Chapter 400: At ten years old, I was already poisoned!

Duan Rongshi hadn't spoken yet when Li Qingluo already flipped the entire pastry tray onto the ground with one hand.

Thinking they were poisonous, she angrily stepped forward and crushed them into pieces with one foot.

"Have you ever eaten them before?"

"When did she start sending you pastries?"

"She used to be on good terms with Noble Consort Yue, so why would she harm you like this?"

"This method is truly disgusting!"

If it weren't for Luo Fan's superb medical skills, just based on a piece of osmanthus cake, this poison would not be easily detected.

This osmanthus cake originally had a faint osmanthus fragrance; smelling it once makes it hard to notice anything abnormal.

Only seeing Li Qingluo's solemn expression did he then take out one of his own precious pills.

After soaking the osmanthus cake in water, he also dissolved the pill together in the water.

After an hour, the water soaking the osmanthus cake and pill turned a pale green, and Luo Fan's face changed dramatically.

"The person who administered this poison truly has a vicious mind."

"Luo'er, this osmanthus cake cannot be eaten. Not only must it not be eaten, it must not be touched directly."

"Otherwise, after prolonged contact, anyone who touches this pastry will become a foolish, idiotic cripple!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingluo immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

That is why she, in her agitated state, crushed all the osmanthus cakes into powder.

Then she hurriedly fetched a wet cloth and carefully wiped Duan Rongshi clean.

Duan Rongshi greatly enjoyed his little lady's intense concern for him at this moment.

Only when he saw her eye sockets redden did he gently hold her hand, which was still constantly wiping him.

"It's fine."

"Rest assured, I, the prince, have never eaten it."

"Every time I took it, I wiped my hands first."

Li Qingluo then recalled that he seemed to have indeed wiped his hands the previous night.

She let out a sigh of relief in her heart.

She lifted her head to look at him: "Your Highness, did you already know that Virtuous Consort harbored ill intentions?"

Duan Rongshi: "Hmm."

"I've said before, I don't trust a single person in the entire imperial palace."

"Including Virtuous Consort and Little Six."

Saying this, he had Li Qingluo sit down.

Then he pointed at her to play chess.

"You needn't worry too much about this."

"She wants to harm me, but it's just because she can't sleep at night staring at my face."

Li Qingluo's heart gave a thump: "Could the death of Noble Consort Yue be related to this Virtuous Consort?"

She looked at Duan Rongshi, waiting for him to continue.

Duan Rongshi: "My mother consort back then had a beauty that could topple a city, unmatched; none of the other consorts in the palace possessed even half her beauty."

"Thus, everyone both hated and loved her."

"This Virtuous Consort did not initially show wolf-like cruelty toward me; she was indeed cold as ice to everyone, but she was especially gentle with me and Little Six."

"Only years after my mother consort's passing did I learn that she was also no good person."

"That year, she personally presented me with this tray of osmanthus cake, saying it was my mother consort's favorite snack from before."

"Seeing how I longed for my mother, she somehow managed to have my maternal clan send a bit of osmanthus jam into the palace, which she then made into this pastry by hand."

"My mother consort has loved osmanthus since childhood."

"Thus, the former Osmanthus Fragrance Palace was not only filled with osmanthus trees, but nearly all of my mother consort's ornaments were osmanthus-shaped, and everything with an osmanthus scent."

"After my mother consort's death, the entire inner palace was forbidden from having any osmanthus scent. Seeing that dish of osmanthus cake, I was also quite delighted."

"I just couldn't bear to eat it, so I placed it in my room by the bedside, merely greedily wanting to smell it more often to ease my longing for my mother."

"If it weren't for Little Six and his wet nurse, who, wanting to see me, were led by the wet nurse to my room, saw that dish of osmanthus cake I had never eaten, happily wanted to eat a piece, and as the Virtuous Consort who followed closely behind saw this scene, she panicked and knocked it away, I would not have suspected anything."

Li Qingluo: "How old were you, Your Highness, when this happened?"

Duan Rongshi: "Ten years old."

"Ten years old?"

"At just ten years old, someone close had already poisoned him, intending to turn him into an idiot?"

Her heart filled with deep pity, as if she saw the ten-year-old young Duan Rongshi standing in the shadows, gazing at them.

Duan Rongshi continued to speak of those secrets he had never told anyone before.

"Although she then explained to me, saying it was specially prepared just for me, with none left over, and that Little Six was still too young to eat this kind of pastry, I did not believe her."

"I clearly saw with my own eyes that Little Six's wet nurse had fed him almond pastries."

"From then on, I kept a wary eye on everything the Virtuous Consort sent, never touching it lightly."

"If I could throw it away, I would; if I couldn't, I would destroy it completely."

"When I was thirteen, my appearance grew ever more like my mother consort's."

"Even that red mole on my brow is exactly the same as my mother consort's."

"The people in the imperial palace, including my father emperor, gradually grew complex in their gaze when they looked at me."

"There was fear."

"There was a chill."

There is hatred and disgust.

There are also cries shouting that I am a monster, a demon that the Noble Consort Yue possessed.

However, these consorts soon vanished from the palace for various reasons.

When I was fifteen, I moved out of the imperial palace and went to live in Prince Su's mansion.

However, the osmanthus cake kept being sent to my hand once a month without fail.

Now she must be worried, so she began sending it every day, still treating me as that six-year-old child.

Duan Rongshi snorted coldly as he dropped a chess piece onto the board.

Li Qingluo: "Your Highness, when did you confirm this pastry is poisonous?"

Duan Rongshi: "When I was eighteen, Doctor Du took up residence in the Prince Su's mansion. That's when I realized the osmanthus cake was laced with such a vicious poison."

Li Qingluo: "But the osmanthus cake has been delivered for thirteen years, and Your Highness hasn't shown any signs of poison—doesn't the Virtuous Consort suspect anything?"

Or maybe she knows she's already been exposed, but since Your Highness hasn't revealed her, she frantically keeps sending the pastries?

Duan Rongshi pointed to an empty space and indicated for Li Qingluo to place her piece there.

Then he went on: "She's long been mad."

Li Qingluo: "Mad?"

She didn't quite catch that.

Duan Rongshi: "She wanted to poison me, so I can't poison her?"

Li Qingluo was greatly shocked.

Did he poison the Virtuous Consort?

Counting the days, it's almost upon us.

In three days, it's the Virtuous Consort's birthday; Luo'er, would you like to go watch the drama?

Li Qingluo's eyes brightened: "I would."

Duan Rongshi curled his finger: "Come closer..."

Three days later.

Li Qingluo got up early and first practiced her sword.

As she had just stopped, drenched in sweat, the ingredients for the Five Red Soup that Eunuch Hai had prepared for her arrived as well.

Li Qingluo rushed to the kitchen and put the soup to simmer in the pot.

Over the past two days, Li Qingluo and Duan Rongshi have been sharing a room, and his scent has become increasingly hard to bear.

So she insisted on moving alone to the small room next door.

Last night at midnight.

Li Qingluo had just begun to suffer the poison's effects, and Duan Rongshi, sleeping next door, immediately rushed over and cut a fresh wound to feed her his blood.

This time, Li Qingluo drank for a long while.

She seemed to be losing control, and her thirst for blood grew ever harder to restrain.

Seeing her restrain herself so, Duan Rongshi murmured softly: "Luo'er?"

Only then did Li Qingluo suddenly start awake and shove him away.

Then she turned and clutched herself tightly, soon drifting off to sleep.

When she woke in the morning and recalled last night, her face was ashen.

What has she done?

Thinking of Zuoliya, Li Qingluo couldn't help but clutch her head, heart filled with regret and shame, nearly driven mad.

Only after sword practice did she regain much clarity.

Once the Five Red Soup was ready, Li Qingluo hurriedly brought it to Prince Su's chambers.

Your Highness?

Duan Rongshi was already up.

He was waiting for her to take her morning meal.

Seeing her bring in another bowl of soup, he asked: "What is this?"

Li Qingluo: "It's to replenish your qi and blood, Your Highness. Please drink this bowl."

Li Qingluo, bearing the heat, set the soup down and then personally ladled him another bowl.

Duan Rongshi: "What? Replenish qi and blood?"

He thought he had misheard.

Li Qingluo shoved it into his hand: "Hurry, it won't taste good if it cools."

Duan Rongshi: "I..."

Before he could refuse, Li Qingluo scooped another spoonful and held it to his lips: "Come, ah—"

Duan Rongshi: "Can I skip drinking it?"

Li Qingluo's face hardened: "No! Your Highness, your lips are already pale."

If you don't drink it, then next time don't bother saving me.

After much hesitation, Duan Rongshi sighed and took the spoon.

Fine, I'll drink it.

After he downed it in one gulp, the tense Li Qingluo finally let out a faint smile.

She quickly served him another bowl.

Duan Rongshi couldn't help but say: "More? Luo'er, you wouldn't have me drink this whole huge bowl, would you?"

Li Qingluo: "No need. Just three small bowls will suffice."

"But for the next few days, I'll brew five red soups for you each day; you must cooperate and obediently drink them all. Okay?"

Duan Rongshi frowned tightly: "Not very good."

Li Qingluo ignored him, stared at him, drank all three bowls, and only then finally let out a sigh of relief.

"Your Highness, I lost control last night."

"Next time, perhaps we should…"

Duan Rongshi: "No!"

"You can only drink this King's blood."

Li Qingluo:?

"This kind of vinegar too?"

She found it somewhat funny and thought he was very cute: "I mean, let me endure it myself."

"And when I leave the palace, the Miao girl that Dong Siyuan invited should also be arriving at Jinling City, right?"

MiaoJiang is far from Jinling City; the journey is long, and traversing mountains and rivers indeed takes many days.

Moreover, Hudie's life has also been constantly delayed by Dong Siyuan.

Everything will only have hope once that Miao girl arrives.

The two were talking when Sha Qi silently slipped in, seeking an audience.

"Girl, Sha San over there sent word that the Zu Li Ya toxin is more severe than the previous time."

Li Qingluo had already guessed.

She herself also drew more blood than the previous two times.

If the Miao girl has no hope of saving her, she will have only the road to death.

Li Qingluo: "Send Zong Zheng Wuheng to see the grim state of the Zu Li Ya."

"Tell him we still have many of these poisons in hand, and ask whether he also wants to have a taste."