Chapter 198 Murder
"Cousin is back?" After hearing the message from the maid sent by Princess Jing, Qi Shuo thought for a moment, changed his outer clothes and went to the main courtyard.
When Sun Xiuhua saw Qi Shuo stand up, she said, "Cousin."
"My cousin is here." Qi Shuo smiled and greeted Princess Jing, "Mother."
Princess Jing pointed to a chair nearby and said, "Have a seat. Xiuhua came out of the palace specially to celebrate Qiong'er and the others' birthdays. They've gone out to play, so let's have a meal together."
Qi Shuo sat down as he was told and looked at Sun Xiuhua: "Second brother, little sister, it's not a big birthday, and it's inconvenient for cousin to leave the palace, but there's no need to bother."
"I miss my aunt too. It's a rare opportunity to leave the palace." Sun Xiuhua smiled softly.
After exchanging greetings, Qi Shuo ate his food in silence.
Sun Xiuhua picked up the teapot beside her and poured a cup of tea for Princess Jing. "I know I have made my aunt angry. Today I will offer you a cup of tea instead of wine. Please forgive me. Here, I only have my aunt..."
After hearing what Sun Xiuhua said, Princess Jing felt a little uncomfortable.
Her twin sister passed away early, and their family was poor, so it was inevitable that her niece would be tempted by the desire for power and wealth and make some mistakes. If we just leave her alone in the palace, I'm afraid she won't have a good ending.
By then, she also felt guilty about her sister who died young.
Never mind, let’s move on.
Seeing Princess Jing pick up the teacup and drink it, Sun Xiuhua was a little dazed.
Is aunt no longer angry?
Thinking of what she was about to do, her heart clenched tightly and she felt a huge sense of panic, but she couldn't refuse.
The prince's implication was that the drug wouldn't take effect immediately. If she did as she was told, she could at least escape, but if she didn't, she wouldn't have a future in the Eastern Palace.
I'm sorry, I just want to live well.
Sun Xiuhua silently convinced herself, gently picked up the cup, poured tea, and handed it to Qi Shuo.
"I haven't congratulated my cousin and Miss Lin Er on their marriage yet."
Qi Shuo lowered his eyes to the cup for a moment, then took it with a smile: "Thank you, cousin."
Sun Xiuhua raised her glass and drank, her eyes unconsciously falling on the opposite side.
Qi Shuo raised the cup, and just as he brought it to his lips he suddenly started coughing.
Seeing him put the cup down, Sun Xiuhua's eyes narrowed and her hand holding the cup tightened.
"Sorry, I caught a cold a few days ago." Qi Shuo explained apologetically.
Sun Xiuhua forced herself not to look at the cup next to Qi Shuo, revealing a concerned look: "Is cousin feeling better?"
"It's fine now. My throat still feels a little itchy occasionally. Sorry for the rudeness." Qi Shuo said, picking up the cup again.
Sun Xiuhua watched him drink the tea, and was so nervous that she forgot to breathe. Only when she confirmed with her own eyes that the cup was half empty when it was put back on the table did her heart settle down.
Done!
Her heart was beating so fast that she could hardly sit still.
What if the prince was just trying to coax her? What if Qi Shuo vomited blood and died?
She drank some tea to calm the suffocating feeling and wanted to escape back to the East Palace immediately.
"Cousin, are you feeling unwell?" The person who drank the tea didn't look abnormal and looked at Sun Xiuhua with concern.
Sun Xiuhua didn't dare meet those clear eyes. She lowered her eyes and stroked her teacup. "No, it's just that I've been in the palace and rarely talked to anyone. Only after returning did I feel at home. I have some indescribable feeling in my heart."
Princess Jing held her hand and said, "Xiuhua, this has always been your home."
Qi Shuo sat with her for a while longer, then put down his chopsticks. "Mother, cousin, I'm done eating now. I won't bother you anymore."
"Cousin, go and get busy." Sun Xiuhua said impatiently.
Princess Jing also smiled and said, "Go."
Qi Shuo looked at Sun Xiuhua deeply, then stood up and left.
Sun Xiuhua was frightened by this look and felt very uncomfortable until the afternoon, when it was finally time to say goodbye.
She had just returned to the East Palace when the prince came over.
"how?"
"I put the medicine in the tea and he drank it."
"Are you sure you drank it?"
Sun Xiuhua nodded: "I saw him drink it with my own eyes."
The prince smiled and said, "I just said I didn't find the wrong person. Hua'er, you are really smart."
Sun Xiuhua gave a bitter smile, her face pale: "Your Highness, I am worried--"
"What are you worried about?" The prince said with impatience, "Didn't I tell you that this medicine won't take effect for two or three days? If he gets diarrhea by then, who would think of you?"
"Does it really take two days to take effect?"
"Did I lie to you?"
Seeing the prince's gloomy face, Sun Xiuhua tactfully stopped worrying: "This will put my mind at ease. I was afraid that my aunt would become suspicious of me and it would be difficult to get along with her in the future."
The prince smiled disapprovingly and said, "You don't have to go out in the East Palace all year round, why are you worrying about this? Well, put your heart at ease, this matter is over."
The prince got the result he wanted and left after staying for a short time.
Sun Xiuhua sat there blankly, not moving for a long time.
The palace maid came in and served new tea.
Sun Xiuhua was stung by a bee and hissed, "Take it away!"
In Prince Jing's mansion, the teacup used by Qi Shuo was taken away by Changning, the servant who was guarding there, as soon as it was taken away by the maid.
"What do you want this for? These cups and plates are all registered. If one is missing, they won't match." The maid asked curiously.
Chang Ning stuffed a silver ingot into her pocket and said, "Sister, use it to buy a hairpin. Our prince will need it. Please don't tell anyone. I will return it later."
The maid held the silver ingot and smiled: "Then please send it back as soon as possible."
As a maid, she would certainly not refuse to give the prince what he wanted.
Changning hurried back to Qi Shuo's residence with the teacup in her pocket.
"Prince, here it is."
Qi Shuo took the teacup and placed it on the table, staring at the remaining tea in the cup in a daze.
"Prince, is there something wrong with this cup?"
"Bring me a silver needle."
Changning was shocked, and only reacted after Qi Shuo glanced at him. He quickly took out the silver needle.
"Let's try it." Qi Shuo raised his chin towards the teacup.
Changning took a deep breath, carefully placed the silver needle into the tea, and took it out after a while. Seeing that the color of the silver needle had not changed, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Prince, please look."
Qi Shuo frowned and thought for a moment, then walked to the windowsill holding the teacup.
There is a fish tank on the windowsill, with two small fish swimming happily in it.
A few drops of tea fell into the jar, creating a small puddle. The fish, startled, swam away, then quickly returned.
An hour later, Chang Ning's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Prince, both fish are dead!"
Qi Shuo, who was reading quietly, put down the book and walked over.
The little fish that was lively and agile not long ago turned over and became motionless in the water.
"Go and ask Doctor Zhu to come."
Doctor Zhu is a famous doctor from outside the area. He was invited by Prince Jing’s Mansion last year to treat Qi Shuo’s heart disease, and he stayed there ever since.
Changning went out in a hurry and came back with Doctor Zhu not long after.
"What does the prince want from me?"
Qi Shuo pushed the cup in front of Doctor Zhu and said, "I'd like to ask Doctor Zhu to check what kind of poison is in this cup."
Doctor Zhu's expression didn't change at all when he heard this, and he picked up the cup of water.
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