Xiao Yi had just returned to the residence when he saw Duoduo waiting for him in the study.
When Duoduo saw her father enter, she quickly bowed to Xiao Yi.
"Daughter pays respects to Father!"
Xiao Yi waved his hand.
"You've been waiting a long time. What is it?"
Duoduo handed the medicinal prescription to Xiao Yi.
He took it and glanced at it, but did not see anything unusual.
"What about this prescription?"
Duoduo's eyes darted around for a moment.
"Father, why not let Uncle Master take a look?"
Xiao Yi glanced at Duoduo. "Yunxiao, go fetch him."
Yunxiao acknowledged and left to bring the man.
"No one targeted you today, did they?" Xiao Yi asked with concern.
"No. Yesterday, Grandfather gave me the jade pendant, so no one dared to bully me today."
Duoduo beamed with a smile.
"Open attacks are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against. Be cautious," Xiao Yi reminded Duoduo.
"Yes! I remember." Duoduo's expression turned serious.
"Father, that Qingliu—did you really find her?" Duoduo recalled.
"Yes. I originally wanted to arrange two maids skilled in martial arts for your mother."
"But I didn't find suitable ones, only two older women."
"That young girl—Yunxiao saw her pitied her and bought her on a whim."
"Why? Is there something wrong with her?" Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo.
Duoduo showed a shy smile. "No. Father hadn't told me, so I thought you had placed her by my side to test me!"
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo's expression, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"I've been very busy lately."
Duoduo stuck out her tongue.
"Father, wasn't it you who taught me? 'One must always guard against others'?"
"Still, her manners truly are excellent."
"Even better than mine and Lüdou's."
"She said she only studied with Aunt Li for one day."
Xiao Yi nodded.
"She and the other two elderly women—Yunxiao had them trained first."
Duoduo understood.
No wonder she always felt that this Qingliu was different.
"Father, does that mean I can trust this Qingliu?" Duoduo asked tentatively.
"You decide for yourself," Xiao Yi replied.
"I think I'll observe her a little longer first," Duoduo pondered.
"Whatever you like. She's yours now anyway."
"Oh, and her deed of indenture is with your mother."
"If you want it, just ask her."
Duoduo nodded after hearing this. "Then I'll find Mother later."
As the father and daughter were speaking, Yunxiao knocked on the door and entered with the person.
Duoduo stood up and respectfully bowed to her Uncle Master.
"Niece pays respects to Uncle Master!"
"Princess, no need to be so formal!" Uncle Zhang helped Duoduo rise.
"Your Highness, you summoned me?" Uncle Zhang bowed to Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi handed the medicinal prescription on the table to Uncle Zhang.
"Take a look at this."
Uncle Zhang took it and examined it carefully.
"This prescription is just an ordinary one for wind-heat ailments."
"However, two of the herbs are used improperly."
Xiao Yi and Duoduo exchanged glances. Xiao Yi asked, "How so?"
Uncle Zhang looked at the prescription once more. "These two herbs counteract each other. This prescription would be ineffective."
After saying this, Uncle Zhang casually glanced at Duoduo.
He assumed it was a prescription she had written.
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo. Duoduo tilted her head.
"Uncle Master, if someone took this prescription, what would happen?"
Uncle Zhang stroked the beard on his chin. "Prescribing medicine is about matching the remedy to the illness."
"Since it doesn't match, the illness would worsen."
"Moreover, because these two herbs counteract each other, they amplify the effects of other herbs, possibly leading to a negative outcome."
Duoduo listened. She looked at Uncle Zhang and frowned.
Had Uncle Zhang failed to see the key issue, or was he deliberately pretending not to notice?
If he hadn't detected it, how could he be the senior disciple of her own teacher?
If he was pretending, then why?
Xiao Yi saw Duoduo's expression and rubbed his fingers together.
"Duoduo, is your Uncle Master correct?"
Duoduo hesitated. She first nodded, then shook her head.
When Uncle Zhang saw Duoduo nod, a smile appeared on his face.
But when he saw her shake her head, his smile immediately faded.
"Princess, have I said something wrong?"
Duoduo thought for a moment. "Uncle Master, are you knowledgeable about poisons?"
Uncle Zhang paused and answered honestly.
"I only know common poisons. I am not as knowledgeable as your teacher."
Duoduo nodded. So that was it.
"Uncle Master, if someone took this prescription, would they be poisoned?"
A look of surprise flashed in Uncle Zhang's eyes.
He took the prescription and studied it closely.
A quarter of an hour later, he set the prescription down in defeat.
"So that's how it is! Who wrote this prescription? Such malice!"
Duoduo tilted her head. "Uncle Master, have you worked it out?"
Uncle Zhang looked at Duoduo with a complicated expression. "Princess, I now see it."
"On the surface, these two herbs counteract each other, but because of that, they combine with several other herbs to generate a poison."
"This poison accumulates in the person who takes the medicine."
"In the end, when the poison erupts, it spreads to those nearby."
"One person infects another, and the poison grows stronger and more toxic."
"Even just inhaling its odor can cause poisoning..."
As Uncle Zhang spoke, his face grew grave.
Xiao Yi's hand clenched into a fist inside his sleeve.
"Duoduo, where did this prescription come from?"
"It was prescribed by a doctor for Aunt Li," Duoduo explained calmly.
"Doctor? Which doctor came?" Xiao Yi's face darkened.
Without needing to guess, Xiao Yi could roughly deduce what had happened.
It must have been that Duoduo noticed something wrong with the prescription and specially came to tell him.
"Mother had someone ask. The steward got the physician from Tongrentang Pharmacy."
"They said the doctor had just started working there," Duoduo repeated what Lianxin had told her earlier.
Upon hearing that the prescription wasn't written by Duoduo, Uncle Zhang breathed a silent sigh of relief.
He bowed to Xiao Yi.
"Your Highness, since I am already here in your residence overseeing your health care, how about I take charge of the health of everyone in the household?"
"That way, I won't be idle with nothing to do."
Uncle Zhang understood too well—he and the Prince of Pingyang's residence were now bound together like grasshoppers on the same string.
If misfortune befell the Prince of Pingyang, he would certainly not escape unscathed.
Duoduo smiled. "Uncle Master, wouldn't that be too much work for you?"
Uncle Zhang quickly shook his head. "Not at all. Healing the sick and saving lives is our duty to begin with."
Xiao Yi nodded in approval. "Then from now on, we'll trouble you."
"Not at all. To be able to help Your Highness is my honor!"
Uncle Zhang promptly expressed his commitment.
Xiao Yi had originally believed that the Prince of Pingyang's residence was as secure as iron.
Yet, he had not expected that someone still managed to find a loophole.
