Chapter 55: with translation of chapter title

And the great-grandmother fell into a coma.

Entities: great-grandmother - generic, not a proper name. Not needed.

"What should we do?" Pei Shangling put her hands on her hips.

Entities: Pei Shangling (glossary).

Is there nothing we can do?

No entities.

Couldn't Mu Yuanzhi, just like before, test the poison on herself so we could find the antidote faster? Pei Yunxi said innocently, speaking with hidden intent.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi (glossary), Pei Yunxi (glossary). The idiom "Sima Zhao's heart" means hidden ambition. Not a named entity.

Mu Yuanzhi chuckled inwardly; it was quite clever of her to reuse the same poisonous plan.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi.

"I've fainted—how am I supposed to detoxify? Little sister, use your head!" After saying that, Mu Yuanzhi mimicked Pei Yunxi's flowery language: "Sorry, little sister, I got flustered and spoke rashly; please don't hold

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi, Pei Yunxi, and little sister (generic).

Pei Yunxi forced a smile and said, 'How could Xī'er blame her sister? We're good sisters.'

Entities: Pei Yunxi -> Pei Yunxi. Xī'er is a nickname for Pei Yunxi? Actually 'Xī'er' is a diminutive of Yunxi? It's a pet name; but it's still referring to the same person. Should we include as a named entity? It's a nickname used for her; but it's not a separate entity. Probably not needed.

At this moment, the chief eunuch hurried over to report: 'Your Majesty, all the food and utensils of the Grand Moon Palace have been inspected today, and no poison was found.'

Entities: chief eunuch -> Chief Eunuch (glossary), Grand Moon Palace -> Grand Moon Palace (translate), Your Majesty -> Your Majesty (generic).

'Things are dead, people are alive; since we can't test inanimate objects, we must test the living. Someone, come! Take everyone from the Grand Moon Palace to the Imperial Court of Justice for interrogation!'

Entities: Grand Moon Palace -> Grand Moon Palace, Imperial Court of Justice -> Imperial Court of Justice (glossary).

The Son of Heaven shouted a stern order!

Entities: Son of Heaven (generic).

'Your Majesty, please show mercy!' the personal maid of the Grand Empress Dowager, Shu'er, burst into tears, and everyone else kowtowed and begged the Son of Heaven for mercy.

Entities: Grand Empress Dowager -> Grand Empress Dowager (glossary), Shu'er -> Shu'er (personal name), Son of Heaven -> Son of Heaven (title), Your Majesty -> Your Majesty (title).

She looked up at Mu Yuanzhi, her eyes filled with eager hope.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi -> Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi naturally knew they were all innocent; once thrown into the Imperial Court of Justice's prison, they would either die or suffer greatly.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi -> Mu Yuanzhi, Imperial Court of Justice -> Imperial Court of Justice, prison (generic).

Mu Yuanzhi took a liking to Shu'er and often spoke well of her in front of the Grand Empress Dowager.

Entities: Shu'er -> Shu'er, Grand Empress Dowager -> Grand Empress Dowager.

If everyone from the Grand Moon Palace were imprisoned, even Granny Zhang would likely not escape disaster.

Entities: Grand Moon Palace -> Grand Moon Palace, Granny Zhang -> Granny Zhang (generic).

Then Mu Yuanzhi said, 'Wait.'

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi -> Mu Yuanzhi.

Everyone looked at Mu Yuanzhi.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi -> Mu Yuanzhi.

Despite the Son of Heaven's fierce anger, Mu Yuanzhi actually dared to plead for these servants?

Entities: Son of Heaven (title), Mu Yuanzhi -> Mu Yuanzhi, servants (generic).

'Please allow me to ask them a few questions, Father Emperor.'

Entities: Father Emperor -> Father Emperor (glossary).

The Son of Heaven, suppressing his anger, said: 'Go ahead and ask.'

Entities: Son of Heaven (title).

Mu Yuanzhi nodded and asked, 'Has your great-grandmother come into contact with any unusual items recently, such as any gifts someone might have sent?'

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi -> Mu Yuanzhi, great-grandmother (generic).

She glanced at Pei Yunxi, whether intentionally or not.

Entities: she -> Mu Yuanzhi, Pei Yunxi -> Pei Yunxi.

Pei Yunxi showed no panic at all and gave her an innocent look.

Entities: Pei Yunxi -> Pei Yunxi, she -> Mu Yuanzhi.

All the palace staff tried to recall, and Shu'er was the first to remember: 'The Third Prince sent a potted plant; besides that, there was nothing else.'

Entities: palace staff (generic), Shu'er -> Shu'er, Third Prince -> Third Prince, potted plant (generic).

Upon hearing this, Pei Shang Hua exclaimed angrily: 'What are you saying, you dead girl? How could the potted plant I sent possibly be poisonous?!'

Entities: Pei Shang Hua -> Pei Shang Hua (personal name), this prince (generic).

'Never mind the rest, Lao San—you've been poisoned by gu before; who knows if you've provoked some Miao woman again?' Pei Shangling chuckled.

Entities: Lao San -> 'Old Three' nickname for Third Prince? Could be considered a nickname for Pei Shang Hua. It's a nickname used for him; but it's not a formal name. Should we include? It's a nickname used for a person; per rule: if it's a habitual nickname used as that person's name, we keep pinyin. Lao San is a nickname meaning 'Old Third'. It's used

Also Pei Shangling (glossary). Gu poison generic.

"I… then you test!" Pei Shang Hua strode over in a few big steps to where the potted plant was, picked it up, and handed it to Mu Yuanzhi, saying, "I am innocent; my innocence speaks for itself."

Entities: Pei Shang Hua and Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi removed a vermilion hairpin from her head; it was her newly made silver poison-testing needle, shaped like a hairpin for easy carrying.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi. Vermilion hairpin (generic). Silver poison-testing needle (generic).

Under various gazes, Mu Yuanzhi calmly examined the pot, leaves, roots, and soil of the potted plant.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi. Potted plant (generic).

Afterwards, her gaze narrowed: "Indeed, it is poisonous."

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi.

"Impossible! You all go test it for me!" Pei Shang Hua, in a panic, grabbed several imperial physicians.

Entities: Pei Shang Hua. Imperial physicians (generic).

The Son of Heaven's face darkened like gathering storm clouds; a violent tempest was imminent.

Entities: Son of Heaven.

The others stared at each other in disbelief; it was unthinkable that the potted plant sent by Pei Shang Hua was poisonous.

Entities: Pei Shang Hua. Potted plant (generic).

Granny Zhang exchanged a furtive glance with Mu Yuanzhi; Mu Yuanzhi remained expressionless and shook her head slightly, so Granny Zhang said nothing.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi.

It's not the Third Prince; then who is it?

Entities: Third Prince.

The imperial physicians quickly took turns testing, and all results were the same: the potted plant is poisonous.

Entities: Imperial physicians (generic). Potted plant (generic).

Pei Shang Hua's mother consort, the Virtuous Consort, immediately knelt down: "Your Majesty! This must be just like last time—someone is trying to harm Hua'er! You know Hua'er is kind-hearted; he would never harm his great-grandmother for no reason!"

Entities: Pei Shang Hua. mother consort (generic). Virtuous Consort (title). Hua'er (nickname). great-grandmother (generic).

She burst into tears, quickly grabbing her son's sleeve and urging him to kneel down as well.

Entities: Virtuous Consort. son (generic).

Pei Shang Hua, dazed and dispirited, knelt down: "I, your subject, bought this potted plant on the way back to the capital; how could it possibly be poisonous?"

Entities: Pei Shang Hua. subject (generic). potted plant (generic). capital (generic).

"If the potted plant is poisonous, why is Hua'er unharmed? Surely someone poisoned it afterward; Your Majesty, you should investigate the personnel of the Grand Moon Palace!" The Virtuous Consort, having no recourse, could only grasp at straws.

Entities: potted plant (generic). Hua'er (nickname). Grand Moon Palace. palace personnel (generic).

Mu Yuanzhi, however, said: "Virtuous Consort, the potted plant itself is poisonous; this plant is inherently a gu toxin. Why don't you, Brother Hua, tell us where you bought it, how you bought it, and whether someone lured you into buying it?"

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi. Virtuous Consort. potted plant (generic).

She then turned her gaze toward Pei Yunxi.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi. Pei Yunxi.

Pei Yunxi remained as calm as ever, utterly unafraid.

Entities: Pei Yunxi.

Mu Yuanzhi thus knew that Pei Yunxi surely had a way to extricate himself this time as well.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi. Pei Yunxi.

Hearing this, the Virtuous Consort urgently asked Pei Shang Hua: "Hua'er, speak up quickly!"

Entities: Virtuous Consort. Pei Shang Hua. Hua'er (nickname).

"It was just a stall at the outskirts of the capital; I found it unique, and I knew my great-grandmother would surely like it, so I bought it!" Pei Shang Hua broke out in a cold sweat.

Entities: outskirts of capital (generic). stall (generic). great-grandmother (generic). Pei Shang Hua.

How could he possibly know there was gu poison inside!

Entities: Pei Shang Hua. gu poison (generic).

Mu Yuanzhi thought: It seems Pei Yunxi figured out that the great-grandmother liked odd novelties, so he targeted that; presumably the stall vendor had already fled.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi. Pei Yunxi. great-grandmother (generic). stall (generic).

As expected, the Son of Heaven ordered people to quickly go to the place Pei Shang Hua mentioned; within a hundred-li radius, no one was setting up stalls.

Entities: Pei Shang Hua. stall (generic).

The Son of Heaven looked at Pei Shang Hua and the Virtuous Consort kneeling on the ground, closed his eyes, and waved his hand: "You are first confined to the palace; without my order, you may not leave arbitrarily."

Entities: Pei Shang Hua. Virtuous Consort. palace (generic).

"Father…!" Pei Shang Hua tried to argue, but the Virtuous Consort covered his mouth, and she repeatedly kowtowed: "Thank you for your grace, O Lord!"

Entities: father (generic). Pei Shang Hua. Virtuous Consort.

Not being thrown into the Imperial Court of Justice or Eternal Lane is already a great grace!

Entities: Imperial Court of Justice. Eternal Lane. great grace (generic).

"As for the other personnel of the Grand Moon Palace, they should also refrain from going out for now and attend carefully to the Grand Empress Dowager."

Entities: Grand Moon Palace. Grand Empress Dowager.

Having received a general pardon, the personnel of the Grand Moon Palace all breathed a sigh of relief, feeling grateful toward Mu Yuanzhi.

Entities: general pardon (generic). Grand Moon Palace. people (generic). Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi gazed at the Grand Empress Dowager, who had fallen into a deep sleep on the sickbed, and sighed inwardly.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi. sickbed (generic). Grand Empress Dowager.

At such an advanced age, to still suffer this kind of misfortune.

No entities.

Even if he recovers someday, he will still be left with a lingering illness.

No entities.

Pei Yunxi, this woman truly leaves no stone unturned!

Entities: Pei Yunxi.

The others came and went one after another, leaving only Mu Yuanzhi as the sole visitor checking on the sick.

Entities: Mu Yuanzhi.

Zhang Mamam anxiously asked Mu Yuanzhi: "Princess, just tell the old servant honestly, is this poison of the Grand Empress Dowager very hard to cure?"

Mu Yuanzhi nodded: "Yes, I can only temporarily suppress the spread of the gu poison for now."

"What will happen if the poison can't be cured?" Granny Zhang asked carefully, as if she couldn't bear to know the answer, her eye sockets red.

"All the organs in the body will gradually fail, being absorbed by the gu." Mu Yuanzhi said.

"Is there really no one under heaven who can cure it?" Granny Zhang muttered to herself, as if also asking Mu Yuanzhi.

Maybe there is.

Mu Yuanzhi thought of a person, her fellow sect junior, a genius who uses gu to counter gu.

But in his previous life, because he got involved in her affairs, he was turned into a human pig by Pei Shangling, meeting the same tragic death as her.

So in this life, she doesn't want him to lose his life for her again.

Mu Yuanzhi wiped away the tears in her eye sockets; she was sure she had a way to save her great-grandmother, as long as she was given a little time.

"Don't worry, Granny, there will be a way."