I became the tyrant's only belief.

Chapter 290 Promise a Thing
"So that's how it is." Chu Liuzheng smiled. "Consort Jieyu and Consort Shu are truly like sisters."

Yan Hui: "..."

There are no true sisters in the palace. They're just putting on a show.

She glanced at Chu Liuzheng a few more times, then went to the table and asked Physician Wu to come and examine the cosmetics.

Physician Wu took out silver needles and medicine and examined them one by one.

The silver needles remained unchanged, but the bowl of blue medicine slowly turned red.

Physician Wu's expression froze. Although Yan Hui didn't understand, her heart skipped a beat when she saw the medicine change color. She quickly asked, "Why did it change color?"

Physician Wu didn't speak, but ordered someone to prepare several more bowls of medicine, and opened all the remaining cosmetic boxes, using a silver spoon to scoop a little into each bowl.

Two bowls of blue medicine slowly turned red again.

"The cosmetics are poisonous." Looking at the three bowls of medicine that had turned red, Physician Wu concluded in a deep voice.

Yan Hui was startled and immediately looked at Chu Liuzheng beside her.

These three boxes of cosmetics were among the five boxes that Chu Liuzheng had selected.

Chu Liuzheng feigned surprise, and when Yan Hui looked at her, she blinked innocently.

Why are you looking at me? I don't know anything! It's all a coincidence, just a coincidence.

Yan Hui couldn't discern anything from her expression, so he had no choice but to withdraw his gaze and, carrying the discolored medicine, went with Physician Wu to meet the Emperor.

Upon hearing that the cosmetics sent by Consort Xie were poisonous, Consort Shu was so shocked that she almost lost her footing.

Feng Jing exclaimed "Ah!" and muttered under his breath, "So it was put in cosmetics."

He discovered that the little princess and Consort Shu had been poisoned by the Cold Marrow Powder, but he didn't know where the poison came from. He was about to ask the emperor for permission to examine the things the two of them ate and used when he didn't expect that Physician Wu had already found out.

"Your Majesty, we were able to detect the poison in the cosmetics thanks to Doctor Feng's poison-detecting powder." Physician Wu looked at Xiao Jingfan and said with shame, "However, I am not knowledgeable enough to determine what kind of poison it is."

“It’s Cold Marrow Powder,” Feng Jing said. “It’s made from the venom of the ice toad’s skin, along with strychnine, icin, borneol, and calomel. It’s colorless, odorless, and extremely rare.”

Upon hearing that it was related to the ice toad, Physician Wu turned pale.

As is well known, the ice toad only appears deep in the poisonous forests of southern Xinjiang and is extremely rare. If one is injured by its venom, the only outcome is death.

Xiao Jingfan had never heard of this so-called ice toad, but seeing Physician Wu's pale face, he knew the situation was serious and asked urgently, "Is there an antidote for this poison?"

Feng Jing shook his head: "Not for now."

Xiao Jingfan frowned: "Temporarily?"

Feng Jing took a box of laced cosmetics from Yan Hui, opened it and smelled it, then scooped out a little and put it in his mouth, smacking his lips in disgust: "It smells good, but it doesn't taste good."

Everyone: "..."

It's not powdered sugar, of course it doesn't taste good!
Physician Wu was stunned by his action. Knowing there was no antidote, he still dared to take it. Was he courting death?
Feng Jing put the box back and said to Xiao Jingfan, "Please allow me to use the entire Imperial Medical Academy at will. I am confident that I can develop an antidote within ten days."

Xiao Jingfan immediately bestowed upon him a gold medal and ordered the entire Imperial Medical Academy to cooperate fully.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Feng Jing said. "Although the amount of Cold Marrow Powder mixed into the cosmetics was small, its toxicity was extremely potent and severely damaged one's constitution."

Xiao Jingfan's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he asked, "Is there any way to salvage this?"

“Of course.” Feng Jing nodded. “Doctor Qin’s Gathering Righteousness Needle is the nemesis of all poisons. Before I develop an antidote, I ask Your Majesty to have Doctor Qin administer acupuncture to Consort Shu and Her Highness the Princess every day to suppress the poison, so as to prevent the poison from entering the bone marrow and damaging their health.”

Upon hearing that it would damage her very foundation, Consort Shu suddenly hugged the little one in her arms tightly, biting her lip as tears streamed down her face, filled with remorse.

Seeing this, Feng Jing comforted her, "Your Majesty need not worry. After the detoxification, I will personally help Your Majesty and Princess to recuperate. Although it will take several months, I guarantee that there will be no lasting illness."

"Thank you." Consort Shu wiped away her tears with a silk handkerchief. "I will leave everything to Doctor Feng. If you can cure me and the princess, I will repay you handsomely." Feng Jing waved his hand: "No need for a heavy reward. Just promise me the next thing."

Consort Shu was taken aback, glanced at Xiao Jingfan, and then asked, "What is it?"

"We'll talk about it after you've cured him," Feng Jing smiled. "I never ask for payment in advance when I practice medicine."

Consort Shu couldn't guess what he wanted, but thinking it probably wouldn't be too outrageous, she nodded: "I agree."

[Tsk, if Consort Shu knew what Feng Jing wanted, she probably wouldn't have agreed so readily.]

Chu Liuzheng raised an eyebrow as he looked at the things he had pulled out of the system.

[Young Master Feng may look simple-minded, but he's anything but. Since Consort Shu agreed to this in front of the Emperor, she can't go back on her word later.]

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingfan looked at Feng Jing with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Feng Jing paid no attention, or perhaps he was too oblivious to notice, and cupped his hands, saying, "There is no time to lose, Your Majesty, please summon Doctor Qin to administer acupuncture to Consort Shu and Her Highness the Princess."

Consort Shu hurriedly replied, "Doctor Qin is in Yihe Palace."

Xiao Jingfan gave Zhou Yuande a wink, and Zhou Yuande immediately led his men to Yihe Palace.

Chu Liuzheng, having nothing better to do, secretly dug into the origins of the Cold Marrow Powder within the system.

Yan Hui walked behind Consort Shu and whispered a few words in her ear.

A look of surprise flashed across Consort Shu's eyes. She turned to look at Chu Liuzheng, her mind racing with speculation.

This glance was not malicious. Chu Liuzheng was focused on browsing the system and did not notice it, but Xiao Jingfan happened to see it and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Consort Shu, holding the little princess, stood up and curtsied to Xiao Jingfan: "Your Majesty, I will take the princess to change her clothes."

She had to wash off the toxic makeup from her face.

Xiao Jingfan nodded in agreement.

The little princess waved her hand at her father and was obediently carried away.

A moment later, a report came from outside that Qin Shu and Xie Jieyu had arrived.

Xie Jieyu's arm was still in a sling. She thought the emperor would excuse her from the formalities because of her injury, but to her surprise, not only did he not excuse her, but even Qin Shu beside her got up, and the emperor still didn't let her get up.

"Your Majesty," Consort Xie said sweetly, "I still have an injury on my arm, can I get up now?"

"Kneel down before me." Xiao Jingfan's face was dark. "I have something to ask you."

Xie Jieyu was shocked. Why was her cousin being so fierce to her?
She knelt there, looking aggrieved, and pouted, saying, "What does Your Majesty want to ask me?"

Xiao Jingfan picked up a box of cosmetics from the table and asked, "Did you give these three boxes of cosmetics to Consort Shu?"

The rouge and face powder sold at Rongdezhuang all have special markings on their boxes, making them easy to identify.

"It was a gift from me." Xie Jieyu nodded after only glancing at it. "My second uncle went to Jiangnan to visit friends and happened to buy a lot of Rongdezhuang's new products. He sent them back to the capital by fast horse, and my family asked someone to send a lot to the palace. Consort Shu has always been very kind to me, so I gave her some."

Chu Liuzheng grimaced upon hearing this.

[All this talk of being well taken care of is clearly just to show off to Consort Shu. It's only because Consort Shu is tolerant and devoted to her daughter that Zhaoyang Palace would never have a single day of peace.]

Xie Jieyu asked in confusion, "But is there something wrong with these cosmetics?"

Xiao Jingfan's lips moved slightly, and he uttered three words: "Highly poisonous."

Xie Jieyu's eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively exclaimed, "Impossible!"

Seeing that her expression seemed genuine, Xiao Jingfan asked, "Have you been using any cosmetics lately?"