An Lingrong is reborn to live for herself.

An Lingrong did not speak, but turned her head slightly to signal Shuangxue, and then handed the two opened brocade pouches to Qin Fang.

Qin Fang bowed and accepted it, then smelled it, his brow furrowing slightly. He then took a little powder from the medicine box, rubbed it lightly between his thumb and forefinger, and smelled it as well.

He seemed to have made some judgment, but then shook his head slightly, as if he was held back by some thought.

After a long pause, he spoke again, asking, "Your Highness, I do have some clues, but in my opinion, this sachet alone is not enough. I would like to trouble the two ladies and Consort Jing to think about it again. Has anything changed recently?"

When An Lingrong and Zhen Huan met, they both fell into deep thought.

Aside from the epidemic, the only other thing lately seems to be Shen Meizhuang's affair at Xianfu Palace.

Consort Jing, however, seemed to have thought of something and said weakly, "If there is anything different, the incense sent by the Imperial Household Department a while ago has been replaced."

Seeing that Consort Jing was weak, Hanzhu, who was beside her, patted Consort Jing's back and said, "The incense used for fumigation in the palace is all made by ourselves. We get all kinds of incense from the Imperial Household Department and mix them ourselves."

However, due to the recent outbreak of epidemics, when the maid and Sister Ruyi went to the Imperial Household Department to collect spices at the beginning of the month, the department specially removed several commonly used woody spices and refused to allow them to collect them.

It was said that the Imperial Hospital had instructed that this epidemic was caused by wind-evil, which tends to spread from the surface to the interior. Therefore, they ordered that when preparing spices, the palace staff should avoid using pungent spices to prevent disturbing the body's blood and qi, thus creating an opening for the epidemic to spread.

Upon hearing this, An Lingrong was slightly taken aback. How could the method have been used in the fragrance? She herself loved making fragrances, yet she hadn't noticed at all this time.

Upon hearing this, Qin Fang nodded slightly, as if this was exactly what he had guessed. He then said to Hanzhu, "I would like to trouble Miss Hanzhu to bring some of the incense that I prepared today and some of the incense from the incense burner so that I may distinguish them again."

Upon hearing this, Hanzhu didn't delay. She immediately went back to the inner hall to fetch incense, then used a thin-handled copper spoon to scoop some powder from the incense burner, placed it on a plain handkerchief, and handed it to Qin Fang.

Qin Fang took the powder, crushed the two powders, dipped his index finger in each powder, smelled them under his nose, and then put them down, his brows furrowing.

After a long pause, Qin Fang bowed and said, "Your Highness, I roughly know what kind of poison Consort Jing was poisoned with, and how she was poisoned."

An Lingrong glanced at Zhen Huan and Consort Jing's expressions, and seeing that the two had nothing else to say, she nodded and allowed Qin Fang to continue.

Qin Fang straightened up slightly and said, "Has Your Highness ever heard of a poison called Peony Intoxication?"

An Lingrong sighed, thinking that Qin Fang was always very scholarly and meticulous in his work. She was afraid he would show off again. So she tried to control her temper and said, "How would we know such things? Doctor Qin, please continue."

Qin Fang understood An Lingrong's implied meaning, but he was not annoyed. Instead, he continued, "Please do not be anxious, Your Highness. I hope you will allow me to explain in detail."

This poison is called Peony Intoxication, which originated from a variety of peony flower brought from the Western Regions in the early Tang Dynasty. At that time, nobles in Chang'an enjoyed cultivating and appreciating peonies, so merchants from the Western Regions used wine to cultivate them, resulting in a new variety called Peony Intoxication.

This peony, known as the "Drunken Peony," has petals tinged with a faint purple. From bud to full bloom, the purple hue gradually spreads. However, the flower is not entirely purple; rather, it has a delicate purple tinge amidst its vibrant pink. Furthermore, the peony's petals are intricately layered when it blooms, making it appear exceptionally luxurious.

However, peonies cultivated in this way have a very short flowering period, lasting only one to two days before withering. Once past their peak bloom, the entire flower, along with its stem, leans to one side, resembling a shy, tipsy young girl.

Although the flower's blooming period is short, from bud formation to withering and falling, each stage has its unique and worthwhile moments of appreciation. Therefore, it became extremely popular among the nobility of Chang'an, enjoying immense popularity for a time.

An Lingrong nodded slightly, but her long eyebrows were raised slightly, clearly indicating her urgency.

Zhen Huan, though anxious, knew that Qin Fang was a man who knew what was important, so she gently placed her hand on An Lingrong's hand to comfort her.

An Lingrong saw the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, revealing a knowing smile, but inwardly she couldn't help but sigh.

Qin Fang continued, "Later, the Hu people discovered that the method of cultivating peonies could not only nourish the flowers, but also nourish people."

Upon hearing this, An Lingrong was startled, as if she had thought of something, and a sense of unease rose in her heart.

Then Qin Fang said, "But this method of nourishing people is not the kind of nourishing and replenishing method we usually talk about. It is the method of conditioning girls in brothels."

Upon hearing this, Zhen Huan's face turned pale. Looking at Consort Jing, she saw tears welling up in her eyes and her breathing becoming heavy.

An Lingrong had a vague feeling that what Qin Fang was going to say was similar to what she had guessed, but she still tried to calm herself down and said, "Sisters, please don't get angry. Let's hear what Physician Qin has to say."

He then raised his hand again, signaling Qin Fang to continue.

Qin Fang bowed and continued, "It is said that brothels often buy and sell respectable girls. If a girl who has been sold there refuses to submit, the madam usually uses two methods to discipline her: beating her or starving her."

However, such methods are bound to suffer losses in the end. If a girl is accidentally left with a scar or develops an illness from hunger, it will inevitably affect her ability to meet customers in the future.

So another method was devised: to use medicine to subdue the girl.

An Lingrong had heard the old women in her family mention this when they were chatting back home. It was an extremely despicable method, not only used in brothels, but also by wealthy landlords and gentry who would often hire slave traders to use tricks on the girls if they took a fancy to one.

Thinking of this, An Lingrong could hardly contain her resentment, but she tried her best to remain calm as she asked, "Imperial Physician Qin, is what you've said related to the situation inside Xianfu Palace?"

Qin Fang nodded slightly and bowed, saying, "In my opinion, the poison that Consort Jing has been poisoned with is Peony Intoxication."

However, the dosage was small, and a slow-acting method was used, which is why it took so long for Consort Jing to show symptoms. These symptoms were ambiguous and difficult to detect, thus delaying diagnosis.