MCSCPM -Chapter 104 Whose Chessboard

Yin Qingyue was fully focused on developing the antidote. She had now reached the point of complete devotion, working tirelessly day and night. Every meal was brought to her by Mei’er; she would take a few bites and then stop, returning immediately to her work.

While Yin Qingyue concentrated on her research, Nangong Mei anxiously waited for the black-clad man to contact her. Meanwhile, Nangong Chen began to make his move.

Before heading south, he went to the palace to visit Nangong Xiaoxiao, using the opportunity to probe her feelings toward Yin Qingyue. Seeing that Nangong Xiaoxiao truly hated Yin Qingyue to the bone, he fanned the flames, saying, “That Yin Qingyue is insufferable. She flaunts her act of saving the Crown Prince to behave arrogantly in the palace, disregarding the royal family. And she’s always cozying up to Prince Jing, her relationship with the Crown Prince isn’t clear either.”

As expected, Nangong Xiaoxiao’s hatred for Yin Qingyue deepened. Gritting her teeth, she snarled, “That wretch… I’ll make her pay, sooner or later.”

Seeing that his plan had taken effect, Nangong Chen hurriedly said, “Exactly. If you need help, just tell your third brother. I’ll help however I can.” Then he excused himself. Just like that, Nangong Xiaoxiao became a pawn for Nangong Chen in his schemes against Yin Qingyue.

Yet Yin Qingyue remained completely unaware, unwittingly acquiring countless enemies without knowing why.

Elsewhere, Consort De began making moves against Nangong Xiao. Yin Qingyue, having poured her heart and soul into creating the antidote for the Empress’s chronic poison, was about to be dragged into the eye of another storm.

Hearing that Yin Qingyue had developed the antidote but that the black-clad man had yet to appear, Nangong Mei grew restless. Her carefully laid plans had been disrupted, and she didn’t know how to proceed.

For a while, the palace was alive with undercurrents of tension, but amidst the turmoil, only two people remained seemingly unaffected: Yin Qingyue, resting briefly after developing the antidote, and Prince Jing, unconcerned with the palace intrigues.

The rest of the palace was in constant motion. One person trained in the courtyard, the other quietly played chess with herself, completely untouched by the approaching storm.

For days, Yin Qingyue had been scrambling to understand the poison in the Empress’s body. Working tirelessly through the nights, she tried to develop an antidote. Yet after two full days, she still hadn’t identified the poison’s composition. Without knowing the components, she could not formulate the antidote. Seeing the Empress grow weaker day by day, the poison worsening, Yin Qingyue grew increasingly anxious. If she didn’t finish the antidote soon, the Empress might die.

Meanwhile, Nangong Xiao was equally busy, investigating Nangong Mei and searching for the missing imperial physician. After many days, there was still no progress.

The court itself was in chaos: the Empress had been poisoned twice, Nangong Mei fainted in the palace for no reason, and Nangong Xiao was trying to investigate. Luckily, as Crown Prince, he still found time to manage court affairs; otherwise, the entire kingdom would have descended into disorder.

After five days and nights of nonstop research, Yin Qingyue finally collapsed. She had been testing herbs personally, tasting each one to see which could act as a guide for the antidote. Before she could even bring the herbs to her mouth, dizziness overtook her, and she lost consciousness, unaware of anything.

The warm glow of the oil lamp illuminated Yin Qingyue’s exhausted face, as if it were sighing for the girl who had worked without rest for so many days. The antidote remained unfinished, and she had collapsed from fatigue, unnoticed by anyone. The lamp could only radiate its light, offering a faint warmth to the girl.

The cold floor drained her body heat. Her soft form grew colder by the moment; her once rosy cheeks turned pale, and her lips were ghostly white, almost corpse-like. Lying there, she remained unresponsive to her surroundings. Without someone checking her breath, one might have thought she was dead. If nobody discovered her in time, Yin Qingyue might have died before the Empress even recovered.

Fortunately, fate intervened. Though Yin Qingyue had wasted five days without completing the antidote, she was not destined to die—Prince Jing happened to pass by her room.

It was late autumn; the wind was bleak, leaves falling, and the trees withered. Perhaps moved by the melancholy scenery, Prince Jing strolled the grounds in the dead of night.

“Where is the moon not? Where are the bamboo and cypress not? Yet few are as elegant as I,” he recited, gazing at the brilliant moon above. The moonlight flooded the courtyard, clear as water, shadows of bamboo and cypress intermingling on the ground—truly a scene fit for heaven and earth.

As he walked, he came upon Yin Qingyue’s room. Seeing the oil lamp still lit, he wondered if someone else was also unable to sleep. Finding no movement within, curiosity drew him to open the door.

Inside, he saw Yin Qingyue collapsed on the floor. Her pallor and coldness were terrifying; her breath was shallow, barely inhaling. Alarmed, Prince Jing immediately lifted her onto the bed and summoned the imperial physicians.

Seeing her near death, the physicians quickly took golden needles from their kit, administering over ten acupuncture points before Yin Qingyue was pulled back from the brink. Her color returned, her lips regained some hue, and her breathing gradually normalized. Only then did the chief physician speak to Prince Jing:

“The patient collapsed from extreme fatigue, exposure to cold, and mild poisoning. With proper rest and care, she will recover. There’s no need for excessive worry, Your Highness.”

“Very well, withdraw,” Prince Jing said, relieved that it had been a false alarm.

After a long while, Yin Qingyue slowly opened her eyes. The first face she saw was Prince Jing’s. She had no memory of what had happened during her collapse.

“Why… why am I here?” she asked, weakly and confused.

Prince Jing shook his head, lightly scolding, “You stayed up night after night to create the antidote for the Empress, overexerting yourself until you collapsed. Luckily, I happened to pass by your room and saved you; otherwise, you would now be in the underworld, not staring at my handsome face.”

Yin Qingyue didn’t tease him back. Using a bit of mind-reading, she confirmed that Prince Jing posed no threat and wasn’t lying.

Despite being saved, Yin Qingyue resumed her usual cool demeanor. “Thank you. It’s late; you should return to your residence now.”

Understanding the risk of being alone with her, Prince Jing excused himself and quickly vanished into the night.

Yet fatigue did not stop Yin Qingyue. She immediately jumped out of bed, ignoring her exhaustion, and returned to her research.

“Hmm… maybe this herb…”

“No, perhaps not… maybe it’s angelica.”

“Need to add some ginseng to invigorate the blood…”

Surrounded by countless herbs, Yin Qingyue worked tirelessly. Some tasted bitter enough to break her heart, others spicy enough to bring tears, almost numbing her sense of taste—but she persisted relentlessly.

“This is it! Three portions of black fungus, two portions of angelica, a touch of ginseng…” she suddenly exclaimed, her heart leaping with excitement.

“The Empress will be saved! Wonderful! Wonderful!” She quickly administered the antidote. The Empress, unconscious for days, twitched her fingers. Checking her pulse, Yin Qingyue found her stable; the poison was gradually dissipating. The antidote was working.

Overjoyed, Yin Qingyue ran to Kunhe Hall to report.

“Your Highness, I have news!” she called, noticing flickering lamps inside and assuming the Crown Prince was still awake.

“Enter, no need for ceremony,” came a commanding voice.

Pushing open the door, she reported, “Your Highness, I have developed the antidote for the Empress’s poison. It is effective; soon, she will awaken.”

“Really?” The Crown Prince dropped his scriptures in astonishment.

“Absolutely.”

“Wonderful! The Empress will be saved! Qingyue, you are truly a divine healer! Once Mother awakens, I will appoint you Imperial Physician! I must see Mother first.” With that, he ran toward the Empress’s chamber and disappeared.

“She’s so impatient. Imperial Physician? I’ve never cared for such titles,” Yin Qingyue thought, exhausted from days of tireless work. With the antidote complete, a great weight lifted from her heart.

“Finally… I can sleep properly.” She had spent days experimenting with countless herbs, neglecting food and sleep, and now her eyelids were unbearably heavy—but she held on, determined to rest only after her task was complete.