Ye Qichi nibbled on the pastries sent by Eunuch Mu, courtesy of Xiao Jinxing.
She felt increasingly that Xiao Jinxing was either a plotter or a thief.
However, she couldn’t resist the temptation of delicious food and ate quite a bit.
After all, as people say, food is as important as steel - skip a al, and one starves.
So Ye Qichi busied herself with nourishing concoctions within the palace while on the other side, Xiao Jinxing and Xiao Zhanping were playing chess.
When it was ti for the midday al,
Ye Qichi got her first glimpse of what they call the Emperor’s al.
A single person.
Dishes by the dozens.
It was just like what the dramas portrayed, absolutely no exaggeration.
With each dish served, Eunuch Mu would test for poison with a silver needle right in front of the Emperor. After testing, Eunuch Mu would also sample the food. Only after confirming it was safe would the Emperor begin his al.
Ye Qichi watched these procedures of the Emperor’s dining without any outward reaction.
Internally, she was calculating how Zhao ngyu could possibly administer poison amidst such stringent protocols.
It seems that it was not ntioned in the book.
The book did not elaborate on the thods Zhao ngyu employed upon the Emperor.
Ultimately,
The details that books offer to readers are finite, and many scenarios are like ga dungeons waiting to be explored.
After so ti,
Xiao Zhanping finally began his al.
As such, Ye Qichi and Xiao Jinxing naturally dined with him.
Dining with the Emperor required utmost restraint.
Ye Qichi had ntioned before, ancient people, especially those of high status, had etiquette ingrained so deeply in their bones that even their dining was a pleasing sight.
Consequently, Ye Qichi ate with extre caution.
She had to attend to proper etiquette,
and also discern if there was any dicinal substance in the al.
For each dish, Ye Qichi had a palace maid place a morsel in her bowl.
Before arriving at her lips, she’d casually sll the food, then take small bites.
While eating, she also observed what Xiao Zhanping was eating.
What he favored.
Ye Qichi had tried most of the dishes without finding a problem.
Then it struck her: given Zhao ngyu’s ticulous nature, if she wanted Xiao Zhanping to consu the poison daily, it was very likely not mixed in the als. After all, with so many dishes, the Emperor might not try every single one. If he skipped the dish with poison, Zhao ngyu’s attempt would fail.
A cautious person like Zhao ngyu would not make such a mistake.
In other words,
The poisoned dish must be sothing Xiao Zhanping ate without fail.
But what did Xiao Zhanping have to eat every single day?!
"Father, you still enjoy lotus seed soup so much," Xiao Jinxing suddenly interjected.
At the mont, Xiao Zhanping was savoring a bowl of lotus seed soup.
Ye Qichi was taken aback.
So,
Xiao Jinxing was hinting at her that there was sothing wrong with the lotus seed soup in Xiao Zhanping’s bowl.
This man.
Could he read her thoughts like a worm in her belly?!
He seed aware of whatever she was thinking.
"Over the years, it’s beco a habit," Xiao Zhanping said, "Every al must co with a bowl of lotus seed soup. It’s like an addiction - without it, sothing feels amiss. You should try it, too. The lotus seed soup in the Imperial Palace is a flavor incomparable to any other place I’ve tried. I have even ventured out in disguise, but nowhere else co close."
"Then I shall definitely give a good taste to this lotus seed soup Father so heartily recomnds," Ye Qichi picked up the bowl of lotus seed soup she hadn’t touched yet.
The lotus seed soup was simred to a translucent sheen.
It looked truly exquisite, enticing one’s appetite.
But after all, lotus seed soup is sweet, and eating too much of it could beco cloying.
The fact that Xiao Zhanping insisted on a bowl every al was indeed suspicious.
Ye Qichi elegantly brought the lotus seed soup to her nose for a sniff.
Upon catching the scent, her expression subtly changed.
Xiao Jinxing noticed as well.
Ever since arriving at the Imperial Palace, though accompanying his father, he had also kept an eye on Ye Qichi.
Now, he likely understood that Ye Qichi had detected sothing unusual.
Ye Qichi did indeed notice sothing amiss with the lotus seed soup.
She hadn’t anticipated that Zhao ngyu would add opium to Xiao Zhanping’s bowl.
It was a small amount but sufficient to cause addiction.
No wonder Xiao Zhanping eagerly consud a bowl with every al.
Of course,
The opium wasn’t what caused Xiao Zhanping’s lack of desire; it only hooked him on the lotus seed soup. The significant detail was that the soup contained copious amounts of thorny elaeagnus and bitter ginseng!
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