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The man in black squatted in the tree to observe Shen Chuwei and took the opportunity to close his eyes and rest his mind when Shen Chuwei took a break.

It was because of Concubine Xu’s scream that he slowly woke up.

The scene that had just unfolded had all happened before his eyes.

His attention was focused on Shen Chuwei crouching in front of the cat, and her calm application of some unknown substance.

Soon after, the cat ran away.

What had she just done to the cat?

With confusion, the man in black turned to chase after the cat.

Chun Xi was closest to Shen Chuwei and, seeing her mistress feeling nauseated and wanting to vomit, hurriedly stepped forward to support her, "Master, what’s wrong with you?"

Concubine Xu approached with her hand over her face, not even pausing to cry, and looked at Shen Chuwei with a worried expression, "Lady Shen, what’s the matter? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

Shen Chuwei heaved a few times and felt somewhat better after vomiting, wiping her mouth with the handkerchief Chun Xi passed to her, "It’s okay, the cat’s smell was just too foul."

When the little rabbit brought the wild cat over just now, she had smelled an unpleasant odor more revolting than slaked lime.

Indeed, she had been holding her breath while smearing poison on the cat’s claws.

It wasn’t until the little rabbit let the cat go that she began to breathe, and still, she was disgusted.

Concubine Xu was still somewhat worried and ordered, "Little Rabbit, call for the Imperial Doctor to come have a look at Lady Shen."

Shen Chuwei stopped Little Rabbit and then turned to Concubine Xu, "No need, during the confinement period, those inside can’t leave; I know some medical skills."

Concubine Xu resentfully complained, "The Emperor really is too disgusting. Just to spread his favor evenly to Your Highness, he has locked you up."

Then she spoke with some pride, "The Emperor thinks he can control Your Highness this way, but alas, Your Highness still does not spend the night in their quarters."

Shen Chuwei knew that Concubine Xu was forthright in her speech, but she didn’t expect her to curse the Emperor too, "Be careful, walls have ears."

Concubine Xu hurriedly covered her mouth, looking around vigilantly before cautiously asking Shen Chuwei, "There’s no one else here, right?"

Suppressing her laughter, Shen Chuwei replied, "They’re all our own people."

Chun Xi had always been with her, and the others were arranged by Xiao Jinyan, reliable after all these months.

Concubine Xu patted her fragile chest, "That’s good then, I still want to live for a few more decades."

After speaking, Concubine Xu touched her face and worried again, "Will my face really not be ruined? A face is a woman’s most important aspect, I wonder if Muscle Cream can remove scars."

Shen Chuwei took a small bottle the thickness of a finger from her medicine box and handed it to Concubine Xu, standing up, "I have Scar Removal Cream that’s very effective."

Concubine Xu, examining the medicine in her hand, took the simple little bottle and scrutinized it, finding it very plain without any texture.

"Is it even better than Muscle Cream?"

Shen Chuwei affirmed, "I was injured last year and used this Scar Removal Cream; there’s no scar left now."

Concubine Xu still remembered Shen Chuwei taking an arrow wound last year to save His Highness; her wound was a hundred times more serious than the one on her cheek.

She was astounded, "How can this unremarkable medicine be so effective?"

Shen Chuwei had full confidence in the medicine she had compounded, and she offered no further explanation, "You’ll know once you try it."

"Then I’ll take it back and give it a try," said Concubine Xu as she took a fan from Cai Xia, covering her face as she left Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Little Rabbit carefully washed her hands several times before approaching Shen Chuwei, relieved to see that Shen Chuwei was safe; otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to explain to her master.

"Master, why did you let that wild cat go? What if it comes back to harm you again, what then?"

Drinking the Lemon Honey Tea Chun Xi had prepared, Shen Chuwei reassured, "Don’t worry, that wild cat won’t be coming back."

At that moment, the dirty wild cat was dashing frantically to Qimeng Hall.

Xueyan’s poison had mostly dissipated, and she lay on the couch, leisurely sipping tea, waiting for good news.

After Shen Chuwei was locked in Xiaoxiang Pavilion, although Xiao Jinyan showered her with affection, he never stayed overnight at Qimeng Hall.

She learned from Lady Liang Yuan that it was Xiao Jinyan himself who had personally delivered Shen Chuwei to the Xiaoxiang Pavilion and had even ordered a thorough cleaning of the place.

This alone evidenced Xiao Jinyan’s special fondness for Shen Chuwei.

Therefore, these days she had people train cats to scratch humans.

Cats have keen noses, and Xueyan found clothing that Shen Chuwei had worn, and then began the training.

She had also intentionally put a cat into a sewage bucket, making it completely dirty before releasing it into Xiaoxiang Pavilion.

Just as Xueyan imagined the smiling face of Shen Chuwei, disfigured from the poison, a dark figure suddenly pounced towards her and swiped at her face with its claws.

"Ahhh!!!" The scream echoed through the entire Qimeng Hall.

Hearing the scream, Shuiyao rushed in and saw a filthy cat escaping through the window.

Then she looked at the Princess, who had three bloody scratches on her cheek.

"Princess," Shuiyao gasped in horror and quickly ran over.

Xueyan clutched her face, her lovely features distorted by fear.

While weeping out of fear, she couldn’t help but cry uncontrollably, "My face, my face..."

"Princess, don’t be afraid, I will call for the Imperial Doctor right away," Shuiyao said hurriedly as she went to summon Doctor Wen.

Xueyan, looking at her reflection in the brass mirror, could see the three bloody marks distinctly on her flower-like face, the blood seeping out not red but black.

Even without medical knowledge, she knew the poison was on the cat’s claws when she saw the black blood.

Recognizing the cat, and guessing it might be her own, she quickly took out the antidote and swallowed it.

When she looked in the mirror again, the blood was still black, which terrified her to her very core.

"What’s going on? She clearly took the antidote, so why hasn’t the poison been neutralized?"

When Doctor Wen arrived, Xueyan was already paralyzed with fear.

"Doctor Wen, the Princess has been scratched by a cat, you must see her at once," she said.

Upon hearing this, Doctor Wen hastily set down his medicine box to examine Xueyan’s wound.

Xueyan’s voice trembled, "The cat’s claw was poisoned."

"This humble official will take your pulse first," as Doctor Wen saw the black blood on the wound, he understood it was poisoned, but a pulse examination was needed for a diagnosis.

After taking her pulse, Doctor Wen frowned and said, "I have never come across such a poison before, I fear it might cause disfigurement."

Xueyan was struck dumb with fright.

Shuiyao cried and pleaded, "Doctor Wen, you must save our Princess, she cannot be disfigured."

"I will first tend to the young master’s wound with some medicine and then seek a way to detoxify," said the Doctor.

The person clad in black, who was hiding and observing the entire process, was stunned.

How could the cat be so obedient to Shen Chuwei’s command?

Could it be that she is...

At that moment, Xueyan regretted it so much that she felt sick to her stomach.

Lady Liang Yuan was also sitting leisurely on the couch, sipping tea.

Huai Xiang came in at a trot, "Master, I heard that both Consort Xu and Consort Xueyan have been scratched by cats."

Lady Liang Yuan was somewhat surprised by the news, "Is that so? They managed to scratch them, and what about Lady Shen?"

Huai Xiang shook her head, "There has been no word about Lady Shen."