Don't worry, out of consideration for our family relationship, the medicine I gave my niece won't cause her any pain; she'll fall into a deep sleep while she's asleep.

In this way, the Guan family will be at peace. Then, we can get rid of that useless burden, Fang Yi, and everything will be under our control.

A smug laugh echoed in Guan Wude's heart.

What a brilliant move to use someone else to do the dirty work!

Yun Duoduo listened intently, and Guan Wude walked out of the courtyard, his voice gradually fading away.

[Their feelings are festering here.]

As Yun Duoduo watched the two figures disappear, Yu Liu, unsteady on her feet, leaned on Guan Wude's arm as she descended the steps.

Is the drug really that potent? Is she going to faint already?

Seeing the two walk away, Yun Duoduo quickly spat out the piece of minced meat that had been hidden in her back molars. "Er Huo, Shui!"

She was just putting on an act in front of Guan Wude; she didn't actually swallow the piece of meat.

Sun Huohuo hurriedly handed the teapot to Yun Duoduo.

"What's wrong? Duoduo, are you sick too?" Sun Huohuo looked at her with a hint of worry in her voice.

Yun Duoduo took a sip of water from the teapot, rinsed her mouth frantically, and then drank a lot more water to dilute the toxins.

"You didn't even say you'd pour it into a cup for me," Yun Duoduo huffed in dissatisfaction.

"Duo'er, you were too fierce just now," Sun Huohuo murmured, genuinely frightened.

Recalling Yun Duoduo's gaze just now, Sun Huohuo couldn't help but shudder.

"I... I thought you were possessed by a ghost!" He stared intently at Yun Duoduo, as if trying to see if she was still the same Yun Duoduo.

"Don't worry, I'm still me."

"This food has been drugged. If you don't want to die, don't eat it," Yun Duoduo threatened him, preventing him from eating.

"Huh?!" Sun Huohuo's mouth dropped open in shock.

"But, Duo'er, I'm hungry, what should we do?" Sun Huohuo rubbed her empty stomach, looked at the food on the table, and swallowed.

"Sigh, I guess I'll just have to bear with it for now!"

Yun Duoduo sighed, "Erhuo, it's not just you who's hungry, I'm hungry too!"

"I'm so hungry my stomach is practically sticking to my back!"

Seeing that no one was around, Yun Duoduo picked up a plate of vegetables and ran to the ground behind the yard, dumped the vegetables, and then covered them with soil.

While I was busy, a childish voice came from beside me, "Princess?"

Yun Duoduo was startled; her heart pounded like a drum, and she almost dropped the plate in her hand.

She turned around and saw that it was Zhuzhu.

"Oh my god, it's you! You scared me to death!"

"Just pretend you didn't see what happened. Don't tell anyone, understand?" Yun Duoduo instructed, and Zhuzhu nodded.

She and Sun Huohuo couldn't eat the food that had been drugged, but they couldn't let Guan Wude and the others find out, so they had to throw some of the food away and pretend they had eaten it.

"Zhuzhu, hurry up and go to the kitchen and get me something to eat, steamed buns or anything will do. Remember, it's best to use something that the maids in the manor know how to eat."

"Understood, Princess. Zhuzhu will take the food that we maids eat."

"Okay, go ahead, but be careful not to let anyone see you've been here."

A moment later, Zhuzhu brought over the food.

There were three steamed buns, two meat buns, and a plate of pickled vegetables.

Yun Duoduo ate a meat bun and a steamed bun, and Sun Huohuo ate the rest. The two of them wolfed down their food and did not complain that the meal was too simple. After all, they were used to delicacies in the palace, so it was nice to change things up occasionally.

"Erhuo, go back to your bed and pretend to be asleep. Don't go out. I'll come back to find you tonight."

"I understand, I understand, Duo'er, don't worry." Sun Huohuo's expression was serious. He now understood that they had reached a critical juncture. According to Duo Duo, someone was trying to poison them, which meant it was a matter of life and death.

"Zhuzhu, if anyone brings food to your young lady later, make sure she doesn't eat it, understand?" After instructing Sun Huohuo, Yun Duoduo then began to instruct Zhuzhu.

"Yes, Zhuzhu will remember." Zhuzhu was also small in stature and not much older than Yun Duoduo. She listened attentively to Yun Duoduo's words with a serious expression.

"By the way, no matter what you eat, you can't drink medicine."

"Only food that I have inspected can be eaten."

"Yes, Zhuzhu, I've got it."

...

Yun Duoduo lay on the bed, pretending to be asleep with her eyes closed.

It was very quiet around her. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she heard footsteps at the door. Judging from the sound of the footsteps, there were probably two people.

Who is it? Guan Wude and Su Shi, come and see if I'm asleep or have fainted?

Guan Qinqin entered with a maid. She looked at Yun Duoduo lying on the bed and sneered, "Hmph, what's so great about being a princess?!"

[I never expected that it would be Guan Qinqin, that clueless girl, who showed up.]

"Everyone should treat her with utmost respect."

"Look at her arrogant attitude, it makes me angry." Guan Qinqin's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between her teeth, mixed with dissatisfaction and resentment.

"Bring me the safflower powder," Guan Qinqin said, extending her hand to the maid beside her.

"Miss, isn't this inappropriate?" The maid clenched her hands tightly, looking uneasy and frightened.

[This, this is the Ninth Princess!]

"Hurry up!" Guan Qinqin roared angrily, turning her head to glare at the maid.

[Red flowers scattered...]

Safflower powder is the most potent skin poison; if it comes into contact with the skin, it will cause large areas of red rashes and pustules to appear.

Strangely, there is no specific antidote for this poison; recovery requires the body's own metabolism and the skin's self-healing abilities.

The maid had no choice but to take out a medicine packet from her sleeve and hand it to Guan Qinqin.

Guan Qinqin took the medicine packet, opened it, and prepared to sprinkle the powder on Yun Duoduo's face.

As Yun Duoduo listened to her words, a million grass mud horses galloped through her mind.

[This is truly despicable! What grudge have I ever held against you that you would treat me like this?!]

What a terrible fool.

Just as the powder drew closer, Yun Duoduo sneezed loudly, then quickly rolled over, lying face down on the bed, and cleverly covered herself with the blanket.

"ah!"

The sneeze caught Guan Qinqin off guard; the powder flew up with the sneeze and landed on her chin and neck.

"Miss!" The maid cried out in alarm as she saw the red flowers scattered all over her mistress's face.

"Quick, quick, get hot water and wet towels!" The maid rushed out to call for help, flustered and unsure of what to do.

[Serves you right for owing so much! You're getting your comeuppance!]

Oh dear, what goes around comes around; no one escapes the wrath of Heaven. Those who harm others will ultimately harm themselves!