Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace

“What on earth is that?”

The crown prince asked, so Yui Mei explained.

“There is a condition wherein the body reacts to specific foods due to hypersensitivity. This must have been what happened to His Highness, Imperial Prince Youren.”

This condition was widely known in her previous world. She often witnessed cases when children were mistakenly served food containing ingredients they shouldn’t eat, so they had to be transported via ambulance.

“Why would that occur?”

“The body has a mechanism that eliminates infection-causing things. Thanks to that function, health is maintained. However, there are people who have physical constitutions that would try to eliminate harmless agents.”

“So there is a physical constitution that eliminates harmless agents.”

“There is a great variety of ingredients that could cause it. That is why all foods must be treated as having the potential to cause hypersensitivity.”

Libin and the lady-in-waiting listened to the crown prince and Yui Mei’s discussion with bulging eyes.

Apparently, it was really their first time to hear about it.

The crown prince ‘hmm’ at Yui Mei’s words.

“…I see. If it is due to the physical constitution, then only Youren would have those symptoms, so testing a person with a different constitution for poison would be pointless, then.”

“Exactly. If the symptoms are light, then the skin will feel itchy, but in the worst case, it may cost him his life.”

Hearing that it may ‘cost him his life’, Libin became serious.

“Meaning to say, it would not be strange even if Youren died?”

“It would depend on the situation. While eating, did His Highness the Imperial Prince Youren’s skin turn red and itchy, and did he cough laboriously?”

The crown prince replied ‘Yeah’ to Yui Mei’s question.

“He coughed to the point that we thought he would vomit blood, and his breathing was labored.”

“It is indeed hypersensitivity; moreover, it is the severe kind.”

Imperial Prince Youren must have been in pain that was severe enough he almost died.

Yui Mei grimaced when she imagined his suffering state.

Since it was a severe illness, it should have been treated promptly; instead, he was denounced as ‘having a curse’ and reprimanded.

Perhaps, the empress dowager’s disposition was such that she couldn’t be kind to vulnerable people,

Regardless, there was no way the court physician was not on stand-by since the emperor was also present in that feast.

Even though they were doctors, what were they doing, letting the patient be labeled as “cursed”.

‘Go study again and change yourselves! I really want to scold them!’

Yui Mei was extremely furious.

Libin had a complex expression as he stared at Yui Mei’s indignation.

“However, even if we know that the ingredients are the culprit, it was a feast. Various dishes were served side-by-side. Besides, it is very difficult to search which ingredient was it. Aside from that, we would be deemed suspicious if we were to examine the food being served in Consort Hu’s palace.”

Indeed, in a country with no means to do blood tests, it would be an arduous task to examine everything.

“Certainly, it would be strenuous to investigate the source.”

The crown prince and Libin wore bitter expressions, but Yui Mei replied easily.

“There is no need to do those things.”

Her manner of speaking came off as heartless.

Libin glowered at her.

“Why, won’t His Highness Imperial Prince Youren die at this rate? Do you plan to leave him as he is?”

Libin had a ‘what a hassle’ look earlier as he stood with the lady-in-waiting since a while ago, but apparently, he didn’t want to force a child to his death.

Yui Mei looked straight at him, undaunted despite his harsh remarks.

“Of course I want to help him. That was not what I meant; there is a way to predict which ingredients could cause hypersensitivity.”

At these words, the crown prince and the others stared at her wide-eyed.

“Yui Mei, what do you think is the cause?”

The crown prince asked, and Yui Mei responded with her inference.

“Right now, eggs and milk are the biggest suspects. Examples of sources for this type of hypersensitivity are eggs, milk and wheat.”

However, if Imperial Prince Youren liked manju, then he must be fine with wheat.

It would be more efficient if these two were examined before suspecting other ingredients.

When the ingredients were announced, the lady-in-waiting who had been quietly listening to the conversation mumbled.

“Eggs and milk, what an extremely luxurious illness it is.”

Yui Mei also nodded at her impression.

“Wheat would be a cause of rumors among the common people, but they seldom consume high quality eggs and milk. The consumers were overwhelmingly small so it was not acknowledged until now. The empress dowager loves luxury, so eggs and milk are naturally included in the menu.”

Comprehension dawned on the crown prince’s face after hearing Yui Mei’s opinion and he replied.

“Indeed, the empress dowager prefers dishes with milk and eggs. Moreover, Youren likes manju, but he cannot eat mushipan.”

“Eggs are used in mushipan. People with hypersensitivity would naturally shirk from the source of discomfort.”

Yui Mei knew her inference was correct based on the crown prince’s words..

‘So, it’s decided that it was eggs, huh.’

Mushipan, which uses egg, was a high-class snack that Yui Mei would normally be unable to eat, since she was a low-ranking court lady.

She was lucky if it was served as a snack at Lady Wang’s residence, and even the mushipan she brought during her sick call to Noble Concubine Jiang were specially made by Mei Na.

Mushipan was served to him because of his status as an imperial prince, but it was ironic that it was harmful.

However, since it was about the body’s constitution after all, so it was still possible to live in good health if appropriate treatment was done to remove the source.

‘But forcing a child until he becomes thin to that extent…’

With fury in her eyes, Yui Mei glared fiercely towards the direction of the empress dowager’s palace. Yui Mei did not notice that the crown prince was looking at her with deep interest.

Afterwards, they brainstormed on ways to help Imperial Prince Youren.

Hi everyone, Hanazakura here, thanks for reading, I’m grateful to you guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. We reached our 10th chapter milestone, hurray! Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace will now have a set schedule!  We will be releasing a chapter three times a week from now on. It will be every Mon, Wed and Fri, at 8:00 GMT. 

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