From high on the roof tops in the Yan mansion, Wei Rongxie squinted his eyes to see better what was taking place under the pavilion. The second prince was dressed in black active wear, to assist in his unusual activities. He heard the loud voice, what appeared to be an old woman, and then moments later, screaming. His first reaction was to hurry to the scene and offer help, but he remebered that he was there as an univited observer only.
He watched as servants rushed into the shaded enviroment and guests all came to their feet. Moments later, two maids assisted a young lady down the steps from the pavilion, the girl clearly unconscious. She wore a light green dress and exotic head cover and veil, she must've been an entertainer to dress in such a way. Rongxie guessed that the girl had fainted or fallen while preparing to perform. He wasn't sure because he'd arrived only moments before and didn't know what had taken place previously.
"Mother!"
Rongxie saw madam Yan walking briskly after the maids and the girl, while the young lady he recognized as Yan Shi, followed behind her. He wondered what made the lady of the mansion so concerned for the well-being of someone unrelated. He guessed it must have been the kindness the woman had become known for in the capital.
The next person to walk out from under the pavilion, though, was none other than his younger sister, Tan'er. The girl smirked and snuffed her shoulder in the direction of the women as they rushed away. Rongxie frowned at his sister's arrogent and selfish actions, feeling almost ashamed of her.
"Eunuch Ping, hurry to Shang Mansion and see what's keeping brother Qinglou." Her voice was haughty.
The eunuch bowed and motioned to a palace servant to follow him, leaving only her personal maid and two guards with the princess. The second prince backed away from the edge of the roof and slid down the opposite side, before jumping to the ground. It was time for him to find out what was going on in the mansion.
Rongxie moved stealthily through the quiet and empty gardens nearer to the side walls of the mansion and stopped by a rock formation. He waited a few minutes before his attendant appeared by his side, also dressed in black.
"I searched minister Yan's study and his private quarters." Da Ming leaned close while his eyes searched their surroundings. "I found no evidence suggesting as to his meeting with others."
The prince lowered his brows as he tried figuring out the current situation. "Where is Yan Yifeng now?"
"He's left his wife in charge of today's gathering and left the mansion. My men are now searching for his where abouts."
Interesting. "Maybe this event is a diversion." Rongxie thought to himself, he wouldn't be suprised. Minister Yan had survivied so long in the imperial court, he was sure to have some skills. "What else have you discovered?"
Da Ming tilted his head, while crossing his arms. "A strange thing, but not important I think. I overheard the maids speaking about the young miss Lu fainting a moment ago. You would have seen that yourself your highness, from where you were on the roof."
Miss Lu? The second prince recalled how even the mistress of the mansion had been concerned for the girl. Now it made sense. "How did she faint?"
His attendant shook his head. "That's why its strange. I've investigated the Yan mansion before, and nothing was said about miss Lu being sickly or overly weak. For her to faint so suddenly without any outside factors, it doesn't make sense."
It was true, fainting wasn't common. Unless it was due to the heat, but the day was cool, or unless previously sick, there weren't many exceptions. This might be something to follow.
"Do you have the map of the Yan mansion?"
Da Ming pulled a peice of paper from his waist belt and held it up. "I've already checked, miss Lu's courtyard is near the back west corner."
Rongxie nodded and allowed his attendant to lead him in the right direction. They avoided servants and maids as they made their way silently to the small courtyard. The two went over the wall and landed in the soft grass in the back of the private residence and crept up to a window, cracking it open.
"Doctor Chu, how is she?" Madam Xiang sounded frantic. She stood a few feet from the bed and her youngest daughter was beside her, her own expression fraught with worry.
Miss Lu was lying on her bed with an elderly doctor feeling her pulse, while squinting his eyes. After a moment he nodded and sighed. He put the girl's hand back under her blanket and came to his feet, and bowed to her aunt.
"The child is in good health, however I seemed to detect from her unsteady pulse that she seems to have encountered, um.." Doctor Chu paused, clearly unsure of how to say his next words.
Madam Xiang rung her hands and took an eager step closer to the elderly man. "Well? What is the matter? You're a famous physician, you must know what the issue is!"
The man sighed again. "She's been affected by a mixture of rare herbs, often used together to develope a type of poison."
His words brought silence to the room and Rongxie's ears perked. How did someone new to the capital end up being poisoned? Especially someone from a royal official's house. Unless the poison wasn't meant for her.
"Poison? How could it be? How could my neice have been poisoned?! Who would want to harm her?" Yan Xiang leaned heavily on the arm of Yan Shi, who had remained silent this whole time. The maids covered their mouths, with worry in their eyes.
"As I said, madam. Though the herbs are rare here, they're common elsewhere. Since the effects are mild, we can deduce that the dosage wasn't large. She must've run across it accidentally. Her life is in no danger, worry not." He gave a reassuring smile. "However, it'd be best to find the source of the poison, in case it is still nearby. In the meantime, I will prescribe some medicine and the young lady will be fine within the hour."
Yan Xiang sighed in relief and quickly moved past the doctor and took a seat by her neice, whose eyes were shut and her breathing quiet. She placed her hand on Meiwan's cheek.
Outside, the second prince let the window shut and walked a short distance away with Da Ming. "Go and investigate where miss Lu has been in the past couple of days. And see what she's up to inside the mansion as well."
Da Ming gave a quick salut and went back over the wall, leaving Rongxie to approach the window again. He could just see the unmoving form of the girl as she lay in her bed, the doctor was writing her prescription down, and the maids assisted their madam to the sitting area. Though she did not sit, and instead waited for the doctor to finish before sending her maid to fetch the medicine.
"I'll show you out, Doctor Chu. Thank you for coming here so quickly, our Yan mansion owes you." Yan Xiang held her hand out to the door.
Together, everyone left the room, and Rongxie could hear them in the front of the courtyard. He glanced back into the room, and knew it would be best if he could search it. The second prince slid through the window and when through, slid the black cloth at his neck up over his face, just in case. He was standing on the opposite side of where the girl's sleeping quarters where, by a desk and book shelves.
The room was small, but adequate for a young girl. He roamed the area, his eyes searching for anything that seemed unusual. From the study, to the seating area, he didn't spot anything. Now, he looked to the bed and the sleeping form in it. Royal training and etiquette had taught him to enter a young lady's sleeping quarters was scandalous, yet here he was.
"Forgive me miss, I mean no offense." Though the girl was asleep, he said it mainly to himself.
He stepped forward, brushing the beads aside he approached the bed and glanced down into the face of the girl. He hadn't seen her face in the prison, nor when she was carried here after fainting. Now he saw her in fullness, a cute thing. Her face, though sweaty and red from the poison, was delicate and innocent looking. Though she looked like most typical girls of their country, she had little specks of brown that dotted her face, adding to the sweet look.
Lu Meiwan was indeed an adorable child, and when she grew up, Rongxie guessed she might even be beautiful. He smiled at the thought before turning from her and examining the room. Not more than a moment and he spotted it.
Tossed to the side on the floor, was the exotic white headwrap. It's pearls were shining and it's fabric glistening in the light, revealing rainbow threads weaved into it.
"Where did you come from?' He mused.
The second prince picked it up with his two fingers and held it far from him, not wanting to be exposed to whatever poison he suspected was on it. He gave the room one last glance, as well as miss Lu, before returning to the window and hopping out. He was sure he had what he needed.