It so happened that on this day, Ren Yaoqi's mother, Madam Li, came to Yanbei Prince's Mansion to visit Ren Yaoqi. Ren Yaoqi then asked Madam Li if there was any method to make someone appear as if they had caught a cold with a persistent high fever, undetectable even by physicians.
Ren Yaoqi thought that since Madam Li came from a prince's mansion, she might have heard of such a thing.
Madam Li thought for a moment and shook her head, indicating she did not know. However, Nanny Zhou suddenly spoke up, "Listening to what you said, Miss, this servant recalls a certain poison."
Ren Yaoqi quickly asked, "What poison?"
Nanny Zhou frowned, "This servant once heard from my aunt that there is a poison in the palace called 'Gouwen.' The first time it is taken, it causes a persistent high fever, just like catching a cold. If taken only once, the illness will recover in a few days. But if taken continuously for three months, the body gradually weakens, causing death without anyone noticing. This poison is not something just anyone in the palace can obtain, and it is unlikely to have spread to the common folk."
Nanny Zhou's aunt was once the chief confidante and senior maid by Consort Wan's side. After Consort Wan committed suicide, she also hanged herself. It was not strange that Nanny Zhou learned these things from her aunt.
So it was indeed something from the palace... Ren Yaoqi couldn't help but frown. But what was their purpose in doing this?
Xiao Jingyue was a person from the imperial court, so why would he be poisoned? What conspiracy was hidden within this?
As she pondered, Ren Yaoqi grew unusually restless. She was worried about Xiao Jingxi's safety.
After Madam Li and Nanny Zhou left, Ren Yaoqi sent someone to invite Xiao Jinglin over to discuss the matter with her.
After listening, Xiao Jinglin calmly said, "If this is a ruse of self-injury, what do you think it is for?"
During the time she waited for Xiao Jinglin, Ren Yaoqi had also thought a lot. In response, she asked, "Do you think Yan Ningshuang is trustworthy?"
Xiao Jinglin frowned and then spoke bluntly, "Although Yan Ningshuang is from the Yan family, the second daughter is not particularly clever. If she came to Yanbei with some conspiracy... she would likely be easily exposed."
Ren Yaoqi nodded in agreement, "Exactly. Yan Ningshuang is probably just a pawn, and one who is being used while kept in the dark from start to finish."
Although Ren Yaoqi did not like Yan Ningshuang, Yan Ningshuang's infatuation with Xiao Jingxi did not seem fake. Ren Yaoqi believed that the things she did were out of her genuine affection for Xiao Jingxi. So, after observing her for some time, Ren Yaoqi felt that Yan Ningshuang could, in a way, be considered naive.
Xiao Jinglin continued thoughtfully, "So, after this incident, we will trust Yan Ningshuang even more, believing that she will stand on our side for Second Brother's sake. Once we let our guard down, they will use Yan Ningshuang to set a major trap for us..."
Ren Yaoqi sighed, "So, this might be a chain of schemes. Xiao Jingyue's illness is just preparation for their next move."
Xiao Jinglin said coldly, "This Miss Yan is truly foolish!" Princess Xiao's words remained as direct and straightforward as ever.
Ren Yaoqi shook her head with a bitter smile, "Isn't that so?"Yan Ningshuang had betrayed the court and her family for Xiao Jingxi, so she must have felt uneasy in her heart. Unfortunately, she did not know that perhaps long ago, she had already been a pawn in the hands of the Yan family—and a discarded one at that. It was unclear how Yan Ningshuang would feel when she found out later.
Xiao Jinglin said, "If that's the case, then we have no choice but to hold our position for now and see what other tricks they plan to pull."
Ren Yaoqi had been keeping an eye on Xiao Jingyue's situation. After several days, Xiao Jingyue still showed no signs of improvement, and his symptoms matched those Nanny Zhou had described to Ren Yaoqi—the effects of consuming "Gou Wen" continuously over several days.
However, his mother, Su Shi, seeing that he was not getting better, changed his doctor and brought in a physician from outside the mansion.
Ren Yaoqi watched coldly from the sidelines, almost certain that Xiao Jingyue had likely already recovered but was deliberately pretending to have been successfully poisoned repeatedly by Yan Ningshuang.
Both Ren Yaoqi and Xiao Jinglin believed they must have other schemes in mind, so they continued to hold their position.
As October approached, Xiao Jingxi suddenly lost contact, and for several consecutive days, no news came back to the mansion. Ren Yaoqi grew anxious, but Xiao Jinglin comforted her, saying, "Don't worry. He made thorough preparations before leaving. This lack of news is likely part of his plan."
Although she said this, in places Ren Yaoqi could not see, Xiao Jinglin still furrowed her brow.
The news she received was that Xiao Jingxi and his party had encountered pursuers and lost contact near Wuzhou. In the plans Xiao Jingxi had discussed with her earlier, this had not been part of it. With the peace talks between the court and the Liao Kingdom about to begin, it would be problematic if Xiao Jingxi, representing the Yanbei Prince's Mansion, did not appear. Thus, Xiao Jinglin also suspected that something unexpected might have happened to Xiao Jingxi.
However, even though it was just speculation, Xiao Jinglin did not share this with Ren Yaoqi, as the Princess Consort had said that although Ren Yaoqi's pregnancy was stable, it was best to avoid unnecessary stress.
A few more days passed, and the Prince of Yanbei returned to the mansion, suddenly summoning Xiao Jinglin.
Whatever the Prince of Yanbei discussed with Xiao Jinglin, the next day, Xiao Jinglin came to bid farewell to Ren Yaoqi.
"You're returning to Jiajing Pass now?" Ren Yaoqi frowned and asked. "Didn't you say you would stay for a while longer?"
Xiao Jinglin replied, "Father is worried that the Liao Kingdom might cause trouble during the peace talks, so he asked me to return to Jiajing Pass." She glanced at Ren Yaoqi and added, "I'll come back to see you when you give birth."
Ren Yaoqi studied Xiao Jinglin for a moment before suddenly asking, "Jinglin, tell me the truth. Are you going to Jiajing Pass or Wuzhou this time?" Without waiting for Xiao Jinglin to answer, she continued, "Has something happened to your brother? Is that why the Prince sent you to assist him?"
Xiao Jinglin maintained her composure and shook her head. "No, I'm going to Jiajing Pass. Don't overthink it—it's not good for the baby."
Ren Yaoqi looked at Xiao Jinglin for a while and smiled bitterly. "Jinglin, has anyone ever told you that when you lie, your eyes blink twice in a row?"Xiao Jinglin's expression stiffened, and after a long while, she finally sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Yaoqi, I didn't mean to deceive you. My father asked me to go to Wuzhou to assist my second brother—he's injured."
Upon hearing this, Ren Yaoqi's face showed no visible change in expression, but her complexion paled slightly.
"Where is he injured? Is it serious?"
Xiao Jinglin hesitated for a moment. Seeing Ren Yaoqi's expression, she ultimately told the truth: "I won't know the specifics until I get there. The scouts sent by the prince's manor saw the distress signal he sent out, but his exact whereabouts are still unclear."
Don't complain about the short update T_T...
The author will take half a day off tomorrow to focus on making up for the missed updates. Just a heads-up...
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