Chapter 54: Never Expect Her to Be Soft-hearted in Quarrels

Proofreader: Prof. Zhu Yuan

Ruan Jiujiu came in. The Emperor asked her immediately, “Have you collected all medicinal material you needed?”

Ruan Jiujiu was about to answer when Ruan Qingqing took a step forward.

Using poison as an antidote to poison?

As was known to all, counteracting one kind of toxin with another was such a risky move that the medical practitioners would never think of it unless there was no option. Imperial Concubine Dan was the Emperor’s beloved concubine. Ruan Jiujiu was courting her death by resorting to that method.

“Your Majesty, Miss Ruan had collected all the medicinal material she needed. I stood right beside her. Nothing to worry about.”

Imperial Physician Shen made confirmation. Incandescent with rage, Ruan Qingqing could barely resist the urge to raise her objection. However, the Emperor had already nodded in agreement.

Imperial Physician Shen was the Emperor’s personal physician, so the Emperor trusted his words.

Ruan Qingqing looked at Ruan Jiujiu with intense hatred. Ruan Jiujiu met her glance, calm and composed. Ruan Qingqing felt as if Ruan Jiujiu was laughing at her when Ruan Jiujiu raised the corner of her mouth.

Fine. He who hopes to succeed should learn to bear and forbear.

“Then you may start.” The Emperor cast a glance at Beiming Xuan as he spoke to Ruan Jiujiu. Beiming Xuan, however, sat in silence. It seemed that he was keeping himself aloof from what was going on right now.

The Emperor found it difficult to fathom out what Beiming Xuan was thinking.

He had no choice but to wait until Ruan Jiujiu eliminated the toxin.

“Your Majesty, the medicinal material was foul-smelling. You and the Empress…” Ruan Jiujiu was fiddling with those herbs as she cast a glance at Beiming Xuan. His frosty stare was fixed on her. Ruan Jiujiu added immediately, “And Lord Ming…You three are all high-born and high-bred. I’m afraid you could not bear that unpleasant smell. May I decoct those medicinal herbs in the side hall?”

The Emperor knitted his eyebrows. Ruan Jiujiu continued, “Imperial Physician Shen may stand beside me and provide help.”

Ruan Jiujiu was indicating that the Emperor might set his mind at ease with his underling keeping an eye on her.

The Emperor’s kitted eyebrows were yet to be smoothed out. Suddenly, he felt a pungent smell assailing his nostrils. Then he said to Ruan Jiujiu, “Go to the side hall. Have Imperial Physician Shen with you.”

“Your Majesty, I also possess medical skills. I could offer help,” Ruan Qingqing said as she stared at Ruan Jiujiu in disbelief. She thought Ruan Jiujiu would play tricks.

Ruan Jiujiu expressed her strong disapproval before the Emperor made the final decision: “You can’t go with me.”

“Why?” Ruan Qingqing had her stare fastened on Ruan Jiujiu: “I doubt my dear sister is planning to play tricks. What are you uneasy about if you have done nothing wrong?”

“Turns out you can tell whether I am playing tricks while Imperial Physician Shen cannot?” Ruan Jiujiu flung Ruan Qingqing a scornful look.

Ruan Qingqing pulled a long face. Imperial Physician Shen who was standing beside coughed politely.

“Your Highness, I’m not equipped with remarkable medical skills, but I guess I have gained more experience than you do. Besides, I have served the Emperor for years. You can trust my eyes.”

Ruan Qingqing was rendered speechless with rage. She believed that Ruan Jiujiu would definitely play tricks.

“No disrespect intended, Imperial Physician Shen. I was just thinking I could learn something from you, although I wasn’t able to offer help.”

“Ruan Qingqing, you are so shameless! Have some self-knowledge!” Ruan Jiujiu cursed loudly.

“You are my sister. How could you curse me like that?” Ruan Qingqing asked as if she was wronged.

Ruan Jiujiu, however, snorted contemptuously with laughter: “I’m your sister? Indeed! You should also know there is a big difference between one who was born of the legal wife and one who was born of a concubine!”

“You!” Ruan Qingqing turned pale with anger.

There was a great difference between one who was born of the legal wife and one who was born of a concubine?

Nobody dared to make comments about Ruan Qingqing’s family since she came to the capital. Ruan Qingqing’s father was born of a concubine. She had been given a low status since she was born!

Who was Ruan Jiujiu? She was the eldest daughter of the master and his legal wife!

Hardly had one wave subsided when another rose. Ruan Jiujiu raised her head and spoke in a flat tone, “Everybody knows that you and I have never really got on. Respected Empress Xiao, am I right?”

Empress Xiao was thrown off her guard. Being targeted at by Ruan Jiujiu was beyond her expectations. Empress Xiao froze for a second before she threw a glance at Ruan Qingqing. Then she tried to smooth things over: “Infanta Lianhua does possess medical skills. She might offer help.”

“Your Majesty, Ruan Qingqing never really got on with me, so I don’t want her to go with me. Imperial Physician Shen would offer great help. I have to go against Respected Empress Xiao’s wishes.”

Ruan Jiujiu was quite emphatic when she pronounced the words “Respected Empress Xiao.” The Emperor answered, “You could just have Imperial Physician Shen with you.”

Everyone knew that Ruan Qingqing was on intimate terms with Empress Xiao. The Emperor didn’t trust Ruan Qingqing. Ruan Qingqing was Empress Xiao’s underling.

The Emperor was of a suspicious disposition. He never put his complete trust in others, including Empress Xiao, his legal wife.

Upon hearing Ruan Jiujiu’s words, Empress Xiao drew a long face, and Ruan Qingqing’s face was even darker with rage. She could do nothing. Ruan Jiujiu had left for the side hall together with Imperial Physician Shen.

Ruan Jiujiu asked Imperial Physician Shen to decoct the medicinal herbs after they entered the side hall. Imperial Physician Shen was ready to offer help.

Decocting medicinal herbs required concentrated efforts and meticulous care. Having buried himself in his work, Imperial Physician Shen didn’t have the energy to keep an eye on Ruan Jiujiu. Ruan Jiujiu sat herself down, closed her eyes slowly and got her mind focused.

Shortly afterwards, Ruan Jiujiu felt as if her soul went out of her body. Things in front of her got covered in a thick white fog. She gazed carefully at the fog. After a while, the fog gradually lifted. Then she saw…

She saw all those precious medicinal herbs be arranged in neat piles. Ginseng, root of red-rooted salvia, esculent swift’s nest, glossy ganoderma, and so on…Ruan Jiujiu collected them from the Imperial Dispensary. Now they were placed in the secret space projected by the Exquisite Ancient Ring.

It worked! Ruan Jiujiu squealed silently with delight.

She glanced over those medicinal herbs and gazed into the distance. Once again she saw those two Chinese characters “Yi” and “Liao” as well as their English version. Then she discovered numerous shelves extending as far as she could see. She started to search through the shelves. Shortly afterwards, she found what she wanted.

“Miss Ruan, the medicine is ready.” Imperial Physician Shen brought the medicinal liquid. It was so kind of him to have filtered out all the dregs of the decoction, leaving only the green medicinal liquid, bright and glossy.

Ruan Jiujiu made no response.

Imperial Physician Shen gazed at her in confusion.

What was Miss Ruan doing? It seemed that she was asleep?

“Miss Ruan?” He called her with some trepidation.

Ruan Jiujiu suddenly opened her eyes as if a light sleeper was startled from catnap. Listless and inert, he looked at Imperial Physician Shen and asked, “Ready?”

Imperial Physician Shen nodded his head and passed the medicinal liquid to Ruan Jiujiu.

Ruan Jiujiu cast a glance at the green medicinal liquid. It didn’t look like the antidote to Wusi Poison. She could, at least, use it to mislead the layman.

“Miss Ruan, this would be the antidote to Wusi Poison?” Ruan Jiujiu had drawn the admiration of Imperial Physician Shen. He couldn’t find anything special in the medicinal liquid although he was an experienced medical practitioner.

Ruan Jiujiu put on a cunning smile as she said to Imperial Physician Shen, “Of course not. The medicinal liquid is merely a basic ingredient. I still need to use my secret formula handed down exclusively within my master’s disciples. I’m afraid you could not stand beside when I am processing the medicinal liquid.”

Though burning with curiosity, Imperial Physician Shen understood it would be inappropriate for him to stand beside Ruan Jiujiu while she was processing the medicinal liquid. Only her master’s disciples were qualified to do so.

Imperial Physician Shen nodded his head and stepped back into a corner.

Imperial Physician Shen was willing to cooperate. Ruan Jiujiu seized that opportunity and poured the medicinal liquid into the secret space. Then she summoned up her mental energy and conjured a tube of green liquid from the Exquisite Ancient Ring.

Ruan Jiujiu went back to main hall with Imperial Physician Shen. All eyes were fixed on them.

Not knowing what Ruan Jiujiu was holding, the Emperor turned to Beiming Xuan.

“My brother, what’s that?”

The Emperor still remembered that it was Beiming Xuan who brought that object to Ruan Jiujiu.

“Magical instrument,” Beiming Xuan answered coldly.

The Emperor got confused, but it was obvious that Beiming Xuan was reluctant to make further explanation.

Ruan Jiujiu could barely resist the urge to laugh out loud.

She was just fobbing Murong off with a fabricated name of syringe, but Murong took it seriously.

Fortunately, the Emperor asked Beiming Xuan about the syringe and Beiming Xuan answered. So there would be no need for Ruan Jiujiu to rack her brains to give a reasonable explanation.

Empress Xiao and other people tried hard to repress their curiosity.

Ruan Jiujiu took a step forward and spoke to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, I have put the medicinal liquid into this tube. Imperial Physician Shen offered great help. Now I’m going to inject the medicinal liquid into Imperial Concubine Dan’s body.”

The Emperor set his mind at ease upon hearing Ruan Jiujiu’s words about Imperial Physician Shen’s help. He had no time to care about what others were thinking.

Ruan Jiujiu located Imperial Concubine Dan’s blood vessel and pricked her arm on a needle immediately.

Everyone stood in shocked silence while the green medicinal liquid was flowing into Imperial Concubine Dan’s body.

Everyone sensed a bit of strangeness that defied explanation.

Ruan Jiujiu finished. Then she raised her head and spoke in a flat tone, “Done. Wait until an incense stick burns away.”

“The toxin would be eliminated within such a short period of time?” Beiming Yue was anxious to gain confirmation. He was deeply concerned for her mother’s safety.

Ruan Jiujiu nodded her head.

The Emperor sat in silence with an obvious sense of release. A gleam of disappointment drifted by briefly in Empress Xiao’s eyes. Empress Xiao was insincere in her words: “May Heaven bless my sister. Please don’t deprive her of her beauty.”

“Your Highness, you could set your mind at ease. The beauty of Imperial Concubine Dan would be retained.” Ruan Jiujiu’s words left Empress Xiao speechless with rage.

It was not easy to keep standing for 30 minutes.

Ruan Jiujiu planned to close her eyes and have a rest during that period of time.

She felt tired after devoting her mental energy to the secret space.

However, someone intended to seize every opportunity to make things difficult for her.

“My sister, have you made an accurate diagnosis? It seemed that Imperial Concubine Dan was not getting better. Your medicinal liquid is truly effective?” Ruan Qingqing pretended to be deeply concerned as she cast her doubt.

Actually, the black air which had crept along her face and her body was still yet to disappear.

However, Ruan Jiujiu was pretty sure that the toxin would definitely be eliminated.

“Ruan Qingqing, shut the fuck up!”

“Watch your language!” Ruan Qingqing flushed with anger.

What happened to Ruan Jiujiu? It seemed that she had become a different person since she regained consciousness in the suburb. Her voice turned aggressive. You wouldn’t find any roundabout expressions in her words.

“Watch my language? Let’s see what kind of language you would use if I rob you of your food, your clothes, your title, your reputation as well as your fiancé!”

Ruan Jiujiu pronounced every word in emphatic voice, with great fluency.

Ruan Jiujiu would pull no punches since Ruan Qingqing was trying to stir up a verbal battle.

Ruan Qingqing froze in shocked silence. All those who were present also got dumbfounded.

She was merely telling the truth, but it would be more appropriate if she could express that in a roundabout way. No one had openly made comments about what happened in the Ruan Mansion.

“Don’t forget that you are living in my house and wearing my clothes. It was so wicked of you to abuse me as well as cut off my food supply. You acquired high status through seducing my fiancé and you never feel ashamed of yourself? I was quite shocked that you didn’t get struck by lightning and thunder. You want me to watch my language? Are you still lost in your daydream? Remember to take your psychotherapeutic drugs before you leave home!”

Everyone stood in shocked silence. They were looking at Ruan Jiujiu as if she was a terrifying ghost.

Ruan Jiujiu talked in trenchant words as if she was speaking daggers. The way she cursed Ruan Qingqing was ruthless, but novel!

The Emperor had never heard that kind of swear words, neither did Empress Xiao who was standing beside the Emperor. Nobody dared to behave like that in front of them. Freezing in shocked silence, Empress Xiao exchanged glances with Beiming Ting.

Beiming Ting, Ruan Qingqing’s fiancé, didn’t step forward to support her. With a look of amazement in his eyes, Beiming Ting said nothing as if he was merely a spectator instead of a participant in what was happening right now.

Calm and composed, Beiming Xuan raised the corner of his mouth.

Nobody was her match in a verbal battle.