After Qiao Yanxin cooked the mushroom and consumed it, a lengthy period elapsed without any untoward reactions.

Observing this, He Jinghe gained a sense of assurance.

"Father, Mother, these mushrooms are surely non - poisonous. That woman, Shang Ruoyi, deliberately said otherwise to frighten us."

He Ning'an furrowed his brows slightly. As a man, he naturally had little knowledge of kitchen affairs, merely consuming whatever the cook prepared daily. However, the mushrooms' vivid hues made him truly hesitant to take a bite.

Concubine Qin sipped the chicken broth while munching on a roasted potato, exclaiming, "I never before realized how scrumptious these simple items could be."

He Yunyi nodded in agreement. "Indeed, but it's also due to Sister - in - law's remarkable culinary skills. She can transform such unadorned ingredients into a gastronomic delight."

The other prisoners, upon beholding the He family savoring such delicious fare, couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

They yearned to be part of the He family themselves.

The woman who had previously received food from Shang Ruoyi seemed to have reached a decision. With a resolute glint in her eyes, she fixed her gaze upon Shang Ruoyi. The next moment, she approached Shang Ruoyi, cradling her child, and dropped to her knees at her feet with a resounding thud. "Madam, I am willing to serve as your servant. I beseech you to spare a morsel of food."

"However, I do not currently require a servant, nor is there anything that demands someone's attention."

"Throughout this journey, there will always be tasks that call for an extra pair of hands. I am proficient in all manner of tasks, truly. As long as you are willing to provide sustenance, I can forgo eating myself. Just ensure my child has something to eat," she tightened her embrace around her son, her eyes welling with tears. "My child has endured hardship with me since birth, never having a full meal. Please, take pity on us and take us in."

Shang Ruoyi regarded her with a sigh.

The innocent child. Very well then.

"My grandmother is in need of a servant's care. You may stay."

The woman was overjoyed. "Thank you, Madam. Thank you."

Shang Ruoyi retrieved two roasted potatoes and proffered them. "There is no more chicken broth. Have these."

"Thank you, Madam."

"Refrain from addressing me as 'Madam.' Call me 'Mother' instead. The term 'Madam' makes me feel aged."

The woman hastily responded, "Understood, Young Madam."

Shang Ruoyi: "......"

From that moment on, Aunt Li and her son, Fuzi, officially became part of the He family.

After Aunt Li's arrival, Concubine Qin and Lin of the third branch experienced a notable sense of relief. After all, they had been shouldering most of the care - taking responsibilities in the preceding days.

"Ruoyi, do we have sufficient provisions?" Concubine Qin approached Shang Ruoyi and inquired in a hushed tone. "With so many mouths to feed in our family, and now Aunt Li and her son have joined." After all, food was the most scarce commodity on this journey.

"Mother, there is no need for you to worry about the food situation." Shang Ruoyi had inspected the provisions within the space. Sustaining the entire family was well within reach.

Just then, two agonized wails suddenly pierced the air.

Zhang clutched her abdomen, her face ashen, beads of sweat the size of soybeans dotting her forehead. "Ouch, ouch, it hurts! It's killing me!"

The other cry emanated from Qiao Yanxin.

"Jinghe! Jinghe! What's wrong with you? Jinghe?"

It transpired that Zhang and He Jinghe had ingested poisonous mushrooms, and now the venom was taking effect.

Zhang had consumed less, and aside from the pain, she remained at least conscious. However, He Jinghe, having indulged in an excessive amount, had fainted outright.

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The guards, upon hearing the commotion, hastened over. "What's going on?"

"Sir, after my mother - in - law and husband ate the mushrooms, they have been reduced to this state," Qiao Yanxin said, her face streaked with tears, appearing both startled and terrified.

"Having eaten poisonous mushrooms, they're fortunate not to have perished on the spot," the guards sneered. "Whether they can recover is a matter of fate. We possess no antidote." The guards turned their backs and departed.

Shang Ruoyi curled her lips in disdain and reclined, closing her eyes to rest.

She had examined those mushrooms. Although venomous, they were not lethal; they would merely cause discomfort for a few days.

After an indeterminate span of time, Zhang's cries of pain gradually subsided, yet He Jinghe remained unconscious and showed no signs of awakening.

As night fell, a wisp of smoke wafted gently over. Shang Ruoyi's eyes snapped open.

Sleep - inducing smoke!

Just as she was about to rise, she heard a familiar cadence of footsteps.

The sound was reminiscent of what she had heard within the prince's mansion.

It was the two bodyguards attending to He Jingheng.

"Young Master," two deep voices intoned.

"How fares the search?"

"Reporting to the Young Master, we dispatched men to scour the area beneath the cliff for an extended period, yet we failed to unearth any trace of the prince," Yun Qi reported in a hushed tone. "We suspect that the prince was abducted by individuals from the palace."

He Jingheng shook his head upon hearing this. "That cannot be the case. If he had been taken by those from the palace, given the emperor's disposition, he would have been summarily beheaded and the news broadcast to the realm. Now that Father has vanished, the emperor in the palace must be equally anxious."

"Young Master, what course of action should we take now?" Yun Tian regarded his leg and produced a vial of medicinal powder. "This is a concoction prepared for you by Physician Wang. Use it initially to alleviate the pain. When Physician Wang arrives, he can set your bones."

He Jingheng eyed the porcelain vial. "Inform him that there is no need for him to come. This leg will recover shortly."

Recover?

How could that be possible?

"By the way, Young Master, what should be done about Shang Nian's daughter? Should we..." Yun Qi made a slashing motion across his neck.

Shang Ruoyi, feigning slumber, couldn't resist rolling her eyes. This voice belonged to that scoundrel, Yun Qi. He had best pray that she never caught him in a compromising position, or he was doomed.

"Absolutely not," He Jingheng surveyed the "unconscious" Shang Ruoyi, and a hint of imperceptible softness crept into his tone. "Do not harm her."

"Yes, sir."

Finally, he has some sense of decency.

Shang Ruoyi resolved to reward him with some spiritual spring water the following morning.

Contemplating the spiritual spring water, she suddenly recalled that the potatoes she had gathered were haphazardly stowed within the space and had yet to be planted. She wondered whether the seedlings had withered.

Entering the space with her consciousness, she was astonished to discover that not only were the potato seedlings thriving, but the potatoes themselves appeared fresher and larger.

Could this space possess a preservation property?

She planted the potatoes in the field and, in passing, inspected the previous crops. The cornstalks had grown to a person's height over the past few days. Presumably, it would not be long before they bore corn.

If the corn indeed grew, she would no longer need to fret about food for the remainder of the journey.

Just then, Shang Ruoyi, within the space, suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, as if a menacing presence was drawing near.