Poisoning

The sky remained dark and heavy, black clouds shrouding it. Something terrifying seemed to coil within them, gazing coldly and mercilessly down upon the mortal world.

Prince Gong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, impatiently glancing toward the street corner. Why had the messenger not returned yet?

Though he was the royal clan elder, responsible for the affairs of the Imperial Clan Court, he could not even lay a hand on real power in court.

Besides, he was getting on in years and rarely visited the Imperial Clan Court Office anymore. He merely stayed home, raising birds and amusing himself with his children and grandchildren.

Thus, of the three, he was the most willing to see Xiao Qianyu return and reclaim the Position of Crown Prince. After all, a Crown Prince blessed by Heaven was a good thing for the dynasty's lasting peace and stability. It signaled that the Great Xi Dynasty could endure for ten thousand generations, preserving the splendor and wealth of its descendants.

As for who might suffer because Xiao Qianyu regained his position, what did that have to do with this old man?

Unlike Minister Wang Shangshu and Yu Miao, who were weighed down by worry, their eyes dark and unreadable, their fingers nearly twisting their beards apart.

A man dressed as a court runner carried a teapot forward and refilled the tea for the three officials. Afterward, he bowed and cautiously asked Prince Gong, "Prince, this lowly one thinks the Crown Prince must be thirsty. Shall I bring His Highness the Crown Prince a cup of tea?"

Prince Gong glanced at Xiao Qianyu, who sat with his eyes closed in repose. Sure enough, the man's lips were cracked, with some patches even peeling—his grandnephew had suffered in the Imperial Prison.

With a silent sigh, Prince Gong said, "Go. Bring the Crown Prince a cup of tea."

"Yes." The man hurriedly acknowledged the order.

Holding the teapot in one hand and a cup in the other, he crept onto the Execution Platform. When he reached Xiao Qianyu's side, he said, "Crown Prince, Prince Gong has sent this lowly one to bring you water."

As he spoke, he filled the cup from the teapot and carefully offered it to Xiao Qianyu.

Xiao Qianyu opened his eyes and calmly swept the court runner with a glance. His narrow eyes narrowed further. He moistened his parched lips, then gave a soft laugh. "Prince Gong is thoughtful. I happen to be thirsty. Thank Prince Gong for me."

He did not yet know Prince Gong's seniority within the imperial clan or how he ought to address him, so he simply called him Prince Gong directly.

In any case, he was the Crown Prince. From now on, he would stand beneath one man and above ten thousand; how he addressed others was for him to decide.

A trace of darkness flashed through the man's eyes, though he wore an overwhelmed, flattered expression as he handed the cup to Xiao Qianyu.

Xiao Qianyu accepted it and drank without a second thought. Bitterness immediately flooded his mouth, so bitter that his scalp tingled and cold sweat broke out across his back.

His gaze turned icy in an instant.

The man stared at Xiao Qianyu's throat. Seeing him swallow the tea, a savage, satisfied smile curled his lips, and he turned to leave the platform.

"Wait!" Xiao Qianyu called after him.

The man's steps stalled. Turning back, he bowed low and said, "What other instructions does His Highness the Crown Prince have?"

Xiao Qianyu watched him quietly. "One cup is not enough. Pour I another."

The man was startled inwardly, but his hands did not dare delay. He immediately lifted the teapot and filled another cup.

"Please drink slowly, Crown Prince. There is more if it is not enough," the man said with repeated bows.

Xiao Qianyu's hand holding the cup swayed slightly, sending ripples circling across the tea. He stared at the man with a smile that was not quite a smile. "The tea is good. I reward this cup to you."

As he spoke, he extended the cup toward him.

"What?" The man blanched in horror and involuntarily took a step back. In a humble voice, he declined, "This lowly one is of base status. How could I be worthy of drinking such fine tea? Many thanks, Crown Prince. This lowly one will take his leave now."

With that, he turned hurriedly and tried to leave.

A cold sneer sounded behind him, making his heart quake in terror. "The tea I reward you—drink it, whether you wish to or not. Since I gave it to you, accept it properly."

The man felt a hand settle upon his shoulder. It was instantly as heavy as a thousand jun, and his feet could not take another step.

He was helplessly turned around and found himself facing Xiao Qianyu's frigid eyes. The next instant, the cup was shoved straight against his mouth, and warm tea was poured down his throat before he could react.

Drenched in cold sweat, the man suddenly struck Xiao Qianyu's hand aside and thrust two fingers down his own throat. "Urgh—! Urgh—!"

It was too late.

An icy chill crept from his limbs through his entire body. His face turned greenish-white in an instant. With his mouth wide open, he spat out a mouthful of black blood. His unwilling eyes rolled back, and he fell backward toward the sky.

Before dying, his eyes were stretched wide, as though asking: Why are you all right?

"Ah—someone has died on the platform!" a sharp-eyed, bold commoner cried out.

The kneeling crowd below immediately erupted into unrest, secretly raising their heads to look upward.

How had someone died on the platform for no reason?

Prince Gong noticed the disturbance above. His expression changed drastically, and he immediately swept up his robes and rushed to Xiao Qianyu with his guards. "Is the Crown Prince all right?"

He then lowered his head to look at the court-runner-clad man, whose death was gruesome beyond measure, and frowned. "What happened? How did he die here?"

With one hand braced against the chair's armrest to support his chin, Xiao Qianyu toyed with the cup in his other hand. Tilting his head slightly, he spoke in an amused tone. "That is a good question. Why does Prince Gong not investigate for I which Traitorous Official and Rebel poisoned the tea, intending to put I to death?"

"What? The tea was poisoned?" Prince Gong was shocked out of his wits, his face turning pale with fright.

He instinctively touched his throat. He had drunk the tea as well—did that not mean he had been poisoned too?