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“Thank you, Eldest Princess,” Lin Mengyao gracefully responded. Turning down the reward any further would be seen as ungrateful.

“Eldest Princess, the Imperial Physician has arrived.”

“Bring him in,” she ordered.

An anxious-looking Imperial Physician Wang, donned in his official hat, made his way into the banquet hall. As he was about to bow, the Eldest Princess interrupted him, “Imperial Physician Wang, skip the formalities and attend to Prince An.”

“Yes, Princess,” he complied.

Physician Wang approached Xiao JunMo, knelt down, and checked his pulse carefully. Following his thorough examination, he reported to the Eldest Princess, “Your Highness, the poison within Prince An’s system has almost been fully purged. It appears someone has already treated him.”

“It was I,” Lin Mengyao humbly replied, giving Physician Wang a respectful bow.

Physician Wang inspected Lin Mengyao, his eyes brimming with admiration, “Miss Lin, it’s impressive to see such exceptional medical skills in one so young.”

“You overpraise me, Physician Wang. My knowledge is merely rudimentary. Compared to professional physicians like yourself, I’m lacking,” she modestly replied.

Originally, Physician Wang had been somewhat irritated by Lin Mengyao’s prior intervention with Prince An. However, her humble response dissolved any lingering dissatisfaction.

Standing silently in the corner, Jiang Peihuan watched the scene unfold, a sardonic smile playing on her lips. Lin Mengyao was consistent, always maintaining her gentle and virtuous reputation no matter the circumstance.

With the knowledge that King An was safe, the Eldest Princess breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to address the guests, “Ladies and Gentlemen, with this we conclude today’s banquet. If there were any shortcomings in our hospitality, I ask for your forgiveness.”

Hearing her words, the guests quickly offered their respects, “Princess, you’re too kind. We’ll now take our leave.”

The news of Prince An’s poisoning at the banquet spread rapidly, soon reaching the ears of those within the Imperial Palace.

Cining Palace.

Seated on the couch, the Empress Dowager wore an expression of displeasure. Her gaze fell on the kneeling eunuch as she asked coldly, “Are you saying that Mo Er is the one poisoned?”

“Yes.”

“How did this happen?”

“The wine was initially on King Cheng’s table, but he didn’t drink it.”

After quickly summarizing the events that unfolded during the banquet, the eunuch continued, “Prince An willingly drank the wine intended for King Cheng, hence King Cheng was unharmed, but Prince An was poisoned.”

“That wretch is truly fortunate. Even this didn’t end him.”

“Your Majesty, there’s plenty of time ahead, don’t let anger harm your health.”

The old nanny standing beside the Empress Dowager gestured dismissively at the eunuch on the ground. Then, she turned to the Empress Dowager, speaking softly.

The Empress Dowager, though almost sixty, only looked in her fifties. But now, her piercing phoenix eyes brimmed with hostility.

Hearing the old maid’s words, she retorted with fiery eyes, “Fang Ruo, you’ve seen how much the Emperor spoils that miscreant. How can I stand him?”

“It would be fine if he was really the son of the previous emperor, but he clearly…”

Her voice trailed off at the end of the sentence, leading to a sigh from Fang Ruo.

After some contemplation, she decided to caution in a low voice, “Your Majesty, perhaps we should hold off for some time. The individuals we deployed before, along with this incident, may draw the Emperor’s attention. After all, he holds King Cheng in high regard.”

“Nevermind, it’s not urgent. Let them retract their steps for now.”

“Send some items over to An Mansion.”

“Understood.”

The news of Prince An’s poisoning was first received by Emperor Qi Ming.

“Minister Lin, you raised a good daughter.”

Emperor Qi Ming’s eyes glowed with admiration as he looked at the kneeling Lin Ruhai.

Lin Mengyao had saved Prince An. The Emperor could not simply bestow rewards upon a minister’s daughter, so he summoned Lin Ruhai into the palace directly.

Upon hearing Emperor Qi Ming’s words, Lin Ruhai’s eyes sparkled with excitement. He promptly responded, “It’s my daughter’s duty to help. Saving Prince An is her good fortune.”

The Lin family hailed from a line of warriors. Yet, with the Jiang family in the picture, the Lin family had little room to shine. This was the first time Lin Ruhai had seen Emperor Qi Ming treat him so amicably.

His eyes were full of excitement and exhilaration.

“Merit deserves reward. I’ve arranged for some jewelry and accessories to be prepared. When you leave the palace, take them to Miss Lin.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

When Lin Ruhai left the palace, he felt like he was walking on air.

When he arrived at the carriage, a eunuch from the palace approached, carrying a gift. “Lord Lin, this is a reward from the Emperor. Please, take it.”

“Thank you.”

As he extended his hand to accept the gift, Lin Ruhai passed a large pouch to the eunuch, its contents hefty. Seeing this, the eunuch’s smile widened, a twinkle in his eyes. “Congratulations, Lord Lin.”

“The pleasure is shared.”

With that, Lin Ruhai climbed into the carriage.

The Lin family was awash with cheer. Madam Lin sat upright on the head seat, radiating a confidence she had never shown before.

Seated at the lower end, Second Madam Lin and Third Madam Lin, each bore a faint smile. But their eyes told a different story, filled with envy and sarcasm.

Standing beside Madam Lin was Lin Mengyao, her gaze sweeping over her half-sisters and cousins, her expression sour.

Thoughts of Jiang Peihuan plagued her mind.

Both the Jiang and Lin families came from a long line of military nobility. Jiang Peihuan, the eldest Jiang daughter, and Lin Mengyao, the eldest Lin daughter, had always been compared by the people of the capital. To shed off the stigma of being called crude, Mengyao had learned zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting from a young age. Yet, she never seemed to outshine Jiang Peihuan.

Seeing Old Madam Jiang holding Jiang Peihuan’s hand throughout the banquet, Mengyao couldn’t suppress her envy.

Both being daughters of military families, why could Jiang Peihuan live so freely and flamboyantly? Why did she, Mengyao, always have to tread carefully? Even the man she fancied sought ways to get closer to Jiang Peihuan.

From now on, she vowed, she wouldn’t lose to Jiang Peihuan again.

“Madam, the master has returned,” the butler announced excitedly, interrupting her thoughts.

Upon hearing his words, Madam Lin immediately rose from her seat. Then, she saw Lin Ruhai stride into the living room. She rushed to greet him, “My lord, you’ve returned.”

“Yes.”

Lin Ruhai had never been particularly kind to Madam Lin, but today was an exception as he offered her a rare smile.

When his gaze landed on Lin Mengyao, his smile grew even wider. “Yao er, you did exceptionally well this time.”

“Thank you for your praise, Father. I’m glad I could be of help.”

Upon hearing her father’s words, Mengyao responded gently. Lowering her eyes, a veil of indifference settled on her features.

She had left the capital at the tender age of fourteen to study medicine at her maternal grandfather’s house. In the past five years, besides her mother, her father, in name at least, hadn’t shown her any sign of affection.

“These are rewards from the Emperor. Considering the number of sisters in this household, I’ve decided to divide them among you all.”

“My lord, this….”