Xu Ke accepted Ping’er’s request and turned to bow to Old Madam Jia before following her out of Rongqing Hall.

Ping’er walked quickly, too distraught to speak, only wiping her tears from time to time. Xu Ke did not question her, simply following at a steady pace.

After passing through two covered corridors, they reached the courtyard gate, where several maidservants stood whispering among themselves. Seeing Ping’er return with Xu Ke, they quickly lowered their heads and stepped aside.

Xu Ke glanced inside. The courtyard was in complete disarray—several dead chickens lay on the ground, blood already dried, and a few young maids were crouched under the corridor, quietly crying.

Ping’er went straight into the main room, lifted the curtain, and stepped aside for Xu Ke to enter.

A heavy, suffocating atmosphere filled the room.

Wang Xifeng lay on the bed, her face as pale as paper, brows tightly furrowed, murmuring incoherently. Xu Ke stood by the bed and examined her expression. Her complexion shifted between green and white, sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breathing was rapid and uneven.

He sat on the edge of the bed and took her wrist to check her pulse. It was chaotic—sometimes racing like a galloping horse, sometimes faint like a thread about to break. After a moment of thought, he looked at Ping’er.

“Before Second Sister-in-law fell ill, did anything unusual happen in the past few days?”

Ping’er thought for a moment and shook her head.

“Nothing really. Only that she said she hadn’t been sleeping well these past few days, always having strange dreams at night. I just thought she was overworked…”

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again.

Xu Ke said nothing further. Instead, he stood up and carefully looked around the room, scanning the dressing table, wardrobe, and windows—nothing seemed out of place.

Then he turned to Ping’er.

“Check the places she uses most closely—under the bedding, inside the pillows. See if anything unusual is there.”

Ping’er froze for a moment, then quickly moved to the bedside. She lifted the quilt and searched carefully—nothing. Then she turned to the pillow. The moment her hand reached inside, she stiffened.

Slowly pulling her hand back out, she revealed a small paper figure in her palm.

The paper doll was crudely cut, with Wang Xifeng’s birth characters written on its chest.

Ping’er’s face went deathly pale, her hand trembling violently.

“This… this is…”

Xu Ke stepped forward quickly, took the paper figure, and brought it close to his nose. A faint scent drifted from it—subtle, like medicine, yet also like incense.

He tucked it into his sleeve and lowered his voice.

“Don’t spread this for now. Stay here and watch over her. I’ll go check on Baoyu.”

Ping’er nodded repeatedly.

Xu Ke lifted the curtain and strode back toward Rongqing Hall.

Inside Rongqing Hall, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Jia Zheng stood beside the bed, his face dark as iron, staring silently at the unconscious Baoyu.

Jia She lounged in a grand chair, idly turning a pair of walnuts in his hand.

Madam Wang knelt by the bed, holding Baoyu’s hand tightly, tears never ceasing.

Grand Mother Jia sat on a couch supported by Yuanyang, her eyes swollen and red.

Madam Xing stood behind Jia She, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Xu Ke walked straight to Xiren’s side and lowered his voice, saying a few words. Xiren’s expression changed immediately, and she quietly slipped out.

Not long after, Xiren returned, her face pale, holding another paper figure in her hand.

Seeing it, Grand Mother Jia trembled.

“This… what is this?”

Xu Ke took the paper figure and placed it together with the one from earlier on the table.

Everyone in the room focused their gaze on them.

Jia Zheng stepped forward, his voice shaking.

“This… is witchcraft?”

Jia She tossed aside the walnuts and stood up with a cold laugh.

“Second Brother, is this how you manage this household? Allowing such things to be placed in Baoyu’s bed?”

Jia Zheng’s face alternated between green and white.

“What does that mean, Brother?”

“What do I mean?” Jia She sneered. “In a noble household like ours, when did we start harboring such vile people? Today they can place paper figures in Baoyu’s bed—tomorrow they could poison the Old Madam’s tea.”

Jia Zheng was left speechless.

Grand Mother Jia’s expression darkened. She slammed the couch.

“Enough, Eldest Son! Say no more!”

Jia She glanced at her and fell silent again, sitting back down and idly turning his walnuts. Behind him, Madam Xing covered her mouth with her handkerchief, a faint smile flashing in her eyes.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Xu Ke stepped forward and spoke.

“Old Madam, this is not the work of ghosts or spirits—it is man-made.”

He picked up one of the paper figures and held it before everyone.

“Smell it.”

Ping’er, gathering courage, leaned in and sniffed carefully.

“There’s a scent… like medicine?”

Xu Ke nodded.

“Old Madam, if I am not mistaken, this paper figure has been soaked in medicinal solution. It is made by infusing mandrake, cannabis seed, and Datura flowers in alcohol, then drying the paper in it.”

He paused.

“Mandrake, as recorded in the Compendium of Materia Medica, causes dizziness and confusion like intoxication. Datura is used in southern regions as a poison in folk sorcery. Combined, and inhaled over time, they can disturb the mind and cause madness.”

He spoke each word clearly.

“This is not a haunting. It is medicinal poisoning.”

Everyone in the room changed color.

Grand Mother Jia’s lips trembled, unable to speak for a long time. Madam Wang shook violently, clutching her handkerchief tightly.

Jia Zheng said in a deep voice:

“Investigate! Find out who did this!”

Jia She chuckled again.

“Investigate? Second Brother, there are hundreds of people in this household. Where exactly do you plan to start? Why not begin with my East Courtyard?”

Jia Zheng was left speechless again.

Grand Mother Jia shot Jia She a glare.

“Eldest Son, enough!”

Jia She stopped speaking and leaned back into his chair. Madam Xing stood behind him, covering her mouth with a handkerchief, a trace of amusement still hidden in her eyes.

Seeing the situation stagnate, Xu Ke finally spoke again.

“Grandma, the urgent matter is to wake them first. I will prepare a decoction of mung bean and licorice to detoxify the poison, and combine it with the imperial physician’s prescription. If the room is properly ventilated, they should recover.”

Xu Ke saw that the atmosphere in the room had grown tense and spoke up.

“Grandma, the priority now is to wake the two of them. I’ll prescribe a decoction of mung bean and licorice to neutralize the poison, and combine it with the imperial physician’s formula. If the room is properly ventilated, they should recover naturally.”

Grand Mother Jia nodded repeatedly.

“Good, good—just do as my son-in-law says!”

Madam Wang suddenly raised her head to look at Xu Ke, tears still in her eyes. Her lips moved, but in the end she only managed to say:

“Thank you, son-in-law…”

Xu Ke waved it off, walked to the table, and wrote out the prescription for the mung bean and licorice decoction. He handed it to Xiren.

“Go prepare this quickly. Send another portion to Second Sister-in-law’s side as well.”

Xiren took the prescription and hurried off.

At that moment, Jia She stood up, straightened his robes, and said:

“Grandma, I’ll take my leave first.”

Without waiting for a response, he walked out on his own. At the doorway, he glanced back at Xu Ke with a faint, meaningful look before lifting the curtain and leaving.

Madam Xing hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed him.

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Jia Zheng clenched his fists and said in a low voice:

“Mother, this matter…”

Grand Mother Jia waved him off, interrupting him.

“Enough. Save the people first. As for finding the culprit, we’ll deal with it later.”

She looked at Xu Ke, her eyes filled with gratitude and exhaustion.

“Son-in-law, we owe you much today.”

Xu Ke cupped his hands.

“Grandma, you are too kind. We are family—it is only right.”

Grand Mother Jia nodded and said no more. She simply looked at Baoyu lying unconscious on the bed, her eyes turning red again.

Xu Ke stepped aside, but his thoughts churned.

Paper figures soaked in medicine, causing madness and delirium—this was indeed a vicious method.

Yet he faintly recalled from his past life’s reading that when Baoyu and Fengjie had been struck by such a curse, two monks and Daoist priests had appeared and used the “Spiritual Jade” to save them. At the time he had thought it was supernatural intervention.

But now…

His gaze shifted subtly toward Madam Wang.

She was still kneeling by the bed, holding Baoyu’s hand, her back to everyone. Candlelight cast her shadow long and wavering on the wall. From beginning to end, she only wept, saying nothing.

A fine lady of incense and prayer indeed.

After the mung bean and licorice decoction was administered, followed by the imperial physician’s calming formula, by nightfall both Wang Xifeng and Baoyu had stabilized. They no longer raved and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Grand Mother Jia finally let out a breath of relief at Baoyu’s bedside. Madam Wang sat nearby, still holding his hand and murmuring prayers for divine protection.

Tanchun remained in the corner with Daiyu and Xichun, none willing to rest first. Yingchun stayed with them, occasionally offering comfort.

Xu Ke walked over and spoke softly.

“You all should rest as well. It’s been a long day.”

Tanchun shook her head.

“Second brother-in-law, we’re not tired.”

Xu Ke looked at Xichun, who was half-asleep leaning against Tanchun, then at Daiyu’s pale face, and smiled faintly.

“What, don’t trust your second brother-in-law’s medical skills?”

Tanchun paused.

“It’s not that—”

“Then listen,” Xu Ke interrupted, looking at Xichun. “Fourth sister is still young; she cannot endure such fatigue. And Miss Lin is weak and must not overexert herself. Third sister should take them back to rest and come again tomorrow.”

Xichun blinked groggily at him. Daiyu lowered her eyes and did not move.

Tanchun hesitated, about to speak, but Xu Ke added:

“Grandma and the physicians are here. Nothing will go wrong. If you all collapse from exhaustion, that would only add to the trouble.”

Daiyu lifted her head and looked at Xu Ke.

Among everyone in the room, all attention was on Baoyu. Only this second brother-in-law still remembered that her health was fragile.

She gently tugged at Tanchun’s sleeve.

Tanchun glanced at her and finally nodded, helping Daiyu to her feet. The three of them walked to the door, then looked back once more at the bed before slowly leaving.

Night deepened, and Rongqing Hall grew quieter.

Xu Ke stood for a while longer, then also took his leave from Old Madam Jia.

She nodded.

“Very well. You husband and wife should return and rest early.”

Xu Ke bowed and left with Yingchun.

Back at the county yamen, it was already late at night.

Xu Ke reclined on the heated bed, while Yingchun sat beside him, helping him remove his outer robe. The room finally fell into silence.

Yingchun lowered her head and suddenly let out a soft sigh.

Xu Ke glanced at her.

“What is it?”

She shook her head but said nothing.

After a long pause, she finally spoke in a low voice:

“Master… how has the Jia household come to this?”

Xu Ke opened his eyes and saw her head lowered, fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, eyes slightly red.

He reached out and lightly patted her head.

“The Jia family is large and prosperous. It’s not strange to have a few unworthy descendants.”

Yingchun looked up at him.

Xu Ke smiled faintly.

“Even the emperor has to distinguish loyalty from treachery. What more a household like the Jia family? We just need to take care of our own affairs.”

He paused and lowered his voice.

“In the future, this household will rely on you, the lady of the house.”

Yingchun froze, her face instantly turning red. She lowered her head, too shy to meet his gaze, though the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

Xu Ke lay back down and closed his eyes.

Yet his mind drifted to Jia She’s probing earlier that day—and the meaningful look he had given before leaving.