Chapter 87
**Chapter 87: The Truth Behind the Poisoning**
The summer night wind grew stronger, rustling the trees in the courtyard. Shen Wei lifted her gaze and saw a slender figure clad in white, as pure as snow.
It was a young man with striking features, his elegance reminiscent of a painting.
Shen Wei was taken aback; she had imagined the renowned "Doctor Mo" to be an old man with white hair. To her surprise, he appeared to be no older than twenty, and his beauty rivaled that of any woman.
"Commoner pays his respects to the prince," Doctor Mo said casually, giving a slight bow.
Prince Yan nodded slightly.
Doctor Mo strode into the room, passing through the tall white jade screen, and approached Li Yao. He bent slightly, first glancing at the pool of vomit on the floor, then observing Li Yao's complexion before finally taking her pulse.
The room was silent; no one dared to interrupt.
The princess wrung her silk handkerchief tightly, her mind racing with strategies. Li Yao had been poisoned, and they had to uncover the true culprit tonight. It could be Shen Wei or one of the other concubines in the prince's residence.
Someone had to take the blame for poisoning the prince's daughter.
"Bring milk," Doctor Mo instructed.
Immediately, a maid brought forth a bottle of milk.
Doctor Mo used the milk to induce vomiting in Li Yao, then took out silver needles he carried with him, pricking several acupoints on her body before administering a specially formulated pill. His movements were fluid and practiced.
Moments later, Doctor Mo leisurely stepped out from behind the screen and washed his hands in a basin of water. As he dried his hands with a cloth, he said, "It’s food poisoning."
That was the very answer the princess had been waiting for!
Tears welled up in her eyes as she choked out to Prince Yan, "Your Highness, you must seek justice for Yao'er. She’s only eight years old; someone must have poisoned her food! This person deserves to be punished severely!"
Prince Yan fell into deep thought.
Who could it be? Who would dare to target an eight-year-old girl?
Of course, Prince Yan had already ruled out Shen Wei as a suspect.
Doctor Mo glanced at the tearful princess and slowly spoke, "The young lady is indeed suffering from food poisoning. However, based on my assessment, no one poisoned her."
The princess was taken aback, her dissatisfaction with this inexplicably appearing doctor evident in her tone. "What kind of quack are you? You look neither man nor woman and speak nonsense! If it’s poisoning, it must be intentional!"
Prince Yan shot her a warning glance. "Watch your words."
Doctor Mo was the most esteemed physician in the realm, proud and free-spirited. If the princess provoked him with her words, he might very well leave the prince's residence tonight.
All of Prince Yan's years of searching would be in vain.
"Oh, does the princess doubt my medical skills?" Doctor Mo chuckled. "From the vomit, it appears the young lady ate a piece of moldy cake. Moldy food is inedible; otherwise, it can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and liver damage."
The princess was shocked. Where did a moldy cake come from?
Li Yao had good food available; why would she eat a moldy cake? Was there someone with ill intentions who secretly coaxed her into eating it?
At that moment, a faint cough came from behind the screen.
Li Yao was waking up.
Li Chengke and Li Chengzhen, who had been watching by the bedside, were overjoyed and rushed to call out her name.
Prince Yan also rose and walked through the screen to Li Yao's bedside. The princess, her eyes brimming with tears, took Li Yao's hand. "Yao'er, you’re finally awake! You scared your mother to death. Quickly tell me, who gave you the moldy cake?"
Li Yao's face was as pale as paper, her head still spinning.
She opened her eyes and, in a daze, saw the princess's face. Trembling with fear, she thought she was about to be scolded again and, in her confusion, began to apologize, "Mother... it’s Yao'er’s fault. I was so hungry that I hid a piece of cake under the tea room table... Whenever I was hungry, I would sneak a bite. I won’t do it again..."
"Mother, please don’t punish Yao'er. I didn’t have enough to eat for lunch... Wuwuwu..."
The princess looked as if she had been struck by lightning.
Her face turned pale.
Shen Wei, observing from the corner, felt a pang of sympathy. No wonder Li Yao had been so eager to ask her for cold cakes today. This poor little girl, the eldest daughter of the prince's residence, was going hungry.
The moldy food contained "aflatoxin," a potent toxin that could cause severe headaches and vomiting, and in serious cases, even death.
Doctor Mo waved his paper fan and teased, "Oh dear, it turns out the young lady of the prince's residence can’t even get enough to eat for lunch and has to hide cakes in the tea room. Prince Yan, is this how children are raised in Da Qing?"
He paused, his gaze shifting to Li Chengke and Li Chengzhen.
With just a quick glance, Doctor Mo accurately pinpointed their ailments and remarked, "Prince Yan, your two sons are thin, with dark circles under their eyes, lacking vitality and appetite. Oh dear—if I may be so bold, when they grow up, they will surely be plagued by numerous ailments."
Prince Yan's face turned ashen.
No one had expected that Li Yao had poisoned herself by eating a moldy cake! The reason was even more absurd—here was the daughter of a prince, going hungry!
"Your Highness... there must be some misunderstanding! Don’t listen to this quack’s slander," the princess pleaded, dropping to her knees, wishing she could silence Doctor Mo's ominous words.
Her sons were perfectly fine; how could they be plagued by ailments?
This quack was cursing her children!
Prince Yan was on the verge of fury.
Shen Wei decided not to linger any longer to watch the drama unfold; she discreetly took her leave.
That night, thunder and lightning clashed as a rare storm swept away the summer heat.
Rainy days were perfect for sleeping. Outside, the storm raged, with thunder rumbling and rain pouring down, creating a rhythmic patter on the roof. Shen Wei fell into a deep, undisturbed sleep.
The next morning, after the heavy rain, the air in the prince's residence felt even fresher, the leaves glistening with raindrops, appearing more vibrant. The residence was in disarray, with a great commotion coming from Kunyu Courtyard.
In the afternoon, Shen Wei leisurely practiced Ba Duan Jin in the courtyard.
The little gossip, Cai Ping, had tidied up all the events from last night and this morning and chattered away to Shen Wei.
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