The Ming Dynasty's henchmen, working from nine to five

Chapter 33 Shadows and Thick Fog

Princess Jing'an was strikingly beautiful; she was by no means a delicate, frail beauty.

Having held a high position for a long time, when she got angry, her pretty face turned cold and her beautiful eyes were filled with murderous intent. She truly had a dignified and imposing presence that made people afraid to look directly at her.

Under her intense gaze, Pei Ci couldn't help but take a half step back, almost losing his composure as a master.

However, he quickly straightened his back and forced a calm tone, saying:

"Just now, the princess's maid rushed out to report that the princess had suddenly fallen into a deep sleep and was not conscious. Her whole body was ice-cold, and she did not respond no matter how much she was called. It was as if she had lost her soul."

"I am quick on my feet. I went to find a doctor first, and then came to inform the Princess immediately."

Upon hearing this, Princess Jing'an's expression softened, her tone became gentler, and she nodded, saying, "You're very kind. I'll go there now."

The maid said worriedly, "Your Highness, your health..."

Pei Ci thought for a moment and also advised, "The doctor should already be treating the princess. There's no need for the princess to be in such a hurry."

Princess Jing'an waved her hand, saying in an unquestionable tone, "In this world, Changning is the only family I have left."

"If anything happens to her, I cannot live on my own."

"Stop trying to persuade us, let's set off immediately!"

......

The group, surrounding Princess Jing'an, arrived at the East Courtyard Pavilion in a grand procession.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

"Greetings, Lord Shen!"

The guards greeted him respectfully with solemn expressions.

Princess Jing'an was anxious and had no mood to respond. She walked into the villa and asked urgently, "Has the doctor arrived yet?"

"I've heard that there's a doctor at Huichuntang who's extremely skilled at treating hysteria. Li Zhong, go and invite him here!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Manager Li accepted the order and left.

"Shen Lang, come inside with me!"

Princess Jing'an pulled Shen Lang towards Princess Changning's boudoir.

Logically speaking, the boudoir of an unmarried woman is the most private place, and not only men, but even women with whom one does not have a close relationship should not casually step into it.

However, Princess Jing'an was already unwell, and coupled with her worry about Princess Changning's illness, her condition was extremely poor, and she could no longer care about these things.

After Shen Lang arrived at the Prince's Mansion, he effortlessly resolved several crises.

Now that this unexpected event has occurred, she instinctively thought of Shen Lang, even though he is not a doctor and does not know how to treat illnesses.

"Changning!"

As soon as the two entered the room, they saw Princess Changning hugging her knees, head down, huddled in the corner of the bed, trembling all over.

Princess Jing'an exclaimed in surprise, rushed over, embraced Princess Changning, patted her back, and whispered:

"Don't be afraid, Mother is here."

However, Princess Changning seemed not to hear her and did not react at all.

Princess Jing'an panicked, forcefully separating her arms, cupping her face in her hands, and saying in a tearful voice, "Changning, what's wrong with you? Don't scare your mother!"

As Shen Lang approached, his brows furrowed deeply upon seeing Princess Changning's current appearance.

Her once delicate and full red lips had completely lost their color, and were slightly parted, trembling incessantly.

His complexion was extremely abnormal, deathly pale with a hint of bluish light.

What troubled Shen Lang the most were her eyes.

Gray, empty, and without any light.

Compared to her usual radiant and star-like appearance, she was completely different at this moment.

The image of Princess Changning nodding slightly to him with a bright smile flashed through Shen Lang's mind, and a surge of anger inexplicably welled up in his heart!

He glanced at the terrified maidservant by the bedside, a barely perceptible crimson glint flashing in his eyes, and asked in a deep voice:

"When did the princess become like this?"

The maid's voice trembled as she said, "Reporting to my lord, the princess was fine when she woke up this morning, but after breakfast, she suddenly said she felt unwell and wanted to go back to bed."

"I thought it was because the princess hadn't rested well last night and was a little tired, so I didn't pay much attention and went out to tend to the flower beds myself."

"When I returned, the princess was unresponsive to any attempts to wake her."

"Then, just now, the princess suddenly sat up, curled up in the corner like a lost soul, didn't say a word, and her body was trembling uncontrollably, as if..."

"It seems like they're afraid of something!"

"Fear?"

Shen Lang looked into her eyes and asked again, "What happened last night? Tell me in detail."

The maid composed herself and spoke quickly, "At midnight, while the princess was sleeping, Steward Li suddenly came and said that thieves had broken into the mansion and that we should return to the boudoir immediately."

"Then, Chunying and I packed our things and left the villa with the princess."

Shen Lang interrupted, "Is it just the three of you? Where are the guards?"

The maid slapped her forehead and hurriedly said, "Yes, there are guards!"

"Last night, Fu'an and Shun'an were in charge of keeping watch at the villa. They led more than twenty guards to escort the princess."

Shen Lang turned his head and said to the servants waiting outside, "Tell all the people she mentioned to go to the flower hall and wait. I have questions for them later."

"Yes, Lord Shen!"

"Go on, tell me, on the way back to the boudoir from the villa, was there anything unusual?"

The maidservant thought carefully, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "When we passed by the lotus garden, the princess said she saw a huge black shadow, surrounded by thick fog, which flashed past the wall!"

"A dark figure, mist?"

Shen Lang's gaze sharpened, and his expression immediately became extremely serious.

On the night Huang Cuier was murdered, her grandmother also said she saw a thick fog.

Could it be that ghost has come to the Prince's mansion?!

Shen Lang frowned and said, "Why didn't you say something so important earlier?!"

The maidservant said tremblingly, "Reporting to my lord, it was reported immediately, and Minister Pei even personally led people to investigate."

"After looking around, he said there was nothing unusual and asked the princess if she had made a mistake."

"At this moment, Sister He Xiang came to deliver a message, saying that the matter of the thief was a hoax. It was just that the princess was poisoned by eating mushrooms and had strange visions, which was not true."

"The princess also drank mushroom soup that night, so everyone assumed that the princess had been poisoned like the princess consort, and dared not linger any longer, and hurriedly went to find a doctor."

Shen Lang turned his head again and ordered outside, "Have He Xiang, Pei Ci, the physician, and all the guards and servants who were near the Lotus Garden at the time, all wait in the flower hall."

"No one is allowed to step out without my permission!"

"Yes, Lord Shen!"

After making the arrangements, Shen Lang continued, "Did the doctor say anything after examining you?"

The maid shook her head: "The doctor said that the princess only drank a few sips of mushroom soup and is fine. She was only given acupuncture, and was not allowed to take any medicine."

Recalling the dark shadows and thick fog the princess had seen, Shen Lang frowned again and asked:

"Has the princess consulted the physician about the strange phenomenon she witnessed?"

The maid said, "The doctor said that the princess's symptoms worsened because she ate a lot of mushrooms, which is why she saw a group of little people."

"The princess ate little, so the poison was less potent, and all she saw was a dark shadow."

"These are normal symptoms after poisoning. There is no cure, and you don't need to worry about them. Just sleep it off, and you'll be fine tomorrow."