For the first time, Gu Jiangli felt somewhat foolish.
It's such a simple thing, yet it took me so long to figure it out.
Born in Yunnan, her understanding of poisons shouldn't be limited to just the act of ingesting them.
Like the mountains of Yunjiang, there are countless dangerous poisonous plants there. Many of them do not need to be eaten at all. Even just inhaling their fragrance or touching their venom can cause poisoning.
She has been focusing on the food the emperor has eaten for so long, but has overlooked other aspects.
If you think about it carefully, you can figure it out.
If someone wanted to assassinate the current emperor, they certainly wouldn't choose such an easily detectable method as poisoning his food.
With so many people around the emperor testing poisons, it was impossible for him to succeed.
So she's been doing useless work all this time.
If someone wanted to harm the emperor without anyone noticing, they could poison his incense or expose him to poisonous substances every day; both methods would achieve the same goal.
The system had already alerted her that there was a problem with the dress.
Perhaps that person used something poisonous on the emperor's clothes. The emperor was in contact with it every day, and over time, he was bound to be poisoned.
And the fact that she frequently smelled a faint fragrance was perhaps not a coincidence at all.
Gu Jiangli felt somewhat guilty and remorseful.
If it were the original owner, she might have been able to react quickly.
Although she inherited the original owner's memories, those memories ultimately did not belong to her. Without deliberately retrieving the memories, it was difficult for her to think about that aspect.
Fortunately, it's not too late yet.
The issue we need to confirm right now is that piece of clothing.
If the poison hidden in that garment can be found, it will prove that Prince An has ill intentions.
"Your Majesty, allow me to return to Yongning Palace first. I believe I can find the answer there."
"I will be with you..."
"Your Majesty, please rest well. You are still injured. I will come to Jing'an Palace to see you later."
Gu Jiangli quickly bid farewell to the emperor and then rushed back to Yongning Palace without stopping.
The most important reason she didn't let him come along was that she needed to double-check whether her idea was even feasible.
————
Yongning Palace.
Du Shuo had already placed the garment in the center of the room.
Three older palace maids stood around the garment, circling it again and again, examining the torn parts and pondering how to repair it.
Gu Jiangli's appearance caused everyone in the room to immediately put down what they were doing.
"Greetings..."
"No need for formalities, all of you may leave." Gu Jiangli was very anxious; she was now eager to know the cause of the emperor's illness.
"yes."
“Lotus, I remember there was a maid named ‘Aman’ among those who came to Tianyuan with us. Could you call her over for me?”
"Yes, this servant will bring her here right away."
Everyone around him withdrew, and Gu Jiangli looked at the outer robe, his heart filled with complex emotions.
If things were really as she thought, then she would have to imagine Prince An to be even more ruthless and vicious.
Perhaps, Prince An's goal really wasn't just the throne.
Not long after, Lotus returned with the maid named Aman.
Aman was dressed like any other palace maid, making it difficult for anyone to tell that she was a girl from Yunjiang.
Gu Jiangli had a strong impression of this face; on her first day in the palace, Aman was one of the maids who performed a dance.
"Aman greets Consort Yun, may Consort Yun enjoy boundless blessings."
She performed the Tengen etiquette with great care and seemed to be adapting very well; she was a very clever girl.
"No need for formalities, Aman. I've called you here today because there's something I need to ask you."
"Your Majesty, please speak. Aman will tell you everything he knows."
"I've heard that your family elders all make a living by searching for herbs and seeking medical advice, and they are very knowledgeable about the poisonous creatures in the mountains of Yunjiang. When you were young, you also went up the mountain with your family to pick herbs, is that right?"
"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."
"Do you know if there are any poisonous herbs or animal venoms in Yunjiang that can drastically change a person's personality, making them unrecognizable to their family and friends, as if they have been possessed by a demon, turning them into bloodthirsty and murderous monsters... Moreover, this kind of poison does not need to be ingested; perhaps it can be achieved by simply smelling or touching it. Does such a poison exist?"
Gu Jiangli's words left Aman momentarily stunned.
She lowered her head, as if deep in thought.
After a while, she looked up and said, "Your Majesty, when I was young, I did hear that there was a vine that could drive people mad, called the Azure Moon Vine. You only need to take the sap from this vine and drip it on a person's skin to poison them."
"These vines can affect a person's mind, making them irritable, causing hallucinations, and agitating their emotions. However, I have never heard of them making people bloodthirsty and murderous."
"Moreover, the sap of the Jade Moon Vine has an extremely foul odor. Once it gets on someone, you can tell what caused their illness without even taking their pulse, so it's quite easy to treat."
Gu Jiangli then asked, "Besides this Jade Moon Vine, are there any other things that have similar effects?"
After all, the emperor's symptoms were not just as simple as emotional agitation and irritability.
If there were a more potent poison, it might be closer to the cause of the emperor's illness.
Aman said somewhat awkwardly, "Your Majesty, this servant is not skilled enough and has not been to the mountain for many years. This is the only thing I can remember that is called Biyue Vine. Is this matter particularly important to Your Majesty? Should I write a letter back and ask my father to come to Tianyuan as well? My father is knowledgeable and experienced, and I am sure he can answer Your Majesty's questions."
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