I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 268 Poisoning
In the main kitchen, Zhao's personal nanny was directing the maids and servants to serve the dishes.

"Keep your hands steady, or you'll be skinned alive!"

Upon hearing this, the servants became even more cautious.

After the maids and servants who were serving the dishes left, Lianqiao took the opportunity to slip into the main kitchen, calling out, "Godmother!"

Granny Zhao said unhappily, "Why aren't you staying in the courtyard to look after the young lady? What are you doing here?"

Lian Qiao smiled ingratiatingly and whispered in Zhao Mama's ear, "The young lady asked me to see if there's anything I can do to help."

"You're just a first-class maid, what do you know about kitchen work?" Granny Zhao shooed her away like a fly. "Get out of here, don't get in the way."

Lianqiao lingered and refused to leave. Just as Zhao Mama's patience was about to run out, Steward Bai entered the kitchen, carrying two wine jars.

Granny Zhao was overjoyed, "You bought it?"

Steward Bai wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "The Marquis ordered that the jar on the left is Plum Blossom Wine for the Madam and the Princess, and the jar on the right is Chrysanthemum Wine for the Marquis and the Prince. Granny, you must keep a close eye on things and make sure you don't serve the wrong thing."

Granny Zhao readily agreed. After seeing Steward Bai off, Granny Zhao pinched Lian Qiao's ear and asked, "Did you hear what Steward Bai said just now?"

Lian Qiao's ears ached, but she dared not utter a sound. "I heard you, godmother!"

"Then what are you standing there for? Hurry up and pour the wine!"

"Hey!"

Granny Zhao released her grip and coldly watched Lian Qiao busy herself.

Thinking of the lady's instructions, Zhao Mama felt a chill of fear, but as a servant, she had no choice but to obey.

Just when Granny Zhao was worried about not having a scapegoat, Lianqiao happened to arrive.

Granny Zhao knew that Lianqiao must have come to the main kitchen on the orders of the young lady to inquire about information. Since that was the case, she might as well use the young lady's name to escape this predicament.

"Ouch!" Granny Zhao cried out in pain, clutching her stomach.

Lian Qiao stopped what she was doing, turned around, and helped Zhao Mama up. "Godmother, what's wrong?"

"My stomach hurts, I think I ate something unclean," Zhao Mama said, her face scrunched up. "I need to go to the latrine. You can take the wine to the front hall."

"Godmother, are you sure you can manage on your own?"

"It's alright," Zhao Mama urged, "Hurry up and send it over, don't keep the Marquis waiting."

"Hey!" Lianqiao carried the wine pot and wine cups and jogged to the front yard.

As soon as Lianqiao rounded the artificial hill, Granny Zhao dropped her act and said, "Silly girl, it's just that you have bad luck."

"Considering that you've called me godmother for so many years, I'll definitely find you a good coffin in the future, so you can be reborn into a better family in your next life."

In the main hall of the front courtyard, King Xuan and Marquis Zhongyong drank and reminisced about their glorious youth. King Xuan complained, "This wine is no good! It's not as strong as the strong liquor we used to drink!"

"Turkic baijiu was strong, but it's not good now. If you want to talk about really strong liquor, you have to go for the flower-flavored liquor brewed by Zhong's Distillery."

"Don't even mention it! Just thinking about Zhong Family Winery makes my heart pound. The wine is good, it's really strong, but it's just too damn expensive!"

It's heartbreaking to think that a prince of the highest rank couldn't even afford a bottle of wine.

"Hahahaha!" Bai Wei laughed loudly, "Then Your Highness is in for a treat today!"

Lian Qiao entered carrying a tray. A flicker of surprise crossed Zhao's eyes, which she quickly concealed. After setting out the wine pot and cups, Lian Qiao silently withdrew.

Bai Wei picked up a wine pot engraved with the image of the Three Immortals of Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity, and personally poured a cup for Prince Xuan. "This wine is chrysanthemum brew that I sent someone to buy at a high price from the Zhong family's winery. Your Highness, try it and see if it's strong!"

King Xuan took the wine cup and eagerly tilted his head back to drink it down.

"Delicious!" King Xuan exclaimed with delight. "As expected of wine from the Zhong Family Winery, it's truly enjoyable to drink!"

Bai Wei's smile deepened as he poured another glass of wine. "I'm glad Your Highness likes it."

King Xuan drank cup after cup until half the wine pot was empty before he realized, "Old Bai, why aren't you drinking? You drink too!"

"No, Your Highness," Bai Wei refused. "I can't afford this wine."

King Xuan was puzzled and was about to ask why when a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. The wine cup in his hand fell to the ground, and shards flew everywhere.

Princess Xuan, who was chatting with Zhao, immediately noticed something was wrong. "Your Highness, Your Highness, what's wrong?"

“This wine,” dark red blood dripped from the corner of King Xuan’s mouth, “is poisoned!”

After saying this, King Xuan could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.

"Your Highness!" Princess Consort Xuan rushed forward, but could not support Prince Xuan's weight, and the two of them fell to the ground together.

A shard of wine glass cut Princess Xuan's palm, but she didn't care at all. She held Prince Xuan's face in her hands and kept calling out to him.

"Your Highness, you should save your energy," Zhao said, her face contorted with smugness, her previous amiability vanished. "Once the Heartbreak Powder enters the internal organs, even a celestial being couldn't save you!"

Princess Consort Xuan questioned, "Lord Zhongyong, Lady Zhao! The Prince has treated your family well, why did you do this!"

"Not bad? When has the Prince Xuan's Mansion ever treated my Marquis Zhongyong's Mansion well?" Madam Zhao recounted in detail, "The Prince's Mansion reneged on my son's marriage agreement at will, and you demoted the Marquis's title at will! Even so, you still won't let our family go!"

"You forced Rouyin to live in that dilapidated and desolate little courtyard in Beishan for two whole years! You even forced the Marquis to take an arrow with his own body in exchange for the restoration of his title! And what right do you have?"

"Our family has been loyal to the Prince's Mansion, and what have we gotten in return? Even that vile woman Tang Zhao dares to act wildly in front of the Marquis of Zhongyong's Mansion!"

"Don't blame us for being ruthless; you have only yourself to blame for all of this today!"

Bai Wei remained silent, clearly thinking the same thing.

Princess Xuan found it laughable. Apart from the matter of breaking off the engagement, what else had their royal family done wrong?

Moreover, the annulment of the engagement was not the original intention of the Prince's Mansion. The Prince's Mansion has been tolerant and forgiving of the Marquis of Zhongyong's Mansion in every way because of the annulment of the engagement. Isn't that enough?
"The victor is king, the loser is villain, and I don't want to say much more," Princess Xuan said calmly. "Do as you please, kill me or torture me."

"Don't worry, Your Highness, the Marquis and I will not kill you."

It would be too ugly if King Xuan and his queen were both killed in one day.

Bai Wei said coldly, "Please move to the backyard, Your Highness. Until I fully take over the Northwest Army and the Northwest, I will have to trouble Your Highness to stay in the Marquis's residence."

Princess Xuan said calmly, "You have pledged allegiance to Emperor Pingyuan."

“That’s right!” Bai Wei said without the slightest hint of guilt. “What the Prince’s Palace can’t give me, His Majesty can give me. Why can’t I find another wise ruler?”

"This is the first time I've heard someone describe betraying their former master in such a refined and elegant way. The Marquis of Loyalty and Courage is indeed no ordinary person."

Bai Wei disregarded the sarcasm in Princess Xuan's words and corrected her, "This world belongs to His Majesty, the Northwest Army belongs to His Majesty, and I am also His Majesty's subject!"

"With such loyalty from the Marquis of Zhongyong, even Emperor Pingyuan in Luoyang, upon learning of it, would surely be unable to hold back a few crocodile tears, wouldn't he?"