Chapter 3: Who's fooling who

After the little bird left Hwei-ru came back with the herbs she asked her to buy. A perfect timing, the medicine prepared by that quack doctor shoulc be coming soon.

"Hwei-ru wash these herbs and the rest properly store them away, after washing them steam and grind them and place the juice in a bowl. I will drink it. Quickly do this before the medicine prepared by the kitchen comes."

Hwei-ru was confused as to why her young miss is behaving like this but nonetheless she obeyed. It took a while but she did it as fast as she could.

"Young miss, I have successfully prepared the herbs… here it is young miss…" Hwei-ru handed out the medicine and Qianghua stretched out her hand to grab it when the door to her inner room opened. Qianghua looked at the door and saw it was her Concubine mother Lan with a servant.

Qianghua noticed the bowl in the tray. 'Sure enough, they made it a little stronger and… heh they actually put some fragrance on it'.

Medicine in this world are usually bitter and flavored medicine are quite rare to see. Although people would just eat tons of sweet after consuming the medicine but it would also affect the recuperating process.

"Qiang'er I have prepared the medicine the doctor prescribed, come and drink it quickly His highness the crown prince is about to visit you we shoudn't let his highness the prince get sick."

'I need to get this brat to drink the medicine or at least a sip of it. This wat she really humiliate herself infront of the prince and I'll have Xian'er seduce the prince by then'.

Qianghu looked at the woman infront of her. This woman's scheme can be seen through her face.

She's smiling so creepily it's giving me the chills… urk!

"Concubine mother is kind, Hwei-ru hand me the medicine concubine mother prepared we should not let it go to waste…" Hwei-ru place the herb drink she prepared at the side table and approached the maid.

Hwei-ru has always been wary of the wives in the mansion especially Concubine Lan. She witnessed half of her schemes and the mansion and how she came about. She was a woman who fancied the General by his looks and power and asked her parents to marry her into the mansion.

Hwei-ru accepted the bowl and bowed before turning her back and approached her young miss. Her young miss didn't say anything as she took a sip from the bowl and she noticed how her young miss' face turned from neutral to disgust. She immediately handed her some water.

"Young miss here drink some water, don't force yourself to drink it all." Qianghua thought about the medicine while drinking the water and took a glance at Concubine Lan.

While Concubine Lan cheered herself in the inside for fooling Qianghua little did she know that she was the one actually being fooled? Qianghua noticed the smirk on Concubine Lan and she thought for herself.

'The last time she did this I heard a rumor about Xian'er, Concubine Lan's first daughter, going out with the prince' but in her last life her half-sister was not allowed to enter in the palace because her secret lover caused a commotion outside the General's mansion. Heh. What a joke.

"Since Qiang'er drank the medicine I can be at ease. Then excuse this Concubine mother, I'll show myself out." Qianghua could only nod weakly, acting as if she's really poisoned. Concubine Lan had a smug look on her face seeing Qianghua's condition.

'The medicine is already active, I must have Xian'er prepare for his highness'

On the other side…

"Young miss are you not feeling well? You're sweating a lot." Hwei-ru didn't know what was going on as she continuously wiped Qianghua's sweat away.

Although I only took a sip the amount of aphrodisiac was too many. "Hwei-ru hand me out the herbs I asked you to prepare…" Hwei-ru handed the bowl to Qianghua and she immediately drank it in one gulp. The medicine was for fighting the effects of the aphrodisiac it will be a little painful later since she's forcefully forcing this poison out.

"Oh my god! Young miss you're condition seems to get even worse!" Hwei-ru didn't know why Qianghua was acting like that she could only occasionally wipe away her sweat and aid her in drinking water.

Suddenly a maid entered the room with a bang and shouted "His highness the crown prince is here!" Qianghua looked at the maid 'is this how they announce someone's arrival? I almost got a heart attack by the loud noise!'

Hwei-ru didn't know what to do Qianghua's condition seems to worsened and they might end up infecting the crown prince.

A hand made its way towards hers. Hwei-ru looked and found her young miss smiling at her. "Don't worry Hwei-ru I'm fine now go prepare some snacks for our guests."

Hwei-ru looked at her young miss and nodded helplessly and turned around to prepare while Qianghua looked at Hwei-ru's retreating back.

'This time I will protect the people I love'

Qianghua was about to close her eyes when a group of people entered her room. She looked at them and sighed.

'These men are gorgeous sadly…'

Qianghua sized up the people who are with the crown prince.

Zhao Wangxin a prince from one of the four kingdom. In her last life this guy married the crown prince's sister, Xu Tianxi, because the latter was deeply inlove with him. There was nothing special about him other than he's the crown prince's closet childhood friend and they go to the same academy.

Qianghua looked at the other guy who was staring at her, it made her mood sour. Xu Tianmin, the second prince who was cold and ruthless he follows his eldest brother and would always accompany him to war. In her last life he had a silent crush on her because how amazing she strategize their war plans and attack but…

"Your highness please forgive me for not attending you personally." Qianghua bowed a little as there were pillows supporting her back and it would be too rude if she doesn't at least give them a bow considering they are royalty.

Xu Tianfeng waved his hand and the maids escorting them immediately dispersed. He looked at Qianghua and noticed how she was sweating a lot and grasping the blanket tightly.

"Oh my, please your majesties please take a seat." Because of her cold showing up Qianghua's voice seem to be a little hoarse.

"We have troubled Lady Feng then we shall, thank you for welcoming us." Zhao Wangxin replied seeing that both of his companions are busy staring at the beauty in front of them. 'sigh…'

Once they were seated Hwei-ru entered the room with two maids holding a tray of pastries and tea. "Greeting to Your highnesses, may the God of Light bless you all." Qianghua nodded at Hwei-ru and she immediately understood. Hwei-ru waved her wands and the maids started to tend to the princes.

Qianghua noticed that Hwei-ru was a little bit flushed and she could only sigh. In her last life Hwei-ru had a little crush on the second prince but as she entered the palace with Hwei-ru it was almost every day they would meet seeing as the second prince would visit her often for advice about politics or simply just wanting to see her then the tragedy happened…

Hwei-ru was the only person close to her and that made her a vulnerable target. One day she asked Hwei-ru to escort the second prince out of her palace after a visit she didn't know what happened but she only knew that there was a commotion outside her palace and saw her maid kneeling on nails as she was punished. The crime? Seducing the second prince in broad daylight. Concubine Zhen schemed it so well using her niece, who was inlove with the second prince, punish her maid.

And the second prince? He just stood there watching and just stood there. She was a fool back then but she isn't one now.

Xu Tianfeng noticed the change in Qianghua;s mood her hands that were holding the teacup was trembling and she was sweating even more harder now.

"It seems that Miss Feng's condition is worsening did she take the medicine that the physician prescribed last time?" He asked and Hwei-ru nodded and handed him the bowl, the one with the aphrodisiac. Tianfeng sniffed the bowl he was shocked that he unconsciously dropped the bowl.

"This!"

At the same time Qianghua couldn't take it anymore and collapsed in her bed. In a fetus position she clenched her fingers.

'The aphrodisiac is stronger than I thought! Ugh!'

Tianfeng stood up "She has been poisoned! Wangxin, call the guards and General Feng! Round up the people in the manor!" He looked at Qianghua and noticed that her hands has begun to bleed. Hwei-ru was shocked, she tried to pry Qianghua's hands open but her young miss was too strong.

"Your highness! Please help our young miss! She might hurt herself further she just got back from an accident… she… waaaaa~"

Hwei-ru began to cry while kneeling infront of the prince. Qianghua saw this and a scene flashed before her eyes. The day Hwei-ru kneeled to beg for forgiveness infront of the second prince while crying and being punished.

Even though she felt hot and dizzy she bit her hand and it bled shocking the people in the room.

"Young miss!" Qianghua focused on the pain and breathed in and out. She was, at least, sane at this moment and patted Hwei-ru's head.

"I'm okay… that was life-threatening… ugh..!" The pain on her hand was too painful but it was good this way she can forget the effects of the aphrodisiac. She thought it won't be this strong. She calculated it wrong or she could've asked Hwei-ru to buy some herbs to repel the effects.

Tianfeng looked at the woman infront of him with a scrutinizing gaze.

'This woman knew there was poison but she still drank the medicine and… she has knowledge about medicine as well…' Tianfeng thought this while glancing at the bowl that was on the bedside table.

Tianmin looked at the scene infront of him and he felt that there was more to this woman than meets the eye.

'Interesting...'