Lu Mu exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that someone poisoned us before?"
Qi Ziang's eyes lit up, "Mother!"
Xu Yuehuai did not speak, but handed the silver needles to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper took the silver needle, examined it closely, and his expression immediately changed drastically. "This...this is poison!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically. "How dare someone poison Miss Xu!" the shopkeeper said angrily, clearly outraged by this act.
Xu Yuehuai calmly picked up her chopsticks, took another piece of fish, dipped it in the vinegar bowl, and then savored it carefully. Everyone watched her, not daring to breathe, their hearts filled with both tension and curiosity.
A moment later, Xu Yuehuai put down her chopsticks, a cold glint flashing in her eyes: "That day, the sun sets and hearts break."
"A broken heart at sunset?" Everyone looked puzzled, clearly not understanding the meaning behind it.
Xu Yuehuai explained, "This is an extremely rare poison. Its toxicity takes effect at sunset, causing people to slowly die in the afterglow. The person who poisoned us obviously wanted to use the dishes from Tianxianglou to carry out a poisoning plan against us."
Her tone was calm, but the sharpness in her eyes grew even more pronounced. She wasn't worried about encountering danger, after all, Xia Sen, a disciple of the Ghost Doctor with formidable medical skills, was present.
However, this blatant act of poisoning made her feel extremely uneasy.
"Outrageous!" Qi Zi'ang said angrily. "To dare to poison someone in the capital is truly audacious!"
Chu Guangbai remained silent, but his eyes revealed deep thought. He knew in his heart that this was definitely not a simple poisoning incident; there must be a larger conspiracy behind it.
"We must thoroughly investigate this matter," Xu Yuehuai said coldly. "Tianxianglou must strengthen security to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again."
The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly: "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely strengthen security measures to ensure the safety of our guests."
"We also need to secretly find out who poisoned it," Xu Yuehuai said.
"yes!"
The shopkeeper immediately withdrew to make the arrangements.
Xia Sen and the others had lost their appetite; they were all extremely shocked that someone would so brazenly poison the food at Tianxianglou to harm them.
Qi Zi'ang tugged at Xu Yuehuai's sleeve and asked, "Mother, who do you think poisoned her?"
"Actually, I don't know either, but it's very likely that they are from the Wuling Kingdom," Xu Yuehuai said.
When Chu Guangbai heard this, his expression changed immediately, and his hands clenched into fists.
After Xu Yuehuai noticed the change in him out of the corner of her eye, a seed of doubt was planted in her heart.
In the imperial study of the palace, Qi Guze and Qi Hanlin sat facing each other, discussing the future of the Great Zhou Kingdom by candlelight.
Qi Hanlin, the young emperor, had a composed face and eyes that gleamed with wisdom. He sat upright on the dragon throne, his hands clasped on the table, his gaze fixed on Qi Guze.
"Uncle, do you think we should cooperate with the people of Dongsang?" Qi Hanlin asked softly, his tone tinged with doubt.
Qi Guze, a high-ranking official of the Great Zhou Kingdom, had a resolute face and a determined look in his eyes. He smiled slightly and replied firmly, "For the benefit of our Great Zhou Kingdom, this method is the best."
After listening, Qi Hanlin pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Then I'll leave everything to you, Imperial Uncle."
Qi Guze respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
Then, Qi Hanlin took out an envoy's token from his pocket, carefully placed it on the table, and took out a military tally, handing them both to Qi Guze.
After accepting the order, Qi Guze stood up and slowly left the imperial study. As he walked down the long corridor, he silently considered the heavy responsibilities of the nation.
As I stepped out of the palace gates, night had fallen, and stars dotted the sky.
Meanwhile, Xu Yuehuai and Xia Sen's carriages had already stopped at the entrance of the Prince's Mansion. The two sides were pleasantly surprised to see each other.
"Gu Ze, what's going on here?" Xu Yuehuai looked at Qi Gu Ze with curiosity in her eyes.
“We can cooperate with the Eastern Sang Kingdom,” Qi Guze replied briefly, his eyes showing a hint of composure.
After listening, Xu Yuehuai remained silent for a moment, then asked, "And what's next?"
"Next, I will personally travel to the border to discuss cooperation with the Eastern Sang Kingdom," Qi Guze said firmly.
“I want to go too,” Xu Yuehuai said immediately.
"You can't go," Qi Guze refused decisively.
"Why? I want to go," Xu Yuehuai insisted, her eyes flashing with determination.
"The journey to the frontier is long and arduous. Not to mention your physical condition, what if you encounter danger?" Qi Guze looked at Xu Yuehuai, his eyes filled with worry.
"Alright then, you must come back safely," Xu Yuehuai said.
Qi Zi'ang stepped forward and said, "Father, Mother and I will be waiting for you at the Prince's Mansion!"
"Okay!" Qi Guze smiled and stepped forward to hug the mother and son.
Afterwards, everyone entered the Prince's residence together. After the others left, Qi Guze and Xu Yuehuai walked together to the study. Inside the study, candlelight flickered, and the two sat facing each other.
"Aze, please be careful on your trip to the frontier." Xu Yuehuai picked up her teacup, took a sip, and her eyes showed concern.
"I know." Qi Guze nodded, understanding the difficulty of this mission.
"There's one more thing." Xu Yuehua hesitated for a moment, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, "Today when I took them to Tianxiang Restaurant, someone poisoned our food."
Qi Guze frowned upon hearing this: "Someone actually wanted to poison you?"
Xu Yuehua nodded: "Yes, and that poison is particularly insidious. Luckily, I discovered it."
Qi Guze remained silent for a moment, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "You suspect it was done by people from Wuling Kingdom?"
Xu Yuehuai sighed: "I'm not sure either, it's just a guess. With the Wuling Kingdom in constant turmoil, they will probably try every means to incite internal strife in the Great Zhou Kingdom."
Qi Guze said in a deep voice, "I will keep an eye on it." He knew that although Wuling Kingdom was plagued by internal strife, its strength should not be underestimated. If they really wanted to start a war, the Great Zhou Kingdom had to be fully prepared.
Meanwhile, in the royal palace of Wuling Kingdom, King Wuling was facing a crisis.
“Your Majesty, we must find a way to stabilize the domestic situation,” an old minister stepped forward and said, his face filled with anxiety.
King Wuling sat on the dragon throne, his brows furrowed, his eyes revealing deep worry. He knew that his country was in turmoil, and the slightest misstep could plunge it into utter ruin.
"I have already sent envoys to the Great Zhou Kingdom to discuss cooperation with them," the king said, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "But the Great Zhou Kingdom..."
The old minister hesitated, then said, "I know that the Great Zhou Kingdom has a grudge against us because of what happened last time, but we don't have a better choice at the moment."
The king interrupted the old minister, saying, "Then you should continue to try."
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