Why did Madam Chen say the weather was unusually warm last winter?

Could she be mistaken?

As Su Yujin pondered, she caught a glimpse of panic on Madam Kang’s face, but she quickly regained her composure.

“It’s not precious at all. Even if it were, ice is for use. Money is meant to be spent, not kept for breeding. Besides, ice is only worth a few coins. Do you think I can’t afford to support you?”

Seeing Madam Kang speak this way, Madam Chen could only smile and nod. “Alright then, I’ll take advantage of Yimu’s generosity.”

“Speaking of which, Yimu has just moved to Hedong Prefecture. Although the house has been renovated, it’s still lacking in some valuables. I’ve obtained a few bolts of fine silk gauze, perfect for covering the windows. I’ll have someone deliver them to Yimu as a way to add some things to your new home.”

Su Yujin blinked again.

Something’s wrong again.

Madam Kang had been settled in Hedong Prefecture for several years, so why was Madam Chen saying she had just settled there and even calling it her new residence?

This seemed beyond a simple misremembering…

Su Yujin moved closer to Madam Chen and sniffed hard.

Madam Chen smelled strongly of medicine.

Su Yujin had smelled medicine on Madam Chen before, but she always wore various incense, so the smell wasn’t as strong.

Women in the inner quarters had to manage many tedious affairs, and after childbirth, they often experienced poor health, so many took medicine and tonics for years, which Su Yujin hadn’t thought much of.

But now, the smell of medicine on Chen was extremely strong, so strong that Su Yujin could identify several herbs.

Nutmeg, wormwood, and tianqie flower…

Su Yujin frowned deeply.

Nutmeg could regulate qi, relieve pain, and warm the stomach, but if taken in large amounts over a long period, it could easily cause hallucinations.

Wormwood could be used carefully to treat insomnia, but if soaked in alcohol and consumed, it could lead to unconsciousness and hallucinations.

Tianqie flower, also known as ‘mandala flower’, mainly contains scopolamine. It was highly toxic, suppressing the central nervous system and causing hallucinations…

All of these medicines had a strong controlling effect on the human nervous system, and if taken for a long time, their side effects were severe—they could make a person irritable, even drive them into madness.

Hearing Madam Chen’s words and seeing Su Yujin’s changing expression, Madam Kang panicked. “It’s getting late. Let’s not disturb Miss Su any longer; let’s go back early.”

“Alright.” Madam Chen stood up.

Her head felt very uncomfortable, and she felt extremely sleepy; she wanted to go back to sleep.

“Madam”, Su Yujin stopped Madam Chen, “If you’re not feeling well, why don’t you let me take a look at you?”

“No need,” Madam Kang hurriedly said, “I’ve already consulted a doctor…”

Su Yujin leaned close to Madam Kang’s ear and whispered a reminder: “I have a general idea of ​​the doctor’s skill level. The medicine may have worked well at first, but now that you’re feeling unwell, even if you have to take it for some reason, the dosage of the various herbs needs to be adjusted. If this continues, I’m afraid her life will be in danger!”

During their time together, Madam Chen had treated her sincerely, and even knowing that this might involve some unknown matters, Su Yujin was unwilling to stand by and watch someone die.

Su Yujin had witnessed Madam Kang’s usual treatment of Madam Chen, showing unwavering love and treating her like her own daughter.

While the medicine was strange, there must be an unexplainable reason for its use.

Su Yujin shared this suspicion and directly pointed out the key issue.

Madam Kang trembled slightly upon hearing Su Yujin’s words. Looking at Madam Chen’s sickly appearance, she bowed to Su Yujin, saying, “Then I’ll trouble Miss Su to examine her.”

“Miss Su’s medical skills are superb; seeing you will put my mind at ease,” Madam Chen echoed.

Otherwise, she would feel uneasy.

“Please sit, Madam.”

Su Yujin instructed Ai Cao to bring out her medicine box and carefully examined Madam Chen’s pulse.

The more she examined the pulse, the more Su Yujin’s brows furrowed.

“Miss Su, is my illness difficult to treat?” Madam Chen asked, quite worried, seeing Su Yujin’s grave expression.

“It’s not that it’s difficult to treat, but there’s one medicinal herb that’s hard to find on the market. Luckily, I happen to have some here. I’ll go check if it’s the right age.”

Su Yujin stood up. “Madam, please wait a moment.”

“Thank you, Miss Su.”

Su Yujin instructed Ai Cao to refill Madam Chen’s teacup. As she walked out, she gave Madam Kang a wink.

Madam Kang understood and followed Su Yujin out of the room.

“Madam has been taking this medicine for too long and in too high a dose, to the point that she is frequently experiencing hallucinations and her memory seems to be confused. Judging from her pulse, Madam’s liver and kidneys are damaged to varying degrees, and there are also abnormalities in her brain nerves. If this continues, at most within a year, Madam will go insane and lose her mind. If things get any worse, Madam may even die.”

Su Yujin’s expression was solemn. “Although I don’t know why Madam has been taking a decoction containing nutmeg, wormwood, and tianqie flower, this medicine really cannot be taken anymore. Not only can she not take it anymore, but she also needs to take a detoxifying decoction to slowly recover. Otherwise, these toxins will accumulate in her body and cause problems sooner or later.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Kang’s tears fell incessantly.

After a long while, she took a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her cheeks, her voice choked with sobs, “This matter shouldn’t have been kept from Miss Su…”

“Two years ago, Wei’er and Lord Qu’s two sons, Guangyuan and Guangwu, were traveling back from the academy before the New Year. The roads were slippery due to the snow, and they were traveling all night. When they crossed a bridge, their carriage overturned, and Guangyuan and Guangwu, along with the driver and servant, all fell into the river.”

“In the freezing weather, with water dripping every day, and wearing thick cotton clothes, their bodies froze solid after falling into the river. The place was remote, and they were truly helpless. They all froze to death in the river…”

“Wei’er and Lord Qu learned of this the next day and went to collect the bodies. They cried for several days before burying Guangyuan and Guangwu. Although the pain of losing a son is hard for ordinary people to understand, the dead cannot be brought back to life, and those who are alive must live well.”

“But Wei’er was unable to accept the deaths of Guangyuan and Guangwu. She spent her days in tears, refusing to eat or drink. Eventually, she even contemplated suicide, repeatedly attempting to hang herself or cut her wrists. She would often wake up in a frenzy, running outside like a madwoman, especially wanting to jump into any water she saw, saying she wanted to find Yuan’er and Wu’er and bring them home…”

(Author’s Note: I looked up some information about the medicinal herbs; it may not be entirely accurate, but it’s necessary for the plot. Please bear with it.)

(End of Chapter)

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