Chapter 770 An Zhenzhen Poisoned

Chapter 770: An Zhenzhen Poisoned

Xingxing didn’t mind at all: "No worries—the mountain doesn’t belong to us. If they want to go, let them. No need to shut others out just for us."

Qiu Yuansang praised, "How generous of you, Your Highness... Then I'll pass that along."

She lifted the carriage curtain and said to Young Master Ning outside, "Her Highness says it’s no trouble."

Young Master Ning on horseback immediately smiled and clasped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you, Your Highness."

He rode off to share the good news with his fellow poets.

Qiu Yuansang muttered, "How childish," and chuckled as she lowered the curtain.

Inside the carriage, Luo Qingrou was already softly asking Xingxing, "Your Highness, I’ve brought a veiled hat. Would you like to wear it later?"

Xingxing replied, "With such beautiful scenery, why wear a veiled hat?"

After a pause, she glanced at Luo Qingrou and asked carefully, "Are men and women kept strictly apart here?"

Luo Qingrou smiled. "Not really. In small places like ours, there aren’t many formalities. It’s common for men and women to travel together... I was just thinking since Your Highness is from the capital, it might feel strange to you."

Xingxing nodded. "That’s thoughtful of you."

Qiu Yuansang’s smile stiffened slightly.

Luo Qingrou had earned Her Highness’s praise again.

Qiu Yuansang couldn’t help but give Luo Qingrou another look.

She’s too eager to please!

Then again, as a cousin just lodging at the prefect’s manor, without some tact, she wouldn’t be living so comfortably.

Qiu Yuansang averted her gaze and cheerfully began highlighting Yuting Mountain’s famous sights to Xingxing.

When they were still some distance from the mountaintop, the carriage couldn’t climb any higher. Xingxing and the others got out and continued on foot.

At the summit of Yuting Mountain stood a villa built during the previous dynasty.

However, the wealthy family funding its construction had suffered a tragedy, leaving the project unfinished. Over the years, wind and weather had crumbled the incomplete structures into ruins, choked with vines and weeds.

Later, an Anjiang Prefect, fond of landscapes, had an elegant pavilion built amidst the ruins to complement the name "Yuting Mountain."

The pavilion was spacious; it could fit a dozen people comfortably.

Young women often ate in the pavilion, enjoyed the mountain views, and then descended.

When Xingxing’s group arrived, the young men of the Green Hill Poetry Society had already found a flat area among the ruins. Their attendants had laid out seating, and the group was now composing poetry amidst the vine-covered remnants, making for a lively scene.

Among them, Xingxing spotted a familiar face—who else but Pang Jinkang, the only son of Prefect Pang.

It caught her off guard.

Pang Jinkang was holding court among the crowd, a far cry from his usual self.

Noticing Xingxing’s gaze, Qiu Yuansang also saw Pang Jinkang and remarked with a smile, "Oh, isn’t that Young Master Pang? Your Highness, don’t be fooled by his laid-back act—he’s got real talent."

Xingxing said, "Oh? Really?"

Qiu Yuansang smiled. "It's true. My betrothed is sitting for the imperial exams next year, and he told me that Young Master Pang is exceptionally gifted. It's just that his heart lies in wandering nature—otherwise, he would have already secured a scholarly rank."

Xingxing couldn't help but raise an eyebrow again.

Really?

In her previous interactions with Pang Jinkang, she’d seen no trace of scholarly brilliance.

Seeing Xingxing’s half-smile, Qiu Yuansang thought she had genuinely taken an interest in Pang Jinkang and quickly added, "I’m not lying. Master Pang is truly remarkable. Even the Magistrate's Wife remarked that he should hone his skills further before sitting for the exams, as it would be more prudent."

Xingxing raised a skeptical brow but said nothing more.

Servants swiftly laid out the fruits and sweets they had brought on the stone table in the pavilion and poured tea for the ladies.

Qing Shuang, standing at the back with nothing to do, pulled a treat from her sleeve and took small, careful bites.

An Zhenzhen, sitting opposite, noticed and exclaimed, "Ah!" She laughed, "My lady! Your handmaid is snacking!"

An Zhenzhen stood up and approached. "Dear sister, what’s that you’re eating? It looks delicious!"

Qing Shuang wasn’t usually stingy, and under normal circumstances, she would have gladly shared.

But this pastry had been bought for her by Yu Yonggui.

This one, she couldn’t bear to part with.

Qing Shuang dusted her hands clean. "This was given to me by someone else. I can’t share it."

An Zhenzhen puckered her lips in mock offense. "Sister, I wasn’t asking for a piece. I was just curious."

As she spoke, she casually picked up a pastry from the plate in front of Xingxing. "This one looks tasty too."

She quickly tossed it into her mouth.

"So good..." Before she could finish her praise, her face twisted abruptly.

Her face turned slightly purple, and she clutched her throat as if trying to speak, staggering but unable to utter a word.

An Zhenzhen’s maid cried out in alarm, "Miss!"

Xingxing abruptly stood up, took An Zhenzhen’s hand, and checked her pulse.

By now, white foam was seeping from the corners of An Zhenzhen’s mouth. If not for her two maids desperately holding her up, she would have collapsed.

Xingxing withdrew her hand, retrieved a pill from the pouch at her waist, and pressed it between An Zhenzhen’s lips.

An Zhenzhen’s maid was beside herself with worry but didn’t dare question what Xingxing had given her.

"Help her sit and rest first," Xingxing instructed.

An Zhenzhen’s maids quickly half-dragged her to a nearby bench.

Qiu Yuansang shook like a leaf. "An Zhenzhen, what’s wrong? How could this come out of the blue...?"

With her face turning purple and foam at her mouth, it looked unmistakably like...

Xingxing stated flatly, "Yes, she’s been poisoned."

Luo Qingrou covered her mouth in shock, exclaiming, "...Just now, An Zhenzhen ate from the plate of pastries in front of Junzhu..."

At these words, everyone's expressions changed.

Someone had tried to poison the Junzhu?!

Qing Shuang immediately stepped in front of Xingxing.

Xingxing said softly, "There’s no need for alarm."

She picked up a piece of the pastry from the plate in front of her, using a handkerchief as a barrier.

Xingxing examined its scent closely, then broke off a small piece, crushed it into powder, and sniffed it again.

She frowned.

The others watched with bated breath.

Xingxing then touched a bit with her fingertip and tasted it.

"Junzhu!"

Luo Qingrou went pale in horror and rushed forward, "You shouldn’t have tasted that! You—"

Qiu Yuansang, not wanting to be left behind, hurried over anxiously, "Junzhu, spit it out now—it could be poisoned!"

Qing Shuang held both of them back, preventing them from approaching Xingxing.

With the situation unclear, if there really was poison, these two young ladies could very well be the culprits!

Qing Shuang would never let suspicious individuals near Xingxing!

Xingxing tested the flavor cautiously before examining the other pastries on the plate. Finally, she spoke, "It's fine, no need to worry. There’s no poison in these pastries."

"Not poisoned?" Luo Qingrou was bewildered. "Then... how did An Zhenzhen get poisoned? She only drank a few sips of tea earlier, and everyone had some of that tea too."

Qiu Yuansang speculated further, "...Or perhaps, to avoid suspicion, the poison was only applied to the pastry closest to the Junzhu?"

She immediately glared at a maid. "I remember, you were the one who arranged and served this plate of pastries."

The maid dropped to her knees with a loud thud, terrified out of her wits. "This servant, I’d never dare to poison the Junzhu! This servant, where would I get the courage to commit such a crime!"

This was a crime punishable by death!

The disturbance near Xingxing had naturally caught the attention of the scholars from the Green Hill Poetry Society gathering nearby.

The ones who approached were Pang Jinkang and Young Master Ning, who had previously greeted Qiu Yuansang.

Pang Jinkang approached, first paying respects to Xingxing. "Junzhu, is something amiss here?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed An Zhenzhen lying unconscious on the bench in the pavilion.

An Zhenzhen had taken Xingxing's antidote, so her face was less purple now, and she had stopped foaming at the mouth. Yet her unconsciousness remained troubling.

"This... this is..."

Xingxing stated coolly, "Someone was poisoned."

Pang Jinkang’s face twisted in shock. "Poisoned?!"

Luo Qingrou clutched her handkerchief, her delicate face pale: "Cousin, just now Sister An came over to joke with the maids of the princess and casually took a piece of pastry from the plate in front of the princess to eat. Then... she was poisoned..."

Pang Jinkang's face twisted in shock and dismay: "How dare someone attempt to poison the princess?!"

"Princess, this matter is of grave importance. I shall arrange for your immediate escort back to the prefect's residence, and we will conduct a thorough investigation!"

Pang Jinkang seemed quite different from his usual simple and awkward demeanor, appearing much more decisive now.

However, this decisiveness struck Xingxing as somewhat too deliberate—as if he were eager to display his competence before her.

Xingxing remained noncommittal.

With such a poisoning incident nearly costing a life, it was naturally impossible to continue the outing. They had to return and conduct a proper investigation.

Pang Jinkang began directing everyone—some to pack up and secure evidence, others to escort Xingxing down the mountain, while attendants carried An Zhenzhen.

Everything was well-organized.

Qiu Yuansang couldn't help but praise, "Thank goodness for Young Master Pang. Otherwise, I would have been scared out of my wits."

Xingxing couldn't resist glancing at Qiu Yuansang.

This Miss Qiu couldn't stop singing Pang Jinkang's praises all day.

As their group made their way toward the carriages, of all things, they encountered a cascade of falling rocks rolling down beside them, blocking their way back to the carriages.

Young Master Ning was startled, his forehead beaded with cold sweat: "The recent heavy rains loosened many rocks on the mountain. It's fortunate we weren't here earlier—otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

As he spoke, intermittent rocks continued tumbling down, forcing the group to retreat. At least the crumbling ruins at the mountaintop would shield them from falling debris.

An Zhenzhen's maid was nearly in tears: "But what about our young lady?"

"No need to worry," Xingxing reassured, checking An Zhenzhen's pulse again. "She took my antidote pills earlier and will be fine."

The maid finally relaxed slightly, profusely thanking Xingxing.

The group returned to the mountaintop pavilion to regroup.

However, after An Zhenzhen's incident, the others were jittery, too wary to casually eat any more pastries.

The scouts returned with news that rockfalls were still occurring sporadically. For the safety of the distinguished guests, they advised waiting until the next day to descend.

"Tomorrow...?"

Qiu Yuansang looked uneasy. "Does that mean we'll have to stay overnight on the mountaintop?"

Though it was summertime, Anjiang, nestled among the mountains, had a typically pleasant climate, but at night, the temperature would inevitably drop.

While they had brought blankets for warmth, still...

Qiu Yuansang turned to Xingxing with concern: "The princess is of such noble standing—how can she possibly spend the night exposed on the mountaintop?"

"That shouldn't be a problem," Pang Jinkang interjected. "Earlier, while scouting for our planned gathering, we found a few intact rooms among the crumbling ruins. The servants mentioned that with some tidying, they can serve as temporary shelter—at least providing protection from the elements."

He looked at Xingxing. "Given the frequent rockfalls, descending now risks the carriages being struck. Making do with one night's stay here is the safer choice. What does the princess say?"

Xingxing thought for a moment. "Agreed."

Pang Jinkang broke into a smile. "Since the princess approves, I'll have them prepared at once."

Qiu Yuansang watched Pang Jinkang's retreating figure and remarked admiringly to Xingxing, "Young Master Pang is truly dependable and composed. If it weren't for him, I can't even imagine what would've happened..."

Xingxing silently thought to herself, There goes Miss Qiu with her praises again.

...

The condition of the ruins at the mountaintop was in much better shape than they'd imagined.

It seemed someone had previously done some repairs, as among the ruins, there were actually a few rooms with intact doors and windows, containing beds, tables, and chairs inside.

Only the wooden beds remained, with no bedding or similar items.

But this wasn't really a problem. As a noblewoman traveling, Magistrate's Wife Luo Shi had arranged for everything but the kitchen sink. Spare blankets and other miscellaneous items filled an entire carriage.

Since the doors and windows were tightly shut, barely any dust or wind got into the rooms. Several maids wrapped their heads in cloth and swept vigorously. Within half an hour, the rooms were decent enough to stay in.

The maids then laid out blankets and soft pillows to create a makeshift bed for resting.

"My lady, you've been exhausted all day. Please rest for a while."

Aside from Xingxing's personal maid, the accompanying maids—those serving Luo Qingrou, Qiu Yuansang, and An Zhenzhen—as well as the few general-duty maids, were all arranged by Magistrate's Wife Luo Shi and were highly efficient.

One even brought a basin of warm water for Xingxing to wash up.

They really thought of everything.

Xingxing didn’t turn it down and washed her face.

"I’ll go check on An Zhenzhen’s condition."

The maids assigned by Magistrate's Wife naturally focused first on cleaning Xingxing’s room.

Over at An Zhenzhen’s quarters, one of her two maids was looking after her unconscious lady in the pavilion, while the other was running around trying to get things in order. Naturally, the room wasn’t set up yet.

An Zhenzhen was still lying on a long bench in the pavilion.

When Xingxing arrived, though An Zhenzhen remained unconscious, the purple tinge on her face had mostly faded, and her color had improved significantly compared to when she had first been poisoned.