TRBDM -Chapter 154 Jianxi Poisoned

After Nanny Ding left, Jianxi asked Zhao Jingheng, “Your Highness, should I cook the lotus seeds now?”

Zhao Jingheng looked at him. “You know how to cook?”

Jianxi patted his chest confidently. “Of course. What’s so hard about making lotus seed soup? Haven’t you seen pigs run even if you’ve never eaten pork?”

He thought it was simple: boil the water, throw in the lotus seeds, done.

In the end, the lotus seed soup never got made—it failed at the very first step: lighting the fire.

Jianxi ended up with a nose full of smoke and a forehead covered in sweat, but still couldn’t get a fire going.

Zhao Jingheng stood in the corridor with his hands clasped behind his back. Rarely did any expression show on his usually indifferent face, but this time there was unmistakable disdain.

Clumsy.

The palace maids assigned by the Internal Affairs Office hadn’t officially entered Qingfeng Hall yet, so Jianxi was the only servant in the hall—no helper at all.

Jianxi ran back and forth by himself for a long while, but still failed. Zhao Jingheng looked exhausted just watching him.

“Jianxi.”

“Your Highness, almost done… um… really quick, trust me!”

Jianxi looked up, speaking earnestly but nonsense, his gray-streaked face made even grayer by sweat, somehow looking ridiculously funny.

“Stop. I’m not drinking it.”

With that, Zhao Jingheng left.

Jianxi scratched his head and let out a long sigh of relief.

Not drinking it was fine—he hadn’t realized lighting a fire would be so difficult. It had exhausted him.

Jianxi washed his face, then lazily made his way to Zhao Jingheng’s side.

“Something you need?”

Jianxi rubbed his hands nervously. “Your Highness, recently some people have been asking me about you.”

“Hm.”

“Rest assured, Your Highness. I haven’t let a single word slip.”

“So?”

“I just want to say this: in life, I am yours; in death, I am your ghost. I will never betray you.”

Zhao Jingheng lifted his head from his book, somewhat surprised. Jianxi had actually woken up to things—he had learned to proactively show loyalty.

“Your Highness, everything I’m saying is true. Not a single lie. You can test me however you like—if I ever betray you, you can kill me immediately.”

Zhao Jingheng stared at him without a word.

Fearing he wouldn’t believe him, Jianxi gritted his teeth and revealed his greatest secret: “Over these years, I’ve saved a total of eighteen taels of silver, hidden in a secret mouse hole in my room.”

Jianxi had revealed all his savings.

“If I make a mistake, you can just take those eighteen taels.”

Saying this made Jianxi’s heart ache.

Eighteen whole taels… he had been so stingy, saving bit by bit for three years, and now he had handed over the whole stash—how could it not hurt?

Zhao Jingheng raised an eyebrow. “Eighteen taels? What use is that to me?”

Jianxi pouted pitifully. “Your Highness may not value eighteen taels, but to me, it’s my lifeline. Even if my life is lost, I can’t lose these eighteen taels.”

Zhao Jingheng couldn’t help but laugh.

“Fine. When you die, I’ll help bury the eighteen taels with you.”

“Ah?” Jianxi almost cried. “If I die and the eighteen taels go into the grave, it’ll only benefit tomb robbers. Better you keep them.”

A little eunuch obsessed with money, leaving all his wealth to Zhao Jingheng—this was loyalty of a different kind.

Zhao Jingheng took note, but showed no reaction on his face.

“Enough. Go on. I want to read.”

“Yes, your servant takes his leave.”

Unsure of Zhao Jingheng’s attitude, Jianxi left gloomily.

By dinnertime, Zhao Jingheng had waited a long while but didn’t hear from Jianxi.

Normally, Jianxi would have come running early to ask when to start the meal.

Zhao Jingheng put down the brush and went to Jianxi’s room to check on him.

As he walked toward the side hall where meals were usually taken, Zhao Jingheng instinctively glanced inside—and suddenly saw Jianxi lying on the floor.

He immediately ran in.

Jianxi was foaming at the mouth, nearly lifeless.

Zhao Jingheng quickly pressed the acupoint on his palm. After a long while, Jianxi finally opened his eyes.

“Your… Highness… the food… has… poison… don’t… eat…”

Jianxi stammered out the words, then fainted again.

Zhao Jingheng’s sharp gaze swept over the dishes on the table. Someone had poisoned them.

The sky was growing dark, and many people had gathered at the cold, quiet Qingfeng Hall.

Imperial physicians, cooks from the imperial kitchen, and even the chief steward of the Imperial Household Department were present.

Even Zhao Kuang had sent people.

The chief steward of the Imperial Household Department said nervously,

“Your Highness, you were shocked. The Imperial Household will conduct a thorough investigation from top to bottom to find the person responsible for the poisoning.”

Zhao Jingheng snorted coldly. “Investigate yourselves?”

The chief steward turned pale. At that moment, a eunuch from Taihe Hall spoke in a raised voice:

“The Emperor was greatly shocked to hear of the poisoning and has ordered me to work with the chief steward to identify the culprit. Your Highness can rest assured: if the perpetrator is indeed from the Imperial Household, there will be no cover-up. Justice will be served.”

Zhao Jingheng’s face remained dark, and he did not respond immediately.

His gaze never left Jianxi.

Jianxi had been poisoned while tasting food on his behalf.

Ever since Zhao Jingheng had been poisoned with Hehuan Poison at the Guozi Institute, Jianxi would always taste anything before it reached Zhao Jingheng’s mouth, ensuring it was safe.

Yet, he had only moved back to Qingfeng Hall for two days, and someone had already acted.

Zhao Jingheng spoke coldly, “How is Jianxi? Can the poison be countered?”

The imperial physician’s expression was grave. After a moment, he replied, “Jianxi’s life has been saved, Your Highness, but the poison has entered his body and damaged his throat. His voice is ruined.”

Zhao Jingheng clenched his jaw tightly. “Will he be able to speak in the future?”

“Because the treatment was timely, the poison did not completely destroy his throat. He can speak, but it will never be the same as a normal person’s.”

A hoarse, darkened voice would follow him for the rest of his life.

Zhao Jingheng stared at Jianxi’s pale face, a blazing fire igniting in his chest.

All he wanted was to live quietly, without fighting or competing. Why did they have to leave him no peace?!

Jianxi was barely over twenty, and his clear, bright voice had been destroyed. From now on, whenever he spoke, it would sound rough and raspy like an old woman’s.

Zhao Jingheng had only this one loyal servant, yet now he lay half-dead on the bed.

He threw his head back and closed his eyes, letting the fire in his chest burn.

No matter how much he tried to back down, these people would never leave him alone.

So why shouldn’t he fight?

At this moment, his entire mindset turned upside down.

When he opened his eyes again, everyone present felt the change in the Tenth Prince.

But they could not pinpoint exactly what had changed.

Only that they no longer dared to meet Zhao Jingheng’s gaze.

“I’ll give you five days to investigate properly. If you can’t figure it out, I’ll do it myself!”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

After everyone left, the Imperial Household sent five palace maids and five eunuchs to attend to Zhao Jingheng’s daily needs.

The Emperor also sent numerous gold and silver items, jade ruyi, and rare medicinal herbs, showing both his concern and favor.

Zhao Jingheng accepted them expressionlessly.

Every day, he endured the injuries on his neck inflicted by Zhao Jingyan while kneeling at Taihe Hall to pay respects to Zhao Kuang, yet Zhao Kuang never asked how his neck had been hurt.

Now, after being poisoned, Zhao Kuang’s feigned concern once again pushed Zhao Jingheng into the eye of the storm.