The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 182 - 181

Chapter 181

What was worse than before was that the person on the bed began to cough and vomit dark blood, staining the thick pillow and his neck. It was reminiscent of a prisoner tortured and forced to drink poison against his will.

This scene was all too familiar to those who had been oppressed by Ben Yanggong long ago. Ultimately, the torment had its end, but the end for this man was far from pleasant...

"M...Mother, Father, h...help, ugh...help me. Someone...anyone, help me!"

This was the last cry of the only son of the Ben family manor, Ben Guogong, shouted as loudly as a dying man could. He would never wake up again, the poison gnawing at him from within, causing his breath to falter with each passing second.

Everything was going as planned, except life rarely follows plans exactly. Suddenly, there was a knock on Ben Yanggong’s door, accompanied by a hesitant voice calling his name, the speaker unsure if they had truly heard the cries from their young master’s room.

"Y...young master, young master, it’s your servant. Wh...what happened, young master?"

A servant’s stuttering voice called out.

"..."

There was no reply from inside, only silence emanating from the room. This made the heart of the servant near Ben Yanggong’s bedroom feel even more anxious, because if the young master was truly in trouble, he and another servant who had run to inform the main quarters would surely bear the brunt of the blame.

Oh, young master, please don’t scare me like this!

The servant lamented internally, filled with worry. Steeling himself, he called out again, "Y...young master, please respond. If you don’t, I will open the door..."

"Why are you making such a commotion in front of my son’s room!?"

Before the servant could touch the door, a deep, authoritative voice rang out from afar. It was the stern voice of the master of the Ben family, Ben Guogong, who approached with his retinue, stopping in front of the now kneeling, frightened servant.

The servant’s fear compelled him to speak up. The master’s intimidating gaze alone almost paralyzed him due to the overwhelming fear.

"M...master, I wasn’t disturbing the young master. But, b...but, a short while ago, my companion and I heard the young master crying for help from his room, so I..."

Hearing that his only son had cried for help, Ben Guogong’s heart sank with a bad premonition. He urgently commanded his servants, "Yang’er...quickly! Open the door now!"

"Y-yes, sir."

When the master of the manor learned about his son, he did not waste any time. As soon as the trembling servant said that his son had cried for help, he immediately ordered his accompanying servants and four guards to help open the door.

It didn’t take long for them to unlock the door and reveal the scene inside. Ben Yanggong lay on his bed, seemingly sleeping at peace. However, it was far from what his father had expected. As the moonlight shone on his body, it revealed a still figure, motionless.

"Yang’er,"

The father called softly to his son, his eyes trembling continuously. The premonition in his heart grew stronger.

"...."

The figure on the bed remained silent, showing no sign of consciousness. However, Ben Guogong, the father, refused to give up. He slowly and gracefully stepped into his son’s room, embodying the dignified presence of Guogong. He called out to his son with the gentle voice of a doting father.

"Yang’er, my son, can you hear me?...Yang’er! M...my son, what has happened to you!?...Doctor. Yes, the doctor, go, go fetch the doctor to Yang’er’s room immediately!"

"Yes, sir! I’ll go right away!"

In an instant, the entire Guogong Manor plunged into chaos. When the father entered the room and saw his son gasping for breath, his upper body stained with blood, especially around his ears and nose, Ben Guogong hurriedly cradled his son in his arms, heartbroken. He then turned to another servant, voicing his concerns.

"And you, keep the Furen away. Do not let her see the young master in this condition..."

Before the servant could respond, a woman’s figure rushed into the room, halting in shock briefly before bursting into tears, her heart shattered.

"Yang’er...sob, Yang’er!"

Ben Furen, who had followed shortly after, saw her beloved son, the apple of her eye, lying there with blood on his body. Tears streamed down her cheeks endlessly ever since.

Even after four hours, her tears were still flowing. Though the doctor arrived and began initial treatments, seeing her son in such agony was too much to bear. She eventually collapsed beside the bed, crying out as if her heart would break.

Ben Guogong turned to comfort his wife and inquired about his son’s condition from the doctor. "Doctor, how is my son?"

The family doctor, his expression grave, completed the acupuncture and examination before sighing heavily. His tense face filled those present with dread.

"Master, Shizi has been poisoned with Jingkai. This poison, when it is fully effective, causes extreme suffering as it attacks the internal organs. Without the antidote within five days, he will surely die. Unfortunately, though an antidote exists, it is only found in the northern part of the region."

Thud!

"Yang’er, sob, no, it can’t be true..."

"Furen! Furen! Quickly, take the Furen back to her room!"

Ben Furen fainted into the arms of a senior servant upon hearing the doctor’s words, and even unconscious, her tears did not stop. Ben Guogong’s face turned visibly pale, his body swaying, almost collapsing. He had to be supported by the chief butler to stay upright.

Jingkai was a forbidden herb within the royal court of Daliang, known for its deadly effects. Even common drugstores dared not import to sell it. How then could his son be poisoned with something from the north?!

Ben Guogong realized this was no small matter. It might involve the power struggles within the court.

He clenched his fists, veins bulging, before regaining his composure. He ordered the guards to investigate where his son had gone, with whom, and whom he had met. This matter had to be thoroughly investigated!

Eastern Palace

The next morning, in the reception hall of the Eastern Palace, the residence of the current Crown Prince of the Daliang Region, two men who bore a striking resemblance to each other were engaged in a tense game of Weiqi. The air was thick with tension as neither side was willing to concede.

"You didn’t come to my palace this early just to play Weiqi, did you?"

The Crown Prince broke the silence. He had been informed shortly after waking that his younger brother, the Third Prince, had arrived at the palace at dawn, which made him surprised.

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince’s normally composed face showed a hint of unease. He stared at the board for a long moment before finally revealing the purpose of his visit.

"You are astute, Brother. I won’t hide it. I came here today because I have something important to tell you."

"Something important? What could trouble you so much...?"

"Ben Yanggong has been poisoned..."

The Crown Prince raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Poisoned? How?"

"I’m not sure," the Third Prince shook his head. "The guards also said the poison is Jingkai."

"What did you say!?"

The Crown Prince exclaimed in shock, his composed demeanor suddenly faltering. His face turned serious, revealing an unprecedented level of concern. This time, the dignified Crown Prince was truly shocked. Ben Yanggong was one of his crucial allies, if anything happened to him, it would surely have serious implications for his power.

"From his symptoms, it’s highly likely the poison is Jingkai," the Third Prince explained what he knew, hiding nothing. Hearing this, the Crown Prince asked in a serious tone,

"Have you sent the royal physician to Guogong Manor to treat him?"

"Yes, Brother. I expect there will be a report soon."

Hearing this, the Crown Prince exhaled in relief, at least they could be somewhat relieved about Ben Yanggong. With the royal physician attending to him, there was some hope of stabilizing his condition, buying them time to find a solution.

If Ben Yanggong were to succumb to the poison, the balance of power in the Crown Prince’s hands would be severely disrupted. It could provide their enemies with an opportunity to strike.

Throughout this ordeal, Ben Guogong had maintained a neutral stance, with only Ben Yanggong openly supporting the Crown Prince. If he lost this key piece before securing full support from the Guogong Manor, it would give a significant advantage to their rivals, the Fifth Prince’s faction...

This could not be left as it was!

The Crown Prince’s instincts warned him that he must prepare for the coming situation. He needed to start by ensuring Ben Yanggong’s survival, and then investigate the cause of the Jingkai poisoning.

"How do you think he was poisoned?"

The Crown Prince asked seriously. The Third Prince, who was asked, pondered for a moment before responding, "Jingkai poison can only be ingested. Yesterday, Yanggong mentioned that he hadn’t eaten anything since morning because he was waiting to try the exquisite food at Ma Feng Restaurant."

"After Yanggong returned to his manor, the secret guards reported that he only had dinner with his family. The security at Guogong Manor is very tight, with skilled guards on duty around the clock, making it difficult to administer poison there. This leaves Ma Feng Restaurant as the only suspicious place."

"But if the perpetrator was at Ma Feng Restaurant and poisoned Yanggong, why were we not affected?" the Crown Prince asked, puzzled.

The theory made sense, except for the fact that they had not been poisoned if the food was indeed tainted.

The Third Prince shared the same doubt. If he were the perpetrator and had such a potent poison, he wouldn’t have let any of the targets survive to remove the specifical suspicion. This would make it harder to identify the culprit and their motives than poisoning only Ben Yanggong...

"Any news on the Fifth Brother’s movements?"

"None so far, Brother."

"Alright. Right now, I am more curious about how the perpetrator managed to poison Yanggong and how they knew we would be there. Even the food and drinks were shared. If there was poison, then it should have..."

At this point, the Crown Prince suddenly remembered something unusual, which might be an important clue related to this incident. "When someone brought the wine, I recall that the servant accidentally knocked over Yanggong’s wine cup, causing it to break. They had to bring a new cup to replace it. That must have been the opportunity for the perpetrator to poison it!"

"Indeed! I had completely forgotten about that. I thought it was strange at the time, why the restaurant employee was so careless. If the replaced cup was poisoned, it would explain why none of us were affected by it,"

The Third Prince voiced his thought, confirming the plausibility of the scenario. The Crown Prince’s sharp eyes gleamed with determination as he immediately issued a command.

"Order someone to quickly capture that servant from Ma Feng Restaurant!"

"I will handle it right away, Brother."

"Hurry. If we are even a step too late, the perpetrator might already be alerted!"

The Third Prince promptly acknowledged his brother’s command and quickly left the palace to carry out the order. After he departed, the Crown Prince stared at the Weiqi board in front of him, deep in thought.

He didn’t know who was behind this plot, but their intentions were clearly malicious and could put him at a disadvantage. Whoever it was, he would not let them get away with it...

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