Luo Jian waited anxiously as Lin Yang worked.  He had no idea what she was doing, but she moved with speed and confidence, which gave him a small measure of reassurance.  Finally, after what felt like an age, she looked up.

"It's strange," she said.  "It has similar properties to chuān wū, but there are subtle differences."  She frowned as she thought for a moment.

"Tell me, what symptoms does she have?"

Luo Jian shifted uncomfortably from side to side.  The truth was, he and Weisheng had been so focussed on going for help that he had forgotten to get a full description of Ming Yue's condition.  Still, he answered as best he could.

"She passed out almost as soon as she drank the wine.  When I left, she was breathing shallowly, and her skin was very pale."

"What about her heart rate?  Her temperature?"  

Luo Jian shook his head, feeling more than a little foolish.

Lin Yang stood up and grabbed a bag, stuffing jars and books into it until it was full enough to burst.

"Let's go.  I need to examine her myself.  There are herbs that will treat chuān wū poisoning if we catch it in time, but I must know what specific symptoms she has before I can work out the precise combination."

Luo Jian nodded, and the two of them rushed from the clinic.  Leaping onto his waiting horse, he extended an arm and pulled Lin Yang up in front of him.  At any other time, he would have found this position extremely awkward but, in the present circumstances, there was no room for discomfort.  And besides, there was something about Weisheng's identity that he would need to tell the young woman before they arrived at the palace.

***

Across the city, beyond the palace gates and behind the walls of the prince's mansion, Weisheng had come to a decision.  He turned to face the three other men in the room.

"Eunuch Wang, I urgently need a large canopy set up in the forest just beyond the orchard.  With a bed.  I am moving Ming Yue there."

Eunuch Wang looked up at the prince, somewhat confused.

"Do you mean a tent, Your Highness?  We have many of those in storage from the summit."

Weisheng shook his head.

"Not a tent.  I want direct access to the ground."

His chief eunuch saw the look in his eyes and left immediately, knowing not to question the order any further.  For Xiao Yu, however, it was a different matter.

"Weisheng, what on earth are you thinking?"  Once again, the urgency of the situation put paid to any attempt at formality.

"We are not very far away from the winter months, and the nights are getting colder.  My patient's temperature is already dangerously low, and you want to take her outside?   It's not happening."

Weisheng could not be angry with the physician.  He was only looking after Ming Yue's welfare, and it was true that, to anyone who did not know of her more unusual qualities, his actions seemed rooted in madness.

However, he was reluctant to fully explain himself just yet.  And the truth was so extraordinary that, in reality, it could only be believed by being witnessed first-hand.  Consequently, Weisheng chose to rely on his years of familiarity with Xiao Yu instead.

"Please, my friend.  You must trust me on this.  You know that I would never to do anything to harm her."  He looked up at him, willing the physician to trust him.

Xiao Yu's brow furrowed as he thought.  He was being asked to go against every instinct he had as a doctor.  It was not an easy decision.  Suddenly, he felt a light touch on his arm.  He looked up and saw Lin Xing Fu's handsome face gazing down at him where he sat on the edge of the bed.  The younger man gave a small smile and a nod, and the physician relented.

"Fine.  Have it your way, Weisheng.  But, if at any point I think it's making her condition worse, you are bringing her straight back here.  And that's non-negotiable"

The prince let out a sigh of relief.  It was an easy concession for him to make, and they would most likely know soon enough if his gamble had paid off.

It was an anxious wait while the prince's instructions were carried out by Eunuch Wang and the royal guards.  Fortunately, Xiao Yu had done his best to stem the spread of the poison, and Ming Yue's health did not appear to deteriorate too much during that time.

Finally, the makeshift treatment area was completed, but before Weisheng could put his idea to the test, two people rushed into the room.

Luo Jian stopped in front of the prince, but Lin Yang went straight across to where Ming Yue lay.  While she studied the unconscious young woman, Weisheng updated his friend.

"Doctor Xiao has done what he can, but we need to find an antidote.  Also, we're moving her into the forest.  I don't know for certain if it will help.  I only know that from what I've witnessed over the last few months, it's worth a shot."

Luo Jian nodded.  He had complete faith in the man standing opposite him.

Weisheng sensed the support and trust emanating from his closest friend, and suddenly felt a wave of gratitude.  He grasped the other man's arm firmly and gave him a grim smile, which Luo Jian returned.  Then, taking a deep breath, he turned to face the other occupants of the room.

"We're relocating.  Everyone, bring whatever you need."  Without waiting for a response, he gathered Ming Yue up in his arms and strode out of the room, closely followed by one eunuch, two doctors, a young herbalist and a captain of the guards.  An unlikely set of allies.

A hundred thoughts were running through Weisheng's mind as he walked quickly through the winding garden pathways towards the entrance to the orchard.

Ming Yue's injuries inflicted during the summit had healed at an alarming pace.  At the time, he had surmised that this could have been due to her being surrounded by the natural world that she was so attuned with.  Now he was going to test that theory.

As regards choosing the forest, Weisheng had two reasons.  The first was privacy.  Until he could properly process what had happened and decide how best to deal with the matter politically, he wanted as few people as possible to know about it.

Second was the fact that this was the very place that had defended Ming Yue so vigorously those many months ago, even going so far as to wipe the location of her attack entirely out of existence.  If she could draw strength from anywhere, it was likely to be here.

As they approached the forest clearing, Weisheng was pleased to see that the royal guards had done a good job.  The canopy structure was sturdy, and the area underneath it was basic in its furnishings but had everything they needed.  As he laid Ming Yue down on the bed, he heard the trees around them start to creak and rustle.  Their companions looked around in apprehension, but the prince and Luo Jian took comfort from the sound.  To Weisheng, it was as though they were responding to the young woman's presence.

He took a step back to allow Doctor Xiao to examine her once more, checking that the brief journey had not caused any downturn in her condition.

Xiao Yu reached for Ming Yue's wrist to check her pulse and was amazed to find that the limb which had previously been tense was now relaxed and compliant, and the faint heartbeat had strengthened ever so slightly.  He looked at Weisheng, an unspoken question in his eyes, but the prince deliberately averted his gaze.

"She's no worse than before," Doctor Xiao said, choosing his words carefully.  He turned to Lin Yang.  "Have you managed to identify the poison?"

She nodded slowly, as if she was still figuring things out in her mind.

"It's chuan wu, but it has been modified.  Ordinarily, this poison would cause a rise in body temperature, but Ming Yue is far too cold.  It must have been combined with something else.  I would say the best bet is shi gao.  It's not normally poisonous, but when you mix the two substances, it's a different story."

"Can you treat it?"  Weisheng asked, impatiently.  Lin Yang thought for a moment.

"If I have the right herbs, yes."  She rummaged in the bag that was still slung across her shoulder.

"I have four of the five plants I need but I will have to collect the other.  It only grows in shaded areas, in crevices in the rocks.  The best place to look is the hills behind the city.  Luckily, winter is late this year, so there should still be some there."

Weisheng looked at Luo Jian.

"Go with her.  Keep her safe."

Lin Yang turned to her brother.

"Xing Fu.  I will leave you with the other four herbs.  You have to crush them to a paste to draw out the oils like I showed you previously.  When I return with the final ingredient, we need to add it to the mixture then heat it gradually for...," she considered briefly.   "Two hours should do it.  Any longer will boil the healing properties away."

Xing Fu nodded and took the bag from her.

Her instructions given, Lin Yang started to walk away, but was stopped by Weisheng's hand on her arm.

"Thank you," he said, a slight tremor in his voice.  She smiled reassuringly.

"Ming Yue is my friend.  I will not let her die."

With Lin Yang and Luo Jian's departure, the group of seven under the canopy was now reduced to five.

Weisheng looked at Eunuch Wang.

"Is there any news about the maidservant who delivered the wine?"

The chief eunuch showed no surprise at suddenly being the centre of the prince's attention.

"Yes, Your Highness.  Luckily our men were able to apprehend the woman before she returned to the harem.  My assistant confirmed that she was the maid who had delivered the wine, and Wen Mei identified her as Bu Hong.  She is currently in the palace dungeons, being kept separately to the other prisoners.  Nobody outside of the prison staff is aware of the reason for her confinement."

Weisheng nodded approvingly.

"Tell the royal guards to keep it that way.  Now that we know what poison it is, I don't need to interrogate her immediately.  I doubt she could tell us much anyway.  She was probably only the means of delivery."

Eunuch Wang left as soon as the prince finished speaking, but their number remained at five, as he was immediately replaced by a familiar friend.

On arriving under the canopy, Kuai headed straight across to the bed where Ming Yue lay.  Padding around to the opposite side from where Doctor Xiao was currently sitting, he let out a plaintive whine, stuck his large head onto the covers and licked at the woman's hand.

The physician turned his head and gave Weisheng a long, questioning look, and the prince realised that he could no longer avoid the inevitable.  Looking to his right, he saw Xing Fu sitting quietly in the corner, grinding up the herbs as his sister had directed, and decided that, for now, the young man was best kept in the dark.  He motioned to the doctor, and the two left the cover of the canopy together to walk among the surrounding trees.

It was a clear night, and the moon was shining brightly.  With that and the light from the torches, Weisheng could clearly see his friend's eyes, which were currently burning with curiosity and a fair share of indignation.  Turning to face the man, he waited for Xiao Yu to speak.  It did not take long.

"Weisheng, I trusted you when you decided to move Ming Yue to this random place, and it appears that I was right to do so.  Her condition has improved, although she is still very much in danger.  Still, something is holding the poison at bay, slowing its spread in a way that is far more effective than anything my skills can accomplish."

Weisheng said nothing, sensing that Xiao Yu was not finished.

"Every instinct I have as a physician tells me that this is impossible.  By now, the toxin should be attacking her system, making it more difficult for her body to fight it without the help of an effective antidote.  However, I'm not seeing the level of deterioration I would expect, even though she has not ingested any remedies since she has been in my care."

"Weisheng," his voice lowered.  "What is it about this place that made you bring us here?  And where is Ming Yue getting this sudden strength to delay the effect of the poison?  You must tell me the truth.  I cannot treat her properly if I do not know everything."

Now finished, Xiao Yu looked steadily at the prince, indicating that he would not let the matter go without a full explanation.  Weisheng glanced upwards and silently begged the unconscious Ming Yue for forgiveness.  Then, he took a deep breath, and started to speak.

***

Luo Jian and Lin Yang made their way through the darkness, using the light from the moon and a solitary lantern.  Luckily, Lin Yang was familiar with the terrain, having searched for medicinal herbs in the area many times.

Despite her familiarity with the place, it could still be hazardous due to the uneven ground, but on the odd occasion that she did lose her footing on a slippery rock, Luo Jian had been there to give her a steadying arm, much to her delight.

Of the two of them, the young captain was far more likely to be flustered by such physical contact between men and women.  Lin Yang, on the other hand, saw no reason why the opposite sexes should have to treat each other like they had some sort of contagious disease, nor why the simple act of taking someone by the arm to lend a hand or make a point should suddenly mean that you had made some sort of romantic overture.  Still, she could not help but feel a small thrill whenever Luo Jian did reach out to help her.

She focussed her attention back on illuminating the ground in front of her.  By her reckoning, they should be approaching the area where the herb she needed was most likely to be found.

Luo Jian looked up.   By the position of the moon, they had now been gone for a couple of hours.  He did not know how much longer Ming Yue could hold out, but he hoped that Weisheng had bought enough time for all of them by moving her into the forest.  Nevertheless, it was a risky move for the prince to take, and Luo Jian wondered how much he had needed to divulge about the young woman's special ability in order to secure the stubborn Doctor Xiao's cooperation.

He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard Lin Yang give an excited shout.

"I've found it!  It's here.  And it looks like there's enough."  She bent down, pulled a small knife out of her cloak pocket, and began slicing at the base of a delicate green plant with purple leaves.  Luo Jian breathed a sigh of relief, but he would not let himself have too much hope.  Every instinct he had told him that time was quickly running out.