Chapter 119

Miao Qiyuan is skilled in the art of poison. But recently, he has sensed something amiss. After two consecutive failed plans, others might see it as a coincidence, but he has always valued his life and believes in fate. He feels that it is not suitable to take action again for now. Especially since Prince An seems to have some issues with his mindset, Miao Qiyuan is worried that his impulsiveness might drag him down. Therefore, Miao Qiyuan can only think of ways to make Prince An change his plan, preferably using someone else to do the dirty work. However, the princes in the court are not fools—at least not to the point of being hopelessly stupid.

The First Prince Yan Zhang and the Second Prince Yan Ming are injured and bedridden, behaving themselves these days. The other princes are observing the situation quietly, making no moves, as if they have accepted the decision of the Grand Princess becoming the emperor, breaking the ancestral tradition. There isn’t even a suitable opportunity to use someone else to do the dirty work.

After thinking for a long time, Miao Qiyuan finally spoke to persuade, “After the New Year, when spring comes, the Grand Princess will likely make some bold decisions. Your Highness might as well wait for an opportunity to avoid giving others a handle against you.”

Yan Ling looked at him coldly, “You know I have the least leverage. Once Yan Donghuang secures that position, how will I ever achieve my desires?”

Miao Qiyuan frowned, “It’s precisely because we have the least leverage that we can’t act rashly.”

Yan Ling remained silent, his expression dark and difficult to read.

“You can first gain her trust,” Miao Qiyuan suggested. “Military generals value loyalty and are ruthless to their enemies, but they also care deeply about the country and its people. If you show concern for the people’s livelihood, the soldiers’ welfare, and the nation’s long-term stability, the Grand Princess will surely trust and even rely on you.”

Yan Ling stayed silent, seemingly contemplating his words, but his brows remained furrowed, showing his reluctance. Thinking about Yan Donghuang’s recent change in attitude towards him, Yan Ling felt she had already become wary of him.

Was it because she had sensed something, or was it as she claimed, that her ambition had led her to completely abandon familial ties, treating him only as a subject rather than a brother?

“Your Highness, those who seek great achievements need patience,” Miao Qiyuan’s tone deepened, carrying a hint of persuasion. “I believe the other princes are more anxious than you. You can wait for them to fight each other to the death and then reap the benefits.”

“Easy for you to say,” Yan Ling retorted coldly. “The more princes die, the more stable Yan Donghuang’s position becomes.”

A king who holds great military power and is ruthless—what court official wouldn’t fear her?

As the princes are eliminated one by one, her throne will only become more secure, and eventually, no one will be able to shake it.

“Your Highness, there are a thousand days for a thief, but not a thousand days to guard against one,” Miao Qiyuan lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with a cold light. “Even if she secures the throne, so what? If we find an opportunity to poison her, a sudden death wouldn’t be surprising. At that time, as the only royal bloodline, the entire court will beg you to ascend the throne.”

He paused, “If you can establish good relations with the Qingluan Army before that when the Empress dies, they will not only not be an obstacle but will also loyally support you, becoming your most faithful backing.”

Yan Ling closed his eyes lightly, pondering for a long time before finally accepting Miao Qiyuan’s words. He knew he was far from being a match for Yan Donghuang. Even if he succeeded, there were many contenders for the throne, and he was the least advantaged.

If he could wait until Yan Donghuang eliminated the other princes, then find an opportunity…

Yan Ling slowly nodded, “Alright, as you say.”

Miao Qiyuan sighed in relief, bowed, and said, “Your Highness is wise. I shall take my leave.”

With that, he turned and left.

Yan Ling leaned back on the couch, quietly contemplating. The hidden pieces in the palace couldn’t be moved for now, but if needed in the future, she would be the best piece to use. For now, he needed to find a way to incite his other brothers to seek their own deaths, preferably within two years…

Suddenly, a sharp, unexpected pain struck.

Yan Ling’s face turned pale. He suddenly raised his hand to cover his chest and shouted, “Miao Qiyuan!”

Miao Qiyuan, who had just stepped out of the room, heard the shout and instinctively turned to look at Yan Ling. He saw Yan Ling clutching his chest tightly, his face unnaturally pale.

Miao Qiyuan quickly walked over to Yan Ling, squatted down, and urgently took his wrist to check his pulse.

In just a short moment, Yan Ling’s face had turned ashen with pain, cold sweat dripping down as if thousands of insects were gnawing at his internal organs. The excruciating pain came on fiercely, catching him off guard.

Feeling the abnormal pulse under his fingers, Miao Qiyuan’s expression changed gradually, becoming serious and horrified. “Xiang Gu has poisoned Your Highness.”

“Xiang Gu?” Yan Ling’s face twisted in pain. “What… what is that?”

“It’s a type of Gu worm, usually raised by women. It likes to feed on various fragrant flowers, and its body emits a strong fragrance. Hence the name Xiang Gu,” Miao Qiyuan explained with a frown. “Did Your Highness encounter any strange people today?”

Yan Ling curled up, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. A beautiful and delicate girl’s face appeared in his mind. He gritted his teeth and said, “At the Princess’s residence… I saw a girl, very unfamiliar. I heard… I heard she is Xie Yunjian’s fiancée…”

Miao Qiyuan’s face changed drastically. An unfamiliar girl?

Could it be that Yan Donghuang had already noticed their poisoning attempt but kept silent and secretly found someone skilled in poisons to deal with them?

“Quick… think of something…” Yan Ling’s voice was hoarse, the pain almost driving him mad. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his voice squeezed out through clenched teeth. “Think of something… to detoxify me…”

Miao Qiyuan snapped back to reality, looking at him helplessly. “Only the person who raised the Xiang Gu can deal with it. I… I can’t do anything…”

The overwhelming pain struck again. Yan Ling clutched the pillow on the bed tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hand, sweat dripping from his forehead. He raised his head, gritting his teeth. “Then what? Am I going to die from the pain?”

“No… that won’t happen…” Miao Qiyuan hesitated. “Xiang Gu is usually used by women to torment unfaithful men, to make them suffer long-term as a form of revenge. Each episode of pain lasts for about half an hour…”

Half an hour?

Yan Ling was both shocked and furious. Such torment would last for half an hour?

“There is another way.” Miao Qiyuan looked at Yan Ling. “If we can confirm that the person who poisoned you is that girl, we can only ask her for help. But whether she will admit it or help is uncertain…”

Yan Ling didn’t respond. His breathing was rapid, his face covered in a cold sweat, and his eyes foggy; he could not see Miao Qiyuan’s face clearly. He curled up on the bed like a trapped beast. He might have been rolling on the ground in pain if not for maintaining some dignity as a prince.

Seeing this, Miao Qiyuan could only turn and leave the room, standing in the courtyard to calm down. After thinking for a while, he finally ordered someone to call the commander of the Prince An Residence, Xiao Yan.

“Commander Xiao, take the Prince’s token and quickly go to the Imperial Medical Office to fetch a physician. Tell them that Prince An has been poisoned.”

“Poisoned?” Commander Xiao’s face changed. “How could he be poisoned? Can the physician detoxify him?”

“The physician may not be able to detoxify him, but the Prince went to the Grand Princess’s residence and was poisoned upon returning. The emperor must be informed of this,” Miao Qiyuan said grimly. “Even if we have no evidence to prove it was the Grand Princess, we should plant a seed of doubt in the emperor’s mind.”

Commander Xiao looked uncertain, wanting to ask more questions, but knowing that even Miao Qiyuan was helpless against the poison, the physician might not be able to help either. The urgent task was to inform the emperor. He said nothing more and quickly left.

Miao Qiyuan stood in the courtyard, silently watching him leave. His face was pale and gloomy, filled with unusual anxiety. The Grand Princess’s abilities were truly beyond his expectations.

Chapter 120

Commander Xiao went to the palace to request an imperial physician. The physician sought the emperor’s permission before following the guards back to the Prince’s residence. The round trip took a full half-hour.

Yan Ling was already in so much pain that he was losing consciousness.

Imperial Physician Wen hurried into the room without time for formalities, took Yan Ling’s wrist to check his pulse, and found himself at a loss.

Yan Ling’s pulse was chaotic, so chaotic that Imperial Physician Wen couldn’t make sense of it. He didn’t know what kind of poison Prince An had been afflicted with. Just as he was thinking about how to alleviate Prince An’s pain, the time for the poison to act seemed to have arrived.

Prince An visibly calmed down, his body no longer trembling or tense but gradually relaxing. He was weak, leaning against the bed, his clothes soaked through, looking as if he had been pulled out of water.

Imperial Physician Wen breathed a sigh of relief and respectfully asked, “Your Highness, what kind of pain did you experience when the poison acted?”

Prince An, as if having just survived a catastrophe, leaned against the bed, his face pale and haggard, his voice hoarse. “It felt like thousands of insects were gnawing at my internal organs.”

Imperial Physician Wen was shocked. “Insects gnawing?”

Could it be the legendary Gu poison?

Yan Ling weakly nodded, his lips bitten until they bled, adding a touch of eerie color to his pale face.

Imperial Physician Wen’s expression was grave, and he bowed his head in apology. “Gu poison is not within the realm of medical science but falls under the category of witchcraft. I am powerless and beg Your Highness’s forgiveness.”

Though weak, Yan Ling spoke gently. “I don’t know how I got this poison either. Imperial Physician Wen, don’t blame yourself. I will find a way.”

“Gu worms are vicious. Your Highness will suffer greatly,” Imperial Physician Wen sighed. “I don’t know what kind of Gu it is, how often it acts, or how to alleviate the pain… If we can find some experts, perhaps they can help.”

Commander Xiao worriedly reminded, “Please report this matter truthfully to the emperor when you return to the palace.”

Imperial Physician Wen said, “The emperor has recently caught a cold and needs to rest. He has instructed the Crown Princess to handle all matters. Your Highness might want to send someone to explain the situation to her. She might have a solution.”

Commander Xiao’s face changed. He wanted to say that the King was poisoned at the Grand Princess’s residence, clearly implicating the Crown Princess. Asking her would be pointless.

However, seeing Yan Ling’s gaze, Commander Xiao swallowed his words.

“I will visit the Grand Princess’s residence early tomorrow,” Yan Ling said softly. “Escort Imperial Physician Wen out.”

“Thank you, Imperial Physician Wen,” Commander Xiao gestured. “Please.”

Imperial Physician Wen took his leave.

Two delicate maids stepped forward, one wiping the cold sweat from Yan Ling’s face and adjusting his pillow for comfort. The other offered a cup of tea.

Yan Ling took the cup, sipped the tea to moisten his throat, and said, “Prepare the bath. I want to bathe.”

The two maids bowed and left.

The night was deep and quiet. The lights in Prince An’s courtyard were bright. Half an hour later, Yan Ling weakly sat in the bath, surrounded by hot water. He quietly leaned against the edge of the tub, thinking for a long time.

Finally, he concluded that the pain from the poison was unbearable.

If it acted once a day… or more than once a day, he wouldn’t be able to endure such torturous pain. He wasn’t sure when his limit would be or what he might do when the pain became unbearable. So he needed to visit the Grand Princess’s residence and ask her face-to-face.
…

The next day was the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, with one day left before the morning court resumed.

Yan Donghuang had given herself a rare day off, staying in her residence without summoning ministers. After practicing martial arts for half an hour in the morning and having breakfast, she played three games of chess with Feng Yaoguang in the warm pavilion.

The atmosphere in the warm pavilion was cozy and quiet. Whether in her past life or this one, such leisurely moments were rare for Yan Donghuang.

Yuan Ziying sat nearby with a cup of tea, praising Yan Donghuang whenever she was about to win. “Your Highness, you are truly amazing! As the chosen heir, your skills are indeed extraordinary, unmatched by ordinary people.”

Although Feng Yaoguang agreed that the Crown Princess was indeed impressive, the praise felt like a slight against him since they were the only two playing chess.

Feng Yaoguang gave her a look. “Does Xie Yunjian know you’re this noisy?”

“Of course,” Yuan Ziying nodded matter-of-factly. “So what? Can he stop me from talking?”

Feng Yaoguang’s expression was strange. “Don’t you like him?”

“Yes.”

“Then shouldn’t you listen to him?”

Well…

Yuan Ziying took a sip of tea, feeling a bit guilty. She did want to listen to Xie Yunjian, but agreeing and actually doing it were two different things.

Like poisoning Prince An last night…

“Your Highness,” Mo Lin reported from outside the bamboo curtain of the warm pavilion, “Prince An requests an audience.”

Feng Yaoguang instinctively looked out the window. “Prince An is here so early. Is he here for the morning and evening greetings?”

Yuan Ziying was puzzled. “Isn’t that term used for the inner courtyards of men?”

Daughters-in-law greet their mothers-in-law in the morning and evening.
Concubines greet the head wife morning and evening. She had never heard of a prince greeting the heir morning and evening.

Feng Yaoguang’s expression was odd, unsure how to respond.

“Let him in,” Yan Donghuang said, pushing aside the chessboard and sipping her tea. “Ziying, go for a walk.”

Yuan Ziying acknowledged and quickly left.

Prince An entered the residence, wrapped in a thicker cloak than yesterday, his face pale and weak, like someone recovering from a severe illness.

“Donghuang,” Yan Ling entered the warm pavilion, looking at Yan Donghuang sitting by the bed, his voice gentle yet distant. “I have something to ask you.”

Yan Donghuang replied calmly, “What is it?”

“After leaving the Grand Princess’s residence last night and returning to the prince’s residence, I found myself poisoned,” Yan Ling stared at Yan Donghuang, not wanting to miss her reaction. “The pain from the poison was like torture, making life worse than death.”

Feng Yaoguang, who was tidying up the chess pieces, was stunned and looked up. “Prince An was poisoned?”