“The palace? Could it be…?” Long Junhao was shocked. Could it be his mother? Would she hate Lan Lan to this extent? Especially since Lan Lan brought Zhen’er and Xin’er back, his mother had seemed very happy. How could she resent Lan Lan? Was there someone else in the palace wanting to eliminate her?
“Who poisoned her? Have the mansion’s people been investigated?” he asked.
“We’ve investigated, and currently only one person is suspicious – the maid Qi Xi who entered the mansion a few days ago,” Long Yun replied respectfully.
“Have you checked her background?” Long Junhao frowned, recalling Lan Lan’s story about rescuing a girl who sold herself to bury her father.
Who would have thought she would turn out to be a threat?
Her family had lived in poverty on the mountain in the northern part of the city but recently moved into a large folk house. Tragically, her father died shortly after the move.
“Monitor Qixi’s movements and contacts closely. I will instruct her to behave according to Xue’s death symptoms. Even if she doesn’t die soon, it may raise some suspicion. You can go now!” Long Junhao said, waving his hand as he sat tiredly in his chair.
Lan Lan could hardly believe that Qixi, once just a foolish farmer’s daughter, had evolved into a potential threat. It was appalling that someone couldn’t be good despite their background.
Fortunately, she possessed an antidote pearl given to her by Master Kongling from Hongfa Temple, which helped her evade their trap. How could a thirteen-year-old girl harbor such malicious thoughts and devise a scheme to harm her? In modern times, children that age are still reliant on their parents. Lan Lan decided to play along and uncover who was supporting this little girl.
“Qixi, come here and see if this dress fits and if you like it. I made this for you!” Lan Lan held a light pink gauze dress, comparing it to Qixi’s figure for the fit.
Qixi admired the kind royal consort and the beautiful gauze dress made for her. She had never worn something so lovely; such finery was always out of reach. The fact that the royal consort made a dress for her, a mere servant, moved her to tears, and she felt a pang of guilt for having wronged her.
