CHAPTER 237: CHAPTER 237: ANNOYANCE

Although she felt it was a pity, serving it to the young master, Xingxing still felt it was too cruel.

She picked up the pastries and said, "I’ll take these away to discard."

"You can’t throw them away yet," Su Jin said.

After all, these pastries were a gift from the Empress.

Disposing of them like that would be a great disrespect to the Empress, truly losing face.

She would never do something that gave others a handle on her.

This would reveal that she knew there was poison in the pastries; she was intentionally setting up the Old Madam.

Xingxing realized this and quickly put the pastries down.

She was just worried that the lady really felt it was a waste of pastries and would make the young master eat them.

In the end—

Xingxing’s worry became reality.

Su Jin actually gave the pastries to Xie Jingchen.

As Xie Jingchen was about to leave, Su Jin took a piece of crystal cake and, in front of the maids and women of Agarwood Pavilion, affectionately offered it to Xie Jingchen’s mouth.

"Husband, have a taste," Su Jin’s eyes sparkled.

Xie Jingchen, "...."

He used his eyes to ask: Are you serious?

Su Jin blinked: Just play along.

Amidst the praise of "The Eldest Young Madam is truly virtuous."

Xie Jingchen reluctantly opened his mouth.

He ate half of it, then offered the rest to Su Jin—

Everyone shall meet their end together.

Su Jin blushed, coquettish and charming, "I hate that."

Leaving behind those two words, Su Jin rubbed the goosebumps on her arms and ran back inside.

Xie Jingchen, "...."

With half a piece of pastry still in his hand, he couldn’t give it away, nor could he throw it away.

In the end, he could only stuff it in his own mouth.

Xie Jingchen’s heart felt as cold as ice.

Thinking that Su Jin still had to feed him arsenic, this didn’t seem like much; his heart warmed up slightly.

But his actions left the maids and women blushing.

The Young Master is truly...

This is so public.

And he doesn’t care about the Eldest Young Madam’s thick skin at all.

If it’s like this outside, one can only imagine how shameless the Young Master and Eldest Young Madam are inside.

Just thinking about it made people blush.

Inside, Su Jin sneezed, tearing up from the sourness.

Xingxing looked at her, "Surely the young master is scolding the young lady."

Su Jin, "...."

"Your young master is not that kind of person," Su Jin said.

"But having eaten the pastries rewarded by the Empress, who knows," Xingxing said.

"...."

However, even if the young master did scold a bit, Xingxing didn’t think it was unwarranted.

Who told the young lady to be so excessive?

Su Jin had no words to refute.

Of course, she didn’t think she was wrong either.

Working hard to build immunity through medicinal baths, it wouldn’t demonstrate its value without eating something poisonous.

Su Jin lounged on the small couch, eating red bean cake from the kitchen, relishing it.

She drank a cup of tea.

Su Jin calculated the time; if anyone ate the pastries, they should start reacting now.

As expected,

The Old Madam started making frequent trips to the privy.

Poor Old Madam, her foot hadn’t fully healed; it was such suffering for her.

Once word spread that the Old Madam felt unwell,

The Third Madam quickly got up to visit, but she hadn’t left the South Courtyard when her stomach began to rumble.

Always so dignified, even when walking she never showed her embroidered shoes; she now lifted her skirt and ran to the privy.

The maids in the yard were stunned.

Because they had never seen their madam act so improperly before.

The Old Madam had a stomachache; why did the Madam have one too?

Soon.

The news spread that Princess Nanzhang, the Second Madam, and Xie Jinyu were also suffering from stomachaches.

After all, the pastries were a gift from the Empress, and coupled with their enticing appearance, they took a piece to try and unexpectedly fell into the trap.

They all knew the Empress was displeased with Su Jin, but since Su Jin had just saved the Emperor, if the Empress poisoned the pastries and the Emperor found out, she would certainly be severely punished.

Would she really dare to take such a risk?

Poor them...

They couldn’t take it anymore.

The stomach hurt so much.

The Second Madam, supported by a maid, returned to the privy.

The Imperial Physician hurried over, and before he could check the Old Madam’s pulse, she couldn’t hold on anymore.

The Imperial Physician inspected the food and found strong laxatives in the pastries, quickly prescribing antidiarrheal medicine for the Old Madam.

Upon learning there were eight or nine other cases of diarrhea in Duke Zhen Country Mansion,

The Imperial Physician, "...."

Involuntarily, the Imperial Physician thought of Su Jin.

Only the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion could have such a widespread effect.

Weren’t the Imperial Kitchen chefs vomiting and suffering from diarrhea for days previously?

The Imperial Physician went from Qihao Hall to Peony Garden and then to various courtyards, finding laxatives in the pastries everywhere.

Halfway through his inspection, the Imperial Physician felt heavy-hearted.

These Haitang Cakes looked familiar to him.

They were part of the Imperial Banquet.

These were the Emperor’s favorite pastries.

If the maids hadn’t mentioned the pastries were a reward from the palace, he would’ve assumed they were made by Duke Zhen Country Mansion.

The Imperial Physician asked, "Were these pastries bestowed by the palace?"

"They were the Empress’s gift to the Eldest Young Madam," the maid replied.

"The Eldest Young Madam gifted twelve plates to the Old Madam out of filial piety, and the Old Madam shared them with the three houses," the maid muttered.

"And the Eldest Young Madam?" the Imperial Physician asked.

"...."

"It seems there’s no news of the Eldest Young Madam having a stomachache," the maid responded once she realized.

"...."

Given that she’s the savior of the Emperor, and twice at that.

The Imperial Physician dared not take it lightly.

What if there’s a third time?

Saving the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion would be equivalent to saving the Emperor again.

Carrying his medicine box, the Imperial Physician hurried to Agarwood Pavilion.

Su Jin came out of the study looking full of energy.

The Imperial Physician approached and said, "Eldest Young Madam, are you feeling unwell?"

"I’m not," Su Jin replied.

The Imperial Physician twitched his mouth slightly.

Seeing the Eldest Young Madam’s complexion, he knew she was fine.

Su Jin asked him, "Is it really the pastries that have a problem?"

The Imperial Physician didn’t know whether he should nod.

He asked, "Did the Eldest Young Madam eat the pastries?"

"I haven’t eaten any yet," Su Jin said.

"But my husband did, and he’s not having any stomach pain."

The Imperial Physician looked puzzled, "Allow me to check."

The Imperial Physician went inside, picked up the three trays of pastries to smell them, and said, "These pastries also have laxatives."

With such a potent laxative, if Young Master Xie had eaten them, he couldn’t possibly be fine.

"How long ago did he eat them?" the Imperial Physician asked.

"About two ke," Su Jin replied.

The Imperial Physician furrowed his brow.

The Imperial Physician wanted to go to the study to check Xie Jingchen’s pulse.

But would Xie Jingchen let him take his pulse?

This wasn’t his man.

When the Imperial Physician entered, Xie Jingchen was eating the pastries.

He was eating the ones rewarded by the Empress.

Holding a half-piece in his hand, he took a bite right in front of the Imperial Physician, chewing it delicately.

Such an elegant posture made people envious of the pastries in his hand.

The Imperial Physician, "...."

Accepted the pastry from Xie Jingchen’s hand.

The Imperial Physician sniffed it.

"These pastries are poisoned," the Imperial Physician’s voice wavered a bit.

The Old Madam almost lost half her life to diarrhea.

The Young Master knew this and was still eating so happily; the Imperial Physician was very baffled.

Young Master Xie did not seem the type to be so indulgent in gastronomy.

Xie Jingchen said blandly, "No worries, a body full of poison can’t take my life, let alone this bit of poison; I can digest it."

Digest it...

Those four words exploded in the Imperial Physician’s mind.

No one could insult someone as brazenly as Young Master Xie.

Suddenly, he felt a little sympathy for the person who had poisoned him.