Chapter 82: I, Mo Jiuye, Am the Legitimate Descendant of the Mo Family

Chapter 82: I, Mo Jiuye, Am the Legitimate Descendant of the Mo Family

He Zhiran deliberately swayed the wine flask in her hand and said, "Your Highness, the wine is finished."

At that moment, Nan Qi wished he could kick He Zhiran out of the window with one swift kick. However, he still hadn't achieved his goal, so he had to endure it.

"Someone, bring another flask of wine."

Unfortunately, the next flask wouldn't be the yin yang wine flask anymore.

Nan Qi thought that once the new flask arrived, He Zhiran wouldn't have to hold onto the yin yang wine flask, and he would find an opportunity to pour the poisoned wine into Jiuye's cup.

To his surprise, He Zhiran didn't play by the rules and refused to serve them wine...

Not only that, but she placed the flask next to her.

"After all this hustle and bustle, I'm actually quite hungry."

With a grin, she started to devour the dishes on the table.

Nan Qi was almost driven to distraction by He Zhiran's behavior.

For the sake of maintaining the bigger picture, he suppressed his anger and continued toasting with Mo Jiuye.

Feeling that the time was ripe, Mo Jiuye took the initiative to speak up:

"Do you still remember the crescent-shaped birthmark on my left shoulder?"

Slightly tipsy, Nan Qi nodded. "Of course I do. When we were kids, we used to sneak into Father's hot springs for a bath. I even commented that your birthmark was rather unique."

Observing Nan Qi's facial expressions carefully, Mo Jiuye continued,

"Are you aware of the significance behind that birthmark?"

Raising an eyebrow, Nan Qi replied, "It's just a birthmark. How could it have any significance?"

In a grave voice, Mo Jiuye said, "It's an exclusive mark of the Mo family's male lineage. Every male descendant of the Mo family is born with that crescent-shaped birthmark on their left shoulder."

Nan Qi was taken aback.

"You say this is a unique birthmark found only on the males of the Mo family?"

"Indeed, the crescent-shaped birthmark is a distinctive symbol for a male member of the Mo family," Mo Jiuye affirmed.

Nan Qi had already fallen into deep thought. He wondered why Mo Jiuye would bring up the topic of birthmarks. Could it be that he had discovered something?

Very soon, Nan Qi dismissed this possibility. If not for overhearing the conversation in his mother's palace by chance, no one except his mother and her two trusted maidservants would have known about this secret.

It was unlikely that Mo Jiuye knew the reason behind his assassination attempt.

Yet, why would Mo Jiuye suddenly mention his birthmark?

Intent on understanding Mo Jiuye's intentions, Nan Qi posed the same question.

Mo Jiuye had chosen to bring up the matter of the birthmark in hopes of clearing the misunderstandings between him and Nan Qi.

"I'm telling you this to make it clear that I, Mo Jiuye, am the legitimate descendant of the Mo family. There's no possibility that I've been switched at birth."

Nan Qi's expression completely changed at this.

"What do you actually know?"

Mo Jiuye remained unperturbed as usual.

"Although we can no longer be the close friends who shared everything like before, I, Mo Jiuye, have always been an upright man. Especially with you, I don't wish for any misunderstandings to arise.

I believe my words have been clear enough. I also hope that the object of my hatred doesn't include you."

Pausing, Mo Jiuye stood up. "That's all I have to say. You're a smart person, so I trust you'll understand."

Seeing Mo Jiuye about to leave, Nan Qi immediately blocked his way.

"Wait, clarify things before you go."

Mo Jiuye had already led He Zhiran to the door. Hearing Nan Qi's voice, they halted in their steps. Mo Jiuye turned around. "Isn't what I said clear enough?"

Nan Qi remained unwavering in his persistence.

"Tell me, what do you know?"

Mo Jiuye was now certain that He Zhiran's revelation about the possibility of Nan Qi being switched was true, and that Nan Qi's attempt on his life was indeed connected to this matter.

Although he had clarified the misunderstanding about the switch, he had also exposed his knowledge of their secret, providing a reason for them to pursue him regardless.

With no other choice, Mo Jiuye reluctantly returned to his seat.

"What I can tell you now is that I've known about this since I was very young. I've always treated you as a brother, and I've never mentioned it to anyone else, regardless of the truth. If not for your attempt on my life by sending assassins, I wouldn't have brought this up even if I were facing you directly."

Nan Qi buried his face in his hands, his eyes now bloodshot.

To prevent Nan Qi from acting recklessly, He Zhiran casually picked up the yin-yang wine flask on the table. In front of Nan Qi, she activated the hidden mechanism, pouring a cup of poisoned wine.

"Your Highness Prince Qi, this flask of yours is indeed exquisite. I suppose it must be worth a fortune, right?"

Nan Qi widened his eyes in disbelief, staring at He Zhiran.

"You..."

He Zhiran smiled, but the mirth didn't reach her eyes.

"Prince Qi has gone to great lengths to take my husband's life. I assume obtaining this Double Mandarin Duck wine flask was no easy feat, correct?"

Nan Qi almost spat out a mouthful of blood. If not for his fear of Mo Jiuye, he would have killed this detestable woman without hesitation.

Ignoring Nan Qi's murderous gaze, He Zhiran casually retrieved a small packet from her sleeve.

She opened the packet to reveal white powder inside.

"Has Your Highness heard of a poison called Seven Days Reversal?"

Incredulously, Nan Qi pointed at the packet of powder. "This is Seven Days Reversal?"

The Seven Days Down poison was exceedingly precious in the Great Smooth kingdom – it was undoubtedly the most subtle way to take someone's life.

As the name implied, those who were poisoned by it would not experience any discomfort. They would die on the seventh day without showing any prior symptoms.

Not even doctors could determine the cause of death.

Just thinking about this, Nan Qi felt a chill run down his spine. If he had truly been poisoned, there would have been no escape...

He Zhiran did not directly answer but countered with a question, "If I had just put this powder into your wine glass, who would know that you died by my hand?"

Pausing for a moment, she continued, "If my husband hadn't spared you out of brotherly affection, do you think you would still be alive to see the eighth day?"

In reality, the powder in He Zhiran's hand was merely ordinary flour. She had indeed heard of the Seven Days Down poison, but she didn't possess its formula, and besides, she knew it was so rare that it was almost impossible to purchase.

Her intention was to make Nan Qi understand that they had no intention of killing him, let alone revealing his secrets.

Although Mo Jiuye was unaware of where He Zhiran obtained the Seven Days Down, he seized the opportunity to say,

"With my capabilities, it wouldn't be difficult to make you ingest this poison silently."

Considering the affection we once shared, I'll let you off today. I hope you will do the same in return."

Hearing both perspectives, Nan Qi had no choice but to reconsider the trustworthiness between him and Mo Jiuye.

From every angle of analysis, what Mo Jiuye said seemed genuine.

Firstly, he knew Mo Jiuye's character well - he was an upright and honest gentleman.

Mo Jiuye had known his secrets for a long time but had never divulged them to anyone else.

This not only demonstrated that Mo Jiuye had protected him in the past but also strongly suggested that the one who switched places with him was indeed not Mo Jiuye.