Chapter 221 The Wine is Poisonous
The four of them rode their horses leisurely along the way, and before they knew it, they had been walking for five days.
"Look, this is Yuzhong Prefecture! It's really bustling and bustling!" Qing Yi couldn't help but sigh. This trip to the Central Plains, they traveled from south to north, touring the mountains and rivers of Da Chu. This was very different from their previous trip three years ago, when they didn't visit many places.
"Well, we'll stay here for three days." Ye Qingyu said calmly.
"Ah? Really? That's great!" Qing Yi was very excited. He originally thought that Ye Qingyu would be in a hurry to leave, but he didn't expect that he could stay in Yuzhong Prefecture for three days. In this way, he could have a good look around this prosperous place.
"I heard there is a peony flower show in Yuzhong Prefecture." She said gently. It was also her first time here.
"Let's go to the flower show!" Qing Yi has always liked lively occasions, and his eyes lit up when he heard there was a flower show.
"The peony flower show is usually held in April and May, and the flowering season has passed now," Ye Qingyu explained.
"Ah? It's passed? Then let's come back next year to take a look?" Qing Yi suggested with a hint of regret.
"Okay, okay. I heard that the flower king chosen at the peony festival every year only blooms that night and turns into petals floating in the sky the next day. If you're lucky, you can even see her true form." She spoke the rumor softly, making it sound magical.
"Oh? There is such a magical thing?" Qing Yi heard it for the first time and immediately found it very interesting.
"Master, haven't you been to Yuzhong Prefecture? Have you participated in the Peony Festival? Have you seen the Peony Fairy?" Qingqing asked her master curiously.
Before Ye Qingyu could speak, Qing Yi couldn't wait to ask, "Xiao Ye, have you been here before?"
"Yeah, I've been here for two years." Ye Qingyu responded indifferently.
"Two years? So long? What were you doing here then?" Qing Yi originally thought that Ye Qingyu was just passing by Yuzhong Prefecture, but he didn't expect that he stayed here for two years.
"Dear guests, please come in!" As they were talking, they unknowingly walked to the door of a restaurant. The enthusiastic waiter came out and interrupted their conversation.
The four of them handed the horses to the waiter, walked into the restaurant, and found a seat by the window.
Qing Yi and Qing Qing chatted for a moment and ordered a few of the restaurant's specialties. Qing Yi had originally brought two jars of Feixia wine, but now he only had one left, a bottle he'd saved from drinking throughout the journey. Since he wasn't in a hurry, he naturally wanted to get some wine to satisfy his craving.
"Xiao Ye, why have you been staying in Yuzhong Prefecture for so long? This is neither Xibei Wangcheng nor the capital." Qing Yi asked curiously.
"Learn skills." Ye Qingyu said simply, "My master is here."
"Ah? Your master?" Qing Yi had never heard Ye Qingyu mention who his master was. He didn't expect that he was from Yuzhong Prefecture.
"Yes. Let's go pay our respects to him tomorrow." Ye Qingyu's tone remained calm.
"Ah, your master passed away?" Qing Yi suddenly realized. No wonder Ye Qingyu had never mentioned his master. It turned out that the old man was no longer in this world.
Qing Yi poured Feixia wine from the jar, filled his own small wine pot, and then filled the wine glass. He said to Ye Qingyu, "Xiao Ye, you should drink some too. We are not in a hurry now anyway."
"Yeah." Ye Qingyu responded.
Soon, a rich selection of stir-fried dishes were served. Qing Yi was the first to take a bite, and his eyes lit up. The cuisine here was oily and spicy, just what he liked.
Ye Qingyu also took a bite of the vegetable with chopsticks. Qingqing and Qingfeng only started eating when their master started to eat.
Qing Yi picked up the wine glass and took a sip. Suddenly, his brows furrowed, and he subconsciously looked around. He saw that the surroundings were bustling with people, and there was nothing unusual.
He saw Ye Qingyu also picked up the wine glass, and then whispered: "Xiao Ye, don't drink!"
"Huh?" Qing Yi's words instantly made everyone present alert.
Qing Yi pretended to be indifferent, picked up Ye Qingyu's wine glass, drank it all, and then said loudly: "I know you don't like this wine, forget it!" As he said that, he poured himself another glass, drank it all again, frowned, the Feixia wine with added condiments tasted really bad.
"What's going on?" he asked softly.
"Eat quickly, the food is fine." Qing Yi said in a low voice.
The four of them stopped talking and started eating in silence.
But Qing Yi was wondering, "Who could have poisoned the wine jar without anyone noticing? Could it be Aunt Hua? But why is only this jar poisonous? The one I finished drinking before was perfectly fine. Although I'm immune to all poisons and can't be killed by them, this whole jar of Feixia wine has been poisoned. It's a complete waste!"
After the four of them finished their meal, they stayed at the inn across the street.
In the room.
"What's going on? Is there something wrong with the wine?" he asked softly.
"Yes, it's poisonous." Qing Yi nodded, "I taste the scent of Crane's Beak Red."
"..." The other three were speechless. What was the taste of Crane's Beak Poison? Could this deadly poison have different tastes?
"Huh? You don't believe it? Crane's Beak Red smells a bit like stinky garlic. It's a pity that I brought Feixia wine with me!" Qing Yi sighed with regret.
"Then who poisoned him?" he asked softly.
"How should I know? This wine has been placed on the luggage on the horse's back. We have been walking for so many days. Maybe someone tampered with it at night? Of course, maybe it was already there when it was given to me." Qing Yi listed various possibilities.
"Oh, you mean..." Qingqing understood Qingyi's guess. He suspected Aunt Hua?
Although it is indeed unbelievable that Aunt Hua gave Qingyi wine, why did she poison Qingyi? The two had no grudges against each other, and Qingyi was the young prince's lover.
Besides, Aunt Hua is very enthusiastic towards Qingyi, and that enthusiasm is indeed a bit too much!
The four of them were silent for a while, unable to guess when they were poisoned.
But no one wanted to suspect Aunt Hua. She was an old friend of Princess Qing's, an elder in the palace who had watched Ye Qingyu grow up. If she had really been the one who poisoned her, then what was the difference between murdering Qing Yi and murdering the young prince of the Northwest King? Who could guarantee that Ye Qingyu wouldn't drink the jar of Feixia wine that Qing Yi had brought?
"When we were in the palace, father sent people to look for Bai Lingfeng, but he never found any trace of her. Maybe she was waiting for us to come out before taking any action." Ye Qingyu said.
When he said this, Qingyi also understood that Xiaoye did not seem to doubt Aunt Hua.
"It would be better if we take action! Otherwise, how can we catch them!" Qing Yi said very easily.
"Well, pay more attention, Qingfeng, notify the secret guards." Ye Qingyu ordered. This time he must make Bai Lingfeng show up.
"Yes, master." Qingfeng accepted the order.
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