Judging from Qin Xia's stance, she was determined to deny it to the death. Li Chang'an no longer bothered to save face for her and said directly, "Does Madam know that the plate of pastries you sent me was poisoned? If it hadn't been discovered in time, I would probably be poisoned by now, wouldn't I?"
Qin Xia retorted, not to be outdone, "Words alone are not enough; we need to test it first. Besides, even if there really is poison in this little heart, Madam cannot simply accuse me of poisoning it!"
She refused to admit it no matter what, so Li Chang'an simply tested it again with the silver hairpin, which was still black.
"Now you can see clearly, Auntie, can't you?" Li Chang'an looked at Qin Xiashi and said coldly.
Qin Xia's face grew even uglier, and she said with a hint of embarrassment and anger, "Madam, are you already convinced that I poisoned you? Then I have no need to explain. The innocent will clear themselves!"
Feng Beichuan had been silently observing since he entered, but now he finally couldn't stand it any longer and said:
"So you think the innocent are innocent? Qin Xia, do you really believe yourself? The maid who delivered the pastries said you made them yourself, and that you didn't poison them. Who else could it be?"
Only then did Lady Qin Xia realize that the Regent was also there. She was startled at first, then turned to question Li Chang'an:
"It's so late, and Madam has brought the Regent back to the Prince's residence. Isn't that a breach of etiquette? Although the young general is no longer here, this is still the general's residence, and so many people are watching. If word gets out, it won't sound good!"
Her attempt to change the subject was too obvious, and neither Li Chang'an nor Feng Beichuan bought it. Feng Beichuan continued:
"Princess Yong'an is my fiancée. Can't I come and see her? You, on the other hand, have been dodging and changing the subject. Are you feeling guilty?"
This left Qin Xia speechless, her face turning deathly pale as she stared at the two of them.
Li Chang'an rolled his eyes at Feng Beichuan and smacked him on the foot. Feng Beichuan wasn't annoyed and just dodged it with a grin.
Just as Qin Xia's guilt was about to be confirmed, she suddenly whimpered and collapsed.
"Auntie!" Xing'er exclaimed in shock, quickly supporting Qin Xia Shi and saying to Li Chang'an:
"Madam, why are you pressuring our concubine like this? Her health is already poor, and lately the young master has been mischievous, causing her to have sleepless nights. She finally manages to fall asleep after taking her medicine, only to be woken up by you. What are we going to do now?"
Li Chang'an didn't expect her to suddenly faint, but she had never heard that Qin Xia was in poor health before. Besides, if it were really as Xing'er said, why would she have the energy to poison herself? This act was a bit too obvious.
Just as Li Chang'an was about to expose her, Qin Xia opened her eyes and immediately cried out in a shrill voice:
"Madam, what have I done to offend you that you target me so repeatedly?! I only want to raise Yu Bao peacefully, how could I have any restless thoughts? Why won't you let me go, Madam?"
She spoke and cried, her clothes soaked with sweat and her frail appearance made her seem like a wicked mistress oppressing a widow. Anyone unaware of the situation would surely think it was a story of a cruel mistress oppressing a widow, and would never imagine that there were such hidden details.
Just as Li Chang'an was about to retort, Xing'er cried out in alarm, "Oh no! Auntie is vomiting blood!"
The servants inside the house immediately scrambled to their feet.
Feng Beichuan watched all this with a cold eye. He stood in front of Li Chang'an, blocking those sharp, questioning gazes. Li Chang'an stood there blankly, somewhat dazed for a moment.
After the doctor arrived, he took Qin Xia's pulse and prescribed medicine, saying that she was fine, just suffering from a sudden attack of anger and needed to rest for a few days.
After seeing the doctor off, Qin Xiashi slowly woke up. The commotion in the east hall had already woken Qin Yubao, who, despite being held and comforted by his wet nurse for a long time, continued to cry.
It's a complete mess.
After all that has happened, it is impossible to continue arguing with Qin Xia Shi, and the matter of the poisoned pastries can only be left unresolved.
Li Chang'an suddenly felt very tired, so he went back to his dormitory alone.
Feng Beichuan, unusually, did not follow her, but stood under the corridor silently watching her back.
After her tall, slender figure completely disappeared into the night, Feng Beichuan glanced inside the house, then walked out of the courtyard without looking back and left the General's Mansion.
The night passed in a chaotic mess.
Li Chang'an hadn't slept well all night, so she got up early. It was just getting light when she decided to tidy up the courtyard.
After tidying up halfway, Li Chang'an noticed that there were some meteor flowers planted in the yard. Although no one took good care of them, they were still blooming very lushly. So Li Chang'an watered them as well, and it was already broad daylight.
After what happened last night, Qin Xiashi should be able to have some peace and quiet for a few days. Li Chang'an then remembered that he still had a few shops to check on, so he quickly tidied up and went there.
There weren't many people on the street yet. Li Chang'an strolled slowly along the side of the street. It had been a long time since she had taken such a leisurely walk.
Suddenly, she noticed a few stalls selling some strange and unusual trinkets, and became interested, lingering in front of them for a while longer.
Princess Yong'an, it's been a long time!
Just as Li Chang'an was about to leave, she was suddenly stopped by a clear voice. She turned around and saw a handsome young man in white walking towards her. He looked quite familiar.
"You are..." Li Chang'an couldn't quite remember who he was, only that the two of them should have met at a palace banquet.
The young man in white smiled at her, his eyes sparkling brightly. He said loudly, "My name is Liang Xuanjing. I met Your Highness at the palace banquet!"
Upon hearing this, Li Chang'an remembered that this was the boy who had recited love poems to her. She hadn't forgotten how she had "politely rejected" the boy, and felt somewhat embarrassed.
However, Liang Xuanjing didn't seem to mind what happened that day at all. He said, "Does Princess Yong'an also like these trinkets? That's perfect. I have a younger brother who loves collecting these things. If he gets anything fun next time, I can send a set to the princess as well."
Since he was so enthusiastic, Li Chang'an didn't want to refuse him, so he smiled and explained, "It's not that I like these things, it's just that I haven't strolled around Fengyang Street in a long time, and I find it a bit novel."
Liang Xuanjing nodded, as if he understood, and said, "That's true. The princess holds an important position, which is far beyond what an idle person like me can compare to. So, if the princess doesn't mind, shall I show you around? I often come to this street."
Before he could finish speaking and before Li Chang'an could answer, a small figure bumped into her. By the time the two of them came to their senses, the child had already run away with Li Chang'an's money bag.
"This...this...this...daring to snatch someone's purse in broad daylight! This is outrageous!" Liang Xuanjing was dumbfounded. He never expected that Princess Yong'an would have her purse snatched by a child while walking down the street.
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