On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2216 Poisonous Chicken Soup?

“The situation is quite serious,” Yan Ruyu said truthfully, “but fortunately the treatment was timely, the medicine has begun to take effect, and it should improve in a few days.”

Hearing this, Huo Changhe's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief. The anxiety in his eyes faded considerably: "That's good, that's good."

As the two were talking, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate. Huo Changxu strode in, covered in sweat, his clothes soaked through, clearly having rushed back.

As soon as he entered the door, he asked anxiously, "How is Mother? I was out running errands and rushed back as soon as I heard the news."

"Mother's illness has flared up again, but Ruyu has already given her the medicine, and her condition has stabilized. She'll be fine in a few days," Huo Changhe patted his shoulder, comforting him.

Upon hearing this, Huo Changxu's tense nerves finally relaxed. He leaned against the door frame for a while before speaking, "Should we bring Changheng back? I'm always uneasy about leaving him at the school."

Yan Ruyu shook her head: "No need. Changheng is still young. Even if we bring him back, he won't be of much help. It will only cause unnecessary worry and affect his studies."

Although the school is crowded, it's relatively secluded and should be safer than the Prince's mansion. Having him stay there allows us to focus more on matters here.

Huo Changxu thought about it and felt that Yan Ruyu made sense, so he nodded and said, "Alright, I'll listen to my sister-in-law."

Yan Ruyu's gaze fell on Zhang Mama, who was standing to the side. She walked over and asked in a gentle tone, "Zhang Mama, what did Mother use today? Please tell me everything, whether it's food or other necessities."

Zhang Mama quickly took out a small notebook from her bosom, opened it and said, "Your Highness, ever since the Prince instructed us to carefully record Madam's diet and daily life, this old servant has been keeping track of it every day, and there is also a copy in the kitchen."

As she spoke, she read aloud: "This morning, after getting up, Madam drank a bowl of millet porridge, had some light dishes, and ate two cloud rolls."

At 9:00 AM, I drank a cup of warm water and ate a few pieces of rice cake.

For lunch, we had stir-fried seasonal vegetables, steamed sea bass, a bowl of chicken soup, and a bowl of rice.

At the hour of Wei (1-3 PM), I drank a cup of herbal tea and ate a few grapes…

Granny Zhang read the list in great detail, describing each item of food clearly. Yan Ruyu listened attentively but noticed nothing unusual.

These are all dishes that the First Madam usually eats; there are no novel or unusual dishes.

Yan Ruyu took the small notebook from Zhang Mama and carefully flipped through it page by page. The records in it were consistent with what Zhang Mama had said. The handwriting was neat and the organization was clear. There was indeed nothing wrong with it.

Where is the problem?

Yan Ruyu closed the notebook, her brows furrowing once more.

The First Madam's diet and daily routine were meticulously recorded, with no abnormalities observed, and the environment inside the house remained unchanged. Yet, she fell ill precisely at this time.

What exactly is the trigger for this illness?

She looked up at the people in the courtyard; each of them had a worried and fearful expression on their face, but they didn't seem to have any problems.

Could it be that someone secretly did this, and did it so discreetly that no trace was left?

Seeing her furrowed brows, Huo Changhe took the booklet and asked, "What's wrong? Is something the problem?"

Yan Ruyu shook her head: "Not yet. My mother's eating and living habits are normal, there are no abnormalities. I'm still not sure what caused it."

The three of them returned to the house together. The First Madam was still unconscious, but her breathing had become much more stable, and her complexion had gradually regained some color.

Yan Ruyu knew that the medicine was working and the First Madam's condition would gradually improve, but finding the root cause of the illness was still urgent.

It was not only for the sake of the First Madam, but also for the treatment of the patients in the clinic.

Yan Ruyu held the small notebook in Zhang Mama's hands, her fingertips slowly tracing the pages, carefully studying each word and sentence.

From millet porridge in the early morning to flower tea at noon, nothing was missed.

She looked at it repeatedly, but her brow remained furrowed.

"Where exactly did things go wrong?" Yan Ruyu murmured to herself, her gaze falling on the "chicken soup" (a type of Chinese soup), when a thought suddenly struck her.

She suddenly remembered that when Lady Cao fell ill before, she had asked Governor Cao to write down a list of Lady Cao's diet before the illness. At the time, she didn't think there was anything special about it, but now she thought that she might be able to find some clues in it.

"Linlang!" Yan Ruyu called out loudly.

Linlang quickly approached: "Master, what are your orders?"

"Go back to my courtyard immediately and retrieve the list of Lady Cao's meals that Governor Cao gave me earlier."

"Yes!"

Huo Changxu couldn't help but ask softly, "Sister-in-law, is there something wrong with Mother's diet?"

“It’s not certain yet,” Yan Ruyu looked up at him and said truthfully, “but after investigation, the food clue is the most suspicious. Let’s take a look at Madam Cao’s list first.”

Huo Changhe nodded, his gaze falling on the small notebook in Yan Ruyu's hand, his eyes serious: "Mother's meals have always been personally managed by Zhang Mama, and the ingredients are all purchased by special people. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be any problems."

"The more seemingly problem-free a place is, the more likely it is to harbor hidden dangers," Yan Ruyu said calmly, though she agreed with Huo Changhe's words.

Before long, Linlang handed over the list, saying, "Master, the list is here."

Yan Ruyu quickly took it and compared it line by line with the small notebook in her hand.

Huo Changhe and Huo Changxu also came closer.

"Before Madam Cao fell ill, she drank lotus seed soup in the morning, ate almond shortbread in the afternoon, and at noon..." Yan Ruyu paused, pointing to one of the lines, "...chicken soup."

Huo Changxu took a closer look and, sure enough, both lists listed "chicken soup" as the lunch option.

"Could there be something wrong with the chicken soup?" Huo Changxu's expression changed, his tone filled with disbelief.

Huo Changhe's eyes sharpened instantly as he looked at Yan Ruyu: "The bowl of ham and chicken soup you drank in the treatment room... I'll go get that bowl of chicken soup now."

"Okay." Yan Ruyu nodded, though she was also a little uncertain.

There was no warning from the space when she was drinking chicken soup at the treatment center.

However, non-toxic does not mean completely harmless; there may be some subtle trigger that requires further testing to determine.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Huo Changhe returned with the bowl of ham and chicken soup that he had only taken two sips of.

Yan Ruyu quickly took the food box, opened the lid, and a rich aroma wafted out.

Instead of immediately starting the test, she gently brought her fingertips close to the rim of the bowl, focusing intently on sensing the reaction of the space.

A moment later, she looked up and shook her head at Huo Changhe.

There was no warning from the space, so this chicken soup for the soul is indeed harmless.