The incident involving Consort Lan caused the Shangguan family to lose the Emperor’s favor. Shangguan Yi claimed illness and refused to leave his residence. Shangguan Rui, newly married, did not even have time to share a moment of tenderness with his wife before he was ordered to leave the capital for the Northwest to suppress a rebellion.
With one faction fallen, the opposing side believed their hold on the empire was secure and began to act without restraint.
Yan Qushan had long anticipated that after Consort Lan’s passing, someone in the palace would fish in troubled waters. They would undoubtedly target Xiao Qi to eliminate any remaining possibility of him becoming the Crown Prince.
However, he truly did not expect that person to be so impatient.
As spring began, Xiao Qi suffered from frequent vomiting and coughing. He often felt dizzy and was plagued by unbearable headaches.
The imperial physicians were summoned, but they could find no clear cause. They simply prescribed several doses of restorative tonics and considered their duty done.
Yet, if the medicine was left untouched, things remained the same; if it was taken, Xiao Qi’s condition grew progressively worse. When the symptoms flared up, the pain felt as if his heart were being pierced and his bones were being carved.
Yan Qushan stopped the medication, and indeed, Xiao Qi’s symptoms eased slightly. However, the coughing and blurred vision persisted. The illness was strange; it was likely that a traitor had emerged within the Hall of Imperial Favor.
Consequently, Yan Qushan became even more vigilant regarding Xiao Qi’s daily life. The culprit was indeed cautious, but Yan Qushan was exceptionally meticulous. After several days, he finally caught a lead.
After Consort Lan’s death, more than half of the servants in the Hall of Imperial Favor had left. The only place with a significant staff remaining was the small private kitchen. Xiao Qi was a picky eater; unless the cooks prepared dishes exactly to his taste, he would not eat a single bite. This had provided a loophole for someone with ill intentions.
Some veteran staff had left the kitchen, replaced by a few new girls. One of them, a girl named Qing’er, was particularly clever and skillful. Du Ruo had watched her for days without noticing anything unusual and eventually gave up.
One day, just as Yan Qushan was about to lift the curtain and enter the kitchen, Qing’er spotted him. She quickly stepped forward with a smile. “Why is the Young Master here today? Where is Eunuch Fang?”
Yan Qushan replied with a neutral expression, “The Prince sent the Eunuch on another errand and tasked me with collecting his lunch. Is it ready?”
“The Young Master is early. The soup is still simmering; it will likely be quite a while longer,” Qing’er said. “Once it is done, it would be just the same if I delivered it myself.”
Yan Qushan had come early on purpose to watch her closely. Naturally, he would not be dismissed by a few words. He flicked his sleeves and said mildly, “No matter. I shall wait here.”
Qing’er was sharp; her expression didn’t falter. She remained smiling and gave a quick nod of acknowledgment before assisting the elder matron with the cooking, eventually taking over the wok to stir-fry the vegetables.
She seemed to add an excessive amount of chili peppers, causing the small room to fill with a pungent aroma that made one cough. However, once the dish was finished and plated, it smelled exceptionally fragrant.
Yan Qushan remarked, “Your skill is impressive. These days, the Prince cannot eat anyone’s cooking but yours.”
Hearing this, Qing’er said shyly, “It is truly the blessing of a lifetime that my skills have caught His Highness’s eye.”
Yan Qushan smiled without saying a word. He stood to the side, watching her intently. Then, he lowered his gaze, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.
No matter how skilled a person was, they could not withstand having every movement analyzed. From this observation, Yan Qushan had finally figured something out.
Qing’er’s dishes were fragrant because she used an unusually large amount of seasonings.
After sending her away on a pretext, Yan Qushan quietly gathered a small sample of every seasoning in the kitchen into cloth bundles. He then sent them to the imperial physicians, demanding they investigate if anything improper had been added.
An elderly physician with thinning white hair took a bit of each and tasted them. As he sampled them, his face grew increasingly grim.
“Lord Chen, what is the verdict?”
“A specific medicinal herb has been added to each seasoning. For instance, ginseng was added to the chili. Ginseng is a beneficial tonic, but,” he pointed to the salt, “this salt contains Veratrum. When these two meet, the consequences are disastrous.”
“It is not just the chili and salt. The peppercorns and sugar are also mixed with powders ground from various herbs.”
So that was it. They had truly put a great deal of effort into this, Yan Qushan thought silently.
The princes’ food was always tested by designated personnel using silver needles. Attempting to poison the food directly would be foolish. Therefore, the culprit tampered with the seasonings instead. Ginseng and Veratrum are toxic when combined, but what if they were placed in separate dishes?
It would be impossible to detect.
However, Xiao Qi ate from every dish. When these two seasonings met in his stomach, they created a dietary antagonism, triggering his illness.
It was truly a masterful and meticulous plan.
Yan Qushan reflected that it was no wonder Xiao Qi had not recovered despite taking medicine for so many days. With so many medicinal herbs mixed together, it would be a miracle if he felt better.
“Young Master Yan, Young Master Yan.” Physician Chen called out several times before Yan Qushan snapped out of his thoughts.
“Please speak, Lord Chen.”
“May I ask where you found these seasonings?” Physician Chen wiped the sweat from his brow. “Is it from the Second Prince’s, oh, this is no small matter. I must,”
“No.” Yan Qushan suddenly spoke, cutting the old physician off. His eyes curved slightly, and his handsome face looked as warm and pleasant as a spring breeze. “I simply stumbled upon these in some forgotten corner. It is not a major issue.”
He bowed to Physician Chen. “I have troubled you, Lord Chen.”
Physician Chen opened his mouth to say more. He still harbored worries and doubts, but seeing Yan Qushan’s nonchalant demeanor, he couldn’t help but think he was overreacting. He dropped his concerns and saw Yan Qushan out of the Imperial Academy of Medicine.
Yan Qushan clutched the packets of seasonings and walked toward the Thousand Carp Pond. He shook out the cloth bundles, letting the spiced powders scatter into the water until they vanished.
The fat carp in the pond swam over, mindlessly opening their mouths to eat the tiny particles floating on the surface. Yan Qushan looked down and saw his own reflection in the water.
The smiling facade from a moment ago was gone. Through the shimmering ripples, one could catch a glimpse of his exceptionally handsome face turned cold and ruthless. His gaze was deep and silent, like a pool of stagnant water.
This matter could not be made known to irrelevant people yet, Yan Qushan thought.
Physician Chen could testify, but what of it?
With the Empress’s ability to turn black into white, the testimony of a lowly physician would mean nothing.
In the end, the investigation would likely conclude that a maid had simply been careless and spilled something she shouldn’t have. They would be accused of grasping at shadows and making a mountain out of a molehill.
This scheme was too delicate; it would not cause a large enough stir. If he truly wanted to deal them a heavy blow, secure Xiao Qi’s standing before the Emperor, and even revive the Shangguan lineage, it would have to be a major event that touched the Emperor’s bottom line.
And of course, most importantly, Yan Qushan looked at his reflection and smiled slightly. The dark and terrifying expression dissolved like the flowing water, transforming back into the image of the upright and refined gentleman that Xiao Qi knew.
Most importantly, he would use this opportunity to make Xiao Qi devoted to him forever.