Chapter 135: Poisoning

Bei Di Yi Guan, the atmosphere was as bleak as frost.

Bang!

The crisp crack of a whip striking flesh echoed from the study in the rear courtyard, accompanied by the sound of a screen crashing to the ground.

Outside the study, several Bei Di men who had taken part in the polo match knelt, still in their battle gear, each bearing whip marks on body and face from severe beating, trembling on the ground.

Inside the study, Tuo Ba Heng pointed at his brother Tuo Ba Yu, who was kneeling and bleeding from the whip, and scolded, "When did you start learning martial arts?"

Tuo Ba Yu propped his two hands on the cold floor, his expression calm and indifferent, as if he were not the one being beaten, and not the one arousing Prince brother's suspicion.

A mocking smile curled at his lip; Tuo Ba Heng was always so incompetent, venting his frustration on irrelevant people when he failed, never looking for fault in himself.

But what could be done about it?

He is the legitimate son of the Great Consort of Bei Di, the heir apparent of Bei Di, the future Great King of Bei Di.

He is merely a mongrel born from the king's one‑night tryst with a foreign dancer, the second prince forgotten by all of Bei Di, his birth an accident.

But Tuo Ba Yu does not want such accidents to continue.

In today's arena contest, he couldn't control himself for some reason, only wanting to defeat Xiao Yin and claim the woman he coveted, not expecting Xiao Yin to be so formidable.

"Speak! When did you start training?" Tuo Ba Heng stared intently at the blood‑soaked, collapsed Tuo Ba Yu kneeling on the ground.

When did this mongrel dare to have his own thoughts? He should just stay obediently in Southern Qi, be a pawn of Bei Di, yet he secretly practiced martial arts and even sparred with Xiao Yin in front of so many.

Those aren't the crucial point; the crucial point is that he could actually hold his own against Xiao Yin.

Could this guy have some ulterior motive?

No! He will never let him become stronger; we just need to keep him as a worthless snack.

Tuo Ba Yu pressed his lips together, remaining silent; whatever he said would be wrong, the whip had already struck, no need for further words.

Seeing Tuo Ba Yu stay silent, Tuo Ba Heng's gaze grew dangerous; with a swish he drew his curved blade, slowly stepping before Tuo Ba Yu, the blade's edge landing directly on his neck.

"Prince brother!" Princess Yuanqing hurriedly said, "Prince brother, calm down; we still need this person, after all we must plant a nail in Southern Qi."

Tuo Ba Heng cleared his mind a bit; the blade's edge slid from Tuo Ba Yu's neck down to his wrist, a grim smile appearing as he asked, "Did you practice swordsmanship with that hand?"

"Cut it!"

Tuo Ba Yu's eyes flashed; the guards hidden in the darkness outside were already on the verge of losing patience.

Gu Lv, concealed among the tree shadows, eyes blazing, thought that the master had endured enough whippings, yet the Crown Prince even intended to cut off the master's hand.

Fine! At worst it's life and death! Tonight we settle it here!

But the master has endured until now, still not giving orders; they cannot appear rashly.

Just as Tuo Ba Heng raised his knife high, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside.

A Bei Di guard rushed in, half‑kneeling before Tuo Ba Heng with a secret order, saying, "Prince, the capital has issued an urgent decree: the Great King was poisoned. Though the imperial physician saved him, his body is damaged. Please, Prince, return to Shang Jing at once."

"What? Poisoned?" Tuo Ba Heng was stunned. The capital's palace is heavily guarded; how could anyone dare poison the father king? Have they swallowed a bear's heart and a leopard's gall?

"Who did it?" Tuo Ba Heng roared in fury.

The guard hurriedly replied, "It was a palace maid from the royal kitchen, but she has already taken poison and killed herself, however…"

The guard lowered his head, unwilling to continue.

"Speak!" Tuo Ba Heng's face darkened to the extreme.

The person carefully said, "But some people claim that… it was the Prince… that the Prince ordered someone to poison!"

"Bullshit! The whole future of Bei Di belongs to me; I need to poison my own father?"

Tuo Ba Heng, enraged, turned pale with anger; he couldn't bother to deal with Tuo Ba Yu any longer and kicked him hard.

Tuo Ba Yu was knocked sideways, still half‑kneeling on the floor.

"Get out! You spineless wretch!"

Tuo Ba Yu quickly rose, slowly retreating to a secluded corridor; the earlier panic vanished, and a thick scorn colored his jade‑pale face.

"Master!" Gu Lv hurried after, pulling out a golden ulcer medicine and handing it over.

Tuo Ba Yu took it, dabbed a bit of ointment while walking, applying it to his face.

His cheek had also taken a lash, bleeding; he previously cared little for his face, but now someone mattered to him, and when she looked at him it was with amazement, so he must protect this face.

After all, that woman liked looking at faces.

"Master, perhaps we should just kill that brute…" Gu Lv, seeing the master's whip wounds, felt a surge of frustration.

Tuo Ba Yu raised his hand, stopping Gu Lv's words, and slowly said, "If we kill him, it will cheapen those old bastards in the capital, and let Tuo Ba Heng go back to help us eliminate a portion, wouldn't that be better?"

Gu Lv dared not say anything further; the master truly could endure.

He recalled something and whispered, "Two days ago, Ling Feng, who is by Xiao Yin's side, approached Uncle Feng to inquire about who went to the Imperial Garden on the day of the palace banquet."

"Ling Feng also gave Uncle Feng two thousand taels of silver, saying it was to buy a residence in Shang Jing and later a son to support his old age."

Tuo Ba Yu's steps halted there, a cold flash in his eyes, a faint smile forming as he said, "Xiao Yin indeed thought of Uncle Feng thoroughly; had we not acted in advance, he might truly have been bought by him."

"Did you follow my instructions?"

"Regarding the master's request, I had Uncle Feng also write your name on the list. Xiao Yin is naturally suspicious; when Uncle Feng wrote it, it was truly difficult—your name was placed first, and he would never have written Xiao Wei's name, but later Ling Feng used some means to get it added, so it won't raise suspicion on you."

"After all, Xiao Wei really went to the Imperial Garden; I also had Uncle Feng bribe two palace maids, so Xiao Yin won't have any more doubts."

"Truth or falsehood, he might not be able to figure it out!"

Tuo Ba Yu nodded, turned, and left.

Gu Lv was a bit confused, wondering why the master, who never went to the Imperial Garden, insisted on having his name written there; wouldn't that draw Xiao Yin's attention?

Things in Bei Di are still chaotic, and the master's recent decisions seem utterly unpredictable.

Gu Jiu Ling slept restlessly that night, waking with two dark circles under her eyes.

Jiu Yue entered holding a notice, and Jinzhi helped Gu Jiu Ling comb her hair.

Although Jinzhi is mute, she is exceptionally dexterous, especially at styling hair; she can do all kinds of hairstyles.

But the master is not a woman who loves dressing up, so Jinzhi could only fashion Gu Jiu Ling a simple, elegant bun.

「Miss, the Gu family's invitation! 」

Gu Jiu Ling furrowed her brows; whenever the Gu family was mentioned now, she felt disgust.

「What are you talking about? 」

Jiu Yue hurriedly said: 「The Gu family has been preparing the Second Miss's marriage these days, saying they are marrying into the Marquis of An Guo's mansion, the date has been set, please return, my lady, to drink the wedding wine。」

Gu Jiu Ling instantly snorted coldly: 「A marriage alliance? Just a concubine! Gu Nanxiang really knows how to gild her own face, making me, the Princess Consort of Rui, go back to uphold her facade? 」

「Just lift her in a sedan chair and she's gone—she actually thinks she's the young lady of the Marquis of An Guo's mansion; does she really expect to banquet all the notables of Shang Jing? How thick-skinned can she be, as thick as the city wall? 」

「My lady, shall I tell them you're not going? 」

「No! 」 Gu Jiu Ling waved her hand, her eyes flashing with a smile as she said, 「Go! Why wouldn't I go? 」

Jiu Yue was completely confused.

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