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After listening to the report, Yeh Hsiao-Han dismissed her subordinates and continued her surveillance, already formulating a plan.
"Yang Juanjuan, as Liu Yuan's secondary consort, has many opportunities to get close to him. We can take advantage of her," she thought. For instance, through Yang Juanjuan, they could poison Liu Yuan.
There was no need for the poison to be lethal; it only needed to incapacitate him long enough to keep him from focusing on battle. Once Gu Bei emerged victorious, they could bring Liu Yuan to justice openly.
Luo Jingxian had no objections. "It's feasible."
Unaware of any of this, Yang Juanjuan was still daydreaming about Liu Yuan quickly defeating the Rebel Army, leaving Yeh Hsiao-Han without support and at their mercy, suffering greatly.
That day, Yang Juanjuan took her usual stroll around the general's residence, filled with regret.
If only things had been slightly different back then—just a little—she could have been in love with Gu Bei. Now, she should have been the wife of the great general instead of just a mere concubine!
"It's all that bitch's fault!" The regret in Yang Juanjuan's heart instantly transformed into hatred for Yeh Hsiao-Han. She always believed that if it weren't for Yeh Hsiao-Han's interference and stealing her love, she would have been living a much better life!
Although her current life was comfortable and secure, she could sense that Liu Yuan did not harbor deep feelings for her; he treated her merely as a plaything to be enjoyed when he pleased.
That was just the kind of person Liu Yuan was! She was not his first woman and certainly wouldn't be his last.
But Gu Bei was different. After arriving in the capital, she had heard many stories about him, including his unwavering loyalty to Yeh Hsiao-Han.
Without Yeh Hsiao-Han, the object of envy among many might very well have been her, Yang Juanjuan.
Filled with resentment, Yang Juanjuan turned and returned home.
"Madam Yang." The servants paused to greet her upon seeing Yang Juanjuan. Little did they know that their titles only served to deepen her displeasure.
Suppressing her irritation, Yang Juanjuan smiled charmingly at the bronze mirror, ensuring her expression appeared as natural as ever before stepping back outside.
At this moment, Liu Yuan should be in the study. Yang Juanjuan estimated the time and decided to brew some tea for him. She relied entirely on Liu Yuan now, so she had to curry favor with him in every possible way to have a somewhat better life in this household.
"Are you new here? You're so clumsy! Be quicker with your movements; this is tea for the young master!" Yang Juanjuan glared at the maid who was preparing the tea. The maid had been doing well until she got startled, causing her to spill a little tea as she fumbled to clean it up.
Seeing this, Yang Juanjuan scolded her harshly, urging her to hurry and clean up. She was extremely frustrated; everything had been going wrong for her all day.
So much so that she didn't notice when the maid quickly tossed a pill into the teapot during the cleanup process, where it dissolved instantly, leaving the tea looking clear and normal.
Finally, after all the fuss, Yang Juanjuan led the maid toward the study.
Along the way, she continued to berate the maid until they were almost at the door of the study. At that moment, her expression suddenly changed to one of charm, and her posture became graceful.
"Husband, I've brought you some tea," Yang Juanjuan said, confirming that Liu Yuan was inside and appeared to be in a good mood before knocking on the door.
Liu Yuan casually responded from within. This was precisely what Yang Juanjuan liked about him. She knew how to read his mood and understood when it was best to appear, unlike other women who would pester him at any time without consideration.
"Husband, this is the new tea I bought; come and taste it to see if it suits your palate." Yang Juanjuan quickly presented the tea and stood behind Liu Yuan to massage his shoulders.
Liu Yuan picked up the teacup and examined it in his hand. After checking its color, he took a careful sniff of its aroma. Then he looked up at Yang Juanjuan.
"Juanjuan always thinks of me; I am truly touched. This tea is good; I am very satisfied." Liu Yuan thought that no tea he had ever tasted could compare to what he usually drank; he was merely saying this out of politeness.
The women in his courtyard were all like this; as long as he treated them with a bit of kindness, they would become overly eager to please him.
This had always been a source of amusement in Liu Yuan's otherwise dull life.
However, this time, he had miscalculated.
Not long after Liu Yuan drank the tea, he began to feel a slight pain in his stomach. At first, he didn't pay much attention to it and continued teasing Yang Juanjuan, enjoying her playful demeanor.
But soon, the pain began to spread throughout his body, intensifying with each passing moment. Liu Yuan realized something was wrong; he pushed Yang Juanjuan away and called for a doctor.
"This..." The doctor hesitated as he looked at the teacup on the table. "My lord, you have been poisoned! However, the poison is not very strong. As long as you take some common heat-clearing and detoxifying medicine, it can be resolved. The only issue is that this poison lingers and will take at least three months to completely expel from your body."
Upon hearing that he had been poisoned, Liu Yuan's face turned pale, looking even worse than when he had first been poisoned.
"Poisoned?" Liu Yuan questioned. "When did I get poisoned, and how?"
Liu Yuan was shocked. He had been extremely cautious about matters concerning his safety, to the point of leaving no room for error. How could he possibly have been poisoned? If he found out who had done this reckless act, he would ensure that person met a terrible fate!
"This..." The doctor hesitated again, his gaze fixated on the teacup. At this point, it was clear to everyone.
"Speak up! Stop stuttering! Are you complaining that your tongue is too long and need me to cut it shorter?" With his life in danger, Liu Yuan's usual facade of benevolence fell away as he threatened the doctor fiercely.
The doctor was startled; Liu Yuan was currently a favored figure in front of the emperor, and ordinary people dared not offend him.
"In response to your inquiry, my lord," the doctor quickly replied, "the poison was placed in the tea!"
Yang Juanjuan had been serving Liu Yuan tea and water when she noticed him suddenly feeling unwell. She rushed to attend to him, but now the fire had burned her as well, causing her to jump in shock.
"You slanderer! Why would I harm my husband?" After cursing the doctor, Yang Juanjuan quickly defended herself to Liu Yuan. "Husband, don't listen to this quack! He's just talking nonsense; how could I possibly want to harm you?"
Liu Yuan also found it hard to believe. He understood Yang Juanjuan's character well enough. This woman had no real power; everything depended on him. There was no reason for her to want him dead; it would bring her no benefit.
"Doctor, are you sure about this?" Liu Yuan pointed at the remaining tea. "Since the poison was in the tea, you should drink it."
He casually pointed to a servant and ordered him to drink from the cup that the doctor had identified as poisoned. The chosen servant turned pale with fear but dared not refuse as he trembled while reaching for the teacup.
"Wait." The doctor spoke up again. "Drinking it directly like that won't cause poisoning. The cleverness of this poison lies in its very nature; it is harmless on its own."
Liu Yuan furrowed his brows in confusion. "What does this mean? The fact that I am poisoned is right before our eyes!" One moment there was poison, and the next there wasn't. Was this person deliberately trying to mock him?
The doctor hurriedly replied, "My lord, you may not understand. This peculiar poison is strange because it requires a catalyst to activate its effects."
"A catalyst?" Liu Yuan glanced at the table, where several plates of snacks lay untouched.
The doctor wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and nervously looked at Yang Juanjuan. "Actually, I have already detected the catalyst; it is present on Concubine Yang."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked. Yang Juanjuan jumped up, ready to slap the doctor.
"What kind of quack are you, spouting such nonsense!" Yang Juanjuan exclaimed, both surprised and furious. "What deep-seated grudge do you have against me to frame me like this?"
Liu Yuan winced at the shrill scream that pierced his ears. With a glance, he signaled for a servant to step forward and restrain Yang Juanjuan.
"Doctor, be more specific," Liu Yuan's gaze lingered on the tea before him, his expression darkening.
"Yes, yes!" The doctor quickly divulged everything he knew to prove he was not a charlatan and to avoid being thrown out by Liu Yuan.
"My lord, this poison is called Silver Moon; it is colorless and tasteless, making it difficult for the poisoned individual to notice. Normally, if ingested alone, there are no symptoms; only when encountering a catalyst does it become active."
The doctor spoke tremulously. "The catalyst for Silver Moon is called Fragrant Field; it is the very scent that emanates from Concubine Yang!"
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