There is a god in the sky

Chapter 187 Sowing Discord 4

As soon as the Marquis of Pingyang returned to his residence, he was stopped by Fu Qingyang.

He obediently took his father's official hat and asked with concern, "Father, are you very tired from going to the yamen?"

Marquis Pingyang patted his head, "This is nothing. Back in the day, fighting on the battlefield was much more tiring than this."

That being said, he was still somewhat lacking in the ability to act as a civil official when he was a military general.

Fortunately, everyone in the Ministry of War knew that he was a vice minister personally appointed by the emperor, so no one dared to cause him trouble, much less offend him.

If you don't know how to do something, your subordinates will do it for you; if you don't understand official business, someone will give you pointers. Besides the endless stream of official documents to approve every day, the most unbearable thing is having to show up on time for roll call.

"Father, you've worked so hard. You should go see Mother first; she's very ill."

Marquis Pingyang said bluntly, "If we didn't call the imperial physician, what use would it be for me to go see him?"

"You should go and see him, lest you... cough cough, I misspoke. I'll have dinner with you before I go."

Marquis Pingyang stopped and asked, "That rebellious son has caused trouble again?"

"No," Fu Qingyang denied outright.

The more guilty he appeared, the less the Marquis of Pingyang believed him.

He changed direction and headed towards the courtyard where his wife was.

Fu Qingyang chased after him, explaining repeatedly: "Father, listen to me, my elder brother didn't do anything wrong. He just likes a woman and can't help himself."

"Hmph, who has he set his sights on this time?"

“My son doesn’t know either, and my elder brother didn’t say, but he openly brought people into the mansion, so Mother may have fallen ill from anger.”

Marquis Pingyang was furious: "This unfilial son!"

He stepped into the main courtyard and roared, "Where is this rebellious son?"

Fu Qingyan was probably a brat who had been beaten since he was a child. He was so frightened by his father's voice that he jumped up from his chair.

In the courtyard, Imperial Physician Lan was examining a cup of blood with Shen Lan; the blood had been squeezed from the Lady of the Marquis's body.

The blood was dark in color. A drop was dissolved in water and fed to the rabbit. Half an hour later, the rabbit's condition became noticeably abnormal.

"This Seven-Day Intoxication isn't quite authentic; it's not very potent. Otherwise, the lady wouldn't have woken up," said Imperial Physician Lan with a look of disdain.

"Where can I buy this fake poison?"

"It must have been obtained from some shady, unorthodox place. Do you think you can buy this kind of thing at a legitimate pharmacy?"

"This Seven-Day Intoxication was originally developed by a divine physician for use on the verge of death, to relieve them of the pain before death. Later, for some unknown reason, it entered the palace and became a harmful poison."

"In the palace?"

"A few decades ago, this kind of poison appeared in the palace. It was banned later, which made things much better. However, it's not impossible that someone knows the formula and makes a similar fake."

Shen Lan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Since it was fake medicine, its efficacy would probably be much weaker.

"Can the medicinal herbs we captured still be used? When will you start preparing the antidote?" Shen Lan asked.

"Yes." Imperial Physician Lan stretched and said lazily, "I'm hungry and need more wine. Let's talk about it after we've eaten and drunk our fill."

Imperial Physician Lan got up to leave, and seeing the father and son chasing each other in the courtyard, he shook his head and sighed, "Father and son killing each other, what a misfortune for the family!"

Marquis Pingyang stopped and frowned, asking, "It's only natural for a father to discipline his son. Who are you?" Imperial Physician Lan walked past him, humming a little tune, as if he hadn't heard him.

Shen Lan packed her things away and didn't want to pay any attention to Marquis Pingyang. Since he entered the house, he hadn't even asked a single question about his wife's condition.

She came to Fu Qingyan's rescue, asking, "Your Highness, have you finished your lessons for today?"

Shen Lan readjusted his reading assignments, giving him enough homework each day to keep him up until late at night.

Fu Qingyan ran back, panting, and said, "Not...not yet."

"Then go quickly, I will keep an eye on the lady." After saying that, she bowed to the Marquis of Pingyang and said, "If Your Excellency wants to visit the patient, please come again tomorrow, as the lady is still unconscious."

Marquis Pingyang's expression softened considerably. "It's you? You're the woman that rebellious son loves?"

For some reason, the Marquis of Pingyang felt that his rebellious son's judgment wasn't too bad this time.

Shen Lan smiled and said, "Where did you hear this gossip, Lord Marquis? Could it be that I became the Heir Apparent's lover the moment I entered the house?"

It's obvious who started this rumor.

Shen Lan glanced at the little boy behind Marquis Pingyang and said solemnly, "My lord, after several imperial physicians' unanimous diagnosis, the lady has been poisoned. I know some medicine, and the young master asked me to come back to help."

"What? Poisoned?" Marquis Pingyang was truly shocked this time.

"That's impossible! How could someone be poisoned in their own home?" Fu Qingyang retorted loudly.

Shen Lan looked at him with a half-smile and asked, "Yes, why would someone be poisoned in their own home? Who would want to harm Madam?"

Fu Qingyang's face flushed red. "You...you're making false accusations! How could I possibly poison my mother?"

"I didn't say anything, don't get agitated," Shen Lan reassured her.

Although this child is cunning, he hasn't reached the level of acting skill that allows him to control his emotions, nor does he seem capable of handling such a significant matter.

His mother probably couldn't do it either, since poisoning the Lady Hou wouldn't make her official wife, so it would be better to poison Fu Qingyan instead.

Shen Lan looked at Marquis Pingyang and said, "Your Excellency would be best to send someone to guard this courtyard, lest the poisoner escape."

Fu Qingyang ran off first, clearly to go and inform Aunt Jiang.

As Shen Lan passed by the Marquis of Pingyang, she asked in a low voice, "My lord, are there any people from the palace in your residence?"

Marquis Pingyang paused for a moment, then shook his head.

Just before Shen Lan was about to enter the house, she heard him say, "Although there are no people from the palace, a palace servant comes to the mansion to deliver things on the first and fifteenth of every month."

In the middle of the night, Shen Lan squatted under a big tree in the yard and dug in the soil.

Fu Qingyan stood guard by, carrying a lantern, his heart pounding.

"Miss Shen, what's underground?"

"I do not know."

"Then what are you..."

Seeing that she had come out in the middle of the night, Fu Qingyan had no choice but to come out and lead the way for her.

Who knew she would walk around the yard a few times and then squat down here.

He was a little scared.

Because this girl is really strange; she definitely knows what's down there, she just doesn't want to say it.

“Miss Shen, please tell me frankly, I can bear it.”

"Found it." Shen Lan dug a cloth bag out of the soil, brushed the soil off the bag, and carefully opened it.

Fu Qingyan closed his eyes, not daring to look.

He heard Shen Lan mutter to herself, "Something seems off... bring the lantern closer."

Fu Qingyan quickly squatted down and placed the lantern over the object to see what was inside the cloth bag.

“What is this?” he asked.

Shen Lan leaned closer and sniffed it. "It smells like medicinal herb residue. Has your mother been taking any medication regularly lately?"

Fu Qingyan shook his head, "I don't know, maybe I should ask Yonghe."

"Your father said that someone comes to deliver things to the palace on the first and fifteenth of each month?"

As Shen Lan asked, she dug the pit a little bigger to see if there were any other dregs of the medicine.

According to Imperial Physician Lan, this illegitimate Seven-Day Intoxication might have been concocted by the murderer.

If the other party is from the Marquis's residence, then there will definitely be residue in the medicine he prepares. How will he deal with it?

The servants in the backyard are not allowed to go out every day, so it's possible that the medicinal herbs are still in the yard.

"Yes, it was someone close to my older sister who brought some food and supplies to my mother. It's also a way for her to express her longing for her."