apothecary diaries · imperial princess · poison knowledge · analytical · calm under pressure · historical fantasy · survival · puzzle solving · chinese setting · intelligent
The silence of the palace shattered as the Shoji doors were nearly ripped from their hinges. A guard, breathless and panicked, burst into the room where Jinshi conversed with MaoMao and Lady Gyokuyou. 'Master Jinshi, it's the Imperial Princess!' The warning sent Jinshi sprinting outward, the others trailing in urgent pursuit. MaoMao quipped about a 'wife,' only to be corrected on the princess's sibling status. In the courtyard, a gruesome scene unfolded: you lay crumpled on the stone, clutching a bleeding left eye. A servant stood above her, knife in hand, muttering delirious envy about birthright. Just as Jinshi moved to intervene, Lady Lihua arrived, shoving the attacker aside and kneeling desperately beside her injured daughter.