Chapter 22: The Medicine Is Tainted

Liu Xin'er believed she had found a way to crush Dou Hongyan once and for all.

Suppressing her excitement, she forced herself to appear persuasive and thoughtful, every word dripping with feigned concern for Shen Yishu. While pretending to soothe him, she carefully guided him to cooperate with her plan. All they had to do was secretly find some man to share a night of passion with Dou Hongyan, catch them in the act, and her reputation would be utterly ruined. A divorce would be inevitable, and then she, Liu Xin'er, would finally become the mistress of the Marquis’s estate. The noble title would belong only to her children.

Her smile grew increasingly intimate and submissive, which touched Shen Yishu deeply. "Only you, Xin'er, truly have my best interests at heart. You’ve suffered so much for my sake over these years."

"It’s no suffering at all," Liu Xin'er replied with a faint smile, though she felt anything but aggrieved while living off the wealth Shen Yishu had siphoned from the estate years ago. "To be married to you, my Lord, is the greatest fortune of my life."

They clung to each other in a display of warmth. However, before they could even decide on a candidate for the "adulterer," Dou Hongyan had already learned of the impending setup from Huixue and burst into laughter.

These two were truly… She finished laughing and her expression turned cold. "How hopelessly naive."

They still failed to recognize their own standing, always looking to stir up trouble for themselves. Seeing her troubled look, Huixue shifted the conversation, hoping to lift her spirits: "Erya told me this news herself."

Dou Hongyan was surprised for a moment, then quickly composed herself and smiled silently. "It seems I shall soon have a fine daughter, then?"

Since that person wanted a daughter so badly, she mused, glancing lazily toward the direction of Tingyu Garden. After a long moment, she turned back to Huixue and said cheerfully, "Send a letter for me."

Shen Yishu and Liu Xin'er were not worth enough of her attention to cause a distraction; Erya was, at best, a piece of good news. With brush and ink prepared, she calmly wrote the letter, her sleeves tucked back and her red lips curled in a relaxed, languid smile as she penned the message.

The letter was quickly delivered to the Crown Prince's residence. Dou Hongyan tucked her hands into her sleeves and chuckled, "I wonder if His Highness the Crown Prince would be willing to play the part of this adulterer?"

Since they were fretting over whom to choose, she would simply provide one herself. Surely, they would be satisfied. Dou Hongyan remained composed, continuing her life at the Marquis’s estate as usual. Having suffered several losses at her hands, Shen Yishu and Liu Xin'er would not dare provoke her again in the short term. She was content to enjoy her peace.

The Crown Prince's residence, however, was not as calm and orderly as it usually seemed. The two masters were known for their mutual respect, and the servants often remarked that the Crown Prince and Lady Gu were a match made in heaven, having never once exchanged a harsh word in all their years of marriage. Only the two of them knew that their bond was merely a partnership; as allies on the same boat, there was naturally no reason for conflict.

Xiao Ze was quite satisfied with Gu Zhaozhao’s sensibility; having someone like her manage the household saved him a great deal of trouble. Usually, the two of them did not even need to see each other. This was the first time he had sought out Gu Zhaozhao immediately upon returning to the residence.

In the study, Xiao Ze was still toying with the useless poison. The porcelain bottle felt warm and smooth, of excellent jade quality, no different from any other medicine bottle in the residence. Only the subtle markings on the bottom served to distinguish the various poisons. But on this particular small bottle, the mark clearly indicated a common tonic; even if he had ten more, they wouldn't be enough to kill Shen Yishu.

He watched it quietly for a while, then lifted his eyes to appraise his usually sensible "Crown Princess." "The medicine was flawed. Why did you not discover it?"