Chapter Thirty-Nine: Poison

Feng Yewu heard Zheng Tianlan say that he had a solution, and suspicion flickered in her eyes. Clearly, she did not fully trust his words. Yet, finding herself at a loss for a better idea, she had no choice but to gesture for Zheng Tianlan to speak.

"Go ahead," she said.

Seeing that Feng Yewu was willing to listen, Zheng Tianlan gave an awkward smile, evidently aware that his plan was not particularly ingenious.

"According to what I know, within the fiefdom of the Prince of Pingyi, there is a certain flower," Zheng Tianlan began. He had once been assigned by Feng Yewu to investigate the various princely territories and was therefore well acquainted with their domains. Now, he recalled something peculiar about the Prince of Pingyi’s land.

"This flower exists nowhere else—it is unique to the Prince of Pingyi's realm. Its appearance is quite ordinary, nothing special at all."

"If it is so common, why do you mention it? Is there some hidden secret within this flower?" Feng Yewu asked, already suspecting the direction of the conversation.

"Indeed, as Your Majesty surmises, though this flower seems unremarkable, it can be refined into a slow-acting poison," Zheng Tianlan admitted. He was, of course, thinking of using poison, though Feng Yewu felt the idea was almost too simple.

"But the Prince of Pingyi has lived in his own lands for years—surely he would be aware of this poison?" Feng Yewu was uneasy. To use an adversary’s own poison against him seemed unwise; the prince could easily cure himself and would be alerted to their intentions. It might even make him more reluctant to leave, and any mishap could give their enemies ammunition to slander them, especially regarding the death of the Chancellor’s daughter.

"No, Your Majesty, you overthink," Zheng Tianlan hurried to explain, smiling reassuringly. "This poison has only one antidote: the fresh petals of that very flower."

Feng Yewu found this intriguing. "But what if the Prince of Pingyi brings the flower with him to the capital? If he cultivates it at home, wouldn’t he have the antidote at hand?"

She voiced her concern, thinking it a plausible scenario. Zheng Tianlan, however, immediately shook his head in denial.

"That is precisely the peculiarity of this flower. It cannot survive away from living soil. So long as it remains rooted, it is tenacious, but the moment it is uprooted, it withers instantly. To say nothing of it ever blooming elsewhere. That is why this flower has never spread beyond those lands."

Feng Yewu listened and experienced a sudden clarity. "By this reasoning, your plan may indeed work," she acknowledged, glancing at Zheng Tianlan. Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Pingyi left his residence and returned straight to his private quarters. Seeing his disgruntled expression, the members of his household immediately gave him a wide berth. Once an amiable man, the Prince had grown irritable under Feng Yewu’s scrutiny, and now, with anger written plainly on his face, none of his servants or family dared approach and risk drawing his ire.

Without even changing his clothes, the Prince went straight to his study. The doors were shut tight, and no one in the household dared approach; his command was strict—anyone who came within half a step of the study without permission would be executed on the spot.

"Your Highness, how did it go today?" Inside the study, the Prince of Pingyi seemed transformed—his anger dissipated, replaced by a calm composure. Zhao Xiyan, who had been hiding in the study, emerged to ask him.

"Hmph. That Feng Yewu thinks a few sharp words are enough to defeat me? Ridiculous," the Prince sneered, his gaze cold in the dim corner, mocking Feng Yewu.

"And did Your Highness gain anything from today’s encounter?" Zhao Xiyan moved to a table, poured a cup of water, and offered it to the Prince with respectful deference.

"I entered the palace in haste today, but I did notice Lu Jue was absent," the Prince replied, taking a sip before continuing. "I suspect Feng Yewu sent him to investigate the Chancellor’s daughter."

"In that case, what should our next move be?" Zhao Xiyan, having learned from the Prince that Lu Jue was the mysterious figure from that night, felt reassured. For now, their enemies were exposed, while they remained hidden. If they acted before Lu Jue, Feng Yewu’s plans would be difficult to carry out.

"My hurried visit today has surely drawn attention," the Prince remarked, confidence returning to his bearing as he looked at Zhao Xiyan. "Since I have decided to stay, we must be even better prepared."

"Those whom Feng Yewu’s confidants seized are likely lost to us now. Gather more men from the Penglai Pavilion; we cannot afford to neglect our intelligence and communication."

He thus reassigned Zhao Xiyan’s duties. Though many of their people had been captured, the Penglai Pavilion, once a formidable force, had secreted away reserves. Originally, the Prince had planned to leave the capital, dispersing his people elsewhere. To avoid detection, they had prepared across all trades in the city for a long stay.

Now that he had resolved to remain, it not only sent a silent warning to other factions but also meant they needed steady intelligence. The music house had served the Prince well, but his current status was too sensitive for him to act openly, nor could Zhao Xiyan handle everything herself. So it fell to her to recall their scattered agents.

"At once," Zhao Xiyan replied, taking the order. Rather than leaving through the main door, she slipped back into the shadows of the study.

After she left, the Prince sat for a moment longer, then extinguished the lamp and departed. The study would remain unused for some time. With Zhao Xiyan reorganizing the Penglai Pavilion, intelligence work would slowly return to its former order, just as the music house had once managed. New personnel would be assigned to the new flow of information.

With the Prince’s decision to stay in the capital, a quiet settled over everything, as if the world were holding its breath for the coming storm.

One night, a shadowy figure appeared atop the Prince’s residence. It was Zheng Tianlan, who, with Feng Yewu’s consent, had been secretly observing the Prince’s household for days. He was intimately familiar with the routines within, and by his reckoning, everyone was now asleep.