Bairen was still a bit uneasy after giving instructions to Shunzi. Over the past six months, he had grown accustomed to following Qi Xiao's orders in everything. Now that such a big incident had occurred, Bairen felt very unsettled. After hesitating for a moment, he ordered someone to prepare a carriage and went to find Qi Xiao himself.

In the inner study of the Crown Prince's residence, Qi Xiao was reading a secret report sent from the Confucius Temple. Hearing that Bairen had come, Qi Xiao frowned slightly. He quickly finished reading the report, opened the incense burner, and threw the report into it. By the time Bairen entered the room, Qi Xiao was calmly poking the ashes with a silver twig-patterned incense stick.

"Your Highness..."

Qi Xiao waved his hand to dismiss the maids in the room, and smiled at Bairen, "What made you think of coming over?"

Bairen paused for a moment and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, do you know? Wenyu... something happened to Wenyu."

Qi Xiao nodded, "Shunzi told me before he left. What's the matter? Is there anything you want them to do? You can just instruct Shunzi directly. Didn't I tell you before that the people at the gambling house are all yours now? You can do as you wish."

Bairen shook his head, "No... I don't have any instructions. I just... I just wanted to come find you."

Qi Xiao sighed inwardly. Heaven have mercy, his careful training over the past year had finally shown some results.

Seeing Qi Xiao not saying anything, Bairen gave an awkward laugh, "Do you think I lack initiative? Running to find you as soon as something happens."

Qi Xiao shook his head and smiled, "No, I'm grateful." He walked over and wrapped an arm around Bairen's waist, chuckling softly, "Grateful that the Crown Princess knows to run home when it's cloudy and rainy."

Bairen was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. Qi Xiao lowered his head and affectionately kissed Bairen's lips, whispering, "If only you had asked me about everything and listened to me earlier, you wouldn't have had to take such a roundabout path. Alright, let's go to the bedchamber."

Bairen was dumbfounded, "We haven't had dinner yet. What are we going to the bedchamber for?"

Qi Xiao clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction and tapped Bairen's forehead, "I just praised you for being enlightened, and now you've gone back again. Have you ever seen a couple discussing matters in the study? Don't they all prepare some snacks, brew a pot of hot tea, sit together on the couch, cover themselves with a blanket, and discuss intimately? Although we dare not compare to others, we can't just talk coldly here, right? The pleasures of the bedchamber, do you understand?"

Bairen felt a warmth in his heart and went with Qi Xiao with a smile.

In the bedchamber, Qi Xiao reclined on the couch, quietly listening to Bairen repeat what he already knew. Finally, he asked, "What do you think?"

Bairen sat in front of Qi Xiao and shook his head at the question, "I don't know... When I first heard Shunzi say it, the first thing I thought was that you did it."

Qi Xiao laughed, "In your heart, am I such a thoroughly wicked bandit leader that whenever something happens, the first thing you think of is whether I did it?"

Bairen hurriedly explained, "No, you treat me well and want to avenge me, so it makes sense..."

Qi Xiao raised an eyebrow, "As long as you know I treat you well." With that, he pulled Bairen into his arms, kneading his body a couple of times, and continued to ask, "What about after?"

Bairen leaned into the crook of Qi Xiao's arm and said softly, "Then I thought of the Feng family. With these back-to-back incidents, the Feng Manor and our manor are now enemies. The Feng family has no hope of rising again. It would make sense for them to seek revenge, but it still seems a bit far-fetched... After all, they should hate me more. Such a carefully planned arrangement should be aimed at me. There's no reason to go all the way to Lingnan for this."

Qi Xiao listened to Bairen's analysis with a smile and nodded, "Go on."

Bairen frowned, "Besides... if the Feng family could take action, there would be no need to just... just harm someone like that. Wouldn't it be more satisfying to directly kill the person? This doesn't quite make sense. Neither explanation fits. Perhaps Wenyu was just unlucky. I've only heard of the Five Minerals Powder but have never seen it.

"Perhaps the drug's potency is really that strong, and I've heard that the Five Minerals Powder is also called the Cold Food Powder. After taking it, one has to drink cold wine and eat cold food, and can't even wear clothes. According to Shunzi, when the door was pushed open, Wenyu was... was lying on the ground naked. This can also be explained."

Qi Xiao smiled faintly, "Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, fewer and fewer people have been taking the Five Minerals Powder, and most of the formulas are incomplete. The Five Minerals Powder sold on the market nowadays is mostly fake, made with medicinal stones mixed with aphrodisiacs. After taking it, the effects are similar to the legendary Five Minerals Powder, but it's all just to fool people. Since they're all fake, it's inevitable that some have overly potent drug effects. Who knows where Wenyu got the medicine from? This time... it might be divine retribution, for all we know."

Bairen felt a sense of empathy and shook his head, "I really can't understand. Why would someone in their right mind take such a thing to harm their own body? I used to read unofficial histories and leisure books, and I heard that Emperor Shuai of Jin and Emperor Xianwen of Northern Wei both died from taking this thing. At the time, I couldn't understand why they would do such a thing to ruin their bodies for no reason."

Qi Xiao curled his lips in a smile, "What's there to not understand... Do you think everyone is as 'capable' as your husband? If their bodies can't keep up, they have no choice but to take medicine."

Bairen couldn't help laughing, "Your Highness, how can you be like this, always finding a way to bring the conversation back to yourself and praise yourself?"

Qi Xiao said innocently, "What did I do? Am I wrong? Crown Prince Consort, am I capable or not? You know very well, don't you?"

Qi Xiao had a way of saying lewd things with a straight face, making Bairen blush to the tips of his ears. Bairen couldn't take it anymore and tried to change the subject, "Your Highness, how do you know so clearly what the Five Minerals Powder on the market is like?"

Qi Xiao paused, thinking that Bairen had become suspicious. He laughed, flipped over, and pressed Bairen under him. Lowering his head, he kissed Bairen's forehead and said softly, "I'm not afraid to tell you now. Last year, when I had just tricked you into my hands, I had Jiang Deqing buy me a lot of aphrodisiacs. That's when I found out."

Bairen was dumbfounded, "You... you wanted to take medicine too?!"

Qi Xiao laughed, "What are you thinking? I was preparing to give it to you."

Qi Xiao smiled faintly, "At that time, I knew you hated me and definitely wouldn't submit willingly. So I thought that if one day you provoked me too much, I would drug you to make you obediently listen. But..."

Bairen bit his lower lip, "You never used it on me, right?"

Qi Xiao "hmm"ed and said softly, "I thought it was a good plan at first, but after I actually got you... I couldn't bear to do it."

Bairen's face turned slightly red. Qi Xiao chuckled deeply, "There's even less need for it now."

As he spoke, he tried to undress Bairen again. Bairen hurriedly retreated, urgently saying, "Your Highness... it's almost time for dinner. What if someone... sees us?"

Qi Xiao casually brushed it off, "I'll bring the food over for you to eat in a bit... and won't let anyone else come in."

Bairen kept trying to dodge, so Qi Xiao deliberately tickled him under the ribs and in the shoulder hollows. Bairen laughed uncontrollably, curling up into a ball. Just as they were messing around, Shunzi returned from outside, wanting to see Qi Xiao.

Bairen felt like he had been granted amnesty and rolled to the side to tidy up his clothes. Qi Xiao rubbed his neck, frowning, "We'll have to tell them in the future, when I'm discussing matters with the young prince, there's no need to report anything unless it's an emergency, it spoils the mood..."

Bairen lamented, "Your Highness... at least leave me some face."

Qi Xiao chuckled, "Just teasing you, tidy up your collar..." Qi Xiao helped Bairen straighten up before allowing Shunzi to enter.

Shunzi paid his respects to the two from behind the screen and said in a low voice, "I went over there just now and got some more information."

"After the physicians rescued the second young prince that day, they sent him back to the capital without much delay. When the King of Lingnan learned about what had happened, he was furious. On one hand, he strictly ordered everyone to keep it under wraps, and on the other hand, he had people thoroughly investigate the incident that night. However, it's said that they didn't find anything unusual in the Five Stones Powder, it was just an ordinary aphrodisiac. But no one is sure exactly how much the second young prince consumed in total. Also..."

Shunzi paused for a moment before continuing, "Concubine Xia cried terribly, almost devouring alive those who had accompanied the second young prince. It's said she invited famous physicians and had great priests set up altars to perform rituals, causing a great commotion. The King of Lingnan, contrary to his usual behavior, didn't indulge Concubine Xia this time.

"They couldn't get a clear picture of what was going on in Concubine Xia's courtyard, but it's said the King of Lingnan scolded her, reprimanding her for not properly educating her children, causing trouble again and again. He also forbade her from making a fuss, as the second young prince's condition wasn't something to be widely publicized."

"The rituals didn't work out, but many famous physicians were invited. The second young prince was willing to take all the medicines, and there was a constant stream of medicine in the courtyard, but... there's been no word of any improvement. However, since our people took ten days to get here, it's possible his condition has improved by now."

"As for Princess Kangtai, at first our people thought the King of Lingnan's talk of arranging a marriage for her was just an excuse, but unexpectedly, it turned out to be true. The match is with the second son of the Xia family, a legitimate son who has been raised in Old Madam Xia's quarters since childhood and is very favored by Old Madam Xia and Madam Xia.

"Our subordinate couldn't help but ask about this person's character, and they only replied with one sentence... a doting mother spoils the son. It seems Princess Kangtai is also not very satisfied. When she learned the engagement was real, she went to the main hall of the king's manor and made a scene. The King of Lingnan was already in a rage because of the second young master's incident, and Princess Kangtai ran into him at this juncture.

"She received a severe scolding and a slap, and it's said she was even punished by the King of Lingnan to kneel in the ancestral hall. When our people returned, they hadn't heard of her being released yet. As for the marriage with the Xia family, it seems to be set in stone."

Qi Xiao knew what Bairen most wanted to hear and asked in a deep voice, "What about the Queen?"

Shunzi nodded, "The Queen fell ill as soon as the second young master and the princess returned to the manor and hasn't left her own courtyard. In the middle, she managed to be supported out to see the second young master once, but the Queen's condition was really not good, so the King of Lingnan sent the Queen back to rest and recuperate, saying there was no need for her to come out and take charge anymore."

Afraid Bairen would overthink, Shunzi quickly added, "Your Highness can rest assured, they specifically went to inquire with the royal physician who took the Queen's pulse. The Queen's body is actually in very good health, and the reason she hasn't been able to get out of bed these past few days... is probably due to other reasons."

Bairen was completely at ease now. He turned to look at Qi Xiao with gratitude. Before Roujia's grand wedding, Qi Xiao had secretly assigned a trusted old maidservant to the entourage going to Lingnan to welcome the bride. Later, the people welcoming the bride returned with the Lingnan group, but that old maidservant stayed behind in Lingnan. After much difficulty, she entered the king's manor and now specially served the Queen.

Qi Xiao's old subordinate who had been with him for years was naturally different from others. The old maidservant had served in the palace for half her life and had seen three emperors. There was nothing she didn't know about inner palace affairs. Now that the Queen had learned to feign illness and deceive everyone, it was likely this old maidservant who had helped her manage it.

Bairen lowered his head and sighed softly, "Mother has been devoted for half her life and has finally seen through some things, knowing that self-preservation comes first."

Qi Xiao chuckled, "There are no womenfolk in my manor, and the old maidservant has long been worried about not having a place to show off her skills. Now that she's in Lingnan, she can fully display her abilities."

Shunzi said from outside, "Those are the major events. I've already told them to withdraw all our people, but it will take some effort to open and close operations. It will probably be half a month later when everyone returns, and there will likely be new developments to report back. At that time, this subordinate will explain to Your Highness in detail."

Hearing this, Qi Xiao frowned, "Withdraw our people? Who told them to withdraw?!"

Shunzi was taken aback, "The young prince... hasn't told Your Highness yet?"

Qi Xiao looked at Bairen, who seemed a little embarrassed. Qi Xiao thought for a moment and understood everything. His heart was filled with mixed emotions. He waved his hand, "No... he did, I forgot... you may go."

Shunzi nodded, bowed, and left. Qi Xiao turned and pulled Bairen into his arms, lowering his head to bite hard on the tender flesh of his neck, "Making decisions on your own..."

Bairen was startled and shrank back. Qi Xiao sighed softly and affectionately kissed the spot he had bitten...