The Abandoned Bride

Chapter 18

"My Lady, My Lady, Where have you been?" Rui-Chan calls out to us as we get closer to the house.

"What is wrong?"

"The General is sick, he is unconscious" Rui-Chan says and I gasp and start running towards him.

"What has happened?" I ask and grab his arm.

"I found these snacks on the table and I ate them. The General also had a bite of it and then passed out. I don't understand what happened? I ate it and I am fine and I even took a bite of the one he ate," he explains.

"Has the Imperial Physician arrived?" I ask and Rui-Chan nods his head and points to them inside.

"They have examined the snacks, but can't see any obvious poisons. They are unsure of the ingredients" He says and I then step inside the house and go over to see Changwei looking very pale in bed and I greet the physicians.

"I am sorry my Lady, we are unsure of what has happened? it doesn't seem like anything poisonous was used here, but we are also unfamiliar with the ingredients in this snack, it is highly unusual" They explain.

"How come Rui-Chan didn't get sick?" I ask.

"The best we can figure is that General Song had a reaction because of the herbs he is currently taking. Whatever is in the snack has reacted with the herbs he has ingested. Rui-Chan has not ingested any other medicine so he is not having any side effects from the snack" They explain.

"Do you know who brought this snack?" I ask.

"No we have asked in the kitchen and no one has made this snack?"

"Well how could it be here in our quarters then?" I say starting to get frustrated.

"It seems like someone has had malicious intentions, I am going to get the men to look into it" Rui-Chan says.

"For now the General is stable, we are hesitant to use any more medicine for now until we can figure out what the problem seems to be" The physicians explain. A Eunuch for the Emperor comes over and says we are to appear in front of the Emperor. We follow him as a group and the Eunuch announces our presence and we go in front of the Emperor and bow down.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Emperor says in a booming voice.

"Your Majesty, someone left some harmful snacks or at least harmful to the General. We believe the snack has some ingredients that are harmful when mixed with the prescribed herbs General Song was taking  " The head physician comes forward and answers.

"Did someone see who brought the snacks?" He asks.

"No, the snacks were in the house before we came inside," Rui-Chan says, raising his head.

"What is to become of the General?" The Emperor asks.

"We are unsure of what to do, we are unfamiliar with the herbs in this snack, we can try some acupuncture to help the body get rid of the herbs" They explain.

"Your Majesty" I say, speaking up.

"Yes," He says, looking in my direction.

"I know of a master herbalist that lives less than a day trip on a mountain, would you allow me to go and bring him here to help? He has lots of experience with herbs and even sells them to the Imperial Palace" I explain and the Emperor pauses.

"Alright, if there is no one in the palace that can help, then I will allow it, I will send some guards and horses for you to go and retrieve this man" He says in a firm tone.