Chapter 42: Poisoning

Rong Zhao’s smile froze. He met her gaze and laughed silently, "I did this only to make my benefactor happy."

Sheng Mingyue’s heart skipped a beat. For a fleeting second, she pretended to be indifferent, averting her eyes, not daring to look at him again.

The carriage moved slowly, as if intentionally lingering to keep them in each other's company.

To uncover the truth about his benefactor's origins, Rong Zhao had rushed to Tongzhen Lane without even eating. Now, returning to the manor, he was famished.

Sheng Mingyue did not dare delay. She jogged all the way back to Juxin Garden to reheat the medicinal soup.

"You’re back, Miss?" Song Guo heard the commotion and hurried over, beaming. "How was it? Did you see your mother?"

Sheng Mingyue nodded repeatedly, her face filled with an irrepressible smile. She said softly, "It is all thanks to the Prince that our family could clear up the misunderstandings and reunite. Where is the medicinal soup? The Prince hasn't eaten all day; I must hurry and reheat it."

Song Guo tilted her chin toward the kitchen and whispered, "It’s on the stove. No one has touched it since the fire was put out."

"Thank you for your hard work," Sheng Mingyue patted the back of her hand and then sprinted toward the kitchen.

Everything in the kitchen was just as she had left it, save for the extinguished fire. The clay pot still sat neatly on the counter.

The soup was already cold. Sheng Mingyue lifted the lid to check.

"You’re injured and have trouble moving, Miss. Let me help you light the fire," Song Guo said, rolling up her sleeves as she walked in, smiling broadly. "To celebrate the truth of your origin coming to light, how about we have hot pot tonight?"

Sheng Mingyue felt a surge of joy and whispered, "Yes, yes, whatever you say."

As she spoke, she scooped up a bit of fine salt, ready to pour it into the pot.

[I was so busy watching the little cannon fodder find her family just now—did the Princess actually poison the Prince or not?]

Sheng Mingyue’s hand, holding the salt, froze in mid-air. Staring at the text floating in the void, her pupils contracted sharply.

What was she seeing?

The little Princess... poisoning the Prince?

How could that be? The Prince was her own uncle!

[She didn't end up doing it. The little Princess stood by the stove for a long time. I don't know what she was thinking, but even though she had already taken out the bone-softening powder, she put it back without a word!]

Sheng Mingyue’s suspended heart finally settled. She sprinkled the salt into the pot bit by bit, her mind in a complete muddle.

The little Princess was innocent and pure-hearted; she would never do anything to harm her own kin.

Then there was only one possibility...

The Grand Princess had ordered her to do it.

[It’s so strange. Theoretically, the little Princess shouldn't have failed. In the original book, the Prince took bone-softening powder every day, the poison seeping into his marrow, causing him to die a year earlier than the imperial physician’s prediction.]

[Where did things go wrong? Is the little Princess going through a rebellious phase?]

[This is the first time the little Princess has disobeyed her mother. She’s bound to suffer for it.]

[The one above is a prophet—the little Princess failed her mission and is currently being thrashed by her own mother!]

Sheng Mingyue swayed, accidentally knocking over the salt jar.

The small ceramic jar shattered on the floor with a crisp sound.

"Miss?" Song Guo was startled and quickly stepped forward to steady her, asking in a low voice, "What’s wrong? Are you hurt?"

Sheng Mingyue’s expression was grave. She grabbed Song Guo’s wrist and whispered, "Did the little Princess take the medicinal soup with her?"

Song Guo thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No. I saw her hands were empty, and I even asked her about it. Who would have thought she would just leave without answering? She looked completely distracted."

Sheng Mingyue steadied herself, carefully ladling a bowl of soup, and whispered, "She must have forgotten. I will take it to her now. As for the Prince, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to make the trip."

"That’s no trouble at all," Song Guo waved her hand, acting nonchalant. "Go quickly and come back soon. Later, we’ll go to the East Market to buy ingredients for the hot pot."

"Okay," Sheng Mingyue curled her lips, forcing a smile. "I’ll head over now."

-

Shuxin Pavilion

"How dare you! You have the audacity to disobey me? Have you grown a heart of a bear and the guts of a leopard?"

The wooden ruler was raised high, then descended upon her body, one strike after another, accompanied by the whistle of the wind.

Rong Min’s face was haggard, as if she hadn’t closed her eyes for several nights. She gripped the ruler tightly, continuously whipping the girl curled up in the corner.

Jia’an covered her head tightly, shrinking into a ball and shuffling toward the corner. Tears and sweat mixed together, stinging her eyes.

"Mother... Mother, I know I was wrong! Mother!"

The shrill, agonizing screams did not stir pity in Rong Min; instead, they made her strikes even more vicious.

"I’ll teach you to disobey! You aren't even married yet, and you already dare to treat my words like the wind in your ears. What will become of you in the future?" Rong Min put all her strength into the blows, relentless, as if she wouldn't be satisfied until she had beaten this disobedient daughter to death.

Jia’an clutched her arms helplessly, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Cry, just keep crying! You’re crying away all your good fortune!"

Rong Min glared at her viciously and shouted, "Unfilial daughter, from now on, do not call me Mother! I have no such useless daughter as you!"

Jia’an struggled to lift her head, her pupils reflecting her mother’s crazed and ferocious appearance.

At that moment, her heart turned to ash.

"Grand Princess, Miss Mingyue, who serves the Prince, is here."

Rong Min’s hand paused. She tossed the ruler aside, indifferent, and looked down coldly at Jia’an.

Jia’an seemed accustomed to this. She wiped away her tears haphazardly, straightened her clothes, and sat obediently beside Rong Min, as if nothing had happened.

When her father was alive, her mother (Ana) had disliked her and occasionally beaten her. After every time, her mother would hold her and soothe her, saying she had been so angry she had lost her mind and had been forced to be harsh.

After her father died, her mother seemed like a different person. Her temper grew increasingly volatile, and she often beat her until she was covered in bruises. The only thing that remained unchanged was that her mother still remembered to strike a blow and then offer a sweet.

Although her father hadn't loved her either, she was, after all, a princess of Mobei. Out of concern for appearances, her mother would always order her to hold back her tears and forbid her from complaining in front of outsiders.

"This servant greets the Grand Princess. May the Grand Princess be blessed."

Sheng Mingyue’s voice pulled Jia’an back to reality. She stared blankly at the girl standing at the door, the tears she had just suppressed threatening to fall again.

Rong Min cast a sinister glance at her daughter, the warning in her eyes unmistakable. Only when Jia’an composed herself did she turn back to Sheng Mingyue and ask coldly, "You are the maid who saved A-Zhao?"

"Yes," Sheng Mingyue replied respectfully, holding the tray.

Rong Min leaned back, lazy and listless. "What is it?"

"Replying to the Grand Princess, early this morning, Princess Jia’an came to the courtyard and asked for a bowl of medicinal soup, saying that the Grand Princess was weak and needed nourishment."

Sheng Mingyue caught a glimpse of Jia’an out of the corner of her eye and said softly, "Seeing that she left empty-handed, I assumed she had forgotten, so I brought it to the Grand Princess specifically."

"Is that so?" Rong Min squinted at her daughter, her tone indifferent. "Jia’an, is this true?"