Chapter Forty-Two: The Trouble Caused by Picking Up What Isn't Yours

It turned out that Gongsun You, after some inexplicable enmity arose between her and Jiang Bo, began to harbor suspicions about Wang Wan’s second uncle. The “Treatise on Yue Yi” had been stolen by the Wang family’s ancestors from the hands of Princess Anle and Princess Taiping. At that time, the political situation was chaotic; the throne was not controlled by the emperor, but by three women: Empress Wei, Princess Anle, and Princess Taiping. The Wang family had risked annihilation to steal it, devising a foolproof plan. After acquiring the treatise, they used a decoy—a copy of the “Treatise on Yue Yi”—as bait, burning it in the stove, while the genuine manuscript was taken away by a Wang descendant who hid, living incognito in a remote mountain village.

Thus, the world believed the “Treatise on Yue Yi” had been destroyed, and the original no longer existed. If not for someone leaking its existence, and the fact that Wang Wan possessed it, Jiang Bo would never have targeted them.

Wang Wan’s father had always cared deeply for the Gongsun sisters, especially one year when the head of their troupe fell gravely ill. Wang Wan’s father, out of kindness, summoned a physician and paid the expenses, saving the troupe leader’s life. To the Gongsun sisters, this kindness was greater than the sky itself. Even after fulfilling Wang Wan’s father’s request to escort her safely to Ji City, they decided to go above and beyond, ensuring her safety before resting easy.

Gongsun You secretly investigated Wang Wan’s second uncle. Her frequent trips in and out of the city were for this purpose, and she indeed discovered something amiss.

During a bout of drunkenness, Wang Wan’s second uncle inadvertently revealed the existence of the “Treatise on Yue Yi.” Jiang Bo, upon learning this, quickly took control of him; however, the uncle did not know where Wang Wan and her father were hiding, so the matter was temporarily set aside. It wasn’t until Wang Wan’s father, before his death, sent a letter to Ji City and asked him to look after Wang Wan that he learned their whereabouts.

Wang Wan herself grew suspicious of her second uncle and hid the “Treatise on Yue Yi” in a place only she knew.

Jiang Bo captured Wang Wan and subjected her to torture, forcing her to reveal the location of the treatise.

Gongsun You, through discreet investigation, found Jiang Bo’s residence and confirmed Wang Wan’s imprisonment, then infiltrated the manor with Gongsun Xi as planned. According to their agreement, Gongsun Xi would keep watch while Gongsun You rescued Wang Wan. While Gongsun You was freeing Wang Wan, Gongsun Xi, driven by curiosity, decided to steal back the “Treatise on Yue Yi,” which was Wang Wan’s family treasure.

Gongsun You found Wang Wan, but it was already too late. Wang Wan, a young maiden, had suffered severe torture: two fingers amputated, three gashes across her face, and one ear cut off. Unable to endure, she had taken her own life.

The two sisters were discovered as they reunited and escaped Jiang Bo’s residence together.

Upon returning to the inn, Gongsun You discovered that deep within the wooden box containing the “Treatise on Yue Yi,” there was a small vial of medicine. During her investigation of Jiang Bo, she had overheard that they were working for Princess Taiping, intending to purchase something from the distant Northeast, from the Capricorn tribe. The “Treatise on Yue Yi” was an unexpected windfall, and they planned to present both items to Princess Taiping to win her favor.

Only then did Gongsun You realize the gravity of the situation. She hurriedly dragged Gongsun Xi out of the inn and hid in Li Wuyi’s mansion.

Pei Min, after hearing the whole story, glanced at Gongsun Xi.

Gongsun Xi glared back, “What are you looking at? It’s not my fault. Blame that fat fool. I just wanted to retrieve the ‘Treatise on Yue Yi’—how was I supposed to know he’d hidden a bottle of poison at the bottom of the box?”

Pei Min rubbed his forehead in silent exasperation. “How potent is the poison?”

Gongsun You replied, “Very strong. It has a sweet scent, much like honey. I didn’t know it was poison at first, so I tested it on a chicken. Just a drop, and within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, it died. As for its effects on humans, I’m not sure.”

A sweet scent, death within the time of a tea—truly formidable!

Pei Min knew little about poisons of this era, but he was aware of certain facts. The deadly poisons that appear on television and in martial arts novels—those that control minds, make life worse than death, kill instantly upon contact, or are colorless and tasteless—are mostly myths. Ancient times lacked advanced technology for refining medicines; efficacy was based on experience, and their understanding was far inferior to modern chemistry with its sophisticated instruments. Many legendary poisons cannot be made even today, let alone in antiquity.

History records many such cases: for instance, in this very era, Wang Shichong sent men to poison Emperor Yang Tong, but Yang Tong drank bottle after bottle of poison as if it were water, yet remained unharmed. Wang Renzhe, desperate, had to strangle him instead. Similarly, just a few years ago, Emperor Zhongzong, after purging five princes and implicating Chancellor Yuan Shuyi, forced Yuan to drink poison—he drank every drop and survived, and was ultimately beaten to death. In the future, during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, Wang Ju, who participated in the execution of Princess Taiping and was ennobled as Duke of Zhao, feared the cruel official Luo Xishi’s persecution, attempted suicide by poison, failed, and finally hanged himself.

Clearly, the lack of scientific extraction methods meant ancient poisons varied in purity, and it was nearly impossible to achieve instant death by contact or ingestion. If such poisons existed, they were exceedingly rare and precious. There were indeed potent poisons, but these were highly corrosive, emitting nauseating odors—only a fool would fall for such a trap.

Yet the poison Gongsun Xi had stolen was both potent and carried a sweet fragrance, lacking the pungency typical of strong poisons. This was truly rare.

Such a poison was indeed a deadly weapon for murder!

Pei Min, upon hearing Gongsun You’s account, felt a trace of fear in his heart.

Who was Princess Taiping…? The emperor’s own sister, the most powerful woman in the Tang Dynasty. Prime Ministers Song Jing and Yao Yuanzhi, for merely offending her, received only a mild rebuke from Li Longji, but as Crown Prince, Li Longji was so terrified he personally drove both ministers from court. With her methods, dealing with even a prime minister was merely a matter of a word.

Who would need her to use such a rare and precious poison to assassinate in secret?

The answer was obvious.

In Princess Taiping’s hands, the vial was a poison; in theirs, it was a ticking bomb—one misstep and they would be destroyed.

“You’ve taken this poison, Jiang Bo will not let it go! I suspect Jiang Bo, fearing responsibility, hasn’t informed Princess Taiping yet, so she hasn’t intervened. But if this drags on and she gets involved, things will become even more complicated. We need to find a way to resolve this quickly.” Realizing the severity of the situation, Pei Min paced anxiously in the courtyard.

Gongsun Xi, seeing Pei Min’s expression and thinking of her predicament, couldn’t help but grumble, “Damn it, if I’d known things would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have meddled. I don’t even care about that treatise—let anyone have it for all I care.”

Pei Min, hearing her complaint, suddenly smiled. “I have a solution. You’ll have to endure for a few more days, but I know how to break this deadlock.”