Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

Ling Xi's heart sank slightly. She turned to look at Pei Lan beside her, her voice so calm that it was impossible to discern any emotion.

"Early this morning, the young master went to the residence of the Marquis of Yongyi, the young master's maternal grandfather's family, along with the prince, the princess, and... also Consort Mu and the young grandson."

Perrin lowered her head, her voice growing softer and softer, afraid that her mistress might be upset.

Wow! What a neat and tidy family.

Ling Xi leaned against the carriage wall, clenching her hands in her sleeves. The worry she had for her brother was now replaced by a strange bitterness.

She and Xiao Ce were not yet divorced. In name, she was still his lawfully wedded wife. It was one thing not to take her along, but now he didn't even bother to inform her.

She had never met Xiao Ce's maternal grandparents since marrying into the Prince Rui's household. It wasn't that she particularly wanted to see them, but if Mu Wanning, a mere concubine, could bring them along so openly, what would become of her dignity as a princess of Chu?

The thought of Mu Wanning suddenly sparked a thought in her mind: her brother's poisoning... could it be related to the jar of wine that Mu Wanning had brought yesterday?

"Stop the car! Stop the car!"

"Princess, what's wrong?"

When Perrin saw her suddenly lose her composure, his heart also jumped.

"Turn around! Turn around and go back home immediately!"

"Yes...yes, turn around immediately!"

Perrin immediately gave instructions to the coachman outside. Only after the carriage slowly turned around did Ling Xi regain her composure.

"Arno, when you return to the manor later, go to the dining hall of Chuixing Courtyard and fetch the jar of hibiscus wine that you and your brother drank yesterday."

"yes!"

Once this thought took root in her heart, it was impossible to suppress. If Mu Wanning was indeed behind her brother's affair, she would never let her go, no matter how much Xiao Ce protected her!

Upon arriving at the Lu residence, she learned that Lu Baixu had accompanied his grandfather to Jinyun Mountain in the suburbs for a short stay the day before, without leaving a definite return date. This news instantly extinguished the last glimmer of hope in Ling Xi's heart, and the composure she had been maintaining all the way crumbled in an instant.

Completely bewildered, she went to Wanfang Hall. As soon as she stepped into Linfeng Courtyard, she saw Imperial Physician Jiang standing under the corridor, decocting medicine with a solemn expression.

Ling Xi rushed into the inner room. Wu Shuang, who was always calm and composed, silently stood guard by the bedside, while her brother lay motionless on the bed, unconscious. The man who was so spirited yesterday was now ashen-faced, devoid of any color, with his lips turning an unnatural bluish-purple.

Ling Xi felt unsteady on her feet as she slowly approached. Seeing her brother's dying state, her heart clenched, and an unprecedented fear rose within her.

She had long known that her brother, as a general of the Chu Kingdom, was bound to face great danger by insisting on coming to Daliang. Who would have thought that after only a few days in Jinling, he would first be assassinated by another country, and Wushuang would almost lose her life. Now, only a few days later, he has been poisoned.

Ling Xi suddenly felt afraid, fearing that her brother had died. The room was deathly silent. She stood guard by the bedside, her heart filled with panic.

Just then, Imperial Physician Jiang slowly entered, carrying a bowl of medicine. Ling Xi suddenly looked up, her eyes surging with urgency.

"Imperial Physician Jiang, didn't you say that you hadn't yet identified the type of poison my brother was suffering from, making it impossible to prescribe a cure? So... you've found a way?"

Physician Jiang gently placed the medicine bowl on the bedside table, bowed to Ling Xi, his face full of guilt and helplessness.

"Your Highness, this old minister is incompetent. This is not an antidote, but merely a tonic to stabilize the blood and qi. It can only temporarily suppress the spread of toxins in General Ling's body and slow down the rate of poisoning."

Ling Xi's heart sank again. She couldn't believe that in such a large city as Jinling, there wasn't a single doctor who could cure this poison. She forced herself to suppress her panic and glanced to the side. Wu Shuang beside her also had a tense expression and was trying to remain calm.

"Princess."

Wushuang suddenly lowered her voice and spoke, turning her head to stare intently at Ling Xi.

"How about... we try the black market pharmacy?"

These words were like a wake-up call. Ling Xi's heart skipped a beat, and a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes. That pharmacy was filled with countless rare and precious medicines; perhaps there really was a glimmer of hope.

But this hope was soon dashed.

After a agonizing afternoon of waiting, hoping for a breakthrough as night fell, Wushuang discovered that the pharmacy was closed for the New Year, its doors locked tight. She inquired around, but none of the surrounding shopkeepers knew the mysterious masked doctor's address, nor had anyone seen his true face.

The last glimmer of hope that Ling Xi had managed to ignite was completely extinguished, and she had no idea who to turn to next.

In the afternoon, Qingyun led his men to invite all the doctors in Jinling City, but none of them could detect the poison.

Wushuang personally led the team to the black market. Despite her usual calm and composure, she couldn't suppress her anxiety at this moment. She stood motionless at the foot of the bed, staring intently at Ling Heng on the bed.

Wushuang's previous injuries had not yet healed, and after a whole day of tossing and turning, her already pale complexion had long since lost all color, and it was clear that she was holding on by sheer willpower.

"Wushuang, go and rest first. Let Arno and Qingyun guard my brother here."

She simply shook her head slightly, her bloodshot eyes still fixed on the bed, refusing to look away even for a moment.

"Princess, why don't you... go back and look for Prince Xiao?"

Wushuang gazed at the deep night outside the window, a sense of certainty suddenly appearing in her eyes.

"you mean……"

Ling Xi frowned slightly, looking at Wu Shuang with a puzzled expression. Wu Shuang quickly looked away, her gaze revealing no signs of fatigue, but rather an unusually determined light.

"Although Imperial Physician Jiang tested the jar of hibiscus wine in the afternoon and found it to be non-toxic, who says poison has to be put in the wine?"

She unconsciously shook her head slightly, her gaze deep and thoughtful.

"After returning from Prince Rui's residence yesterday, the young master has not left the courtyard. I even had dinner with him. It's impossible that he was poisoned when he returned to Linfeng Courtyard."

Ling Xi's eyes flickered slightly, and in an instant, everything became clear. Indeed, that jar of wine alone proves nothing.

She and Mu Wanning had never interacted before, and they had hardly ever exchanged a single calm word. So why would she come all the way to express her gratitude and give a gift just because Mu Wanning had helped her fetch a doctor? Her kindness was already strange and abrupt. What's more, it just so happened to coincide with her brother's visit to the manor.

Ling Xi's heart skipped a beat, and she found it difficult to calm down for a moment.

On the way back to the Prince's mansion, she repeatedly ordered the coachman to speed up. The wind howled through the cracks in the window. She sat upright in the carriage, her face dark, trying her best to suppress the surging anger in her chest.

Although there is no evidence at the moment, she is already 90% certain that, apart from Mu Wanning, she really can't think of anyone else who would do such a thing to her brother.

Mu Wanning already harbored deep resentment towards her, and because of old grudges against his family and country, he hated all the people of Chu. Her obsession had probably long since twisted into a morbid paranoia.

As soon as the carriage came to a stop at the main gate of the Prince's Mansion, Ling Xi didn't waste a moment. She had no intention of returning to Chuixing Courtyard at all. As soon as she entered the gate, she headed straight for Yunqi Courtyard, her body exuding an uncontrollable and chilling aura.