Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Why Didn’t You Know?

When Qi Shu Xian received the summons from the Dali Temple, he hurried out anxiously with Meng Yang at his side. At the gate, they bumped into Sheng Zhi Wan, who was elegantly stepping onto her carriage.

“Sheng Zhi Wan, was it you who arranged for someone to report this matter?” Qi Shu Xian asked through clenched teeth, lowering his voice to avoid attention.

“What is Lord Heir talking about? I truly have no idea.” Sheng Zhi Wan cast a chilly glance his way, then gracefully turned and boarded her carriage.

“My Lord…” Meng Yang murmured nervously.

No word had come from Zhang Da Hu, whose silence loomed like a sword above her head, ready to fall at any moment. Now that the Dali Temple had summoned her, did it mean he had been captured?

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t let anyone harm you,” Qi Shu Xian gently reassured her.

Two carriages from Duke Qi’s residence arrived at the Dali Temple one after another. A dense crowd had already gathered outside, awaiting drama.

Sheng Zhi Wan descended first. Her breathtaking beauty and regal bearing instantly hushed the murmuring crowd.

“So this is Princess Ning of Qing!” someone whispered.

“Such beauty! Heir Apparent Qi truly is blessed,” another sighed admiringly.

A man countered, “But Heir Apparent Qi also chose Lady Meng as his concubine. Clearly, Lady Meng must be just as remarkable.”

“Yes, one should marry virtue over beauty. Lady Meng is renowned for her healing hands. Though Princess Ning is exceptionally beautiful, Lady Meng must surely be her equal.”

As the curious onlookers peered eagerly, Meng Yang stepped down, supported gently by Qi Shu Xian.

Yet after the dazzling sight of Sheng Zhi Wan, Meng Yang, merely delicate and pleasant, suddenly seemed very plain indeed. Compared to Sheng Zhi Wan—or indeed the countless beauties of the Capital City—her appearance failed to impress.

“Lady Meng is…rather ordinary,” a scholar muttered quietly, voicing what many thought.

“Shallow!” Su Qi Nian immediately scolded.

Though his leg still hurt, Su Qi Nian had hobbled here, deeply admiring Meng Yang for their shared humble beginnings. Upon hearing her criticized, he loudly declared, “Throughout history, beautiful faces often bring disaster! How could common beauties who only please men in the back courtyard compare to Lady Meng?”

“Lady Meng is truly exceptional—a devoted wife and respectful daughter-in-law, who also heals the wounded and even invented the exquisite Maiden’s Delight Wine! Such a woman is a treasure of the Capital City!”

His words echoed loudly, making the scholar who had spoken lower his head in shame.

Meng Yang heard this clearly and flashed Su Qi Nian a grateful smile. His heart quickened.

Sheng Zhi Wan, indifferent to the murmurs behind her, had already stepped inside the Dali Temple. Qi Shu Xian, with Meng Yang, quickly followed.

Inside the hall, their eyes immediately fell upon a pitiful figure sprawled on the ground.

Filthy, with matted hair and tattered clothing, the man had only one arm remaining, his appearance horrifying.

Meng Yang gasped, covering her mouth and retreating half a step.

Hearing her voice, the man’s head shot up violently. With a desperate cry, he dragged himself toward her. “Meng Yang! You wicked witch! Give me your life!”

Meng Yang paled, shrinking behind Qi Shu Xian as he shielded her. Guards quickly restrained the man.

The Minister of Dali Temple thundered, “Silence!” The sharp rap of the wooden gavel finally subdued the struggling man, though his eyes still glowed fiercely with hatred for Meng Yang.

Meng Yang nearly fainted. Zhang Da Hu! It really was Zhang Da Hu!

Not only was he alive, but he’d become this monstrous thing! Yet he was alive—shouldn’t he have done everything to kill Sheng Zhi Wan for her?

Why did he now glare at her with such hatred? [But I saved his life!] Meng Yang thought frantically. [I even had his brother’s body retrieved for burial!]

The Minister formally addressed the disfigured man. “Who stands before this court?”

The pitiful man turned his hateful eyes back, voice trembling with anguish. “Former Hundred-Captain of the Tiger Guard, Zhang Da Hu!”

Zhang Da Hu? Qi Shu Xian froze in shock. He had seen him alive and well just recently. Meng Yang had treated him—he had even pleaded with Qi Shu Xian to protect her. Why did he now harbor such hatred?

Meng Yang bit her lip, her mind spinning wildly.

“Who do you accuse?” asked the Minister gravely.

“Meng Yang! I accuse Meng Yang, this wicked woman!” Zhang Da Hu cried bitterly. “She deceived us, claiming Qian Ji Powder had no antidote. Hundreds of soldiers poisoned by it begged for death in their agony!”

“Worse, she used our suffering and deaths to build her reputation, leaving countless soldiers restless in their graves!”

Qi Shu Xian’s eyes narrowed sharply at the mention of Qian Ji Powder. He recalled Meng Yang treating soldiers on the battlefield. He’d briefly heard her say the poison was incurable, but—Qian Ji Powder?

How could it be Qian Ji Powder?!

“That’s impossible! Qian Ji Powder is incurable!” Meng Yang, relieved, immediately put on an aggrieved expression. “Lord, had I not swiftly amputated their poisoned limbs and sutured their wounds, their agony would have been unbearable.”

Then she turned to Sheng Zhi Wan. “Princess, I know you despise me, but I never imagined you’d stoop so low as to frame me.”

Yes, Sheng Zhi Wan must have tortured Zhang Da Hu privately, forcing him to falsely accuse her. Meng Yang felt certain she had found a lifeline, looking pleadingly to Qi Shu Xian.

Sheng Zhi Wan merely smirked, indifferent. She turned to Qi Shu Xian. “Qian Ji Powder has no antidote? Perhaps Lord Heir should enlighten your beloved concubine.”

Meng Yang stared blankly.

Qi Shu Xian swallowed bitterly, finally grasping the gravity of the situation. If only he’d known the poison was Qian Ji Powder earlier, he could have intervened or at least silenced those who knew the truth.

Yet here, publicly, the truth emerged. He stared sharply at Sheng Zhi Wan. [She must be behind this! Why else would she appear here?]

He understood Sheng Zhi Wan disliked Meng Yang, but never imagined she’d expose her publicly, placing both Meng Yang and himself in such peril.

Meng Yang, sensing the shifting attitudes around her, gazed anxiously at Qi Shu Xian.

He finally exhaled deeply. “Qian Ji Powder was indeed incurable once. However, over twenty years ago, Elder Imperial Physician Song developed an antidote, and the Late Crown Prince made it widely known. Every healer in our Sheng Kingdom knows of this antidote.”

Meng Yang felt her breath freeze in her chest. [How…how could this be?]

Sheng Zhi Wan stepped forward calmly. “Though perhaps not every commoner knows, certainly every healer does. Yet Meng Concubine, who proclaimed herself skilled in medicine among our Imperial Army, didn’t know? Why, exactly, didn’t you know?”

“Could it be that you’re actually a spy sent from another kingdom?”