Shen Ruxu's face stiffened, staring at her like she had seen a ghost, and quickly glanced at Zhao Hui before flusteredly defending, "What nonsense are you spewing! You're the murderer!"
Zhao Hui's brows furrowed, gazing at Ye Zhuojiang's busy back with irritation and anxiety.
Gu Ying raised the corners of her lips and walked to Yin Lan's side, taking the handkerchief out of her mouth, "Jiangjiang, how is my mother's poison?"
Ye Zhuojiang smirked and said in a raised voice, "A small matter!"
Upon hearing this, the situation in the room suddenly shifted.
After all, in Shen Ruxu's words, Mrs. Lin's poison had reached her internal organs, with absolutely no chance of recovery.
Zhao Hui was startled, just as he saw Ye Zhuojiang stuff a pill that had been prepared in advance into Mrs. Lin's mouth. He then stretched out two slender fingers to pinch her throat, deftly shoving the pill down.
In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the pallor on Mrs. Lin's face regained some color.
Zhao Hui narrowed his eyes, looking suspiciously at Shen Ruxu, and asked meaningfully, "Ruxu, didn't you say this poison has no antidote?"
Shen Ruxu's body stiffened, chilled by Zhao Hui's icy tone. Goosebumps instantly appeared on her back as a sense of coldness swiftly crawled up her shoulders. She stammered, "Foster father..."
"You'd better give me a good explanation!"
Shen Ruxu's heart sank.
Zhao Hui didn't even bother listening to Shen Ruxu's mumbling explanations. He held Mrs. Lin in his arms, gently caressing her face with distress, "Ayu, how are you feeling?"
Ye Zhuojiang raised his brows slightly. "My lord, you should hurry and have the lady rest in bed. She was poisoned by Xiong Feather, an extremely vicious toxin. If not for my genius, I'm afraid she would undoubtedly be dead by now."
Zhao Hui didn't dare linger any longer. He carefully carried his wife to the bedroom.
Only after that did he emerge with a cold face and ask in a low voice, "What exactly happened today? Ruxu, why were you unwilling to give the antidote to your mother?"
In his eyes, Ye Zhuojiang was nothing more than a snotty-nosed brat.
If even he could cure a poison that Shen Ruxu claimed had no remedy, then he had lived all these years in vain if there was no foul play involved!
Panic flashed across Shen Ruxu's eyes. She tightened her throat and said, "My medical skills are limited, I really am powerless..."
"Is this poison so difficult?" Ye Zhuojiang said disdainfully with a smirk. "It seems to me that Miss Shen deliberately did not want to cure the national princess."
Shen Ruxu's heart thumped wildly in fright. She retorted with a dark expression, "She raised me from childhood, how could I watch her die?"
Ye Zhuojiang smiled slightly. "Then you should give the national duke a proper explanation!"
Shen Ruxu furrowed her brows and looked at Zhao Hui red-eyed, "Foster father, I truly do not have the ability to cure this poison. This drug seals the throat on contact, there is no antidote!"
Upon hearing this ridiculous explanation, Gu Ying scoffed. "Father, Miss Shen is right. Xiong Feather is an extremely rare poison that only one person in Bianjing can make."
Zhao Hui dangerously narrowed his long eyes. In their dark and deep depths, chilling intent permeated. "Oh? Who can make it?"
Gu Ying tilted her head innocently. "Miss Shen, would you do the honors?"
Zhao Hui's gaze slowly shifted until it landed on Shen Ruxu, whose complexion had become deathly pale. He had a bad premonition.
Shen Ruxu licked her lip corners nervously, suddenly recalling something. She urgently said, "Foster father, this poison... is indeed mine... but Yin Lan took it from me, saying she wanted to deal with Yanzhi. At the time, I was momentarily soft-hearted and gave it to her. I didn't expect she would put it in my mother's food. It's clear she was following Miss Gu's orders!"
"What Miss Shen says sounds odd," said Yin Lan, covering her swollen cheeks with an innocent look in her eyes. "Why would I want to harm Yanzhi?"
Shen Ruxu furrowed her brows tightly. "You— Yanzhi is already dead, yet you still dare to equivocate?"
Yin Lan laughed. "My lord, I did not equivocate. Yanzhi is still alive and well."
As she spoke, Yanzhi appeared at the door, safe and sound. She blinked blankly a few times. "Huh, what's going on? Miss Shen, how can you say I'm already dead when I merely had a cold these past few days?"
Shen Ruxu was stunned again.
Yin Lan continued, "Yanzhi is like a sister to me, how could I harm her? Miss Shen is making baseless accusations to tarnish my reputation. Also, I never asked you for any kind of poison, never. Please present evidence of your allegations against me and my lady."
Right on cue, Yanzhi stepped forward with a charming smile. "That's right, why would Sister Yin Lan poison me? She nearly died in Yueyang because of you, so how could she interact with you and ask for your poisons? Miss Shen, you may want to revise your lies."
Zhao Hui looked sharply at Shen Ruxu. Before Shen Ruxu could make sense of the situation unfolding before her eyes, his murderous gaze made her jump in fright.
She was rendered speechless as her face paled, a buzzing sound ringing in her head.
Only now did she realize she had been calculated against.
Her chest heaved violently. She looked at Gu Ying's calm and composed expression in disbelief. "It was you...you did this on purpose?"
Gu Ying's brow arched slightly. "I don't understand Miss Shen's words."
Her eyes darkened as she continued coldly, "Father, Shen Ruxu harbored malicious intentions, even daring to brazenly poison the national princess in an attempt on her life. This is an egregious crime, and by my view, we ought to hand her over to the Bianjing government to be investigated."
"I...I didn't! Please no!" Shen Ruxu had a criminal record. It was Princess Lin who had previously pleaded with the crown prince to cover it up. If she were now handed to the authorities, her earlier homicide would be exposed. She was utterly afraid. Kneeling on the ground, she hugged Zhao Hui's legs and looked up weeping, "Foster father, I did not poison Mother. Please believe me, don't send me to the officials! I beg you! Spare me!"
Zhao Hui had navigated the bureaucratic arena for many years. Shen Ruxu's petty tricks could not escape his discerning eyes.
He was just deeply disappointed and felt anguish for Mrs. Lin.
She was such a kind and gentle woman, yet she was plotted against by the very child she had raised with her own hands. As if the plotting wasn't bad enough, this ungrateful girl even dared to poison her mother with Xiong Feather, a poison that sealed the throat on contact...
Keeping someone so malicious in the manor would only invite more disaster.
And he had never been a good man to begin with. Anyone who dared harm his Ayu would not get off easy.
Zhao Hui let out a cold laugh. The last shred of patience in his eyes was exhausted. "From this day forth, this Shen person is no longer associated with the national manor! Men, tie her up and discipline her according to house law before sending her to the authorities!"
The blood drained from Shen Ruxu's face instantly, her body going limp like mud on the ground.
This was the national manor, the seat of power in Bianjing.
Once she was handed to the Bianjing authorities, she would forfeit any chance of seeing daylight again...
Trembling, she looked towards Gu Ying, no longer hiding the hatred in her eyes.
"Ahhh—Gu Ying, go die!"
Shen Ruxu's face stiffened, staring at her like she had seen a ghost, and quickly glanced at Zhao Hui before flusteredly defending, "What nonsense are you spewing! You're the murderer!"
Zhao Hui's brows furrowed, gazing at Ye Zhuojiang's busy back with irritation and anxiety.
Gu Ying raised the corners of her lips and walked to Yin Lan's side, taking the handkerchief out of her mouth, "Jiangjiang, how is my mother's poison?"
Ye Zhuojiang smirked and said in a raised voice, "A small matter!"
Upon hearing this, the situation in the room suddenly shifted.
After all, in Shen Ruxu's words, Mrs. Lin's poison had reached her internal organs, with absolutely no chance of recovery.
Zhao Hui was startled, just as he saw Ye Zhuojiang stuff a pill that had been prepared in advance into Mrs. Lin's mouth. He then stretched out two slender fingers to pinch her throat, deftly shoving the pill down.
In less than the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the pallor on Mrs. Lin's face regained some color.
Zhao Hui narrowed his eyes, looking suspiciously at Shen Ruxu, and asked meaningfully, "Ruxu, didn't you say this poison has no antidote?"
Shen Ruxu's body stiffened, chilled by Zhao Hui's icy tone. Goosebumps instantly appeared on her back as a sense of coldness swiftly crawled up her shoulders. She stammered, "Foster father..."
"You'd better give me a good explanation!"
Shen Ruxu's heart sank.
Zhao Hui didn't even bother listening to Shen Ruxu's mumbling explanations. He held Mrs. Lin in his arms, gently caressing her face with distress, "Ayu, how are you feeling?"
Ye Zhuojiang raised his brows slightly. "My lord, you should hurry and have the lady rest in bed. She was poisoned by Xiong Feather, an extremely vicious toxin. If not for my genius, I'm afraid she would undoubtedly be dead by now."
Zhao Hui didn't dare linger any longer. He carefully carried his wife to the bedroom.
Only after that did he emerge with a cold face and ask in a low voice, "What exactly happened today? Ruxu, why were you unwilling to give the antidote to your mother?"
In his eyes, Ye Zhuojiang was nothing more than a snotty-nosed brat.
If even he could cure a poison that Shen Ruxu claimed had no remedy, then he had lived all these years in vain if there was no foul play involved!
Panic flashed across Shen Ruxu's eyes. She tightened her throat and said, "My medical skills are limited, I really am powerless..."
"Is this poison so difficult?" Ye Zhuojiang said disdainfully with a smirk. "It seems to me that Miss Shen deliberately did not want to cure the national princess."
Shen Ruxu's heart thumped wildly in fright. She retorted with a dark expression, "She raised me from childhood, how could I watch her die?"
Ye Zhuojiang smiled slightly. "Then you should give the national duke a proper explanation!"
Shen Ruxu furrowed her brows and looked at Zhao Hui red-eyed, "Foster father, I truly do not have the ability to cure this poison. This drug seals the throat on contact, there is no antidote!"
Upon hearing this ridiculous explanation, Gu Ying scoffed. "Father, Miss Shen is right. Xiong Feather is an extremely rare poison that only one person in Bianjing can make."
Zhao Hui dangerously narrowed his long eyes. In their dark and deep depths, chilling intent permeated. "Oh? Who can make it?"
Gu Ying tilted her head innocently. "Miss Shen, would you do the honors?"
Zhao Hui's gaze slowly shifted until it landed on Shen Ruxu, whose complexion had become deathly pale. He had a bad premonition.
Shen Ruxu licked her lip corners nervously, suddenly recalling something. She urgently said, "Foster father, this poison... is indeed mine... but Yin Lan took it from me, saying she wanted to deal with Yanzhi. At the time, I was momentarily soft-hearted and gave it to her. I didn't expect she would put it in my mother's food. It's clear she was following Miss Gu's orders!"
"What Miss Shen says sounds odd," said Yin Lan, covering her swollen cheeks with an innocent look in her eyes. "Why would I want to harm Yanzhi?"
Shen Ruxu furrowed her brows tightly. "You— Yanzhi is already dead, yet you still dare to equivocate?"
Yin Lan laughed. "My lord, I did not equivocate. Yanzhi is still alive and well."
As she spoke, Yanzhi appeared at the door, safe and sound. She blinked blankly a few times. "Huh, what's going on? Miss Shen, how can you say I'm already dead when I merely had a cold these past few days?"
Shen Ruxu was stunned again.
Yin Lan continued, "Yanzhi is like a sister to me, how could I harm her? Miss Shen is making baseless accusations to tarnish my reputation. Also, I never asked you for any kind of poison, never. Please present evidence of your allegations against me and my lady."
Right on cue, Yanzhi stepped forward with a charming smile. "That's right, why would Sister Yin Lan poison me? She nearly died in Yueyang because of you, so how could she interact with you and ask for your poisons? Miss Shen, you may want to revise your lies."
Zhao Hui looked sharply at Shen Ruxu. Before Shen Ruxu could make sense of the situation unfolding before her eyes, his murderous gaze made her jump in fright.
She was rendered speechless as her face paled, a buzzing sound ringing in her head.
Only now did she realize she had been calculated against.
Her chest heaved violently. She looked at Gu Ying's calm and composed expression in disbelief. "It was you...you did this on purpose?"
Gu Ying's brow arched slightly. "I don't understand Miss Shen's words."
Her eyes darkened as she continued coldly, "Father, Shen Ruxu harbored malicious intentions, even daring to brazenly poison the national princess in an attempt on her life. This is an egregious crime, and by my view, we ought to hand her over to the Bianjing government to be investigated."
"I...I didn't! Please no!" Shen Ruxu had a criminal record. It was Princess Lin who had previously pleaded with the crown prince to cover it up. If she were now handed to the authorities, her earlier homicide would be exposed. She was utterly afraid. Kneeling on the ground, she hugged Zhao Hui's legs and looked up weeping, "Foster father, I did not poison Mother. Please believe me, don't send me to the officials! I beg you! Spare me!"
Zhao Hui had navigated the bureaucratic arena for many years. Shen Ruxu's petty tricks could not escape his discerning eyes.
He was just deeply disappointed and felt anguish for Mrs. Lin.
She was such a kind and gentle woman, yet she was plotted against by the very child she had raised with her own hands. As if the plotting wasn't bad enough, this ungrateful girl even dared to poison her mother with Xiong Feather, a poison that sealed the throat on contact...
Keeping someone so malicious in the manor would only invite more disaster.
And he had never been a good man to begin with. Anyone who dared harm his Ayu would not get off easy.
Zhao Hui let out a cold laugh. The last shred of patience in his eyes was exhausted. "From this day forth, this Shen person is no longer associated with the national manor! Men, tie her up and discipline her according to house law before sending her to the authorities!"
The blood drained from Shen Ruxu's face instantly, her body going limp like mud on the ground.
This was the national manor, the seat of power in Bianjing.
Once she was handed to the Bianjing authorities, she would forfeit any chance of seeing daylight again...
Trembling, she looked towards Gu Ying, no longer hiding the hatred in her eyes.
"Ahhh—Gu Ying, go die!"
