After Xie Ping finished her business, she returned to the palace.

Xie Shi’an picked up the powder and walked back to the Xie family home. Standing at the door, he heard Xie Shikang wailing and crying.

After Grandmother entered the palace, she never returned. Xie Shikang was being looked after by an old woman who couldn’t care for him properly, so he cried day and night without stopping.

Xie Shi’an didn’t want to face the chaos at home. He walked onto the main street and found a pharmacy, asking the proprietor to examine what was in the powder.

“This is a mind-stimulating medicine.” The proprietor closed the paper packet. “This powder has added a medicinal catalyst called jue root, which should make it even more stimulating.”

Xie Shi’an asked: “Is jue root poisonous?”

“What kind of joke is this young sir making? Jue root is extremely expensive—only aristocratic families can afford to use it.” The proprietor replied, “An ordinary mind-stimulating medicine costs half a coin of silver, but this small packet couldn’t be bought without fifty or sixty taels.”

Xie Shi’an lowered his eyes.

Not poisonous?

The Empress went to such great lengths just to give a packet of mind-stimulating medicine?

Something was wrong.

But if it wasn’t poisonous, then it would be very convenient to put it in Prince Gongxi’s tea.

For him, there was no risk.

Without any awareness, Prince Gongxi drank the tea that had been drugged. That afternoon, he was summoned to the palace by the Empress.

The Empress sat in her chair and lit an incense burner. An elegant fragrance began to spread throughout the room.

“Mo’er, didn’t you say last time that you wanted to return to the Ministry of Revenue? There’s been progress on that matter.”

The Empress was smiling as she spoke, but inside her heart was full of cold severity.

A few days ago, after she sent thirty thousand taels in hush money to Prince Gongxi’s residence, her second son immediately wrote a letter demanding that she help him return to the Ministry of Revenue.

She knew that as long as Xie Ping remained a weakness to exploit, her second son would continuously threaten her to do things.

“Then many thanks to Mother Empress.”

Prince Gongxi cupped his hands in gratitude, a smile floating at the corners of his mouth.

Suddenly, he felt his head swelling a bit. The fragrance from the incense burner made him slightly uncomfortable.

But seeing that no one else had any reaction, he could only endure this discomfort.

At this moment, the Empress stood up: “It’s too stuffy in the room. Mo’er, come with this Palace to walk in the Imperial Garden.”

Prince Gongxi also felt it was too stuffy and immediately agreed.

The two walked to the Imperial Garden, where all kinds of flowers were in full bloom. The chaotic mixture of fragrances assaulted him, making Prince Gongxi’s breathing tighten.

His heart couldn’t help but beat wildly—thump thump—as if it wanted to burst from his chest.

His vision gradually became somewhat blurred. When he looked at people, they appeared as double images.

The Empress’s voice echoed in his ears: “I didn’t expect Beauty Zhou would also be in the Imperial Garden…”

He raised his head and looked. In the pavilion not far away, he saw a woman playing the zither. The music was like demonic sounds, making his head feel like it was about to explode.

He realized something was wrong.

But he had no extra mental capacity to think about it.

He only wanted that zither music to stop—to stop immediately.

He rushed toward the pavilion.

When his consciousness gradually returned, he saw Beauty Zhou covered in blood lying on the ground, while he held in his hand a dagger that had come from who knows where.

“Mo’er, you—you killed someone.” The Empress’s voice sounded again. “Beauty Zhou is in deep favor with the Emperor. Your Imperial Father will not let you off!”

“Clang!”

Prince Gongxi threw the dagger on the ground.

Only now did he fully understand—this was all a setup.

He turned to look at the Empress: “You framed me!”

A smile spread across the Empress’s lips: “Mo’er, how can this be called framing? It truly was you who killed Beauty Zhou. So many people saw it.”

Prince Gongxi looked around. Many palace maids surrounded the pavilion.

There were Beauty Zhou’s palace servants, the Empress’s palace servants, and young eunuchs who had originally been tending flowers and plants in the Imperial Garden.

He stumbled and fell to the ground.

He didn’t understand—he and the Empress both smelled that incense, both heard the zither music. Why was he the only one who lost his mind…

“I know you didn’t mean it, Mo’er. This Palace is your legitimate mother, so naturally I must cover for you somewhat.” The Empress bent down to help him up, her face showing concern. “Look at you, so frightened. Rest well tonight, don’t worry about this matter. Be good and go back now.”

Nanny Er stepped forward: “Your Highness, this old servant will escort you out of the palace.”

Chu Mo understood—this was the Empress’s counterattack.

He also understood that the Empress would definitely cover up this matter perfectly, but at the same time, she would keep the evidence against him.

The Empress smiled coldly and had people handle the aftermath.

When the palace maids lifted Beauty Zhou up, they got a shock: “Your Majesty, Beauty Zhou still has breath—she’s not dead…”

The Empress’s cold gaze swept over: “This Palace says if she’s dead, then she’s dead.”

“Yes…”

A palace maid took a handkerchief and pressed it over Beauty Zhou’s nose.

Chu Mo returned to Prince Gongxi’s residence in a daze.

He summoned a physician to check his pulse. After examining him for a long time, the physician said: “Your Highness took a mind-stimulating medicine. Taking an excessive amount causes mental hyperactivity. Just drink more water to flush the medicine out of your system.”

Chu Mo’s expression was very dark.

Exactly when had he fallen into the trap?

All the tea in his residence had people taste-testing for poison. It shouldn’t have been at the prince’s residence.

As he was pondering this, a servant came to report: “Your Highness, the Duke’s wife has arrived.”

Chu Mo’s brows furrowed.

He didn’t have much contact with the Duke’s residence. What was the Duke’s wife doing here? Since she was a lady, he had Princess Gongxi go out to receive her.

However, after a short while, Princess Gongxi sent someone to ask him to come to the front courtyard, saying the Duke’s wife had important matters to discuss.

While Chu Mo was having a secret conversation with the Duke’s wife,

Yun Chu and Chu Yi were packing their luggage preparing to head south.

Life didn’t have many leisurely moments. Now with their family of four together, traveling together to tour the great rivers and mountains of Great Jin—what a wonderful thing.

Just when court disputes were erupting everywhere, staying away from the capital and away from these troubles was not a bad choice.

“Mother, when do we depart?” The two children were very excited.

When they were young, they had also traveled to many places, but that was seeking medical treatment and medicine. With their bodies sick and ailing, they had no heart to look at beautiful scenery.

“The physician said your father can ride a horse the day after tomorrow.” Yun Chu smiled. “We’ll set out the morning after tomorrow. By evening we can reach the Li Manor courier station. Li Manor has some very famous delicacies. We’ll play there for a few days, then slowly make our way south. There’s no rush.”

Chu Hongyu clapped her hands excitedly: “Wonderful, wonderful! I love going out to play the most!”

Chu Changsheng tilted her head and asked: “Mother, can I bring Xian along to play with me? I want to be with her.”

Chu Hongyu instantly became unhappy: “Changsheng, do you like Xie Xian more than your brother now?”

“Of course not.” The little girl held her brother’s hand. “In my heart, Mother and Brother are always first.”

Chu Yi’s head leaned over: “What about your father?”

The little girl showed her white teeth: “Father is also first.”

Chu Yi: “…”

That word “also” carried a lot of water.

He paused and said, “I’ll arrange for someone to bring Xie Xian over, how about that?”

“Father, you’re the best!”

The little girl threw herself into Chu Yi’s embrace.

Chu Yi held his daughter with one arm and put the other around Yun Chu, his face full of smiles.

Chu Hongyu propped up his chin: “Since that’s the case, then I also want someone to accompany me on this trip.”

Chu Yi’s eyebrows twitched.

This boy liked cricket fighting and played well with some noble young masters. In the past, they often caused trouble together.

Could it be he wanted those troublemaking brats to follow them south?

Just as he was thinking about how to refuse,

He heard his son say: “I want both teachers to accompany us. We can’t neglect our studies and martial arts training on the road.”