Chapter 105: Cry for Help

Early the next morning, Liu ji yao pu had just opened for business when many people who had heard the news came to make purchases.

Shopkeeper Li of Bai cao tang across the way frowned slightly, glanced at the bustling scene opposite, and walked toward the medicinal dining shop with deep concern.

Chi Nan Yi had already heard about this matter the previous day, and she even had someone buy back a pill, intending to compare them.

But the moment she took the pill out, she smelled a strange odor.

It was unmistakably the smell that came from moldy and spoiled medicinal herbs used to make pills.

When Shopkeeper Li came looking for her, Chi Nan Yi simply told him to rest easy and wait—the newly launched antidote pills were bound to sell extremely well.

Li Xun did not understand why Chi Nan Yi would say such a thing, until two days later, when wave after wave of people surged into Bai cao tang, all demanding to buy antidote pills. Only then did he learn that those who had eaten the pills from Liu ji yao pu had all begun suffering from varying degrees of diarrhea, with severe cases experiencing vomiting and diarrhea, and even coughing up blood.

These were unmistakably symptoms of poisoning.

Someone had said that Bai cao tang's antidote pills were effective, so they all came to buy them.

Some whose conditions were urgent even ate the pills right there at Bai cao tang after purchasing them. Not long after the pills entered their stomachs, their bodies recovered by eighty or ninety percent.

The crowd witnessed this scene and bought even more frantically, terrified that the pills would sell out.

As for those who had recovered, they all went straight to Liu ji yao pu, flocking there to demand an explanation.

Shopkeeper Liu never imagined that retribution would come so quickly.

How could he dare show his face? He hastily had someone shut down Liu ji yao pu.

After Chi Nan Yi heard about it, she merely smiled. "With a crooked heart that only takes wicked shortcuts, this is the consequence."

"Miss, then this Shopkeeper Liu..."

"He won't accept this. He'll certainly find an opportunity to retaliate, but it doesn't matter—he's nothing but a petty clown."

Ever since Liu ji yao pu closed its doors, Shopkeeper Liu seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, never appearing again, and the medicinal dining shop's business remained as booming as ever.

Ever since A er na first came to eat at this shop, it was as if she had become entranced. She came every single day, and most importantly, three meals a day without missing a single one, and every time she would insist that Chi Nan Yi take her pulse.

Even the maidservants beside her could no longer stand it.

"Princess, is the food really that delicious? We still need to hurry to Jingcheng!"

"Not going." A er na said while eating, "This Princess is not leaving anymore. I'm staying right here."

The few of them exchanged glances. "Then are you going to just abandon the young lord?"

"Hmph, how could I manage anything? That old man and that dead old woman have already decided everything. Even if this Princess wanted to, I'd be powerless!" A er na waved her hand. "Go fetch Manager Chi for this Princess. I have something I need to say to her."

Before long, Chi Nan Yi walked in. "Miss, is there something about the food that doesn't suit your taste?"

When A er na saw her, her eyes lit up. She turned to the maidservants beside her and said, "All of you, go out first."

"But..."

"I told you to go out—are you all deaf?"

A er na had been extremely pampered and willful back in Yuqin Guo. After all, she was the legitimate eldest princess. Although the late Empress had already passed away, she had grown up by the Empress Dowager's side since childhood. With the Empress Dowager backing her, her life was far from difficult—in fact, she was more carefree and uninhibited than many princes and princesses.

The maidservants naturally did not dare to truly anger her, so they could only all withdraw. Once outside the door, the several of them exchanged glances, unable to help feeling worried.

Their Princess wouldn't do anything improper to Manager Chi, would she!

A er na looked at Chi Nan Yi, steeled herself, and simply dropped to her knees.

Chi Nan Yi was startled. "This... what are you doing?"

Her voice was not quiet, and the maidservants outside the door heard it clearly.

One of them reached out and placed her hand on the door, but was stopped by the others.

"If we go in like this, what if we see something we shouldn't?"

"When the Princess was in the palace, she often harassed the other princesses. What if out here..."

"Then there's nothing we can do about it either! We'd better not go in, or the Princess will certainly be furious."

At this moment, inside the room, A er na set aside her earlier playful and uninhibited manner, her expression turning completely serious. "Please, Miss, save me."

"You're..."

"Miss, to tell you the truth, I am a princess of Yuqin Guo, sent here for a political marriage." A er na lowered her voice. "I didn't want to go through with the marriage, so I ran away from the procession. But now, they want to have my younger sister, who hasn't even come of age, take my place. I know you must have some real abilities. I beg you, save me, and save my sister too."

Chi Nan Yi looked at her, startled. "Princess, why did you seek me out? I'm just an ordinary commoner."

"No, you are not an ordinary commoner!" A er na gripped her hand tightly. "Prince Li's personal Dark Guard is protecting you. How could you be an ordinary person?"

Hearing her say this, Chi Nan Yi's pupils shrank sharply.

She had recognized Yun Shan.

"I've come to this shop many times. Every day I see you, and every day I see Yun Shan guarding you. That bearing, like a bodyguard—he has been by Prince Li's side for many years. If you were just an ordinary person, why would he guard you with such a bearing?"

Chi Nan Yi tried several times to help her up, but A er na refused to budge.

"What exactly do you want me to do?"

"As long as you're willing to help me, whatever you want, as long as I can produce it, I'll give it to you." A er na's eyes darted about and she said with a smile, "Gold, silver, jewels, land, shops, calligraphy, paintings, jade wares." Seeing that Chi Nan Yi remained unmoved, she continued, "How about male favorites?"

"Male... male favorites?"

"Let me tell you, the male favorites of our Yuqin Guo are suave and elegant, with broad shoulders and narrow..." "Mmph mmph mmph..."

Before she could finish, Chi Nan Yi had already reached out and covered her mouth. "The help the Princess is asking for—how exactly would it work?"

Seeing her relent, A er na's eyes instantly lit up. Sure enough, this girl was exactly to her taste—she liked the same things she did. The power of male favorites was truly great.

"Kidnap my sister away."

"Kidnap..." Chi Nan Yi rubbed her temples. "Princess, if the diplomatic mission is attacked, the two nations will go to war. Have you never considered the consequences?"

"Just don't abduct her within Daqi's borders." A er na said anxiously, "Besides you, there's no one who can help me."

Chi Nan Yi knew that in her previous life, the princess of Yuqin Guo had refused the political marriage and ultimately been forced to marry into the Duke's household. In the end, the Duke's household was destroyed and its members killed.

The ruler of Yuqin Guo grieved all the more deeply and mobilized his army to press against the border.

If she did not go through with the political marriage, perhaps that could indeed be a way to avert the war.

Without the chaos of war, the common people would live in peace and prosperity—wouldn't her own merit be even greater?

But what method could be used to take the person away without anyone noticing?

After thinking it over and over, it seemed the only option was to use space.

"Princess, please get up first."

"You agreed?"

The corners of Chi Nan Yi's mouth twitched a few times: "This matter is far-reaching in its implications. I need to consider it carefully."

A er na stood up and said with a smile: "You made this Princess kneel the longest. Even my imperial father and imperial grandmother never made me kneel this long. Rest assured, once the matter is done, this Princess will certainly thank you handsomely. As for those male favorites..."