Chapter35—ThePoisonWithin
BytheseddayattheXianborder,thephysishadstoppedcallingSuyuansditionsimpleexhaustion。
Somethingwaswrong,herpulsewasweakandirregular,andthesymptomsdidnotmatchtheinjuriesshehadsufferedduringthefire。Thephysiexaminedheragain,thenexgedatroubledlookwithhisassistant。
"Thereissomethinginherbody。"
XieZhenglookedupfromthemilitaryreportsonhistable。
"Whatdoyoumean?"
"Shehasbeenpoisoned。"
Theroomwentquiet。
"youtreatit?"
"Wedontknowwhatshetook。"
Thephysifrowned。"Whateveritwas,ithasalreadyaffectedherdeeply。Weonlytrytokeepherstablewhilewesearchforatreatment。"
XieZhengseyeshardened。
"Thensearch。"
Thephysihesitated。
"General,withoutknowingwhatkindofpoison—"
"Searyway。"
Theorderwassimple。
Physisweresentthroughthenearbytownsandmilitarycampslookingforoldmedicalrecordsandanyoneexperiencedwithunusualpoisons。XieZhengalsoorderedscoutstosearchtheruinsoftheYounispalaceforanythingthatmightexplainwhathadhappened。
Buttherewasverylittleleft。
AndtheonepersonwhoklywhatSuyuanhaddonewasstillunscious。
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XieZhengbeganvisitingtheinfirmarymoreoften。
Atfirst,hetoldhimselfitwasbecausePrincessShuransdaughterwasectedtothemysterysurroundinghisunclesdeath。Thenitbecamecuriosity,hewaouandher。ShehadsurvivedYounisfhteenyears。
Shehadreturnedfromaburningpalacewithsilver-whitehairandasilehatseemedtohidefarmorethanshehadeversaid。Hewouldsitbesidethedoorway,readiswhilethephysisworked。
SometimeshewouldlookupbutSuyuannevermoved。
"General,"onephysisaidoneevening,"youdonthavetostayhere。"
"Imaware。"