Chapter 155: A Blunder

When Imperial Doctor Liu left the palace, Luo Cheng, who had been secretly waiting, blocked his way. Out of respect for the Regent, Imperial Doctor Liu agreed to meet with his friend for a discussion on medical skills.

Once they entered the residence, Imperial Doctor Liu stayed in the study, waiting.

“Master, Lord Luo has arrived,” the butler said, his gaze passing over Su Wan with a hint of complexity, ultimately not announcing her identity.

Imperial Doctor Liu’s aged voice came from inside. “Come in.”

The butler pushed open the door, inviting Luo Cheng and Su Wan inside.

Imperial Doctor Liu was flipping through a medical text when he looked up at the doorway. The moment he saw Su Wan, his eyebrows twitched.

He shot a sharp look at Luo Cheng and scolded, “Nonsense! Is this the friend of yours who knows medicine?”

“Lord Liu, one cannot judge a person by their appearance. Young lady Su’s master is Master Huiren, and her medical skills are quite profound. Back when the Old Lady Su was gravely ill and the imperial doctors were at a loss, it was Young lady Su who cured her.”

Luo Cheng provoked him further, “Don’t be fooled by her youth; your skills might not even match hers. And even if you do surpass her, it would only be because you’re three, four, or five decades her senior.”

Imperial Doctor Liu’s face darkened!

Luo Cheng acted as if he hadn’t noticed anything amiss and continued, “She didn’t make a name for herself before because she was a noble lady and couldn’t show herself in public. After she got married, life became too poor to bear, so she had no choice but to go out and practice medicine as a weak woman to support her family.

She was lucky; without realizing it, she opened a medical clinic in the town and earned the reputation of a divine doctor. Even the military doctors admired her and recommended her to the Crown Prince to treat the Marquis of Dingyuan.”

“Oh, right! You should be familiar with the injury medicine used in the military camp, right? Military Doctor Liu sent some to the palace, and you even praised it.” Luo Cheng pointed his thumb at Su Wan. “Well, she’s the one who developed it.”

Imperial Doctor Liu’s mustache twitched in surprise, and his small, bean-sized eyes widened into large, round orbs, making him look somewhat comical.

“So, you were the one who developed that?”

Imperial Doctor Liu had received the medicine, and its effectiveness was impressive. He had sent a letter to Military Doctor Liu, inquiring about the person who made the medicine and asking for an introduction, intending to bring that person into the Imperial Medicine Bureau. He hadn’t received a reply from Military Doctor Liu yet, but here he was meeting the creator in person.

Imperial Doctor Liu had heard of Su Wan’s reputation as a divine doctor, but knowing she couldn’t cure the Marquis of Dingyuan and considering her young age, he held some prejudice.

He thought she was too young, with ambitions that far exceeded her experience, inflating her own reputation through self-promotion.

Who would have thought she actually had real skills!

“Pardon me for any rudeness,” Su Wan said as she properly curtsied.

Imperial Doctor Liu’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm. “Come, come, tell me, how did you come up with this formula? How long did it take you to develop it?”

What could Su Wan say? That she leveraged her knowledge from the future, refining others’ formulas by taking the best and discarding the worst, to create this injury medicine?

She conservatively replied, “One year.”

Imperial Doctor Liu was excited. “You developed such an effective injury medicine in just one year, which shows you have great talent in medicine. Would you be willing to exchange some medical knowledge with me? If your skills are impressive, I can recommend you to the Imperial Medicine Bureau.”

“Lord Liu, as a doctor, my duty is to treat the common people. The nobles in the palace have all of you attending to them. I value my freedom, and if I were confined to the palace, it would dull my talents.”

Su Wan knew that the Regent was very secretive about his illness and had asked Imperial Doctor Liu to treat him. Trying to get information directly from Imperial Doctor Liu would likely be futile.

She needed to use her wits. Her eyes gleamed as she smiled and said, “How about this: we can exchange medical knowledge, and if you think I meet your standards, I have a newly developed special medicine for treating typhoid that I can supply to you unconditionally. But you must agree to one condition of mine, and no backing out!”

Imperial Doctor Liu wasn’t so easily fooled. The excitement drained from his face like a receding tide. With his hands clasped behind his back, he glanced at Luo Cheng standing behind Su Wan—what was there not to understand?

It was clearly about the Regent.

“Anything except matters regarding the Regent, I can agree to.”

“I came here solely for this matter.” Su Wan held a small white porcelain medicine bottle in her hand and tossed it towards Imperial Doctor Liu. “I’ll give you this bottle first. Think it over carefully.”

Imperial Doctor Liu hurriedly caught it, glaring at Su Wan, who appeared completely confident. “Forget about it. There’s no room for negotiation!”

“Yes, yes, yes, I’m not insisting on getting an answer from you specifically. Today, I went to the Regent’s residence and took his pulse. Isn’t it just poisoning?

I came here to discuss treatment options with you. Since you’ve promised to keep the Regent’s condition a secret, I won’t force you.” Su Wan looked regretful as she turned to Luo Cheng and said, “Let’s go; we shouldn’t disturb Lord Liu’s rest.”

“You… how did you…” Imperial Doctor Liu was so shocked that he was momentarily speechless. As soon as he spoke, he regained his composure and, with a wary expression, asked, “Tell me, what exactly is the Regent’s condition?”

Su Wan’s heart sank. She had been bluffing Imperial Doctor Liu, but from his reaction, it seemed that the Regent was indeed poisoned.

She couldn’t help but think of the poison that afflicted Gu Huaizhi, and a bold speculation arose in her mind: the Regent and Gu Huaizhi might have been poisoned by the same type of toxin.

“Departed Soul,” Su Wan uttered the two words.

Imperial Doctor Liu’s expression changed dramatically.

The weight on Su Wan’s chest finally lifted; she had guessed correctly.

Gu Huaizhi was poisoned with Departed Soul, and now the Regent was as well. Both of them were extremely cautious individuals, and for them to be poisoned under such circumstances, it was highly likely that the perpetrator was someone close to them.

Departed Soul poison can be administered in several ways: one is by directly ingesting the poison, and another is through a medicinal agent used as a trigger—two substances that are harmless when taken separately but become toxic when combined.

This poison gradually corrodes the bone marrow and damages the nerves, leading to a loss of sanity during an attack, making the person susceptible to manipulation—hence the name Departed Soul.

This poison is particularly insidious and harmful. Within half an hour of the onset of symptoms, the afflicted person experiences excruciating pain, as if being cut by a thousand knives. Once the manipulator achieves their goal, the victim dies.

Originally used for interrogating spies, the poison was later used for malicious purposes, prompting the late Emperor to classify it as a banned substance.

“Young lady Su, this matter must remain buried in your heart. You must not reveal it to anyone,” Imperial Doctor Liu said sternly, his expression serious and commanding.

Su Wan understood that Imperial Doctor Liu was concerned for her safety. “I understand,” she said.

Imperial Doctor Liu paced the room anxiously before letting out a heavy sigh. “Can you cure it?”

He shook his head in frustration. “There is no antidote for this poison; all I can do is suppress it. The Regent’s godson is also afflicted with Departed Soul, and after all these years, no one has been able to cure him.

His exposure was minimal, which is why he’s been able to survive for so long. The Regent’s condition is far more severe. His old battlefield injuries were never fully healed, and now the poison has triggered these old ailments. It’s not just a matter of detoxification; it’s far more complicated.”

Su Wan’s heart sank. If the Regent refused to cooperate, it would be a very difficult situation to handle.

“I can neutralize the poison.”

“You can?!”

Seeing Imperial Doctor Liu’s intense reaction, Su Wan curled her lips into a mischievous smile. “But I’ll need your cooperation, Doctor Liu.” She leaned in and whispered a few words into his ear.

Upon hearing her audacious plan, Imperial Doctor Liu was so shocked that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.