Xie Ansu smiled and said, "I'm glad Mingyue likes it. Speaking of which, there's an ancient stele forest in the north of the city, which is said to contain the authentic works of a great Confucian scholar from a previous dynasty. If you have some free time tomorrow, I can accompany you to take a look."

Just as Qi Mingyue was about to reply, Zhishu rushed in with a serious expression: "Miss, a letter has arrived from the capital."

Qi Mingyue took the letter, opened it, and her expression changed slightly. Xie Ansu asked with concern, "Has something happened at home?"

Qi Mingyue shook her head and put the letter away: "It's nothing. My mother was just worried and asked about my recent situation." She paused, her tone as usual, "I'm afraid we'll have to postpone our visit to the Stele Forest tomorrow. I need to write back home to let them know I'm safe."

Although Xie Ansu felt suspicious, he did not press the matter and could only take his leave.

After he left, Qi Mingyue unfolded the letter again, only to see that her mother's handwriting was hurried, with only a few words: "I have heard many rumors in Yingzhou, my son, you must be careful. The heir of the Duke of Yingguo will be in Yingzhou on official business soon. If you meet him, you should be careful."

Qi Mingyue stared at the five characters "Heir Apparent of the Duke of Ying" for a long time, then sighed softly. Outside the window, cicadas chirped noisily, disturbing the peace.

Chapter Seven: Mystery of Lotus Shadows

After the summer solstice, the weather in Yingzhou became increasingly hot and humid. However, the lotus pond in the academy was at its peak, with pink and white lotus flowers standing tall and graceful, and green lotus leaves covering the water's surface. A gentle breeze carried a subtle fragrance.

That afternoon, the academy held a tea party to cool off in the waterside pavilion by the lotus pond. Qi Mingyue arrived a little late and saw that quite a few people were already seated in the pavilion. Xie Ansu was discussing the "Zhuangzi" he had been reading recently with several students, while Bai Lian'er sat alone in a corner, fiddling with a round fan in her hand.

"Sister Qi is here." Bai Lian'er looked up and saw Qi Mingyue, and immediately stood up to greet her with a gentle smile. "Sister, please sit here. I specially saved a seat for you."

Qi Mingyue nodded slightly and sat down beside her. Bai Lian'er affectionately took her arm: "Thank you so much for the calming incense you gave me the other day, sister. I've been sleeping much better these past few days."

These words were spoken softly, but enough for several students nearby to hear. Immediately, someone praised, "Miss Qi is truly kind-hearted, taking such good care of Miss Bai."

Qi Mingyue withdrew her arm without showing any emotion: "It's just a trivial matter, nothing to worry about."

At this moment, Xie Ansu finished his conversation and walked over with a smile in his eyes: "Mingyue, you've come at the perfect time. We were just discussing the meaning of 'the roc spreading its wings' in 'Free and Easy Wandering,' and we each had our own opinion. We were just about to ask you to judge the matter."

Before Qi Mingyue could answer, Bai Lian'er suddenly interjected softly, "Young Master Xie's insights were truly brilliant. Although I don't fully understand them, I feel I have benefited greatly from them."

Xie Ansu smiled politely, "Miss Bai, you flatter me." But his gaze remained expectant as he looked at Qi Mingyue.

Qi Mingyue pondered for a moment before saying, "Zhuang Zhou dreamed of being a butterfly, forgetting both self and things. The roc spreading its wings for ninety thousand miles may not actually mean flying very high, but rather the meaning of having a heart free from all constraints."

Xie Ansu's eyes lit up: "That's exactly right! Mingyue really understands me."

As the group was talking, a maid brought over some chilled plum juice to cool them down. Bai Lian'er served everyone, and when it was Qi Mingyue's turn, she specially chose a celadon bowl with a lotus leaf pattern, smiling and saying, "This bowl suits your temperament best, sister."

Qi Mingyue accepted the bowl and thanked them. The sour plum drink was pleasantly sweet and sour, and indeed refreshing and thirst-quenching. She ate half a bowl, then put it down and continued chatting with the others.

Before long, Qi Mingyue suddenly felt a dull pain in her abdomen, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. Zhishu was the first to notice something was wrong and quickly supported her: "Miss, are you feeling unwell?"

Xie Ansu also noticed her pale face and asked anxiously, "What's wrong, Mingyue?"

Qi Mingyue suppressed her discomfort and shook her head slightly: "It's nothing, perhaps it's because I ate too much cold air yesterday, I have a bit of a stomachache..."

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly covered her mouth and began to retch, her face growing increasingly pale. Everyone panicked immediately. Bai Lian'er was the first to step forward and support Qi Mingyue, exclaiming, "Quickly, get a doctor! What's wrong with Sister Qi?"

The scene became chaotic. Xie Ansu hurriedly ordered someone to fetch a doctor and also had people help Qi Mingyue to a nearby guest room to rest. Bai Lian'er stayed by her side the whole time, bringing her water and wiping her sweat, busying herself with her worries evident.

The doctor arrived quickly and, after taking her pulse, said, "Miss has suffered from heatstroke and improper diet, which has caused her abdominal pain and vomiting. I will prescribe a medicine, and with proper rest, she will be fine."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Bai Lian'er, however, seemed to suddenly remember something and hesitated, "Sister Qi was fine just now, how could she suddenly... Could it be that she ate something unclean?"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the students present changed. Qi Mingyue had only consumed plum juice; if there was something wrong with her diet…

Xie Ansu said in a deep voice, "Quickly check if those plum juices are still in good condition!"

The servants hurriedly went to investigate and quickly reported back: "The plum juice is fine, and the other young masters and ladies who used it are all unharmed."

Bai Lian'er, however, still frowned, then suddenly exclaimed softly, "Oh! The bowl that Sister Qi used..." She quickly walked to the table, picked up the lotus leaf bowl that Qi Mingyue had used, and examined it closely. Her face gradually turned pale. "This...this bowl seems to have some powder on the rim..."

When everyone gathered around to take a look, they indeed saw some white powder stuck to the rim of the bowl, which was easily overlooked if one did not look closely.

"What is this?" Xie Ansu asked sternly.

The doctor took the bowl and examined it closely, then smelled some of the powder. His expression changed immediately: "This...this seems to be croton powder!"

The room erupted in uproar. Croton powder is highly toxic; consuming it can cause severe abdominal pain and vomiting. While not fatal, it is extremely harmful to the body.

"Who could be so vicious!" Xie Ansu roared in fury, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Who handled these tablewares today?"

The maid stepped forward tremblingly: "The bowls and dishes were all washed and prepared by us, there's nothing wrong with them..." She suddenly remembered something, "It's just... it's just that when serving the soup, Miss Bai offered to help set the bowls..."

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