Princess Xin’an’s expression stiffened, and she said, “My affairs are none of your concern!” Don’t let their apparent sisterly intimacy fool you—they were actually like fire and water. Before Princess Xin’an married, she had given Yunyi no shortage of trouble, and even after her marriage, whenever she returned to the palace, she would inevitably seek opportunities to mock and ridicule Yunyi with cold sarcasm.
Yunyi stared at her and said, “I don’t care how dissolute and excessive you are in your Princess Manor, but you’re absolutely not allowed to lay a finger on Ruhui. Otherwise, I will definitely not be polite with you.”
Princess Xin’an smiled mockingly and said, “Ruhui—how intimately you call him. Since… he is my younger sister’s person, then I won’t touch him. However… younger sister, don’t regret it!” Having said this, she snorted coldly and swept away with her sleeves. Behind her, Yunyi said coldly, “I know what you want to do. If I were you, I definitely wouldn’t act this way.”
Princess Xin’an stopped in her tracks and turned her head sideways, saying, “You think this can frighten me?”
Yunyi said slowly, “You know how much Mother Empress dotes on me. If she knew you were ruining my reputation, she definitely wouldn’t let you off. By then, whether you can continue being your princess would be uncertain, let alone keeping those… male favorites you maintain in your manor.”
Princess Xin’an’s eye twitched. Mother Empress… just because she had a mother who was an empress, she was always superior to them. Fortunately, Father Emperor didn’t like her much; otherwise, they other princesses would have even less standing.
“You remember this!” After spitting out these hateful words, Princess Xin’an quickly departed, unwilling to stay even a moment longer.
After she left, Yunyi breathed a sigh of relief and said to Du Ruhui, “Although I’ve suppressed her for now, I’m afraid she may not give up on you. Be careful yourself.”
“Thank you for the princess’s reminder.” Du Ruhui then said with a strange expression, “Have the princess and Princess Xin’an always spoken to each other this way?”
Yunyi smiled and said, “Do you think we’re not at all like ordinary sisters who are intimate and close?”
Du Ruhui nodded, “Indeed, it even gives one a feeling of being at daggers drawn. Have you had some conflict?”
“Mother Empress’s favor toward me is the greatest conflict, and furthermore… she’s not the only one.” Yunyi was unwilling to say more about these matters and instead said, “If you go out now, you’ll likely encounter her. It just so happens that I’ve had someone stew bird’s nest soup—why not have some before you leave?”
“Then I thank the princess very much.” Having said this, Du Ruhui spoke with deep feeling, “Since this minister has given that hairpin to the princess, I hope the princess and Brother Zheng will live in harmony like a couple raising the tray to eyebrow level, growing old together with white hair. As for past matters, please try to let them go, princess. If we cannot help each other through hardship, it’s better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes. This would be good for you, for Brother Zheng, and even for the Second Young Master.”
“Forget each other in the rivers and lakes…” Yunyi unconsciously raised her hand to touch the hairpin at her temple. After a long while, she took a deep breath and said, “I understand what you mean. I’ll try.” Having said this, she smiled lightly and said, “What about you? When do you plan to start a family?”
Du Ruhui hadn’t expected her to suddenly turn the topic to himself. After being stunned for a moment, he said, “This minister only passed the imperial examination last year. Starting a family is not urgent for now.”
Yunyi smiled and shook her head, “You—when talking about me, you’re full of principles, but when it comes to yourself, it becomes ‘not urgent for now.’ How unprincipled.”
Du Ruhui was made to laugh by her words, then said, “In a little while, when this minister no longer thinks of Meixue every moment, I’ll take a wife and have children.”
Yunyi teased, “You’re not in a hurry, but I’m afraid your mother can’t wait. She’s been hoping for you to marry a daughter from a prestigious family, a woman from a scholarly clan!”
“That’s her wish, not mine.” Looking at the ever-changing clouds in the sky, Du Ruhui said softly, “If possible, I would rather have nothing at all, not even pass the imperial examination, as long as she could live well.”
Li Shimin knew nothing of all that was happening in Luoyang. He was currently being driven to distraction by Chai Baochang’s poisoning incident. Although they had discovered it early and caught the poisoner, dozens of people had still died. The most troublesome thing was the water source contamination—that river was where the military camp and nearby civilians drew water. Once blocked off, drinking water for the soldiers and some civilians would become a problem. The wells alone couldn’t satisfy everyone’s needs, so Li Shimin could only have people fetch water from elsewhere to supply them.
On this day, while he was inquiring about the treatment of the poisoned soldiers from a physician, Duan Zhihong entered with a grave expression, saying, “Second Young Master, those two men took advantage of their guards’ inattention to bite their tongues and kill themselves. Our lead has been cut off.”
Li Shimin stared at the physician and said, “You just said they were all poisoned with nux vomica, correct?”
“That’s right. This substance is also called horse chestnut seed. It’s highly toxic—once ingested, one feels difficulty swallowing, chest tightness and bloating, body stiffness, and finally death by suffocation. I used licorice, mung beans, honeysuckle, slate, and ginger boiled in water for them to drink. Their condition has improved considerably now, though five of them were poisoned too deeply for medicine to be effective, and they’ve already died.”
Li Shimin thought for a moment and said, “If we put these detoxifying medicines into the river, could we neutralize the nux vomica poison in the water?”
“In principle, yes, but we have very little slate in stock here—nowhere near enough to neutralize the poison in the river water.” Hearing the physician’s words, Duan Zhihong asked, “Could this medicine be omitted?”
The physician said solemnly, “Absolutely not! In this prescription, honeysuckle is also a highly toxic substance. Without slate to neutralize it, the antidote would become poison. So slate is crucial and absolutely cannot be omitted.”
Li Shimin immediately said, “Zhihong, immediately send people to nearby medicine shops to collect slate—the more the better. If it’s not enough, search the surrounding counties. It must be done quickly. Also, have soldiers guard the river well, posting guards along its banks. Before detoxification, no one is allowed to draw water.”
After Duan Zhihong left to carry out these orders, Li Shimin gave the physician more instructions, then went to see Li Jiancheng. Upon learning that those men had killed themselves, the latter said grimly, “Chai Baochang—hmph! This man uses such despicable methods, he deserves death even more than Mu Duan’er!”
Li Shimin frowned and said, “I’ve already had people collect slate. Detoxification shouldn’t be a problem, but I’m worried Chai Baochang won’t stop here!”
Li Jiancheng nodded, “That’s what I think too, so I just went to see Father to discuss methods for dealing with Chai Baochang. However, this man has always been cautious and careful, and he treats his subjects well. Using the same methods we used against Mu Duan’er against him probably won’t work. Moreover, after Mu Duan’er’s defeat last time, although we secretly absorbed some of his forces, many of the scattered soldiers were absorbed by other rebel armies, greatly increasing their strength. According to reports, they’re stirring restlessly and could attack at any time. Being attacked on both sides would not be good for us.”
Li Shimin said gravely, “I’m worried about this too. What did Father say?”