Deposed 10

Chapter 10. Nightclothes

After resolving the matters in the front, Wei Zhao went to the rear hall to check on Mu Jue.

Through the bed curtains, he could vaguely see the young and handsome face, eyes tightly closed, a faint dark green hue covering his usually pale complexion.

“Has the poison been identified?”

Wei Zhao asked.

The Chief Imperial Physician held a cotton swab under his nose, carefully discerning the scent. Hearing the question, he said with a worried expression, “That’s precisely what I wanted to discuss with the Marquis. What the First Prince ingested is likely not a poison, but a type of anesthetic.”

Wei Zhao frowned, “What do you mean?”

“This cotton swab is coated with liquid that I collected from the First Prince’s clothes. The Marquis can smell it.” The Chief Imperial Physician held the cotton swab up to Wei Zhao’s nose. “This anesthetic is called ‘Wenshu.’ It is made from the juice of the bulbs of the Wenshu orchid. People in the mountains often use it to treat snakebites. However, people with heart conditions must never come into contact with it. In mild cases, it can cause nausea and vomiting. In severe cases, it can lead to suffocation. Fortunately, the First Prince did not ingest a large amount. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

It was the familiar mixture of a certain floral fragrance and the smell of wine, identical to the scent on the little Crown Prince’s robe. Wei Zhao’s fingers gradually clenched into a fist. He asked in a deep voice, “What about the effects on a normal person?”

The Chief Imperial Physician noticed that the Marquis of Dingbei’s expression was somewhat grim. He assumed it was because he was worried about the Crown Prince’s condition. After all, there were rumors outside that the reason why the Crown Prince was also poisoned was that the Marquis of Dingbei had taken advantage of the body search to do it. He quickly reassured him, “Marquis, please rest assured. Although normal people will experience a brief period of unconsciousness after ingesting it, there will be no major problems. They will wake up in half a day at most.”

Half a day, huh.

If Mu Jue hadn’t been lucky, half a day would have been enough for him to die several times over.

What a vicious and malicious scheme.

Wei Zhao took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the raging flames of anger in his chest. He asked, “Is the antidote difficult to prepare?”

The Chief Imperial Physician frowned, “It requires the gall bladder of a golden snake as a medicinal ingredient. The Imperial Hospital has already organized people to search through medical books overnight. Whether they can find it or not depends on fate.”

“Alright, do not disclose this matter to the public for now. Take good care of the First Prince.”

Wei Zhao gave the instruction and strode out.

***

Mu Yun had another long nightmare. A dark space, a dark stone prison, seemingly without end. His limbs were weak and submerged in the bone-chillingly cold water, sinking deeper and deeper. The only sound in his ears was the “hiss, hiss, hiss” of a tongue, full of desire, greed, and danger.

He instinctively wanted to avoid it but had nowhere to run. He wanted to shout but couldn’t make a sound. His stiff body struggled weakly in the water, futilely raising goosebumps all over his skin.

“Hiss, hiss.”

The sound came closer. Despair and fear almost suffocated him.

“This is the Thousand Mechanism Lock, specially designed to deal with master thieves. No one can unlock it except this subject. Your Highness should not waste your energy… Since His Majesty has entrusted Your Highness to this subject’s care, Your Highness should be obedient…”

A seductive voice vaguely reached his ears through the water. “Hiss, hiss.” Something foul and cold wrapped around his wrist. His mind buzzed. He exerted all his strength, futilely twisting his arms, but the thing was like a leech, impossible to shake off. He wanted to move again, but his waist was suddenly seized by a withered, eagle-claw-like hand…

Mu Yun gasped for breath, abruptly waking from the nightmare, his clothes, back, and the nape of his neck drenched in cold sweat.

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince?”

A hand waved in front of his eyes. Then, a strange old man’s face came into view, smiling with utmost kindness.

Mu Yun was still immersed in the afterimages of the nightmare. His chest heaved for a while before his eyes finally regained focus. He frowned, asking warily, “Who are you?”

“This old servant is Zhou Shen, the steward of the Marquis of Dingbei’s residence. Your Highness, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.”

The old man smiled even more kindly.

Mu Yun was taken aback. He looked around and realized that the layout and furnishings of the room were completely unfamiliar, obviously not the Crown Prince’s residence.

“Prepare the carriage, I want to return to the residence!”

Realizing what had happened, the youth scrambled out of bed. However, as soon as his feet touched the ground, he tripped over the hem of the slightly oversized night robe he was wearing and almost fell.

Zhou Shen was scared out of his wits. He quickly helped him up, “Your Highness, be careful.”

At the same time, he grumbled inwardly. His own Marquis, even if he was eager for revenge, shouldn’t have directly abducted the person into the residence! This was the precious Crown Prince, the treasure cherished by His Majesty. If he was not properly cared for and accidentally bumped or bruised, who would bear the responsibility?

Mu Yun could hardly believe his eyes. He stared in shock and anger at the ordinary fabric, rough workmanship, faded color, and even two large patches on the legs of the night robe he was wearing.

“This—where did this come from?”

Zhou Shen coughed awkwardly, “Well, it’s like this. Your Highness’s clothes were soaked with wine, weren’t they? Our Marquis was afraid that Your Highness would catch a cold, so he found one of his own night robes and had this old servant change Your Highness into it.”

“This… this night robe may not be made of any expensive fabric, but it was sewn stitch by stitch by our Old Madam. It’s extremely comfortable to wear. Our Marquis is a sentimental person. He’s been wearing it for years and still can’t bear to part with it.”

The youth’s hand, which had been examining the robe with disgust, suddenly froze.

Zhou Shen quickly added, “But Your Highness, rest assured. This old servant has already sent someone to inform the Crown Prince’s residence. I believe clean clothes will be delivered soon.”

Just as he finished speaking, a gatekeeper reported from outside, “Steward Zhou, Head Steward Gao from the Crown Prince’s residence has arrived.”