Chapter 109

Mu Yuanzhi stayed overnight in Weiyang Palace on the pretext of caring for the Grand Empress Dowager, and did not return to the princess's residence.

She must constantly watch Pei Shangling here, cannot make any mistake.

Although he had given his guarantee, Father Emperor also knows.

But she still feels uneasy, not only because of her past life, but also because this matter was orchestrated by Pei Yunxi; Pei Yunxi wouldn't simply want to frame the Qilin that simply, would she? There must be something else.

Otherwise, Pei Yunxi wouldn't have so kindly suggested that the Qilin be detained not in the Imperial Court of Justice but in Yong Lane.

What exactly does that woman want?

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't figure it out.

That night, Mu Yuanzhi tossed and turned, unable to sleep, so she got up for a walk; Hongdou and the others were at the princess's residence, and the vast Weiyang Palace had only her.

"Princess Yuanzhi!"

Mu Yuanzhi heard someone calling her; the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

"Princess Yuanzhi!" a familiar eunuch ran over; Mu Yuanzhi recognized him, he was from Pei Shangling's palace.

"Princess, the Fourth Prince sent this servant to tell you that Lord Qilin suddenly fainted, as if poisoned!"

"What?!" Mu Yuanzhi instantly grabbed the eunuch's collar: "Was it your master who did this?!"

"Not! Princess, you've misunderstood!" the eunuch, inevitably angry, said he came with good intentions to report, how could he be wrongfully accused?!

Mu Yuanzhi, not really believing, released the eunuch's collar and strode out without a word.

Qilin, you must not come to harm!

Even if it wasn't done by Pei Shangling, it surely has something to do with him! How could Qilin possibly be poisoned?

His research on poisons is not inferior to hers!

"What exactly is going on? Tell me clearly!" Mu Yuanzhi demanded sternly as she strode.

The eunuch hemmed and hawed, making Mu Yuanzhi even angrier: "Speak!"

"Well, this servant isn't entirely clear either; the Fourth Prince went out for a trip, and upon returning saw Lord Qilin apparently poisoned and unconscious!"

"He's not here, are you all dead?!" the anxious and angry Mu Yuanzhi spoke, her words turning vicious.

If anything happens to Qilin, she will certainly not let these people off lightly!

The eunuch dared not retort, only muttering inwardly, he replied: "We all went to serve Princess Yunxi."

"As expected, it's her!" Mu Yuanzhi snorted coldly.

"What does that mean?" the eunuch didn't understand, but he knew it must be this princess envying Princess Yunxi, disliking Princess Yunxi.

Princess Yunxi treats them well, and having been influenced by Pei Shangling, he naturally thinks that way.

Mu Yuanzhi arrived at Pei Shangling's bedchamber; there was no imperial physician, and she had no time to worry about that, anyway she knows medicine.

"You've come, quickly see what's wrong with him!" Pei Shangling made space.

Mu Yuanzhi had no time to quarrel with Pei Shangling; checking Qilin's condition was urgent.

His lips were purplish, as if poisoned, but…

Mu Yuanzhi felt his pulse and exclaimed in shock: "He's been poisoned with gu!"

How is that possible? Qilin takes the Hundred Spirit Grass pills on schedule; how could he possibly be gu-poisoned?!

Moreover, his Hundred Spirit Grass pills are carried on his person; they couldn't have been swapped.

Mu Yuanzhi thought to look at Qilin; his usual gourd was missing!

"Where is his gourd?!" Mu Yuanzhi glared coldly at Pei Shangling, her voice icy: "Did you confiscate his gourd?! Aren't you giving him the Hundred Spirit Grass pills?"

He must have missed taking the Hundred Spirit Grass pills at the appointed time, which is why Qilin was poisoned!

"I did confiscate it, but I didn't withhold the pills; he already took them!" Pei Shangling took Qilin's gourd from the drawer beside the vase and handed it to Mu Yuanzhi for inspection.

This contains the Hundred Spirit Grass pills; he was tricked by this little devil, previously thinking it held only strange poisons, so he confiscated it; later, this little devil had no choice but insisted on eating it, so he told him it actually contained detoxifying Hundred Spirit Grass pills.

Mu Yuanzhi took it with a cold face, hastily opened it and sniffed: "This scent is not the Hundred Spirit Grass pills from Juechen Valley!"

Why can't Qilin smell it?

Mu Yuanzhi again asked Pei Shangling: "Did you burn something here earlier?!"

"Tibetan incense."

"Why would you burn Tibetan incense for no reason?!"

According to the National Teacher, burning Tibetan incense likely makes one unable to discern the scent; otherwise Qilin wouldn't be unable to smell it!

Pei Shangling said nothing; the Tibetan incense wasn't burned by him, he only discovered it burning when he returned.

His younger sister told him, Tibetan incense is unique; she wanted to burn it to see if it truly could calm the mind.

He knows his younger sister suffers from insomnia, so there's nothing wrong with that!

Seeing him silent, Mu Yuanzhi's gaze sharpened: "Fourth Prince, you gave a written guarantee; now Qilin has been gu-poisoned in your bedchamber, what do you think?"

Her cold, sharp gaze stabbed Pei Shangling's heart.

Mu Yuanzhi actually looked at him with the eyes of an enemy!

It wasn't him who laid the gu poison!

"I will certainly get to the bottom of this!" Pei Shangling promised.

"Hmph, fine, go seize Pei Yunxi right now!" Mu Yuanzhi sneered: "Can you bear to do that?"

"It has nothing to do with my younger sister!" Pei Shangling shouted, his voice lacking conviction.

Because his younger sister had indeed come to his palace, and had asked him to help her find something, even the palace staff joined in the search.

But perhaps it's just a coincidence.

"Because the Tibetan incense was burning, Qilin couldn't smell that the Hundred Spirit Grass pills had been swapped; moreover, Qilin's scheduled time to take the pills, you should have told him when you tried to deceive him, and you certainly also told Pei Yunxi all of this, right?"

Yes, she guessed it all correctly!

Pei Shangling's heart jumped again; Mu Yuanzhi's analysis was truly without any loopholes.

"If he can tell me, he can tell others!" Pei Shangling argued.

"Ha, indeed, that person could still come and go freely in your sleeping quarters, then, while Pei Yunxi lit the Tibetan incense, secretly swapped the Hundred Spirit Pills in the gourd, then poisoned the Qilin with gu poison, and slipped away silently." Mu Yuanzhi mocked, clapping.

Every word she said struck at Pei Shangling's nerves, shaking him so hard he could barely stand.

"Cough..."

A forceful cough came from the sickbed, pulling Mu Yuanzhi's attention back; she looked heartbroken at the Qilin's deathly pale, bloodless face, and overwhelming self-reproach drowned her.

She had no idea what kind of gu poison was in the Qilin; her study of gu poison was far from mastery, otherwise she wouldn't be helpless against her great-grandmother's gu poison.

Although she at least knew about her great-grandmother's gu poison, she didn't even know what the poison in the Qilin was—how could she possibly solve it?!

Is this Pei Yunxi's scheme? Then does Pei Yunxi have the antidote?

Does he want her to exchange something for it?

Mu Yuanzhi clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh.

That vicious woman, truly leaving no stone unturned!