Chapter 100: Poisoning

Seeing her startled expression, Li Shimin smiled faintly. “What? Did I scare you?”

“A little,” Yunyi admitted, pressing a hand to her chest. She then noticed the bow and arrows in Li Shimin’s hand and asked curiously, “Are you going to practice archery, Second Young Master?”

“No, I just returned from hunting with Fifth Brother. I was on my way to see you when we happened to meet here.” Since the incident with Xuelian and especially after confirming that Yunyi had indeed been skilled in painting since childhood, Li Shimin had let down his guard. Their relationship had grown closer—almost like friends.

Of course, this was merely Li Shimin’s wishful thinking. Yunyi had never regarded him as a friend, and the word “friend” would never truly exist between them.

“By the way, you still haven’t told me what you were thinking about,” Li Shimin prompted.

Yunyi recounted Aunty Yang’s announcement and asked, “Second Young Master, do you know who these two distinguished guests are? Are they easy to deal with? Will they be picky?”

Li Shimin’s expression turned cold as he replied indifferently, “One is called Wang Wei, and the other is Gao Junya. Both are favored ministers of the Emperor, sent here by imperial decree to visit my father. As for whether they’re easy to deal with, I can’t say—I’ve only met them once before.”

Upon hearing these names, Yunyi inwardly sighed in relief. She had never encountered these officials, so it seemed there was no risk of her identity being exposed. “How is First Young Master’s foot ailment? Has it improved?”

At this, Li Shimin’s face brightened. “According to Doctor Xu, the progress has been excellent. In about ten more days, we should start seeing results.” He added thoughtfully, “First Brother’s foot ailment has long been a source of worry—not just for him but also for Father and us brothers. It’s such a relief that it can finally be cured. I hope everything goes smoothly without complications.”

Yunyi smiled gently. “It will. I believe First Young Master will overcome this adversity and find good fortune.”

Li Shimin chuckled and was about to respond when a cheerful voice interrupted from afar. “Second Brother, look! I caught a sparrow! I thought there wouldn’t be any sparrows around at this time of year. There are more over there—shall we go catch some together?”

Li Zhiyun approached, carrying a bow nearly as tall as himself, with a struggling rabbit in one hand and a sparrow in the other.

Li Shimin glanced at the unusually long arrow piercing the sparrow and teased, “You used an arrow to shoot a sparrow?”

Li Zhiyun paused, momentarily confused, then replied matter-of-factly, “Of course! How else would I catch a sparrow? Though my master taught me lightness kung fu, I can’t exactly catch them with my bare hands.”

Li Zhiyun was Lady Wan’s son. Neither Li Jiancheng nor Li Xuanba liked him, but Li Shimin often spent time with him. Whenever he returned home, Li Shimin would take him hunting, which made their bond particularly close.

“Second Brother, I’ll teach you a better method—it’s easier and yields more results,” Li Shimin offered. Delighted, Li Zhiyun was about to pull him along when he noticed Yunyi standing nearby. His expression immediately darkened. “What is she doing here?”

He remembered her well. His mother had claimed she was the one who killed Ah Mu. For days after Ah Mu’s death, he had been heartbroken and unable to sleep, only recently starting to recover.

Li Shimin had also heard about the incident and quickly interjected, “Meixue isn’t the one who killed Ah Mu.”

Li Zhiyun turned his head away, clearly unconvinced. Just then, Wang Fu rushed up to Li Shimin, too panicked to bow properly. “Second Young Master, something terrible has happened—First Young Master… he’s been poisoned!”

Horrified, Li Shimin demanded, “What happened? How could First Brother be poisoned?”

Wang Fu’s face was grim. “I’m not sure, Young Master. You must hurry and see for yourself.”

Without another word, Li Shimin hurried toward Qingchun Garden. After a moment’s hesitation, Li Zhiyun abandoned his catch and followed.

Watching their retreating figures, Yunyi’s lips curled into a cold smile. Smooth sailing… The Li family would never enjoy such luck!

________________________________________

Li Shimin rushed into Qingchun Garden. As soon as he entered the flower hall, he saw Li Jiancheng pale-faced and drenched in cold sweat, leaning weakly against a soft couch. The bandages on his left leg had been removed. The upper part appeared normal, save for several silver needles inserted, but below the knee, his calf was an ominous, unnatural black. Black droplets of blood dripped from a cut into a bowl. Ji Rong knelt on the ground, her face filled with panic. A bloody gash on her forehead oozed fresh red blood, as if struck by something.

Horrified, Li Shimin exclaimed, “Brother, what happened? Why does your leg look like this?”

Li Jiancheng glared hatefully at Ji Rong. “This wretch poisoned the medicine she gave me! A few days ago, I felt itching and discomfort in my leg, but she insisted it was a normal reaction to reconnecting tendons and bones, telling me to endure it. We were supposed to change the dressing tomorrow, but the unbearable pain and itching forced me to have Wang Fu remove the bandages—and this is what we found.”

Ji Rong cried out desperately, “No, I didn’t poison First Young Master! I swear I don’t know why this happened!” She had been equally shocked upon seeing Li Jiancheng’s leg. How could the tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder she had painstakingly developed turn into poison?

“Still lying!” Li Jiancheng grabbed something nearby and hurled it at her. It struck her arm, causing her to cry out in pain. Struggling to calm himself, he growled icily, “For the past half-month, I’ve only used the medicine you provided. If it wasn’t you, who else could it be?”

Ji Rong sobbed, “I’m innocent! I’ve been wronged!”

As Doctor Xu finished writing a prescription and handed it to a servant, Li Shimin anxiously asked, “Doctor Xu, what kind of poison is this? Is it serious?”

Doctor Xu’s expression was grave. “First Young Master has been poisoned with a toxin I’ve never encountered before. This poison is extremely potent. Fortunately, it entered through the skin, so it’s treatable. If ingested, he might already be dead. However…”

The tension in Li Shimin’s voice rose sharply. “However, what?”

“This poison has already seeped into First Young Master’s wound. I fear… it may affect his recently improved foot ailment.” At these words, Li Jiancheng panicked, forcing himself upright to glare fiercely at Doctor Xu. “Affect my foot ailment? What do you mean?”

Doctor Xu sighed deeply. “Once the poison infiltrates the limbs and meridians, it becomes very difficult to expel. I fear the toxins may remain lodged in various acupuncture points of First Young Master’s left leg. Even with all the tendon-repairing muscle-regenerating powder in the world, it might not cure his foot ailment!”