These were the poisons lurking within the Prince!
So many divine doctors had been unable to resolve it before, yet the Princess could easily do so. Who... exactly was she?
Ye Qingcheng sniffed the poison on the silver needle.
It was colorless and odorless, no wonder Xiao Wangye had been poisoned.
"Oh ho! It seems the person who poisoned you really hated you! If not for your profound inner energy, you would have died long ago from this poisoning. By the way, who exactly did you offend!"
Xiao Wangye did not reply.
Ye Qingcheng continued to observe the blood poison. Seeing Lin Xiao standing by, doing nothing, she nudged him, "Hurry and pull them out. Do you want this poison to return to your Prince's body?"
Only then did Lin Xiao fumble to pull out the silver needles. Ye Qingcheng noticed the wounds on his hands and warned him, "Don't let the poisoned blood touch your wounded hand. You don't have your Prince's inner energy."
Lin Xiao's body trembled.
"Pull out the silver needles and put them away properly. I need to study them thoroughly."
Xiao Wangye looked at the basin of black blood he had coughed up. Hearing Ye Qingcheng's words, he looked up at her, "What? You're interested?"
Ye Qingcheng placed the silver needles under the candlelight for observation. Upon hearing his question, she nodded, "Yes, I am interested in this." Then she thought for a moment, "But I'm more interested in the antidote for this poison."
Hearing her say that, both of them looked at her. Lin Xiao found it somewhat unbelievable, "You want to make an antidote."
Ye Qingcheng nodded, "Yes." Seeing their still disbelieving expressions, Ye Qingcheng explained, "Everything in nature has its counterpoint. Poisons are the same. If poison can corrupt, then the antidote can nourish the land."
"For every poison, there must be an antidote. Just like poisonous herbs and flowers, if there is a poisonous herb in one place, its antidote will surely be found within a hundred meters."
"However, I still need a detailed understanding of this poison to prescribe the right medicine. Lin Xiao, tomorrow, bring me a few white mice."
Lin Xiao, being singled out, was initially honored, but then realized he only had to catch a few white mice. He was stunned.
Ye Qingcheng collected the silver needles and began to usher them out.
"Alright, it's getting late. Wash up and go to bed!"
She then chased them out.
The next day, Lin Xiao thoughtfully brought three white mice. These were the smallest mice Ye Qingcheng had ever seen.
They were truly tiny, except for their tails.
Ye Qingcheng placed them separately and then pricked each of the three white mice with the poisoned needles. Good, the poison had been administered. Now, she had to wait and see how they developed symptoms.
That evening, when Xiao Wangye returned to his chambers, he saw Ye Qingcheng asleep on the couch. When the sound of the wheelchair pierced the air, Ye Qingcheng woke up.
Yawning, she rubbed her eyes and looked at them, "You're back. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Lin Xiao pushed Xiao Wangye into the room. "Why didn't you go back to your own room to sleep?"
Ye Qingcheng stretched. "I have some insights into the poison."
Both their movements paused. They listened intently.
Ye Qingcheng explained, "This poison is colorless and odorless, but it has a strong affinity for blood." Then she placed the blood she had brought together with the silver needle, and the blood began to move towards it.
Both of them were astonished by this miraculous sight.
Lin Xiao, even more fearful, backed away repeatedly, "What... what is this?"
Ye Qingcheng explained, "This is the blood's affinity for the poison."
Lin Xiao swallowed.
Xiao Wangye remained silent.
Ye Qingcheng continued her explanation, "I conducted an experiment today. The three white mice showed no reaction when injected with this poison. Later, I injured one of them, and it immediately reacted. I used inner energy to transfer it to another, and it also reacted immediately. As for the third one, I didn't touch it, but it's still alive. Do you understand what that means?"
Lin Xiao shook his head, "No, I don't."
Ye Qingcheng sighed, "Alright, let me put it plainly! This poison has a latent period, and it's not a short one. As long as you don't use your inner energy or injure yourself, it won't be detected."
Lin Xiao finally understood.
"No wonder the Prince discovered this poison when he was injured, and he was even unconscious at the time. The poison had already infiltrated the Prince's leg, rendering him unable to move."
This... this was too terrifying. If the Prince hadn't been injured, this poison wouldn't have been discovered, and the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Ye Qingcheng explained, "Moreover, this poison seems to have been latent for a long time. You were probably poisoned since childhood. The person who poisoned you is likely someone close to you."
As she finished speaking, the temperature in the room gradually dropped. It seemed Xiao Wangye was very angry this time.
However, it was understandable. Having someone by his side constantly trying to take his life, yet not knowing who it was. It could very well be a relative, or... Ye Qingcheng's gaze fell upon Lin Xiao... or a subordinate.
Lin Xiao felt a chill run down his spine from her gaze. He swallowed, "You don't think it's me, do you? How could I possibly?"
Ye Qingcheng did not believe him, "It's quite possible!"
Lin Xiao roared, "Absolutely not. I've been with the Prince for the longest time, but when the Prince was young, I was undergoing training at the secret guard base! How could I possibly have done it?"
Just as Ye Qingcheng was about to doubt his words, Xiao Wangye spoke.
"It's indeed not him."
Ye Qingcheng wondered how Xiao Wangye could be so sure of Lin Xiao's innocence. "Are you that certain?"
Xiao Wangye nodded, "I am certain because he doesn't even recognize basic plantain."
Then it wasn't him. Because anyone who could use such a poison would at least be skilled in toxicology, yet Lin Xiao didn't even recognize the simplest plantain. How could he possibly...
"What if he was trying to mislead us?"
Xiao Wangye shook his head, "Then it's even more impossible."
Ye Qingcheng was confused, "Why?"
Xiao Wangye explained, "Because he ate purgative beans thinking they were medicinal herbs."
Ye Qingcheng broke out in a sweat... Her gaze towards Lin Xiao was filled with disdain. —_—
Lin Xiao felt like crying but had no tears. "Your Highness, don't expose my embarrassing moments!"
"However, this does prove that you are not the one who administered the poison. Do you have any leads now?"
His answer to her was silence.
Ye Qingcheng yawned, "I won't say anymore. You guys think about it. I'm going back to sleep."
As she walked out the door, Xiao Wangye asked, "Do you have confidence in refining the antidote?"
Ye Qingcheng rubbed her eyes. In the darkness, her eyes were exceptionally confident and bright. "Of course, I have confidence, but on the condition that you give me time. I need time."
Xiao Wangye smiled.
Ye Qingcheng leaned against the doorframe, looking at Xiao Wangye sitting in his wheelchair inside.
The candlelight cast shadows on Xiao Wangye's long, curled eyelashes. For the first time, he looked at Ye Qingcheng with tenderness.
For the first time, Ye Qingcheng's heart pounded fiercely. She could feel her ears burning.
She heard Xiao Wangye say, "Thank you."
Ye Qingcheng practically fled the scene.
Back in her own residence, Ye Qingcheng slammed the door shut, panting heavily. If there had been candlelight, one could see that her face was so red it could drip water.