The Duke's Pampered Darling is So Scheming

Chapter 516: Chapter 516: Merits and Demerits Cancel Out

It was already afternoon when they arrived at Prince Lie’s Mansion.

Xiao Chengqi lay on the bed, his face still pale, but he was truly and undeniably awake!

Seeing the Eldest Princess and her retinue enter, he immediately tried to get up. But as soon as he threw back the covers, the Eldest Princess stopped him.

”Just rest.”

Xiao Chengqi didn’t insist, merely inclining his head slightly in a bow.

Zhao Xuanping was at his side, helping him lean back against the headboard.

Outside, the world was frozen solid, but with a brazier burning inside, the room was as warm as spring.

The Eldest Princess studied him, her expression full of heartache.

”You’ve gotten so thin.”

He had clearly lost a significant amount of weight; his shoulders felt bony to the touch.

Xiao Chengqi’s smile was still a bit weak, but his eyes were clear and bright. He shook his head and said reassuringly, ”But I’m better now, aren’t I? You should be happy.”

The Eldest Princess nodded repeatedly. ”Yes, yes! I should be happy! Your mother, Consort Rong, already knows you’ve woken up, but she’s caught a cold these past two days and has a terrible cough, so I didn’t let her come today.”

After Emperor Muwu fell into a coma again, Consort Rong was devastated and became bedridden herself.

Xiao Chengqi had already guessed as much. He nodded and said, ”My mother’s health is what’s most important. I’ll go to the palace to visit her myself in a few days.”

His words made the Eldest Princess even more relieved and pleased.

”Good! Good!”

Before coming, the Eldest Princess had been worried that, having just woken up, he might not be able to handle the situation.

Seeing him now, she knew she had worried for nothing.

Pleased, she turned her head to look at Zhao Xuanping, who stood to the side.

”We have Doctor Zhao’s round-the-clock vigil to thank for this. It has been difficult for you. I will be sure to reward you handsomely for this!”

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Zhao Xuanping showed no sign of joy. Instead, he gritted his teeth and suddenly dropped to his knees!

”This minister is guilty! I beg the Princess to punish me!”

His kneeling stunned everyone in the room.

The Eldest Princess asked in confusion, ”Doctor Zhao, why do you say such a thing?”

Zhao Xuanping clenched his fists, his face filled with guilt.

”Prince Lie’s sudden coma... it was, it was all my fault!”

The Eldest Princess was even more bewildered.

”Your fault? Wh-what is going on?”

Zhao Xuanping took a deep breath. ”There is something you don’t know, Princess. Prince Lie’s recent relapse wasn’t because of the medicinal catalyst, as everyone is speculating. It was... it was because of my apprentice—Wang Chang! I have been in charge of brewing the Prince’s medicine all this time. The catalyst from Second Miss Ye was correct, and the antidote the Imperial Guard retrieved from Guanling was also correct. Had he simply taken them on schedule, His Highness’s condition would have gradually improved, leading to a full recovery. But...”

His voice began to tremble slightly with anger and lingering fear.

”But I never imagined someone would find a way to take advantage of the situation!”

The person he was referring to was, of course, Wang Chang.

The Eldest Princess had already guessed most of the story by now, and her brow gradually furrowed.

Zhao Xuanping continued:

”Ever since Your Majesty put me in charge of brewing Prince Lie’s medicine, I dared not slack off in the slightest and handled everything personally. Who would have known that Wang Chang, while portioning out the Prince’s medicinal herbs, would secretly add a conflicting ingredient! This not only prevented His Highness from recovering but even triggered the residual poison in his body, causing him to fall into a coma!”

He kowtowed heavily, the dull thud making everyone present flinch. They didn’t dare to imagine how much it must have hurt.

”My oversight is an undeniable crime! I will submit to any punishment the Princess sees fit!”

The Eldest Princess was silent for a long time.

The ministers who had accompanied her also looked at each other in dismay.

’Who would have thought a simple visit to Prince Lie’s Mansion would lead to such a fiasco!’

’This was Prince Lie, so highly regarded by His Majesty!’

’If Zhao Xuanping’s words were proven true, it would surely cause another major upheaval!’

In the suffocating silence, the Eldest Princess finally spoke slowly.

”Do you have any proof for these claims?”

Zhao Xuanping remained prostrate. ”To be honest, Princess, I have long suspected there was something amiss with His Highness Prince Lie’s condition, but I could never figure out what the problem was. Yesterday, both Miss Ye and Chu Hospital Director were urgently summoned to the palace, leaving me to care for His Highness alone. I was overwhelmed. Furthermore, we had run out of the prepared medicine packets, so I ordered Wang Chang to bring a two-day supply. I did this partly because I didn’t dare delay His Highness’s medication, and partly because I thought an extra pair of hands would be helpful. Unexpectedly, because he was summoned in such a hurry, he didn’t have time to tamper with the medicine packets beforehand. Instead, he had the audacity to do it right behind my back, secretly taking a pre-ground powder from his sleeve and pouring it into the decoction as it brewed!”

Recalling the scene, Zhao Xuanping was still trembling with rage.

”We have both the witness and the physical evidence! I submit to the Princess’s judgment! I only hate myself for being so blind as to be deceived by such a person! It nearly cost His Highness Prince Lie his life! I—I have failed Your Majesty and the Eldest Princess, and I have failed Prince Lie! Whatever the punishment, I am willing to bear it all myself!”

His speech laid out the entire sequence of events with perfect clarity.

Fan Chengzhuo opened his mouth, about to say something, but when he caught a glimpse of the Eldest Princess’s stone-cold expression, he swallowed his words.

Finally, the Eldest Princess spoke.

”If that’s the case, where is this Wang Chang now?”

Zhao Xuanping answered at once.

”He has been apprehended by Prince Lie’s Chang Sui and is locked in the woodshed.”

This was Prince Lie’s territory, after all.

But a huge question still lingered in the Eldest Princess’s mind.

”What grudge does he have against Prince Lie to do such a thing?”

She had an impression of this Wang Chang. He was Zhao Xuanping’s apprentice, someone who always had a smile on his face and was exceedingly eager to please.

He didn’t seem like the type to be so vicious.

At this, Zhao Xuanping felt utterly humiliated. He said in shame, ”It’s my fault, really. He has long wanted to enter the Imperial Hospital, but after I blocked him twice, he grew resentful and wanted to use this as revenge.”

If something had happened to Prince Lie, Zhao Xuanping, as the one responsible for his care, would naturally have been unable to escape blame.

The Eldest Princess nodded. ”So that’s how it is...”

She tilted her head slightly. ”Mr. Fan.”

Fan Chengzhuo’s heart leaped. He quickly responded, ”This minister is here.”

The Eldest Princess said, ”Take him to the Ministry of Justice and interrogate him thoroughly.”

’She believed Zhao Xuanping was telling the truth, but she didn’t believe this was Wang Chang’s only motive.’

’He was a very shrewd person. No matter how resentful he was, he wouldn’t have fallen out with Zhao Xuanping over this—after all, he would still need Zhao Xuanping’s promotions and support in the future.’

’Unless... he had already found a more powerful backer and a greater benefit to drive him to do this.’

How could Fan Chengzhuo dare to object? He immediately said, ”Yes.”

Only then did the Eldest Princess look back at Zhao Xuanping, her expression softening. ”Alright, this matter is not entirely your fault. You may rise.”

Zhao Xuanping refused to move.

The Eldest Princess was a little exasperated. ”If you don’t get up, who will be responsible for taking care of Cheng Qi?”

Chen Songshi smiled and tried to smooth things over. ”Isn’t that right? By doing this, Doctor Zhao has also cleared Second Miss Ye’s name. Your merits and demerits cancel each other out. Why blame yourself so excessively?”