"Princess, you may close your eyes for a while." Yang Ruxin placed bundles of herbs into the bathing tub, finally adding some wild chrysanthemum petals to the water, "Chui Zhu, watch the water temperature. Add hot water when it doesnât scald to the touch. Thereâs a stove with hot water in the next room. Call me when Her Ladyship has soaked for an hour."
Chui Zhu curtsied in response.
Exiting the chamber, Yang Ruxin furrowed her brows deeply, then turned to the back.
Dao Xuzi and some others were tinkering with gold, trying to see if they could make the little creature spit poison without Yang Ruxin. Despite their efforts to entice and threaten, the little creature just lay there, not even twitching an eyelid.
Yang Ruxin sighed, thinking that if it werenât for the matter at hand, she wouldnât have the patience to watch these old men act so obsequiously. She couldnât help but cough lightly.
The creature, which had been napping with its eyes closed, suddenly sprang up.
"Ah, see, Xinxin is indeed impressive." Tang Wanqian laughed heartily, casting a disdainful glance at Dao Xuzi.
Dao Xuzi looked down, dejected.
"Master," Yang Ruxin stroked the creatureâs small head, "if someone has been beaten, is there something that can reveal the traces on their body?"
"Yes," Dao Xuzi nodded casually, "but it canât be too long agoâat most, within a month. After that, the bruises disperse completely, and youâll need a Fairy to help."
"Give me some then."
Dao Xuzi suddenly looked up: "Have him give me two drops of venom."
Yang Ruxin looked down at the creature. It reluctantly stuck out its tongue, then suddenly darted onto Dao Xuziâs wrist, opening its mouth.
In the chamber, Yunxiong emerged from the wooden tub and then lay on the heated brick bed.
"Hereâs some homemade floral essential oil, Chui Zhu. Please massage Her Ladyshipâs back with it; it will aid in unblocking the meridians," Yang Ruxin said while demonstrating briefly.
Chui Zhu, being a clever girl, caught on quickly and became adept in no time.
The essential oil, infused with the potion from Dao Xuzi, was applied by Chui Zhu onto Yunxiongâs back. Before long, two faintly darker streaks appeared on the previously fair skin, hardly noticeable unless one paid special attention.
These streaks seemed to have been left by items like a cane or a feather duster, but due to the time lapse, the emerging marks were not very distinct.
Regardless, Yang Ruxin had confirmed one of her previous suspicions: Yunxiong had suffered domestic abuse. Whether it was a regular occurrence was unknown, but it had certainly happened within the past month.
Everyone has dual natures, yet she really didnât want to believe that the Duke was a scoundrel beneath his genteel appearance. Recalling his warm smile a few days ago, she felt a chill crawling up her spine.
"So, it turns out your intuition was right. The Duke indeed has issues?" Gu Qinghengâs face turned much more serious after listening to Yang Ruxinâs story. "The former Duke was very low-key... now Iâm wondering if the Crown Prince focused too much attention on King Yun instead..." He trailed off, slowly stroking his chin.
But Yang Ruxin smiled, "Itâs merely domestic abuse; how could it relate to politics? Besides, without evidence, we canât rashly jump to conclusions, can we?"