Sui Axi had little confidence: "This subordinate will do my best to try."
Precisely because he was familiar with medicinal properties, Sui Axi felt the poison Shen Xihe requested would be difficult to create. However, since this was the first task Shen Xihe had assigned him, Sui Axi still wanted to make every effort. The final result was unsatisfactory—he failed to develop the poison Shen Xihe wanted.
"This poison, County Princess, is harmless when applied to the skin. However, once it seeps into a wound, the toxin will lie dormant in the body. After three days, the person will experience feverish head and physical weakness resembling heatstroke. If they take Purple Snow Elixir to reduce the fever, it will activate the poison."
The palace had countless fever-reducing prescriptions and pills, so whether Purple Snow Elixir would be prescribed remained an uncertain factor.
"Physician Huang of the Imperial Hospital prefers using Purple Snow Elixir to reduce fever, and the heat sensation induced by medication aligns with Purple Snow Elixir's indications," Sui Axi added.
Although he had previously worked in the herb garden, he had frequent contact with the Imperial Hospital and was quite familiar with the treatment habits of various imperial physicians.
Shen Xihe raised her brows and looked at Sui Axi standing respectfully nearby: "You are very clever."
From beginning to end, she never told Sui Axi who the poison was intended for. Yet after Sui Axi delivered the incense burner ball, and she investigated its whereabouts without avoiding him, he could deduce who she was targeting.
Recalling how Sui Axi had managed to hide Bian Xianyi in the herb garden that day, Shen Xihe thought it normal for him to figure it out.
"Thank you for your praise, County Princess." Sui Axi beamed with delight.
"County Princess, shall this subordinate make arrangements?" Mo Yuan felt a sense of urgency.
Shen Xihe thought for a moment: "No, using our people would be too risky."
After all, death by poisoning couldn't be concealed. Once the poison took effect, a thorough investigation would follow. Shen Xihe stood up, went to the kitchen, prepared a large basin of wonton filling, personally wrapped a hundred wontons, stored them in the ice room to freeze, and went to see Xiao Huayong the next day.
When Xiao Huayong saw the bowl of cooked wontons Shen Xihe placed before him, he was somewhat overwhelmed by the unexpected favor: "County Princess..."
"Payment."
Xiao Huayong: ...
Why couldn't she just humor him? He was easy to coax!
Even if it were a lie, he could believe it, really!
Somewhat torn between laughter and tears, Xiao Huayong first ate two wontons: "How may I be of service to the County Princess?"
After watching him eat two, Shen Xihe asked: "Your Highness, aren't you afraid Zhaoning might cause you trouble?"
"I rather wish the County Princess would trouble me a bit." Xiao Huayong said, then deliciously ate another wonton. After satisfying himself somewhat, he continued, "The County Princess is upright and rarely seeks help from others. When you do seek help, it's certainly not for troublesome matters."
Pausing briefly, Xiao Huayong added: "Even if it were truly troublesome, if I declined, the County Princess wouldn't force me just because I ate the wontons."
Shen Xihe smiled. She realized Xiao Huayong wasn't the same type of person as Xie Yunhuai, but interacting with him felt equally comfortable.
"There is one matter." Shen Xihe didn't beat around the bush. "Three days from now, if Liang Zhaorong summons an imperial physician, I hope Your Highness can ensure Physician Huang is sent."
Xiao Huayong thought it a trivial matter: "Just ensuring Physician Huang is the one sent? No other instructions?"
"No need for instructions." Shen Xihe nodded.
A person's habits were hard to change. As long as it was the appropriate medication, unless unavailable, there would be no variables.
Even if Liang Zhaorong had some luck and variables arose, Shen Xihe could simply find another method.
"County Princess, rest assured. Leave this matter to me—I'll ensure it's foolproof." Xiao Huayong agreed."Your Highness, I intend to take Liang Zhaorong's life." Shen Xihe didn't want Xiao Huayong to be caught off guard, only to have his personnel implicated during the investigation after the poisoning occurred.
She didn't mind Xiao Huayong knowing what kind of person she was. Since they would be living together day and night in the future, it was better not to harbor unrealistic, idealized expectations of each other.
Xiao Huayong was pleased. He liked her frankness with him, his eyes shimmering with silvery threads of amusement: "I understand."
I understand.
Just four words. No questions about why she wanted to kill Liang Zhaorong, nor any judgment about her ruthless methods lacking a woman's traditional chastity and gentleness.
She spoke of murder, and he accepted it so effortlessly.
Shen Xihe felt quite relieved. She stayed in the Eastern Palace and conversed at length with Xiao Huayong, who occasionally watched her intently—sometimes seeming to listen carefully, other times studying her features. "Has the Commandery Princess's complexion improved?" Xiao Huayong asked only after Shen Xihe had left.
Being unable to perceive colors now, he could only assess her physical condition through her vitality. Calculating, she had been taking medicinal soups for some time.
"The Commandery Princess is truly reborn—her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright and captivating." Tianyuan was also amazed by Shen Xihe's transformation.
Hearing this, Xiao Huayong's lips curved upward. He habitually rubbed the small black mole at the corner of his eye with his pinky finger: "Then it's worth it..."
Life in the Imperial Harem was monotonous. The Youning Emperor had gradually lost interest in the harem over the years—no new consorts were brought in, and he rarely visited. Thus, the imperial consorts led dull lives, developing fixed routines.
For instance, Liang Zhaorong would generally be at certain places doing specific things around the same time each day, making her movements easily predictable. This was how Shen Xihe had previously encountered her by chance. She also had a habit of personally delivering evening meals to her cat every day and playing with it briefly.
That day, as usual, she went to feed the cat. As she reached out to touch it while it bent down to eat, the cat suddenly swiped at her hand, leaving three unexpected scratches on her knuckles.
The pain made Liang Zhaorong grimace. She immediately ordered someone to check why the cat had gone mad. The investigation revealed that the newly changed fragrant balm she used for her hands had irritated the cat with its scent.
The wounds weren't deep, so Liang Zhaorong didn't take them seriously. Three days later, she suddenly developed a fever, assuming she had caught a chill at night. She summoned the Imperial Hospital, and Physician Huang was called to examine her. After checking her pulse, he diagnosed it as a common fever and prescribed Purple Snow Elixir as usual.
No one expected that after taking the Purple Snow Elixir and retiring for the night, Liang Zhaorong would be found the next morning with a purplish-blue face when the maid drew back the bed curtains. The maid's horrified screams shocked the entire Imperial Harem. Liang Zhaorong had been poisoned to death in her sleep, causing widespread fear throughout the palace.
The Youning Emperor was furious. How could one of his consorts be silently poisoned in her own bedchamber? If the culprit wasn't found, wouldn't he himself be at risk of being poisoned unnoticed one day?
However, the thorough investigation ultimately proved futile—no suspicious individuals were uncovered.
Misfortunes never come singly. Before Liang Zhaorong's cause of death could be determined, news arrived from Tianshan: the Sixth Prince, Xiao Changyu, had fallen off a cliff and died, his body lost.
With consecutive tragedies striking, the Youning Emperor decided to visit Xiangguo Temple to pray for blessings before the autumn hunt.
"Something isn't right." Shen Xihe frowned.
"What's wrong?" Biyu asked nervously."The reaction from the Dai Prince's residence is off." Shen Xihe's gaze grew solemn. "Liang Zhaorong's personal attendants couldn't possibly harbor no suspicion toward me whatsoever. Upon hearing this, the Dai Prince would never remain completely unmoved."
All the preparations she had made proved utterly useless.
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