MCSCPM -Chapter 79 Devoted Research

After arriving at the Eastern Palace Pavilion, Yin Qingyue locked herself in her room all day, barely stepping outside.

“I heard this divine physician’s skills are extraordinary, but does she really need to lock herself up in there every day?” A few palace maids whispered outside her door.

“Maybe she doesn’t want to be disturbed?” One of the maids occasionally glanced toward Yin Qingyue’s room.

“I think she’s just putting on airs. She’s been inside for days and we haven’t seen any results. At this rate, the opportunity will be lost.”

“What are you saying? If anyone else hears this, your heads could roll!”

The maids immediately fell silent.

Outside, the Crown Prince stood quietly without knocking.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything today. Leave quickly,” he said softly, but his cold tone sent chills down the spines of those nearby.

“Yes, Your Highness.” The maids hurriedly left.

The Crown Prince lingered outside the door, not wanting to disturb her, but seeing her remain confined for days made him slightly anxious.

Inside, Yin Qingyue was tinkering with her medicinal herbs, vaguely aware of someone outside but ignoring it.

She studied the herbs in her hands, her mind in a whirl. This zhendu poison originally came from the feathers of a poisonous bird soaked in wine or water. Because the bird ingested various toxins, its feathers were deadly—concentrating all its poisons in one place.

“Using poison to fight poison… the Empress’s body probably couldn’t handle it,” Yin Qingyue mused. She had spent days researching this method but ultimately gave up.

A man might survive, but the Empress’s delicate body couldn’t endure such potency. If life were at risk, even her own life might be in danger.

The room smelled bitter from the medicinal herbs Yin Qingyue herself added. She felt irritated and restless, so she chewed on some bitter herbs to possibly detoxify and calm her nerves.

“Zhendu,” she murmured.

Ancient texts about zhendu were sparse, with little mention of antidotes. Most records described the symptoms and reactions of those poisoned.

Chewing the bitter herbs, she wondered if they could counteract the zhendu. Suddenly, an idea struck her: the bitter herbs might still be useful. Commonly eaten by the people, they could boost the Empress’s resistance without harming her delicate body.

The room was filled with medicinal herbs sent from the Imperial Medical Institute, but Yin Qingyue found none of them useful. The imperial physicians believed rare herbs had extraordinary effects, but even ordinary herbs could be highly effective if properly used.

In the palace, most concubines’ bodies were weak, so relying on these usual herbs alone couldn’t produce a potent antidote. They were accustomed to the common herbs, so using them wouldn’t have much effect.

Yin Qingyue labored in her room, making slow progress. Eventually, she stepped out of the lingering haze of medicine, her mind suddenly clear.

“The Crown Prince?” She was surprised to see him standing at her door, although she had sensed someone there earlier.

“Why so surprised to see me?” The Crown Prince smiled, his deep eyes fixed on her.

“Your Highness,” Yin Qingyue greeted respectfully. She was only temporarily staying at the Eastern Palace Pavilion, fulfilling orders. Once the Empress’s poison was treated, she would return to her post.

“Rise,” he said, approaching her. His white robe carried a faint fragrance.

Yin Qingyue quickly stood, unwilling to become entangled with palace politics. She knew anyone would try to recruit her, but she refused.

“I must leave to fetch some medicinal materials from the Imperial Medical Institute,” she said, leaving before he could respond.

“This girl is truly stubborn,” the Crown Prince sighed. He had tried to win her over multiple times but failed.

Yin Qingyue did not go to the Institute. Instead, she returned to the bamboo grove she had discovered earlier. Hidden in dark corners grew small, cold-natured herbs—perfect for countering zhendu.

The path was deserted. Yin Qingyue moved carefully, not wanting to be seen. Soon, she found green herbs with pale yellow flowers.

“Perfect! They’re flowering so early—heaven favors me!” She carefully uprooted the plants, knowing their essence was concentrated in the flowers.

“Who’s there?” a man’s voice called out.

Yin Qingyue stepped forward calmly. It was one of the imperial physicians; she relaxed.

“Miss Yin, what are you doing here?” His gaze fell on the herbs she held.

“Just looking around. These herbs might help with the Empress’s condition,” she replied lightly.

The physician was carrying several packages of herbs, briskly walking past. “These are for Consort Sun,” he said with a smile.

Yin Qingyue didn’t ask further—whatever herbs Sun Consort used, they would go to Nangong Mei. She tucked her herbs into her sleeve to avoid suspicion.

By the time she returned to the Eastern Palace Pavilion, evening had fallen. She hadn’t looked at the sky properly in days.

“Right, I almost forgot!” She ran to the Imperial Medical Institute.

“Give me patchouli, white atractylodes, cang zhu, mint, rhubarb…” She paused, then added, “And borneol.”

All the herbs were cooling in nature. The imperial physicians were dumbfounded. How could such simple herbs have any effect on the Empress’s severe condition? If misused, they might even be deadlier than arsenic.

Some physicians had never seen Yin Qingyue in person and were astonished by her appearance and skill.

“Such looks shouldn’t scare anyone… and yet she has such incredible medical talent?” one mused silently.

“Quickly now,” Yin Qingyue urged, not wanting to waste time in chatter.

“Here, these are the herbs you requested,” the physician said, handing them over. In that instant, Yin Qingyue read his thoughts—her appearance was a shield, not an invitation for judgment.

“Thank you,” she said, smiling.

Back in her room, she closed the door and began examining the herbs. When she combined the newly gathered herb with patchouli, it immediately wilted.

“Could it be a case of mutual interaction?” She crushed the pale yellow flower and combined it with patchouli in her mortar. A strange, slightly bitter aroma filled the air.

Time passed, and the room grew dark. She lit a lamp and watched in amazement as the yellow flowers turned a deep crimson, like blood.

“Could this be due to temperature change?” She moved the flowers elsewhere, and their color returned to normal.

“Ha…” Yin Qingyue smiled triumphantly. By chance, she had discovered Xianglan, an almost-extinct herb even rarer than snow lotus. It grew right in this bamboo grove.

Xianglan was colorless and tasteless, but its unique property was that the flower’s color changed with temperature.

Holding the bright red flowers, Yin Qingyue felt her eyes shine as the petals subtly changed shape under the lamp’s glow.

Night deepened. She worked tirelessly, unaware that someone outside the palace watched her.

“Crown Prince, it’s late and windy. Come inside and rest,” a young eunuch whispered.

“I want to see just how indomitable this woman is,” the Crown Prince murmured, a faint smile crossing his face before returning to calm.

Yin Qingyue, focused, ground the flowers into powder, surrounded by the fragrant scent of her herbs.

The night was hers, and her research had begun.