182 Centrifugation

The next day.

Morning light streamed through the window and fell on Shen Yiqiu's hair.

Shen Yiqiu was served a thick, black tonic by a maid, who also stuffed a piece of plum into her mouth.

Despite drinking it so many times, the undeniable bitterness still made her frown slightly.

Bai Mei and Qing Zhu walked in quickly, one after the other, their faces showing exhaustion, but they dared not delay for a moment.

Bai Mei clasped her hands in a gesture of respect:

“Young Miss, there really is something fishy going on in the Earl’s mansion! I sneaked in last night and saw it clearly: Fu Langxing showed absolutely no joy at all for Song Sangyu, not even a hint of newlywed happiness.”

"He always had a cold face and often drowned his sorrows in alcohol alone. All the wedding arrangements were handled by Song Sangyu and an unfamiliar old nanny, while Fu Langxing hardly cared about anything."

Shen Yiqiu raised an eyebrow:

"Old nanny? Is that the Wang nanny who used to serve Shen Ruyi?"

Bai Mei shook her head:

“No, it’s a new face. I’ve never seen him in the Song residence before. I asked around at the Earl’s residence, and they said he was just transferred here these days. I’m not sure who he works for.”

So mysterious, Shen Yiqiu pondered for a moment before speaking:

"Can you see her face clearly?"

Bai Mei quickly replied:

"Of course I remember! I carefully noted down every single detail."

"The old woman was around fifty years old, and there was an old scar about an inch long on her left eyebrow bone, as if she had been injured by a sharp blade."

"Her lips habitually droop down, she has deep nasolabial folds, and her eyes are sinister when she looks at people; she's clearly not a good person. The servants in the mansion are all afraid of her and obey her every word."

Shen Yiqiu nodded slightly and looked at the green bamboo:

"Qingzhu, write down this person's appearance. If I'm not mistaken, this person is most likely connected to the Imperial Noble Consort."

She turned her gaze back, gesturing for Bai Mei to continue.

"Most importantly, I risked getting close to them during their late-night private conversation and overheard Song Sangyu's conversation with that old woman!"

She pondered for a moment, then repeated it.

"Song Sangyu asked, 'Granny, is everything arranged? The matriarch instructed that Shen Yiqiu must not return alive; she must die at the wedding banquet!'"

The old nanny replied, "Don't worry, Miss, everything has been arranged. If Shen Yiqiu dares to come, she'll have nowhere to escape! The old matriarch has waited so many years; it's time to settle this old score with the Yongjia Marquis's mansion!"

"I wanted to keep listening, but I didn't expect them to be so heavily guarded. I almost got caught. I managed to sneak back and came to find you, Miss."

"It's a pity. I wonder who this so-called ancestor they're talking about really is. But no matter what, they're trying to frame Miss. Miss, you can't go to this wedding banquet!"

After listening, Shen Yiqiu seemed to be deep in thought and spoke:

"Grand Ancestor...it should be Imperial Noble Consort Zhao Ke'er."

Bai Mei: "Huh?"

"She actually got involved herself. It seems that she hasn't let go of her old grudge with my grandmother. I'm going to eliminate her completely as well."

She looked at Bai Mei.

"Thank you for your hard work. I am aware of this matter. What about Qingzhu? Has she found anything?"

Bai Mei stepped aside, while Qing Zhu stepped forward, her face even more grim than Bai Mei's.

"Reporting to Miss, we have found the information, but..."

Seeing Qingzhu's hesitant manner, Chen Yiqiu comforted her:

"Please feel free to speak."

Qingzhu took a breath:

"After several investigations, I can confirm that the poison you and Madam Song have been poisoned with is called Red Bean Ash!"

According to ancient records, the red bean ash was a slow-acting poison secretly passed down in the previous dynasty's palace. It was colorless and odorless, and extremely difficult to detect when mixed into food.

"It will slowly erode a person's heart and foundation, making them weaker day by day. On the surface, it may seem like an illness caused by overwork, but in reality, the person is already exhausted."

"Its recipe is bizarre and its preparation method is complex, and it has long been lost. In this day and age, it is highly likely that only an old palace servant who is well-versed in it knows how to make it. People inside the palace... are the most suspicious!"

Shen Yiqiu's eyes were deep and unfathomable, just as expected:

"Indeed, it originated from the palace."

Qingzhu continued:

"Furthermore, through clandestine channels, I reviewed Zhao Jieyu's medication records for the past few years. I discovered that she regularly takes several medicinal herbs every so often."

"These herbs are not particularly special when viewed individually, but when combined with the core toxins in the Red Bean Ashes, their medicinal properties subtly interact and counteract each other. This is no coincidence; it is more like an attempt to formulate an incomplete antidote."

"Or... to alleviate some kind of discomfort caused by prolonged exposure to red bean ash,"

Shen Yiqiu raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised:

"You mean, Zhao Jieyu... might have also been poisoned, or was afraid of being poisoned, so she secretly tried to save herself?"

"This is interesting. Knowing about this drug, but not knowing if the person who administered it would use it on themselves, unless it's someone Zhao Jieyu knows very well, and given the other person's status... it seems there can only be one person..."

Qingzhu knelt down:

"This servant boldly speculates that it is indeed so! Consort Zhao is very likely also controlled by the Red Bean Ash, or more likely by Zhao Ke'er. She is not entirely of one mind with Zhao Ke'er; at least, she is now worried about her own life."

Shen Yiqiu slowly leaned back against the pillow.

“Great. This is good news for us. The two of them are not a united front, and this is our opportunity.”

She composed herself, looked at Bai Mei and Qing Zhu, and gave the order:

"Bai Mei, go and invite my good brothers over immediately. Tell them I have a bright future to give to them."

"Qingzhu, describe Bai Mei's appearance. Use all our hidden contacts to find out the origin of this old woman with the scar on her brow bone as quickly as possible, especially the evidence of her connection with Zhao Ke'er. The more detailed the better!"

"yes!"

The two responded in unison and immediately turned to do it.

Bai Mei reached the door, but couldn't help turning back, asking with concern:

“Miss, Song Sangyu’s wedding banquet is bound to be a den of dragons and tigers… Are you really going? I’m worried about your health…”

Shen Yiqiu slowly sat up straight:

"Of course I'll go."

“They murdered my grandmother, framed my uncle, and disgraced the Shen family. This is an irreconcilable feud, and this injustice must be redressed.”

"So what if it's a den of dragons and tigers? Even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, I must go. Not only will I go, but I will also find irrefutable evidence to bring them to justice in full view of everyone!"

"I want to personally expose their crimes to the public. Only in this way can I comfort my grandmother's spirit in heaven and clear my uncle and the Shen family's name!"

Bai Mei swallowed back her words of dissuasion and nodded emphatically:

"Understood! I'll go fetch the young masters right away!"