The scumbag was secretly having an affair, while I was openly having an affair with the prince.

Chapter 24 Using Fake Poison as Bait

Dongqiao wiped away her tears and replied, "Miss, didn't you ask me to go to the Marquis of Yufeng's residence to deliver a message to Miss Biao? I went to the Marquis of Yufeng's residence, but Miss Biao kept me there that night. She said she would go to the Prince Cheng's residence to pick you up the next day, so I didn't need to run around. But the next day, I received your 'bad news,' and I was deeply shocked and fell ill. I've been recuperating at the Marquis of Yufeng's residence for the past few days."

"I really feel bad that you got so sick because of me."

“Miss, please don’t say that. As long as you are safe and sound, I would be willing to die in your place!” Dongqiao looked at her with a determined expression.

"We've had such a long-standing master-servant relationship, do we still need to talk about these things? Alright, get up quickly, I'm hungry, go to the kitchen and make something to eat." Ye Shishu pulled her up from the ground.

"Yes, this servant will go to the kitchen to see what ingredients are available!" Dongqiao said and ran towards Yuexin Courtyard.

Watching her run away, Ninth Aunt suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, this maid doesn't seem like someone who has just recovered from a serious illness."

Ye Shishu turned to look at her, "You know how to treat illnesses?"

"Your Highness, I have served under the army doctor for many years and have learned some basic diagnostic skills such as observation, auscultation, inquiry, and palpation."

"Oh." Hearing her say that, Ye Shishu dared not look down on her anymore, so she asked curiously, "Ninth Aunt, I stayed at Prince Cheng's residence a few days ago, why didn't I see you?"

"Your Highness, the Prince urgently summoned me back to the capital the day before yesterday, and I arrived last night," Ninth Aunt replied with a smile.

"..." Ye Shishu remained silent.

Nowadays, it is more difficult for women to learn medicine than to learn martial arts, but Aunt Jiu is skilled in both martial arts and medicine, which is truly remarkable.

Prince Cheng went to such lengths to select people for her; she didn't know what to say. Calling it surveillance seemed a stretch, since if they wanted to monitor her, Wen Yan and Wen Mo could easily do it.

Besides, she will officially marry into the Prince Cheng's mansion next month, and everyone in the mansion can keep an eye on her. Why bother arranging another woman who is proficient in everything to be by her side?

As they walked and talked, when they arrived at Yuexin Courtyard, Ye Shishu gave her a brief overview of the courtyard and reminded her, "Ninth Aunt, the General's Mansion is different from other mansions. Please bear with the many rules and regulations."

How could Ninth Aunt not understand what she meant?

"Your Highness, please rest assured. My duty is to protect your safety. If you find any misconduct on my part, you may execute me at any time. The Prince is my master, and you are the Prince's consort, so you are also my master. You have the right to execute me at any time."

Her words truly silenced Ye Shishu's suspicions.

Besides, she needed someone right now, so she beckoned to Aunt Jiu, signaling her to come closer and talk.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

"Ninth Aunt, there's something I need your help with, in a little while..."

Half an hour later, Dongqiao brought the food to Yeshishu's room.

Ye Shishu picked up her chopsticks, then suddenly remembered something and looked at Dong Qiao. "Ninth Aunt is the Prince's woman. I haven't had time to arrange her accommodation yet. Take her to the back to choose a room first, and come back later. I have something to tell you."

Dong Qiao agreed, and then led Aunt Jiu away.

About an incense stick later, they returned to Ye Shishu's room.

But the scene inside the room terrified the two of them—

Ye Shishu was slumped over the table, foaming at the mouth, and had already passed out!

"princess!"

"Miss!"

After confirming that she was still breathing, the two quickly helped her to bed and then ran out to call for help.

The imperial physician, Zhou Zheng, arrived quickly.

Upon hearing the news of his daughter's accident, Ye Gengxin hurriedly brought Hao Fu to the scene.

"General, the Third Miss has been poisoned." Zhou Zheng said as he fed Ye Shishu a pill. "I will protect the Third Miss's heart first, and give her the antidote as soon as it is prepared."

"Hurry up!" Ye Gengxin growled, urging them on. Before Zhou Zheng could even leave the room, he yelled at Dong Qiao and Ninth Aunt, "Why was Third Miss poisoned?"

Aunt Jiu glanced at the food still on the table and began to recount what had happened.

After hearing this, Ye Gengxin took out silver needles from Zhou Zheng's medicine box, walked to the table, and stirred the silver needles in the food.

Staring at the blackened silver needle, he glared at Dong Qiao with a livid face. "Did you poison her?"

As Ninth Aunt recounted what had happened, Dongqiao began to break out in a cold sweat. Seeing the silver needle in Ye Gengxin's hand, she knelt down with a thud, crying out, "General, I'm innocent! How could I possibly poison Miss? There must be some misunderstanding..." She suddenly looked at Ninth Aunt, her voice trembling with emotion, "I've served Miss for ten years, I would never do such a thing as poisoning my mistress! Did you put the poison in the food?"

Ninth Aunt replied coldly, "The food you made was brought into the room by you yourself. I didn't even touch it. How could I have poisoned it? Besides, I was ordered by the Prince to protect my Princess. If I were disloyal to the Princess, the Prince would have taken my head without you even lifting a finger!"

"You...you..." Dong Qiao was so embarrassed that she couldn't finish her sentence.

Ye Gengxin didn't give them any chance to argue. He directly called in an old woman and ordered her to search the two of them.

Ninth Aunt was very cooperative and readily allowed the old woman to search her.

But Dongqiao's face was ashen, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

When it was the old woman's turn to search her, she instinctively covered her chest in terror.

Seeing her reaction, Ye Gengxin's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he roared, "Search!"

When Ninth Aunt saw that she was resisting the old woman's touch, she stepped forward to help the old woman twist her arm.

The old woman quickly searched her pocket and found a small paper packet, then presented it to Ye Gengxin, saying, "Reporting to the general, this was found on Dong Qiao."

Ye Gengxin took the paper package and opened it.

Although he was ignorant of pharmacology, he was not an idiot either. Could it be reasonable for this colorless and odorless powder to appear on a maid?

Enraged, he stepped forward and kicked Dong Qiao, shouting, "My General's Mansion has treated you well, and the Third Miss even regards you as family. Why did you do such a thing?"

His kick sent Dong Qiao flying, her back and the back of her head slamming heavily against the wall.

A mouthful of blood spurted from Dong Qiao's mouth, and then she collapsed against the wall, staring at Ye Gengxin in pain and fear.

Ye Gengxin ordered, "Hao Fu! Take her away and interrogate her thoroughly!"

"Yes!"

Hao Fu summoned two servants from outside the door, and they quickly took Dong Qiao away.

As she left, Dongqiao kept turning back to look at Ye Shishu on the bed, as if unwilling to give up. "Miss...Miss...I'm innocent..."

But Ye Gengxin's kick was clearly hard, and she was so weak that she didn't have the strength to speak normally.

Zhou Zheng left but returned.

Ye Shishu also sat up in bed.

"Shu'er...you..." Ye Gengxin was stunned. Hadn't he given her the antidote yet? How did she wake up?