On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Mingzhao stared at the top of the tent with his eyes open, unable to sleep all night.

Images of an empty coffin in a desolate forest, a black-clad man's gleaming blade, and several cold arrows piercing straight into one's heart flashed repeatedly through his mind.

Even the slight numbness from the lingering poison in her body prevented her from resting.

She turned to the side, thinking of Yan Ruyu.

If Yan Ruyu were here, she certainly wouldn't have backed down just because she was ambushed and poisoned.

She has always been meticulous and tenacious. As long as there is a clue, she will follow it to the end and never let something unclear be left unresolved.

How could I possibly back down?

Mingzhao let out a soft sigh, having made up her mind.

The death of Su, the ambush in the desolate forest, and the disappearance of the corpse must be thoroughly investigated.

The next morning, Mingzhao changed into ordinary clothes and applied light makeup.

Mu Chen came in from outside, carrying a bamboo food box containing prepared green rice dumplings.

"Princess, the green rice dumplings have arrived," Mu Chen said with a smile. "They're still warm, so hurry up and eat them!"

Princess Mingzhao opened the lid, and the qingtuan inside smelled fresh, with a green skin and red bean paste filling.

“This princess will not eat it. This was bought for Lady Su. The secret guards found out that Lady Su loved to eat this when she was alive.”

Mu Chen was taken aback: "What does the princess mean..."

Mingzhao said in a low voice, "Go to the He residence as Su's cousin."

She looked down at her outfit: "Does it still look like me?"

“The princess’s attire is just like that,” Mu Chen replied.

Mingzhao took the food box: "Let's go to the He family's house."

The He family of Chongzhou is a well-known family of doctors in the area, and their mansion is located in Yaoxiang Lane in the south of the city.

Everyone knows if you ask around.

The alley is perpetually filled with the faint scent of herbs. The bluestone steps of the He family mansion are kept spotless, with two stone lions standing on either side, looking both ancient and solemn.

The servants at the gate were sitting idly in the gatehouse. When they saw Mingzhao and Muchen coming over, they immediately got up to greet them.

"Who are you two? What brings you here?"

Mingzhao raised her eyes and said in a gentle tone, "Young man, please announce my identity. I am the cousin of Madam Su, the first wife of the family. I have come from our hometown to visit my cousin."

Upon hearing this, the servant's expression changed instantly, a hint of panic flashed in his eyes, and the smile on his lips froze.

He stammered, "The First Madam's cousin?"

With the First Madam gone and everyone in the household in a state of panic, the sudden arrival of a relative from her maternal family is hardly a good thing.

“Indeed,” Mingzhao said, looking at him with a calm expression. “Please inform them quickly, I’m very tired from my journey here.”

The servants dared not delay or ask any more questions, and could only nod.

"Please wait a moment, I will go in and report right away."

After saying that, he turned and ran into the mansion.

At this moment, in the study of the inner courtyard of the He family mansion, several prescriptions filled with medicinal herbs were spread out on the table.

Mr. He sat at the table, pointing to the word "Astragalus" on the prescription, his brows furrowed slightly.

Master He stood to one side, holding a medicine manual in his hand, explaining the combination of the prescriptions to him.

“Father, this herb must be wild astragalus from Longxi to be effective. Ordinary astragalus from the market is too weak. It needs to be combined with angelica to have the effect of replenishing qi and blood,” Master He said in a steady voice.

Master He nodded, picked up his wolf-hair brush, and was about to make annotations on the prescription when he suddenly heard the hurried footsteps of servants outside the door.

A servant arrived at the gate, panting, and reported, "Master, Second Master, there's a young lady outside the gate. She says she's the First Madam's cousin and has come from her hometown to visit her!"

The study fell silent the moment those words were spoken.

Master He paused on the paper with his wolf-hair brush, the ink spreading into a small black blot. He looked up, his face full of astonishment.

"Su's cousin? Someone from her maternal family? Why did she suddenly appear?"

Since Su married into the He family, her family members have rarely visited.

Su married into a family from afar, her maiden home being hundreds of miles away from Chongzhou. They usually communicated only through letters and gifts during festivals. How could a cousin suddenly come to visit her?

Second Master He frowned, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes: "I've never heard my sister-in-law mention that a cousin was coming, and now she's suddenly showing up..."

Master He put down his writing brush, rubbed his temples, and looked worried.

The sudden visit from the Su family filled him with mixed emotions. Madam Su had died young and was pregnant with the eldest grandson of the He family. What should have been a joyous occasion had suddenly turned into a tragedy...

He was already feeling upset, and now that his wife's family had come, he was afraid he couldn't keep it a secret. But if he didn't see them, it would be impolite, since they were his in-laws after all.

He sighed, his voice tinged with weariness: "Well, since they say they're from her family, they're guests after all. Let the servants invite them in."

Upon seeing this, Second Master He immediately stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Father, you haven't been feeling well to begin with, and this matter concerning my sister-in-law has caused you great anxiety these past few days, making it difficult for you to eat or sleep. Please leave this matter to your son. You rest in the study, and I will go and take a look. There's no need to trouble you."

Mr. He was feeling sad and had no mind to deal with these things. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "Very well, go and handle it. Don't be disrespectful to the He family, and don't say anything more."

"I understand," Master He replied, turning and walking out of the study.

After Second Master He's figure disappeared at the door of the study, only Master He remained in the study.

He looked at the prescription on the table, at the dense list of medicinal herbs on the paper, and sighed heavily, his voice filled with sorrow and helplessness.

“What sins have we committed?” He raised his hand and pounded his chest, choking back tears. “My He family has practiced medicine for generations, upholding benevolence and opening clinics to provide free medical services, saving countless lives in and around the city.”

They never charge poor families a penny for medical treatment, and they never stand idly by in times of crisis.

In the end, he couldn't even protect his own son, nor could he save his pregnant daughter-in-law and unborn grandson...

Master He walked quickly to the gate of the mansion, stood on the bluestone steps, and looked Mingzhao up and down with a deep gaze.

The woman in front of him was dressed in a plain cloth dress, with a simple updo and gentle eyes. She looked like an ordinary woman. Behind her was a tall man with a straight back, slightly lowered eyes, and carrying a food box in his hand.

Master He spoke, his gaze scrutinizing: "The young lady claims to be my sister-in-law's cousin, but I have never heard my sister-in-law mention her, nor have I ever seen her. May I ask your name and where you come from?"

Mingzhao raised her eyes to meet his gaze, her expression remaining calm.

She had already memorized every detail of the Su family's background that her secret guards had uncovered.

"My name is Su Wan, and I come from Sujia Village," she said calmly, without the slightest hint of panic. "My cousin married far away in Chongzhou, which is a long way from our hometown. She has rarely returned home in recent years, and the elders in her family are worried about her health."

When my aunt heard that she was pregnant and about to give birth, she asked me to come and see her.

My cousin has only corresponded with her family for the years since she married into the family, sending gifts back home during festivals. None of her brothers and sisters have ever visited Chongzhou, so it's natural that my second uncle doesn't recognize me.