The tea in the cup appeared normal.
Doctor Zhu observed it carefully for a moment, then tilted the cup slightly to reveal the bottom.
The bottom was smooth, with no residue.
He brought the cup closer to his nose to smell it, then asked Qi Shuo, "How did the Heir determine that there was poison in the cup?"
Qi Shuo gestured toward the fish tank on the windowsill. "I poured a few drops of the tea into it; an hour later, both fish were dead."
"The Heir must wait a moment. I need to use my instruments to distinguish what kind of poison is in the cup."
"There is no rush, Doctor Zhu. Take your time."
Doctor Zhu opened the medical chest he carried with him and took out long needles and other tools. More than an hour passed during the examination.
Doctor Zhu stretched his stiff neck and stepped before Qi Shuo.
"And?"
Doctor Zhu shook his head. "There are thousands of poisons in this world. This one is dissolved in water and its taste was masked by the tea, making it difficult to confirm the exact substance for the time being. However, it can be concluded that this is not a potent poison; it would not take a life immediately."
There was no look of disappointment on Qi Shuo's face. He asked, "What would happen if someone ingested it?"
"That is the peculiar thing about this poison. If taken in the proper dosage, it can act as a cardiac stimulant. But if taken improperly, it can instead cause cardiac arrhythmia, leading to death..."
Qi Shuo listened in silence, his expression unchanging.
On the contrary, Doctor Zhu's expression became strange. He asked in a low voice, "This poison was aimed at the Heir, wasn't it?"
Qi Shuo nodded.
"Then the opponent is using the Heir's 'heart ailment' as a weapon."
Doctor Zhu naturally knew whether the Heir of Prince Jing actually suffered from a heart ailment; after offering this reminder, he said no more.
"Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Zhu," Qi Shuo thanked him and had Changning escort the doctor away.
When Changning returned, Qi Shuo was still staring blankly at the teacup, lost in thought.
"Heir, could it be the Cousin—" Changning gritted his teeth in hatred, eyes flashing with fire.
This cup was one the Heir had used during lunch at the Princess Consort's place before it was cleared. Aside from the Cousin, there could be no one else who poisoned it!
Compared to Changning's anger and disbelief, Qi Shuo seemed far more composed. He did not answer Changning, but instead picked up the cup and walked outside.
Seeing this, Changning hurriedly followed, only to find that the Heir was heading toward the Princess Consort's courtyard.
Did the Heir intend to go directly to the Princess Consort to complain?
Changning was greatly shocked.
He had always thought the Heir was an exceptionally reserved person!
When Qi Shuo arrived, he happened to run into the young County Princess, Qi Qiong, who had just returned.
"Big Brother!" Qi Qiong called out happily upon seeing Qi Shuo, not forgetting to produce a glass bottle to show off. "Flower dew that A-Hao gave me; she made it herself."
Qi Shuo couldn't help but glance at the bottle of flower dew.
The small glass bottle was a pale bluish-green, containing light pink flower dew with a captivating, alluring hue.
"I've tried it; it smells wonderful." Qi Qiong was beaming, filled with the joy of receiving a gift she loved.
Princess Consort Jing also smiled. "It is indeed better than the commonly used flower dew. I didn't expect A-Hao to have such a skill."
It was just that she had only given one bottle to Qiong'er, so she felt it inappropriate to ask for some to use.
"It's likely too early for dinner, and I haven't seen a shadow of your second brother yet." Thinking Qi Shuo had come for dinner, Princess Consort Jing began to scold her youngest son. "The moment he goes out, his heart runs wild. All that growth for nothing..."
Qi Shuo listened quietly, knowing that although his mother was complaining, she was actually in a very good mood.
With a son and daughter celebrating their birthdays and a niece making a special trip from the palace to visit, how could her mood not be good?
Unfortunately, he was about to ruin his mother's good mood.
Despite thinking this, Qi Shuo did not hesitate. Once Princess Consort Jing finished speaking, he spoke up: "I did not come for dinner, but because I have something to tell you."
"What is it?" Princess Consort Jing asked with a smile.
Qi Shuo placed the cup, which had been hidden by his wide sleeve, onto the table, intentionally keeping it far from Princess Consort Jing. He said calmly, "During lunch, my cousin toasted me with tea instead of wine. I felt something was not right, so I took this cup with me. I have since detected poison in the remaining tea."
Princess Consort Jing's expression changed abruptly. "Poison in the tea?"
Qi Qiong reacted faster than Princess Consort Jing. "Cousin poisoned Big Brother's cup?"
Princess Consort Jing looked at Qi Qiong. "Qiong'er, what are you saying?"
Qi Qiong's face was covered in frost. Her tone was icy as she mentioned Sun Xiuhua: "Big Brother, why did Sun Xiuhua poison you?"
"Wait a moment—" Princess Consort Jing grabbed Qi Shuo. "Shuo'er, what exactly is going on? Why do you say Xiuhua poisoned you?"
"I would also like to know why my cousin poisoned me," Qi Shuo gave a bitter smile.
Princess Consort Jing suddenly thought of something, and the color instantly drained from her face. "What kind of poison? How much did you drink—"
"Mother, do not worry. I did not drink it."
Princess Consort Jing breathed a sigh of relief, but a feeling of disbelief resurfaced. "Shuo'er, could there have been a mistake—"
Qi Shuo's tone was flat, but every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Princess Consort Jing's heart one by one. "This cup of tea was poured and handed to me by my cousin. If she didn't put it there, could it have been one of Mother's maids?"
"Impossible!" Princess Consort Jing denied it without hesitation.
The maids allowed to serve in her room had the lives of their entire families tied to the Prince's manor; they would never do such a thing.
"Mother, please stop making excuses for Sun Xiuhua. Do you not know what kind of person Big Brother is? Would he falsely accuse Sun Xiuhua of poisoning?" Qi Qiong trembled with rage.
To think she had once sincerely treated Sun Xiuhua as an older sister; she hadn't expected her to be a venomous snake.
At this thought, her eyes reddened, and she hugged Princess Consort Jing, sobbing. "Mother, if something happened to Big Brother, what would we do!"
Her daughter's cold tears wet her shoulder, striking Princess Consort Jing's heart like ice beads. After-fear surged in waves like a tide, completely washing away her familial affection for her niece.
Countless doubts surfaced.
"Shuo'er, how did you realize something was wrong with Xiuhua?"
Qi Qiong also stared intently at her brother, clearly harboring the same question.
"Two days ago, the Crown Prince came to play chess with me. Mother, do you remember?"
Princess Consort Jing could not possibly have forgotten.
"I detected a killing intent that the Crown Prince inadvertently revealed."
Princess Consort Jing was shocked. "Just because you beat him at chess, he wanted to kill someone?"
What kind of mad dog was he?
Qi Shuo paused, his gaze deepening. "I suspect the Crown Prince may have heard the rumors regarding my birth..."
He couldn't exactly say that the Crown Prince coveted A-Hao and happened to be driven mad by his medication.
Princess Consort Jing shuddered, her voice turning hoarse. "What!"
"Mother, Big Brother, what are you talking about?" Qi Qiong asked blankly.
Princess Consort Jing gripped her daughter's hand, regaining some composure. She no longer doubted the reason the Crown Prince wanted to kill the eldest son. "Qiong'er, do not ask so much. In short, the Crown Prince has murderous intent."
Qi Qiong nodded haphazardly, looking at her brother with concern.
"A few days after I sensed the Crown Prince's killing intent, my cousin suddenly arrived. When she toasted me with tea, I felt it wasn't quite natural. To be cautious, I didn't drink the tea. I took it back and sprinkled a few drops into the fish tank; both fish died. Afterward, I asked Doctor Zhu to examine it, and indeed, he found the tea was poisoned..."
Qi Shuo looked at his numb-faced mother and sighed inwardly. "Mother can test her; then you will know if my cousin is feeling guilty."
(End of Chapter)