Chapter 607 Headache
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Li Shiyue moved with lightning speed, instantly stepping forward, covering the steward's mouth and nose with one hand, and striking the back of his neck with her other hand, her fingers flying like the wind.
The steward collapsed to the ground without even uttering a sound.
Li Shiyue quickly dragged him into the deeper shadows, away from the busy crowd.
After confirming that there were only the two of them around, Li Shiyue took out a small porcelain bottle that she had prepared beforehand from the system, uncorked it, and forcibly poured a small amount of the colorless and odorless liquid inside into the steward's mouth.
This is not poison, but a kind of drug that can temporarily impair a person's mental state and make them answer any question.
It was obtained by Li Shiyue from Zhang Lanlan in the future world.
This drug has another characteristic—once the person is drugged, they will not remember being questioned at all!
A moment later, the manager's eyes began to glaze over.
Taking advantage of this moment, Li Shiyue quickly lowered her voice and asked, "What kind of utensils does His Highness usually use for drinking tea and wine?"
Has His Highness recently developed any particular dietary preferences?
What kind of breakfast is being prepared in the inner courtyard's small kitchen today?
The steward, still groggy, began to answer haltingly, "His Highness... most likes to use... that purple clay teapot in his study... to brew strong tea... lately, with the cold weather... he enjoys mutton soup... for breakfast... it should be... mutton soup... and millet porridge..."
After finding out what she wanted to know, Li Shiyue knocked the steward unconscious again, then dragged him out of the shadows and placed him in a corner of the courtyard, a place where he could easily be spotted.
After making sure someone in charge woke her up, Li Shiyue quickly crept towards the small kitchen in the inner courtyard.
Time is of the essence! Dawn is breaking!
With her superb lightness skills and accurate judgment of the terrain of the Prince's Mansion, Li Shiyue avoided several patrols of the manor guards without any danger and gradually approached the small kitchen in the inner courtyard.
The kitchen was now filled with the aroma of cooking, and the cooks and helpers were busy at work.
She cannot enter directly.
The sky had already brightened, and she was too obvious a target.
However, Li Shiyue remembered that the intelligence sent back from the Jinzhou spies indicated that Liu Tan was busy with military affairs and often had breakfast in the study in the inner courtyard, rather than having it with Jiang Huijun in the main courtyard.
Liu Tan's meals were also taken from this small kitchen by a designated person.
Thus, Li Shiyue hid behind a thicket of bushes outside the kitchen, concealing herself completely, and began to search with sharp eyes.
Soon, she saw two well-dressed maids approaching, who were obviously there to collect Liu Tan's breakfast.
The cook in the small kitchen opened the prepared food box for the two of them. The food box was divided into layers. On the top layer was millet porridge and a few side dishes, and on the bottom layer was a steaming hot mutton soup.
The opportunity is here!
When one of the maids looked at the cook and asked if the food was fresh and where it was bought, the other maid also looked up and stared at the cook.
Just then!
Li Shiyue flicked a tiny, hair-thin ice needle from her fingertip that melted upon contact with heat. This needle had been prepared long ago in her system inventory!
The tip of this needle is coated with a tiny amount of "Bone-Corroding and Soul-Destroying Powder"!
Li Shiyue precisely shot it into the bowl of mutton soup. The ice needle melted instantly upon landing, leaving no trace.
The amount of poison used this time was extremely small and would not be detected, but after three consecutive days... the toxin would quietly accumulate.
Thus, Li Shiyue stayed in the prefectural city for three days in a row, repeating the same routine every day, giving Liu Tan the full dose of medicine.
On the fourth day, Li Shiyue did not hesitate and immediately left the palace quietly along the same route, her figure disappearing like a ghost into the gradually brightening dawn.
Li Shiyue quickly slipped out of the city, found the golden eagle hidden in the mountains outside the city, soared into the sky, and flew swiftly towards Jian'an.
High in the sky, facing the biting cold wind, Li Shiyue glanced back at the gradually awakening city and the massive Zhenbei Prince's Mansion to the north of the city, her eyes as cold as iron.
Liu Tan won't collapse immediately; he won't even notice anything at first.
He would first experience occasional headaches, which he attributed to overwork.
Then the headaches will become more and more frequent and more and more severe;
He would become irritable, unable to handle official business for long periods of time, and even less able to lead troops on horseback.
His headaches would cause his power to stir in the shadows, and his sons would begin to stir.
By the time he and those around him realized this was not a simple headache, it was already too late!
Like his father, Liu Tan will spend his life on his sickbed, watching helplessly as his ambitions fade away.
At that time, Li Shiyue had already crossed the sea to the east and was perhaps returning in triumph with the glory of a great victory.
Strike first and strike hard; silently crippling a tiger's fangs and claws is a far greater test of cunning, courage, and skill than a fierce, head-on battle.
And she did it.
Since that day when she quietly returned to Jian'an from Jinzhou, Li Shiyue has been like the most patient hunter, devoting all her energy to the massive preparations for the expedition to the Japanese mainland.
Meanwhile, she was also quietly waiting for news from Jinzhou.
Only after confirming that Liu Tan had been poisoned could she set sail.
Inside the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion, Liu Tan was completely unaware of this.
He was in his prime, full of ambition, and spent his days handling official business, training troops, and discussing with his staff how to conquer the world. He was full of energy and had no idea that death was quietly knocking on his door.
Liu Tan's first headache occurred late one night.
He was discussing confidential matters with his trusted advisors when he suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his temple, like being pricked by a needle, followed by a dull, throbbing pain.
Liu Tan frowned and raised his hand to press hard on his temple.
"Your Highness?"
Zhou Yiran, who was standing nearby, noticed his unusual behavior.
"It's alright."
Liu Tan waved his hand, his tone as usual, "Perhaps I'm a little tired from working so hard these past few days."
Liu Tan didn't care. Having spent nearly half his life in the military, how could he, as the general of the Xuanjia Army, not have any injuries?
He took a sip of strong tea to refresh himself and then focused his attention on the map. His headache seemed to gradually subside.
Liu Tan took it as just ordinary fatigue and quickly put this little episode out of his mind.
However, just seven or eight days later, the second headache struck without warning!
This time, it was at the drill ground in Tun Suo, Sanshan County.
The sun was high in the sky, warhorses neighed, and the battle cries of the Xuanjia Army shook the heavens.
Liu Tan sat upright on his horse, enjoying the thunderous cheers and surging support of his men.
Suddenly, a pain ten times more intense than before gripped his head!
The feeling was as if a red-hot iron rod had been plunged into his temple and was churning wildly in his brain!
Startled by the sudden pain, Liu Tan groaned, his vision went black, and he swayed on the horse, nearly falling off!
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