Chapter Seventeen: The True Reason Behind His Trust

She remembered precisely where every single medicinal herb in the room was placed. Because Shen Hezhi needed her to detoxify him, no one else was permitted in this storeroom but her. Yet now, right before Yan Heru, the nearest herb was positioned incorrectly—it had been swapped with the one beside it.

This detail made Yan Heru especially alert. She took out a specially crafted silver needle. Most silver needles could not detect poison, but hers was different; she had fashioned it according to the method described in that “medical text.” Thinking of that book, Yan Heru tried hard to recall its name. She vaguely remembered it was called “The Poison Physician.”

Pushing aside the jumble of thoughts in her mind, Yan Heru placed her special silver needle on the herb in question. As she suspected, someone had tampered with it.

Yan Heru’s eyes shifted thoughtfully as she put the needle away. She walked to another table and picked up a different herb. The room was filled with many tables, each bearing a variety of medicinal plants. She took one from this table, then moved to another, searching and selecting yet another herb.

Finally, she returned to the entrance and picked up the original herb—the one she had just discovered to be poisoned. This herb was essential for treating cold poison and was extremely rare; at present, there was only this single specimen.

Anyone who would go so far as to tamper with this herb clearly did not want the Ninth Prince to recover. Moreover, they must be intimately familiar with the layout of the prince’s residence. After all, Yan Heru had only been away from the estate for a night and a morning—not a particularly long time. No one unfamiliar with the grounds could possibly have located this herb with such precision.

But even if it had been poisoned, it was of little concern. Yan Heru had earned the title of “Divine Poison Physician” in the modern era precisely because of her expertise in toxins.

She had gathered the other herbs just now for the express purpose of counteracting the poison hidden in this one.

Yan Heru carried the selected herbs to the center of the room, where a small stove specially designed for decocting medicine stood ready. She tossed the herbs into the pot, keeping close watch as they simmered.

During this time, she did not step away from the stove even for a moment, yet she could clearly sense someone watching her from outside the door. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

Curious to see whether I’d use the tainted herb, are you? Well, as you wish.

Having finished preparing the medicine, Yan Heru tidied up the room and carried the decoction to find Shen Hezhi. Before leaving, she noticed a hole had been poked through the door—presumably by whoever had been watching her earlier.

She smiled to herself and, acting as she always did, made her way to Shen Hezhi’s chambers.

“Your Highness,” Yan Heru called softly.

“Come in,” came the reply.

Pushing open the door, Yan Heru stepped inside, sensing that lingering gaze trailing her until she entered, only leaving then—no doubt hurrying back to the storeroom to check if the herb had been used.

Closing the door, Yan Heru placed the medicine on the table and, hiding behind the door, peered out. As expected, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure slipping past in the distance.

Noticing her odd behavior, Shen Hezhi put down his brush and asked, “What is it?”

“There must be quite a few people in this estate who harbor ill intentions toward you,” Yan Heru replied.

“Why do you say that?” Shen Hezhi frowned.

“Someone tampered with your essential herb. Aside from me, no one is allowed into that storeroom. Do you really think it was a careless servant who wandered in by mistake?” Yan Heru replied flatly.

As she spoke, she poured the medicine into a bowl and set it before Shen Hezhi, who took it without further question and drank it down.

His trust made Yan Heru frown. “I just told you someone had tampered with your essential herb. Aren’t you the least bit concerned about whether this bowl of medicine is safe?”

“This medicine was personally prepared by you. I trust you,” Shen Hezhi replied with a gentle smile.

For a moment, Yan Heru was dazed by his smile. Once, there had been another gentle man who had believed in her so completely.

A pang shot through her chest.

Noticing something amiss in her expression, Shen Hezhi put down the empty bowl and looked at her with concern. “Are you all right? Are you feeling unwell?”

“I’m fine…” Yan Heru was pulled from her reverie by his question. “But Your Highness would do well to investigate those within your household carefully. I managed to resolve the matter this time, but that doesn’t mean I’ll always be able to detect or remedy every instance of tampering.”

This was no empty warning. Though Yan Heru could neutralize many poisons, the world was vast and full of strange things—she never pretended to know all the toxins it contained.

“I will,” Shen Hezhi promised.

“The person behind this must be extremely familiar with the estate’s layout, and it’s possible the culprit is someone very close to Your Highness—or at least learned something from someone close to you,” Yan Heru continued her analysis, wholly absorbed in her reasoning and missing the look of admiration that flickered in Shen Hezhi’s eyes.

“And what else?” Shen Hezhi encouraged.

“First of all, very few people know about your cold poison. Since this person sabotaged the medicine, it means they don’t want you cured—they know you suffer from this affliction. Perhaps they even played a role in how you were poisoned to begin with…” Here, Yan Heru suddenly looked up at him. “I don’t know if Your Highness has any idea who might be responsible. If you already know, then there’s no need for me to speculate further.”

“I don’t know the culprit for sure, but your reasoning is sound. I thought I’d weeded out all the snakes lurking in this estate, but it seems a few have slipped through the net. Thank you, my lady,” Shen Hezhi replied with another gentle smile.

Though Shen Hezhi often wore this captivating smile, Yan Heru still found her heart stirred by it—not by any emotion, but purely by his beauty.

Thinking of Shen Hezhi’s looks, she suddenly recalled a historical figure from her previous world—a man so handsome he had to wear a mask into battle. If Shen Hezhi were to take the field, surely he would face the same predicament…

“My lady, have you fallen for my looks?” Shen Hezhi teased, eyes twinkling.

Yan Heru swallowed awkwardly, gathering her things to leave, when suddenly someone knocked on the door.