Chapter 11: The Little Black Cat

“Concubine Jing’s miscarriage was actually caused by chronic poisoning.” Chen Ji’s voice was like a stone thrown into a calm pond, stirring up countless ripples.

Even the incense mist rising straight up to the roof from the copper incense burner on the tea table suddenly became disordered.

Nanny Chun Rong stepped forward: “Are you sure? Was my mistress’s miscarriage indeed caused by someone poisoning her? Speak, who is it!”

Behind the screen, there was the sound of the bed mat rubbing, and Concubine Jing seemed to be propping herself up to sit on the bed.

The four sturdy servants beside Chen Ji unconsciously loosened their hands, no longer pulling and dragging him forcefully.

Everyone waited for his answer.

However, was Concubine Jing poisoned or not? Chen Ji wasn't certain.

Only in this desperate situation, if he didn't say something shocking, he would die in this Jing Wang residence.

Concubine Jing, from behind the screen, said doubtfully: “You are certain I was poisoned by someone?”

Chen Ji didn't answer. He only slowly straightened his disheveled clothes and calmly asked: “Besides Concubine Jing, are there any other people in Ci Xing Garden who have felt unwell?”

Nanny Chun Rong shook her head: “No. Even the maids in the Wang residence have records of their daily lives. If anyone is unwell, they are absolutely not allowed to enter Ci Xing Garden, to avoid transmitting illness to the fetus.”

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ji turned his head to look at the screen, “Mistress, can I search your room for clues?”

“Presumptuous,” Nanny Xi Tang, who was beside Concubine Yun, said angrily: “You are an outsider, how can you search in Concubine Jing’s room? What kind of propriety is this…”

Concubine Jing interrupted: “If you want to search, then search. If he can truly find the culprit who harmed my child, what harm is there in searching? Chun Hua, please take this little doctor from the medical hall out first. Chun Rong, help me tidy my clothes, comb my hair, and then invite him in to check.”

This was the dignity of a noble person, and also a way to buy Chen Ji some time to think of clues.

Chun Hua led Chen Ji downstairs. She anxiously lowered her voice and asked: “Is someone truly poisoning her?”

Under the night sky, Chen Ji stood by the fish pond in Ci Xing Garden, looking at the Koi carp vaguely appearing in the dim water, yet he didn't answer the question, only pondered.

After a while, Nanny Chun Rong called him upstairs again.

By this time, Concubine Jing had already put on a red cloak and was sitting on a chair. She was about thirty-three years old, her hair not coiled up, but simply tied back with a hairband.

Her face was pale as she stared at Chen Ji: “I was just thinking about what you said about long-term poisoning. Could it be that the incense has been tampered with…”

“It won’t be,” Chen Ji shook his head: “Incense drifts everywhere. If it were tampered with, then Nanny Chun Rong should also be unwell. Therefore, the poisoner must have used items that only you, Mistress, use, and they must be things used daily. Otherwise, if you don’t use them for a period, the poison will also be metabolized by the body.”

Everyone saw that he was certain and no longer spoke, allowing him to search everywhere.

Time passed minute by minute. Chen Ji picked up a box of rouge.

“Mistress, did you use this rouge when you dressed up recently?” He examined the rouge box in his hand. It was inlaid with white shell in the shape of a butterfly, exquisite like a work of art.

Concubine Jing shook her head: “I haven't used these things since I became pregnant, fearing they would be bad for the fetus.”

Chen Ji put down the rouge box and his gaze swept over each item, yet he was unable to find any clues.

Gradually, a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Where was it? Where exactly was it?

At this moment, he was constantly thinking of every clue in his mind. This was his chance to live!

He didn't know how long had passed, but Concubine Jing finally lost patience: “I originally thought you had a plan, but I didn’t expect you to be pretending. Forget it, I guess you were just boasting out of fear. You don't need to be afraid of being beaten to death, just drag him out and give him ten lashes.”

Concubine Yun, who had been sitting all along, also lost interest and slowly stood up: “I’m tired, I’ll go back to rest.”

“Wait,” Chen Ji suddenly picked up a blue cup.

The cup was blue like seawater, and around it, there was a touch of green like vague cloud mist, so beautiful it seemed not to belong to the human world.

Concubine Jing straightened her body and asked doubtfully: “Is there a problem with this cup?”

Chen Ji asked seriously: “Mistress, do you have a metallic taste in your mouth that even gargling cannot get rid of?”

Concubine Jing was surprised: “How did you know? Is this perhaps a symptom of poisoning?”

Chen Ji finally let out a long sigh of relief. His whole body, which had been under high tension, slowly relaxed: “It's lead poisoning.”

Nanny Chun Rong was doubtful: “What does that mean? I’ve never heard of it.”

“My meaning is, this cup is poisoned.”

Lead poisoning was very strange to the people of this era, but not strange at all to Chen Ji.

This cup's scholarly name was lead barium glass cup. It was a type of vessel that appeared when glass craftsmanship was just beginning in ancient times. The earliest record of its use could be traced back to the Han Dynasty. Its beauty transcended the entire era and was loved by nobles.

But although this cup was beautiful, it contained poison. Adults might need to use it for a long time before problems appeared, but the amount of poison was already fatal for a fetus.

At this time, Concubine Yun’s gaze was bright and spirited. She looked at Chen Ji with interest. When this young man said Concubine Jing had a metallic taste in her mouth, Concubine Jing's expression already indicated that this young man had really found the cause of the poisoning!

Concubine Jing thought: “This cup is from my…”

Chen Ji hurriedly said: “Mistress, the source of the poison has been found. As for where the cup came from, it has nothing to do with me. Can I go back now? I have offended you greatly tonight, please forgive me.”

Concubine Jing was silent for a moment: “Where did Imperial Physician Yao find you, this disciple who knows when to advance and retreat? Rest assured, today you helped me find the culprit who harmed my child, and one day you will be heavily rewarded. Absolutely no one in Ci Xing Garden will make things difficult for you.”

Although she had found the culprit, she had just experienced the pain of losing a child and found it hard to be happy.

Concubine Yun said gently and gracefully: “Fortunately, Sister found the source of the poisoning. Otherwise, if you continued to drink water from this cup, it might be dangerous. Oh, I remember this cup was sent by your maternal family, right? When you hosted guests at the spring sacrifice poetry gathering banquet, you even specially took it out for Viscountess Liu to appreciate.”

Concubine Jing’s face changed slightly.

In the subtle atmosphere of Ci Xing Garden, Chen Ji did not dare to say a word, only lowered his head and quietly observed the surroundings out of the corner of his eye.

The black cat and the white cat were still fighting, or to be precise, the black cat was being hit from the east to the west, and from the west to the east. The black cat was too small and had no power to fight back.

So pitiful.

Even cats in deep residences and large courtyards have it tough…

Wait, Chen Ji didn't know if it was his illusion, but he always felt that the black cat, while escaping, kept looking towards his sleeve.

Nanny Xi Tang, beside Concubine Yun, said softly: “Mistress, we should go rest.”

Saying this, she went to hug the white cat, preparing to leave.

Chen Ji was dumbfounded. So the white cat was Concubine Yun's, and the black cat was Concubine Jing's.

The mission of this white cat seemed to be to come and beat the black cat.

“I won’t disturb Sister’s rest,” Concubine Yun stood up calmly: “Try not to go out during this period and rest well.”

Concubine Jing was silent for a moment: “Thank you, Sister.”

Concubine Yun smiled and turned around. She said to a young maid: “Xi Bing, go and see off this… You're called Chen Ji, right?”

Chen Ji lowered his head: “Yes, Chen Ji.”

“Go, Xi Bing, see him back to the medical hall.”

......

......

When they left Ci Xing Garden, it was already midnight, a quarter past the hour of Chou.

Chen Ji’s back was covered in a layer of sweat, and when the autumn wind blew, he suddenly felt cold. He followed closely behind the maid Xi Bing, afraid that walking slowly would cause more trouble.

This disaster tonight was not fortunate, but it made him a little melancholic.

On that shaky green train ride to Beijing, his father had once told him the story of ancient Rome’s suspected decline due to lead poisoning. It was from that time that he learned the harm of lead poisoning and also knew that in ancient times, if they wanted vessels to be gorgeous, many had to use lead craftsmanship, so lead poisoning was especially widespread in ancient times.

Xi Bing wore a light yellow ru skirt, and her footsteps were light like a yellow oriole bird. But this girl seemed to have undergone training. When she walked, the step she had inserted in her hair didn't shake much.

The vast back residence was still busy with people coming and going. The servants all saluted Xi Bing, indicating her relatively high status.

Unlike the low-key servants of the "Chun" generation in Ci Xing Garden, Xi Bing always smiled and returned greetings to people, in quite a good mood.

Xi Bing walked and walked, and suddenly asked: “Do you think the person who sent that cup to Concubine Jing was intentional?”

Chen Ji didn’t answer, nor did he dare to answer this question. He just smiled as if he hadn't heard.

Seeing his reaction, Xi Bing hummed: “If you don’t want to say, then forget it.”

Before Chen Ji returned to the medical hall, the maid Xi Bing sized him up and said with a squinted smile: “Your clothes were all torn tonight by the people in Ci Xing Garden. Tomorrow, I will go to the clothing bureau and order two sets for you! You must remember, in this Wang residence, only my mistress is the most generous. Being an apprentice in the medical hall has no future. If you can win my mistress’s favor, your future prospects are promising.”

Chen Ji thought for a moment: “Thank you for Concubine Yun’s kindness. There is no need to make me clothes.”

Xi Bing rolled her cute white eyes: “Others want to gain my mistress's favor but cannot, yet you push it away. Don't refuse. My mistress rewarded you with something. What qualifications do you, a little apprentice, have to refuse? Go!”

Xi Bing turned and left, and Chen Ji then pushed open the door and walked into the medical hall.

The moment he closed the door, he leaned against it and felt a wave of fatigue. Since coming to this world, he had been facing constant crises and needed to maintain twelve points of vigilance to cope.

“Master’s Liuyao technique seems real,” Chen Ji sighed. Whether others believed in this thing or not, he already believed it.

The hexagram image tonight was indeed extremely dangerous. With a slight carelessness, he would have died without a burial ground.

In the future, he must absolutely not enter the Wang residence and must hide far away.

Chen Ji dragged his tired body and slowly moved towards the backyard.

Standing beside the apricot tree, he heard the snoring of She Deng Ke and Liu Qu Xing coming from the apprentice bedroom. The two senior brothers were sleeping soundly.

No one was waiting for him to return, and no one cared whether he would die in the Jing Wang residence.

In this world, no one would help him. He only had himself.

Just as he thought this, Chen Ji's whole body stiffened.

That current of ice in his dantian, which was several times vaster than yesterday, violently rampaged throughout his entire body. In just a snap of the fingers, Chen Ji felt his blood, muscles, and bones completely frozen.

Holding Stone Pile Technique!

Chen Ji struggled to stand in his original place in the yard, assuming the posture of the Holding Stone Pile Technique, using this to resist the ice flow.

But the ice flow did not shrink back to his dantian like yesterday. It was merely suppressed and was no longer so restless.

A warm current surged out from his lower back, seesawing with the ice flow little by little. Chen Ji was unable to move, only maintaining the posture of holding a stone pile.

Fatigue and cold intertwined. His eyelids became heavier and heavier. After several breaths, he actually fell asleep in this strange posture, standing beside the apricot tree.

On top of the apricot tree, a crow landed, silently gazing at Chen Ji, who had turned into a sculpture in the night.