Poisoned tea.
Upon hearing these words, Chu Zhao picked up her teacup and took a gentle sip.
"Don't you trust me, Third Young Master?" she said with a laugh.
Xie Yanfang also smiled.
"This isn't a matter of trust. Even between father and son or husband and wife, one must maintain some caution in such circumstances," he said, looking at the teapot. "Even from the same teapot, the tea might not be the same."
Chu Zhao slowly finished her tea while gazing at the teapot, murmuring to herself: "I didn't know back then."
In that previous life, she had shared food and lodging with Xiao Xun, never once considering she needed to be cautious around him - until she repeatedly drank the poisoned tea he personally poured, until her body grew frail, until she lost her child, until that final cup of undisguised poisoned wine sent her on her final journey.
Nor did she expect that in this life she would find such things in the palace and use them on others.
"It's not exactly poison," she said, looking at Xie Yanfang. "It's a medicine that causes temporary unconsciousness."
Xie Yanfang made an understanding sound. "So that's what it is."
Xiao Man, standing behind Chu Zhao, felt her palms sweating, yet her mind was somewhat bewildered. Ever since Xie Yanfang said he wanted to kill Zhong Changrong, she had prepared herself to attack. But until now, with one accusing the other of poisoning the tea and the other explaining what kind of poison it was, the atmosphere remained so calm—
The conflicts in the capital were truly different from those on the battlefield.
Xiao Man found this place more terrifying.
"Your Majesty need not go to such lengths. Just tell me directly what you want me to do," Xie Yanfang said frankly.
Chu Zhao responded with equal frankness: "I asked you before whether Imperial Relatives could refrain from holding official positions for the stability of the court, and you replied they could."
Xie Yanfang nodded: "Of course they can. Not only will I not hold office, I can guarantee that no one from the Xie family will hold office either."
Chu Zhao looked at him for a moment, then shook her head: "I now understand that the Xie family is actually irrelevant. Whether they hold office or not doesn't matter. The key person is you, so I want you to disappear."
"Disappear?" Xie Yanfang asked with interest. "How?"
"I won't set you free to go wherever you wish, nor will I allow you to serve in court," Chu Zhao stated candidly. "I want to imprison you, to cut you off from the world."
Xie Yanfang looked at her and smiled. "Cut off from the world?" Then he added, "The best way to make someone disappear is to kill them."
Chu Zhao shook her head: "Third Young Master, I won't kill you. I won't burn the bridge after crossing it or repay kindness with ingratitude. You have shown great kindness and assistance to me and A'Yu. But you're too dangerous to be allowed to continue manipulating the affairs and people of Great Xia. So I must imprison you, at least until A'Yu becomes a true emperor, you cannot reappear."
Xie Yanfang said: "I believe I've made myself clear earlier—I pose no threat to you and A'Yu—"
"No, you will," Chu Zhao interrupted him. "Third Young Master, your greatest danger is turning me and A'Yu into what you want us to be."
Xie Yanfang looked at her and remained silent for a moment.
"What you do is for the Emperor and Empress you want, not for me and A'Yu," Chu Zhao said. "A'Yu and I only want, and will only ever be, ourselves."
Xie Yanfang said: "I'm not asking you not to be yourselves. It's just that some matters are inconvenient for you to handle personally, so I handle them for you."
Chu Zhao shook her head: "As long as they are our own affairs, nothing is inconvenient. We don't need others to do things for us, and no one can do them for us."
Xie Yanfang fell silent.His silence cast a pall over the room, and Xiao Man felt as if her breath had frozen in her chest.
"Fine."
Just as the atmosphere grew suffocating, Xie Yanfang nodded and said:
"I am willing to step aside for the Empress."
Chu Zhao looked at him and replied, "Thank you, Young Master Xie the Third."
Xie Yanfang glanced at the teacup in his hand again and suddenly asked with a laugh, "Then, do I still need to drink this tea?"
Chu Zhao also smiled. "No need. Everything that needed to be said has been said."
"What if I had already drunk it earlier?" Xie Yanfang asked, still smiling. "Then the Empress wouldn’t have had to go through so much trouble."
If anyone else had said this, it would have sounded like an accusation or a sarcastic remark, but coming from Xie Yanfang, it only felt like playful teasing.
"If you had drunk it, I would have waited for you to wake up before saying these words," Chu Zhao replied without the slightest hint of embarrassment, speaking earnestly. "It’s just a matter of sequence."
Xie Yanfang chuckled and set the teacup down.
……
……
"What does she intend to do?"
Upon hearing Xie Yanfang’s words, Du Qi, who had been waiting in the tent, glared angrily.
"Does she plan to arrest you, Young Master?"
Xie Yanfang corrected him, "Imprison me."
Du Qi’s expression darkened. "The Young Master still has the mood to joke. Cai Bo said it long ago—since she dared to investigate Wei Shi, she intends to take action against you." He sneered coldly. "Let’s see how she plans to arrest you."
"The entire hunting grounds are surrounded by layers of troops," Xie Yanfang said. "The Inner Palace Guard forms one layer, the Garrison Guard another, and the outermost layer is the Capital Garrison. I was escorted back here, and at this very moment, our tent is heavily surrounded. No one can approach."
Du Qi replied indifferently, "So what?"
"I know it doesn’t matter," Xie Yanfang said, waving his hand. "Don’t mind it. She’s angry right now and wary of me. Let her do as she pleases."
Du Qi retorted, "Young Master, how is this 'doing as she pleases'? She has murderous intentions toward us. This is burning bridges and killing the donkey after it has done its job."
Xie Yanfang replied, "The Empress, of course, can harbor murderous intentions toward anyone. I’ve been waiting for her to investigate me, curious about how she would handle it." At this point, he nodded. "Not bad, not bad. She’s done quite well."
Du Qi shrugged beside him. "Young Master, you’re still praising her. Are you happy even if she kills you?" He couldn’t help muttering under his breath, "If Cai Bo were here, he’d surely start lecturing again."
But there was no hurry—Cai Bo would find out soon enough.
Hearing his words, Xie Yanfang stopped smiling and instead fell into thought. "What she did still isn’t quite like me."
If it were him, the tea wouldn’t just knock someone unconscious—it would kill them. Nor would he imprison a living person—he would bury the dead.
"The Empress can’t bring herself to kill me."
But this was also like him, because he couldn’t bring himself to kill her either.
At this thought, he couldn’t help but smile.
They truly were the same.
……
……
"Is this what you call persuasion?"
In the Empress’s tent, Xiao Man, acting out of character, grabbed Chu Zhao’s arm, her expression furious as she questioned her.
"First, you poison him, then you outright say you’re going to imprison him."
How could this be considered persuasion?
Did she even consider how she felt being there at the time!
Chu Zhao smiled and said, "It is persuasion. Look, it worked, didn’t it?"
Xiao Man stared at her wide-eyed.
"Young Master Xie the Third is an intelligent man. When speaking with him, one must be direct and straightforward," Chu Zhao said, holding her hand and speaking softly.
Xie Man’s expression was skeptical. "He’s so clever, so formidable. How could he be persuaded so easily and willingly allow himself to be imprisoned?"Chu Zhao said, "He wasn't convinced by me, but by himself. He's too clever, too confident. The only one who can persuade him is himself. In truth, he never regarded me as worthy of consideration."
Not quite understanding, Xiao Man couldn't help rubbing her forehead. "Then what should we do next? If he doesn't want to be confined anymore, he could change his mind at any time."
Chu Zhao gazed at the gradually descending dusk and replied, "I must ensure he cannot change his mind before he has the chance to reconsider."
...
...
As dusk fell over the capital, groups of soldiers and horses suddenly rushed in. The city gates were closed, but the tension among the citizens was somewhat alleviated as the galloping troops announced in the streets, "Apprehending Western Liang spies! All unrelated persons, stay clear!"
Arresting Western Liang spies? The people couldn't help but discuss among themselves—who were these Western Liang spies?
The soldiers dispersed throughout the city and converged on two residences.
In the Xie family's inner quarters, the lamps had just been lit, shining brilliantly. However, those inside were not celebrating with song and dance but wore expressions of shock and bewilderment.
"Western Liang spies? Our Xie family?" Seventh Master Xie stood under the eaves. After the initial shock, he laughed heartily. "The Empress's excuse is far too perfunctory! We are the Imperial Relatives, the Emperor's only kin. Even a charge of corruption would have been more convincing."
Meanwhile, at the Liang residence, panic and chaos reigned alongside the shock. This was the second time the Liang family had faced such a situation—how could it happen again so soon? Family members ran about in confusion, exclaiming, "What is going on?" "How could we be spies?" "Our Liang family has rendered meritorious service!" "This is the Empress's personal vendetta!"
Amid the terror, Liang Qiang remained calm, but his hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched tightly.
So, even though he hadn't spoken, the Empress had indeed found out.
This time, could the Empress prevail?
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