Chapter 103: A Risky Attempt

Li Shimin noticed the subtle change in her expression and was about to speak when he suddenly detected an unusual scent—emanating from Zhang Chenyue. He stepped closer, sniffed carefully, and asked, “If you didn’t take anything, why does the smell of medicine linger on your body?”

“I…” Zhang Chenyue stammered, unable to respond. Li Xuanba stepped forward and demanded, “I don’t care whether you stole some formula or not. I just want to know—did you poison Eldest Brother’s medicine?”

“No!” Zhang Chenyue waved her hands frantically. “I didn’t poison it, and besides… I have no reason to harm Eldest Master.”

Suddenly, Li Jiancheng interjected, “Did anyone search her room?”

Wang Fu bowed slightly and replied, “Not yet, but I took a quick look earlier and found several medicinal herbs in her room. Some of them match what I’ve seen in Miss Ji’s possession.”

At this, Zhang Chenyue’s expression faltered, and she instinctively took a step back. Glancing up, she saw Li Jiancheng staring at her with icy eyes, which made her quickly lower her head. Reluctantly, she confessed, “Yes, I stole her formula, but I’ve already been punished for it. As for the poison—I swear it wasn’t me! It has nothing to do with me.”

“If it wasn’t you, then who else could it be?” Ji Rong retorted tearfully as she knelt down dramatically. “If all I wanted was to harm Eldest Master, I could’ve easily prepared some random concoction and passed it off as tendon-renewing powder. Why would I wait so many days? Why endure sleepless nights, working myself to exhaustion until I looked neither human nor ghostly? Why risk testing the medicine on myself? Moreover, if I truly harbored ill intentions, wouldn’t I have fled long before this incident? Why would I still be here, risking my life like this?”

Her words left Li Jiancheng silent. Indeed, if Ji Rong had intended harm, she could’ve acted much earlier. The formula for the tendon-renewing powder was a closely guarded secret of the Ji family, something Doctor Xu couldn’t verify as genuine. As for the idea that she endured all this suffering merely to gain his trust, it seemed far-fetched. His leg ailment was his lifelong burden, and even the slightest hope was worth pursuing.

Had she acted sooner, Governor Xiahou Duan wouldn’t have been around, and Zhiyun wouldn’t have returned either. He would’ve surely died. Could it be… that she truly wasn’t responsible?

Seeing that her argument had swayed him, Ji Rong continued, “Shen Yunyi has always been close to Wu Meixue, targeting both Chunxiu and me repeatedly. How could I possibly be her accomplice?”

Hearing this, Zhang Chenyue quickly chimed in, “I barely know Shen Yunyi! I’m not part of any conspiracy!”

Li Xuanba, growing increasingly agitated, snapped, “In my opinion, throw them both into the dungeon and let the guards interrogate them. Surely they’ll crack under pressure and tell the truth.”

Li Shimin frowned deeply, torn between their claims of innocence. For now, Zhang Chenyue seemed more suspicious.

Suddenly, Ji Rong spoke again, “It doesn’t matter if I’m thrown into the dungeon, but Eldest Master’s leg condition is at a critical stage. If treatment stops now, the damage will become irreversible. Even if better medicine than tendon-renewing powder were found later, it wouldn’t heal Eldest Master’s ailment!”

Li Jiancheng stared coldly at her. “Are you threatening me?”

“Never, Master. I only worry for your well-being,” she pleaded earnestly. “Please give me one chance to prove my loyalty by curing your ailment. Once you’re healed, I’ll accept whatever punishment you deem fit.”

“Big Brother…” Li Shimin began, but Li Jiancheng raised his hand to silence him. After a moment’s thought, he asked, “Doctor Xu, is what she says true?”

Doctor Xu hesitated. “Well… there’s still a slim possibility of recovery, though it would indeed be far more difficult than it is now.”

Li Jiancheng drew a sharp breath and ordered coldly, “Wang Fu, take Zhang Chenyue to the dungeon and interrogate her harshly!”

Zhang Chenyue froze as if struck by lightning. Only when the servants came to drag her away did she snap out of her daze, struggling desperately. “No! Don’t take me to the dungeon! Eldest Master, I have the formula too—I can treat your ailment!”

No one paid attention to her cries, and soon she was dragged out of Qingchun Garden. By then, Li Shimin understood Li Jiancheng’s decision and remarked, frowning, “Big Brother, isn’t this too risky?”

Ignoring his comment, Li Jiancheng fixed his gaze on Ji Rong. “From today onward, all medicinal ingredients will be delivered to Qingchun Garden. You’ll prepare the medicine here under the watchful eyes of Wang Fu and Doctor Xu. If you dare make another misstep, I’ll kill you immediately!” Despite his suspicions about Ji Rong, he was unwilling to limp through life forever. Thus, he decided to take the risk.

Ji Rong kowtowed repeatedly. “Thank you, Eldest Master, for sparing my life. I won’t disappoint you. I promise to cure your ailment.”

“Let’s hope so.” Li Jiancheng said coldly, “Wang Fu, take her to the western wing and assign someone to keep an eye on her constantly.”

After Wang Fu escorted Ji Rong away, Li Xuanba, who had been holding back his frustration, burst out, “Big Brother, how can you leave her in Qingchun Garden? What if she really is the assassin? What then?”

“I’ll order Feng Li to strengthen the security of Qingchun Garden. There’s no need to worry.” Before Li Jiancheng finished speaking, Li Xuanba interrupted, “How can I not worry? You just narrowly escaped death! How can you risk yourself again? Father would never agree to this.”

Li Shimin added, “Big Brother, Third Brother is right. It’d be safer to lock Ji Rong in the dungeon. As for your ailment, I heard recently that there’s a renowned physician in the western part of the city who specializes in bone injuries. Perhaps we should invite him to examine you. Maybe…”

“Shimian,” Li Jiancheng cut him off bitterly, “Ever since I lost the ability to walk like a normal person, how many physicians have we consulted? Father even summoned imperial doctors from the palace. And what was the result?” Without waiting for Li Shimin’s reply, he shook his head. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I still limp along, enduring the strange looks of others. You heard Doctor Xu just now—this is my last chance!”

Li Xuanba pressed urgently, “But Doctor Xu said there’s still a possibility of curing your ailment in the future!”

Li Jiancheng responded indifferently, “Then tell me—how long must I wait for this ‘possibility’? Five years? Ten? Or twenty? Thirty?”

“I…” Li Xuanba was left speechless. After a long pause, he muttered, “But what if…?”

“There are no ‘what ifs.’ I’ll have people monitor her closely, leaving no room for tricks.” Li Jiancheng stroked his still-swollen left leg and murmured, “I must cure this leg. I must!”

As Li Xuanba prepared to argue further, Li Shimin placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, “Let’s follow Big Brother’s decision. With Feng Li and the others keeping watch, I believe nothing will go wrong.”

Seeing his reasoning, Li Xuanba reluctantly nodded and grumbled, “Alright, Big Brother. Rest well. We’ll visit you tomorrow. If you need anything, send Wang Fu to call us.”