The Third Princess was willful and impulsive. Since she was young, although she had some cunning, she wasn’t very thorough. If it were someone else, it wouldn’t have been so easy to trace back to her. Therefore, the motive for her hostility towards Zhenzhu was likely because of him. "I’m sorry," the young man hugged her small frame tightly. If His Majesty had been a bit more gullible, he wouldn’t be seeing her standing here now. The thought sent a chill through his heart; the royal palace was no place for anyone. "Hmm? What did you say, Brother Hao?" Zhenzhu pushed herself away. What did he just say? She didn’t hear it clearly. "Has His Majesty released me? And will I be executed?" "Hmm, have they caught the culprit?" Zhenzhu was still doubtful. Was it the person she suspected? And was she really cleared of all charges? "Don’t worry about it. Go back to the manor and rest." From here on, he must handle everything himself, even if it meant displeasing His Majesty. Yong Saiweihao took her hand and led her outside. As the light touched her eyes, Zhenzhu raised her hand to shield her eyes. After being in a dark room for several days, even with some light, the sudden brightness stung her eyes. "I’m fine." Her eyes were gradually adjusting to the light. But once her eyes adjusted, she noticed that Yong Saiweihao looked slightly exhausted. "Brother Hao, are you very tired?" "Not at all. Zhu’er, go back to the manor and rest," Yong Saiweihao said. "I still have matters to attend to." "Oh, is there anything I can help with?" Read full story at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝※𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖※𝕟𝕖𝕥 "In a moment, I’ll punish you for what you did in the prison," the young man said, referring to the penalty she hadn’t yet received, hoping she would quickly leave the palace. And things went just as he expected. "Ah, I was so frightened being in the imperial prison. I should return to the manor to console myself. I’ll go now," she said, then kissed his chest before hurrying off, leaving the person kissed with a tingling in his heart. Once back at the manor, Zhenzhu bathed to wash away the bad luck from the prison before sitting down to listen to Baihu’s account of the Third Princess. "So, it’s confirmed that she framed me. But why would she do that?" "I don’t know," Baihu replied. It had only discovered that the devious Third Princess put poison in the food meant for A’Zhu. Fortunately, A’Zhu didn’t eat it; otherwise, she would have taken the trip to Yellow Springs by now. "Baihu, I want to see Princess Luluo. Maybe we can find more evidence." "Do you want to get dragged back to prison again, A’Zhu? Stay put for now. That young man will help you. He seems very worried about you." Hearing this, Zhenzhu could only nod in resignation. It wasn’t that she feared being thrown into prison again. If she did go to the palace, no one could catch her. Her skill in the Ten Thousand Silks Concealing the Sun technique was at a high level, and she was a white-tier spirit energy cultivator. No guards could capture her. But she didn’t want to go because she was afraid Yong Saiweihao would be angry. "Sigh... alright," she sighed heavily before lying down on the soft bedding. Meanwhile, Yong Saiweihao, who hadn’t slept for three days, was sitting tensely in the royal physicians’ office. It had been more than four days, and Guifei’s condition had not improved; in fact, it had worsened. But the royal physicians still couldn’t identify the type of poison in the coffee. Some of the royal physicians had worked with Zhenzhu before and believed she wasn’t the one who poisoned Guifei. However, despite their efforts, they couldn’t find evidence to clear her name. “Royal Physician, do we still have the set of coffee items from that day?” Yong Saiweihao asked, wanting to scrutinize everything thoroughly once more. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the royal physicians, but as a formless-tier spirit energy cultivator, he would sense even the slightest irregularity faster than others. “Yes, Young General. However, we have examined it multiple times and still couldn’t find any anomalies,” Yun Baise said with a tense expression. He was one of the people who admired Lady He and wanted to help her as much as he could, but despite his best efforts, he couldn’t find any clues. The person who poisoned Guifei was very knowledgeable about poisons. One of the royal physicians brought out the tray containing the coffee set and the cup Guifei had used for the young man to inspect. Even the broken pieces of the cup were collected and placed on this tray. The large tray included the coffee cup with some coffee residue, the broken pieces of the cup, the wooden stirrer used for mixing the coffee, hardened and moldy sweets, and the dried flowers used to decorate the tray on the day of the banquet. Yong Saiweihao meticulously examined each item. “Young General, this poison is quite peculiar. Initially, when we tested it, the poison was present, but several days after, the poison doesn’t exist in the coffee anymore. It seems to have dissipated over time. However, within Guifei’s body, the poison continues to intensify. She is now covered in festering boils. This poison really leaves no trace,” one of the royal physicians explained. Despite their efforts over the past few days, they couldn’t find any evidence to exonerate Lady He. The longer it took, the less evidence there would be. Yong Saiweihao was anxious. However, the young man thoroughly inquired about Guifei’s condition from the royal physicians because her body was the primary piece of evidence they could examine. As a man, he couldn’t personally investigate within the inner palace, making it difficult to search for clues in the Third Princess’s palace. Thus, he might have to sneak into the inner palace at another time. Yong Saiweihao personally gathered all the information and evidence and read through the reports Wenlang had compiled. His suspicion increasingly pointed towards the Third Princess. However, he needed solid evidence to present to His Majesty. No one would believe him if he accused her based on mere gut feeling, especially since the Third Princess was quite beloved by His Majesty. Yong Saiweihao spent several hours in the palace, hurriedly gathering evidence and clues. He placed several stacks of papers into his dimensional object before heading back to his manor. Upon returning home, he bathed to cleanse himself before sitting down to review all the documents, including reports from the royal physicians and the guards Wenlang had tasked with investigating the case. However, he couldn’t identify the type of poison or how it had been administered. The young man diligently studied all the poison manuals in his manor. At this moment, the priority was to save Guifei’s life. Once Guifei was safe, Zhenzhu’s situation would improve. “Young Master, Young Mistress and Lady He request an audience with you,” the servant’s voice caused the young man to look up from the text. As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the study opened, and Li Si and Zhenzhu walked in demurely. “Brother Hao, have you had any rest? Don’t overwork yourself.” Zhenzhu was concerned, noticing his fatigued expression. “Big Brother, have you found any clues?” Li Si was equally worried. Her friend was still a suspect, and without evidence to exonerate her, Zhenzhu would remain in danger. After leaving the palace a few days ago, she had been extremely anxious, pleading with her father to help A’Zhu. But her father suggested calling her big brother back to assist instead, and then he departed hurriedly. She waited anxiously, knowing she lacked the power to help her friend. Seeing her big brother return gave her hope. Big Brother would succeed it. He had always been able to handle any problem that arose. “Guifei’s condition is not good. She has started to develop rashes, blisters, and pustules all over her body. Though she hasn’t died immediately, her body is slowly being tormented. If the poison cannot be neutralized, she will inevitably go to the Yellow Springs.” “The royal physicians can’t counteract the poison?” The younger sister asked. This poison was indeed peculiar. Initially, it caused vomiting blood, suggesting a potent poison, but it gradually turned into a slow-acting poison, causing a prolonged, agonizing death. The person who chose this poison had a particularly malevolent nature. “They still haven’t identified the type of poison.” Zhenzhu pondered the sibling’s conversation. What kind of poison could it be? Could Baihu know? She quickly called out to Baihu, who was lounging in her dimensional bracelet. “Baihu, do you know what kind of poison it is?” “I don’t know, but Xiao She might.” “How would I find Xiao She in time?” She didn’t even know where He Yu was? He could have left Yan Region already. She didn’t have time to search for Xiao She. Guifei would die before then. “Oh, there’s another one who might know.” “Have you forgotten the Golden Dragon within your mind?” It also was a dragon-type creature, as old as the heavens and earth. Its knowledge should be vast. Hearing Baihu’s words, Zhenzhu remembered the semi-divine beast she had. If Baihu hadn’t mentioned it, she would have continued thinking it was just a golden fish scale. The next problem was that she didn’t know how to summon it. The first and only time she had seen it was when she was about to die from Nian’s attack. Since then, Zhenzhu hadn’t encountered it again, and it hadn’t shown any special abilities apart from being the same golden fish scale, creating spiritual energized water. “How do I summon it?” “I don’t know. Golden Dragon is arrogant. It won’t heed a human’s call unless it gets something in return.” “What should I do...” “A’Zhu!” Li Si’s voice startled Zhenzhu, snapping her out of her mind. She saw the siblings looking at her with puzzled expressions. “A’Zhu, why were you being distracted? Don’t worry, Big Brother and I will find a way to help you.” “Oh, um... thank you, Li Si. Thank you, Brother Hao.” “Mmm. Maybe you should go rest for now. You might get sick. We’ll figure out another way. I’ll also help by searching for physicians and pharmacies in the city for additional clues.” “Alright then, I’ll take my leave now, Brother Hao. Don’t forget to rest.” Zhenzhu hurriedly excused herself because she intended to find a way to summon the Golden Dragon. Upon reaching her manor, she focused her mind to locate the golden fish scale. Before long, it appeared and lay still in her hand. Previously, it had emerged when she was in mortal danger, but now it reverted to its fish scale form. How could she summon it again? She tried to calm her mind and called out, “Golden Dragon, please come out and see me.” “Little fish scale, come out and talk to me.” “Great Ancestor Golden Dragon, please come out and speak with me,” she tried to summon it. However, what she got was silence, and the fish scale remained motionless in her palm, as if oblivious to her call. Could it not hear her? Zhenzhu felt a wave of despair. She lifted it up and examined it closely. Many times, she noticed that this golden fish scale seemed connected to her. When she felt unwell or sorrowful, the fish scale would dim, but when she was happy, it would shine brightly. Was this why it had saved her when her life was in danger? If it would come out when it sensed danger to itself? But what if she damaged it? Such a precious item wasn’t easy to find. Yet, could a golden dragon’s scale be so fragile? As Zhenzhu debated, poised to snap it, a furious shout from a boy erupted. Suddenly, the figure of a five-year-old boy, the same one she had seen before, appeared before her. Despite the passage of time, the child had not aged. “Foolish human! What are you trying to do?!” “You’ve come out now?” “What were you trying to do just now? Crush my fragment of soul?” “Oh, so this is your fragment of soul. If you had come out to talk in the first place, this wouldn’t have been necessary.” “...” The little boy continued to glare at her intensely. “Hey, let me ask you a few questions. Why are you and I connected ? And did you bring me across dimensions to this place?” Zhenzhu looked at the face of a cute boy who was looking at her with furious look, yet she still found his little face so endearing. “I won’t tell you!” How could he reveal that? If he did, she would have more leverage over him. “You won’t tell me? Fine!” Zhenzhu made a move to snap the golden fish scale in her hand again. “Don’t!” The boy cried out in alarm, making Zhenzhu secretly smile. Ah, I now know how to negotiate with you. “Hmph...” The little golden dragon grumbled in frustration. If he hadn’t made a mistake, he wouldn’t be stuck with this foolish human. “Fine!” The little boy plopped down onto the bed and began his story. Originally, he was a great golden dragon, guardian of the center of the heavens. When the energies of heaven and earth grew thin due to human desires, he and the Four Symbols had to maintain the balance by sending fragments of their soul to the myriad human worlds. One fragment of his, formed from a scale on his back, was sent to a world with extremely low heaven and earth energy. To preserve this fragment, he had to bond with a human to increase its spirit energy. In that world, there was only one woman he found with a balanced spirit suitable for cultivating the energies of heaven and earth: Li Jing. However, because that world’s heaven and earth energy was so low, he had to transfer her soul to another world to prevent his fragment from weakening too much. “Oh, so you had to bond with me since then?” “Yes. Many billions of years have passed, and the time has come for all fragments to merge and form my complete soul. But merging requires sufficient power.” “How long will that take?” “Not long. Just ten thousand years will do.” “What!” Zhenzhu flinched in shock. Ten thousand years! How many times would she have to die and be reborn? “What happens if I die?” “I’ll have to find another human with a suitable spirit to bond with.” However, finding such a human wasn’t easy; it could take a hundred or even a thousand years to find one. This would prolong the time needed to gather his fragments. “Oh.” Zhenzhu nodded. This meant she could be assured that the golden dragon would stay with her for her entire lifespan and wouldn’t send her back to her original world, which lacked sufficient heaven and earth energy for him to survive. “I understand now. So, you and I will be together until the end of my life.” That explained why he saved her whenever she was in danger. If she died, he would have to find another suitable human again. “Good.” Zhenzhu was happy. She now had an additional guardian, or perhaps she always had one without realizing it. However, her immediate concern was the poison in Guifei’s body. “You must help me because if you don’t, I’ll be executed, and you’ll have to find another spirit.” “Troublesome. I could just kill them all and be done with it.” Why did it have to be so complicated? He disliked unnecessary complications. “I said no, and that’s final.” Why was it so hard to reason with an old dragon in a child’s form? The golden dragon, having lived for billions of years, wasn’t bound by any rules, only by the laws of heaven and earth. Thus, he didn’t understand what was permissible and what wasn’t in human society. Zhenzhu decided she would have to teach him the rules of living among humans. Zhenzhu started explaining how humans behave while the golden dragon boy sat, asleep. Zhenzhu didn’t relent, knocking his head to wake him up and make him listen. “What you need to do is don’t do anything inappropriate.” “I’ve ever done anything inappropriate? I’ve been in your mind and haven’t come out!” “But from now on, you must help me!” “No?” Zhenzhu raised the golden fish scale, preparing to snap it. “Fine! I’ll help! What do you want?!” The little boy pouted, frustrated that she held his weakness. Oh no, he should not have picked this woman. He’d have preferred to wait a thousand more years to avoid being scared of when his fragment of soul would be destroyed. Zhenzhu explained the symptoms of Guifei’s illness in detail and asked if there were any plants that could cause such effects. The golden dragon listed about 50 possible poisonous herbs after he listened. Zhenzhu wrote them all down meticulously. “Yes, there are. I’m leaving now.” The boy vanished, leaving Zhenzhu puzzled by the extensive list of poisonous plants. With so many possibilities, how would she determine which one was used? “Baihu, can you help me narrow this down?” Baihu peeked at the list and then removed about a dozen names, leaving around thirty likely suspects. The next morning, Zhenzhu woke up early to visit various herbal shops, seeking expert opinions to further narrow down the list. The young woman traveled all over the capital, visiting herbal shops, flowers shops, and health facilities. By nightfall, the list of over thirty plants had been reduced to just five possible candidates. She returned to the manor that evening to find Yong Saiweihao waiting for her in the pavilion. “Brother Hao, why are you here so late?” Zhenzhu looked into his eyes and noticed that the young man looked rather fatigued. “Have you had any rest?” “Where have you been, Zhu’er?” He used the question to answer her. “I’ve been investigating Guifei’s illness. Did you go to the palace, Brother Hao? How did it go?” she asked, seeking an update. “Five court ladies of Third Princess and Eighth Princess have drowned. Their bodies were taken out of the palace for the funeral ceremony.” “What! When did they die, and why was the ceremony so rushed?” “They died yesterday. The bodies were cremated, and the court ladies’ quarters were cleaned, and all their belongings burned.” “Why so quickly?” Even with her limited knowledge of investigative procedures, she sensed that the deaths of the five court ladies were suspicious. In the inner palace, a death of a court lady wasn’t uncommon, as the uncommon death usually occurred, depended on the whim of a mistress of each palace. But how could the simultaneous death of five court ladies be ordinary? “Were the bodies examined?” “They were taken for cremation before we could examine them.” “Why not bury them?” According to traditional customs, the dead should be buried. But they cremated the five court ladies? “And... did you find any additional information, Brother Hao?” “A bit more.” The more he investigated, the more everything pointed to the Third Princess. “I see... Brother Hao, I’ve got a list of plants based on Guifei’s symptoms. Please take a look, Brother Hao. Initially, there were 50 names, but I had experts and physicians in the city help narrow it down to five highly likely suspects.” She handed the list of herbs to Yong Saiweihao. The young man took the list and frowned as his eyes caught one particular name. "Hmm? Brother Hao, do you know it?" "I’ve seen it before. This type of bamboo is an herb used to treat various illnesses. It originates in the northern part of the Yan Region, growing in deep, humid valleys and preferring cold weather. Local physicians often dry the worm bamboo leaves and grind them into powder to make different medicines, but I never knew the stem was poisonous." When he was young and traveling through the martial world, he had seen this bamboo used mostly for medicinal purposes. Poisonous too? "Who told you that this bamboo stem is poisonous?" Yong Saiweihao’s eyes lit up. If the dragon said so, it must be reliable. He felt he had found the solution he’d been searching for these past few days. "Zhu’er, you did great." "I want to help you investigate, Brother Hao. Thank you for helping me. You need to rest now, Brother Hao." Just look at him, he looked so exhausted. "Then I’ll sleep for a bit." "Of course, we can continue investigating tomorrow." With that, the young man laid down, resting his head on the young woman’s lap. Zhenzhu was so startled she almost jumped up, but seeing his peacefully closed eyes, her hearth felt warm. This man had done everything for her. "Brother Hao, please rest tonight." Zhenzhu knew he hadn’t slept at all for nights, hurriedly gathering information and evidence to help her. How could she not feel at ease? Having this man, she could entrust her life in his hand. "Mmm," he murmured softly, eyes still closed. Zhenzhu looked at the perfect features of his face and couldn’t help but gently trace the bridge of his nose with her fingers. So handsome, so skilled, so kind. How could the Third Princess not be fond of him? Even she liked him more and more every day, never growing tired of him. Read ‘Rebirth: This Farmgirl Has Spirit Fish Scales’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en