Love at First Sight Chapter 37: Investigate Thoroughly

A Tao had prepared everything that was needed, and Zun You came to wait in the outer room, leaving Tong’er and A Tao inside to help. Imperial Physician Hu opened his medicine chest, took out some medicinal powder, and then produced a sharp medical instrument, ready to extract the ticks.

Time passed slowly, and Zun You stood uneasily, anxiously peering toward the inner room again and again. Liu Yi tried to reassure him, “Your Highness, please rest assured. With Imperial Physician Hu here, Miss Wen will surely be safe.”

Zun You said nothing, pacing back and forth in the room. After about two hours, Tong’er finally emerged to report, “Your Highness, all the ticks have been removed—thirty in total.”

“I want to see her.” Zun You strode into the room in a flash.

On the table were the black, hard-shelled ticks, each the size of a fingernail, indicating they had fed on a significant amount of blood. By the bedside, Imperial Physician Hu was taking her pulse. Wen Yueqing was still burning with fever, unconscious and unresponsive.

He frowned and said to Zun You, “Your Highness, though the ticks have been removed, whether the fever subsides now depends on Miss Wen herself.”

After speaking, he looked up at Zun You, stroked his beard, and added, “If Miss Wen's fever goes down within five days, there will be nothing to fear. But if it does not…”

“What then?” Zun You had thought removing the ticks would resolve everything. Hearing this, his anxiety returned.

Imperial Physician Hu did not dare to hide the truth. He shook his head and said, “These ticks are venomous. When they feed, the toxin mixes with the blood. If the fever cannot be brought down, I fear Miss Wen may never awaken.”

At these words, Tong’er nearly fainted. She thought to herself, “Sister Qing’s life is truly difficult. She was gravely ill at home before and almost died. Only after coming to the prince’s residence did her days improve, and now, just as her health recovered, disaster strikes again—how did these bloodsucking pests find her?”

Zun You, too, was shaken by the physician’s words. He could not imagine how heartbroken he would be if Wen Yueqing were lost to him.

He slumped onto a stool, lost and at a loss for what to do.

After a moment of silence, Zun You asked, “How could she suddenly be attacked by these ticks?”

He thought the matter deeply suspicious. Not only was this the prince’s residence, but even among commoners, such an illness was rare—many people had never even heard of it.

Imperial Physician Hu pondered for a moment and replied, “This is indeed an uncommon affliction. Ticks typically lurk in grass or ditches, in shady places. They attach themselves only when animals or people pass by, and even then, they usually emerge only in spring and summer. Now that winter has set in, for so many ticks to gather in one place—this matter is far from simple.”

He did not dare conceal anything from Zun You and told him everything, hinting that Miss Wen had likely been harmed by someone.

Zun You was pondering his words when Jinzi suddenly rushed in from outside. He wondered if Jinzi had brought the ticks in somehow.

No one noticed as Jinzi leapt onto the bed, seized Wen Yueqing’s quilt in his teeth, and began to tug and scratch furiously, startling everyone.

“What are you doing, Jinzi? Get down this instant!” Tong’er hurried to pick him up, but Jinzi refused to let go, still tearing at the quilt, ripping the down comforter with his teeth.

Suddenly, Tong’er understood. She pulled at the spot Jinzi had bitten, and a clump of duck down spilled out. Looking closely, she saw it was crawling with tiny ticks.

“Ah, look—everyone, look!” Tong’er tore off the bedding and showed it to Zun You and Imperial Physician Hu.

The group exchanged glances. At last, the culprit had been found. Tong’er and A Tao hurried to fetch fresh bedding and pillows, and replaced the entire duck down set.

Seeing all this, Zun You was seized with fury, spitting out his words through gritted teeth, “Find out who’s responsible.”

Liu Yi, taken aback by Zun You’s burning rage, trembled at the force of it—this was the first time he had seen Zun You so angry.

He bowed in response and hurried out the door. Once outside, he sighed to the sky, “Where should I even begin to investigate?”

Imperial Physician Hu reminded him, “Your Highness, these bedclothes must be burned at once. They must not be kept under any circumstances.”

“A Tao, take everything out and burn it,” Zun You ordered loudly.

Only then did the physician feel at ease, fearing that if Zun You kept the bedding to investigate, the ticks would scatter everywhere.

Leaving Wen Yueqing to rest in bed, Zun You and the others moved to the outer room.

It was then that Liu Yi brought Fangcao over.

Upon hearing that the duck down bedding she had made was the cause of the problem, infested with ticks and nearly costing Wen Yueqing her life, Fangcao was terrified and anxious.

As soon as she saw Zun You, she dropped to her knees. “Your Highness, I had nothing to do with this! I only made these items according to Miss Wen’s instructions.”

Zun You’s face was cold and grim. “Did you have anyone else work on those bedclothes? Where did you get the duck down?”

Fangcao froze. His Highness was clearly suspecting her, thinking she had harmed Wen Yueqing.

She hurriedly replied, “Your Highness, I sewed the bedding myself. The duck down was bought from the duck farm. After bringing it back, I washed it twice, then dried it in the sun for more than half a month. The seamstresses and even Tong’er can vouch for this.”

Tong’er, standing quietly to the side, spoke up, “Your Highness, Sister Fang is telling the truth. I saw her myself.”

“Did anyone else touch these items? Has anything unusual happened lately?” Liu Yi pressed.

Fangcao, still kneeling, racked her memory for anything she might have missed.

It was a long time before she said, “Your Highness, the seamstresses in the workroom all handled them briefly. Some time ago, Concubine Tian came by and asked me to make her some clothes—I was making the quilt at the time, and she saw it.”

She looked up at Zun You in fear, and seeing his eyes fixed on her, quickly lowered her head again.

Fangcao was shaking like a leaf, stammering, “And… and Li Meiren’s maid, Cui’er, has also been coming to the workroom a lot lately. She said Li Meiren is pregnant and needed new clothes, and she wanted me to make a new quilt for her as well. I really can’t recall anyone else. Please, Your Highness, see the truth—I am innocent.”

When Zun You heard those two women’s names, he knew the matter originated in the back courtyards. But which one was it?

“Liu Yi, take people to search the back courtyards for me. Check all the maids and eunuchs, especially at Concubine Tian’s and Li Meiren’s quarters.” Zun You waved his hand, giving the order.

“And Fangcao?” Liu Yi asked.

“Keep her in the front courtyards for now. Once the matter is investigated, we’ll deal with her accordingly.” With that, Zun You turned and went back into the inner room.