Chapter 45: with translation of chapter title

Cheng Ru'an was startled, turning pale: "Yuan'er? Where is he?"

The servant replied, "Yangzheng Pavilion; the Prince ordered the young master to be sent there."

Liu Grandma stepped out to greet them: "Princess Consort! You just left, and the young master was brought back by the merchants; when he entered the mansion he was coughing up blood nonstop, his condition unknown. Guo Taiyi has already arrived; please go in quickly to see him."

Cheng Ru'an's face turned white: "Alright, I'm going right now; you take Tuan Tuan back to Jinglan Garden." Having said that, she ignored decorum and ran straight toward Yangzheng Pavilion.

Liu Grandma took Tuan Tuan's hand: "Little miss, let's go."

Tuan Tuan, only half understanding, asked: "Grandma, is big brother back?"

Liu Grandma sighed: "Yes, your big brother has returned to the mansion, but… sigh."

"I haven't even met big brother yet, I want to go too."

Liu Grandma hesitated; Yangzheng Pavilion was heavy with tension, and it wouldn't be good for a little child to go—if the young master… wouldn't that frighten the child?

"Little miss, perhaps we should wait until the young master is better, then Grandma will take you over, okay?"

Tuan Tuan simply flung her hand aside, bolted toward Yangzheng Pavilion, "Don't take me, I'll go myself! I know the way!"

Liu Grandma startled, hurried after her: "Little miss! Don't go! Be obedient and come back with Grandma to Jinglan Garden!"

"I won't! I want to see big brother!" Tuan Tuan's little arms and legs couldn't keep up with adults; she kept running while constantly looking back, almost being caught.

"Grandma! There's a treasure the Eldest Princess gave me in the carriage!"

Liu Grandma froze a step; something given by the Eldest Princess? That absolutely cannot go wrong!

With that pause, Tuan Tuan was already reduced to a tiny silhouette running away.

Liu Grandma, seeing she couldn't catch up, had no choice but to turn back to the carriage to fetch something.

Tuan Tuan ran all the way to Yangzheng Pavilion; the servant at the door, seeing a little miss, was about to stop her and report back inside.

Tuan Tuan shouted, "Father sent me!"

The servant was startled. "Prince ordered?" Tuan Tuan had already slipped inside.

Mother said I should return to Jinglan Garden, but Father didn't say that!

When Tuan Tuan reached the main hall, panting heavily, the first person who saw her return was Xiao Ningxun, who was about to leave to see her; he rushed over: "Third Brother!"

Xiao Ningxun caught her in one hand and lifted her: "Why did you come?"

Tuan Tuan clung to his neck, plaintively saying, "I wanted to see big brother! Third Brother, you won't let me see him either?"

Xiao Ningxun couldn't refuse his sister at all; after a moment's hesitation, he said, "Fine, Third Brother will take you inside, but Tuan Tuan, big brother is ill, very seriously; stay obedient with me, don't run or cause trouble."

"Yeah, yeah! Third Brother is the best!" Tuan Tuan sat in Third Brother's arm, comfortably being carried inside.

Inside the inner chamber of Yangzheng Pavilion.

Xiao Yuanhang, Cheng Ru'an, Xiao Ningchen, and Guo Taiyi were seated around the bedside; everyone's attention was on Xiao Ningyuan lying on the bed, and they didn't notice that Xiao Ningxun had quietly entered, holding Tuan Tuan.

Guo Taiyi was speaking: "The poison the young master has taken is not an ordinary toxin. Though I have already applied acupuncture, it can only temporarily alleviate the condition, not truly detoxify."

The others looked surprised; Xiao Yuanhang's face grew heavy: "Poisoned? What kind of poison? Even Guo Taiyi is at a loss?"

Guo Taiyi shook his head: "The poison the young master took is a mixture of several toxins; unless we find the culprit and learn the formula, even the Three Purities Immortal cannot help."

Xiao Yuanhang looked at a stranger standing at the foot of the bed, a man in his thirties with a pale complexion: "Zhou Dahai, you've been following Yuan'er all this time; you speak."

Zhou Dahai trembled all over, hurried forward and knelt: "Prince, forgive me! I truly did not know the young master had been poisoned; I always thought he was merely ill."

"The young master began coughing and wheezing a month ago; we consulted a physician, who said it was a sudden chill."

"He took medicine on schedule every day, but the illness didn't improve; instead it worsened."

"Later we changed to two other physicians; they said it was overwork leading to illness, gave new prescriptions, but after taking them there was still no improvement."

"About seven or eight days ago, the young master began coughing up blood, so he ordered the servants to rush back to the Prince's Mansion, saying he had to return home to see it once more. The servants rode hard, and only today did they arrive."

"I dare not lie; we indeed changed several physicians, brewed medicines according to their prescriptions, yet none diagnosed the young master as poisoned!" After speaking, Zhou Dahai took out several sheets of paper from his sleeve and placed them before Guo Taiyi: "These are the prescriptions from those physicians."

Guo Taiyi took the papers, looked, and shook his head: "We can't blame them for incompetence; this kind of poison is truly hard to diagnose, and ordinary physicians' misjudgment is unavoidable."

Cheng Ru'an wept like rain: "A healthy child—who could be so ruthless as to try to kill him?"

Tuan Tuan couldn't stand to see her cry: "Mother, don't cry; Tuan Tuan is here."

Cheng Ru'an, with tearful eyes, lifted her head, finally seeing Tuan Tuan sitting in Xiao Ningxun's arms; she no longer cared to ask why she hadn't returned to Jinglan Garden, and reached out: "Come to Mother."

Xiao Ningxun placed his sister into his mother's arms.

Xiao Ningchen frowned: "Third Younger Brother, why did you let Tuan Tuan in?"

Xiao Ningxun lowered his head, offering no defense.

Xiao Yuanhang waved his hand: "No problem, my daughter's not that timid."

Tuan Tuan looked at the person on the bed; his features were distinct, eyes tightly closed, face like a blank sheet, lips colorless.

"Mother, is he my big brother?"

Cheng Ru'an hugged her, nodded: "He is your big brother, Xiao Ningyuan."

Tuan Tuan asked Guo Taiyi: "Grandfather, what is poison?"

Guo Taiyi said, "Poison is a medicine that makes a person fall ill when ingested."

Tuan Tuan wondered, "Why would big brother take poison?"

Guo Taiyi fell silent; Cheng Ru'an looked at her daughter: "He didn't choose to take it; someone harmed him."

"Who harmed big brother! The big villain!" Tuan Tuan swung her tiny fist: "I'll go beat him!"

Cheng Ru'an hugged her, soothing: "We don't know yet, be good; when we find out who it is, I'll have Father take you to beat him, okay?"

"Mm!" Tuan Tuan nodded vigorously.

Cheng Ru'an looked at Guo Taiyi: "Guo Lao, I would like you to give a precise answer—if this poison cannot be resolved, what else can Yuan'er…?"

She choked up, unable to continue, but Guo Taiyi could not not understand her meaning.

"If I may be frank, there are only three to five days left. Perhaps the mansion should prepare some supplies in advance? A quick remedy would be fine."

Cheng Ru'an felt a pain in her heart, couldn't hold back, choking out: "How old is Yuan'er! I'm still alive, how could he… He is the eldest grandson of the main branch! If Mother, the old lady, found out… what should we do?"

Xiao Yuanhang and his two sons stood aside, silent and wordless.