Chapter 35 Trotters Soup and Jujube Cake

Chapter 35: Trotter Soup and Red Date Cake

The dark blemish on the left side of Ji Yuntang's face had miraculously reappeared.

Qiao Ye immediately stumbled back two steps in shock.

Ji Yuntang's red lips curved slightly as she shot her a cold look. "Is my face that frightening?"

"N-no..." Qiao Ye lowered her head, not daring to look at Ji Yuntang, but a knot of anxiety tightened in her chest.

What on earth was going on?

She had clearly noticed that the dark spots on Princess Ye's face had disappeared over the past two days, so why had they suddenly reappeared now?

No wonder Liu Linlang refused to believe her.

It seemed that what Ji Yuntang applied to her face daily wasn't dog feces at all, but some other medicine that closely resembled it.

Because Qiao Ye had observed that the dark spots on Ji Yuntang's face had genuinely faded significantly compared to when she first arrived at the Night Prince's mansion. It probably wouldn't be long before they vanished completely.

Ji Yuntang narrowed her fox-like eyes, her gaze sweeping over the four dishes and one soup on the table. The pieces clicked into place.

It seemed the fish had taken the bait. Her earlier work setting the trap hadn't been in vain.

"Qiao Ye, the dishes you prepared for this princess tonight are quite lavish. That's very thoughtful of you."

Hearing Ji Yuntang praise her, Qiao Ye immediately felt she had been overthinking. The other party wasn't as clever as she had imagined.

At the very least, having grown up in the countryside and being unfavored, she probably had never eaten such a sumptuous meal before, right?

"If the princess likes them, this servant will prepare different dishes for you every day from now on."

After saying this, Qiao Ye immediately stepped forward with a smile and ladled a bowl of trotter soup for Ji Yuntang.

"Princess, please try this trotter soup. The kitchen auntie started stewing it at noon and simmered it for five hours. Not only are the trotters falling-off-the-bone tender, but the flavor is also exceptional."

"Is that so? Then I must have a proper taste."

Ji Yuntang took the bowl from her hand, scooped a spoonful of the soup, and brought it to her mouth. Her eyes lit up as if pleasantly surprised.

Soon, the bowl of soup was empty.

Seeing this, Qiao Ye stepped forward again, took the bowl, and said with a smile, "Princess, this servant didn't lie to you, did I? I told you this trotter soup was delicious."

"If you like it, then this servant will ladle another bowl for you."

In the blink of an eye, she had filled another bowl to the brim with trotter soup for Ji Yuntang.

Ji Yuntang took it without a word, picking up the bowl and drinking.

Qiao Ye stared at the back of Ji Yuntang's head, a flash of venom in her eyes.

Drink, drink up. Once you finish, you can be on your merry way to hell!

The Night Prince's mansion didn't need a princess at all. The death of a princess wasn't anything major.

Ji Yuntang shouldn't have come here...

As resentment churned in Qiao Ye's heart, she heard Ji Yuntang's voice again. "Another bowl."

An empty bowl was handed before her eyes. Qiao Ye looked bewildered.

What was going on?

Didn't she say herself she was allergic to peanuts and legumes?

She had added a large amount of soybean powder to this trotter soup.

Why had Ji Yuntang drunk so much yet remained completely unaffected?

This was no good!

If she got full later, it would be more difficult for her to make her move!

Thinking this, Qiao Ye immediately put on a smiling face and pushed the plate of red date cake in front of Ji Yuntang.

"Princess, you've already drunk a lot of the trotter soup. This red date cake is also the kitchen auntie's specialty pastry. Every time Prince Chen visits, he eats a lot. This servant had them make a plate for you too. Would you like to try some, Princess?"

She had added crushed peanuts to the red date cake. She refused to believe Ji Yuntang could eat this and still not have a reaction.

"Alright, this princess happens to have a sweet tooth. This red date cake looks excellent. I should eat a few pieces."

Ji Yuntang picked up a piece of the pale red cake and put it in her mouth. It tasted of the fragrance of red dates, combined with the sweetness of honey and sesame. It was indeed delicious.

But Ji Yuntang still spotted something unusual inside—crushed peanuts.

The peanuts had been ground very finely, but how could that possibly escape her notice?

Ji Yuntang sneered inwardly. First soybean powder, now crushed peanuts. I gave her an opening, and she botched it!

Then she had only herself to blame!

After eating one piece, Ji Yuntang smiled and offered the cake to Qiao Ye. "Qiao Ye, there's still so much red date cake left. This princess can't finish it all. Why don't you eat some with me?"

Qiao Ye looked at the plate of sweet, soft, and glutinous cake and her mouth watered. Since this morning, she had only eaten two steamed buns and a bowl of thin porridge. Her stomach had been empty for a while now.

Ji Yuntang was inviting her so warmly. Wouldn't it be rude to refuse?

Besides, she had only added a large amount of crushed peanuts to this plate of cake and hadn't poisoned it. Eating a few pieces probably wouldn't matter, right?

"Then this servant thanks the princess."

Qiao Ye grabbed two pieces of the cake and wolfed them down, as if afraid Ji Yuntang would snatch them from her.

Delicious, so delicious!

As a servant, she wasn't qualified to eat such fine pastries. Today, she was truly fortunate thanks to Ji Yuntang.

Ji Yuntang personally ladled another bowl of trotter soup for her.

"Eating just the cake is too dry. There happens to be one bowl of trotter soup left here. Have some soup too."

Qiao Ye's eyes grew slightly moist. She suddenly felt that staying by Ji Yuntang's side wasn't so bad. At the very least, she wouldn't beat or scold her without reason and even let her eat her fill.

It was just a pity that her fate was too unfortunate. Daring to marry into the Night Prince's mansion destined her to never smoothly become the princess.

Using her life in exchange for her own lifelong freedom was worth it!

Qiao Ye said nothing. She lowered her head and drained the bowl of trotter soup in one gulp.

After tonight, Ji Yuntang will be gone from this world.

"Pfft!"

Suddenly, Qiao Ye spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the trotter soup at the bottom of the bowl.

A wave of suffocating pain swept over her, her skin rapidly turning red all over, and she soon collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently.

While seizing, she kept vomiting blood.

Standing to the side, Ji Yuntang was bathed in the cold moonlight, a faint silver glow cast over her figure. There was not a trace of sympathy in her eyes.

"Qiao Ye, did you enjoy the trotter soup?"

"How was the date cake?"

Convulsing, Qiao Ye looked at her in disbelief. "It was you... you poisoned me..."

Ji Yuntang replied calmly, "This princess did not poison you. Everything we ate tonight was brought by you, wasn't it?"

"You should know very well what you put in the trotter soup and the date cake."

Qiao Ye's eyes widened involuntarily, her pupils turning a deep, bloodshot red.

So, Ji Yuntang had known all along that she had added soybean powder and crushed peanuts to the trotter soup and the date cake?

But why wasn't *she* affected?

Ji Yuntang's next words gave her the answer.

"Since you're about to die, I'll be honest with you. The truth is, I'm not allergic to peanuts or legumes. You are the one who's severely allergic."

"This princess said that earlier to see whether you and Tao Ye would betray me. If you hadn't tried to harm me, you wouldn't have ended up like this. This princess gave you a chance, but you chose not to cherish it. You sacrificed your life for Liu Linlang and paid the price for your actions. Now, you are merely reaping what you sowed."

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