Fortunately, no major incidents occurred in the capital during Qiu Qing's absence.
Even the capital seemed to have grown unusually quiet.
During this time, Prince Wen visited Prince Chang's manor once, appearing to be in a much better mood.
He told Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu that after meeting the person she wished to see, Le'er seemed to have improved significantly.
Now, she had returned to her former self with Prince Wen, no longer resisting his touch, and was settling into her role as Princess Wen.
Despite this, after drinking too much at Prince Chang's manor, Prince Wen let out a bitter smile, as if talking to himself, or perhaps asking Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi, "Even if she has returned to her old self, can we ever go back to how we were? So much has happened, I've become a laughingstock in the entire capital. We can't go back, can we?"
After saying this, he slumped onto the table, lost in his drunken stupor, knowing nothing more.
His words caused Song Chaoyu to sigh.
Yes, everyone knew they couldn't go back.
Once many things had happened, they were simply irreversible.
—
The peaceful days in the capital seemed to last a while longer, and Qiu Qing soon returned to Prince Chang's manor.
She arrived late at night, dusty and with a grave expression. Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi knew that the situation was likely worse than they had imagined.
Indeed, as soon as Qiu Qing saw Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu, before she could even take a sip of water, she said, "I've found out what illness the Noble Consort has. It's not an illness, but a poison! I fear time is running out. If we delay any longer, it will be too late. She must be treated as soon as possible!"
Qiu Qing was usually gentle and composed. This was the first time Song Chaoyu had seen her so flustered, and she knew immediately that something was seriously wrong.
Mu Changxi also frowned and looked at the sky outside. "Even if we need to enter the palace, we'll have to wait until morning. Tell us first, what poison has Consort Mother been afflicted with? And why have we never heard of it?"
Qiu Qing nodded and then explained in detail to Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu.
The poison the Noble Consort had been afflicted with was called "Yu Han Du" (御寒毒). Not only had Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi never heard of this poison, but some medical practitioners like Qiu Qing might never learn of Yu Han Du in their entire lives.
This was because Yu Han Du was not something that ordinary people could obtain.
Yu Han Du was a unique secret medicine developed by the Tan family, descendants of the royal family of the long-lost state of Qin (小覃国). It was believed that this poison should have been lost fifty years ago when the state of Qin was destroyed!
Most people were familiar with this Tan family.
This matter had to be traced back to when the previous emperor first ascended the throne.
The state of Qin was originally a small country in the south, and the Li Dynasty had always been a subordinate to the Great Yue Dynasty.
Because a large part of the state of Qin's territory was located in jungle and miasma-filled areas, it was rumored that the people of Qin possessed some unorthodox arts, and many families were particularly skilled in making poisons.
In reality, the common people of Qin were normal. Only the ruling Tan clan was indeed skilled in producing various kinds of poisons.
Even before the state of Qin was destroyed, the Tan clan often used certain medicines to control those they wished to control, thereby achieving their goals.
As a result, the common people greatly feared the Tan clan, and the prestige of the royal family naturally declined.
Originally, as a vassal state of the Great Yue Dynasty, the people of Qin lived relatively well.
However, when the previous emperor first ascended the throne, the Tan family made a decision that baffled everyone: they decided to betray the Great Yue Dynasty and attempted to use the meager power of the state of Qin to seize the territory of the Great Yue Dynasty!
In simple terms, they deliberately rebelled and betrayed the Great Yue Dynasty!
Although it had only been fifty years since the previous emperor ascended the throne, the national strength of the Great Yue Dynasty was still far superior to that of the state of Qin.
Without the support of any other parties, the state of Qin was quickly defeated.
At that time, the King of Qin committed suicide in the royal palace. However, the common people clapped their hands in joy, opened the city gates, and welcomed the soldiers of the Great Yue Dynasty into the territory of Qin.
Thus, without even a struggle, the state of Qin submitted to the Great Yue Dynasty within a mere month.
The people of Qin also completely integrated into the Great Yue Dynasty and became Yue people from then on.
The country of Qin, naturally, ceased to exist in this world.
The territory of the former state of Qin had now transformed into "Qinzhou" (覃州) of the Great Yue Dynasty. The people of Qinzhou lived and worked in peace. Most of the royal family members of the former state of Qin had died with their former emperor in the former royal palace.
Only a small portion of them managed to escape, living in hiding within the borders of the Great Yue Dynasty under assumed names.
In fact, the palace might not have been unaware of these people, but the state of Qin was so weak that even the emperor felt it was unnecessary to hunt them down completely, so he turned a blind eye.
From then on, all the poisons that had originally existed in the state of Qin never reappeared in the world, naturally including the Yu Han Du that the Noble Consort had been poisoned with this time.
However, Qiu Qing said that her grandfather had told her father about Yu Han Du and the Tan family.
A collateral branch of the Tan family had settled in the area where Qiu Qing's family lived about forty years ago.
This branch consisted of only five people, three adults and two children, seemingly a branch of the former royal family of Qin. The leading man, the head of the family, was named "Tan Qi" (谭琦). He also brought with him a two-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter. The other two adults were their servants.
When they arrived in the town, they were very down on their luck.
However, within just ten years, they had become prosperous by utilizing their natural talents and cultivating precious herbs brought from the state of Qin, leading a relatively good life. Furthermore, Tan Qi found a local woman as his second wife, who bore him a son and a daughter, and the Tan family gradually prospered.
So, about thirty years ago, the family excitedly decided to move to the capital to seek their fortune.
Because the Tan family and Qiu Qing's family had a good relationship, before they left, Qiu Qing's grandfather and Tan Qi had a drink together, and he learned a lot about the past affairs of the state of Qin and the Tan family.
It was also during that drinking session that Qiu Qing's grandfather heard about "Yu Han Du," a poison that only the Tan family could develop.
Yu Han Du was made from eighteen precious medicinal ingredients of the Tan family. People poisoned by Yu Han Du exhibited symptoms similar to those of a common cold.
Therefore, at the beginning, the poisoned person would not realize they had been poisoned.
Yu Han Du was not a potent poison; after it took effect, it would slowly torment the poisoned person.