Chapter Twenty-Two: Willowleaf Peach Administers Poison

Luo Ningsang could only resort to acting spoiled and stubborn; she could not afford to lose her father.

"Very well, if the Emperor does not go, he shall send someone else in his stead, how about that?"

Luo Ningsang nodded repeatedly, only leaving once she had secured the Emperor's promise. She realized she had not seen the Empress in quite some time. The Empress spent her days at the Jinding Temple, chanting sutras and praying for the safety of her two children.

The Emperor had only one wife—the Empress—and was so devoted to her that the inner palace remained empty of any other women. Because she was the only one to bear children, the royal lineage was thin, and for two years, the Empress had failed to conceive. Under immense pressure from the imperial court, the Emperor steadfastly refused to fill the harem. When the Empress begged him to divorce her so he could marry another, he refused, stating he would rather abdicate the throne and live as a hermit with her under an assumed name.

Unwilling to drag the Emperor down with her, the Empress fled the palace. By chance, she met a high monk who told her that the Buddha would grant her heart's desire if she traveled east to the highest peak. Guided by his words, she went to Jinding Temple and made her vow. After she was blessed with a son and a daughter, she remained at the temple, fasting and praying for their safety.

Most importantly, there was the oleander! Before she died in her past life, Shen Shuwan had personally admitted that the Empress's death was caused by oleander. She remembered it clearly: it was the Empress’s birthday, and she had refused any grand celebration. Xiao Ze’an had gifted a beautiful, vibrant plant. Luo Ningsang, feeling delighted at the time, had personally placed it beside the Buddha statue where her mother worshipped. The Empress worshipped daily, inhaled the scent of the oleander, and passed away soon after. The imperial physicians found nothing, concluding only that the Empress had died of excessive grief.

Counting the days, the Empress's birthday was still some time away, but she truly missed her. Aside from a brief meeting on the day of her rebirth, she had not seen her since.

The vermilion gates of the temple drew near, and the scent of incense wafted through the air. Stepping into Jinding Temple, a sense of peace washed over her, calming her restless heart. Luo Ningsang hurried toward her mother's quarters, her skirt fluttering and her simple cloth shoes gathering dust along the way. Crossing the courtyard, she saw the Empress sitting on a meditation cushion in the prayer hall, eyes closed as she chanted, her expression serene.

"Mother!" Luo Ningsang called out softly, rushing forward to clasp the Empress’s hands. Their warmth slightly eased the chill in her heart.

Empress Mu opened her eyes, filled with doting affection, and pulled Luo Ningsang closer to look at her. "Sang'er, why such a rush? Is there something troubling you?"

"I just missed you, Mother. It is not as if I only come when I have troubles."

Luo Ningsang snuggled into the Empress's arms as she had in childhood. But as her gaze wandered, a cluster of vibrant red caught her eye beside the Buddha statue—it was oleander, its petals glistening. Her heart sank. That this flower, which could take a life, was brazenly placed before the statue where people came to pray for blessings caused her expression to change instantly. She hurried forward, covering her nose to inspect it; it was indeed oleander. Since her rebirth, she had studied the plant specifically to prevent Shen Shuwan and Xiao Ze’an from harming her mother again.

Luo Ningsang pulled Empress Mu out of the hall and urgently summoned the Empress's attendant, ordering her to escort the Empress back to her room and to call for an imperial physician to conduct a thorough examination to ensure she had not been poisoned.

Once the Empress was safely away, Luo Ningsang’s gaze turned icy. Something was wrong—the timing was off. The Empress's birthday hadn't arrived yet. The person who sent the flowers was wrong, too. In her previous life, she had been the one to unwittingly facilitate the harm; who had sent them this time?

Why was everything different from her past life? Had her previous actions altered the plot, causing subsequent events to spiral out of control? Was it because she had rejected Xiao Ze’an at the birthday banquet? In her past life, he had been the one to reject her. Had her changes made the situation uncontrollable?

Luo Ningsang felt a wave of panic. Her revenge was only halfway complete; if the plot no longer followed its original trajectory, her plans would be ruined. She worried for her parents. If the timeline was in chaos, they were in grave danger. Did this mean she had to continue playing the fool, acting as Xiao Ze’an’s lapdog, so she could save them at the right moment? Everything had to follow the past life's path for her to keep control.

She felt frustrated. She and Xiao Ze’an were now at each other's throats; how could the plot possibly connect? Shaking her head to dispel the irritation, she decided to deal with the immediate problem first.

Luo Ningsang looked around at the monks and servants, raising her voice with the authority of a princess: "Who is so bold as to place this deadly poison in the Buddha hall! I shall find the culprit today and show no mercy!"

Everyone knelt in terror, the hall filled with the sound of heads hitting the floor. Luo Ningsang pondered; the prime suspects were Xiao Ze’an or Shen Shuwan. Outside of them, she could think of no one else who would poison her mother.

She first summoned the young novice responsible for cleaning the hall. The boy trembled, his face pale with fear: "Your Highness, I... I truly do not know. When I cleaned this morning, the oleander was not there. Someone must have snuck in last night. I am a devout follower; I would never dare commit such an act!" Seeing he was not lying, she had him detained.

Next, her gaze shifted to the head monk. The old man, draped in his kasaya, held his hands together, his expression evasive: "Your Highness, the temple security is tight; the night watchmen noticed nothing. However... I heard that Miss Shen has been sending many offerings lately. I inspected them one by one before storing them, but whether there was a slip-up, I cannot say."

Luo Ningsang frowned. Shen Shuwan sent offerings? It really was her!

Unable to go to the Prime Minister’s estate herself, she had the Empress's matron use the Empress's token to summon Shen Shuwan. Shortly after, the matron returned with Shen Shuwan, and Luo Shaochen followed behind.

Luo Ningsang hid in the shadows, watching her royal brother fawning over Shen Shuwan, his face beaming with eagerness. Shen Shuwan looked terrified, leaning slightly against him. The fool, Luo Shaochen, looked ready to play the hero.

"Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince. The Empress has entrusted this matter to me; please, do not interfere," the matron stated coldly.

"I have been at the Prime Minister’s estate discussing the royal hunt for days. Hearing that someone tried to poison my mother, I must investigate," Luo Shaochen said, standing in front of Shen Shuwan and offering her a comforting look.

Luo Ningsang felt a surge of fury. Her brainless brother had been completely bewitched by Shen Shuwan!

The matron’s gaze sharpened: "Miss Shen, you have been sending offerings to the temple lately. The oleander appeared in the hall today. How do you explain this?"

Shen Shuwan’s eyes reddened with fear: "Matron, I only wish to pray for my grandmother, who is critically ill. I personally selected every offering; it is impossible for oleander to have been mixed in." She wept, looking pitiful.

Luo Shaochen felt heartbroken. "Do not accuse her without proof. She is kind-hearted; she would never harm the Empress. Someone else must be behind this. Let it be, Matron."

With Luo Shaochen obstructing her, the matron could do nothing. Luo Ningsang longed to strangle her brother. She had to find another way and ordered the matron to let Shen Shuwan go.

Once they left, Luo Ningsang instructed the matron to spread a rumor: that the culprit had been found, as the oleander roots were stained with the culprit's rouge, which was a specific type used by noble ladies. Once they matched the rouge, they would catch the poisoner. In the Yan Chi Kingdom, noble ladies used custom-blended rouge, each with unique scents and textures.

After spreading the word, she brought in a skilled palace guard. As night fell, the guard hid in the shadows of the hall, waiting. Just past midnight, a faint sound of footsteps emerged. The guard lunged, and a struggle ensued.

They pulled off the black mask to reveal Bitao, Shen Shuwan’s personal maid! Bitao collapsed, shivering. Empress Mu emerged from the back, watching as the guard held the thief.

"Speak! Why did you do this?" the Empress demanded.

"It wasn't me! I didn't know the flowers were poisonous," Bitao sobbed. "I came to pray for my lady, and I tripped. You helped me up, Empress. I was so grateful, and I saw these flowers growing on the mountain. I had nothing to give to thank you, so I picked them to brighten the hall. I didn't know!"

Empress Mu recalled that she had indeed helped a girl who tripped a few days prior. Having lived a life of prayer and peace, she chose to let it go. "Let this be the end of it. Do not cause trouble again."

After Bitao left, the Empress returned to the back courtyard to find an exhausted Luo Ningsang. "Mother, was she convicted?"

The Empress smiled, holding her daughter close and recounting what happened. Luo Ningsang knew that while her mother’s kindness had brought the matter to a close, it wasn't over for her. If Bitao had acted alone, she wouldn't have been worried about rouge stains. Only Shen Shuwan could have orchestrated this. She was likely acting for Xiao Ze’an, who had begun planning his path to power. Killing the Empress was his first step in isolating her. Once she was alone, he would use marriage to seize control of the military.

Everything was happening too early. Luo Ningsang had to find a way to steer the plot back to its original course to prevent the tragedy.

Dark clouds swallowed the moon, and the candlelight flickered against the window, mirroring Luo Ningsang’s turbulent heart. Clad in a simple silk dress, she stepped into the familiar yet alien Grand Tutor's mansion. In the distance, she saw Xiao Ze’an drinking heavily in the pavilion.

"Xiao Ze’an..." she called out, her voice soft and trembling.

Xiao Ze’an didn't respond at first, then turned slowly. "Luo Ningsang, you dare show your face here?" he spat, every word dripping with hatred.

She stepped forward, reaching for his sleeve, but he shoved her away. "Xiao Ze’an, I only listened to the palace servants because I love you so much... You know that you are all I see. I lost my way because my love was too deep." She choked back tears, though none would come.

Xiao Ze’an laughed bitterly. "A fine excuse! You humiliated me in public, yet now you blame the servants?"

Luo Ningsang clenched her fists, struggling to maintain her composure. She forced the tears out, letting them fall. "I didn't know how else to make you look at me. I thought if I did as they said, you would finally be mine."

She looked up at him, her eyes red. "Do you have any idea? I’ve chased you for years. Have you ever looked at me? I am a princess, yet I’ve groveled like a dog, serving not just you, but Shen Shuwan as well."