Yan Xuecuī forced himself not to think about it. He cleared those absurd and unbearable images from his mind and shifted his attention to the pills in his palm.

Though he was blind, his sense of smell was far sharper than an ordinary person’s. He indeed detected a faint, bitter medicinal scent in the pills, so subtle it was almost negligible beneath the fragrance of the sandalwood.

His intuition told him something was wrong.

Fearing he might think it was medicine meant for Consort Zhuang to ingest, Chi Ying explained quickly: “They rolled out from the bottom board of the wooden box where Mother keeps her prayer beads. There are about seven or eight of them.”

Auntie Qionglin stepped out from behind the screen. Seeing the pills, she too was curious. She hurriedly picked up the sandalwood box and lifted the Shu-silk lining at the bottom. Sure enough, she saw the broken joints of the woodwork. The mortise and tenon had not been crafted to fit seamlessly; instead, eight pills matching the size of the holes had been stuffed inside. The box shattering just now was the only reason these deeply hidden pills had rolled out.

Thinking of something, Qionglin felt a chill down her spine: “These prayer beads were a gift from the Empress five years ago. It was said they were blessed by a high monk from Chengsheng Temple. They were delivered inside this very box. Her Ladyship keeps them with her almost constantly while chanting. I never expected there would be a hidden mechanism within…”

The room fell into a sudden, heavy silence.

Chi Ying looked cautiously at Prince Zhao. His face held a coldness she had never seen before. His indifferent, grey eyes were filled with a chilling, murderous intent.

Qionglin and Fangchun exchanged a look. Both saw a flicker of unease in the other’s eyes, as if a secret they had never suspected was finally coming to light.

Physician Lin arrived through the night carrying his medicine box. He felt the atmosphere in Shouchun Hall was even more cold and oppressive than usual. He dared not speak. He went straight inside to check Consort Zhuang’s pulse, prescribed a sedative, and performed acupuncture on several points such as the Shenmen and Baihui.

Once he finished, Yan Xuecuī handed him the pills from the box. “Take a look at these. Is there anything unusual?”

Physician Lin did not dare be careless. He immediately took them for a careful inspection, even using a small blade to cut one open. After several confirmations, his expression grew increasingly grave.

“May I ask Your Highness, where did these come from?”

Qionglin omitted the Empress’s involvement for the moment, stating only that the medicine had been hidden in the bead box for years and was only discovered today.

Physician Lin’s face was full of solemnity, and even a trace of fear: “These pills are made from the ground juice of Soul-Departure Grass. Ingesting or smelling it over time can cause mental derangement, auditory and visual hallucinations, and manic behavior. Eventually, the victim dies from self-mutilation in a state of madness.”

As his words fell, the people in the room looked at one another, their faces filled with horror and lingering fear.

It was actually a poison meant to induce madness!

Qionglin’s voice trembled: “Are you saying… our Ladyship’s hysteria was likely caused by these Soul-Departure Pills?”

Physician Lin replied: “Though the pills were hidden in the box, over the years, the beads would be permeated by their scent. This would cause the person wearing them to become restless, act out of character, suffer from memory loss, and have constant nightmares. These… these match Consort Zhuang’s symptoms almost perfectly, do they not?”

Fangchun added: “Her Ladyship indeed has all those symptoms…”

There were even several times when the Consort had shown tendencies toward self-mutilation or suicide.

Qionglin’s lips shook as tears streamed down her face: “This box has been here for five years. Every time Her Ladyship finished her prayers or went to sleep, I would place the beads back inside. I never once noticed…”

Physician Lin sighed: “Soul-Departure Grass itself has only a faint bitterness, and it was masked by the sandalwood fragrance. Naturally, it was hard to detect. Moreover, after so many years, most of the medicinal scent has dissipated. If the box hadn’t broken, no one would have ever known.”

Qionglin said with hatred: “Our Ladyship was harmed by a traitor!”

The matter was of great importance, so she did not dare utter the name. She truly could not understand it. The Empress had always been known for her benevolence and had no grievances with the Consort. She had no children of her own and never involved herself in the struggle for the throne. Why would she poison the Consort?

Qionglin looked at Yan Xuecuī, her body shaking.

Yan Xuecuī’s face was deathly cold. He closed his eyes, hiding the surging gloom and madness in his gaze. He spoke in an incredibly calm voice: “Do not spread word of this. I will investigate thoroughly.”

Qionglin and Fangchun nodded immediately. When it involved the residents of Kunning Palace, no one dared to speak recklessly and alert the enemy.

Seeing the atmosphere was frozen, Physician Lin offered a bit of comfort: “Though it was discovered five years too late, as long as Her Ladyship stays away from the box and beads from this day forward, and continues with daily tonic and acupuncture, her mental state will surely improve. Perhaps she can slowly recover what was lost.”

Everyone finally exhaled in relief. Qionglin looked at Chi Ying with gratitude: “This is truly thanks to the Princess Consort. Otherwise, I don’t know when we would have found these Soul-Departure Pills.”

Chi Ying did not dare take the credit: “I only stumbled upon it by accident. If it weren’t for me, Mother wouldn’t have been so angry…”

She stole a glance at Prince Zhao. Although it was a coincidence today, she had accidentally discovered a key piece of information. She hoped this would dispel some of his suspicion toward her and make her future days a bit easier.

Yan Xuecuī keenly sensed her gaze. The coldness on his face dissipated. He turned toward her and said, “My thanks to the Princess today. Mother’s episodes are always like this. I hope you weren’t too frightened.”

Chi Ying shook her head. “No.”

Yan Xuecuī nodded and then instructed Qionglin: “Since Physician Lin is here, have your people re-examine everything Mother comes into contact with. See if there are any other suspicious items.”

Qionglin accepted the order at once.

Yuan De stayed behind to pack up the wooden box, the beads, and the poison.

As Chi Ying left with Prince Zhao, she noticed for the first time that he had not brought his blind cane inside. When they crossed the threshold, she instinctively reached out to support his arm. “Your Highness, be careful.”

Once the guard on the porch handed him the bamboo cane, she immediately withdrew her fingers and carefully maintained her distance.

The warmth on his arm was gone in an instant. Yan Xuecuī inconspicuously pressed down on the ink-jade inlay of the cane as he walked down the steps.

Remembering something, he suddenly asked: “When Mother’s episode flared up just now, you were clearly afraid. Why did you stay in the room?”

Chi Ying: “I wanted to help soothe Mother’s emotions. I didn’t expect…”

“Were you hurt?” Yan Xuecuī asked.

Chi Ying shook her head, though it was only now that the pain in her ankle from being hit began to throb.

Yan Xuecuī heard the slight irregularity in her footsteps. He frowned. “Is your foot injured?”

Chi Ying said quickly, “It was only bumped by a tea lid. It’s not a problem. There is gold-sore ointment at Shuyu Pavilion. I will apply it when I return.”

Yan Xuecuī tapped his cane lightly and slowed his pace to wait for her.

Chi Ying felt it was strange for a blind man to accommodate her walking speed. Furthermore, being beside him always reminded her of last night.

He had used the phrase “rather die than marry” to scare her and made vague accusations about her being an assassin. Yet, despite those unpleasant interludes, they had actually shared physical intimacy.

Regarding those words he said… Chi Ying thought it over and decided it was better to explain. She couldn’t allow herself to be wrongly accused.

“Your Highness…”

The girl’s voice was as soft as silk. Yan Xuecuī felt his ears itch. “Mm.”

After struggling for a while, Chi Ying said in a muffled tone: “Your Highness has wronged me. This concubine has never harbored intentions of harming you, nor am I a spy. Last night…”

Yan Xuecuī laughed instead. The gloom on his face vanished, replaced by a touch of playfulness in his tone. “Since you are not a spy, why do you have such a guilty conscience?”

Chi Ying: “…”

She indeed could not hide her guilt. She wanted to clear the facts, but she was also afraid he would find out her true identity. She was, after all, deceiving him. Having committed a misdeed, she lacked the confidence to stand perfectly upright.

She could only offer a weak defense: “I do not have a guilty conscience. I just… do not like the feeling of being wronged.”

Her voice was like a dull, muffled string being plucked in his heart. Yan Xuecuī felt an indescribable emotion surge within him.

He could almost imagine her expression: aggrieved, fragile, and pale, as if he were bullying her.

Unfortunately, in his entire life, he had never truly wronged a “good” person.

Whether it was through concrete evidence or pure intuition, he had never made a mistake. If he had believed every assassin or traitor who knelt before him crying that they were innocent, he would have been dead and buried long ago.

Yan Xuecuī felt indifferent in his heart, yet his face remained smiling. He spoke in his usual gentle tone: “Mm. It is my fault. I should not have baselessly accused my own Princess.”

He apologized lightly, but Chi Ying still felt a sense of stifled frustration.

The night air in the Prince’s estate was cool and fresh. The dew held a bite of cold. Moonlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, scattering broken silver across the ground. Walking on the moonlit bluestone path, Chi Ying felt the cold climbing up from her feet, tangling in her heart, and making it hard to breathe.

Shuyu Pavilion and Yangui Tower were in different directions. After such a major event today, he would certainly return to Yangui Tower to investigate the Soul-Departure Pills. Chi Ying decided to take the initiative to bow and take her leave.

Day or night made no difference to him anyway. He could move freely and had guards by his side; he didn’t need her to be overly attentive.

Far off in the garden, Yuan De finished packing the wooden box and saw this scene. He ran over at a trot, catching his breath before asking: “The Princess didn’t say she would escort you back?”

Though the Prince moved normally, he was still blind. Did the Princess not have even a shred of concern for him?

Yan Xuecuī didn’t stop his steps. He let out a cold, amused laugh. “Perhaps she is angry.”

Yuan De was stunned. The Princess… is angry?

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