Chapter 37 The Food is Poisoned

Chu Jiu deduced that Yaotai Residence was located and then proceeded to the palace gate.

From afar, a magnificent two-horse carriage could be seen parked outside the palace gate. Upon closer inspection, one could see that the carriage frame was engraved with auspicious cloud patterns, and a large "Xiao" character was displayed on the curtain.

Two people stood silently beside the carriage: a servant and a coachman.

Upon seeing Chu Jiubian, the servant immediately ran forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Lord Chu. This servant is here on the orders of the master to escort you to the banquet."

It seems Xiao Yao isn't here.

A mocking glint flashed in Chu Jiubian's eyes. He gave a curt reply and walked to the carriage.

The coachman lifted the curtain, keeping his eyes down the whole time, not daring to offend Chu Jiubian even with a single glance.

The attendant extended his hand and invited Chu Jiubian to get into the carriage.

Chu Jiubian got into the carriage, and as soon as he entered the cabin, he smelled a light and elegant fragrance.

He glanced at him and couldn't help but sigh that Xiao Yao really knew how to enjoy life.

The two-horse carriage had twice the space of a regular single-horse carriage, and it was also larger than the one he had ridden in with Qin Xiao before.

The carriage had seats on three sides, covered with thick cushions, and a square table fixed in the middle, with grooves of different sizes on it, where oil lamps, teacups, teapots, and snack plates were placed.

Chu Jiubian sat down in the seat on the right. Seeing that the servant was about to come in to serve him, he said, "There's no need to come in to serve me."

The attendant responded, lowered the carriage curtain, and indeed did not come in to disturb them.

After receiving Chu Jiubian's permission, the attendant and the coachman sat down on either side of the carriage and steadily drove the horse toward the West Market.

The only sound on the quiet street was the clatter of horses' hooves outside the carriage. The flickering light of the oil lamp inside cast Chu Jiubian's shadow on the carriage, which swayed with the light.

Chu Jiubian lifted the curtain and looked outside, but could only see the continuous palace walls, so he lowered the curtain.

After walking for a while, we gradually heard voices.

The lights outside gradually brightened, indicating that we had arrived at the main street.

The noise from the crowd grew louder, but the carriage did not slow down, maintaining a steady pace.

It should be that ordinary people would give way to the carriages and horses of the powerful and wealthy.

For their own convenience, they occupy the resources that ordinary people use to survive, causing unnecessary trouble for their lives. This is the power and privilege.

Chu Jiubian was sitting in this carriage, a symbol of power and wealth, and for the next period of time, he would be working with these powerful figures to sell salt.

Although the purpose was for the imperial examinations and the starting point was to have more officials who would do practical things for the people, he inevitably became one of these powerful and wealthy people.

"You are in me, and I am in you"—this is the safest and most efficient way to cooperate.

For their own benefit, they can be at loggerheads one moment and shake hands and make peace the next, and vice versa.

This is the officialdom.

The carriage almost reached the center of the main street before turning west and entering the West Market.

Before long, the noise level rose instead of falling, and the lights outside the car became even brighter.

Chu Jiubian slightly lifted a corner of the curtain and saw that his route seemed to have passed through Jinxiufang.

Sure enough, not long after, he saw the two-story building of Baibaoju.

The carriage continued forward until it reached the end of the long street, where it then turned again.

The human voices were noticeably quieter than before, but the sounds of traditional instruments increased. You could hear different instruments or songs every few steps.

This is the shore of Changning Lake, where the sounds of traditional Chinese string and wind instruments come from the pleasure boats and painted barges on the lake.

The carriage gradually slowed down, and Chu Jiubian lowered the curtain.

We're almost there.

Sure enough, after traveling only about two or three hundred meters, the carriage came to a complete stop.

A servant outside the carriage announced, "My lord, the pleasure boat has arrived."

Chu Jiubian responded, and the attendant raised his hand to lift the sedan curtain and respectfully invited him down from the carriage.

It took Chu Jiubian forty-five minutes to walk from the palace to here.

He looked up at the lake in front of him. The vast lake was sparkling with light, and dozens of exquisitely decorated pleasure boats and painted barges floated slowly. Through the gauze curtains, he could vaguely see many graceful dancers, as well as literati and scholars drinking wine, composing poems, and engaging in lively discussions.

Candles were not yet available in the Da Ning Dynasty; oil lamps were the most common type of lamp used.

Even so, people's wisdom and ideas can still motivate them to make various attempts in pursuit of "beauty".

The colorful halos refracted by different objects gave the flickering light of the oil lamp a dreamlike quality.

Chu Jiubian's gaze swept lightly over everything before him, finally settling on the huge pleasure boat right next to the shore.

This pleasure boat is almost the largest and most luxurious one on the entire lake.

Whether it's the use of rosewood everywhere, the swaying brocade and silk decorations, or the various shapes and colors of porcelain and jade, one can immediately tell how precious and extravagant the painted boat is.

On the shore, at the "pier" closest to the painted boat, stood quite a few people.

However, the vast majority of them were servants, except for one man in the very center who was elegant and tall.

Dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, gently waving a folding fan in his hand, a faint smile on his lips was enough to make everyone around him pale in comparison.

The Xiao family truly lives up to their reputation for beauty.

Chu Jiubian thought to himself.

And the man he praised as "beautiful" also saw him at that moment.

Even in the simplest black and white robe, without any ornate decorations, Chu Jiubian's ethereal and otherworldly demeanor was undeniable.

Her long silver hair was slightly ruffled by the breeze, and under the light and shadow, it revealed a breathtaking divine quality.

Xiao Yao stared at him for a moment before stepping forward and bowing to Chu Jiubian: "Young Master Jiu."

Today's banquet is a private affair, so addressing him as "Sir" would be inappropriate, and calling him "Brother Chu" would also be strange. Therefore, Xiao Yao did not change his address and continued to use this form of address.

Chu Jiubian nodded: "Patriarch Xiao."

When he went to court to serve as an official, his status was Grand Tutor and concurrently Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He was an "official," so he would bow to his colleagues in return.

But now is not the time to be on duty. He is Chu Jiubian, a "god", so naturally he must continue to maintain his aloof and divine persona.

When Xiao Yao first met Chu Jiubian, the other party looked just like this, so he was not surprised at all. In fact, he felt that a celestial being like Chu Jiubian should be like this.

"I am honored by your presence, sir, that you have accepted my invitation. I am truly flattered." He said politely, then gestured for him to proceed, "I have prepared some wine; please come in."

Then, after Chu Jiubian took a step, he followed.

Once on the painted boat, Xiao Yao, worried that Chu Jiubian might lose his balance, offered him a slight hand for support. However, Chu Jiubian stood firmly, giving him no chance to show off.

"This way, young master." Xiao Yao personally led the way, taking Chu Jiubian to the main hall of the painted boat.

He seemed to be showing great importance to Chu Jiubian in every way, and he made almost every gesture imaginable.

But Chu Jiubian didn't take it to heart at all.

For ordinary people, chartering an entire pleasure boat on a day like the Qixi Festival to serve just one person is definitely a high-level reception and a sign of sincerity.

But for a powerful figure like Xiao Yao, this expense was like a piece of delicacies he could casually enjoy; it was just part of his daily life.

If he truly valued it, he should personally go to pick up Chu Jiubian.

The saying goes, "Treat the virtuous with respect." Even Zhuge Liang visited the thatched cottage three times, but Xiao Yao only sent one of his attendants to pick him up.

These aristocratic families are so used to arrogance and superiority that they don't genuinely care about others.

Therefore, Xiao Yao genuinely intended to befriend Chu Jiubian and had no intention of behaving subserviently.

Unlike Qin Xiao, who could truly lower himself and beg without hesitation, and who could stab himself with a knife just to appease Chu Jiubian.

Although it was a bit radical, the sincerity was obvious.

Compared to him, Chu Jiubian felt that Qin Xiao had become innocent and unpretentious.

The pleasure boat has two floors and is somewhat similar to the Qiu family's former treasure pavilion, but unlike it, the pleasure boat is more magnificent and beautiful.

Today, Xiao Yao has booked this pleasure boat, and all the singers and dancers here are ready to serve him.

All sorts of fruits, snacks, fine wines, and delicacies were also prepared.

They were all ready to take their positions as soon as Xiao Yao gave the order.

As Chu Jiubian and Xiao Yao walked to the second floor, a cool and damp breeze blew in, making them feel refreshed.

Chu Jiubian glanced around casually and saw that the two-story building was extremely large, and there were no doors or windows on any of the four sides, only carved pillars and gauze curtains that moved with the wind.

The large space in the middle could have been filled with many tables and chairs, seating hundreds of people.

But now, all that can be seen are two low tables facing each other and cushions.

The people of Da Ning Dynasty usually use tables and chairs. When they have a small gathering with three or five friends, they will sit at a round table to eat. However, when a banquet is held, everyone will sit at separate tables.

According to the custom since ancient times, when people sit at separate tables, they sit directly on the ground, at most with two layers of soft cushions, and the dining table is a low table that only reaches knee height.

When the women sit, they always keep their knees together, almost like kneeling.

When men sit, they usually sit cross-legged.

This was the first time Chu Jiubian had seen this way of sitting in Da Ning since he had been there for so long, but he had acted out the scene before when he was acting. So after Xiao Yao invited him to sit down, he sat down skillfully.

Every move they make is pleasing to the eye.

The Xiao family loved beautiful women, and Xiao Yao was no exception.

When Chu Jiubian looked at him, he smiled slightly and sat down opposite Chu Jiubian. The two were about five or six meters apart, a distance that was neither too far nor too close.

Xiao Yao glanced to his right, and then soft music began to play. Dozens of women dressed in white and red dresses emerged from behind the screen and began to dance gracefully to the music.

Chu Jiubian also looked in that direction.

The women were more than ten meters away from them, and because their seats were higher than where the women were dancing, it was an excellent vantage point for watching.

"What do you think, young master?" Xiao Yao asked with a smile.

Chu Jiubian replied calmly, "Not bad."

This is hardly a "good" performance. It seems that this Ninth Prince is used to seeing fairy dances and naturally looks down on these ordinary women in the mortal world.

Xiao Yao then stopped trying to show off his limited knowledge and said, "Then please try this dish again, young master."

As soon as he finished speaking, a line of maids carrying trays filed down the stairs.

Dishes were placed on the table one by one.

Chu Jiubian knew at a glance that these dishes were made with fine salt, which must have come from Bailihai.

"Please, young master." Xiao Yao said with a warm smile.

Chu Jiubian stared at him intently, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.

In his mind, the system was flashing red warning lights: [Warning! The system has detected poison in the food in front of the host. Please consume with caution!]

==

Nong'an Village, Yunlu County, Hexi Prefecture.

During the Qixi Festival, the young men and women in the village also have their own activities. They put on their best clothes and brand-new cloth shoes. The girls carefully comb their long braids, and those with good skills will comb their hair into beautiful buns and wear pretty silk flowers that they usually can't bear to wear.

They would travel to Yunlu County, the closest county to their village, and under the guise of admiring the lanterns, chat with their sweethearts whom they wouldn't normally dare to say more than a few words to.

Dong Sanzhuang walked among the brightly lit crowd, feeling somewhat out of place.

He looked to be no more than eighteen or nineteen years old. His clothes were old and patched, and he wasn't exactly clean. You could even smell the sweat mixed with dirt if you got close.

But he had an undisguised smile on his face, and would occasionally glance back at his basket.

He walked in the opposite direction from almost everyone else, heading towards Nong'an Village, his steps light and quick.

After walking for most of the day, he finally entered the village.

A group of aunties and grandmothers were gathered at the village entrance, chatting idly. When they saw him return, one of the aunties, with a loud voice, greeted him with a smile: "Oh, Sanzhuang is back from work!"

"Yes, Auntie," Dong Sanzhuang replied with a smile, without stopping.

"Go back quickly, your wife has been thinking about you since noon," an aunt teased.

Everyone immediately burst into laughter.

Dong Sanzhuang blushed and quickened his pace, disappearing into the night in no time.

"This newlywed couple is really hilarious."

"That's right. But Sanzhuang's basket looks heavy, he probably brought back a lot of good stuff."

“The man is strong and hardworking. He just finished repairing the dike for the court and is already busy going to work in the county. It is only right and proper for him to use any spare money to buy food and other necessities.”

"It's not just him, his wife Dan Niang is also capable and hardworking, and now she's pregnant again, the young couple's life is getting better and better."

"It's a good thing we separated from that family early on, otherwise those two honest kids would definitely have been treated like livestock by that old lady Dong."

"Who can blame them when the eldest son is the accountant in the county, the second son married the village chief's daughter, and only the third son is reliable..."

Dong Sanzhuang was unaware of the gossip circulating in the village.

He hurried back to his small home at the end of the village. It was a tiny courtyard with two dilapidated mud houses, but everything was kept clean and meticulous. Inside, a dim oil lamp was lit.

"Wife! I'm home!" he shouted from afar.

Hearing the commotion, the people inside immediately came out to greet them and quickly walked to the gate to unlock it.

Dong Sanzhuang had already arrived at the door. As soon as the door opened, he saw a girl dressed in coarse linen clothes.

The girl was eighteen or nineteen years old. Her long, glossy black hair was styled into a woman's bun. Her features were gentle and shy, except for a red birthmark the size of a copper coin on her left cheek.

It was Dan Niang.

Girls in the village marry young; half of them start arranging marriages at eleven or twelve, and then can get married at thirteen or fourteen.

Some fathers who dote on their daughters might keep them for a couple more years, but generally they have to get married by the time they are fifteen or sixteen, otherwise it will be really difficult to find a spouse if they get any older.

Women like Dan Niang, who didn't marry until they were eighteen, were known as old maids in the surrounding villages.

The reason she couldn't get married, besides the birthmark on her face, was because she was hardworking and reliable. Her family didn't want to lose this free laborer, so they never bothered to find her a suitable matchmaker.

It was during the Qixi Festival last year that Danniang accompanied her younger sister to the county town for a shopping trip, and that's when she met Dong Sanzhuang.

Dong Sanzhuang and she were almost in the same boat, both being neglected children, yet both being down-to-earth, capable, and guileless. Once they met, their relationship truly blossomed into mutual affection.

So when Dong Sanzhuang got home, he told his parents about the marriage proposal. Hearing that Dan Niang's family wasn't asking for much, and fearing that the villagers would gossip about her, Old Lady Dong reluctantly accepted the daughter-in-law.

Not long after the marriage, Danniang became pregnant.

However, she had no relevant experience, and Old Lady Dong didn't care about her, so she kept making her do those not-so-easy jobs, which caused her pregnancy to be bad. Later, when her belly was big, she and Dong Sanzhuang realized the problem.

To make life better for his wife and children, Dong Sanzhuang went to the county town to find work and worked hard. He would also frequently send money and food home, hoping that his family would take better care of Danniang.

But Old Lady Dong didn't care at all. While drawing money from Dong Sanzhuang, she continued to make his daughter-in-law work, which caused Danniang to miscarry her first child.

Dong Sanzhuang was still a teenager and hadn't paid much attention to things before, so he thought it wouldn't matter if he suffered a lot at home.

But now that he's encountered such a thing, he can't stand it, so he took the matter to the clan chief.

For the sake of his reputation, the clan chief agreed to let him separate from the family and leave.

When the two young men were separated, they received nothing but two acres of meager land, two dilapidated houses, and a courtyard.

However, after a year apart, the two had already made a good living.

Dan Niang is now pregnant again, and she is almost five months along. This time, the two of them are taking extra care of the baby.

"Wife, slow down." Dong Sanzhuang saw her and quickly took her arm, then turned around and locked the courtyard gate before helping his wife walk into the house.

Dan Niang smiled and said, "It's nothing. But why did you come back so late today? You made me worry."

"It's my fault. I'll try to come back earlier next time." Dong Sanzhuang helped her into the house and sat her down on the kang (a heated brick bed). Then, while unloading the basket from his back, he said, "Today is the Qixi Festival, so Boss Wang has a lot more orders and a lot of goods to transport. I worked a little longer."

"But Boss Wang didn't let me work for nothing; he even gave me an extra ten coins."

"Don't overwork yourself," Dan Niang said with concern. "The dam was just repaired a few days ago, and you haven't recovered yet. Besides, there's still a lot of money left from the wages His Highness Prince Jiannan gave you, so it's okay if you rest for a few more days."

"It's okay, I'm not tired."

Dong Sanzhuang put the basket on the ground, squatted down beside it, looked up at Danniang and laughed, "Wife, guess what I bought today?"

Seeing him like this, Dan Niang laughed and asked, "What is it?"

Dong Sanzhuang reached into his basket and pulled out two small bags of refined rice and flour.

"Oh my, why did you buy all this?" Dan Niang took the bag with great surprise and hurriedly opened it to look inside.

"Didn't you say yesterday that you wanted to eat white flour steamed buns? Let's make them at home tomorrow."

Dan Niang smiled so broadly that her eyes disappeared from her grin.

"And this too." Dong Sanzhuang, as if performing a magic trick, took out one thing after another from his basket.

Peanuts, maltose, and a piece of pork belly the size of a palm.

Dan Niang was pleasantly surprised and didn't blame him for spending money. On the contrary, she genuinely liked and was happy with everything he gave her.

"Let's render some fat from this pork belly tomorrow, we can use it for cooking later. As for the rest of the meat, let's mix it with scallions and chop it into filling, we'll have meat buns for tomorrow night!"

Seeing her talking excitedly, Dong Sanzhuang's smile never faded.

He took the last item out of his basket, put it on his back, and sat down next to Dan Niang.

Danniang talked excitedly for a while, then opened the candy, licked it herself, and then let the man lick it.

Dong Sanzhuang also tasted some sweetness.

Dan Niang carefully wrapped the candy up again, intending to save it for later.

"Oh, look what this is?" She picked up a piece of red linen from the kang table and unfolded it; the simple fabric had been transformed into a small round-necked top.

"Is this for our child?" Dong Sanzhuang asked with delight. "Wife, your cooking skills are amazing."

“I saved up more than a dozen eggs to exchange for this cloth from my second aunt’s house. Our children will definitely love wearing it.”

Dong Sanzhuang said, "Then starting tomorrow, don't save the eggs. Eat one every day and take good care of your health."

"Okay, let's each have one, so we can both get some nourishment."

Dong Sanzhuang laughed, then hesitated for a moment before awkwardly pulling something out from behind him: "Wife, this is for you."

Dan Niang looked over and her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"This...this is a beaded flower?"

On the Qixi Festival, the day they met, Dong Sanzhuang used the little money he had to buy a pearl flower and gave it to Danniang as a token of their love.

He also promised to buy her a new one every year for the Qixi Festival. Dan Niang had almost forgotten about it, but she didn't expect him to remember.

Dong Sanzhuang put the pearl hairpin on her head, then gently wiped away her tears and said, "Wife, I will never let you and the children suffer again. I will work hard to earn money and build a big brick house for our family, so that we can eat meat and sugar every day from now on."

Danniang cried and laughed at the same time: "I believe you, my child and I believe you."

==

Chu Jiubian looked at the five dishes in front of him.

Two stewed dishes, a bowl of porridge, a bowl of soup, and a bowl of minced meat.

The system detected that all the dishes except the porridge contained toxins.

Many people know that Xiao Yao invited him to a banquet today.

Moreover, the fact that he invited him to such a grand event today, and used so much salt to make so many dishes, suggests that he also wants to discuss the salt business with Chu Jiubian.

Therefore, he would never take this opportunity to harm him, and for a long time to come, even without the gun incident, Xiao Yao would never harm him just for the sake of the salt trade.

Why would there be poison in the food?

Was it someone else who wanted to use Xiao Yao to kill him?

That's not right either.

Xiao Yao is no useless person. He wants to keep the business he wants to discuss with Chu Jiu Bian a secret from other powerful figures. Therefore, everyone on this pleasure boat today must be his people.

Then others won't have much of a chance to get involved.

Chu Jiubian picked up the bowl of porridge, scooped out a spoonful, and ate it.

The porridge has a slightly salty taste, which suggests that the introduction of fine salt spurred the development of savory porridge.

If we have preserved eggs again in the future, we can make preserved egg and lean pork congee.

"Not bad," Chu Jiubian commented, placing the porridge back on the table.

Xiao Yao had already taken two sips of soup. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "This soup is even better. I've been loving it lately. I crave it if I don't have it for a day. You must try it, young master."

Even those from aristocratic families, who are not members of the royal family, have always paid attention to etiquette and manners.

But Xiao Yao was drinking the soup, one spoonful after another, as if he could never get enough.

After finishing the entire bowl of soup, he let out a long sigh, his eyes momentarily glazed over.

Chu Jiubian had a sudden thought.

He thought to himself, "System, what kind of poison is in the food?"

[Three-point integral.]

"make a deal."

The system immediately replied: [Poppy shells, an addictive toxin, were added to the dish.]

really!

Chu Jiubian felt a chill run down his spine, and his heart sank.

When did this kind of thing come to Daning?

How long has it been spreading?

How many people have been exposed to it?

"Why aren't you eating, young master?" Xiao Yao looked at Chu Jiubian with a somewhat dazed expression. "Is it not to your liking?"

Chu Jiubian could tell from his expression that he had become somewhat dependent on the thing.

With his fingernails digging into his flesh, Chu Jiubian said in an unusually calm voice, "This dish tastes very delicious. Besides the fine salt, I suppose something else was added."

Xiao Yao smiled and said, "To be honest, young master, we also added some spices brought back from Southeast Asia, called datura."

"Mandala?"

“That’s right, a fine powder with a unique flavor. Adding it to any dish will completely change its taste.” Xiao Yao felt his mind was incredibly clear. “Like your fine salt.”

"What is like fine salt?"

A familiar male voice suddenly rang out, and Chu Jiubian and Xiao Yao both looked toward the source of the sound.

Suddenly, Qin Xiao, dressed in black, appeared in the hall and stood beside Chu Jiubian.

He sat down right next to Chu Jiubian as if he were at home.

Xiao Yao was only surprised for a moment before his smile returned, and he said gently, "Your Highness Prince Ning, I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly."

"It's alright." Qin Xiao generously didn't hold it against him, and then asked, "What were you talking about earlier, fine salt? Can I listen to that?"

Xiao Yao glanced at Chu Jiubian, and seeing that he had no reaction, said, "Of course."

Then he ordered another set of tables and dishes to be brought out.

Looking at the dishes, Qin Xiao could tell that they were all made with fine salt, because there were no impurities left after cooking with coarse salt.

“My lord and young master are not outsiders, so I will not hide anything,” Xiao Yao said. “My Xiao family has datura, and you two are in charge of the fine salt trade. My Xiao family is willing to give up 30% of the profits from both fine salt and datura to the imperial court. The condition is that this fine salt trade can only be conducted by my Xiao family.”

They're quite arrogant.

but......

"What is a datura?" Qin Xiao asked.

Xiao Yao smiled and said, "You'll know once you taste these dishes, sir."

Qin Xiao gently rubbed the thumb ring, then picked up his chopsticks, about to pick up some minced meat, when his wrist suddenly tightened.

He was startled and turned to look at Chu Jiubian.