He was a military officer and had always been very strong. He had no intention of treating patients, but Ruan Chuqing's arrogance made him very uncomfortable. He wanted to suppress her and deliberately contradicted her.
"Yes!" Aunt Bai was overjoyed and turned to fetch the doctor.
Ruan Chuqing paused, her eyes flashing rapidly, her tone laced with sarcasm: "Master is a military general, with high martial arts skills and internal strength. He never gets sick throughout the year. When did he ever need a doctor to come and see him?"
"My affairs are none of your business!" Duke Wen replied to Ruan Chuqing without any politeness.
Ruan Chuqing gave a soft snort and said nothing more.
Aunt Bai led the doctor into the room, put down her medical bag, and the doctor sat down at the table. He carefully took Wen Quangong's pulse. The pulse under his fingers was strong and powerful, but it had a very special fluctuation. The doctor frowned slightly.
"Doctor, how is the master's health?" Aunt Bai asked cautiously. Judging from the doctor's expression, Duke Wen was not as healthy as he appeared.
The doctor withdrew his hand and gently stroked his beard: "Your pulse is very steady, but it seems like something is accumulating inside your body."
Duke Wen's expression changed instantly: "What do you mean, Doctor?"
"What I'm saying is that there's a foreign object in your body, sir. This thing is very special. It's not exactly poison, but if you consume it every day, it will slowly accumulate in your body. Once it reaches a certain amount, it will become extremely poisonous. Moreover, before the poison takes effect, ordinary doctors simply can't detect it..." The doctor's gaze was solemn. This method was truly deadly.
"The master hasn't even shown signs of poisoning yet, so how did the doctor diagnose it?" Ruan Chuqing looked at the doctor with a half-smile: "Could it be that you're just trying to scare people on purpose?"
"I am a doctor from Baoqing Hall. I have been practicing medicine for over thirty years and have cured countless patients. How could I possibly be a fraud!" The doctor looked at Ruan Chuqing, suddenly raising his voice, his bright eyes shining with determination and composure.
"Doctor, what exactly happened to the master's poison? When was he poisoned?" Aunt Bai believed the doctor's words without a doubt and was eager to know the truth.
The doctor stroked his beard: "The stuff in your body has been there for over ten years. You eat a little bit every day, in very small amounts, so it's undetectable. But over time, it accumulates to a certain amount, and only then can I detect the problem. If I had taken your pulse six months ago, I might not have even noticed!"
"Eat some every day? The doctor isn't mistaken?" Duke Wen suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"I've practiced medicine for many years, I absolutely cannot be wrong!" The doctor's gaze turned serious: Prescribing him medication every day for over a decade, that person must be someone close to him, very intelligent and patient. "Sir, I have one more thing to say..."
"Speak!" Duke Wen roared, barely suppressing his anger.
"The master is no longer able to have children!"
"Is it because of that thing?" Wen Guo's sharp eyes narrowed slightly.
The doctor nodded: "If I'm not mistaken, that thing is called Emerald Flower. If you eat it for a month, it can cause a person to lose their fertility. The timing of death can be controlled by adjusting the dosage..."
"Ruan Chuqing!" Duke Wen's sharp gaze shot towards Ruan Chuqing like a dagger.
"With so many women around you, why do you suspect me?" Ruan Chuqing's eyes flickered, but she questioned him without changing her expression or skipping a beat.
Duke Wen was furious: "For more than ten years, you have been in charge of my food and clothing, and the person who provides me with the finest flowers. Who else could it be but you?"
Chapter 133: A Dying Struggle
"I'm only responsible for designing the menus and cooking every day. I'm not the one who eats with you. If anyone who comes into contact with your food is a suspect, then the cooks in the kitchen, the maids who serve the dishes, and the concubines you've favored are all more suspicious than me," Ruan Chuqing said calmly, sipping her tea.
"Stop making excuses. The people in charge of the kitchen and the inner courtyard were your dowry maids. Even if they were the ones who poisoned you, it was under your orders." Duke Wen pointed at Ruan Chuqing, gritting his teeth, his eyes blazing with anger. How could he have been so blind and ruthless as to marry such a treacherous and vicious snake after all those years of choosing?
"Human hearts are unpredictable. Among my dowry maids and nannies, I may not be the most loyal!" Ruan Chuqing raised an eyebrow at the tea in her cup, her eyelids lowering slightly to conceal the expression in her eyes.
"Do I have to produce evidence before you confess?" Those emerald flowers not only tried to kill him, but also wiped out his offspring. Ruan Chuqing is truly ruthless and her cruel methods are outrageous!
"Then go ahead and search my room. If you find any evidence, I'll confess!" Ruan Chuqing didn't refuse sternly, nor did she laugh loudly. Instead, she readily agreed to Duke Wen's suggestion.
Duke Wen was taken aback, his eyes flickering slightly. So frank, without the slightest guilt or concealment, could it be that the Green Powder Flower really wasn't planted by her?
The emerald flower must be added to the food every day; looking across the entire Duke Wen's mansion, only she has the ability and opportunity to do so.
Outside the private room, Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. Ruan Chuqing's emerald green flower had been hidden for more than ten years and had never been discovered. It must have been placed in an unexpected place, so that it would not be easily found. That's why she was so unscrupulous and bluntly told others to search for it.
Just like Lei Taiwei, who would have thought he would be raising poisonous insects on the chessboard?
"Return to the manor!" Duke Wen roared, flicked his sleeves, and strode out of the private room with a gloomy face. He was poisoned by a slow-acting poison, and the Su family line was cut off. What a misfortune for the family! He was determined to find the real culprit and punish him severely, so that he would wish for death but not be able to live.
Ruan Chuqing raised the corners of her mouth. So, they're going to search the manor? She readily agreed, put down her teacup, and, supported by her maid, gracefully followed them out, exuding nobility, elegance, gentleness, and virtue.
The moment she stepped down the stairs, her sharp gaze, like an arrow, suddenly shot towards a private room. The fierce light flashing in her eyes seemed to pierce through the thick door and tear the person inside to pieces.
Shen Lixue didn't flinch or avoid the door, but instead opened it directly, smiling slightly as she looked at Ruan Chuqing: "Madam Su, may you have a safe journey!"
Her smile was like a lotus emerging from the water, fresh and natural, yet subtly bewitching. Her eyes were incredibly deep, filled with a strong, captivating aura of demonic charm that was awe-inspiring. Her deliberately emphasized tone, at first glance, sounded like a farewell, but upon closer examination, it seemed like she was sending someone off to the underworld.
"Thank you for your concern!" Ruan Chuqing said each word slowly and deliberately, her words filled with venom. Shen Li's gaze was as cold as ice, instantly freezing the surroundings.
"Princess!" Aunt Bai walked at the back, her mood extremely low. She had originally wanted to cure Duke Wen's illness, have children, and gradually gain a foothold in Duke Wen's mansion. Who would have thought that Su Lie could no longer have children, and she could no longer have offspring. With her lowly status as a concubine, once Su Lie died, she might have to be buried alive with him, or she might be left destitute and driven out of Duke Wen's mansion. Her later life would definitely be extremely tragic.
"Aunt Bai, Duke Wen has been poisoned by a slow-acting poison, but it hasn't taken effect yet. As long as he's alive, there's still a glimmer of hope for his descendants. Don't lose heart!" Shen Lixue gently advised.
"Thank you for your understanding, Princess!" Aunt Bai forced a bitter smile. Su Lie lost his fertility a month after being poisoned. Now that the emerald powder had been accumulating in his body for more than ten years, his fertility was probably completely destroyed. There was no hope of recovery whatsoever.
Shen Lixue was simply trying to persuade her to be more open-minded and not to be depressed every day, but how could she be happy when she could no longer have her own child?
She sighed heavily, took the maid's wrist with her slender hand, and staggered down the steps.
"The Duke of Wen's mansion will never be quiet again!" Dongfang Heng stood by the window, watching the Duke of Wen, Ruan Chuqing, and Aunt Bai get into the carriage and drive away, and suddenly said this.
Shen Lixue smiled slightly: "Ruan Chuqing, the legal wife, is about to step down."
No man can tolerate a woman who poisons him and kills off his offspring while remaining his legal wife. Ruan Chuqing brought this upon herself.
"Now that we've seen the excitement, let's head back to the manor!" Dongfang Heng gently held Shen Lixue's small hand, his tone unusually tender.
"Alright!" Looking at Dongfang Heng's slightly tired face, Shen Lixue smiled, but she was secretly anxious. His spirits were getting worse and worse. When would the Ghost Doctor from Southern Xinjiang arrive?
Stepping out of the teahouse and into the carriage, Dongfang Heng gently embraced Shen Lixue, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder, his eyes half-closed, his breathing gradually becoming soft and shallow.