The Dark Moonlight returns to the capital, and the mad prince is accused of forcing love.

The iron gate outside the prison slowly closed behind me, the dull sound carrying far through the night.

Xu Qianhui stepped onto the carriage using a footstool, and before she could even lower the curtain, she moved closer to Shen Huaijin, who was already sitting inside.

"Little Huaihuai, Granny Fang died so suddenly, is there really no sign of anything unusual?"

Shen Huaijin was tidying up the silver needles in his medicine box when he heard this. He looked up, a hint of helplessness in his clear and gentle eyes.

"You promised you wouldn't call me that."

"Can you stop focusing on these little things?"

Xu Qianhui reached out and lowered the carriage curtain, snatched the silver needles from his hand, and threw them back into the medicine box.

"I'm seriously asking you about something important."

Shen Huaijin was already used to her ability to go back on her word.

He closed the medicine box lid and slowly said, "Granny Fang didn't die from ordinary heart palpitations. She was murdered."

Xu Qianhui's face showed an expression of "I knew it".

She lowered her voice and asked, "Is it poisoning?"

Shen Huaijin nodded.

"I knew it." Xu Qianhui pursed her lips. "The Prince An's men really acted quickly."

Shen Huaijin looked at her, shook his head and sighed softly.

"No, they are from the Duke's mansion."

People from the Duke's mansion?

How is that possible?

Xu Qianhui's expression suddenly froze.

Granny Fang was an old woman who had served the old lady for forty years, and everyone in the mansion had to give her some respect.

Even though she was imprisoned because of Fang Changgui, she was still the old lady's confidante.

Who would dare to take her life at this critical juncture, and what gives them the right to anger the old lady?

Could it be that the Prince An's heir bribed other people in the mansion?

No, that's not right.

The fact that Granny Fang was taken away by Lin Zuoqing was a secret, and few people knew about it. It would have been difficult for servants to obtain this information in such a short time. It was even more impossible for them to know where she was being held overnight and to arrange an assassination.

Those who can act so quickly must be people in the Duke's mansion who have access to information.

Thinking of this, Xu Qianhui turned to stare at Shen Huaijin: "How did you know they were from the Duke's mansion?"

Shen Huaijin did not answer immediately. He simply pushed the car window open a crack to make sure no one was outside before taking out a handkerchief from his sleeve and placing it on the small table.

Then, he took out another bottle of senna juice and poured it onto the handkerchief.

As the handkerchief gradually turned an eerie dark red, he said slowly, "Granny Fang inhaled an excessive amount of datura smoke. This substance will not kill a person immediately, but it can cause palpitations and shortness of breath. If the person is old and weak, it will look like a sudden acute illness."

Xu Qianhui's gaze fell on the discolored handkerchief, and her breathing gradually became shallower.

Shen Huaijin continued, "The window of the cell where she was held faced the alleyway, and there was a very faint smell of burning bitterness lingering in the cracks of the window. The person who poisoned her had a very precise amount, enough to leave no obvious signs of poisoning, but also enough to make her not survive the day."

As he finished speaking, his eyes gradually turned cold.

"Last night, someone came to Huichuntang to buy datura pollen. Uncle Wang refused to sell it, but the other party showed his Duke's mansion badge and gave him a thousand taels of hush money."

The carriage suddenly fell silent, with only the sound of wheels rolling over the stone slabs, each sound grinding against Xu Qianhui's heart.

A sudden chill ran down her back, as if someone had drained all her strength from her spine.

"What if... what if it wasn't datura smoke?" Her throat tightened, trying to grasp at the last shred of hope: "You know, datura can be used in medicine. Maybe that person took the medicine for some other purpose, and it might not be related to Granny Fang's death."

"Xiaofen."

Shen Huaijin reached out and pressed her shoulder, his gaze fixed on her pale face.

"There are no 'what ifs,' no 'what ifs.' When you return to the manor, tell that old woman exactly what I told Minister Lin. You absolutely must not investigate on your own initiative, much less take any risks. Do you understand?"

His expression was serious, without a trace of joking.

Xu Qianhui panicked completely.

She abruptly shook off Shen Huaijin, her eyes bloodshot, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"That has absolutely nothing to do with what I say!"

"This matter has already implicated Uncle Wang, do you understand? Do you understand! Since they dared to kill Granny Fang, they won't leave a single person who has seen the waist token alive!"

"No, go back and tell Uncle Wang to leave immediately. Don't pack anything, just leave!"

In her eyes, even if everyone in the Duke's mansion died, it wouldn't be worth a single hair on Uncle Wang's head.

Then she looked at Shen Huaijin and said, "And you too, you have to leave. None of you can stay at Huichuntang anymore."

Seeing that her eyes were unfocused and unsteady, Shen Huaijin pulled her in front of him.

"Xiao Hui, Xiao Hui! Look at me, look at me!"

Xu Qianhui did not react, but tears were already rolling down her cheeks.

He raised his hand to hold her face, his voice low and deep: "Xiao Hui, trust me, nothing will happen. I won't let anything happen to Uncle Wang."

As Xu Qianhui looked at Shen Huaijin's magnified face, her unfocused pupils finally began to focus little by little.

"Why wouldn't they?" She looked up, her voice breaking from crying. "Only the dead can keep secrets. They won't let Uncle Wang go. If anything happens to you, what difference is there between that and taking my life?"

She lost her mother, lost her younger brother, and killed her own father, who was worse than a beast, with her own hands.

In this world, apart from Uncle Wang Qingyi and Shen Huaijin, she had no other relatives.

There are none left.

They were all her weaknesses...

Shen Huaijin remained silent for a moment, and for the first time, he did not try to reason with her.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms, who was on the verge of collapse. He rested his chin on the top of her head and his voice softened.

"Okay, I'll do as you say."

He gently stroked her back, soothing her softly, "Okay, I'll listen to you. When we get back, I'll have Uncle Wang pack his things and go find my master."

"you......"

"On the surface, I'm just an itinerant doctor who only sees patients at Huichuntang during the day. I'm perfectly safe. It's you who's safe."

Shen Huaijin waited until her breathing stabilized before continuing, "You must calm down. Fang Mama's death has nothing to do with you; you only need to take your conclusions back with you. Now, what you should think about most is who in the Duke's mansion has the ability and the need to do this to silence her."

His words acted like a calming drug, instantly stopping Xu Qianhui's tears and pulling her mind out of extreme panic, prompting her to start thinking rapidly.

Shen Huaijin is right.

I have nothing to do with this matter, so Qingyi must be safe.

Uncle Wang will be safe as long as he leaves immediately.

As for who could do this...

Xu Qianhui bit her lower lip, forcing herself to start taking stock.

First of all, it's impossible for the Duke and his wife to be together.

Fang Changgui nearly killed Lin Zuoqing at the polo match, and they wished they could tear him to pieces. They would never give a thousand taels of silver to settle the score with someone who wanted to kill their son.

Lin Rulan was the same.

All that's left is the second wife and...

Xu Qianhui sat up abruptly, tears still clinging to her eyelashes, but the panic in her eyes had been replaced by a chill.

She looked up, her gaze passing over the dimly lit carriage, and met Shen Huaijin's clear, bright eyes.

The voice was calm yet firm.

"It's her. She's colluding with the Prince of An's heir."