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As dawn broke, Lin Zhiqing finally closed her eyes, though sleep eluded her. Instead, she spent the time organizing the information she had gathered in her mind.
Before long, she stepped out of her room.
Seeing her emerge, Jiang Liuyun's eyes filled with concern: "Qing'er, how did you rest last night?"
"Everything's fine," Lin Zhiqing replied with a smile.
"I have some high-quality ginseng. Father said your health is weak and you need to build it up. I'll have someone send it over later," Jiang Liuyun said, his expression earnest.
Lin Zhiqing sighed softly: "If I can make it through these three days safely, I'll be sure to thank you properly."
At the mention of the three-day deadline, everyone was reminded of Lin Zhiqing's confrontation with Lin Congli in the main hall, and the atmosphere grew tense.
Sensing the awkwardness, Lu Nanyue patted Lin Zhiqing's shoulder: "Where should we start? We're all at your disposal today."
Lin Zhiqing's eyes flickered. She had already thought this through last night. To solve the problem, she needed to start with the source.
In this entire incident, there were only two victims: the original owner and her cousin.
Since she couldn't consult the original owner, her only option was to start with her cousin.
Her clues were limited, and Bi Luo, the maid, was tight-lipped. According to Aunt Mu, the Lin family had interrogated her all night but still hadn't gotten any useful information.
Her first goal was to find out more from her cousin's personal maid, and her second was to determine exactly what poison her cousin had been given.
Lin Zhiqing shared her thoughts, and everyone agreed.
With their objectives clear, they headed to Lin Yangyang's courtyard.
Lin Zhiqing brought Aunt Mu along.
Although Aunt Mu had already given her a basic rundown of the Lin family, Lin Zhiqing might still struggle to match names to faces on her own.
Moreover, when it came to dealing with the maids and servants, having Aunt Mu—who had been with the Lin family for decades—by her side would save her a lot of trouble.
Jiang Liuyun, Lu Huai, and Lin Shi'an quickly fell into step, observing their surroundings with heightened vigilance.
Their presence soon caught the attention of the Lin family servants, but no one dared to comment.
Before long, they arrived at Lin Yangyang's courtyard.
The number of guards here was several times greater than elsewhere, clearly indicating Lin Congli's concern for his daughter.
As they approached the entrance, a round-faced maid with almond-shaped eyes emerged, carrying a basin of water.
Seeing Lin Zhiqing and the others, she was momentarily stunned, then glared at Lin Zhiqing before turning back inside.
Lin Zhiqing exchanged a quick glance with Aunt Mu before looking away.
Based on Aunt Mu's earlier explanation, this maid was likely Xiao Cui, Lin Yangyang's personal maid.
Lin Zhiqing understood that Xiao Cui was blaming her for what had happened to Lin Yangyang, hence the lack of decorum. She decided not to make an issue of it.
Lin Shi'an, however, frowned slightly and led the way inside.
Soon, they heard Xiao Cui's voice greeting them. Whatever Lin Shi'an said, by the time Lin Zhiqing and Lu Nanyue entered, Xiao Cui's eyes were red, and she bowed respectfully.
Lin Zhiqing raised her hand: "It's fine, Xiao Cui. How is my cousin doing?"
Xiao Cui's lips turned down: "Miss Zhiqing, my lady hasn't woken up yet."
"Take me and Nanyue to see her," Lin Zhiqing said, her voice calm.
Xiao Cui glanced at Lin Shi'an, and when he didn't object, she led them to the inner chamber.
Lin Shi'an followed closely behind, with Lin Zhiqing and Lu Nanyue bringing up the rear.
Jiang Liuyun and Lu Huai stationed themselves at the door, keeping a watchful eye outside.
As they walked, Lin Zhiqing subtly observed her surroundings.
"Master Shi'an, the family physician stayed here all night and examined the corn cakes again..." Xiao Cui led Lin Shi'an to the bedside and briefed him on Lin Yangyang's condition. "The physician said there's no poison in the corn cakes. The poison my lady ingested didn't come from them."
Everyone looked surprised at this revelation.
Lin Zhiqing, however, furrowed her brows. Xiao Cui's words made it clear—the poison hadn't come from the corn cakes!
Lin Shi'an glanced at Lin Zhiqing before turning back to Xiao Cui: "What else?"
"Without knowing the source of the poison, the physician can't prescribe the right treatment," Xiao Cui said, shaking her head gently.
"Let me take a look," Lu Nanyue stepped forward, crouching slightly to take Lin Yangyang's pulse.
Xiao Cui moved to stop her but was halted by Lin Shi'an.
Lu Nanyue was skilled in medicine, and her expertise was widely recognized.
Although Lin Zhiqing had heard about this from Aunt Mu, seeing everyone in the room so accustomed to Lu Nanyue's examinations piqued her curiosity.
Before Lin Zhiqing could ponder further, Lu Nanyue's movement allowed her to get a clear look at Lin Yangyang's face.
Lin Yangyang had striking features, with phoenix eyes and willow-leaf eyebrows, giving her the appearance of a delicate beauty.
Her face was pale, but it didn't make her look frail. If one didn't know her condition, they might think she was merely asleep.
After a moment, Lu Nanyue withdrew her hand, her expression strange.
"Well?" Lin Shi'an asked first.
Lu Nanyue shook her head: "Her pulse is racing, as if she's been poisoned, but I can't tell what kind of poison it is."
At this, Xiao Cui and Lin Shi'an's expressions darkened.
"Where are the corn cakes?" Lu Nanyue asked Xiao Cui.
Xiao Cui's eyes held a hint of wariness, but under Lin Shi'an's gaze, she reluctantly went to the side room.
Soon, a plate of neatly cut corn cakes was placed before them. Perhaps due to repeated examinations, only a few pieces remained.
Lu Nanyue took a small piece, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and crushed it on the table.
She then placed the crumbs into a small vial.
Seeing that the liquid in the vial didn't turn black, she shook her head at Lin Zhiqing.
Lin Zhiqing understood—there was indeed no poison in the corn cakes.
After this, Lu Nanyue lifted Lin Yangyang's body: "I need to check if there are any symptoms on her body. Xiao Cui, help me support your lady."
As a woman, Lin Yangyang's body wouldn't have been examined by the male family physician.
But Lu Nanyue, being a woman herself, had no such restrictions.
Lin Shi'an turned his back, and though Xiao Cui hesitated, she helped Lu Nanyue roll up Lin Yangyang's sleeve.
The moment Lu Nanyue saw Lin Yangyang's arm, she gasped.
Lin Zhiqing followed her gaze and saw a dense rash spreading from Lin Yangyang's arm to her chest.
"Miss Nanyue, my lady's arms started swelling the day she fell unconscious, but it wasn't this severe. Has the poison worsened?" Xiao Cui bit her lip, her eyes red.
Lu Nanyue observed the rash closely, then touched it through the handkerchief.
Her brows furrowed, and she remained silent for a while.
This question had stumped her.
Strictly speaking, Lu Nanyue couldn't be sure if the swelling was caused by poison.
"The skin is swollen and slightly warm, and her pulse is too fast," Lu Nanyue said after some thought. "Xiao Cui, I'll give you a prescription for a cooling and anti-inflammatory medicine. Have someone fetch it from the Lu family pharmacy and apply it externally for now."
She then wrote out a prescription and handed it to Xiao Cui.
Lin Zhiqing added: "Compile a list of everything my cousin has eaten these past few days and give it to me."
Xiao Cui nodded and quickly sent someone to fetch the medicine.
With that done, they left the inner chamber.
Jiang Liuyun and Lu Huai, who had been waiting at the door, were surprised by how quickly they emerged and gathered around the table.
While Lu Nanyue described Lin Yangyang's symptoms to the men, Lin Zhiqing carefully examined the room's furnishings.
Since the physician hadn't found the source of the poison in the corn cakes, Lin Zhiqing suspected it might have been introduced elsewhere.
Perhaps in the incense, or on some object.
Or... on a person?