Chapter 16 – Worth Its Weight in Gold

Mu Nanjin had just gotten her meal in the mess hall and hadn’t even taken a seat before a group of imperial guards suddenly barged in, grabbed her by the arms, and dragged her out of the Garrison Office straight into a prison cart.

No one explained why she was being arrested, leaving her completely bewildered and sweating in confusion.

The imperial guards surrounding her all had stern faces—clearly not the kind of people she could question for answers.

Since no one would tell her what was going on, she decided to focus on the immediate priority.

【Might as well eat a few bites to calm my nerves.】

Hearing that, Captain Liu and his men—who had followed behind—nearly twisted their ankles in disbelief.

At a time like this, how could she still be so calm?

How did she even manage that?

Tang Jingrui took a deep breath, approached the Commander of the Imperial Guards, and asked, “Lord Qi, may I ask what crime Mu Nanjin has committed?”

The Commander, not wanting to offend the Jinyiwei, dismounted and said, “Lord Tang, we are merely following orders. We’re not aware of the details. My apologies.”

Tang Jingrui frowned slightly, then quietly slipped him a small pouch of silver. “Mu Nanjin is just a young girl. I’d be grateful if Lord Qi could look after her.”

The Commander pushed the silver back. “As long as it’s within my power, I’ll help. No need for formality, Lord Tang.”

“Then I thank you in advance.”

Tang Jingrui then approached Mu Nanjin, lowering his voice. “Do you know what offense you’ve committed before His Majesty?”

“I didn’t commit any offense,” Mu Nanjin replied, her eyes full of innocent confusion.

“You…”

Tang Jingrui suspected that perhaps something she said in her heart had offended the Emperor, but he couldn’t say it outright. Instead, he simply scolded, “This is hardly the time to be eating!”

Mu Nanjin swallowed her mouthful of rice. “What if they throw me in prison and I don’t get to eat later?”

Tang Jingrui: “……”

That actually… made sense. He couldn’t even argue with that.

“Return to the palace!”

At the Commander’s order, the guards marched back toward the palace in a grand procession.

Kan Chaoyan came up and patted Tang Jingrui’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll have someone in the palace look into what’s going on.”

If Mu Nanjin truly had committed a serious offense, the Tang family wouldn’t escape punishment either.

The Deputy Commander’s Mansion wasn’t far from the palace. By the time Mu Nanjin had just finished her meal, she was already being hauled off the prison cart and taken to Yongshou Palace.

The courtyard of Yongshou Palace was filled with people. Besides eunuchs, maids, and guards, all the noble ladies present had their noses covered against the overwhelming stench that hung in the air.

The Commander bowed and reported, “Your Majesty, Mu Nanjin has been brought.”

At the sound of her name, Princess Xueyu rushed forward in hysterics, grabbing Mu Nanjin by the collar and shaking her violently. “Mu Nanjin! What medicine did you give Grandmother? Why has she been suffering from abdominal pain and nonstop diarrhea? Even the imperial physicians are helpless! Her entire body is covered in some black filth that won’t wash off no matter what we do!”

Hearing the symptoms, Mu Nanjin immediately understood what was going on. She glanced at the imperial physicians kneeling on the floor and asked, “Did she take the elixir pill?”

Princess Xueyu struck her chest angrily. “It’s because she took your medicine that this happened! If anything happens to the Empress Dowager, I’ll see you and the entire Tang clan buried with her!”

Mu Nanjin thought for a moment. “Didn’t I tell you what would happen after taking the medicine?”

“No, you didn’t,” Princess Xueyu said with absolute certainty.

【No wonder I felt like I forgot something—it turns out I never warned them about this part. But that’s not my fault; Princess Xueyu rushed me off before I could finish explaining.】

The Emperor’s expression darkened. “Mu Nanjin, what is going on?”

“How long has it been since Empress Dowager took the medicine?” Mu Nanjin asked.

Eunuch Shou quickly replied, “More than half an hour.”

“Oh, then it’s about time. Just wait a bit longer and it’ll be fine.”

Just then, a voice called from outside the courtyard: “The National Preceptor has arrived!”

“Brother Feng!”

Princess Xueyu cried out and ran toward Feng Sinan.

He shifted his body slightly, letting her rush past him, and the maid behind him caught her neatly before she could collide into him.

Feng Sinan glanced briefly at Mu Nanjin before stepping forward to salute the Emperor. “Your Majesty.”

The Emperor hurriedly asked, “National Preceptor, my mother—how is she?”

Feng Sinan reassured him, “Please rest assured, Your Majesty. The Empress Dowager is fine. Let us wait for the results.”

The Emperor finally let out a breath of relief.

About fifteen minutes later, the Empress Dowager’s cries of pain gradually subsided.

Soon, eunuchs and maids began carrying buckets of hot water into the room, only to carry out foul-smelling, dirty water moments later.

After several rounds, the stench in Yongshou Palace slowly dissipated.

Then came a series of startled exclamations from within.

“My heavens—!”

“What happened inside?”

Princess Xueyu anxiously tried to rush in, but the Empress caught her by the wrist.

“Mother, why are you stopping me?”

The Empress comforted her. “From the sound of it, it doesn’t seem like anything bad. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Just then, the doors opened.

Nanny Hui emerged, her face glowing with excitement.

The Emperor immediately asked, “Nanny Hui, what’s going on inside?”

“It’s good news—wonderful news! Your Majesty won’t believe it, but the Empress Dowager, she—”

“Nanny Hui, that’s enough,” came a calm voice from inside, interrupting her.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Nanny Hui smiled and returned inside.

Everyone exhaled in collective relief—at least the Empress Dowager was safe.

【I should probably start thinking about how much I’ll charge per pill.】

The Emperor and Feng Sinan exchanged glances, both silently looking toward Mu Nanjin.

A few more minutes passed, and the door opened again. A delicately adorned foot in an embroidered phoenix slipper stepped out first—

Then appeared a young, dignified face that was both familiar and utterly astonishing.

“Oh heavens—!”

Gasps and murmurs erupted all around.

Princess Xueyu stared at the young woman in phoenix robes in shock. “Th-this… Grandmother?”

The Emperor looked on in disbelief at a woman who appeared ten years younger than him. “Y-you’re… Mother?”

“Who else could I be?” The Empress Dowager smiled. “Have you forgotten what I looked like when I was young?” She turned to the imperial physicians still kneeling. “I’m quite well now. You may rise.”

“Th-thank you, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager!”

The physicians scrambled to their feet.

The Empress Dowager looked at Mu Nanjin in the crowd and beckoned her over with a smile. “Little Mu, come here.”

Mu Nanjin stepped forward and bowed. “Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager.”

The Empress Dowager took her hand warmly. “This elixir of yours works wonders. Though I suffered terrible pain at first, after cleansing myself I feel completely refreshed. Not only does my face look younger, but even my body feels rejuvenated and full of life.”

Mu Nanjin explained, “That’s because the elixir expels impurities and illness from your body, restoring vitality and youth. If only your face became young but your body remained frail, what would be the point?”

“This… This is really the effect of the Jade Beauty Pill?”

Princess Xueyu circled around her grandmother in awe. “Unbelievable! Grandmother, you’re even younger than Mother now!”

The Empress Dowager laughed, then asked, “Little Mu, there’s one thing I don’t understand. Now that I’ve become young again, when will I grow old? How long will the effect last?”

“Please don’t worry, Your Majesty. You won’t age rapidly. You’ll grow older gradually, just as before. Of course, if your lifespan is already determined by fate, this pill won’t change that.”

“I see.”

The others all looked envious.

Especially the Empress and the concubines—each of them was dying to regain their youth.

One of the concubines impatiently asked, “Guard Mu, do you still have any Jade Beauty Pills left?”

Mu Nanjin looked around at their expectant faces, lips curving slightly. “I do.”

Their eyes lit up—until she added, “Ten thousand taels of gold per pill.”

“So expensive?!”

The staggering price made half the crowd back off immediately.

“My pills are worth their weight in gold,” she said with a calm smile. “Of course they cost that much.”

Everyone: “……”