Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 23 The poison actually contained a secret medicine from Xiling! Did the Liu family have a long-standing alliance with an enemy country?

The wind in December was like a knife, sweeping across the broken walls and ruins of the cold palace, emitting a mournful wail.

Shen Qingci wrapped his old, patched-up cotton-padded coat tighter around himself, squatted in front of the pile of medicinal herbs he had painstakingly collected in the corner, his brows furrowed tightly.

Several things were laid out in front of her: a few strangely colored, dried leaves, a small pinch of dark red powder, and a few shiny black seeds. These were all painstakingly extracted from the "tonic" that Consort Rou had sent over the past two months.

The ingredients for "Zhu Yan Mo".

She's been analyzing this all morning.

"Angelica sinensis, Ligusticum chuanxiong, safflower..." she murmured to herself, scribbling on the mud with a sharpened stick. "These are common medicinal herbs for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and they are harmless when used alone."

The stick was moved to another pile: "Oleander juice, Gelsemium elegans powder, Arsenic..."

These are highly poisonous.

Strangely, when these poisons were mixed together, they did not produce a stronger toxicity. Instead, some of the poison was neutralized by the blood-activating herbs, turning into a chronic poison.

"This isn't about poisoning me immediately," Shen Qingci said coldly. "It's about letting me slowly wither away in pain, so that I end up looking like I died of illness."

That's insidious.

But what bothered her most was that pinch of dark red powder.

She pinched a little bit and held it to her nose to sniff.

A very faint, bitter taste, carrying the scent of ice and snow, entered my nostrils.

This taste...

During her time as an assassin in modern times, she had access to information on drugs from all over the world. There is a rare plant called "Blood Lotus" that grows in the Himalayas; its powder, after being dried and ground, has this flavor.

In this world, according to the original owner's memories, similar plants only grow on the towering ice cliffs of Xiling Snow Mountain.

Xiling.

That mysterious country, known for its witchcraft and sorcery.

"Xiling..." Shen Qingci squinted his eyes.

"Your Highness." Jinshu brought over a half-bowl of hot water. Seeing her staring intently at the red powder, she asked softly, "Is this medicine... very special?"

"Special." Shen Qingci carefully wrapped the powder. "This kind of medicinal herb is not produced at all within the territory of the Nangong Dynasty. It comes from the Xiling Snow Mountain, with a yield of only a few kilograms per year, and its price is higher than gold."

Jinshu gasped, "Xiling? Isn't that... an enemy country?"

Although the four kingdoms are currently at peace on the surface, the relationship between the Xiling Wu Kingdom and the Nangong Dynasty has always been delicate. The two countries fought a major war fifty years ago, and friction still exists on their border to this day.

How did a secret medicine from an enemy country end up in the hands of a concubine in the imperial harem?

And it was even used to poison the Empress?

"The Liu family..." Shen Qingci uttered two words, her voice as cold as ice, "The Liu family is colluding with Xiling."

This is not speculation; it is an almost certain fact.

"The Death of Beauty," a complex and insidious chronic poison, is not something that can be obtained through ordinary palace intrigues. It requires top-notch toxicological knowledge, rare medicinal materials, and, most importantly, cross-border smuggling channels.

The Liu family had controlled the Ministry of Revenue for many years, overseeing the Grand Canal, salt and iron trade, and border trade...

They are fully capable and fully motivated.

"Jinshu," Shen Qingci looked up, "do you still remember how your mother was poisoned back then?"

Jinshu's eyes instantly reddened: "I remember... Mother fell ill after taking the pulse of the First Madam of the Liu family. At first, she only had a cough, but then spots started appearing on her face, and her body grew weaker day by day..."

"She's had contact with the Liu family," Shen Qingci said definitively. "The Liu family is using this poison to eliminate people who know too many secrets. Your mother is a female physician and understands pharmacology; she may have inadvertently discovered something."

Jinshu bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.

Shen Qingci patted her hand: "Don't worry, we will definitely avenge this."

Just then, the little one inside her moved.

It wasn't the kind of kick that's a warning sign, but rather a very slight movement, like turning over.

Shen Qingci lowered her head and placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

Strangely enough, Bao'er was unusually quiet every time she analyzed these poisons and researched antidotes. Unlike her usual lively and active self, she would quietly "stay" there, as if she were listening and watching intently.

Sometimes she even had the illusion that Bao'er could "understand" what she was doing.

"You also think this poison is troublesome, right?" she whispered to her stomach.

Bao'er moved again, as if in response.

Shen Qingci smiled and continued her analysis.

Knowing the source of the medicinal materials made the detoxification strategy clearer.

"The toxicity of the Blood Lotus lies in its 'icy poison'," she said, drawing a diagram on the ground. "It slowly freezes a person's blood and qi circulation, causing internal organ failure from the inside out. To cure this poison, two things are needed—"

She wrote down two words:

"First, medicinal materials with a fiery nature. Using extremely hot substances to counteract extreme cold."

"Secondly, the 'Ice-Melting Grass' specially made by Xiling. Only the Ice-Melting Grass that grows next to the Blood Ice Lotus can completely neutralize its toxicity."

Jinshu was a little confused, but she tried hard to remember: "Then... can we find it?"

"Fire-element herbs are easy to obtain," Shen Qingci listed a few. "Aconite, dried ginger, cinnamon... these are precious, but Physician Chen should be able to get them. The troublesome one is the Ice-Melting Grass—"

She paused for a moment: "This herb must be used fresh; once dried, its medicinal efficacy is reduced to less than one-tenth. It only grows within three feet of the Blood Ice Lotus in the Xiling Snow Mountain. It must be used in medicine within three days of being picked, otherwise it will wither."

Even the fastest horse would take half a month to travel from Xiling Snow Mountain to Nangong Capital.

There's simply not enough time.

In other words, it is impossible to obtain fresh ice-melting grass unless you go to Xiling Snow Mountain in person.

"So," Shen Qingci concluded, "I can only formulate a prescription to alleviate the poison and suppress its effects. But to eradicate it completely..."

She didn't finish speaking, but Jinshu understood.

To survive, one day I must go to Xiling.

Go to that mysterious and dangerous enemy country.

Silence fell over the room.

Only the howling wind outside the window could be heard.

After a long pause, Jinshu asked in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty... then we..."

"Don't be afraid," Shen Qingci interrupted her, her eyes resolute. "There's always a way out. First, we'll get a prescription to alleviate the symptoms and save her life. As for getting to Xiling—"

She sneered, "Who knows, we might actually have to go there someday. If the Liu family can collude with Xiling, why can't we make a deal with Xiling?"

Just then, very light footsteps came from outside the door.

It's Eunuch Li.

He came in with a hunched back, carrying a small cloth bag in his hand, his face showing a hint of solemnity.

"Your Majesty," he put down the cloth bag, glanced at the medicinal herbs on the ground, "you've figured it out?"

Shen Qingci nodded and pointed to the red powder: "West Ridge Blood Ice Lotus."

Eunuch Li's pupils contracted slightly.

He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Your Majesty is right. The Liu family and Xiling... are indeed in cahoots."

"Does Master know the inside story?" Shen Qingci asked immediately.

Eunuch Li sat down on the broken wooden plank, his cloudy eyes gazing out the window as if looking at the distant past.

"That was more than twenty years ago." His voice was hoarse. "When the late emperor was in power, Xiling sent a delegation to the court. At that time, Liu Chengzong was just a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue, responsible for receiving the delegation. This old servant was serving by the late Empress Dowager's side and accidentally overheard some... things that I shouldn't have heard."

He paused. "There was a high priest in the Xiling delegation who met with Liu Chengzong three times in private. No one knows the content of their conversations, but three months after the delegation left, something happened on the border—"

"A border tribe in Xiling suddenly obtained a batch of excellent Nangong weapons. They used those weapons to attack our border outpost, resulting in the deaths of more than thirty soldiers."

Shen Qingci's eyes sharpened: "Were the weapons provided by the Liu family?"

"There is no evidence." Eunuch Li shook his head. "The armory records show that the weapons were 'normal wear and tear.' But I remember that Liu Chengzong was concurrently serving as the supervisor of the Armory during that period."

He continued, "The late emperor had suspected the Liu family and sent people to investigate them secretly. But just as the investigation began, the censor in charge of it 'accidentally' fell from his horse and died. After that, the late emperor fell seriously ill, and the matter was dropped."

The room was deathly silent.

Only the last few sparks in the charcoal brazier crackled and popped.

"So," Shen Qingci slowly began, "the collusion between the Liu family and Xiling has lasted for more than twenty years. They use Nangong's weapons and supplies to exchange for Xiling's poisons, witchcraft, and even... possibly other things."

For example, intelligence.

For example, some kind of agreement in the future.

"Your Majesty is wise," Eunuch Li said in a low voice. "This old servant has been secretly observing for years, and the Liu family's power has expanded extremely rapidly. They not only control the imperial court, but also have a vast network of connections in the martial arts world, the business community, and even the border regions. Behind this... there is probably no shortage of support from Xiling."

Shen Qingci clenched her fist.

She originally thought it was just a power struggle within the harem, and that Liu Ruyan simply wanted to become empress.

Now it seems that the water is much deeper than she imagined.

The Liu family doesn't just want the empress's position; they might want the entire Nangong Dynasty.

They even collude with enemy countries, betraying their country for personal gain.

"Master," she raised her head, her eyes sharp as knives, "what kind of place is the Western Ridge Witch Kingdom?"

Eunuch Li remained silent for a long time.

Just when Shen Qingci thought he wouldn't answer, he slowly spoke:

"That was a place...where people believed in gods and power. The people of Xiling believed that all things had spirits, that mountains, rivers, plants, birds, and beasts all had souls. Their shamans could heal the sick and save lives, and they could also cast curses to kill. Their warriors were fearless in the face of death, because they believed that after death their souls would return to the snow-capped mountains."

"The Xiling Royal Court is divided into numerous factions, including those advocating war and those advocating peace. The faction that colluded with the Liu family more than 20 years ago was likely a radical force within the war faction."

He looked at Shen Qingci: "Your Majesty, if you really do go to Xiling in the future, you must remember three things—"

"First, don't easily believe the smiles of the Xiling people. They might be smiling at you while secretly casting a spell on you."

"Secondly, do not touch the sacred objects and temples of Xiling. That is a capital offense."

"Third..." He paused, his voice lower, "If you encounter an organization called 'Moon Temple,' stay away immediately. They are the most mysterious and dangerous lineage of witchcraft practitioners in Xiling."

Shen Qingci carefully wrote it down: "Moon Goddess Temple... I've memorized it."

The little one inside my belly suddenly moved.

It wasn't a kick, but a very peculiar feeling, like a gentle wave rolling by.

Shen Qingci lowered her head and placed her hand on her lower abdomen.

She discovered that Bao'er would react whenever Eunuch Li talked about Xiling, witchcraft, or other mysterious things.

It was neither the tension of an early warning nor the quiet of weariness.

Or perhaps it's...curiosity?

Or is it some kind of instinctive resonance?

"Bao'er," she said softly, "are you also interested in Xiling?"

The little one inside my belly moved again, this time more noticeably.

A complex look flashed across Eunuch Li's eyes as he watched this scene.

"Your Majesty," he suddenly said, "the young master... perhaps he really is destined for Xiling."

Shen Qingci looked up: "Master, what makes you say that?"

"In Xiling, a spirit body is considered a 'chosen one'," Eunuch Li said slowly. "Ancient records state that every hundred years, a child born with a spirit body will appear in Xiling. That child will be welcomed into the Moon Goddess Temple and become a candidate for the next High Priest."

Shen Qingci's heart skipped a beat: "Master means..."

"This old servant is merely speculating," Eunuch Li immediately replied. "But if the Liu family knows of the young master's existence and that he possesses a spiritual body... they are very likely to sell this information to Xiling. To Xiling, a spiritual body that has been left out is priceless."

Priceless treasure.

It could also be an endless disaster.

Shen Qingci instinctively protected her lower abdomen with her hand.

Her gaze gradually turned cold, as cold as the ice on the summit of Xiling Snow Mountain.

"Then let them come."

Her voice was soft, yet it carried a resolute determination.

"Who dares to touch my child—"

"I'll send whoever goes to hell first."

Outside the window, the cold wind howled.

The last embers in the charcoal brazier went out.

But the flames in Shen Qingci's eyes burned ever brighter.

She knew that from this moment on, her enemy was no longer just Liu Ruyan or the Liu family.

Before her lay a vast, intricate network of darkness.

From the inner palace to the imperial court, from the Southern Palace to the Western Ridge.

But so what?

She is Ling Ye.

He is the top assassin of the 21st century.

He is someone who died once and crawled back from hell.

She stroked her lower abdomen, where her baby moved gently, as if saying: Mother, I'm with you.

"Jinshu," Shen Qingci began, "prepare paper and pen—if you don't have paper and pen, use charcoal and rags. I need to write a prescription."

"Eunuch Li," she continued, "please go find Physician Chen and get the medicine according to the prescription. Tell him that this medicine is related to my life and death, and also to... whether I can overthrow the Liu family in the future."

"Yes!" the two replied in unison.

Shen Qingci picked up a wooden stick and wrote the first ingredient in the mud:

"Aconite root, three qian (approximately 6 grams)."

Her handwriting was sharp and forceful, each stroke like a knife's edge.

The antidote needs to be prepared.

Revenge must be taken.

The Liu family is doomed.

Xiling... If they insist on coming, then let them come.

She wanted to see whether the witchcraft of Xiling was more powerful, or whether she, a modern-day assassin, understood it better—

What is true killing?

Late at night.

In the shadows outside the Cold Palace, a figure quietly departed.

In his arms was a small packet of medicine residue he had picked up from outside Shen Qingci's window.

There were remnants of Blood Lotus in the dregs of the medicine.

The figure quickly passed through the palace alleyways and arrived at the back door of a magnificent palace.

He tapped three times lightly.

The door opened.

Roufei's trusted maid peeked out, took the medicine packet, and handed over a bag of silver.

"Tell the Empress," the figure whispered, "that the deposed Empress has discovered the source of the poison. She is preparing an antidote."

The palace maid's expression changed, and she turned and hurriedly went inside.

On a rooftop not far away, a black cat lay quietly, its amber eyes gleaming in the darkness.

It watched the figure leave, watched the palace doors close.

Then it lightly leaped off the roof, passed through the many palace walls, and returned to that dilapidated, cold palace.

It jumped onto the windowsill and let out a soft cry.

"Meow."

Inside the room, Shen Qingci opened her eyes.

She got up, walked to the window, and stroked the black cat's head.

"You've worked hard," she said softly.

The black cat rubbed against her palm and purred.

This is one of Bao'er's "friends"—a stray cat that roams near the Cold Palace. Ever since Bao'er showed affection to it, the cat has often been seen wandering around the area, like it's on patrol.

Shen Qingci didn't pay attention at first, until a few days ago, she discovered that the cat would stare at certain suspicious palace servants and would also leave some "gifts" in front of her window - sometimes dead rats, sometimes... discarded handkerchiefs with special fragrances.

Those spices were unique to the Roufei Palace.

This cat is protecting Bao'er in its own way.

"All things have a spirit..." Shen Qingci murmured.

She suddenly remembered what Eunuch Li had said.

The people of Xiling believe that all things have a spirit.

And her baby was born with the ability to communicate with all things.

Is this a coincidence, or... some kind of destiny?

she does not know.

But she knew one thing—

No matter what lies ahead—a mountain of knives, a sea of ​​fire, or a spell of witchcraft and poison—she will lead Bao'er and fight her way through.

He will kill any god or Buddha who stands in his way.

Including the man she once loved, but now hates to the core.

Nangong Ye.

You wait.