That Persian cat, usually lazy and noble, let out a shriek from its throat that did not belong to a feline.
Its snow-white fur stood on end, and its emerald pupils narrowed into dangerous vertical slits.
"Meow—!"
The next second, like a white arrow released from a bow, it lunged straight at Xue Manman, who was closest to it, with a stench of blood.
"Ah—!"
Xue Manman had no time to react; she only felt something scratch her face fiercely, causing a burning, stinging pain.
She screamed and tried to push the cat away, but the cat seemed to have gone crazy, using both its claws and teeth to cling to her tightly.
The banquet hall fell into chaos in an instant.
The noble ladies were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and they retreated one after another, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.
Xue Manman crawled on the ground, trying to shake off the crazy cat. Her hair bun came undone, her luxurious dress was torn into shreds, and her face was instantly covered in several deep, bone-reaching bloody scratches.
"Help! Your Highness, save me!"
She cried out tragically, her makeup smeared all over her face; there was no trace of her usual pitiful appearance.
Fu Nanli’s face turned livid. He wanted to step forward, but was frightened by the cat’s ferocious appearance and stopped in his tracks.
"Guards! Where are the guards! Are you all dead?"
The Grand Princess was so angry that she slapped the table, her whole body trembling.
Several guards rushed up and, after a great deal of effort, finally managed to trap the still-struggling cat with a net.
The Grand Princess looked at her beloved pet, which had been tortured to the brink of death, and then at the disheveled and embarrassed Xue Manman lying on the ground, her anger burning.
"Imperial Physician! Send for the Imperial Physician!"
She pointed at the white powder scattered on the ground and said sternly, "Investigate this for me! What kind of sinister thing is this!"
The Imperial Physician quickly arrived with his medicine chest. He squatted down, used a silver needle to dip up a bit of the powder, and sniffed it at the tip of his nose; his expression changed drastically.
He walked to the Grand Princess and bowed.
"Reporting to Your Highness, this substance is called 'Drunken Red Dust,' a strange poison from the Western Regions."
"It can make animals go into a frenzy and lose their minds. If a woman inhales too much, she will lose her senses, lose her decorum in public, and babble nonsense."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire room was in an uproar.
Everyone present was a Shrewd Person; who couldn't hear the vicious intent behind this medicinal powder?
Everyone's gaze fell upon Xue Manman, who was still sobbing on the ground.
Xue Manman’s face was covered in blood from the cat’s scratches. She propped herself up on the ground, and upon hearing the Imperial Physician’s words, her whole body stiffened.
She raised her head, pointed viciously at Xue Tingxue, and cried out hysterically.
"It’s her! It’s Xue Tingxue! She is jealous that I can marry Your Highness Prince Yu, she wants to destroy me! She is the one who used the poisoning!"
This counter-accusation made the guests present show expressions of watching a good show.
Fu Nanli also seemed to have grabbed a straw, and immediately stood out.
"Aunt, there must be something suspicious about this! Tingxue, she..."
"Oh?"
Xue Tingxue laughed softly, interrupting him.
She walked out of the crowd calmly and stood in the center of the hall.
"Sister’s words are truly interesting."
She leisurely took a crumpled piece of paper from her sleeve and spread it out in front of everyone.
"I found this in a discarded wastebasket a few days ago when I had the servants clean the courtyard you lived in. I thought it was something important, so I kept it."
It was a prescription, and the flowing handwriting on it clearly read the three words "Drunken Red Dust," along with its detailed proportions.
Xue Manman looked at the prescription, and the blood drained from her face in an instant.
"No... this isn't mine! You are framing me!"
"Framing?" Xue Tingxue raised an eyebrow. "That is truly unfortunate."
Just then, a commotion came from the entrance of the banquet hall.
Qing Feng pushed the wheelchair, and the figure of Fu Tingyuan slowly appeared.
He couldn't be bothered to even give Fu Nanli a glance, his gaze falling directly on the Grand Princess.
"Imperial Sister, this Younger Brother Minister is late."
His voice was not heavy, but it made the entire hall go quiet.
"However, it just so happens that I caught someone for you, Imperial Sister."
He waved his hand toward the door.
Two soldiers from the Patrol Battalion walked in, escorting a black-skinned man with a shifty look in his eyes.
As soon as that man saw Xue Manman, he immediately knelt down with a "thump," his head knocking against the floor like he was pounding garlic.
"Second Young Lady, spare me! Second Young Lady! I was just doing a job for money; it was your maid Cuier who gave me one hundred taels of silver and asked me to help her buy this 'Drunken Red Dust' at the Black Market! I don't know anything else!"
Fu Nanli felt his brain "buzz," as if he had been hit hard by a heavy hammer.
He looked at Xue Manman, his eyes full of disbelief.
He thought he had found a soulmate who could help him ascend to a high position and become the mother of the nation.
And the result?
This woman had dragged him into the mud at the most critical moment!
The Grand Princess’s expression was already ugly to the extreme.
This was no longer a simple case of poisoning; this was slapping the Royal Family in the face in front of all the civil and military officials and foreign envoys!
She took a deep breath, her voice devoid of any emotion.
"Someone! Drag this vicious woman away for me! Lock her in the side hall!"
"After the birthday banquet ends, send her immediately to the Jingzhao Prefecture and hand her over to the Dali Temple for strict interrogation!"
"No! Don't!"
Xue Manman completely collapsed. She tried to hug Fu Nanli’s leg, but he kicked her away in disgust.
Two thick Old Women walked up, grabbed her arms from left and right, and dragged her out.
"Your Highness! Save me! Your Highness!"
Xue Manman’s crying grew more and more distant, and finally, everything went black before her eyes, and she fainted completely.
The farce finally came to an end.
Xue Tingxue looked at the mess before her, a perfectly timed smile appearing on her face.
She walked to the Grand Princess and took a small porcelain bottle from Bi Tao’s hand.
"Your Highness has been startled. This is the 'Mind-Calming Dew' newly developed by my shop; it is the best for finding peace of mind."
She opened the bottle cap, and a clear, refreshing fragrance instantly permeated the air.
The Grand Princess smelled the scent, and her irritable mood indeed calmed down quite a bit.
She looked at Xue Tingxue, her eyes complex.
"You girl, you really know how to do Business."
Xue Tingxue smiled with her eyes curved.
"Your Highness is joking. I just wanted to tell everyone that such low-class tricks are vulnerable in the face of true Power."
That night, the banquet dispersed.
Xue Tingxue was walking under the corridor when a figure blocked her path.
Fu Tingyuan sat in his wheelchair, the Moonlight spilling onto him, plating him in a layer of cold silver radiance.
"Eldest Miss Xue’s 'fishing expedition' was performed well. Even the Grand Princess has become a living signboard for your 'Qingcheng' shop."
Xue Tingxue looked up, meeting his deep gaze, her eyes filled with a bit of cunning.
"Didn't you also watch it with great interest, Prince? This is called a strong alliance, each getting what they need."
Fu Tingyuan chuckled, producing an autumn chrysanthemum in full bloom from somewhere.
He reached out and gently tucked the chrysanthemum into her hair.
His Fingertips inadvertently touched her ear, carrying a trace of Coolness.
Xue Tingxue’s Body stiffened for a moment.
She only heard his low voice, in the silent night, carrying a power that bewitched people's hearts.
"This king never watches plays."
"This king is only responsible for backing my Princess Consort. In the future, if you want to walk sideways in this Capital City, no one will dare to stop you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of hurried footsteps broke this moment of intimacy.
A guard from the Dingguo Mansion rushed over with a panicked expression, Kneel on One Knee, his voice trembling.
"Eldest Miss! It's bad!"
"An 800-li urgent dispatch from the Northern Border! The vanguard battalion led by Young General Xue Zhen was ambushed by the Hu people in Luoyan Valley three days ago!"
"The entire battalion... has lost contact!"
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