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Sheng Nanxi quickly stood on her tiptoes, peering through the gaps in the crowd toward the source of the voice.
Sure enough, she saw her grandmother sitting in a wheelchair, one hand supporting her forehead, her entire body trembling uncontrollably.
She said nothing, but it was clear that she was enduring immense pain.
“Purple Night Ghost Orchid” was known as one of the ten deadliest poisons. Beyond its extreme rarity, it was infamous for subjecting its victims to inhuman agony.
It was said that this poison flared up violently every night.
Those afflicted already suffered unbearable headaches during the day. But at night, the pain intensified—it felt like thousands of needles were mercilessly stabbing into their brains.
Victims not only struggled to rest during the day but also couldn’t sleep at night. The relentless combination of severe headaches and chronic sleep deprivation eventually drained them of life.
It was a miracle that her grandmother had survived more than a year with this poison. Aside from the Qin Manor supplying her with precious medicinal herbs as if they were free, it was also because of her sheer willpower!
Perhaps because Sheng Nanxi had inherited this body’s memories, she found herself growing fond of this family.
Seeing her grandmother suffering made her heart ache. She quickly put away her bag of melon seeds and ran toward her with her tiny legs.
The Qin Manor was now under the full control of the Imperial Guards, and no one could find the household physicians at the moment.
With no other choice, the servants hurriedly gave the old princess a dose of her usual painkillers.
But those common pain relievers could only temporarily suppress the symptoms. The pain still caused veins to bulge on her forehead.
As soon as Sheng Nanxi squeezed her way through, she tilted her little head up and stretched out her chubby hands toward the old princess in the wheelchair.
“Grandmother… Grandmother, hug!”
Her big, round eyes blinked adorably, her cuteness effortless.
After all, she was just a three-year-old toddler. She couldn’t exactly treat a patient in front of so many people, could she?
She needed to get close to her grandmother first—then trick her into taking the medicine.
“Xi’er? Didn’t your third brother go looking for you? Why are you here alone?”
Qin Wang(Consort Qin), Li Zhenyi, was surprised to see her youngest daughter appear alone. A trace of confusion flashed in her eyes.
Before she could dwell on it, she saw her little girl launch herself like a tiny cannonball straight toward the old princess. Her heart clenched in panic, and she quickly called out to stop her:
“Xi’er, your grandmother isn’t feeling well right now. Don’t disturb her—come to Mother instead.”
“No, no! Xi’er doesn’t want Mother! Xi’er wants Grandmother!”
Sheng Nanxi immediately activated the ultimate weapon of all toddlers—throwing a tantrum. She squirmed and wriggled her way into the old princess’s embrace.
The old princess had almost all her energy focused on battling the illness. When she felt something pressing against her, her first instinct was to frown.
She was about to scold whoever it was when she looked down and saw Sheng Nanxi’s soft, pink little face.
The frustration and irritation in her heart instantly faded by more than half. The corners of her lips curled into a faint smile, and she reached out to lift Sheng Nanxi onto her lap.
“So it’s my little Xi’er! Come, let Grandmother hold you for a while. It’s only been a few days, but you seem to have grown taller!”
The old princess, worried about frightening the child, endured the waves of excruciating pain, pretending as if nothing was wrong.
Sheng Nanxi also pretended nothing was amiss. Her large, sparkling eyes gazed up at her grandmother.
“Grandmother, I’ll give you a sweet candy!”
Sheng Nanxi had already planned everything out. With so many people around, the only way to get her grandmother to take the medicine was through a little trickery.
As she ran over earlier, she had used her spatial ability to activate a herbal pill maker, compressing the prepared ingredients into a round, brown pill.
To prevent suspicion, she coated the pill with a thin layer of sugar glaze, making it look just like a small, glossy rock candy.
“Grandmother doesn’t need it. Be good, Xi’er—you eat it instead.”
Sweat dripped from the old princess’s forehead, and even her voice trembled slightly.
But Sheng Nanxi was unwavering. She held up the pill with her chubby little fingers, persistently pushing it toward her grandmother’s lips.
“Grandmother, Grandmother, eat! This is for you, eat!”
The old princess’s expression froze slightly. In her impression, this little granddaughter was always lively and carefree. It was rare to see her so serious.
Her pale lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to say something. But then, she noticed a few Imperial Guards nearby casting discreet glances in their direction.
Worried that drawing too much attention might arouse suspicion, she simply took the “candy” from Sheng Nanxi’s tiny hand and placed it in her mouth.
“Ah~ Grandmother ate it. Our little Xi’er is so thoughtful, always thinking of Grandmother first, even when she has treats.”
Seeing her granddaughter suddenly being so obedient and considerate, the old princess’s eyes filled with warmth.
But in the very next moment, as she sat in her wheelchair, her entire body stiffened.
The “candy” in her mouth slowly dissolved, filling her mouth with a faint bitterness.
Yet, beneath that bitterness was a uniquely pure and soothing herbal fragrance. As the bitterness faded, a refreshing sweetness lingered on her tongue.
At that moment, the old princess suddenly felt as if all the blocked meridians in her body had been cleared. The excruciating headache that had tormented her for over a year was easing, and the tension in her muscles was gradually loosening.
Her entire body felt unbelievably light and relaxed.
Over the past year of suffering from this poison, she had tried countless renowned physicians and remedies.
Yet, none of them had worked as fast as this single “candy” from her granddaughter!
The old princess’s eyes widened in shock. She immediately pulled Sheng Nanxi into her embrace, bringing her close as she urgently whispered in her ear:
“My dear little one! Where… where did you get this candy?!”
Sheng Nanxi glanced around. The Imperial Guards had yet to find any so-called evidence and were still stationed at a distance, surrounding the Qin Manor but not approaching them directly.
Feeling reassured, she lifted her head and whispered into her grandmother’s ear:
“Grandmother~ This was made by Xi’er herself. Xi’er has lots more of these pills~”
“When Grandmother’s poison flares up, just take one. In a few months, your poison will be completely cured!”
The old princess felt something cool in her palm and looked down to find that her granddaughter had slipped a small medicine bottle into her hand.
“You… you made this medicine yourself?”
She stared at Sheng Nanxi’s chubby little face, which was filled with the utmost seriousness.
For a moment, the old princess felt as if her granddaughter was a complete stranger.
But she quickly dismissed the thought. There was no way a three-year-old who loved to play could have made such medicine.
She assumed some mysterious master must have given it to her, and this mischievous little girl was just making things up.
Having ruled over the Qin Manor for over twenty years, the old princess had seen all sorts of things.
Even though her senses had dulled with age, she could still faintly perceive the extraordinary nature of this medicine—its warmth, its refined taste, and its astonishing effectiveness.
This was no ordinary medicine!
If word got out that Xi’er possessed something this rare, it could bring danger upon her!
In the past, when the Qin Manor was at its peak, they could afford to let Sheng Nanxi grow up carefree and protected.
But now, the Emperor no longer trusted the Qin family. Even if they survived today’s crisis, their future would be perilous.
The old princess knew she had to teach her granddaughter to be cautious. Her gaze sharpened as she whispered a stern warning:
“Xi’er, you must not speak carelessly. What you just gave Grandmother was your favorite hawthorn candy, not medicine. Understand?”
“Un…understood.”
Sheng Nanxi wasn’t actually a three-year-old child. Of course, she wouldn’t go around blurting things out recklessly.
But seeing her grandmother’s deeply concerned expression, she pouted and pretended to be a guilty little child, nodding seriously in agreement.
The old princess saw how obedient she was and couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. She was about to offer some words of comfort when—
Suddenly, an ominous voice rang out from the distance.
It was the cold and grave voice of the Imperial Guard commander, Zheng Jichang:
“According to the report of Court Physician Sheng Dehai, he personally witnessed Qin Wang’s third son burying forbidden objects used for dark rituals in the western wing of Ning Shou Courtyard.”
“Men! Surround Ning Shou Courtyard immediately!”
“A search team—follow the physician’s guidance and locate the objects buried by Qin Wang’s third son!”