MCSCPM -Chapter 96 Reporting to the Crown Prince

At first light, Yin Qingyue’s eyes were already open. Thoughts swirled in her mind—she wanted to get to the bottom of who had poisoned the Empress.

“Greetings, Divine Physician. What business do you have?” a small eunuch asked quietly at the door.

It was early morning, and the chill in the air made Yin Qingyue sneeze involuntarily.

“Divine Physician, speak quietly—His Highness the Crown Prince is reading inside,” the eunuch whispered, trying to control his voice. In his mind, though, he thought something else entirely: how could such an ‘ugly woman’ have the privilege to see the Crown Prince? He should really look in the mirror first.

Yin Qingyue had just opened her mouth to reply when a voice from inside the room called out:

“Let her in.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The eunuch quickly pushed open the door.

“Divine Physician Yin, please come in,” the eunuch said immediately, switching to a polite, smiling demeanor.

Yin Qingyue felt a wave of disgust and didn’t want to look at him twice. But she was used to it by now. She couldn’t help but notice how rare it was for the Crown Prince to be up so early, reading so elegantly.

“Greetings, Crown Prince,” Yin Qingyue said, bowing her head.

“Rise. What brings you to me?” Nangong Xiao said, his gaze fixed intently on her. Though Yin Qingyue’s appearance was far from beautiful, even bordering on plain, he wanted her close—her charm went far beyond what he could see.

“Recently, I discovered a very unusual substance in the Empress,” Yin Qingyue said, standing and looking at him without attempting to probe his thoughts.

“Could it be that someone is secretly harming the Empress?” The Crown Prince furrowed his brow. The poisoning of the Empress had been ongoing for some time, and now another incident had arisen. Nangong Xiao found himself unable to make sense of it.

He trusted Yin Qingyue’s medical skills implicitly. On numerous occasions, she had saved him in critical situations. If not for her repeatedly neutralizing poison, he likely would not even be standing here talking to her.

“This is a serious matter. If you need any help, speak plainly,” Nangong Xiao said with a smile. If he could strengthen ties with her through this matter, so much the better—he admitted to himself he was calculating quietly.

“Your Highness, in the powder related to the Empress, I discovered a substance similar to poison. It can accelerate the aging process in humans.”

Nangong Xiao raised his eyebrows in surprise at her words.

“Someone intends to harm the Empress in this way?” Though he was the Crown Prince, the world saw the Empress as his de facto mother.

“Yes. The Empress was previously poisoned with the deadly ‘Three-Day Death’ toxin. If the culprit had not used a smaller dose, the Empress might have already…” Yin Qingyue stopped mid-sentence.

Nangong Xiao frowned deeply, suspicious. The poisoning he had previously suffered could very well have been the work of the same person. In the palace, how many dared poison both the Empress and the Crown Prince?

“Your Highness, I suggest starting with those closest to the Empress. This powder is colorless and tasteless; if it weren’t for someone near her, it would be very difficult to administer it,” Yin Qingyue said, glancing at his tightly furrowed brow.

Her heart thrilled, but her expression remained calm. If she could use the Crown Prince’s authority to find the culprit, the case would be resolved.

“Your Highness, look,” she said, taking out a leaf and sprinkling some powder on it. In the blink of an eye, the leaf turned to ash.

A voice suddenly came from outside. “Who’s at the door?” Nangong Xiao asked cautiously.

Yin Qingyue quickly moved behind the door and found it was the same small eunuch from before.

“What are you doing here?” she asked suspiciously, her gaze sharp. She couldn’t trust anyone in the Crown Prince’s residence entirely.

“I—I was just delivering food to Your Highness. The soup bowl spilled, so I—” The eunuch knelt trembling, clearly terrified.

“Did you hear anything?” Nangong Xiao approached him slowly.

“I—I heard nothing. I heard nothing!” the eunuch stammered repeatedly.

Yin Qingyue couldn’t help but recall someone else—Prince Jing. She wondered if that person operated similarly, finding the way he spoke peculiar.

“What’s wrong, Qingyue?” the Crown Prince asked, noticing her furrowed brows.

Yin Qingyue felt a slight jolt—why had he spoken her name, especially with the eunuch present?

Nangong Xiao immediately corrected himself. “Divine Physician Yin, are you alright?”

The kneeling eunuch continued claiming he had heard nothing, and Yin Qingyue felt a twinge of pity for him.

Nangong Xiao seemed to notice her expression and warned the eunuch: “Rise. If I hear such words through anyone else, beware for your life.”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The eunuch slowly got up and left.

“Your Highness, I suggest following that eunuch. There might be something we can discover through him,” Yin Qingyue said gently.

The Crown Prince could only admire her intelligence. If he could keep such a woman close, she would surely be invaluable—but her heart was not his. Force would achieve nothing.

“Your Highness?” Yin Qingyue waved, but he did not respond immediately.

After some time, Nangong Xiao finally recovered and called for his guards to track the eunuch.

“Qingyue, you may leave now,” he said, his voice tinged with reluctance. He was surprisingly captivated by her.

Watching her leave, a faint smile formed on his lips. Had she been at Luochenyuan earlier, he might have claimed her for himself. Then his expression softened once more.

Yin Qingyue returned to her room, reflecting on what had happened. The eunuch was suspicious—he claimed to deliver meals, but she hadn’t seen anything resembling the soup or food. With her acute sense of smell, it would have been impossible to miss.

Yet, when she used her mind-reading ability, she discovered nothing. No matter what, her skill did not fail. On this eunuch, nothing unusual had occurred.

“Qingyue, I’m here,” Lianfei entered, noticing her unusually tense expression.

“What’s the matter? That sour face is rare,” Lianfei teased.

“Nothing… it’s just about developing the antidote,” Yin Qingyue said, relaxing slightly. Lately, too many troubling matters had weighed on her. Many coveted the Empress’s position, and someone had poisoned her—but who, she still didn’t know.

“Qingyue, don’t worry. These things will be resolved. It just takes time,” Lianfei said gently.

Yin Qingyue looked at her. Despite living in the treacherous harem, Lianfei remained naive and pure—a rare treasure in the palace.

“Yin Qingyue,” the Crown Prince murmured her name in his thoughts, sending a ripple through his mind.

“Consort Lian, the Empress’s situation will resolve in a few days. You’ll be leaving soon too, right?” Lianfei asked, already knowing the answer, but her tone carried a hint of melancholy.

“Yes. Once the task is complete, I must leave. Staying here serves no purpose,” Yin Qingyue replied with a hint of resignation.