Time Travel: Pampered by the Aloof Prince
Chapter 322: This Matter, Still Need to Ask Prince for a Favor

Chapter 322: Chapter 322: This Matter, Still Need to Ask Prince for a Favor

"This poisonous insect is not easy to deal with," Mo Qingshan said, stroking his beard, his expression becoming more serious.

Qi Yu poured a cup of tea and responded noncommittally to his statement, "It’s difficult indeed, otherwise Master wouldn’t have bothered."

After a pause, she asked again, "Apart from killing the Empress, is there any other way to remove that poisonous insect?"

Mo Qingshan glanced at her and said indifferently, "Tulan has a poison that specifically targets this type of insect. But this poison is only available in the Tulan Imperial Palace, so give up on that thought."

Qi Yu smiled faintly, her compliment devoid of sincerity, "But having stayed in the Imperial Palace for a month, Master has indeed become more humorous."

What Mo Qingshan said had already been seen by her in the book about Tulan’s secret techniques, and she understood how difficult it was to remove that poisonous insect.

But now, time was running out, and she needed to find a solution before the poisonous insect burst forth.

Qi Yu thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "I remember, Tulan’s poisonous insect poison is refined."

Not understanding why she suddenly mentioned this, Mo Qingshan nonetheless nodded, "Yes. Tulan’s poisonous insect poison comes in two forms: one is a shapeshifting insect, and the other is crafted using the Hundred Herbs Poison Frost."

Qi Yu’s eyes flickered slightly, "The term ’shapeshifting’ might be inaccurate, after all, these insects don’t come from nothing."

Hearing this, Mo Qingshan frowned, "What do you mean?"

Qi Yu slowly curled her lips, asking, "Does Master know how the poisonous insects are refined?"

After thinking for a moment, Mo Qingshan said, "Isn’t it performed at the Yin-Yang intersection, when the five poisons and hundreds of insects appear, by putting all the poison insects into one pot and letting them devour each other until only one remains?"

Qi Yu nodded slightly, "Exactly, during the appearance of the five poisons and hundreds of insects, when the sun is at its zenith and Yin and Yang intersect, the righteous qi enters and serves as a cure, while the evil qi enters and becomes a poisonous insect."

Mo Qingshan, who rarely saw her so serious and articulate, nodded in agreement, "It seems your knowledge far exceeds your teacher’s expectations."

Qi Yu looked at him and, without getting into an argument, continued, "It must have been on that day that the Empress did something to breed a poisonous insect, and the method Chen Shi spoke of provided this insect a host, allowing it to reside within the Empress’s stomach and feed on her flesh."

With that, her expression relaxed slightly.

If that was the case, she might have figured out how this poisonous insect came to be.

Mo Qingshan nodded, his tone becoming somewhat troubled, "Your deduction seems plausible, but where did this poisonous insect come from, and how did it enter the Empress’s stomach?"

Qi Yu winked at him, her tone somewhat teasing, "That’s something we might have to ask the people at the Grandmaster Residence."

Late in the evening, Qi Yu waited until she was nearly asleep before Li Mingjue returned to the room.

Due to the plague in Qingzhou, he had spent the entire day in his study, discussing matters with the ministers.

It wasn’t until just before curfew that he let the exhausted ministers go.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Qi Yu forced her eyelids open and called out softly, "Prince, you’re back."

Li Mingjue took off the outer robe draped over him, sat on the bed, and asked tenderly, "Why haven’t you gone to sleep?"

Qi Yu sat up, yawning sleepily, "I have something I need to discuss with you."

"What’s the matter?" Li Mingjue got into bed and drew her into his embrace, asking.

Qi Yu talked about her visit to the Cold Palace that day, proclaiming brazenly, "The Empress has been revered in the harem for too long; it’s time to create a sense of crisis for her."

Li Mingjue had no particular opinion about her idea and just listened silently.

After Qi Yu finished speaking, she yawned again and continued, "The poisonous insect inside the Empress must be removed as soon as possible."

Li Mingjue nodded slightly and then asked, "What do you plan to do?"

Qi Yu smiled, leaned closer to his ear, and whispered, "For this matter, I still need to ask the Prince for a favor."

The next day, after the morning court session, Gu Qing had just returned to the Capital Governor Mansion when someone came to report a case.

Gu Qing, visibly impatient, waved his hand and said to his subordinates, "Go check it out, it’s probably just another household that lost something."

As the capital city rests under the emperor’s feet, its public security has always been good, and most cases reported to the Prefect of Jingzhao were trivial matters.

Initially, Gu Qing handled these matters professionally and diligently.

However, over time, he grew impatient due to these trivialities, and now, whenever someone came to report a case, he would let his subordinates handle it.

Having spent a long time under Gu Qing’s leadership, his subordinates had also developed a lazy disposition and asked the person reporting the case in a languid tone, "What is your case about?"

The person who came to report the case was a middle-aged man wearing a blue robe, with a haughty expression. Seeing these constables, he frowned slightly and said in a calm voice, "It’s a matter of great importance, and I need to speak to Director Gu personally."

Having their pride offended, the constables were about to make trouble for this man when suddenly, he took out a token from his garment and said, "I come under the command of Grandmaster Liu, and I hope you can grant me some convenience."

The leading constable took the token, glanced at it, saw ’Grandmaster Residence’ inscribed on it, and his expression softened somewhat. He said to the man, "May I know your honorable name, sir? So I can inform my superior and not treat you with disrespect."

The man’s lips curved slightly, and he said in a calm tone, "I am no ’sir.’ I am the steward of the Grandmaster’s Residence, Liu Shun."

"Ah, Steward Liu, my apologies." The constable flattered him, quickly went inside, and reported the matter to Gu Qing.

Gu Qing had just finished a cup of tea when he heard about the visitor’s identity, expressing surprise, "Someone from the Grandmaster’s Residence is here to report a case?"

The constable replied, "Yes. I saw that Steward Liu seemed quite upset, so it must not be a minor matter."

Hearing this, Gu Qing was even more alarmed, promptly put down his teacup, and hurried outside.

The Grandmaster’s Residence had numerous connections with the Empress, and if something significant had happened...

The more Gu Qing thought about it, the more alarmed he became. By the time he reached the door, he was pale and exchanged a few pleasantries with Steward Liu, then cautiously inquired, "May I know what happened at the Grandmaster’s Residence?"

Upon mentioning this matter, Steward Liu’s expression stiffened momentarily before he casually said, "It’s nothing serious. Director Gu, if you aren’t too busy, could you send a few people to come with me?"

Gu Qing dared not refuse and nodded repeatedly, "Not busy at all. Since it concerns the Grandmaster, I naturally should come."

Saying so, he called a few skilled constables, ready to head out with Liu Shun.

But Liu Shun stopped him, his eyes deep, his tone became a bit heavier, "Would you mind bringing a forensic doctor as well?"

"A forensic doctor?" Although Gu Qing kept a composed face, he was already shocked inside.

Liu Shun seemed to sense what he was thinking, glanced at him, and then, lowering his voice, warned him by the ear, "On this matter, the Grandmaster wishes to avoid any major disturbance."

Gu Qing swallowed, forced a smile, and said, "Naturally."