Chapter 1398: Chapter 1376 Poisoned 2
The Crown Prince walked straight to a multi-treasure shelf, reached out and picked up a colorful stone shaped like a rooster, then turned around and placed it on the desk before looking at Manbao.
Manbao was dumbfounded, how should she examine this?
Keke generously made a conclusion for her, "This is it."
The Crown Prince had already stepped back two paces, his face indifferent, "It’s only this one. Because I was in a bad mood, people below unknowingly presented jewels to try to cheer me up. This stone is natural; it doesn’t show during the day, but at night, when it’s dark, it glows."
He pointed to the green, red, and brown on it and said, "The colors of the light are different, and they look particularly beautiful when reflected together."
After carefully observing, Manbao said, "Indeed, beautiful things are always poisonous. My teacher truly wasn’t wrong."
The Crown Princess pulled the Crown Prince over anxiously and asked, "Is it, poisonous?"
Manbao nodded, "Correct, its glow is poisonous."
The Crown Princess doubted, "How could light cause poison?"
Manbao said, "Sunlight can tan a person, so visible light does affect the human body. It’s just that sunlight isn’t poisonous, while this light is, so when it shines on a person, it’s naturally poisonous."
The Crown Prince’s face was solemn, and he asked, "What happens after prolonged exposure?"
Teacher Mo had already sent her the relevant data, and after skimming through it, Manbao said, "Probably it will slowly weaken the person until they inexplicably die."
The Crown Prince sneered, "Third is quite cruel."
The Crown Princess clung tightly to the Crown Prince and merely asked Manbao, "Doctor Zhou Junior, can it be treated?"
Manbao said, "I need to take this thing back to research."
The Crown Princess naturally understood, and the Crown Prince did not stop her.
Thus, the Crown Princess searched around and prevented the palace staff from entering, personally found a small box, and put the item in it.
Fearing its toxicity, she didn’t let the Crown Prince move it.
Manbao knew that it wouldn’t poison a person immediately, and she was quite interested in the item, so she moved it herself and took the opportunity to touch it well — it was particularly smooth and felt extraordinarily comfortable, probably polished by someone.
After sealing the box, Manbao coughed lightly and said, "Your Highness, could you give this to me once I’ve developed an antidote?"
The Crown Prince frowned, "This thing is poisonous. Why do you want it?"
Manbao said seriously, "Precisely because it’s poisonous, it shouldn’t remain in the world. I will find a way to destroy it, so it won’t cause harm again."
The Crown Prince looked at her skeptically, "You’re not secretly wanting to keep it because you think it’s valuable, are you?"
Manbao: "...Am I that kind of person? Comparing life with a stone that can’t be eaten or worn — isn’t life more precious?"
The Crown Prince thought it over and agreed, knowing Zhou Man was not someone to take such trivial actions.
Having closed the box, Manbao immediately said, "Then, your Highness, I’ll discuss the treatment plan with you and the Crown Princess. For the antidote, I’ll ponder it back home, and once I have results, I’ll come to the palace."
The Crown Princess felt uncomfortable in the room, worried there might be other toxic items yet undiscovered — mainly, the stone still lay in the box. Just thinking of its toxicity made her want to leave the room.
Therefore, she suggested, "Your Highness, shall we return to the legitimate wife’s quarters?"
The Crown Prince said nothing.
The Crown Princess held his arm while sobbing, "Your Highness, regardless of your plans, you must maintain your health; otherwise, wouldn’t you be fulfilling the desires of those people?"
Only then did the Crown Prince turn and put on his shoes, and the Crown Princess quickly retrieved a cloak from the ground to cover him.
The two left together.
Thinking of the cold outside, Manbao shivered, feeling cold for the Crown Prince.
But evidently, the Crown Prince did not mind, and he strode out the door after opening it, commanding Eunuch Wu waiting outside, "Seal the study; no one is allowed to enter. Those who defy this will be executed immediately."
Eunuch Wu bent low in compliance, not daring to raise his head.
He had heard the crashing sounds from inside earlier. Although the Crown Prince frequently smashed things lately, he remained anxious each time.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess walked arm in arm to the main quarters, while Manbao ran out from the study, giving Eunuch Wu a look as she passed.
Eunuch Wu shrank back, deciding not to follow them but instead watched the study door to ensure no one entered.
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess, with their long legs, walked quickly, requiring Manbao to run to keep up with them.
The palace staff in the Crown Princess’s quarters swiftly lit braziers, heating the room soon enough.
The Crown Prince shrugged off the cloak and threw it aside, sitting cross-legged on the wooden platform, while the Crown Princess received a cloth from a maid to wipe her face, then soaked a cloth in water to assist the Crown Prince with wiping his face and hands, especially scrubbing his hands until they turned red.
If those hands weren’t the Crown Prince’s, she might peel the skin right off.
The Crown Prince, feeling the discomfort, pulled his hand away, "I’ve even cuddled it to sleep over the past few days. Would you like to strip the skin off my chest too?"
Only then did the Crown Princess stop scrubbing, offering him a reassuring smile, and passed the cloth back to a maid, softly instructing, "You all retire, shut the door, and withdraw far away."
Manbao, having absent-mindedly grabbed a piece of snack at some point, immediately said, "Bring another set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. I want to write something."
The maid glanced at the Crown Princess, who nodded lightly, allowing them to retire.
Shortly, two maids brought a set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and, after bowing and retreating, softly shut the door.
Manbao redid the Crown Prince’s pulse checking and prescribed him a new formula, "Let’s not do acupuncture now; wait until I’ve made the antidote. Meanwhile, I’ll explain the procedure to you."
She said, "After detoxifying, I’ll perform acupuncture for you every other day. You must abstain from indulgence, avoiding alcohol and marital activities. Wait until I give the go-ahead for cohabitation."
Then addressing the Crown Princess, "I’ll also prescribe you a formula to regulate health and prepare for pregnancy."
The Crown Prince stared intensely at Manbao, slightly frowning, "Why do I feel like you know how to neutralize that poison? How can you be so certain you can find a cure?"
Manbao hesitated momentarily, considering various reasons, then responded earnestly, "Your Highness, I can’t tell you, but I have a strong confidence in creating an antidote."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince did not further inquire, and with a wave of his hand, dismissed it.
Manbao then diligently informed them of precautions to take during this period, fearing they’d forget, writing them down to hand a thick stack of paper to the Crown Princess.