Chapter 260 The Secret in the Duck’s Belly

Chapter 260: The Secret in the Duck's Stomach

The eunuch walked down the stairs and took the food box handed over by the waiter. "Here you go, take care of it."

The eunuch nodded politely and walked out with the food box.

Every month at the beginning, the eunuchs would leave the palace to buy supplies for Yuchen Palace. He was specifically assigned to buy the roasted duck, the one from Taoran Restaurant that the Honored Consort had requested. He made sure to handle it carefully.

The eunuch walked out of Taoran Restaurant and headed toward the carriage parked not far away.

He still had to meet up with the other buyers; they would only return to the palace together once all purchases were complete.

"Stop that thief!"

The eunuch instinctively looked toward the shouts and saw one person running, with two others in pursuit.

Had a street thief been caught in the act?

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than the front runner slammed into the eunuch's side. His hand loosened, and the food box fell, the whole roasted duck spilling out.

"You bastard!" Watching the thief who had run off like the wind, the eunuch let out a shrill scream, his expression contorted with rage.

As his anger blazed, a beggar by the wall rushed over, grabbed the fallen roasted duck, and ran.

"Stop right there! What insolence!"

The eunuch grew even angrier, but the beggar bolted away with the duck in his arms, making it impossible to catch him.

Soon, the two men chasing the thief also ran past the eunuch.

The two junior eunuchs guarding the carriage approached and asked in low voices, "Eunuch Chen, should we chase them?"

"Chase what? Keep your mouths shut!" The eunuch, his face darkening, scolded his subordinates and walked back into Taoran Restaurant.

He could just buy another one.

The Honored Consort's instructions had to be followed to the letter. As for today's misfortune, he would find out who those insolent scoundrels were later and deal with them.

If he couldn't find out—his heart burned with rage.

What else could he do? If he couldn't find them, he'd just let it go.

"You want another roasted duck?" The waiter looked surprised.

"Yes."

"Sure, wait a moment."

Soon, the waiter handed the packed duck to the eunuch. "Take care."

This time, as the eunuch walked out of Taoran Restaurant, his grip on the food box unconsciously tightened.

The beggar who had grabbed the fallen duck hugged it even tighter, twisting through alleys to a residence, and handed it to a man.

The man nodded to the beggar without a word, took the duck, and entered the house.

"Sir, we've got it."

The young man sitting by the window glanced at the duck briefly and nodded slightly to the man. "Good work."

The young man was none other than Xue Han.

The roasted duck was placed on a table covered with coarse cloth. Xue Han used a dagger to cut it open, revealing the filling inside the duck's belly.

Chestnuts, mushrooms, ham... A small brown porcelain bottle was clearly visible among the fragrant ingredients.

He picked up the bottle, wiped it clean with a handkerchief, and opened the stopper, revealing a green pill inside.

Xue Han brought the bottle to his nose and sniffed, then replaced the stopper and ordered his subordinate, "Saddle up the horses."

Leaving the city, Xue Han galloped to Uncle Xu's residence.

The courtyard gate was open. Uncle Xu was drying herbs in the yard. Hearing the noise, he looked up and said, "Why are you here again?"

Xue Han walked in and closed the courtyard gate.

Uncle Xu looked behind him. "Came alone this time?"

"Uncle Xu, please take a look at this pill and tell me what it's used for." Xue Han cut straight to the chase and thrust the bottle into his hands.

Uncle Xu frowned in disdain. "You always bring me trouble."

Despite his words, he wiped his hands clean, opened the bottle, and tipped the pill onto a handkerchief.

The pill was about half the size of a lotus seed and had a faint cool fragrance.

"Uncle Xu, what do you think?"

Xue Han gave an awkward smile, but his eyes never left the pill. Uncle Xu understood that this pill was likely very important to him and said cautiously, "Based on experience, this should be a beneficial drug for humans."

Poisonous things often have an unpleasant smell.

"May I use this pill for further examination?"

Xue Han replied without hesitation, "Yes."

Some things need to be done step by step; others require quick decisions. Since the snake had been startled, at least they needed to figure out what bait was used to lure it out of its hole.

"Wait here for me." Uncle Xu took the pill to the medicine room.

Xue Han didn't go inside. He sat in the small courtyard where herbs were drying, letting the warm but not harsh sunlight bathe him, with the scent of herbs lingering around him. He suddenly thought that having a small courtyard on the outskirts of the capital with A Heng wouldn't be bad.

At this time, Qiu Heng had already arrived at Yuchen Palace.

"I pay my respects, Honored Consort."

"It's been a few days, and Sixth Miss Qiu looks even more beautiful." Honored Consort Yu took a sip of tea from her cup and calmly instructed, "Fang Rui, serve tea to Sixth Miss Qiu."

Qiu Heng was struck by how the Honored Consort addressed her.

In the palace, status was paramount. Properly speaking, Honored Consort Yu should have called her County Princess Suiyun. But she insisted on calling her Sixth Miss Qiu, indicating she could choose to ignore the emperor-granted county princess title if she wished.

This showed that Honored Consort Yu had begun to take her seriously. After all, one doesn't need to make proclamations to ants.

Had the commotion she stirred up in Western Jiang drawn the Honored Consort's attention?

"Sixth Miss Qiu, please have some tea."

Qiu Heng looked at Fang Rui, who was dressed in palace maid attire.

It had been a few days since they last met. The once haughty, favored daughter of heaven had become quiet, her eyes deep and unreadable.

"Thank you," Qiu Heng said.

Fang Rui held the tray without moving.

Was she supposed to take it?

Qiu Heng was not deliberately putting on airs. On ordinary days, whether at home or as a guest in other estates, a maid serving tea would gently place the teacup on the table.

"Sixth Miss Qiu doesn't want to drink the tea Fang Rui offered?" Honored Consort Yu's voice rang out, tinged with laughter. "I've heard there is some discord between you and Fang Rui. Is it because of that?"

"I wasn't thinking that deeply about it," Qiu Heng said, reaching out to take the teacup.

Fang Rui tilted the tray in her hand, and some of the tea spilled onto Qiu Heng's sleeve.

"This servant deserves to die! It was all because this servant didn't hold it steady!" Fang Rui knelt down with a thud.

Qiu Heng bowed her head slightly, silently watching her tea-dripping sleeve, then at Fang Rui kneeling in apology, feeling shock rising within her.

Is this... what they call palace intrigues? Isn't it a bit too simple and crude?

Next, would she be sent to change?

"How clumsy! What are you still kneeling for? Take Sixth Miss Qiu to change her clothes."

Fang Rui stood up. "Sixth Miss Qiu, please follow this servant."

Qiu Heng also stood up, sighing inwardly.

It's not about the elegance of the scheme, but about the person behind it. With Honored Consort Yu's ability to command the harem, she could twist the truth at will. First spilling tea on her sleeve and then sending her to change could even be seen as doing her a favor.

"Qiu Heng," Fang Rui suddenly called out on the way to the changing room.

Qiu Heng looked at her.

"If I had known you would stir up so much trouble, I should have crushed you when we first met at Prince Kang's mansion that year."