Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 108 - 107: Cannot Heal

Zhu Yu helped Lu Qing back to the bedroom all the way, settling him onto the bed. After all the fuss, she was exhausted and covered in sweat.

Lu Qing lay on the bed, feigning weakness, and said to Zhu Yu, "Thank you for your hard work, madam..."

Zhu Yu was somewhat helpless, carefully scrutinizing him, then shook her head, "I don’t mind, but it’s mainly you. It’s easy to fool the people in the mansion, but what if the Medical Officer comes? Can you deceive him as well?"

"How would we know if we don’t try?" Lu Qing replied effortlessly.

Zhu Yu saw his complexion was normal, lying there as if perfectly healthy; she could only hope the Medical Officer coming later was somewhat ordinary, easier to fool.

However, considering Da Jin’s national strength, those who could work in the Pharmacy Bureau were unlikely to be mediocre...

But since Lu Qing was so calm, Zhu Yu said nothing more and sat at the table outside the screen, waiting.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a man in a gray-blue robe, the Medical Officer, entered with a rune.

Upon hearing the commotion, Zhu Yu quickly picked up the round fan beside her and used it to cover her face, revealing only a pair of eyes.

Da Jin didn’t encourage women to show their faces; many ladies in the inner residence would either wear veils or cover their faces with fans when encountering outsiders.

That day, when the tailor came to take measurements, she used a veil to cover her face.

The arriving Medical Officer seemed to be around fifty, appearing very experienced. Upon entering the bedroom and seeing Zhu Yu, he recognized her as Princess Xiaoyao, and quickly greeted her. Zhu Yu returned the greeting unhurriedly, though her hand holding the fan’s handle was already sweaty. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Usually, whether the illness was real or fake didn’t matter, but today, it was clear Lu Qing intended to use this tactic to avoid Lu Zhang’s banquet. If the Medical Officer found out and reported to Emperor Jin, it would become a big issue.

But when she followed behind the Medical Officer, circumnavigating the screen, and saw Lu Qing lying on the bed, she was utterly shocked.

A moment ago, he was perfectly fine and normal, but now his face was deathly pale, covered in cold sweat, bending his body in pain, clutching his stomach, appearing tormented.

The Medical Officer was also taken aback, having previously assumed Lu Qing simply ate something inappropriate, thinking it to be a minor issue, not expecting it to be so severe. Disregarding formalities, he hurried forward, sat by the bed, pulled over one of Lu Qing’s arms, placed a hand on his wrist, and frowned as he took Lu Qing’s pulse.

The more he took Lu Qing’s pulse, the more his brows furrowed. After checking the pulse of both of Lu Qing’s hands, he asked Lu Qing to stick out his tongue, examined his hands and eyelids, and finally shook his head in confusion.

"The Prince’s pulse is somewhat chaotic, and my medical skills are shallow, so for the moment, I can’t ascertain the issue..." He wiped the sweat off his head, "Has the Prince been anywhere or eaten anything?"

"The Prince went to the early court session, was summoned by the Holy Emperor for a discussion, then returned home in the evening and dined with the madam. The meals were prepared by the mansion’s chef.

Today, the Prince did not stay anywhere else nor eat anything outside," Rune replied.

"This..." The Medical Officer’s expression became even more troubled. Initially concerned about Lu Qing’s sudden illness appearing serious, he suspected poison.

But now, knowing this lord was in the palace during the day and ate home-cooked food upon returning, what could he say?

The idea of the Holy Emperor poisoning Prince Xiaoyao was unimaginable; thoughts like that risked losing one’s life.

As for the Prince Mansion’s chef, and the Princess who ate the same meal yet remained unharmed... they were all part of the Prince’s household. Not understanding the situation, he naturally dared not speak recklessly, lest he invites death.

In the end, the unfortunate Medical Officer, finding no solutions, prescribed detoxifying medicine based on Lu Qing’s pulse, instructing Rune to fetch it for Prince Xiaoyao to see if it could bring relief. If effective, they would then prescribe fortifying medicine for a proper recovery.

But if no improvement was seen, he feared they would have to invite a more senior Imperial Doctor from the Pharmacy Bureau to assist.

Zhu Yu thanked the Medical Officer, and Rune courteously escorted him out.

After the Medical Officer was sent away, Zhu Yu hurried back to the room, walked around the screen, and saw Lu Qing, who just moments ago appeared half-dead, now looking perfectly fine, leaning against the bed, smiling at her.

"Please, madam, pour some tea; I’m terribly thirsty," he said with a pitiful expression to Zhu Yu.

If it weren’t for his slightly pale face, Zhu Yu would have thought everything just now was a dream she had while dozing off.

She turned to the table, poured water, and brought it to the bedside, sat down, and scrutinized Lu Qing carefully, "How did you do that?"

"Want to learn? Become my disciple, and I’ll teach you," Lu Qing reached out to take the teacup.

Zhu Yu stood and stepped back, "I think the Prince is not thirsty after all. Why not wait for Rune to bring the medicine back and drink it all together?"

Lu Qing, despite Zhu Yu’s defiance, showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, he seemed rather satisfied with her reaction. Sitting up slightly, he beckoned her, "Madam, why don’t you give me the water; everything else is negotiable."

Zhu Yu never really intended to leave him thirsty but merely turned the situation to tease Lu Qing. She sat back at the bedside, handed him the teacup, and took the opportunity to observe Lu Qing’s complexion again, noticing it seemed slightly better.

"Had I not stayed in the room all the time and witnessed your pale face earlier, I’d have thought someone quietly poisoned you." She said this while closely inspecting Lu Qing; after he finished drinking a cup of tea, she moved closer, pried open Lu Qing’s eyelids, and drew nearer to examine his pupils.

Lu Qing remained still, allowing Zhu Yu to examine his eyes closely, maintaining steady eye contact with her.

Zhu Yu’s initial focus was entirely on his pupils, paying no heed to anything else; upon confirming that his pupils were normal in size, not dilated, and his eyelids showed normal coloring, she released him, then noticed Lu Qing’s concentrated gaze fixed on her.

She inexplicably felt a bit uneasy, her earlobes warming slightly, and quickly moved back.

This truly wasn’t her fault; blame it on Lu Qing’s exceedingly handsome face, especially those deep, dark eyes. When they stared directly at you, it stirred a strange trepidation in your heart, a faint, unfamiliar thrill.

This is purely a person’s instinctive response when confronted with something beautiful!