Yun with him would, first, cultivate the Crown Prince’s influence, and second, change his reputation so the people would know the Crown Prince was not a “flower pillow” (a showpiece). As long as he was supported to ascend the throne, he could be better to them than Chu Chen.

In any case, there were a hundred benefits and not a single harm.

Chu Chen looked quietly at the bowing Shen Yi and said slowly, “Very well, I will give you one month.”

Shen Yi said, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”