Poison Doctor Roaming the Martial World

Without hesitation, Yang Jianwu picked up a piece of braised bamboo shoots with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The crisp chewing sound and unique taste were both refreshing and delicate. She exclaimed, "It's so delicious. It's a pity that too many people don't know its value."

Seeing Yang Jianwu's satisfied expression as she ate, Puyang Xuan also picked up a bamboo shoot and put it in his mouth. The tender and juicy texture was unforgettable. "This tastes so delicious. How come I never knew that bamboo could be eaten before?"

Yang Jianwu corrected him, "It's bamboo shoots, which are bamboo shoots that haven't grown up yet. Once they grow bigger, they'll get old and you can't eat them like that. Mature bamboo shoots can be used to make wine, bamboo rice, or bamboo rice dumplings, which are all good choices."

Puyang Xuan's eyes lit up as if he had seen a treasure. "Jianwu, you know so much!"

Yang Jianwu ate happily, a little proudly, "That's right, I know a lot more, hehe."

The meal was a pleasant affair for both host and guests. Yang Jianwu spent the entire afternoon strolling around Shamen. He felt quite at ease in Shamen, where there were no rigid rules or oppressive powerful figures. Today, Puyang Xuan was the embodiment of a cheerful young man, to the point that occasionally one or two goofy assassins dared to joke around with Yang Jianwu and his companions.

There were many fruit trees in the palace. When Yang Jianwu arrived at the back garden, she saw that all the loquats on the trees were ripe but no one had picked them. She exclaimed how a pity that it was.

Pu Yangxuan explained from the side, "The Golden Pill Fruit has small flesh and many pits, so it tastes pretty good, but it's troublesome to eat."

Yang Jianwu shook her head. "Ignorance is terrible. Come on, let me explain it to you. This golden pill is also called loquat. It is cool in nature and sweet in taste. It has the effects of moisturizing the lungs, relieving cough, and resolving phlegm. It can be soaked in wine, cooked with other fruits to make various sweet soups, or made into loquat syrup. It is good to eat it directly or mix it with water to drink."

Puyang Xuan held the loquat in his hand and twirled it around. He hadn't expected that such a small fruit would have so many uses. "Jianwu, let's take another look around. See if there's anything else edible in the Shamen. Let's not waste it."

Yang Jianwu shook her head vigorously, hugging a loquat tree tightly with both hands, saying, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll just pick loquats here this afternoon."

Pu Yangxuan was both amused and exasperated. "They're all yours. Nobody's going to take them from you."

Yang Jianwu happily climbed the tree, humming a tune.

"The courtyard is bustling with activity, the loquat trees are lush and green, where are you?"

Memories grow, longing blossoms, yet the heart remains desolate.

The familiar place remains the same, the old dreams remain the same, deep affection is yet fickle.

I am left alone, my fate uncertain, separated by life and death.

Puyang Xuan found the song very interesting, "What song are you singing? It's really nice."

"Just sing whatever comes to mind. Oh, and I'll find a few people to help peel the skins later." Yang Jianwu wasn't going to tell him what song it was; explaining it would be too much trouble.

This time, Zi Ping didn't need Yang Jianwu to tell her what to do; she went to borrow a bamboo basket herself. The servants in the palace also knew that the palace master had brought back a young lady from outside, and they were very cooperative with their needs, afraid that they might not be able to take good care of her.

Looking at the basket full of loquats, Yang Jianwu rested her chin on her hand and pondered what she could do to make it last longer. Loquat syrup was definitely a must, as it keeps well and is good for the throat, so she could make a lot of it. She would also make some candied fruit, which would be a good snack. She would use the rest to make some sweet soup, which could be enjoyed by everyone in the palace to soothe their lungs.

Puyang Xuan had been with Yang Jianwu ever since she entered the palace. Now that she was making loquats in the kitchen, he couldn't help her, so he went to handle matters inside the palace.

In the palace gardens, Yuan Song reported to Puyang Xuan on the recent events in the palace. "The assassination attempt was carried out by court officials. As for who it was, we are still investigating. Elder Luo has been denying that Yao Ji was arranged by him. He only said that Yao Ji and Meng Ji were raised in the mansion since childhood and have not been in contact since they were sent here. He is unaware of the poisoning."

Puyang Xuan reverted to his usual bloodthirsty self, inspiring fear in all who beheld him. His voice was icy as he said, "Re-interrogate her. Bring Meng Ji along for torture as well. One of these two must be his illegitimate daughter."

"Also, if these old fogies dare to send anyone into the palace again, strip them all naked and send them back to their beds. If they want to send anyone to me, I'll make their homes miserable first, hmph!"

Yuan Song accepted the order, "Yes, Palace Master. There is one more thing. We have found out that the person who came to buy Ning Wang's life was Rui Wang's subordinate. After the assassination failed, Rui Wang did not send anyone else."

After discovering that Yang Jianwu was General Yang Boshan's daughter, Puyang Xuan paid close attention to her itinerary. Jianwu and Prince Ning were also acquainted, so how could he harm her friend?

"Send someone to return the deposit to Prince Rui's residence. From now on, we will not accept any assassination attempts against Prince Ning."

Puyang Xuan left after giving his instructions. He didn't want to be separated from Yang Jianwu for too long. He had finally managed to coax her here, so he had to take good care of her.

Inside the kitchen, Zi Ping groaned, "Miss, how much longer do we have to stir? My hands are so sore!"

Yang Jianwu looked at the thick yellow liquid in the pot and rolled her eyes at Ziping, "It will take at least another half an hour."

"Half an hour? Miss, why don't you find a servant to help?" Zi Ping blinked her big eyes, looking at Yang Jianwu expectantly.

Yang Jianwu ignored her and continued sterilizing the jars in her hands. "Are you out of shape? Why don't you go back to the drawing board?"

"No, no, I'm not tired at all, really." Hearing that she was going to be sent back, Ziping dared not slack off anymore and continued to make loquat syrup.

Mu Jin couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Haha~ Miss, don't scare her. Zi Ping just doesn't like to mess around with food in the kitchen. If Qing Dai were here, she wouldn't even have a chance to lift a finger."

Upon hearing Qingdai's name, Yang Jianwu put down the jar and looked at the loquats simmering in the pot. "If Qingdai were here, I wouldn't need to stay in the kitchen at all. It's our first time visiting someone's palace, how can we act like the hostess and order people around? We should just do it ourselves... I miss Qingdai and Songyin so much. I wonder where they went and when they will be back?"

Inside a private room at the Flower Water Moon Pavilion in the capital, Qingdai rubbed her nose and continued writing the recipe, "Achoo! Who's thinking of me?"

Songyin, wiping her sword beside her, said, "Who else could it be? It must be Miss missing you."

Qingdai and Songyin received the news that Yang Jianwu had brought Mujin and Ziping to the capital. The two of them followed closely behind. Yang Jianwu had been living in the palace, so they couldn't go in and could only wait for news in Huashuiyuefang. At this time, they didn't know that they had missed Yang Jianwu again.

"Let's go out for a stroll after we finish writing this. It's been a long time since we went shopping. Let's go to Suyan Pavilion to pick out some new lipsticks, and then to Jubaozhai to choose some hairpins. What do you think?" Songyin also wanted to see the happy Qingdai from before and was trying to find a way to cheer her up.

Qingdai understood perfectly well, and replied with a smile, "Alright, I'll be done soon, just wait a little longer."

Song Yin smiled gently; such a sweet smile was exactly what Qingdai should have.