Then Xie Anfeng respectfully inquired of the Crown Prince.

"May this old minister ask Your Highness, is that poison called the Panacea Pill?"

"Yes." The crown prince became wary. Was this old man trying to set a trap?

"When did the prince discover its toxicity? When did he begin to suffer?"

The crown prince felt there was something fishy going on, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Around the twelfth month of the year before last."

"May I ask, Your Highness, how long does it take for this medicine to take to take effect?"

The Crown Prince was a little frightened by him. What did Xie Anfeng mean? Was he implying that Gu Chengyan had been dead for a year, and the current recurrence of poison might not be a panacea?

He had to frame Gu Chengyan.

Thinking of this, the prince said decisively, "It takes three days to become addicted and five days for the poison to take effect."

"So, Your Highness was poisoned a long time ago? And you were pierced by a thousand arrows if you didn't eat it?"

"Yes, the entire Marquis's family, including his nine generations, deserves to be executed! It would be against all reason!" the Crown Prince said bitterly. "I suffer torment every day, and the Marquis's family deserves to die a thousand deaths!"

The Empress was also filled with hatred and gritted her teeth: "Tear the people of the Earl's mansion to pieces and execute them by slow slicing."

...

Xie Anfeng asked, "Does this pill have to be taken every day?"

"yes."

Is there a solution?

The crown prince shook his head: "I don't know."

Princess Yu Rong thought to herself: Just tough it out.

But she couldn't say it; she had to confirm that the Earl's family was unforgivably guilty.

After Xie An finished asking his questions, he turned to Emperor Hui and said, "Your Majesty, I have finished asking my questions."

I have three questions:

First, what is the relationship between His Highness the Crown Prince and Gu Chengyan's concubine? Why did you eat when she told you to?

Secondly, Gu Chengyan and that woman have been missing for a year. Since you can't live without this poison pill, who provides it?

Thirdly, I recall that at the palace banquet last New Year's Eve, the Crown Prince presented Your Majesty with nine pills in front of everyone. Since Your Highness already knew these were poisonous back in the twelfth lunar month of the year before last, why did you still present them to Your Majesty?