The Chief Minister's Ferocious Wife

226 He Is Junjun’s Birth Brother

When Zhao Chuchu mentioned spying on the affairs of others, Qiao Heting remembered when he stalked her and ended up getting beat up.

Zhao Chuchu continued by saying, “Since I can detect the scent of medicine from you, I naturally can differentiate what sort of medicine it is. With this knowledge, figuring out the situation is not difficult.”

Qiao Heting stared at her for a long while.

“Then, do you know what illness my friend has?”

“I don’t know. After all, there are many ways medicine could be used. I can only be sure of his illness after checking his pulse. Mr. Qiao, if you want to rely on someone, don’t suspect them. Otherwise, don’t rely on suspicious people. If you still doubt me, feel free to seek the expertise of others.”

“Aren’t you afraid that I will take action against you?”

“Honestly, Mr. Qiao, you can’t do anything to me. Even if you try to kill me, you will die instead,” said Zhao Chuchu with a faint smile.

In terms of murdering people, Qiao Heting paled in comparison to her.

As long as he was human, he would not be able to escape her assassination.

Her power was control over water, after all!

Qiao Heting also realized this. He chuckled and said, “That is right. I am no match for you, Mrs. Xie. Then, thank you for your help in advance.”

“With enough money, anything is on the table.”

“Must it be money?”

“If not money, what would it be? Should I depend on the good conscience of others and wait for them to repay my kindness? Wake up, Mr. Qiao. There is nothing more dependable than money.”

Zhao Chuchu’s transparency caught Qiao Heting off guard.

He fell silent for a while, then asked, “Mrs. Xie, is it beyond even your ability?”

Zhao Chuchu knew what Qiao Heting was asking.

She actually knew what illness his friend had.

Just like Xie Jun, his friend was poisoned.

However, unlike Xie Jun, the poison had already worked its way deep into his friend’s body. So now they were using strong medicines to hold their effects at bay.

Even if she neutralized the poison, his chances of survival were slim.

His internal organs were already corroded by the poison. The only way for him to have a chance of living a long life was to replace them.

She might be able to prolong his life with her healing power, but she was not omnipotent. After neutralizing the poison, she could only lessen his pain and allow him a few more years to live.

“I dare not guarantee it, but there is a high likelihood of that being the case,” confessed Zhao Chuchu.

Qiao Heting sighed.

He bid Zhao Chuchu farewell and then left.

Xie Jun tugged at Zhao Chuchu’s sleeve and asked, “Sis, what does Mr. Qiao plan to do? Is he trying to snatch you away from my brother? Sis, I can tell at a glance that he is not as loyal as my brother. So don’t leave us behind.”

Zhao Chuchu could not control her laughter as she patted his head. Finally, she said, “Don’t think too much. As long as your brother does not do anything wrong to me, your concerns will not come to fruition.”

“Really?”

“Hmm.”

“It’s a pinky promise between us.”

“Alright.”

Zhao Chuchu was willing to satisfy this simple wish of his.

“Sis, I will be on your side no matter what. If my brother does anything wrong, I will leave him behind and go with you,” said Xie Jun as he looked at Zhao Chuchu. “When I grow up, I will care for you until you are old.”

“I am not that much older than you are. So why would you need to look after me in my old age?”

Xie Jun scratched his head and replied, “That is true. You are so capable, Sis. Then I will make sure that I don’t become a burden to you.”

Zhao Chuchu smiled as she rubbed his head again.

Xie Heng was gentle and attentive. Xie Jun was sweet and cute. It might just be that they were specially delivered to her by the gods in heaven.

Not long after Qiao Heting left, Xie Heng returned.

These past few days, he had been instructing the villagers in treating the infected water. He was out early and came back late at night, but at least he had achieved some results.

Heyang Village was slowly beginning to return to its original liveliness, and the village was filled with more laughter.

“Da Lang, starting tomorrow, I will be heading to other villages,” Zhao Chuchu informed Xie Heng of her plan as she packed the items she needed to carry out surgery.

Xie Heng poured himself and Zhao Chuchu each a glass of water and said, “Then, I will follow you. We will bring Junjun along with us.”

“Hmm, that was what I planned as well.”

To prevent unnecessary trouble, Zhao Chuchu wanted Xie Heng to keep a lookout for her in case anyone barged in during her surgeries.

After finishing his drink, Xie Heng also helped her pack.

Zhao Chuchu listened intently for a moment. Then, when she was certain no one was outside, she lowered her voice and asked Xie Heng, “Da Lang, Qiao Heting came to see me just now. He wanted me to help treat a friend of his. Which prince is this friend of his?”

“His friend is third in line for the throne.”

“The Third Prince?”

“They are cousins. In my previous life, the Third Prince had passed away this winter.”

“Do you know what the cause was?”

“It was said that he had fallen ill. It was only later that I knew that his symptoms were the same as Junjun’s. Chuchu, are you planning to get involved with the imperial family?”

“Da Lang, do you not want me to save him?”

“Not at all. I just don’t want you to become the target of public criticism.”

...

“I cannot save him. The poison has reached his organs. Even if I neutralize it, at most, it will only reduce his pain. He won’t have long to live.”

When he heard this, Xie Heng frowned.

“Da Lang, what’s the matter?”

“He is Junjun’s birth brother.”

Zhao Chuchu fell silent.

After a moment, she asked, “Then, wouldn’t that make Junjun Qiao Heting’s younger cousin? They do not look alike at all.”

“That is correct.”

“Is Junjun a son of the Empress?”

“He is the son of Empress Yuan.”

Empress Yuan was the original spouse of the Emperor. However, she passed away more than a decade ago due to childbirth complications.

Who said that it was a good thing to be born into an imperial family?

...

Xie Jun was basically a bundle of misfortune.

His birth mother died while giving birth to him. Before he got to know his birth brother, his brother had also died in his previous life. Would he meet the Emperor when the latter was also on his deathbed?

Zhao Chuchu asked, “Then why didn’t you mention this before? Do you not want me to save the Third Prince?”

Xie Heng replied, “It is not that I don’t want you to save him. The Third Prince does not have much time to live. You are just a commoner whose medical skills are incredible. I do not wish for you to get caught up in this mess. The Third Prince also does not want Junjun’s identity to be exposed.”

“Have both of you met before?”

“No, before the Third Prince passed away in my previous life, I met him. He had long known Junjun’s identity and was secretly protecting him. Hence, when Junjun came to Imperial City, he was not discovered by anyone. The Third Prince also guided me in discovering Junjun’s lineage.”

“That means that the Third Prince is also brilliant.”

“If it weren’t for the fact that he contracted some strange poison, the lands of Wei would be his.”

“If that is the case, why didn’t you ask me to save him in the first place?”

“How can you be certain that he will live?”

“What do you mean?”

Zhao Chuchu did not understand.

With a straight face, Xie Heng explained, “The imperial family has too many secrets. No good will come from knowing any of them. Chuchu, I know that you can take care of yourself, but it is best to keep your distance from trouble. Even if we encounter them sooner or later, it is best to avoid them as long as possible.”

He added, “There are some things that I am not at liberty to divulge. However, if Qiao Heting brings you to see the Third Prince, you will understand why I am saying this. I respect the Third Prince greatly, but sometimes, life is too painful. Death is the only release.”

Zhao Chuchu noticed that Xie Heng was reluctant to continue, so she did not pursue the matter.

Maybe the Third Prince’s secret was too hard to tell, and Xie Heng did not want to reveal his private affairs.

Out of the blue, Xie Heng asked, “Chuchu, do you know where Junjun’s poison came from?”

“I do not know.”

“It is a prohibited drug. Therefore, only the Emperor has access to it.”

When she heard this, Zhao Chuchu was shocked.

She did not dare believe what she heard.

No matter how cruel a tiger was, it would not eat its son. The Emperor actually dared to do such a thing, even against his own son?