She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

Jiang Ruining looked up.

Seeing that it was Yunxi, I could only blink. Could it be that something happened to Chu Jin?

"Don't rush, tell me slowly, what happened?"

Yunxi's voice trembled: "It's Madam!"

Madam Jiang took medicine and received acupuncture, but her illness did not improve; instead, it worsened to the point that even Jiang Ruining, who had previously despised her, began to pity her.

Lying there, it felt like someone was stabbing her with a knife, yet she couldn't even roll over.

If she wanted the pain to be less intense, she could only stand. But once she stood, all her weight was on the soles of her feet, as if someone was using a barbed board to beat her feet with all their might. She couldn't stand at all.

Sitting down felt like sitting on a tiger bench covered with rusty, coarse nails.

In just two or three days, she became haggard and pale, looking like she had crawled out of a coffin. Seeing her would startle anyone!

The physicians were at a loss.

They summoned the imperial physician, but he couldn't diagnose anything either.

The imperial physician even suspected that she was faking her illness, wondering if she was planning some kind of witchcraft scheme. After all, he had seen such things in the palace. But looking at Madam Jiang's pale face and hair soaked with cold sweat, it was clear that she wasn't faking it.

The physicians from the prefectural office and the imperial physicians looked at each other, holding their pens, unsure how to prescribe a medicine.

The only suggestion was to give her a sleeping potion to make her fall into a deep sleep.

Madam Jiang was almost in despair: "How could this happen?"

Jiang Ruining found it strange.

She had seen bone cancer patients before, and to be in this much pain meant there must be obvious lesions in the body, but there was nothing to be seen on Madam Jiang's body.

Even if traditional Chinese medicine practitioners can't see through the bones, the physician in the Jiang family's household is still a master of traditional Chinese medicine and it's impossible that he couldn't see any symptoms!

Therefore, she speculated that Madam Jiang was not sick at all, but was poisoned by a strange poison!

But it must be said that Madam Jiang was very good at dealing with people. Apart from being ruthless to her, she was kind and tolerant to others. She didn't have any concubines or illegitimate children in her family. Who would hate her to this extent?

"Imperial Physician, please examine him carefully. Is it poisoning, or is he afflicted by a curse?"

The imperial physician hissed, "Poisoned by a curse? I hadn't considered that possibility!"

Although doctors in the Central Plains are not very knowledgeable about Gu and insects, since it is a type of witchcraft, they still have ways to verify it.

The imperial physician took out a black ceramic jar from the bottom of his medicine box, used tweezers to pick out a wildly writhing worm, and placed it on the artery in Madam Jiang's neck.

The insect's sharp beak pierces an artery, releasing toxins into the bloodstream.

Madam Jiang was a reserved woman from a prominent family, but the intense pain made her scream in agony. A small hole appeared where she had been bitten, and blood kept seeping from deep within.

The insects were put back into the jar.

Waited for a while.

The imperial physician shook his head: "What I just extracted was a Gu King that was presented as tribute by the King of the Southern Frontier. If Madam Jiang were infected with a Gu worm, the worm would emerge from the bite site. However, Madam Jiang's symptoms do not indicate that she is infected with a Gu worm."

Jiang Ruining pressed further, "Wasn't it poisoning?"

The imperial physician still insisted, "If it were a slow-acting poison, it might not be noticeable in a short time. But Madam Jiang's reaction is so strong that it definitely cannot be a slow-acting poison. Judging from her pulse, there are no traces of highly toxic substances."

"Or... let's hire a monk to take a look!"

For problems that technology can't solve, we turn to metaphysics.

If metaphysics still can't solve the problem, then... we can only wait to die!

Jiang Ruining watched as Madam Jiang endured excruciating pain, only daring to rest half of her buttocks on the seat. When the pain became unbearable, she could only use her arm to support herself and catch her breath. Jiang Ruining couldn't help but frown, not out of concern.

Instead, she was thinking: This kind of excruciating torture is extremely draining. Can she endure it for a month? If she dies, then the original owner's first wish will not be fulfilled.

If she fails to fulfill any of the original owner's wishes within three months, she will be reduced to ashes. But her second wish is to become famous throughout the world!

How can it be done in time?

So now it's not just Madam Jiang's life that's counting down, it's hers too!

That Madam Jiang is truly a scourge, born to harm people!

She looked worried.

Chu Jin thought she was worried about Madam Jiang, so she came over to comfort her.

When Madam Jiang saw her looking worried, she felt a warm feeling in her heart.

Her daughter still cares about her, doesn't she?

Madam Jiang was seriously ill, so Jiang Ruining had to stay in the main courtyard. Even if he didn't personally take care of her, he had to pretend to.

After dark, Granny Song brought over a bowl of pain-relieving medicine: "I drank it at noon, but it had almost no effect."

Jiang Ruining added a sleeping potion to the herbal medicine: "It's better than boiling it dry. Even if you only get to sleep for a quarter of an hour, it's still good."

Granny Song nodded and took the food inside to feed Madam Jiang.

Painkillers, sleeping potion, and the combined effects of enduring excruciating pain all day had taken hold, leaving Madam Jiang drowsy and closing her eyes.

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

It suddenly became quiet.

As long as you can fall asleep, your mind can at least get a little respite, which is always good.

Jiang Ruining returned to Chaohua Residence.

He retrieved the token left by Xiao Che from the secret room and waved it out the back window.

"come out!"

Eleven Cranes, hidden in the shadows, blinked.

yeah?

The prince only told us to keep an eye on Miss Jiang, he didn't mention any interaction! But seeing the token is like seeing the prince himself...

A few breaths later.

Eleven Crane appeared, clutching his little notebook.

Standing outside the back window, he bowed respectfully and asked, "Miss Jiang, what are your instructions?"

Jiang Ruining could only see half of his face through the silver mask, but the voice sounded familiar: "Could you please help me check if my mother has been poisoned?"

Eleven Crane said matter-of-factly, "No need to investigate, it was just something my subordinates did."

Jiang Ruining: "...Huh?"

Eleven Crane answered proactively: "It was ordered by the Prince."

Jiang Ruining was surprised.

Why?

Why would he poison Madam Jiang when the two people were completely unrelated and had no conflict with each other?

Because... was Madam Jiang not good to her?

This guess sent a shiver down her spine, and a strange feeling welled up deep within her heart.

But she quickly dismissed the idea.

How could a cunning and scheming ruler like Xiao Che do such a thing for someone as insignificant as her?

Like Shao Yunting, her goal was probably the same: to gain the support of her father and brothers.

I took a deep breath.

Suppress these meaningless speculations.

Just then, the opportunity presented itself, as she was still pondering how to find a reason to leave Beijing.

She beckoned Eleven Cranes closer and whispered in their ear, "Find me a Taoist priest who can predict the future, and have him say this... The Prince has taken in countless talented and extraordinary people; this shouldn't be difficult for you, right?"