Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2739 Still Vigorous in Old Age 123.0
“If I remember correctly, mustard, as a spice, cannot actually be considered the main cause of the Liao Princess’s miscarriage. Moreover, it’s not only a spice used in incense making; it can also be used in cooking.” Chu Han looked at Jin Miaomiao. “Right?”

“That’s true, but,” Jin Miaomiao thought for a moment, then gently shook her head, “it’s hard to say.”

"What I mean by 'not so good' is," Shen Cha glanced at Jin Miaomiao, "that those two maids and the wet nurse might not necessarily be the culprits?"

“The culprit is definitely there. Mustard is a difficult substance to obtain, and the fact that they were able to get their hands on it means that the people behind them are quite capable. However, to confirm that it was caused by mustard, I need to ask a question.” Jin Miaomiao looked at Xiao Fengqi. “This question may be a bit presumptuous, but I have to ask it.”

"Lord Jin, please ask. If I know the answer, I will certainly tell you everything I know."

"When the Princess of Liao passed away, was she emaciated? Before she passed away, did she eat a lot but always feel hungry?"

Upon hearing Jin Miaomiao's words, Xiao Fengqi looked at her in disbelief and shock.

"Yes, that's exactly it. How did you know, Lord Jin?"

"Just as I guessed." Jin Miaomiao sneered. "The concubine's family is quite cunning. I wonder where they learned it from." She looked at Xiao Fengqi, who was anxious, and gestured for him to calm down. After she felt that his emotions had calmed down a little, she continued, "Mustard is just a catalyst. Its role in this is only to induce."

"Inducement?" Xiao Fengqi was taken aback. "So, it can trigger other things to play their role, right?"

“That’s right, that’s exactly what I mean.” Jin Miaomiao smiled. “To say that it was the culprit that caused the Liao Princess’s miscarriage would be a bit unfair. The main cause was the ingredients used in the food, drinks, and perfumes on the clothes that the Liao Princess ate and drank.”

“But,” Xiao Fengqi looked at the Third Grandfather, “we also invited the old man to come and see, but he didn’t see anything wrong.”

“That’s different. My martial uncle is a doctor, and this falls under the category of poisons. You’re looking for the wrong person.” Jin Miaomiao held up a finger and shook it gently. “You should be looking for my master, but he was here at that time.”

"I see." Xiao Fengqi sighed. "But all these actions are actually related, right?"

“Yes.” Jin Miaomiao nodded. “But their purpose is not solely based on that.”

"What do you mean?" Xiao Fengqi frowned slightly. "Is it related to the question you just asked me?"

"Yes, when mustard is combined with other spices or medicinal herbs, it can form a poison that can not only cause miscarriage in pregnant women, but can also hide in the body and is not easy to detect. This poison is very insidious, and doctors and physicians who are not proficient in toxicology will basically not be able to detect it. You think it is a problem with mustard, but it is just a symptom."

"If this poison forms, will it be long-term?" Shen Cha looked at Jin Miaomiao. "The kind that slowly invades the bone marrow?" "Yes, it invades the internal organs and bone marrow." Jin Miaomiao sighed, poured herself a cup of hot tea, took a couple of sips, and said, "With this method, it definitely won't take just a few months, but a very, very long time." She looked at Xiao Fengqi, "It would take at least seventeen or eighteen years to achieve the state where the Princess of Liao was so emaciated when she passed away, remaining thin no matter how much she ate. However, you don't need to worry, this poison won't affect Young Master Lan. I checked his pulse before; he's in good health and there's nothing seriously wrong."

"Thank you, Lord Jin. Now I don't have to worry anymore." Xiao Fengqi clasped his hands in a fist salute to Jin Miaomiao and said, "However, Lord Jin just said that it would take at least seventeen or eighteen years for this poison to reach this level, right?" Seeing Jin Miaomiao nod, he counted on his fingers, "When the Princess passed away, she should have been under thirty years old, which means she started using it when she was eleven or twelve?"

“Not just,” Jin Miaomiao held out a hand. “It should be a year or two earlier, around nine or ten years old.” She sighed softly. “This poison… how should I put it? If the princess is in poor health, she will pass away much earlier, appearing as if she has a terminal illness. If the princess is in good health, the poison will take effect when her body is weak, like this miscarriage.” She looked at Xiao Fengqi. “The death of the little prince this time must have caused the princess’s health to deteriorate further, right?”

“Yes!” Xiao Fengqi nodded. “Anyway, she wasn’t doing well. She was often sick, but the treatment only made her worse. Later, the old man stepped in and used expensive medicinal herbs, which improved the princess’s condition. Not long after, news spread that the princess was pregnant.”

"Is this Young Master Lan?"

“Yes!” Xiao Fengqi looked at Jin Miaomiao. “It’s been about two or three years since that miscarriage.”

"It's never been like this before?"

"Probably, there's no record of it in the files." Xiao Fengqi spread his hands helplessly. "I'm young, so I'm not really sure."

"That's true." Jin Miaomiao nodded. "And then?"

"You'll know what happened next. Not long after giving birth to Prince Lan, the Princess passed away. By then, the two young princes already held real power, had established their own residences outside the palace, and had many supporters in the court. After the Princess's death, they gathered a group of their own followers and petitioned the late King, requesting that their mother be made the principal wife. However, the late King refused. Not only did he refuse, but he also scolded the two princes and their followers. The two princes were punished by being sent to guard the royal mausoleum for a month, and their followers were confined to their quarters for a month and had their salaries reduced by half a year."

"It wasn't particularly ruthless."

"It was because he wasn't ruthless that things went wrong. Because the Queen Consort passed away, all affairs in the palace were decided by the Consort, so Young Master Lan lived a life of mistreatment from a young age. Although the late King felt sorry for him, he didn't express it because he realized that if he showed any favoritism or care for Young Master Lan, Young Master Lan's life would become even more difficult."

"So, in other words, the three of them, mother and sons, will vent the anger they suffered at the hands of the late King Liao on Young Master Lan, right?"

“That’s right.” Xiao Fengqi nodded. “This is the late king’s dilemma. It’s not that he didn’t care about Young Master Lan, but he couldn’t show it too obviously. If it were too obvious, it would only harm him. But he knew that his most beloved son was suffering, and it was impossible for him not to take revenge. So he began to plot, making the two sons of his concubine turn against each other and kill each other for the throne.”

"The results of it?"

"These two young princes lived up to expectations, and in this daily infighting, they both suffered heavy losses."