The night deepened, and all was silent.
A faint sound reached him, and Ye Qing opened his eyes, rose, and entered the inner room. He saw Nan Gongyu sitting by Xiao Man's bedside.
"What happened?"
Ye Qing slowly shook his head, "I'm not sure. With her immunity to all poisons, she shouldn't have been poisoned. Yet, not only is she poisoned, but her body is also extremely weak. If I hadn't been here today, I fear she would have already perished."
A glint of killing intent flashed in Nan Gongyu's eyes, "Was it really Old Madam Xiao who poisoned her?"
"The poison she administered could not harm Xiao Man at all. However, the poison in Xiao Man's body was unintentionally triggered by her," Ye Qing said softly. "This general's manor is more complex than it appears. You might want to investigate the people around Old Madam Xiao."
"It's too late," Nan Gongyu said in a low voice. "Xiao Zhen has executed all the maids and servants attending Old Madam Xiao. Only one wet nurse, who was sent to Cangzhou to fetch someone, survived. But this person likely knows nothing."
Ye Qing frowned, "For this person to cause Xiao Man's poisoning, the mastermind behind it must know her physical condition inside and out..."
"No matter what method you use, you must wake her up," Nan Gongyu whispered, stroking Xiao Man's face. "Silly girl, don't sleep too soundly, don't make me worry too much. Wake up soon. Yun Qi is acting strangely, and you'd be interested. Wake up quickly, don't keep me waiting."
"Rest assured, I will do my utmost."
"As for the one who tried to harm her, no matter how deeply they hide, I will drag them out and tear them to shreds!"
Xiao Man's sudden coma and continued unconsciousness sent Xiao Zhen into a panic. He even summoned imperial physicians to the general's manor. However, after examining her, they all shook their heads, declaring her beyond saving and that the general's manor should prepare for the funeral.
Xiao Zhen's face turned as black as soot. He ushered the imperial physicians out of the manor, his expression as grim as a stepmother's, as if everyone owed him a million taels of silver and refused to pay.
Chu Qingge visited daily, but Xiao Man remained unresponsive. Her pulse was weak and erratic, the imperial physicians were helpless, and even Ye Qing didn't know what else to do.
Wen Mohan rushed into the general's manor. He had been busy at the Hanlin Academy, tasked by His Majesty to rewrite historical records, and had not returned home. If not for a slip of the tongue by a colleague at the Hanlin Academy, he would not have known about Xiao Man's unconscious state.
"Young Master Wen."
"How is Man'er?" Wen Mohan walked directly into the room, his movements practiced, as if he were intimately familiar with the layout of Xiao Man's chambers.
"She has not yet woken."
Wen Mohan sat by the bed, gazing at the unconscious, pale-faced Xiao Man, his eyes reddening. "What did the imperial physicians say?"
"The imperial physicians can't discern anything."
"What exactly happened? How could a healthy person fall into a coma so suddenly?" Wen Mohan's voice was unusually sharp.
Ying Xue was startled. The matter of the old madam poisoning her own granddaughter was a family affair and could not be revealed to Wen Mohan, so she chose silence.
Wen Mohan understood there was a hidden reason, but the people in the general's manor would not tell him. And his own attendants dared to disobey him, keeping him in the dark? They truly did not hold him in any regard.
"Man'er, I'm sorry. Am I that useless? I'm the last to know when something happens to you." Wen Mohan clasped Xiao Man's hand, a strong thought surging in his heart: he wanted to marry Xiao Man, keep her under his watchful eye, and protect her, so that no one would ever harm her again!
"Young Master Wen, please don't blame yourself. This was our oversight."
Wen Mohan's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. This implied that Xiao Man's predicament was related to someone within the general's manor. Who could it be?
The information he had was severely limited.
"How can Man'er be woken up?"
"The antidote has been administered, and the poison is resolved. It's just that for some reason, she won't wake up," Qiu Tong said, wiping away tears, her voice choked with sobs.
Poison, poisoned!
Man'er was proficient in medicine; ordinary poisons couldn't affect her, unless the poisoner was someone she was familiar with!
Wen Mohan looked at Xiao Man's pale face, his heart aching. When he was unconscious, Xiao Man had whispered in his ear, urging him to wake up quickly. But now that Xiao Man was unconscious, could he do nothing?
Wen Mohan placed Xiao Man's hand on his face. "Man'er, please wake up soon. The plum blossoms in Chunxi Garden have bloomed, and they are especially beautiful. When you wake up, I'll go admire them with you."
Seeing this scene, the maids all retreated, leaving only Ying Xue to guard the room, just in case. After all, Xiao Man was completely defenseless at this moment.
"Last year, I collected a jar of morning dew. This year, it's perfect for brewing plum blossom tea – fragrant and refreshing, ideal for drinking this time of year. Oh, and your elder brother will be back soon. He dotes on you the most, surely you wouldn't want him to see you like this and be sad?"
However, the person on the bed showed no movement, continuing to sleep soundly, like an exquisite porcelain doll, devoid of life.
"Man'er, the you I know has always been spirited and resilient, kind and cheerful. You wouldn't want to sleep like this forever, would you?" Wen Mohan said softly. "It's alright, no matter how long you sleep, I will wait for you."
"Doctor Ye." Ye Qing arrived to administer acupuncture to Xiao Man. Seeing Wen Mohan sitting by the bed, a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes, though he quickly concealed it.
"Miss Ying Xue, I'm here to give the young lady acupuncture."
Wen Mohan wiped his tears and immediately made way. "Doctor Ye, what exactly caused Man'er's coma? When will she wake up?"
"When a doctor is treating a patient, any disturbance is strictly forbidden. If I am distracted and misplace a needle, it could be fatal!"
Wen Mohan's expression changed. "It was my impropriety. Please forgive me, Doctor Ye."
With that, Wen Mohan stood aside, no longer speaking, watching Ye Qing perform acupuncture on Xiao Man. After the treatment, Xiao Man remained lying quietly, showing no signs of improvement.
"Doctor Ye, when will Miss wake up?"
Ye Qing shook his head. "She has a special constitution. Her pulse is currently chaotic, and I can only temporarily guide it with silver needles. When she will wake up, it will be up to fate after all efforts have been made."
Ying Xue frowned. The plan she had meticulously laid out had gone awry somewhere. The young lady had fallen into a coma and wouldn't wake up. Yet, the antidote had been administered, and coupled with her immunity to poisons, she shouldn't have been in danger. But something had gone wrong, and they still hadn't figured out the source of the problem.
"Man'er will be alright," Wen Mohan said, attempting to comfort. "She will definitely wake up."
Ye Qing looked at Wen Mohan. As the son of Prime Minister Wen, Wen Mohan possessed noble status. He showed no anger at Ye Qing's sharp words, instead apologizing readily. This man possessed extraordinary patience. The Prince was truly unlucky to have such a rival!