Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

Xie Qingli's eyes flashed coldly. It was truly despicable that the royal family was bullying others by abusing their power. Thinking of the empress dowager's harsh and sinister face, she felt a surge of disgust. But Miaoxin Hall was her life's work, and she was unwilling to abandon it.

While she was pondering, Chu Yuncang hurried over. He glanced into the wing room and asked in a low voice, "Li'er, how is Xuan'er?"

Xie Qingli replied softly, "Your Highness, don't worry. The princess's fever has subsided. She will be fine after a night of rest."

Chu Yuncang's expression relaxed slightly. He caught a glimpse of Steward Chen, who was waiting nearby, and his eyes darkened. He took a step forward, his gentle voice carrying a rare solemnity: "Is Li'er worried about entering the palace?"

Without waiting for her to reply, he lowered his voice and continued, "The Empress Dowager has been...going even crazier lately. She has already dispatched several groups of secret guards to search for the whereabouts of Taoist Priests Lingxu and Wuyou."

At this point, his brow furrowed. "These days, palace maids have been secretly executed almost every day in the Cining Palace. My people have secretly examined the corpses... and found that their hearts... had been hollowed out."

Xie Qingli's pupils suddenly constricted. The Queen Mother went to such great lengths to find Master and Senior Brother, surely it was Ling Xuan's body-swapping technique! Fortunately, Senior Brother Wuyou had already left the capital. And those palace maids' hearts... could it be that the Queen Mother...

She suppressed the nausea that was surging in her chest, and when she looked up, she met Chu Yuncang's deep eyes.

Chu Yuncang nodded slightly, a trace of pain and disgust flashing in his eyes. After a moment of silence, he whispered, "This pool of muddy water is too deep. It's better for Li'er not to get involved."

Xie Qingli's eyes flickered. How could she not know Chu Yuncang's concerns? The imperial palace was now a dangerous place. The Empress Dowager was mad, the Emperor's health was deteriorating, and various forces were ready to make a move. Tonight's assassination was only the first curtain raised in the struggle for the throne.

Chu Yuncang wanted to protect her under his wings, but how could Xie Qingli be a caged bird? Since she was his ally, how could she just be a spectator hiding behind others?

As her eyes moved, she suddenly smiled, a sly glint flashing in her eyes: "Your Highness, since the Queen Mother is determined to invite me, a miracle doctor, why don't we go along with it and give her a good 'treatment', so that she won't harm innocent palace maids again."

Upon hearing this, Chu Yuncang's eyes lit up with a helpless yet doting smile. He reached out and gently stroked the scattered hair on her temples, saying softly, "If Li'er insists on going... I have a foolproof plan to protect you. Just follow your heart."

Xie Qingli raised the corners of his lips slightly, turned to Steward Chen and said, "When we go back to the palace, tell them that Young Master Wuwang must come to the palace on time tomorrow to treat the Queen Mother."

After Manager Chen took his orders and left, she noticed the weariness evident on Chu Yuncang's face, and she couldn't help but soften her voice, "Did those assassins tonight... leave any traces?"

A cold glint flashed in Chu Yuncang's eyes. "Twenty-eight assassins, all committed suicide by taking poison, their bodies are very clean. This group of people dared to assassinate the prince at the foot of the imperial city, clearly slapping my father in the face. I'm afraid it will stir up a storm..."

……

Dongling Imperial Palace, Cining Palace.

Xie Qingli entered the palace as a hopeless young man, only to find the empress dowager leaning on the phoenix couch, looking even more haggard than the last time they met. Her cloudy eyes swelled with unresolved resentment, and the entire chamber was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere.

In the center of the hall, five or six Taoists knelt, their robes soaked with sweat, trembling uncontrollably. The empress dowager pointed a finger like a withered claw at them and roared, "A bunch of swindlers! Drag them away, give each thirty strokes of the cane, and throw them out of the palace!"

The guards filed in and dragged out the pale-faced Taoists like dead dogs.

The empress dowager's cloudy eyes slowly shifted, her sinister gaze sweeping across the palace like a venomous snake. Instantly, the palace maids held their breath and lowered their heads in fear. Several young maids cowered behind the gilded pillars, their bodies trembling like sieves.

Xie Qingli felt a chill in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face. She calmly stepped forward and bowed, then took the empress dowager's skinny wrist, but her fingertips paused imperceptibly.

The pulse beneath his finger was weak and disordered, flickering like a candle in the wind. If it weren't for the countless precious medicines in the palace, a pulse like this would have already killed an ordinary person...

She frowned in thought, then picked up her pen and wrote down the prescription. The Queen Mother took it and saw that it contained only some common tonic herbs. She was instantly enraged and threw the prescription to the ground, shouting, "Quack! I need a remedy that can bring me back to life, and you're giving me this?"

The palace maids in the hall were so frightened that they all knelt down with their foreheads pressed to the ground, not daring to even breathe.

Xie Qingli calmly picked up the prescription and said calmly, "Your Majesty, please understand. The phoenix body is precious, so we must take our time. These herbs may seem ordinary, but they are the best choice for strengthening the body and replenishing the vital energy."

She paused briefly, her voice growing clearer. "As for those so-called panaceas, they're nothing more than a temporary solution. While they may brighten one's spirits for a while, they're actually overdrawing one's lifespan and aren't a wise choice."

A terrifying glint suddenly flashed from the Queen Mother's cloudy eyes, and she said anxiously, "I want that magical elixir that can bring people back to life! Just prescribe the prescription, and there's no need to say anything else!"

Xie Qingli's eyes flickered slightly, and he took a half step back in fear: "This... I, a humble doctor, have always prescribed only to cure illnesses and save lives. This kind of poisonous medicine..."

"How dare you!" The Queen Mother slammed the table, shattering the teacup on it. The flickering candlelight cast a strange shadow on her hideous face, making her look like a ghost seeking revenge.

Xie Qingli fell to her knees with a thud, her voice trembling: "I...I do know a miraculous recipe, but..." She looked around hesitantly, her eyes full of worry.

The Queen Mother immediately understood and waved her withered hand: "Everyone, get out of here!"

After the last crack of the palace door closed, Xie Qingli carefully took out a gilded brocade box from his arms and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I have obtained three 'Rejuvenation Pills' by chance. Taking them can make people look radiant and energetic, but..."

The Queen Mother leaned forward, her greedy and fiery eyes glued to the brocade box: "But what? Tell me!"

Xie Qingli lowered his voice, "It's just that... this medicine has a peculiar feature. The person who takes it needs to accumulate good karma and be kind-hearted. The more generous and charitable one is, the better the effect. Otherwise... at best, it can cause sleepless nights, and at worst... it can cause a host of inner demons that can backfire on one's body."

The Queen Mother's eyes were filled with disbelief. This medicine was even more mysterious than Ling Xuan's sorcery. She angrily retorted, "Absurd! How can a mere pill tell the good from the evil in a person's heart?"

Xie Qingli was not hurried and said in a gentle voice: "Your Majesty, please understand. If you still have doubts...it won't work even if you take it." As he said this, he made a gesture to take back the brocade box.

A cold glint flickered in her lowered eyes. This "Rejuvenation Pill," a modified version of her hallucinogenic pills, incorporated Lingxuan's Yuan-Rejuvenating Pill. Using mandala as a catalyst, it was known for inspiring the deepest fears in people. The distinction between good and evil was merely...an interesting pretext.

"Wait!" The Queen Mother's expression shifted. She had tried so hard to find a way to prolong her life, but to no avail. Now, the opportunity was right before her... But thinking of the countless evil deeds she had committed over the years, she hesitated and asked, "What if... the person who took the medicine was not a good person? Is there any way to reverse it?"