Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Poison Testing In the small kitchen of Yurong Court, Shaoyin was simmering a bowl of tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup. The little pot bubbled and steamed. She sat alone on a small stool nearby, silently gazing toward the spring scenery outside the window—or perhaps at nothing at all. She did not even notice when Older Brother entered the kitchen. It was only when he called out to her that Shaoyin suddenly came back to herself. Shaoyin started to rise and greet him, but Older Brother told her to remain seated. He glanced at the little pot simmering on the stove, then gathered his robes and sat down on the stool beside her. “I can smell the tremella. Are you making tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup?” Shaoyin gave a soft hum in reply. Older Brother asked again, “…Is it for Your Majesty?” When his younger sister gave a slight nod, Xue Ming was neither surprised nor free of complicated feelings. Many years ago, in this very kitchen, he had seen his younger sister make tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup. She had never lifted a finger around the house before, yet she had suddenly wanted to prepare soup with her own hands. At the time, he had known without even thinking that she must be making it for Crown Prince Xiao Heng. Because she considered it an expression of her feelings for him, she insisted on doing everything herself. His younger sister had never set foot in a kitchen since birth, and back then, she had suffered quite a bit merely to make one delicious bowl of tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup with her own hands. At last, when the soup was finished, she had carefully ladled it into a bowl and placed it in a food container. Then she had eagerly carried the container to the Eastern Palace to see the Crown Prince. Yet however high her spirits and however radiant her smile had been when she left, her expression had been just as ugly and her mood just as low when she returned. He had opened the food container and glanced inside, only to see that the bowl of sweet soup had not been touched in the slightest. It had already gone completely cold. At the time, he had let out a long sigh. He could not even remember how many times he had urged his younger sister not to trouble herself over Xiao Heng, telling her that Xiao Heng was cold-hearted and cold-blooded, that he did not like her at all, and that he was not worthy of her affection. But his younger sister had argued angrily, “Cousin likes me! Cousin does like me! He’s just… just too awkward!” Even when she had been deeply upset and angered by Xiao Heng, his younger sister had remained utterly steadfast and persistent. “Cousin likes me. He’s always liked me. I… I feel it in my heart. I always have!” Back then, he had thought she was deceiving herself and refusing to face reality. Yet judging from the situation now, it seemed that his younger sister’s intuition had actually been right. The Crown Prince of the past, now His Majesty, truly did seem to like his younger sister. But did his younger sister still like His Majesty now? She had often gone to Zichen Palace these past few days and shown His Majesty exceptional concern. Was it because her old feelings had been rekindled? Or was it… because of something else? If her old feelings had merely returned, then so be it. Whether she liked Xiao Heng was, in the end, her own choice. If his younger sister now wanted to like His Majesty as she had in the past, and doing so would make her happier and help her forget the grief of losing her husband, he would not stop her. He was only worried that her recent closeness to His Majesty was for some other reason… Something terrifying and dangerous… “I’m an utterly useless older brother, but no matter how useless I am, I’ll still do everything in my power and risk my life to protect my family. If there’s something I should bear, then I should be the one to bear it—alone.” Xue Ming said, “Ayin, is something troubling you? Tell Older Brother. Are you… suspecting… suspecting the cause of Father’s death?” But Shaoyin could not tell him. Although she had considered many times whether she should tell Older Brother everything Aunt had said, time and again, she had ultimately chosen silence. For one thing, she did not want to drag her brother and Sister-in-law, whose lives were peaceful and stable, into the old grievances and Aunt’s plans. She did not want to destroy their peaceful life or make them, like her, weighed down by worries every day and filled with resentment and fear. For another, she had always harbored doubts about the old events Aunt had spoken of, and she had always resisted the plan Aunt had entrusted to her. Although Aunt had urged her repeatedly, she had never been able to dispel the confusion in her heart. At times, she had even been unable to suppress the urge to confront Xiao Heng face-to-face. Of course, confronting him directly was impossible. If Xiao Heng truly was as Aunt claimed, such an action would be no different from pushing Aunt and the Xue family into an abyss. Yet she could not explain it to Older Brother, either. While she herself could not sort out the hatred and confusion in her heart, how could she drag him into it? For now, she seemed to be merely holding on and delaying things—putting off carrying out Aunt’s plan while doing her best to sound out Xiao Heng about the past during their daily interactions, piecing together the truth of what had happened. But Aunt seemed unable to tolerate her hesitation, caution, and delays. Her urging had grown more and more pressing. Yesterday, when Shaoyin had been in Chongqing Palace, Aunt had even asked whether she had been unable to let go of her old feelings for Xiao Heng, and that was why she had continued to delay doing as instructed. How could she be as Aunt claimed? She merely… Shaoyin’s mind was in turmoil. She did not answer Older Brother directly, only telling him not to think too much before rising and saying, “The sweet soup is ready. I should go to the palace.” She ladled the finished tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup into a bowl and placed it in an insulated food container. Just as Shaoyin was about to leave, Older Brother gently caught her by the arm. His gaze was filled with worry and unease. In the past, whenever Older Brother had worried about her, Shaoyin would always gently comfort him, telling him there was nothing to worry about. But now, she seemed truly unable to say those words lightly. She only murmured, “His Majesty is waiting for me,” then gently pulled her arm free. With her eyes lowered slightly, Shaoyin carried the food container away from her brother. She made the journey to Zichen Palace in silence. By now, Shaoyin no longer needed to wait for anyone to announce her arrival. She could enter and leave the palace freely. When the palace attendants stationed outside saw her approach, they immediately bowed and lifted the hanging curtain for her. When Shaoyin entered the hall, she heard a thread of flute music coming from behind the heavy curtains. She initially thought that Xiao Heng had summoned musicians from the Court of Music to play for him in his leisure, listening casually for pleasure. But when she drew closer, she discovered that the music was coming from Xiao Heng himself. He was playing a silver-inlaid jade flute, holding it horizontally in both hands. When he saw her, Xiao Heng stopped playing and approached her with a smile. When he saw the food container in her hand, the smile in his eyes grew even brighter, his delight seeming almost ready to spill out. It was so bright that Shaoyin… could not help finding it glaring. She lowered her head slightly, took the lidded bowl from the food container, and said softly, “I don’t know whether it’s gone cold…” Yesterday, when she had been in Zichen Palace, the palace attendants had brought them two bowls of sweet soup. As she and Xiao Heng had slowly eaten, Xiao Heng had told her that there was something he had carried in his heart for many years and had never been able to forget. He had brought up the time she had made tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup for him, apologizing to her for his past coldness and rudeness. Shaoyin had naturally said that it was all in the past and there was no need to mention it again. Yet Xiao Heng had continued to apologize and speak of his regret. He said that he had been utterly foolish back then to treat her feelings that way, and that he deeply regretted it. As he spoke, however, he suddenly changed course and said that he also regretted never tasting it. To this day, he still did not know what the bowl of tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup she had made for him had tasted like. As Xiao Heng spoke regretfully, his eyes remained fixed on her face, as if carrying a trace of hope. Thus, after hesitating for a moment, she had said that she would simply make another bowl for him when she had the time. That was also in accordance with Aunt’s instructions: to show Xiao Heng some goodwill and draw closer to him. And so, today, she had made a bowl of tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup and brought it to the palace. The expression on Xiao Heng’s face was even more delighted than it had been yesterday when she had promised him. When she lifted the lid from the porcelain bowl, his gaze followed every movement, like a child waiting eagerly for candy. Shaoyin touched the bowl. It was somewhat cool. “It may be a little cold. Your Majesty should have someone heat it before eating.” But Xiao Heng seemed eager to taste it. He said there was no need, and that as the weather was gradually warming, a mildly cool sweet soup would help cleanse the palate. He sat beneath the window alcove and was about to taste the bowl of tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup she had made for him. Just as Xiao Heng was about to eat, Chief Steward Cheng hurried forward and reminded him respectfully, “Your Majesty, please allow this old servant to heat the sweet soup first. It is not yet warm spring, after all, so it would be better to have it while it is warm.” Chief Steward Cheng had always obeyed His Majesty’s wishes. Why, when Xiao Heng had already said he wanted to eat it cool, was Chief Steward Cheng making such an unnecessary fuss? Besides, Xiao Heng was not frail. What harm could a little cold food possibly do to his imperial health? Chief Steward Cheng was being overly cautious. At the thought of the word “cautious,” Shaoyin suddenly understood. Chief Steward Cheng wanted to take the bowl away for poison testing. Not only food brought in from outside, but even dishes prepared by the palace kitchens had to undergo several rounds of poison testing before being formally presented at His Majesty’s dining table. Chief Steward Cheng was simply following the rules. It was only because she was present that he had phrased it so tactfully. And if she could understand his meaning, Xiao Heng naturally could as well. Although Aunt’s long-term plan truly did intend to poison Xiao Heng in the end, this bowl right now was genuinely nothing more than an ordinary bowl of tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup. Shaoyin had no reason to feel guilty or afraid. She continued sitting silently on the other side of the couch table, waiting for Chief Steward Cheng to take the bowl away for poison testing and return it afterward. But Xiao Heng ignored Chief Steward Cheng’s hint. “It’s unnecessary.” He picked up the spoon and was about to scoop up the tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup. Chief Steward Cheng seemed to panic. He could not even maintain his usual composure. His face and eyes were filled with frantic anxiety and worry as he pleaded urgently, “Your Majesty, please, let this old servant take it to heat!” Yet Xiao Heng inexplicably grew stubborn as well. He refused to grant Chief Steward Cheng’s request and said coldly, “Didn’t I say it was unnecessary?! Withdraw!” Chief Steward Cheng was so anxious that he seemed ready to defy even an imperial command. He stood frozen in place, his worried gaze darting toward her amid his panic before shifting back to the bowl of sweet soup in His Majesty’s hands. As though gritting his teeth and making some decision in secret, he suddenly reached both hands forward, seemingly intending to snatch the bowl of tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup from His Majesty. Shaoyin watched from the side. In the midst of her confusion, she seemed to suddenly understand something. The moment she did, an icy chill pierced her to the bone. The fury she had suppressed in the depths of her heart for so long suddenly burst into uncontrollable flames. All the hatred, hesitation, and confusion she had felt these past few days seemed to burn to their limit when she saw Xiao Heng calmly scoop up the sweet soup and drink it. Before she even knew what she was thinking, she abruptly reached out and struck the bowl of tremella-and-lotus-seed sweet soup from Xiao Heng’s hands with all her strength. Her movement was so forceful that her arm swept across several items. Along with the bowl crashing to the floor, the silver-inlaid jade flute Xiao Heng had set on the table also fell. The porcelain bowl shattered across the floor, and the jade flute struck the ground as well, snapping off another section.